I heart Japan!

I was greeted with a "Hai! Natasha-sun!" when I arrived back at my ryokan last night. How sweet. Granted, I did leave kilos of luggage here while I was away for a couple of days, but still!

A visit to the sushi place across the road was also meet with friendly familiar greetings. My dinnertime conversation involved pointed out in the atlas where I was from, and where I am headed next. Much chatter and laughter in Japanese...who knows what they were saying!

Today I have taken it a bit easy - a full-blown cold has hit. I guess I should have been less silently mocking toward the germaphobes on the trains, and joined them in their surgical-mask wearing...none of them are sneezing!!

Visiting the Imperial Palace, or what you can see of it, today. It is only actually open 2 days throughout the year, and today wasn`t one of them. However, you can see the palace, and view it with the famous Nijubashi Bridge in front of it. It is also set in a huge parkland, which is a welcome escape from the city madness.

A train ride away, I walked through Takeshita Dori, the place to shop for the hip teenaged Japanese. Dazzling lights and busy shops - and people in all sorts of gear walking past.

Another escape for the city hustle and bustle was found with a walk through to Meiji Shrine, and it`s amazing gardens. Walking along the paths, you could have been in the middle of a vast forested area - seemingly miles away from the train tracks and clogged streets just metres away. (More photos.)

Coffee and a tiny bit of retail therapy along the "place to people-watch" Omote Sando. Brand names and huge stores make up this treelined street, where the rich and wanting-to-be-spotted strut and have coffee.

The task tonight before hitting my rolled out futon is to consolidate my luggage into a managable situation for the trip out to the airport. This time tomorrow (well, plus a few hours cos of the time difference!), I will be in London!