Inoue Sake Brewery

Today I meet with Naoto, the English speaking organiser of the sake tour. I am the only person to sign up. Not wanting to waste his whole day, I ask whether we should still go on the tour. It turns out Naoto is still quite eager to visit the brewery. Naoto is passionate about sake, and wants to spread the word about this traditional Japanese drink, which dates back to two thousand years ago. So off we go.

We head to Tokyo Station, before taking the the Tokaido Line to Kozu Station. The journey takes about ninety minutes. We have to wait at Kozu for a while; the trains here appear just twice an hour. Eventually a train comes, and we take the Gotemba Line to our destination, Kami-Oi Station. From the train I can see the sea.

Kami-Oi Station is deserted, it is so quiet that there is no ticket gate. “What, so we just walk out without paying?” I ask.
“This is the countryside,” is the explanation Naoto gives. I am still confused. The area is definitely the countryside, mountains and the sea. Rice growing everywhere. The air is clean. We leave the station and head to the Inoue Sake Brewery.

cedar[1]

The cedar globe outside serves as a symbol for the current year’s sake production. When the new batch is made in late October, the globe will be replaced. Its changing colour from green to brown as the sake matures is a visual representation of the sake’s aging process. It’s a lovely tradition that mirrors the transformation of the drink itself.

Inoue Sake Brewery’s rich history since its establishment in 1789 during the Edo period is remarkable. Mister Inoue’s humility and passion shine through as he shares insights into the sake-making process, its history, and the diverse range of sake types. The tour of the brewery kicks off promptly, and Mister Inoue highlights how the cold Hakone air plays a crucial role in sake production. He emphasises the use of locally sourced rice and pristine water from a depth of 150 metres underground. Tasting the water confirms its anticipated qualities: cleanliness, freshness, and clarity.

sakewater[1]

Sake production resembles wine production, yet it involves an additional step before fermentation. Starch from the rice is combined with Koji, a diastatic enzyme that aids in breaking down the rice and converting its starch into sugar through a process called saccharification. Following this, sugar and yeast are added to commence fermentation. In contrast, grapes used in winemaking naturally contain sugars, so only yeast is added to initiate fermentation. Despite this difference, the subsequent processes in both sake and wine production follow a similar path.

We visit the room where the Koji is added to the rice and see the large tanks used for steaming, storage, and the mashing process. I’m surprised to learn that all these procedures are performed manually. For instance, the mashing process occurs in enormous 8,000-litre tanks. The masher stands atop a precarious-looking wooden platform above the tank, vigorously pounding a massive stick into the rice for four days.

saketanks[1]

The outcome is a liquid derived from starch. Subsequently, multiple parallel fermentations occur. The mixture rests for up to 32 days, enabling simultaneous saccharification and fermentation. Afterward, the sake undergoes pressing through cloth, filtration, and enters a pasteurisation phase. Finally, the sake ages for up to six months, is bottled, and eventually reaches the consumer for sale.

The sake is sold in 1.8 litre bottles, or 720 ml bottles. A much smaller bottle is also sold, however, the other two sizes are the most common. After the tour we sit down and try a few varieties of sake. My favourite is the gold-medal winning Hakone-yama Junmai. Junmaishu is a traditional style of sake, and often has a mellow bouquet with a rich, smooth flavour.

bottleitup[1]

Hakone-yama Junmai offers three different serving options: room temperature, cold, or hot. Initially, we try it at room temperature, finding it good with a subtle flavour. When served cold, it becomes much nicer, boasting a smoother texture. Lastly, the hot variety also impresses; the flavour expands, and the scent intensifies, offering a delightful experience.

After the tasting, I am given a masu as a souvenir, a small wooden box which was originally used to measure rice, but these days it is used as a container for drinking sake. Impressed with what I have seen and tasted today, I decide to buy a bottle of sake for ¥1200. After that we say goodbye to the owner and return to Kami-Oi Station.

fujievening[1]

From the train station I can see the base of Mount Fuji.

“What Goes Up Must Come Down.”

Today, it’s back to exploring the Toei Oedo Line. I take two trains and eventually arrive at Bunkyo. As soon as I exit the train station, I am overwhelmed. In front of me is the massive Tokyo Dome, the home of the Yomiuri Giants baseball team, but this isn’t why I am here. Outside the stadium, there is the strangest roller coaster I have ever seen, Thunder Dolphin. The seventh tallest continuous circuit roller coaster in the world; it twists and turns between the buildings and through the middle of the first Ferris wheel in the world to have a hollow centre; again, this isn’t why I am here.

rollercoaster[1]

Today, I’m in Bunkyo to see a tree.

I follow what looks like a castle wall for about ten minutes before eventually arriving at the entrance to Koishikawa Korakuen Gardens. Special Historic Site and Special Place of Scenic Beauty, the gardens are named after a poem by Chinese poet, Fan Zhongyan; the poem is Yueyang Castle.

Be the first to take the world’s trouble to heart, be the last to enjoy the world’s pleasure.

At the entrance, I pay my ¥300 and make an inquiry about the location of the tree. “That is a different garden,” says the woman as she hands me the ticket I have just paid for. She then takes out a map of Bunkyo and highlights where I am right now, then circles the place where the tree is. Not wanting to upset the apple cart by asking for my money back, I thank her for her help and enter the gardens anyway.

underthedome[1]

The first thing that strikes me is the magic of Tokyo Dome. The dome is white and provides an impressive backdrop to the many Japanese silver leaf and maple trees. The interesting thing, though, is that the dome refuses to be photographed. As I focus my camera, the roof of the dome just magically disappears as it blends into the white Autumn sky. It’s hard to explain. The roof is made of some magical material that makes it look like a living organism, perhaps a chameleon.

I continue to explore the wrong gardens; the peace and tranquillity are quite welcoming. A huge lake takes up most of the area, and there is a nice walking route around the lake. The only thing that spoils it for me is the restoration project that is currently taking place until next year. The workers here have their work cut out today as it appears that a large part of the lake has crumbled during this week’s flooding. Water is being sucked away by a huge industrial pump.

The thing that makes these gardens worth a visit though, is the scarecrows.

scarecrows[1]

I actually spent time last week trying to find rice fields in Tokyo, just so that I could see what a Japanese scarecrow looks like. Today I am not disappointed. Never mind the crows, these sinister creations scare even me.

I continue to explore the deserted gardens. I must be the only person here; presumably everyone else in Japan is in Ginza queueing up for the new iPhone. I walk all the way around the lake, and toward the exit. I am really looking forward to revisiting all nine of the Metropolitan Cultural Heritage Gardens in Tokyo during different seasons; in a month’s time, I will get to enjoy the dappled shades of autumn leaves.

I leave Koishikawa Korakuen Gardens and walk the thirty minutes to the similarly named Koishikawa Botanical Gardens. I pay the ¥400 entry fee and explore.

botany[1]

These gardens are managed by the University of Tokyo Graduate School of Science and are the birthplace of Japanese botanical research. Dating back to 1684, the garden displays a collection of over four thousand species of plants and a herbarium containing over 1.4 million specimens. With over four thousand species and a map written entirely in Japanese, my search for one specific tree is almost fruitless.

I wander through the lush garden foliage for over an hour; it is the most peaceful place I’ve been to since leaving Kyoto. Eventually, I find Mendel’s Grapevine. Next to the grapevine is the tree, Newton’s apple tree.

Newton[1]

The tree rarely grows apples. When it finally does bear fruit, the apples are instantly devoured by the many crows in the park, so many crows; maybe I should have stolen a scarecrow from the other gardens.

Sir Isaac Newton’s apple tree is not the original tree that he floated under before he invented gravity. This tree is just a sapling from the famous tree and was delivered to Japan in 1964. It was almost incinerated on arrival at Haneda International Airport because the leaves were infected, but an agreement was made so that the tree could be replanted in an isolated environment, and now it is here.

Rather ironically, I learned today that the original Newton’s apple tree is in Lincolnshire, England. My birthplace.

After I inspect the tree, it is time to head back to Asakusa. I walk fifteen minutes to Myogadani Station, before taking the Marunouchi Line to Ochanomizu Station. Here I walk ten minutes in the direction of Akihabara. I get a little lost on the way, but eventually see the familiar sign for Big Apple Pachinko and Slot, and finally know where I am. I take the train from Akihabara back to Asakusa.

Back at the hostel, I drink in the bar for a while before meeting up with Malaysia, Germany, Italy, Chicago, and Japan, and the six of us head to Nui until close. After, we head to an all-night karaoke bar with the most confusing pricing structure ever. Everyone has incredibly good music taste, and I enjoy The Smiths until the early hours. There’s music and there’s people, and they’re young and alive.

thereisalight[1]

One thing that strikes me about karaoke in Japan is the videos. They don’t have the license to show the official music videos, so instead, they show random Japanese men sitting on park benches or salarymen rushing around the crowded streets of Tokyo.

We sing and drink gin until daylight.

Swings and Sound and Boats

My hotel offers a ‘classic’ help-yourself breakfast, so I opt for a bowl of rice, pickled cucumber, a pot of natto, a salad, and a couple of croissants. Natto for breakfast—enough to wake even the dead! I add mustard to rid myself of its abhorrent taste.

The day is gloomy with the threat of rain, yet curiously, I can’t seem to locate my umbrella—this is becoming a regular occurrence. The rain halts, I absentmindedly leave my umbrella outside a shop, and upon exiting, it slips my mind entirely. Now, sans umbrella, I’m left fervently hoping the rain stays at bay. But as expected, the very instant I step out of the hotel, the rain begins to pour.

Today, I only have two things on my sightseeing list, and they’re quite a distance apart. Given that I’m in Japan, the journey between them is sure to unveil something intriguing along the way—perhaps even a shop shaped like a boat.

boatshop

I head into Arc City and visit the Hamamatsu Museum of Musical Instruments. It’s the largest municipal museum of musical instruments in Asia and was the very first of its kind to open in Japan. The museum boasts an incredible display of 1,200 musical instruments. Admission costs just ¥400.

Most instruments come with two sets of headphones. I thoroughly enjoy examining each instrument, studying its unique shape, and imagining how it might have sounded in use. I then choose a pair of headphones to listen to its actual sound—A great way to kill a morning.

instruments

The museum showcases instruments from across the globe, with expansive sections categorised by continent. Here, I delve into a wealth of musical knowledge. My particular fascination lies with transverse flutes, shakuhachi flutes, and Japanese taiko and tsuzumi drums. Moreover, I uncover an intriguing fact: the very first Japanese-made piano originated here in Hamamatsu. This revelation perhaps accounts for the abundance of music shops, Romantic-era traffic lights, museums, and two concert halls.

In the ‘hands-on room,’ I indulge in playing a variety of instruments, but the spinet piano steals my heart as a favourite. Lost in the museum’s captivating exhibits, time slips away unnoticed, and I find myself leaving after two or three hours.

Outside, the cicadas persist in a symphony of their own, undeterred by the torrential rain. Amidst the deluge, there’s at least one person seemingly relishing the downpour:

rainingagain

Seeking refuge from the weather, I find solace inside Hamamatsu Station. Ascending seven escalators to the 8th floor of the shopping complex, I reach a bookshop. In Japan, lingering or sitting down to read books in a bookstore is perfectly acceptable. Similarly, spending hours browsing magazines in a convenience store is considered normal. I pass fifteen minutes here before descending, only to discover that the storm has worsened.

Everyone at the station appears as ill-prepared as I am. Umbrella-less, they huddle together, patiently awaiting the rain’s cessation. I hastily make my way to Seven Eleven, purchasing my sixth umbrella for ¥540. The surrounding buildings are shrouded in a white mist of cascading water—an unexpected sight, especially considering my plans to visit the beach today.

actbuilding

As time passes, I find myself seated on the only bench in that deserted shopping arcade. With several hours to kill due to hotel cleaning schedules, I contemplate. During a storm like this, I can’t help but wonder if the safest haven might just be a shop shaped like a boat.

After a while, the rain subsides, prompting me to stroll to the beach, a journey of about an hour. This beach holds significance due to the Nakatajima Sand Dunes, and it serves as a conservation area for the nesting Loggerhead Sea Turtles. Every summer, these turtles come ashore to lay their eggs on this very beach.

“Prazer em recebê-los!” says a drawing of a Loggerhead Sea Turtle in fluent Portuguese.
“Nice to meet you, too!” I reply, in fluent English.

dune

These sand dunes rank among the three largest in Japan, and the wooden fences stand to protect their conservation. A warning sign sternly advises, ‘Do not damage the fences!’ The wind, notably stronger in this area, renders my umbrella ineffective—unless I’m keen on turning my sixth umbrella inside out.

By the time I reach the sea, I am completely soaked. I was really hoping to see a turtle, but I sadly can’t find any; not too surprising really, they are a rare and endangered species. After the beach I head into a nearby park. There is a big man-made hill in the park built specifically as a tsunami evacuation point. There is also a windmill and a set of swings. I rest my legs for a while.

swing

On my walk back to the hotel, I pass a pachinko parlour called, ‘God’. I also pass dozens of construction sites promising modern skyscrapers; office blocks and apartments. It seems that the southern part of Hamamatsu is the last and latest to be developed, perhaps in four or five years this place won’t seem so desolate.

The rain stops just before I cross the river.

bridgebird

After walking for an hour, alone, my thoughts begin to wander and I drift off into daydream.

Upon returning to the hotel, I realise I can’t recall the journey here, yet here I am. After drying off, I dedicate some time to researching my trains for tomorrow. It appears I have yet another four-and-a-half-hour local train marathon to endure. However, I don’t mind; after forty-eight days away, I’m finally heading back home to Asakusa.

Ainoshima Cat Island

With muscles loosened after a wonderful massage, I decide to truly test my body. My destination today is Shima Ferry Port. “You’re cycling to Shima?” asks a confused staff member. “Please make sure the bike is back before 9 p.m., okay? It has to be back before nine.” The time is now 11 a.m., and I have no intention of taking ten hours on this excursion. Little do I know.

I cycle for an hour in the direction Google suggested before realising I have no idea where I am. I spend a good half-hour navigating around an industrial estate, reaching a dead end, then turning around to eventually get back on track. None of the road signs are in my language, and there’s nobody around to ask for directions.

Ninety minutes into my journey and I arrive at a beach.

beach[1]

The beach offers a welcome rest, prompting me to park my bicycle and go for a short stroll. I stumble upon the only map in Fukuoka Prefecture and compare it to my photographed route; everything matches up. There’s still a long way to go, but at least now I know where I am. Thank you, ‘Mishima Water Area Circumference Route Map’.

At the end of the beach is what appears to be a closed amusement park called ‘Motown’

mowtown[1]

I continue cycling until the beach ends and the houses begin. I start uphill, hoping it’s the right direction toward Shima. Eventually, I find myself atop a mountain. It doesn’t seem right. Up here, I discover a stunning, random shrine and some very old houses, but not much else.

sshrine[1]

I eventually reach the downhill part of this frustrating journey, only to encounter a dead end overlooking the ocean. I have to push my bicycle back up the incredibly steep mountain roads, and it’s exhausting. Today is scorching at 35°C, and I’ve already used up a full bottle of Sun Aqua by now.

uphillstruggle[1]

At the top of the mountain, I spot a human being. I ask him in Japanese for directions to Shima. He responds in Japanese, and though I’m not entirely certain, I follow his directions. To my relief, I discover a small train station where one of the stops on the route is Shima.

I opt to follow the railway tracks, at times finding them disappear or being forced to detour due to a lack of pavement or road. After a challenging navigation, I finally spot a sign for Shima. I adhere to the instructions on the sign, and miraculously, after two hours and forty-five minutes of cycling, I arrive at Shingu Port.

“I’ve a feeling we’re not in Fukuoka anymore.” I pay ¥460 to a vending machine for a one-way ticket. After a forty-minute wait, the ferry finally arrives.

On the ferry, a television airs footage of a dirty factory in Shanghai. Staff members, their faces blurred out, are seen relabelling one-year-old rotten meat with new expiry dates. The screen shows a pile of processed meat spilling onto the floor while rats crawl below. The gloop is scooped up and pressed into another machine, which churns it into the shape of nuggets. I have no idea what this advertisement is for.

catisle1[1]

Ainoshima Island is just off the coast, a twenty-minute journey away. It boasts more cats than human inhabitants. In Japanese, the word for cat is ‘neko’, and its pronunciation rhymes with ‘echo’.

I arrive on the island to find a cluster of traditional old Japanese houses against a backdrop of mountainous terrain covered in deep forests. Despite its small size, the island takes a considerable amount of time to traverse completely. In the shade between each house, cats are scattered, peacefully asleep.

catisle2[1]

I wander around the island where the small Japanese houses provide little shade from the scorching summer sun. Today marks the hottest day of the year. I spot numerous cats, more than I care to photograph. Here are a few more:

catisle4[1]

There’s one cat that takes a shine to me. He follows me around the island as I walk, meowing or crying—I’m not sure which. I offer him some of my water, but he responds with ‘Nyaa nyaa’ (the typical cat noise here). Perhaps he’s just hungry. I assume tourists visit this island to come and feed the cats, but it’s merely a presumption.

catisle3[1]

I take the 4 p.m. ferry off the island. There are only three other people on the ferry and thirty-two empty seats. It seems like somewhat a waste of fuel, in my opinion. Sumo Wrestling is playing on the television.

There’s one last thing about Ainoshima Island not mentioned in any guidebooks: giant wasps that chase you. I managed to take a photograph of one that was idling, smaller in comparison to others. I’ll admit, though, most of my time on the island was spent either admiring the cats or running away from the wasps like a frightened rabbit.

bpwasp[1]

As the ferry pulls away, Ainoshima Island becomes nothing more than a blur.

I leave Shima at twenty past four, sticking to main roads and following the signs for Fukuoka. As I depart, a bus marked Tenjin Station mocks me as it cruises by.

Bike to the Fuchsia

A cloudy yet hot day, with a cool breeze—a perfect setting for cycling. Today, I’m filled with motivation. My first stop is a small park along the way to yesterday’s failed destination, Dazaifu.

Inside this lovely park, three old ladies play bowls on a synthetic lawn while beautiful fuchsias wave in the wind near a natural stream. Japan currently recognises almost 110 species of fuchsia. These particular flowers boast the classic blend of purple and red hues.

As I arrive at Dazaifu around 3 p.m., the first thing catching my eye is a hill crowned with ruins. Parking my bicycle, I decide to climb it. From the hilltop, I’m greeted with a view of traditional Japanese houses in the distance. At the bottom of the hill lies Gakugyouin Temple.

shrine1[1]

I cycle around, admiring the greenery and scenery. In Tokyo, the greenery was often overshadowed by the buildings, but here, the mountains seem adorned with temples. A swarm of dragonflies gracefully drifts above an open allotment. This place exudes tranquillity, likely absent from any guidebooks. This is precisely the Japan I’ve yearned for since my arrival—a serene experience I hadn’t yet encountered.

Kanzeon-ji is a seventh-century temple, once the chief Buddhist temple in Kyushu. It houses a multitude of historical, artistic, and religious treasures. Beside it lies the ruins of the once-marvellous seven-story high pagoda.

kanzotemple[1]

Dazaifu is starting to remind me a lot of Kyoto. In eight days, I’ll be heading to Kyoto for one week. Then, I have two weeks without plans before I head back to Tokyo. The thought has crossed my mind to cycle back to Tokyo from Kyoto, stopping off at interesting places along the way. The two cities are only 367 kilometres apart.

The sign next to the temple mentions that the pagoda was restored in 741 A.D. at a scale of 1/10. Conveniently, that’s available to see outside the Dazaifu City Fureai Cultural Hall. That’s my next stop.

pagado[1]

I enter the cultural hall, and the woman at the desk seems startled by my presence. Politely, I ask if I can look around, and she agrees—it’s also free. Inside, there are various objects encased in glass, mostly old roof tiles. After a brief tour of the building, I take my leave.

Next, I cycle to Komyoten-ji Garden to see the Government Ruins—the remnants of the medieval Dazaifu Administrative Buildings. They rest within a vast public park at the foot of Mount Ono. As I arrive, I notice some boys playing football, using jumpers for goalposts. The goalkeeper rushes forward, expertly dribbling the ball past six players before scoring an excellent goal. Applause erupts from everyone watching.

govruins[1]

All the children in Dazaifu say ‘Hello’ to me. Surprisingly, there’s a distinct lack of tourists for such a historic place. Maybe I’m the first Westerner they’ve ever seen. With a wry smile, I reply to them, ‘Konnichiwa.’

As I cycle by, insects chirp loudly near one of the men employed to direct traffic. However, there’s no traffic on this road; I don’t sense a car has come this way for hours. He smiles warmly at me, signalling with a wave of his hand and a deep nod for me to continue.

As I pass Kaidan-in Temple, I see a sign for an Exhibition Hall. Carnival Cutouts wait for me outside. Inside, there’s no one present—no tourists, no staff members, no one to take my money. It’s just more objects enclosed in glass. A sign prohibits photography, but I snap a cheeky shot; no one will ever know.

pagodo2[1]

My final stop in Dazaifu is the Kyushu National Museum, seemingly tucked away in the woods. I leave my bike; I really should lock it up, but I don’t bother. There are more temples around here too.

A sign simply saying ‘Museum’ points up a mountain path. I follow the path for a good ten minutes before encountering a new sign, indicating that the museum is 2.1 kilometres away. Quite odd. I retrace my steps to my bicycle and head off in the new direction.

museumsign[1]

I cycle up into the mountain and reach the museum car park; a sign indicates ‘last entry 4:30 p.m., exhibitions open until five.’ Glancing at my watch, it reads 4:28 p.m. Swiftly, I park my bicycle in one of the bays intended for cars and start running up the many steps to the museum.

A man with a red lightsaber appears out of nowhere. He insists that I must cycle all the way to the top and park my bike in the designated parking area. I protest, saying, “But the museum closes in two minutes, and I came all the way from Hakata!”

He makes a phone call and speaks in Japanese for a few minutes. Afterward, he tells me they can still let me in. Lucky me. As I make the final approach to the Kyushu National Museum, its sheer size almost knocks me off my bike.

kyushunationalmuseum[1]

Opened in 2005, it stands as the first new National Museum to open in Japan in over 108 years. It’s also the first to emphasise history over art and boasts an on-site conservation centre, the largest in Kyushu. The museum primarily focuses on prehistory to the Meiji era.

Once inside, I ride the escalator to the 4th floor and pay a ¥420 entry fee. The rooms are impeccably clean; the glass seems polished on the hour. The museum is enormous. Separate rooms display various collections of historic artwork or fossilised ruins. Photography isn’t allowed here—not even an opportunity for a quick shot; two staff members stand guard in every section. With just twenty-five minutes to look around, I leave dead on closing time.

After the museum, I cycle 18.2 kilometres back to the hostel. It takes me an hour, stopping once for a bottle of Pocari Sweat, and a second time to photograph this building:

chesterhouse[1]

At the hostel, I realise that I’m starving. I decide to keep my stomach empty and write up some of the day’s events. At 8 p.m., I head back outside and run on my empty stomach, finding the red lights of traffic intersections providing nice little rest stops from time to time.

I run for almost fifty minutes, passing packed restaurants offering any choice of cuisine imaginable. Even though it’s been twenty-three hours since I had any food, nothing really draws me in; my appetite is oddly missing.

I see a random square:

randomsquare[1]

As I run, I notice some red lights in the sky that resemble a tower. Intrigued, I head in that direction. As I get closer, I spot planes floating by in the distance. A sinking feeling hits me; I might have circled back to Fukuoka Airport, recognising the tower used for Air Traffic Control. Oddly, I didn’t see any signs indicating the airport, though.

To my relief, my assumptions were false. I arrive at Hakata Pier, realising that the tower I saw was Hakata Port Tower. Calculating the distance, I note I ran for 5.7 kilometres to get here. Earlier today, I cycled at least forty kilometres. It’s surprising—I’ve never had so much energy.

hakatatower[1]

Fishermen line up along the pier, and finally, my appetite for food returns, specifically for fish. However, the only fish I find here are sandwiched between glass in another small, free aquarium. I scout out the area and stumble upon another temple—I seem to have come across quite a few of these today.

The pier looks picturesque at night, adorned with its myriad of lights. Entering the food court, I find that the only place with any appeal is a French restaurant. However, as I approach, the lights suddenly go out. Closed at nine o’clock sharp.

piershot[1]

I head back to Hakata and unexpectedly stumble upon the all too familiar Reisen Park. Spotting other runners doing laps around the park, I decide to join them for a while. When I finally locate the camera shop, I get my bearings.

The area around the park is bustling at night, with outdoor izakayas lining the streets. The enticing aroma of barbecued meats fills the air. I’m rather fond of the monument in the park, so I try to take a photograph, but unfortunately, it doesn’t turn out so well. Quickly, I make my way back to Hakata Station.

parkstatue[1]

I undo all the hard work of the day and opt for McDonald’s. It feels like I’m a death-row inmate having his last meal, as I’ve decided this will be my final indulgence in junk food for a while. It costs me ¥986, effectively for fish and chips.

As I walk back from the station to the hostel, it unexpectedly starts to rain—for a grand total of exactly five seconds. Umbrellas shoot up, and just as quickly, they come down. Since I don’t usually carry an umbrella on hot days, I get ever so slightly wet.

Back at the hostel, I find I still have an abundance of energy. It’s been a remarkably productive day. I spend a few more hours writing, followed by some reading. Then, I head to bed—stone cold sober.