The August Seat of the Emperor. 07/04/07

The bag search at the Imperial Palace was a mime of a search. The white gloves mimed the movements of what it would be like to do a search, if the man conducting it was a real security worker.

"ooh! A photo opportunity. A samurai dancing in a paper hat backed up by what seemongly is a primary school beginners recorder group."

All Japanese schools have Uhnicycle sheds, in prospect halving the amount of wheels on the road in the future.

I`m starting to discern the individual noises amid the cacophony of the city. The double beeps of the cross-walks stands out from the babble.

I eat raw eggs cracked over rice, or by dipping meat into them.

The disdain for society, the acts of vandalism we have back home, vanish here Everyone is a whole. All are part of a functioning body - where you wear a surgical mask to prevent other members of your society cathing your cold. In Britain you get drunk and commit vandalism or destruction against the city you live in. Here, I don't even want to drop a cigarette butt. People here carry portable ashtrays with them.

The Japanese are really into rank and heirachy. Under the cherry blossoms - sakkara - the lowest person in rank at the the company must reserve a place, all day, for the rest of the company. Then they must pour the drinks for everyone else. Everyone gets hammered. I saw a chap being carried by his co-workers because he was so sozzled at seven in the evening.