THURSDAY & FRIDAY
Gave my car back to the garage Thursday then went for a meal with my supervisor and his fiancee before staying over at his place. Really going to miss them, my supervisor added so much to my time in Japan.
Friday was my final day of work. Very sad and very busy. Went for lunch with Kocho sensei (head teacher) which was kind of fun, and was still running round like a mad thing 5 mins before I had to leave. All the teachers came down to wave me off and my supervisor gave me a lift to the station where we said a sad goodbye before I jumped on a train to go south towards the city to see a friend I hadn't seen for ages which was great, and brought back a lot of good memories.
SATURDAY
Saturday headed into Tokyo and met up with Andrea, a friend from Uni who lives in Yokohama. Wandered round the city for a bit before heading to an early Bon Odori celebration, meeting some of her friends, and having a drink before heading out into Roppongi. Hmmm. The crowd we were with was really great and I had a great time, but I can't say I really like Roppongi as a place. Glad I went once though.
SUNDAY
Running only on a couple of hours sleep, went to meet Maho at the edge of Tokyo for a picnic with her and seven of her coworkers. This was great summer fun, playing ball games while kids ran around with nets trying to catch bugs and paddling in the stream. Maho always invited me to places which feel homely. Maho is great.
After this, went to an Izakaya with a couple of other people from Nottingham and a friend of Maho's who I've met a few times this year and ate far too much and very cheaply as friend's sister worked there. Big fun :)
MONDAY
In the morning, wandered around the Keio Plaza in Shinjuku, the same streets I wandered in the day we arrived, the same shops etc, trying to see what felt different. Not sure I have a definate answer but it was a nice thing to do. In the afternoon met up with a Simon, a mate who I met at the London training but haven't seen for a year, and Andrea again and had a wander. Checked all the shops I like in Aoyama and made another trip to Yoshitomo Nara's A to Z cafe which was nice. Said goodbye to Tokyo for the final time and headed back to Osaka on the shinkansen.
TUESDAY
Basically spent the day wandering Osaka in the baking heat. Walked from North to South more than once, all the places I like. Popped in to Especial Records (the record label I love, run by Kyoto Jazz Massive's Yoshihiro Okino, the DJ who runs the Freedom Time night) and he remembered me and was all like 'hey man'. This is very big for me. He said come to the next Freedom Time but when I said I was going back to England he gave me a couple of little badges and stuff and a cool Freedom Time mobile strap to take back. Was stupidly happy. Wandering back up towards Umeda, I asked myself why I'd never given him a demo tape, as he recognised me and was so friendly... so I went to Yodobashi, got a blank CD and a pen to write on it, went back to my locker in Shinsaibashi and got my powerbook out, went and sat in the cool little 'Continue Cafe' in Minami Horie ready to burn a demo... until I realised that 99% of my tunes are on my external HD. Shit! Still, got 2 (Late Nights and Pan Dance from my myspace page), a couple of beats and the Roots Manuva remix I did, bunged them on the CD, took them over, and talked about making music with Yoshihiro Okino from Kyoto Jazz Massive for a few minutes. Highlight of my Japan trip? Definitely up there.
WEDNESDAY
Shino came over from Tokyo to have a little Kansai trip (was also nice to take my mind off the sadness of leaving). We did most of the places I know and like, the Sky Building, Kirin Plaza and Dotonbori, Shinsaibashi covered shopping arcade, Amemura, Orange Street, little bar 'Bandwagon', a bunch of cafes. A new place for me was a cool little street just 2 mins from Dotonbori called Hozenji-Yokocho, which is paved like a street from the old days with a cool little water shrine where you chuck water over various statues. Funfun.
THURSDAY
On Thursday (which is today as I write this), headed into Kobe where I ended my mobile contract (and started to get really sad), went and ate Kobe beef for the first time at Wakkoqu, which was soft and melty.
Wandered around Meriken Park and Harborland with Shino before heading back to Osaka where there was just time for some Macha sweets before seeing her off.
Really pretty sad and with a big lump in my throat by this point, I rode the Kobe line all the way to Sannnomiya and back just for old time's sake, taking some pics on the way. I wanted to go all the way to Okubo, where I went a fair few times during winter and have some great memories of, but time didn't permit.
Came back to meet a friend in Osaka, catch up (again, nice to take my mind off leaving), eat my last meal (I bought from a conbini the same things I used to eat almost every day in Aogaki... I like being sentimental.) I'm feeling pretty sad about leaving. I'm excited about the future, and London and stuff, but there are some great people I will miss, and planning and doing my little trips around Japan has been so much fun this year. Riding the train to new places all the time has been great. I can't believe it's over. Sad. つらいね、ほんまに。Absolutely wonderful year. I can't think of any better way to end than that.
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