Tokyo to Ofunato

Hello everyone!
I've arrived in Ofunato and all is well.
Before I launch into Ofunato life, I'd like to take you back to my Tokyo departure, the bullet train, and my journey here.
Like any major city, the Tokyo morning rush hour was intense. Here is a little taster, look out for the Jewish couple in the mix.

I then got on the wrong Shinkansen!! classic. The adrenalin surged through my body when I realised my big mistake.Luckily the train stopped in a station just outside Tokyo, so I jumped off there, and caught the right one. Below is a little video of the Shinkansen I boarded by mistake...

 

Robert ( my interpreter) and I were greeted by Dr Uchide at the station. What a lovely woman! We then travelled by car for an hour and a half through the mountains to Ofunato.Incredible scenery, red autumn leaves on jagged mountains. Bliss.

We headed straight for a restaurant by the sea to meet the President of the Japan Association of Group Homes for People with Dementia - Dr Noriya Kikawada.We had an incredible meal of onion and cheese soup, steak and carrots, and pumpkin pie with pumpkin sauce.

A few brief facts on Ofunato.
Ofunato is a coastal fishing city in the north east of Japan, in Iwate Prefecture.

After our meal Dr Uchide drove us to the town hall to meet the newly elected mayor.He'd won the mayoral election the day before, and everyone was so happy about it. There hasn't been a new mayor in 12 years! I felt like Prince Charles meeting Obama.

And then we headed for a welcome reception feast. I was so touched by their generous welcome.Sushi, sashimi ( thin slices of raw fish ) noodles of all kinds,oysters in breadcrumbs, fish stew, and sandwiches. You can see the sandwiches behind the noodles in the picture below.

The seafood was delicious, fresh from the sea that day. There were these long white tendrils in the fish stew which I thought were octopus tendrils, but in fact they were cod's testicles. Ah!

The people of Ofunato are warm, friendly and generous, I've learnt so much over the last few days. Will update you all when I get a spare moment, but my schedule is packed. There is so much to share with you. I'm definitely in the right place to learn new ideas on how to care for older people with and without dementia in care homes and in the community. Jeez they do it so differently here. Nos da from Ofunato x

Day 6

Hello everyone,

It's my last day in Tokyo before I travel on the bullet train to Ofunato to meet Dr Yukimi Uchide, Robert ( my interpreter ) and the Kesen Boche Ichiza theatre company tomorrow.

So in a fitting farewell to Tokyo I went to Harajuku to see if I could find myself a bunch of cosplayers! Cosplayers are youths with a fondness for Japanese bands or anime and manga characters, and on a Sunday they dress up and hang out in Harajuku.

I was told by a lad near Harajuku metro that there were not many youths on show today. I was a little bit gutted. But I waited around, and then lo and behold....

It was incredible to see older people playing! I love Mr Red.

I then found myself following a few cosplayers down the road and into one of the busiest streets I've ever come across!! Takeshita street!

 

A great day.

I'm looking forward to meeting Dr Uchide tomorrow, and very excited about the bullet train. For all you train buffs, I'll take some pictures!

Hope you've enjoyed the Tokyo leg of my journey, I feel like I've only skimmed the surface of this bubbling metropolis, but I've loved it.

Day 5

Good evening from warm and sunny Tokyo!

Today I've been to Kamakura which is an hour by train from Tokyo. Kamakura was the capital of Japan from 1185 to 1333 and is home to many Buddhist temples. I went in search of the "Great Buddha" at Kotoku-in temple. Completed in 1252, it is Japan's second-largest Buddha. I was not alone.

There were quite a few of us!

Even though it was very busy beneath Buddha, it was still an incredible sight.
I then took a short walk to Hase-dera temple, very beautiful.

 No pics of the Buddha's I'm afraid, strictly no cameras. But I did find this in the garden!

And this sign, which I loved.

I finished off my day with a sembei ( rice cracker ) and watched them grill it before my eyes. Biggest rice cake I've ever had.

It's a full moon in Kamakura tonight.

Nos da pawb.

Day 4

Good evening from peaceful and beautiful Tokyo. Even though this sprawling metropolis is home to over 12 million people, I've not had an argie bargie with anyone! I like that.

I've been to the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Offices today. These city offices occupy two adjoining buildings, and were worth seeing for their authoritative architecture.

I ventured up to the 52nd floor to catch a glimpse of Tokyo from the observation deck.

 The city and Yoyogi park living side by side.

I then decided to visit Meiji-jingu Shrine in Yoyogi Park. It can't be far I thought, I could see it from the 52nd floor. An hour later, I'm still walking through the back streets of Tokyo!! I spot a group of boys larking about on a huge swing and decide to ask them for directions.

With my terrible Japanese, and their two words of English ( hello and hi ) they showed me the way to the park, bless them. I found some political candidates on my way there.

Meiji-jingu Shrine was stunning and a hive of activity. There was a wedding and a young girl celebrating Shichi-Go-San meaning Seven-Five-Three, a traditional rites of passage for three and seven year old girls and three and five year old boys. I saw this lovely little one celebrating with her parents!

Here's the wedding!!

 

A great shrine day.

Back on the idiosyncratic subway now! I've never been in a place where roughly one in ten people are wearing surgical masks. I think it's to prevent the spread of germs, which is a good thing! but it looks so odd.

And here's a tall man on the subway...

That's it from Tokyo today. Guddonaito.

Day 3

Good evening from super clean, super orderly, super polite, and super strange Tokyo.
Public toilets are incredible, fancy a warm seat? a choice of sound effects to mask the sounds you make? and for those of us with a germ phobia ( you know who you are) everything is motion sensored, so there's no need to touch anything, well, nearly. Below is a sign outside the public toilets in Yoyogi Park today.

And this is Yoyogi Park, the big autumn display is now on the floor!

Beautiful park. Yoyogi is famous for cool and unusual youth gatherings. There wasn't much happening today, apart from this....

They'd just finished shooting a music video when I stumbled upon them....nice sock heel combo! Possible to live where?

There was also a man strolling with a cat on his shoulder...

And a young man hanging out with the words Love Trash on his hat.

I love it here. There's a surprise around every corner.

I walked to Shibuya crossing, which is probably one of the most exciting and intense experiences of crossing a road I've ever had. I don't think this video does it justice really, you need to be in it to feel the intensity, but take a look.Oh, and check out the girl at the end of the video, what's going on there???

While I was taking photos by the crossing a group of girls approached me and asked if I'd take their photo, which I did naturally. They thanked me with many bows, and then congratulated me on the engagement of Prince William and Catty!! I thanked them on behalf of the Prince, Catty, his family, her family and the U.K. Below is the group of girls...nice poncho.

I saw this lovely old man walking towards the crossing.

And this smiler on a billboard.

And this snoozer on the subway...o

That's it from Tokyo today.

Tokyo Day 1 and 2

Hello and welcome to Tokyo!

My first encounter with a local was on the subway train heading for my hotel. Shattered from the flight, with my head swimming with a thousand subway stations I slumped into a seat. An elderly lady wanted to sit down next to me, so I moved my big case so she had room to sit down. She smiled and bowed, I smiled and bowed, she smiled and bowed again, I smiled and bowed again, she bowed, I gestured to the seat, come on lady, you need to sit down now! How wonderful, and fitting! I'm loving the bows.

Once I'd dropped my bags at the hotel, I ventured up the road, and came across this...not bad.

My first proper meal - a kogashi-miso ramen, a strange black soup with noodles, it looks like an oil disaster, but I tell you now, it was the best ramen I've ever tasted.

Here is a view over the city from the Tokyo City View in Roppongi Hills.

There is so much to see and do. Tokyo feels safe, silly and epic.
Sayonara for now.