Goodbyes and greetings.

On the day second to last in Japan, I meet a girl who was hosted by my family some seven years ago. Though we merely walk around before a light dinner, I have once again the wonderful feeling that everything is taken care of. After having dinner and exchanging pleasantries we part ways, and before I return to my host's home, I make a final visit to the Weird Café in Osaka Station City. There people there seem surprised and happy to see that I come back alive to redeem the promise I made as I took my leave earlier. I wait until closing time to catch another photo of them. This time I am also in the photo with them.

The next day I send a parcel to myself. I should remember to send a written permission to my friend so that he can pick the parcel up in my place. The rest of the afternoon passes on trains and waiting for check-in.

As a coincidence, the only non-Asian person on there plane sits next to me. We chat for the duration of the flight, transit and next flight, as our destination is the same. Arriving in Beijing, I meet my new, Bosnian acquaintance's two friends, one from Taiwan and the other from China. Everyone speaks Japanese, which is then used as the lingua franca for the evening. These new faces help me check for train schedules. As there is no night train to where I want to be and meet my friend, they invite me to hunt for a hostel to stay at. None can be found, since I have no reservation and most places are fully booked at this time. We divide the group into two, two staying at a hostel where they have a booking and me and the Chinese one continuing our search. After a while of driving around and coming up empty-handed, she makes the judgement that I am not a bad man and says I can stay at her hotel room for the night and that she will help me catch a train in the morning.

The friendliness, shower and comfortable bed are welcome and it does not take long for me to fall asleep. It would be an early morning the next day.

From Dragon Gate back to Comedian's town.

The final days in Kyoto are enjoyable. For the most part I simply enjoy the feeling of the town and Kamogawa river as well as the company of my host and her other guests. We enter a language exchange party, which turns out to be less than thrilling. Mostly people stick to their own tables with people they already know. After eating, I slightly chat with a young man sitting next to me.  He seems bored out of his wits, and I talk him into going somewhere with me. He does not put up a fight.

After all we end up mostly walking around some streets and talking about nothing in particular. Bars seem to be a perfect storm of boring and too expensive so we do not go inside. I am corrected about my blue-eyed assumption that "girls bars" are posh establishments only females may enter. After walking around for a while we exchange contact information and go our separate ways.

The next day promises me one thing and one thing only. Regardless of that, I still visit the Gion area to see a garden and check out shopping possibilities. There I buy two scarves that I end up tying around my messenger bag. They might come in handy as torques, or at least to tie around my hear to prevent sweat from dripping into my eyes when things get hot.

In the evening I go to see a show of Dragon Gate Pro. As expected, it is amazing. After the show I go to exchange a word with the champion trio of Masato Yoshino, Naruki Doi and Pac, asking for a photo together with them as well as Dragon Kid and BxB Hulk. The Englishman takes the lead in the conversation, telling me that if I can wait until they are finished with autographs, he will find me in the arena for the photographs. Indeed he does, and immediately tells me I speak perfect Japanese. He and his teammates briefly lament the absence of an audience in Finland, as they assure me they would want to perform there as well. If only...

Pac then disappears to go find the other two, and quickly comes back to inform me they are coming right up. My language skills are again commended before the pictures. I cannot tell if BxB Hulk is discomfited by the situation, or just playing his heel role very well. Afterwards, I make my way to base to prepare dinner.

The next day I move back to Himeji for two nights. It is mostly uneventful, though I visit a hot spring bath in a nearby town. My host is the same as last time, and he is polite as ever. He seems a little sickly, which makes me feel slightly uncomfortable. I find a host in Osaka for the remainder of my stay in Japan. This one is more lively and reminds me of two people I have met earlier. Without a clear plan I merely walk to a post office nearby to purchase a box in which I can send excess baggage home while my host goes to pick up groceries. Afterwards we have dinner and then talk until I am exhausted and go to sleep.

Nothing like the rain... Ise revisited.

With no clear plan in sight for a day, I head to Ise, where I went near the beginning of my trip. On the way there it starts to rain. Naturally I forgot to take my umbrella with me.

I find my way back to the old part of town near the inner shrine I visited earlier. By this time it is really pouring. I walk around for a while and note that two of the tea shops I saw on the earlier visit are closed. I then sit down to eat at the same restaurant I went to earlier, and have exactly the same Ise speciality noodles with fried prawn I had last time. Before I leave there, my waiter insists that I take an umbrella from the ones they have lying around at the shop. This is a nice surprise.

I then take a look at one of the tea shops. After a long, hard search, I end up buying a small teapot. It is not perfect, but close to it.

When I decide it is time to leave, I ask for directions at a convenience store, promptly being guided to the nearest station. At the parking lot, a man in a car signals me and asks if I am going to the station and says he can give me a ride. For a moment I stall for time and try to figure out if he wants something. Turns out he does, but it is only to save me the trouble of walking to the station. Not all goodwill is gone from the world.

Kyoto hospitality.

I found a host in Kyoto quite easily. Originally I had another as well, so as to take some load off of one host, but the other failed to let me know about contact details and seemed to lose interest in the whole affair. Fortunately the host who could deliver is very open to well-meaning vagrants and lets me stay for a long time. There are also other people in the house when I arrive, which makes the apartment more lively. For better or worse. One of them leaves after one night and the others soon follow.

I have an appointment with a friend the day following my arrival. We meet for the first time, but the atmosphere of the day is not at all like that. We visit the Silver and Gold temples as well as the Zen rock garden. The Kamogawa riverside catches my fancy and we also spend a long time there. In the evening we have the first meal in Japan that I do not fully enjoy, because it is a kind of European style meal and the taste too familiar. Afterwards we part ways, richer for the experience.

The next day I meet another local friend for lunch and another long walk and hangout at the riverside. We also cross the river on rocks, which is nicely cooling as the river washes over the rocks and the feet of those crossing. After parting I wander around for some time, only slightly lost. Eventually I return to my host's apartment, which serves as a base of operations for now. I also make sure that I have a place to go when I return to Himeji one week later.

During the few days of idleness I try to search for the perfect teapot, but much to my chagrin, do not find it. Though visiting more than a handful of stores, I find many good teapots but not a single perfect or even great one.

I do manage to find some other gifts to bring back to myself and others though, so it is not all for naught.

Facing the storm... Iga Ninpouchou!

In the morning a typhoon has come to town. Heavy rain and strong winds send us on our way to pick up the one from Yokkaichi to join us to the ninja village of Iga.

Naturally, upon entering the ninja village, we Don appropriate costumes so as to stay hidden casually. The village is a kind of a tourist tour, but it is fun to try trapdoors and see all kinds of tools and gadgets. After the tour we way lunch and head for a game centre. Sadly there is no Street Fighter IV. We play around with some games but nothing really catches our attention. We also take a look around a shopping mall, but end up buying nothing, though a small electric guitar with a built-in amplifier seems fun. The typhoon reaches some places inside the malls as well. It also destroys my umbrella. Towards the evening we have Japanese style cutlets for dinner and start getting everyone home after making sure that my next stop is Kuwana once again. Throughout the day conversations have been mostly in Japanese. Many times I have had to resort to pretending to understand and then guessing the intended heaving after the fact. But it does not matter, as everything had been fun from start to finish.

Friendly faces, part III

The final day in Tokyo. After some slight trouble, I meet another person I was originally supposed to meet. We stroll Harajuku and I end up buying a kind of coat. The chance to shower the night before was much appreciated, but does not do much good as the day is really hot.

In the evening I go to see a show by Wrestling New Classic at a small venue. As I talk to the owner of the promotion during the break, I am mistaken for a wrestler. An easy mistake to make, I guess. After the show I talk to two of my favourites out of those performing, and when I tell them I came all the way from Finland to see them, their faces are worth seeing. I also get a picture with both of them in hopes of making my namesake in Finland green with envy. The photo with Shuri Kondo looks pollute I am the wrestler and she the fan. An easy mistake to make, I guess. I take the night bus to Nagoya after finding out there are no more trains available. In the morning I am in desperate need of a shower and doing laundry. After a stroll through one part of town I have a meagre breakfast and find an Internet café. Sadly, this I've does not have shower service. I book a room to charge my phone and to take a nap anyway. Afterwards, the staff gladly directs me to a place that has a shower. Unfortunately it is a misleadingly named "relaxation club". After a long time of walking and not being able to take a bath, one would easily think "oh boy, that's exactly what I need", and enter with pure and purifying intentions. Naturally,a relaxation club is actually a place where the staff's faces are concealed, where one can go relieve sexual tension by renting adult material. And they do not even offer the possibility of merely taking a shower without renting a room. Not that it matters, as showering in such a place would be more than slightly disgusting. After a brief consideration I set out to search for a bath house. Only a short while later I enter one, slightly confused about how to exist in such a place. I manage to gather enough information from watching the other patrons, and then start using the facilities as best as I can. And it is absolutely relaxing. Stiffness and grime melt away. There is also a sauna and a cold bath to satisfy a Northern spirit. After purification I set out for the train station to meet a friend and his crony who visited my house earlier this year. Upon seeing him I immediately get the feeling that I am in good hands and that everything is taken care of. This one does not speak much English, and the crony also speaks mostly rudimentary English. It does not matter one bit. We have dinner and go to another bath house where I drink a sparkly drink called "Kamen cider". This is, of course, a pun related to Kamen riders. Funny as all hell. After another cleansing we make it to my friend's house. We have a sleeping space for three on the floor, which reminds me of olden days of sleepovers. In the end, Mr. Sandman quickly drops the People's elbow on me and I am easily knocked out.

A hero, a shinobi and a maid walk into a bar...

The ace in my sleeve is on the table and all bets are off. Mostly that means that I abuse the local train system for all that it's worth.

I made my way back to Tokyo only to idly stroll about the city once again. I did go to see if Roppongi has anything interesting. Sadly the case is that I have hardly any idea what I want to find, so I silently leave for Akasaka. I happen into a bar where an American man is singing while playing a guitar. After his song the owner returns order to the place by playing records. It is just me, the American and the owner in the room. As is usual, I order tea only. The American, visibly drunk, strikes a conversation and spills his guts about how he is fighting the good fight to save Japan from American ideals. A real hero, this one. After he is done giving me sage advice he leaves. I stay behind and the owner of the place displays his impressive collection of old music. I should be more careless about my camera trigger finger, I think.

I then start asking about the famed Ninja restaurant in Akasaka. The owner and a regular patron help me out and even kindly draw me a mayo to get there. On the way I see people standing in line for Hooters. The ninja place is thoroughly entertaining with ninja this and that. From a secret passage entrance shuriken-shaped appetisers to ninja parlor tricks between meals, it is an experience worth having. Everyone is dressed like the people of the shadows one sees in ninja films and the menu is a scroll. Mostly everything is accompanied by mysterious hand gestures and the staff speaks in an even more respectful manner than in other establishments. The one they call a ninja magician displays sleight of hand between courses. As one who is not easily impressed I must be a difficult customer for him. His last trick, though, forces a smile on my face. He proclaims he will disappear, makes more hand gestures and chants a short mantra, then picks up his trick box and calmly walks away.

In true ninja fashion they spy my nationality by bringing in a new waitress towards the end of the course. In idle chat she asks where I am from before my original waitress leads me out through another secret passage. As I turn my back to leave, the kunoichi tells me to wait a moment. When I face her again, she unfolds a scroll that has "see you again" written in Finnish. I take a bow and leave for Asakusa. It is late, and I go to sleep in a capsule hotel. It is surprisingly comfortable, and there is a much needed bathing facility. At some point I have fallen slightly ill, which reduces the quality of my sleep.

The next day I meet yet another friend. Sadly he is quite busy and we only spend a short time. We go to a natural history museum, which is nice for a change. Too bad I cannot read nearly any of the texts accompanying the exhibits. After lunch we say goodbye and I take a ride on the metro again.  I end up in Akihabara, which is kind of the neon light hell I expected Tokyo to be. I spend a few hours going around the interesting hobby stores, and suddenly I want to buy all the battle mechs. Unfortunately my money and luggage are limited, so I let it alone. I also visit the awesomely named Backdrop (or Bakkudoroppu, as the locals would say) store in hopes of finding some wrestling stuff to bring home. Sadly the stuff there is mostly connected to American wrestling, so I choose to not spend my money there. It its back to the streets then.

As the evening starts turning towards night, I decide to visit a maid café, of which there are plenty here, because why not. I would soon see why not. The place is too pink to exist and the music and the maids' voices are like my ears are being filled with cotton candy. The maids also walk up to patrons, making a kind of heart gesture with their hands and trying to get the patrons to follow in a cutesy rhyme. They are not amused by my not being amused by this. After the minimum one order of iced cocoa, I leave. I do not feel comfortable in such a place.

I go to spend the night at yet another a Internet café. So far my lodging has been in a shady motel, a love hotel, slightly suspicious overnight cafés, a capsule hotel and now this place. It is comparatively classy and very quiet. There is not enough space to sleep properly though. It does not matter, as I have the chance to recharge my phone, get in touch with the guy I am meeting the next day and take a shower in the morning. A new day will see me leave Akihabara behind after visiting the Gundam café, which is much less interesting than the name would suggest.