I am really starting to like this city

Date: Friday 25^th December 2015

Weather: Overcast with the sun breaking through the clouds once in a while. It did rain but, somehow, I only ever saw the aftermath of the showers.

MP3 track of the day: Wonderful Christmas time - Paul McCartney

 

I awoke at the slightly later time of 8:00am and proceeded to get ready before heading down to the breakfast buffet. This being Christmas Day, I decided that I would only eat what I wanted to eat and, as I boarded the lift, I decided that due to having a Japanese style breakfast yesterday, I would forgo the vegetables, fish, rice and, instead, I would fill my plate with not two but three croissants washed down with a couple of cups of orange juice.

This idea of only eating what I wanted to eat today came to an abrupt end here, at breakfast, when I discovered that there were no croissants left. The foreign couple in front of me looked horrified as they tried to scan their memories to see if anything on offer resembled food from wherever they came from. I piled up with the same stuff I ate yesterday whereas, my foreign friends shared a small white bread roll.

Once breakfast had been eaten, I enquired as to if their were any book stores nearby. You see, tomorrow I will hire a car and so I wanted to buy a road map of the area. I was given instructions to a book store within the middle of a shopping arcade however, once outside it's front door, I discovered that I had arrived fifteen minutes before the store opened. I therefore wondered around the arcade where I found a Belgian chocolate shop before heading back to the book store at 10:00am. I bought a road map of Kansai, and then headed back to my hotel. From this short reconnaissance, I'd worked out that it was – once again – going to be a hotter day than I had anticipated. Once in my hotel I threw my new roadmap into my room, took off a layer of clothing (including my waterproof trousers) and headed back out. The time was 10:30am … about the same time I'd arrived in Himeji.

My first stop of the day was the rather oddly named 'Disaster Reduction and Human Renovation Institution' museum; or the '1995 Kobe Earthquake museum' for those of us who like things to be named sensibly. At 5:46am, on the 17^th January 1995, a 7.3 magnitude earthquake – with a depth of 17m - hit the Akashi channel between two islands very close to Kobe. It caused a colossal amount of damage resulting in over six thousand deaths and over forty-three thousand injured. Within the area, it destroyed over a hundred-thousand buildings and forced three hundred-thousand people to evacuate their homes. Given the scale of this disaster, I was expecting a little bit more from the museum (a model of the city showing the 'before' and 'after' the earthquake would have been nice).

The museum was housed in two buildings on a total of five floors. The first floor I was asked to go to was the highest – the third floor – where two short films were played. The first tried to put you in the middle of the earthquake. The design of the room – plus the special effects – were all there to kick-start all of your senses and to create an atmosphere of panic and fear however, knowing that I wasn't in any present danger, made it impossible for the museum to try and replicate the disaster … so why even try? The second film was a documentary about a fifteen year old girl who lived in Kobe at the time of the earthquake. This, for me, was far more interesting as it was more genuine. The translation did however reek of 'self determination' and, I felt, that there was an over-use of phases like 'my heart filled with love for the people' and 'friendships were formed that brightened our spirits'. Phases, like these, were used which just didn't seem natural.

Once the films had finished, that was the end of the third floor. I proceeded down to the second floor where a huge amount of photos were placed on the walls under titles like 'the kindness of our country' and 'the pain in our hearts'. Fortunately there was little to read; the museum relied mostly on photos and TV's showing interviews with survivors and the authorities (with English subtitles).

Once the second floor had been done, I proceeded onto the first floor where I was greeted by another 'volunteer tour guide person'. This floor was dedicated to earthquakes and tsunamis from around the world. She was a pretty old lady however, her English was very good through, I don't think she appreciated that, most of the places she was trying to 'educate me' about … I'd visited:

• The great Indonesia / Malaysia / Thai tsunami (2008) – Went to a museum about it in Thailand
• The Christchurch earthquake – I've been to Christchurch
• The great east-Japan earthquake – I live in that area!

She continued to show me around the 'prevention' part of the museum, showing me new construction methods and demonstrating how they work.

Once finished I proceeded over the bridge to another building but, when I looked at my guide map, I decided that I didn't want to visit this buildings second floor as that was full of interactive displays for children. The ground floor only held a library therefore, I decided that it was time to leave. I went down onto the ground floor and exited the building via the rear exit.

I came out through the rear exit because, whilst on the buildings second floor, I'd noticed that there was a footpath – consisting of wooden decking – which over-hung the river. What was also great about this was that it was heading in the direction of my second attraction for the day – Rokko Island – and that the clouds had broken giving me some much needed sun. I therefore walked down this footpath taking quite a few photos because, unlike most Japanese urban areas, this area was very pretty indeed. Most of Japan's urban areas are built with function in mind however, here, I do believe that thought was also given to the aesthetics of the place. The buildings along the river-front were unconventional and interesting; the pedestrianised area was wide and spacious. I was also pleased to see that, in a city of Kobe's size, there were still areas where you can feel alone and be by yourself. For me, this is key for any city; I believe that people need places away from 'things which draw crowds' in order to relax and unwind. As I walked further, following the river, I was beginning to feel that Kobe could make an ideal home for me … and then all of a sudden I also found a reason why it couldn't.

The 'river-front walk' ended all too abruptly and I soon found myself walking along 'industrial park' roads. Sadly there was nothing I could do; I could see residential and shopping areas further inland however, between me and these areas was a huge motorway with apparently no way for a pedestrian to cross. I followed this road for what seemed miles, being pretty annoyed that a) I was in an area which wasn't very pleasing, b) that I was loosing time and c) that in my mind, one of the fundamental problems with this city is that it is very frustrating to walk around as it would appear that motorised traffic had taken the highest priority in all areas of this cities design.

Finally, heroically, I found a footbridge which took me out of Kobe's industrial heartland and back into civilisation. In doing so I was actually moving away from my next attraction – Rokko Island – however, I didn't really care; by now my feet were pretty tired and I was hungry.

Once I'd found a main street, I then went in search of the closest train station which would take me, and my weary feet, to our next goal. Though this act saved me a lot of time, it cost quite a bit of money; Rokko Island is an island – strange that – reclaimed from the sea and shaped a bit like a square. The only dedicated public transport service which crosses onto the island – a monorail – charges £1.70 for a eight minute ride. Add onto that the fact that I had now got a train to take me to the monorail station, and you were looking at a £5.00 round trip to Rokko Island.

Rokko Island isn't really one of Kobe's major tourist spots. 10% of the islands inhabitants are foreign, making it feel quite different from Kobe's mainland. Within this square piece of reclaimed land was another inner-square. Within this inner-square was the 'living quarters' for the islanders and, on the outside, were a lot of businesses which needed docking space. Separating these two areas was a park built on walls which enclosed the 'living quarters'. I got off the train at the most southern 'living quarter' stop possible. I then walked up the main street in the direction I had just travelled. To my left was a woman who, I'm guessing, had put on the wrong shoes this morning. Though they did indeed look nice, she was walking so slowly that she was bending the laws of time and relativity. I watched her for a few minutes as each step seemed to be another painful act. Why people just don't wear comfortable hiking boots all year round, I will never know.

I found myself within the islands main shopping area and I found it very pretty indeed. A small stream ran in-between the paved pedestrian slabs with small sweet bridges crossing it every few hundred yards. Public art was everywhere - in the form of statues - and foreign looking buildings – including a European school – were abundant. The most extravagant looking building was 'Kobe's fashion museum', which looked as though a flying saucer had crash landed into a normal looking skyscraper. Everywhere was quiet; I stopped at a McDonald’s for lunch – on Christmas Day; on the shame … but it was the only thing I could find – and there was hardly anyone around. I perched up and ate a McDonald's meal – with an additional burger – on a four-person table with no one on the table next to me (in the centre of Kobe, there are queues of people waiting to sit down at every restaurant).

Once I'd consumed my food, I walked further up the Rokko Island's main road until I came to the final monorail station before the train left the island bound to return to Kobe. This station was perched in the middle of the 'walled park' which ran around the whole residential area of the island. I looked at my watch and I'd only been on the island for thirty minutes or so; I therefore felt that I had not spent long enough here therefore, I decided to follow this 'walled park', in an anti-clockwise direction, determined to be back at this station within an hour. I therefore set off on my walk.

Once again, to be so close to one of Japan's busiest coastlines and yet, to feel like I was in the middle of nowhere is a priceless gift for any 'urbanite'. I took out my earphones and listened to the birds chirping. To my left I could see into the residential area and to my right, trees blocked all sight of the busy industrial harbour front. As I walked I decided that I too could live here – though I haven't experienced this area in the summer. Rokko island has a foreign 'isolated' feel which is what I would like if I lived, forever, in Japan however, it is still close enough to a major city to get everything I need.

At the southern end of the square, the wall gave way and the trees receded. I was presented with another decked area jutting out into the harbour. A few people had cast a few fishing lines into the water and, both to the left and to the right of me, I could see heavy crate lifting equipment. I enjoyed walking along the waterfront though I was a little concerned about the time. I quickly moved on and left the waterfront behind me.

Exactly one hour after I'd left the train station, I arrived back at it having circled the island. I caught the next train bound for the mainland and then switched onto the next express service back to the centre of Kobe. The time was 4:30pm and I had missed Kobe's central museum. The sun was setting and so I realised that I would also miss going up one of Kobe's many surrounding mountains. This is now a problem; tomorrow I will be hiring a car therefore, I cannot see either of these attractions then. The day after is the day I leave for Kyoto though, I haven't decided what time I'll leave Kobe. I could leave Kobe later than planned and do both of the above attractions though, that would be digging into the time I have for my Kyoto visit. As the train arrived in Kobe's main station I was still deciding what I should do. Thinking about it, I am surprised in regards to the times museums and art galleries close around the world. Being inside, you would have thought that they would make the perfect place to visit late at night.

Once back in Kobe dusk had fallen. I still had one area of the town I hadn't explored yet and that was due to my guidebook calling the area 'fairly tacky, heavily focused on souvenir sales'. This area is called the 'kitano' and is located in the north of the city, on the steep slopes of the local mountains. When Japan finally opened up to the rest of the world, Kobe became an important port and, it was in this area that a lot of foreigners made their home therefore, there are a lot of old foreign houses however, after the 1995 earthquake, most of them were destroyed and what is seen today are reconstructs - designed less for their historical accuracy and more for what will bring in the tourists. Having said all that, this being Christmas these windy steep streets were littered with lights and buildings which resembled home … so I quite enjoyed wandering around, even if it was only for forty minutes or so as the area is actually quite small compared to say, Hakodate's foreign quarter.

Once I'd finished wandering around the 'tourist traps' charming streets, I proceeded back into town and past the book store I'd visited this morning. If I'd decided to visit the book store now, I could have started my day one hour earlier and … if I hadn't got myself trapped within Kobe's industrial area, I might have saved another hour allowing me to visit either Kobe's museum or Kobe's surrounding mountains. Still it mattered not; I've had a fantastic Christmas and, considering that food hasn't been that great today, I decided to splash out and buy myself another present. I went to a chocolate shop close to the book store and bought an expensive box of chocolates. I took them back to my hotel and, actually, I've already polished them off whilst writing this blog.

So Christmas Day is over and, while it hasn't been the best I've ever had, it has certainly been good. I've visited a museum, Kobe's harbour front, an island and Kobe's foreign quarter. After writing this blog, my plan was to head to a steak restaurant I'd discovered on my travels today however, after polishing that box of chocolates off in a very 'Christmas Day' fashion … I don't appear to be that hungry. I am thirsty so I'll finish this blog, write my diary, check how my 'holiday spends' are going and look at my road map to try and plan a route where I get to see all of Hyogo Prefecture within a day, before heading out to get more to drink. When I travel, I am busier than ever!

Merry Christmas

Toodle Pip!

I am on holiday!

Date: Wednesday 23^rd December 2015

Weather: Beautiful in Sendai. In Kobe however, it was overcast and threatened to rain all day long … until around 4pm when it finally went through with it's threat.

MP3 track of the day: Payback - Juicy J, Kevin Gates, Future & Sage the Gemini

 

For some unknown reason, I had a real fear that this was the holiday where I would wake up late and miss my flight. Due to this, I had set around nine alarms – set at five minute intervals – on three different electrical devices and placed them in different parts of my apartment which – most importantly – were out of reach of my bed. Of course, being this paranoid meant that I didn't sleep at all well and, as it happened, I woke up five minutes before the first alarm was due to erupt.

The five minutes I'd gained were lost disabling all of the alarms I'd set - before I annoyed every neighbour I have within a three mile radius. Having had a lovely hot bath the night before, I got dressed and proceeded to eat whatever food I had left in my apartment for breakfast (which turned out to be a bowl of microwavable porridge and just enough milk to make it happen). With that I ate, washed up, and then began the task of actually leaving my apartment. Though this sounds quite easy – and normally it would be – I had to make many 'rememberball's' (my new word to describe the following) where I actually concentrated and made a point of 'remembering' the fact that the doors were locked, all of my electrical appliances were unplugged, the main switch for the electric power to my apartment had been switched off and, finally, the water had been closed. With everything done – and remembered – I ventured out into the early morning.

Fortunately, my local train station isn't a long walk. I say fortunately because it was extremely cold. Tagajo – the city in which I live in – is extremely windy making it feel so much colder than it actually is. Unfortunately being me, I had left far too early and so I had a twenty minute wait for my train to turn up. I sat down and began to fill out my diary.

At 6:01am my train arrived and took me to Sendai – my closest 'main city' – where I changed onto another train which whisked me to Sendai's airport. Once on the first train I read my book as familiar scenes went past the window. I changed trains in Sendai without an issue and departed as the sun was rising.

This isn't the first time I've been to Sendai's airport. Last year, my trip back to the UK started from this very airport and I was glad to see that, this time, it was actually open when I arrived. Unfortunately – due to arriving ninety minutes before a domestic departure – my check-in desk wasn't open. After reading a sign, it turned out that the check-in desk would open in seven minutes time; I therefore hovered around the area along with other passengers boarding the same plane as I, trying not to get in the way of anyone else.

Today I would be flying with 'Peach Airways'. Peach is Japan's equivalent of 'Eastjet' and, due to this, there was one woman manning the 'check-in' desk and three PC's with the message 'self service check-in'. With part of the message in English, I was able to workout that the 'PC' wanted me to put the bar code on my printed flight itinerary under it's scanner. Once done the computer bleeped a little, asked if I had any prohibited items and then printed out my ticket for me. It then kindly asked if I could disappear so that it could process the next person. There was one problem though; unlike most other passengers I had holdall luggage to process. The only woman manning the flight desk – who I half expected to be a robot – signalled for me to see her. She weighed my bag – 12 kilos – and then asked me to join the longest queue known to man, where only one 'bag scanner' was operational for eight flights which were due to leave within the next two hours.

I'd been asked repeatedly if I had any 'prohibited holdall items', to which I said no every time. Of course, when my bag was scanned it had to be opened up. In truth, I didn't really pay attention to what was considered a 'prohibited holdall item' until now. I found myself face-to-face with a security woman who asked if I had a lighter in my bag. 'I don't smoke', I thought. It took me a couple of minutes to realise that my first aid kit did indeed have a lighter in it (why I hear you ask; not sure. There was a reason when I put my first aid kit together three years ago but, as of right now, I can't think of what it was). I dug out my first aid kit and presented the lighter to her. She said that 'though this was prohibited as holdall luggage, I was perfectly entitled to take it on as 'hand luggage'.

I asked her to repeat what she had just said.

I'm not sure if I am the only one but, I found this all rather odd. I can't take a lighter on as 'holdall luggage' however, I am perfectly fine to carry it on as 'hand luggage' where, if I got bored, I could try and set fire to the carpet below my feet. I left security feeling not as confident about my forthcoming flight as I should have been.

'Hand luggage and person' security always takes forever. I have to get out my laptop, camera etc and then, once scanned, put it all away again. My trip through this security check didn't take as long as usual, probably helped by the fact that, I think, I joined the queue for 'flight staff' and no one confronted me. All-in-all, from arriving at the airport to sitting down in the departure lounge – having been to the toilet and bought a drink plus a snack – it had taken me forty minutes … leaving me forty minutes to finish the chapter of my book I was reading on the train from Tagajo. My flight had only cost £35.00 therefore, though the 'check-in' lacked any human interaction, I had no complaints.

Twenty minutes before departure I was asked to board my flight. Once on board I winced when I saw just how much space was between the seats however, once I'd actually sat down, I found it perfectly reasonable for a ninety minute flight (I don't think that I could have done a three hour flight with that amount of legroom). The cabin crew did their bit and before you know it we were up in the sky.

At first, I had a pretty good view from my window seat. The rather large woman in the seat next to me kept wanting to peer out of MY window, which I allowed as long as she didn't venture into MY 'space'. Pretty much the whole of Sendai could be seen in one small aeroplane window and, when that fell away, I witnessed Japan's mountainous central 'backbone' running all the way south until the captain announced that Mt Fuji could be seen from the left-hand side of the cabin (I was sat on the right). Still, the mountains I could see were spectacular and, considering that it is December, there wasn't as much snow as I would have expected. Once past Mt Fuji we hit a band of cloud that stretched all the way to my destination. I therefore occasionally peered out of my window to stare out into a world of pure white however, I mostly read my guidebook reminding myself of what Kobe – and the surrounding area – has to offer.

The pilot landed the plane beautifully at Kansai international airport. We were on time so all was looking good. No matter where you are in the world, for some reason as soon as a plane touches the ground people start to put their coats on and unbuckle their seatbelts (even though the 'seatbelt sign' is still on … I hate that). I – knowing that there would be quite a long time before we could actually start to disembarking the aircraft – continued to read my guide book.

'And there off!' As one, 70% of the planes inhabitants got up and, as quickly as the rush had started, they all came to crashing halt. I continued to read my book with half a smile on my face.

Six minutes later people were actually disembarking off the plane. I still waited until there were only a handful of people left. I casually got my bag out of the over-head locker and put my book away. I then casually walked down the stairs provided and out onto the runway. It was certainly warmer than 'up north' however, the sky was covered with heavy cloud and, with little breeze, it would remain that way all day.

Once I'd been to the toilet I was officially the last one at the 'holdall baggage waiting' area. I had taken so much time that my bag had been placed neatly at the bottom of a now, non-moving carousel, with a anxious looking 'Peach' employee wondering where the owner was. Looking like a little puppy eager to go for a run outside, I picked up my bag and proceeded to the information stand to inquire about a bus to Kobe. As luck would have it, the next bus departed in fifteen minutes which allowed me to buy another snack, to buy my bus ticket and to take a good hard look at the terminal I had just progressed through. Just like the airline, 'terminal 2' also reeked of cheapness; it could almost be classed as a 'temporary building' and, it seems to be just for 'Peach airlines'. Though I could see the beautiful 'terminal 1' in the distance - with its 'wavy roof' - it mattered not; this terminal had done its job and, actually, it and 'Peach' fitted one-another perfectly.

The coach to Kobe arrived on time. I boarded it and was pleased to find a monumental amount of leg-room between the seats. I was also happy to discovered that, even after stopping at 'terminal 1' for more passengers, there were only twenty or so people on-board. I therefore had two seats to myself and so I spread out and pressed my head against the window. I was now a 'happy chappy'; I was on holiday, my flight had been fine and I was now looking at new things. I love going to new places!

At first, these new sights were very grey. I found myself within the heart of the 'land of the rising sun' and yet, the heart of the sun appeared to be grey. Japan has a huge problem when it comes to design, architecture and city planning. It would appear that very little thought is given to aesthetics. I reckon about 90% of all Japanese planning revolves around how 'functional' a 'thing' is. This is great if you want to get somewhere or use something … but having a skyline dominated by square grey boxes, rectangle grey cement support columns for long grey metal roads is not very pleasing on the eye and, I believe, that the aesthetics of a place can be just as important as how practical it is.

I continued to stare out into this grey world until the coach left the main highway and headed into the city centre of Kobe. Once in the centre things were looking up; though a world of concrete, metal and ugly pedestrian bridges presented itself, there were a few 'rebel' buildings here and there adding a bit of uniqueness to the place. I got off the coach and headed to where I thought my hotel was. I was of course slightly wrong however, it didn't take much to correct my mistake and I walked into my hotel's reception at around 1pm.

'Hotel 1,2,3' is it's name. Though the building is as lacking in character as it's name is, it is perfectly functional and will do for the duration of my stay here; which is four nights. Once checked in I was given my key card, but told that I could not enter until 3pm. That was fine by me; I took only by cameras and my guidebook and headed back towards the city centre. I was starving and so my first port of call was to find somewhere for lunch. There is only one fast-food 'joint' close to my hotel therefore, I have decided to make lunch my 'main meal' of the day and, if I am hungry at night, I shall pop to this fast-food restaurant for dinner.

As I proceeded towards the centre of town, I took photos of any view which presented itself to me. I also found a 'Kobe information' desk where I discussed my plans for my stay and was rewarded with some very useful information. Apparently tomorrow should be sunny so I plan to visit the world famous 'Himeji-jo' (castle) then.

In my search for a restaurant I proceeded through the area around Kobe's train station (surprised by how small it is), Sannomiya Shopping arcade, and 'Nakin-Machi' area; Kobe's Chinatown. The shopping arcade was just like a normal line of shops in between a covered walkway that you would find in any city. Kobe's Chinatown on the other hand, was a lovely area filled with tiny roads selling all sorts of Chinese food. Though I couldn't really smell much, my eyes and ears homed in on all of the different sights and sounds.

The problem with big cities is that everywhere – and I do mean everywhere – is full with people therefore, it took me a while to find a restaurant where I could sit down and relax. Ironically I choose a chain restaurant, found all over Japan, with a restaurant less than a mile from my apartment in Tagajo. It mattered not. I ordered the 'mixed grill' (not quite what you are imagining; it consisted on a hamburger, a sausage, a piece of chicken and a couple of hash-browns) and a side of chips. As I am on holiday, I proceeded to order a hot chocolate cake which I'd had my eye on ever since looking at the menu for the first time. Though my 'mains' had been 'filling but lacking in zing', the dessert was delicious. The chocolate cake had been cooked so that it had solidified on the outside, but the inside was still runny. I enjoyed every mouth full and promised myself that I would go back again for another.

Whilst I ate my dinner, I looked though my guidebook deciding on how best to spend my time. To tell you the truth, I'd arrived in Kobe a lot sooner than I though I would and, though it had threatened to rain, it was currently still dry. Having had my fill of people already, I decided to take a short walk towards Kobe's coast and to have a walk around 'Meriken Park' (Meriken is a play on the world 'American'. Why it is named 'American', I don't know). With that settled, I paid my bill and left the restaurant. Once outside it had indeed started to rain but, currently, it was only 'spitting'.

With it spitting the pavements became free of people and so it became quicker to move through the city. I made it to the park and began to shoot Kobe's port. Though further inland the city had seemed a little mundane, along Kobe's industrial port an effort had been made to make it interesting though, sadly, a suspended highway did run across the scene like a mistaken brush stroke. It mattered not; I continued to take photos as quickly as I could before the weather closed in.

Enclosing this park were some interesting buildings. First up was the Orient Hotel which looked as though it had been designed to look like a boat. The Kobe Maritime Museum had indeed been designed to symbolise waves and sails. Around these two structures were pieces of modern art, most of which I thought looked nice but I couldn't begin to explain what they were suppose to represent. Finally, at the west end of the park stands one of Kobe's iconic buildings; the Port Tower. Looking a bit like a giant red sand-timer, it stood their acting as a background feature for many of my shots.

Once I'd finished photographing the park to death, I proceeded swiftly to 'Harbour Land'; an area of giant retail buildings and Kobe's Ferris wheel. Time was running short, the rain had 'upgraded' from 'spitting' to 'light rain'; I therefore skipped the shops – hate shopping anyway – and proceeded to walk around the area. It was quite funny really; once away from the shops, it didn't take long for the traffic to be none existent and for the buildings to loose their shine and look a little past their best.

With 'Harbour Land' covered, I decided to walk back towards my hotel. In doing so I decided to walk though one of the big shopping complexes which, once inside I realised that it was a little different to most other shopping centres I have had the please of visiting. Usually a shopping centre is full of glass, with lots of 'window front' displays projecting in towards the shopping centre's central pedestrianised area however, this one did not. It was a huge rectangular building with lots of glass on either of the 'short ends'. Once inside you were greeted with a spacious pedestrianised walkway running from one 'short end' of the rectangle to the other however, the shops on either side had little in the way of 'window fronts'. Most stores had a door, but the rest of it was hidden behind a huge wall of wood running all the way along the shopping centre and high into the sky. It was like you had to actually venture into the shops themselves to see what it was that they were trying to sell to you.

Once back in the park, I stopped by a small memorial dedicated to the 1995 Kobe earthquake and it's effect on the harbour. There was a video where I could select either Chinese, Japanese, Korean or English. Not feeling that adventurous, I opted for English and proceeded to learn a little bit about a colossal natural event which I would hopefully understand - in greater detail - in two days time when I visit a museum dedicated to how the earthquake effected the whole of the city and not just the port. Once the video was over I proceeded back to my hotel stopping for supplies.

Once in my room I was pleased to find that my bags had been brought up. As I am here for four nights I unpacked; I put my clothes in organised piles and placed my coat in the cupboard to allow it to dry. I got out my chocolate advent calendar – plus two presents I'd brought with me for Christmas day – and made my own 'Christmas area' (I thought I'd brought a Santa hat but I cannot find it). I then proceeded to look through my photos for today and write this blog.

For the rest of this evening, I plan to watch either 'Love actually' or 'The Muppets Christmas Carol', both of which have become a Christmas tradition within my family for over the festive period (though ironically, when I went back to the UK last year, I can't remember watching either). As mentioned earlier, I was going to go out and buy a small meal from the fast-food restaurant close to my hotel however, I'm still not that hungry. It matters not; I shall begin my film and, if I become hungry, I shall venture out and buy something for dinner (the restaurant is open until 11pm).

So my first day is over in a flash. I'm not too bothered that it has rained today. If it rains one day then, usually, the next day is beautiful and, tomorrow, I plan to head to Himeji-jo; Japan's most famous castle. This, I have been looking forward to!

Toodle Pip!