Kimiidera, Marina City and Moshi Moshi Piero - Sat 5 May

Toilet sets seem very popular in Japan. Matching slippers, drop catcher, lid cover and toilet roll holder cover.


Consideration of our travel approach to Awaji-shima ate up precious hours in the morning, as it turned out the ferries, described in the guide book as "dwindling", had dwindled. By that time, it turned out that ferries to our alternative destination, Tokushima on the island Shikoku, would get us there too late for any useful sightseeing. We determined to get a 5:50am ferry to Tokushima the next day, and packed in our day's plans for a day scooting around the local area.

Take's mother is so lovely. As were leaving, she rushed out to our car with towels in case we might like to go to an onsen during the day.

Again, my low-intensity hairstyle wasn't quite cutting the Japanese standard, and I got a fix-up in the car at our first destination, Kimiidera temple. It was pronounced a marked improvement.


This statue reminded me of Maki from Shalom Hutte.
この顔が、シャロムのまきさんにちょっとにていませんか。体験スタッフから、コメントをお願いします！


A new temple with a hillside view out over rural and industrial Wakayama was partially constructed there, with the outside finished in an untraditional very concrete-looking style. The central figure, a Kannon goddess of mercy statue, is still under construction in Kyoto.


Around the more established areas of the temple, trees created a beautiful green canopy.


The twisted old tree used as a measuring stick for the progress of the cherry blossom front in seasonal sakura reporting was at this temple site.

On our way back down the stairs, a Japanese man wanting me to take a photo of him and his wife called out "Hey you!" This amused Take's sensibilities no end, in contrast to the "Excuse me," he'd have expected.


A Savage Garden CD entertained us on our way to the bay and the outskirts of a theme park called Marina City, where he had a fresh fish lunch from the fish market.


We had a soak at a popular hot spring opposite. This couple had quite a lot of trouble figuring out the ticket vending machine.


Take drove me to have a squizz at the Moshi Moshi Piero (Hello Clown) love hotel nearby. The menu board explains that their rooms have the works - massage chairs, vibrating beds, lie-down saunas, adult toy vending machines, slot machines, karaoke and video games, all in the room.

On our drive back home, the theme park put on fireworks.

Take's dad made us his (only) specialty for dinner. It consisted of garlic bread, along with a kind of loose omelette with green beans, tomato and particularly selected Aussie beef strips, and a carefully adjusted balance of soy sauce. He was displeased when his little cup of handpicked flowers were put to the side to make room for the food, and demanded they be put back in the centre of the table where they could be appreciated. We had a nice French red wine with dinner, the first time I've had drinkable wine in Japan.

All the men in the family smoke like chimneys. When I declined a cigarette, Take's father explained the benefits of smoking to me - that they were delicious after to meals, were relaxing, and allowed one to think and concentrate, particularly useful to him when he was a policeman transcribing suspect interviews.

The family struck upon the conversational topic of rice, and agreed wholeheartedly they could not imagine a life without rice.

After dinner, Take's dad took me into his study to show me his collection of police hats, rank medals and stripes, and retirement photos.


A little the worse for wear after the wine, beer and bottomless plum liqueur homebrew, I was an appreciative audience of one. As was written on his face, he explained that he'd retired from the force with some reluctance, but you had to make for the young ones to come through.