What remains:
Random conversations with delightful people
The overwhelming impact of Miyajima and Hiroshima
The surprising glow of the Autumn leaves they said I was too early to see
And of blazing red torii, Miyajima, Fushimi,
Serene shrines and temples, Meiji, Tō-ji,
Beautiful ones like Kinkakuji and Ginkakuji
And ones for fun days out like Arashiyama, Senso-Ji and Kiyomizu that I can never spell.
The joyousness of the 'Ohaiyo Gosaimasu' 'Arigato Gosaimasu', 'Konnichiwa' and their surprise if I slip in local dialect like Kyoto's 'Okini' for 'thanks'.
Superfast trains and slow ones with wide windows over mountain views, and dinky trams
Kind women looking after me as guides and in hotels
The craziness of Shibuya's Halloween,
Cat cafes and lottery-menu restaurants
The fiendish Ninja temple in Kanazawa
Random English: In a remote town, all in Japanese except the 'Safety tower'
Gorgeous gardens like that of the Shogun's house and Tokyo palace
The stunning luxury of Iwaso, Hanaougi ryokans and their onsen baths
Silk painting at the Yuzen centre
Soba noodles, duck kebabs from Camo Shotto Negi, the care and presentation of the food,
Stunning Kabuki theatre, more of the 47 loyal ronin
Real herons and Origami cranes.
The not-so-goods: the two men who waved me off dismissively
When.I asked them for directions
The confused layout of Shimbashi station
The awful hotel room in Hakone,
The frustration of my poor Japanese and
The confusion caused on 2 occasions
The nastily unidentifiable fishy dishes in Kaiseki menus
And the end of a wonderful trip
LMC 12 Nov 2016 Tokyo
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