by Julie

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…
read more
by Julie

Hiroshima

This is just a quick update as I am smothered with a cold today - I think the Japanese with their surgical masks were horrified by my snuffling and sneezing, but it was my gesture of rebellion. We have a night off so I am tucked up in bed with my iPad and cheap red wine, which is plentiful here in Japan so happy days! We are currently in Hiroshima and it is amazing on many levels. Around the area of the epicentre of the bomb of 6 August 1945 they have built a beautiful…
read more
by Julie

Weather with you

Well Japan is a great country but the weather is all over the place - going from spring, like this: Then to winter like this, all in the space of a day: (I will be wearing the same clothes in all the photos by the way - it's like being photoshopped into them. That little red doll I am holding is a child protector - it has no face and adopts the emotions of the child it is guarding. Yes, weird.) It has been cold over the last few days - thermals all the way.…
read more
by Julie

An uncross crossing

I know this is supposed to be a cranky blog, but to be honest it's very hard to find anything to be cranky about in Tokyo so far. It must be the jet lag. Well maybe the weather today, which turned very cold and wet. But Tokyo is a really great city. And really crowded. Witness Shibuya crossing. It's the crossing that we all know from the movies - there are five pedestrian crossings and they all change at the same time and are always packed! Coming up the steps from the metro into it…
read more