Washed out

The weather didn't mesh very well with our plans this weekend, in the same way that salt doesn't mesh very well with slugs. Originally we were supposed to join 200 JETs at a Hanshin Tigers baseball game, followed by celebratory or commiseratory drinks. Fate had other ideas, however - the heavens opened early in the morning and didn't let up until even the most optimistic people had given up hope of the game progressing as planned. Before the cancellation was officially announced, we asked our cab driver what he thought our chances were.
"Mate, you've got Buckley's," was the gist of it. Unfortunately he was spot on.

Obi-Wan Shinobi

As promised, we spent this weekend enjoying our seemingly neverending adolescence - dressing up as ninja and running around making sword noises much as we might have done 20 years ago. We were far from being the only adults in costume and I'm not sure if that's astonishing or completely normal for this country. Once we had dressed up, bought our plastic swords and set out on our ninja scavenger hunt, the answer seemed to come to Sifton in a flash. "Why isn't everyone in Japan doing this right now?"

On the cusp of brilliance

It seems Newton was right - for every meal we've diligently cooked recently, there was an equal and opposite blowout this week. I counted four dinners and five lunches out out of seven and I'm not in the least bit remorseful about any of them (although my wallet seems to be losing as much weight as I'm gaining). At least now when someone asks what I did in Japan, I'll be able to give them a genuine account of all the amazing food and drink, rather than mumbling something about tupperware and leftovers.

Hanami and you

As promised, it was an eventful weekend and for the first time in several weeks, we actually felt like there was some space between Friday and Monday. The weather can't decide weather it's chilly or warm but the cherry blossoms have put their collective foot down and declared Spring officially here. After all the work parties, the last thing I probably needed was more rich food and drink, but that didn't stop us heading to Shukugawa with our little picnic swag. Tarp below, trees above and good times in between.