Most of the last week in Tokyo (before my holiday) was spent catching up with assorted friends who had missed the birthday extravaganza, Christmas shopping and winding up my work schedule for the year. It was busy, but a week before a month long holiday, anyone can handle being busy (do you think?). These pics were all taken in Inokashira Koen in the first week of December, and you can find more of them at the Autumn 2007 Flickr album. The weather was magnificent, and it seemed like everyone was outside all day every day trying to make the most of the autumn colours and blue skies. The day I left for Australia, the clouds set in and as Greg the Canadian Microbiologist and I walked in to Kichijoji so I could catch my bus to the airport, a light sprinkle started. I hear it's been pretty grey there ever since. Seems I left at just the right time. Escaping the miserable weather. Escaping Japanese society. Escaping tatemae. Time to relax in a bullshit-free zone.