Backpacking

were looking at me and finding my amazement amusing, giggling away to each other.

I wandered down to the Sony Building to undertake a pilgrimage (I'm a Sony freak) and inside they had the latest Sony products to try hands on. I got my first listen to a Super Audio CD player (Beethoven and Mussorgsky never sounded so good, I am sold) and also had a go on the new Playstation handheld console (impressive bit of kit, but I wouldn't buy one).

Day 15: 14th February Reinforcements have arrived!

Tokyo, Japan

Today Dan, August and Emma arrived from England, and together with Tak, who had been in Japan for a few days by now, we all met up at the airport. They all did a better job than me with the jetlag and managed to stay out til late.

We first went out for a wander around Shinjuku at night, enough for anyone to banish any flagging thoughts to the back of their brain. We treated ourselves to a feast in a bar tucked away on the 3rd floor of a building: all you can drink along with courses of yakitori (grilled skewers of chicken), dumplings, chicken wings, potato wedges and noodles.

We then went for another wander, and Tak took us to a quiet shrine just a few streets off the hubbub. Afterwards, we went to an impressively authentic replica of an English pub - complete with wooden panels and everything!

It was good to see some familiar faces, and despite not knowing August or Emma at all to talk to we all got on well straight away. Should be a good 2 weeks ahead!

Day 16: 15th February Prayground

Tokyo, Japan

This morning we went to the Meiji-jingu shrine in Tokyo - a peaceful green haven right in the centre of the city's buzz. On entering, we purified ourselves (easier than it sounds) by pouring water into the left hand, then the right hand, and then by swilling some water around your chops a bit and spitting it out on the ground. Safe in the knowledge I was ready to communicate with immortals on a higher plane, we each made a prayer/wish, by chucking a 5 Yen coin into the grille, and clapping our hands twice to ensure the spirits have heard. I was keen to enquire of one of the bald chaps running about as to the mechanics of this arrangement. How could I be certain they had