Visited design festa . The journey alone was worth it. I travelled on the new Yurikamone line over the bay, under the massive rainbow bridge and passed big wheels and buildings built like ships or space stations. It docked at another huge space station type building called "Tokyo Big Site"

It was full (over 6000 exhibitors) of people selling or showing their cartoon creations, jewellery, clothes, art works, films etc. I saw some great punk bands. The singer's mother was in the audience for one of them. She came dressed smartly in a full Kimono and proudly took pictures of her daughter who was screaming profanities into the audience. Also saw a lot of strange performance art and people dressed up like these "Cos Play Zoku" (costume play group) who are a subculture of suburban high school girls who only come out at weekends and look like this



I missed "Human Pudding Pictures Presents the Other Side" so I can't tell you what that is. In any case I was having trouble adapting to this side and these people



eventually I got to grips with it all though, and I even made a friend



"wave bye-bye, new friend"

They like to celebrate seasons here with seasonal foods (chestnuts, mushrooms etc. for autumn) and festivals and nature based contemplation activities. We contemplated the autumn colours in a park where all the trees and the lake were lit up to great effect at night.

It's got quite cold. Luckily Inax (the toilet's name) has a seat heating function which keeps us cosy. I bought him a brush as a thank you and he seems to be able to use that as well.

Been away for the weekend up to Matsumoto castle



and Nagano, Zenkoji temple where we walked through the pitch black tunnel of death, touched the key of salvation and were reborn into the light, apparently. We didn't get to see the first images of Buddha to be brought to Japan in 522 but then again only one person has seen them in the last thousand years. I prayed for a smaller belly but the Buddha didn't seem to be sympathetic.

Food update: have tried raw horse meat and baby bees but have managed to stay clear of the Beaujolais Nouveau that is now in every shop on the street (there's a lot of shops) Have tried fishy cheese snack which I'd have again but have learnt my lesson re: spicey fishy cheese.

Also discovered the world of Mambonsai : Bonsai gardens with action figures (little workmen, father christmas, capturing Bin Laden; the usual stuff) promoted by Japan's premier Mambo Act

Super electronic toilet has malfunctioned squirting water everywhere and then drying up completely. I google "Japan Toilet Electrocution Accident" but mysteriously there are no statistics available.

Rang up job ad for restaurant critic in one of the free mags for foreigners. They want me to send some sample pieces by Weds. Quickly wrote a couple. Hope they're not too "off the wall".

Harajuku and Meiji Shrine

H maintains that Harajuku is the crepe capital of Tokyo, we counted 6 crepe shops which I deemed above average crepe density. I had a custard chocolate cream banana crepe and H had a caramel cheesecake ice cream one. Oishi !

On to Meiji impressively large and authentic Meiji shrine bult for the Emperor Meiji and Empress Shoken in 1920 and rebuilt in 1958 after it was bombed in the war. I bought a poem written by the Emperor but lost it (it might turn up later) Lots of 7-5-3 (They visit a shrine at the ages of 7,5 and 3) children visiting in little kimonos one of them got away ...




...but we managed to grab another one.

Also saw a wedding.



In the afternoon I had a job interview for some part time work teaching english. It was in a little building with stuffed toys and books eveywhere. really messy. The Japanese woman calling herself Nancy seemed really nice as did her assistant who used to live in London. She says she can get me some part time work going out to businesses in the evenings. We'll see.

Unique beauty in Shinjuku gardens

Can see Fuji from our balcony !

Finally got around to exploiting full functionality of electronic toilet.





Settings 1 and 2 are a joy but setting 3 is inappropriate.

Had a day out in the mountains. very refreshing.

This chair lift takes you 0.5 metres off the ground which is a long way up for this miniature race.