Konnichi wa! We were so excited about coming to Japan and Tokyo absolutely lived up to and exceeded our expectations. It's such a cool place. In fact it's cooler than cool. And luckily for us, we were staying with Gaz and Caz who have lived out there long enough to give us a taster of the place. Thanks so much guys for being so generous and making us feel at home! Their house is a cute little abode in a lovely area of narrow streets, little shops and awesome Japanese small house architecture worthy of a funky coffee table book. It was such a luxury having a base for a while, being able to cook our own food (which was a real novelty after 3 months of eating out which actually isn't as great as it sounds!) and spending an afternoon watching horror movies (the Japanese obsession for these seemed to have rubbed off on us).

The Japanese really are an amazing bunch. After months of the rest of mainland Asia spitting in the streets (and not just spitting but right from the depths phlegm flobbing) and general levels of rudeness, it was such a relief to see so much courtesy and graciousness. Refined elderly ladies clutching their designer handbags, men and women sauntering through shrines and temples in traditional dress, queues being formed everywhere and for everything, en masse street crossing only ever on the green man and people apologising profusely for the slightest bump. At the same time, they seem to operate in their own bubble with seemingly no need or care for the rest of the world. Apparently there is a massive nationalist feeling amongst the people with almost a hatred for foreigners which means most faces you see are Japanese. Gaz and Caz have had people move train carriage in disgust to get away from them (and in case you're wondering no they don't smell). So many things are different in Japan that are unlike anywhere else in the world - good and bad. Gotta get me one of those electronic toilets that heats the seat, makes a flushing sound to cover up your embarrassing noises and even squirts water to wash your botty! And of course there's the food... One evening we feasted on a huge platter of sashimi - last time they went to that restaurant, Gareth said the fish was so fresh that the cut off head was still moving... And then there's their style... Our travelling clothes really didn't quite match up to the quirkiness of the Harajuku girls.

So after only a few days of eating onigiris, cycling through cute little streets and hitting home runs down at the batting cages (or not in Atko's case), we decided that Tokyo really is cooler than cool. And to top it off, we were treated to the British School of Tokyo's (where G and C work) Christmas Concert - complete with a Japanese version of 'We Three Kings' - so we started to get into the Christmas spirit as well.