Our last day in Japan started early with an 8am train to Nagoya to catch the Tokyo bullet train.

This had the welcome benefit of us being able to cancel breakfast – Hurrah!

Fresh Dave put up a fight and offered to make it early for us but we politely told her we didn’t want to bother her so early. She seemed insistent but we stood firm and our avoidance tactics worked.

We had to buy another holdall yesterday to transport our excess shopping. The idea was to travel light as we sent our cases ahead to Tokyo, but we have ended up with same number of pieces of luggage and we still have to collect our original set in Tokyo. 😩

It was pouring down last week when we left Tokyo, it was pouring down when we arrived. Rainy, grey, miserable. A bit like Manchester only with smaller cars.

Today we had our first Bento box! Bento boxes are what keeps Japan running smoothly. They are really nice boxes of good quality food, freshly made in factories across Japan and distributed every day. People buy them for their lunch at work or when they’re commuting.

This is ours….

…crispy chicken with rice and vegetables in a nice wooden box – about a fiver)

We actually thought that prices here were very reasonable in general. There are so many places selling food that it has to be good quality and competitive so it’s really good value. We ate out at some nice restaurants that were expensive but, to be honest, we couldn’t justify the cost and you can eat very well here quite reasonably – as long as you know what your eating.

We decided to leave our new luggage at Tokyo train station (we now have luggage all over Tokyo!) but, due to the flippin’ G7 junket they had locked down all the lockers so no one can bomb Biden as he totters past on his zimmer frame. I really can’t believe the G7 leaders will be using the Tokyo subway.

Instead we had to entrust all our worldly goods to a stranger in a blue hat who charged us three times more than the locker to look after our stuff.

Therés lots of trust needed in Japan but we’ve experienced no problems yet.

We arrived at the Ryogoku Kokugikan arena, home of Sumo wrestling in Tokyo.

It’s quite an impressive building for a bit of wrestling.

Sumo wrestling, like so many things in Japan is an odd sport and is 90% tradition and ceremony and 10% actual sport.

Here is the initial parade ceremony. It lasts around 10 minutes in total, this is the end.

The individual contestants then enter the ring after having their names sung by the ringmaster.

Here’s an individual wrestler’s ceremony. As you can hear, the crowd loved it.

They strut about, throw salt into the ring (which is sacred ground) to purify it. Then there’s much bowing, some flag bearers walk around the ring, then they bow again.

Then they receive power water and power paper to wash their mouths and lips, then more salt throwing. Then they bow some more, stomp with their legs to ward off evil spirits. After this, a bit more bowing, leg extensions and arm raising to show they have no weapons. Then, just as you think they are going to fight, they stand up and do it all again.

They can repeat this many times for no apparent reason, although the more high ranking they are, the more times they do it.

Finally they launch themselves at each other and the wrestler who touches the floor with any part of his body other than his feet, or steps out of the circle, it’s the loser.

This part – the actual fight- takes, on average, fifteen seconds.! You might notice that, at the end the referee presents an envelope to the winner on his fan. That’s the prize money.

Then more bowing.

Then one of them picks up Brigitte and I haven’t seen her since!

And that’s it – our last day in Japan.

Maybe an epilogue tomorrow.

22.34 – 19th May – Royal Park Hotel – Tokyo.