Arigato goziamas Japan

Well am finished in Japan and it was fantastic. Saw so many cool things and had a great time. And did I mention the cod sperm? I think that was the most unusual thing I eat in Japan, along with the horse’s mane, which was basically fat. Not great. But when we saw cod sperm on the menu we had to try it. Now I had a few glasses if wine at that stage, but it was surprisingly nice. They kind of whip it up and deep fry it so it’s creamy and crunchy and not what you would expect. Tasty but one bit was enough!

Another highlight was the tea ceremony with a maiko, which is a trainee geisha or geiko as they call them in Kyoto. I was a bit sceptical about the whole geisha thing, basically a woman entertaining men for a living. But when I saw it close up you can see the charm. Geiko are mainly visited by business men entertaining clients etc and it’s a big deal. But the women have this blend of coolness and charm which really works. And they look fantastic.

That’s me grinning like the village idiot with them. They are special. And there is no retirement age for geiko so they work till they are old. They are respected. But it’s hard to fathom how a 21st century Japanese girl can want it as a career. They can have boyfriends but can’t marry.

Another thing I have to mention is the toilet situation in Japan. It is brilliant – they are everywhere! And so clean. You never have to worry about being caught short. And I appreciated it. But there can be confusion between traditional Japanese and Western style toilets which can lead to confusion, as evidenced by the signs:

However when you are used to peeing on the side of the road it’s easy to squat and do your business. Hello Father!! (Drew family joke).

So it’s been great Japan and thanks for the memories. As Peter would say on to the next entertainment!