East side.

In Kuwana, there is no adventure. There is, however, a supremely kind host. I feel at ease especially after being allowed to leave my medicine and luggage there. Finally, after this I don't have to care where I spend nights! I also meet my host's friends for two potluck parties. I cook dumplings with my own secret recipe one evening. One morning we also go to a shrine. There is a horse inside a small building, and for some reason I find that amusing. On my last night in Mie prefecture, I go to Yokkaichi for dinner with my friend once more. Like my friend and host before her, my friend's mother also gives me the gift of tea. I have not even made it to a tea shop and I already have four packs of tea in my bag.

I go to Tokyo for a day. It is enough. First I take a walk near the main train station but find nothing particularly interesting, then take off for Harajuku. There, I wander around for a while, enjoy a small dinner and after strolling for a while longer go to spend the night in an Internet café. After hearing warnings of thieves and other unwanted types, I rig the sliding door to my small room with a coat have so that our cannot be fully opened. I sleep well enough and in the morning take off once again.

Judging by my two visits to Asia, once I enter the corner of the world in question, I become a bit of a racist. Other westerners stick out like a clown suit at a funeral. As if I, with my flowing golden hair, would not. Tokyo, for one, seemed to have way too many tourists for my taste. So, contrary to my original plan, I take the train to Sendai.

I stroll the streets until exhaustion again. I finally do make it to some tea shops but leave empty-handed for now. After a while I go to Izumi on a whim, but once again only end up measuring the streets instead of finding an onsen as I wanted. Defeated but not quite beaten, I head back to Sendai in the hopes that I can at least take a shower or bath. Tomorrow, I go back to Tokyo. The thought is not frightfully appealing, but at least I will meet another friend there.