34/365: Aug 8, 2008. While the rest of the rest of the world geared up for the Olympics (or so I'm told), I spent a quiet day working. This picture was taken in a lane near the Tiger Office, in Shibuya's fabulously tacky and exciting Love Hotel Hill district. These girls put their pic's up with phone number and meet up with their clients in a local bar or coffee shop for a date before heading off to ..well, you know. Prostitution is rampant, and even school girls routinely suck/wank cocks so they can buy the latest [insert current hot consumer fad item of choice here]. Strange to me that that despite this kind of schoolgirl fantasy tomfoolery, and the commonplace reading of hard core porn manga/mag's on the trains in full view of kids and the general public, and a thriving porn industry, Japan has the most sexless marriages in the world.

35/365: Aug 9 2008. This, my friends, is Chris Lynch, one of the adventurers at fourcornersofjapan.net - not that you'd recognise him straight up since he's lost 12 kilo's since he left Tokyo back in March. We met at the Indian restaurant opposite Nikko Train Station, in Tochigi Prefecture - about 3 hours north of Tokyo. I was waiting outside with my camera ready to get a kind of action shot. We devoured lunch then wandered about 4 km's out of NIkko to a camping ground that was a kind of 4-star settlement of rolling hills, forests, lakes, toilet blocks and cooking areas. Cost 2500 yen just to set the tent up there. We spent the sunset sitting in a hut looking out at the mountains and hills and clouds and lightning still snaking through the skies after the afternoons storms, drinking beer and whisky and having delightfully rewarding philosophical discussions about all manner of things. Later, we cooked dinner over a petrol camp stove and played word games and philosophised some more. I have a bunch more great photos from this trip, I will be posting them somewhere soon.

36/365: Aug 10 2008. We walked 16 km's to the town of Kinugawa Onsen after breaking camp at the very civilised hour of 9-ish. I had slept really badly - it was freezing up there in the mountains and I hadn't thought to bring a sleeping bag. Chris loaned me his jacket which helped but really, sleeping on a yoga mat in a tent in the mountains in a jacket and summer pants and no blanket is really stupid. And then there was the problem with .... dare I mention it.... the.. (how shall I say it?)... interesting aroma's [ok, foul stench] that linger in a tent that has been slept in by a feral dharma bum for 3 months, and packed away every day - wet or dry - with no chance to air... *whoa!. Breathing was difficult. even in cold air. Sorry Chris. Had to be mentioned, it was a highlight of the trip for me. Or should I say a lowsmell....? Bwa ha ha ha. Anyway, we walked. And walked. And walked. Stopped at convenience stores for food and drink and toilet breaks, and stopped after lunch in a lovely grassy forest and dozed for an hour and a half. We mostly used the footpaths beside the major highways, but as we got out of the towns, the views were spectacular. Mountains, rice fields, rivers, bridges... and we got to walk through a 900 ft (i think?) tunnel. That was a pretty disorienting experience actually, I had to run my hand along the wall to keep balance as the sounds and lights were so altered. Chris had some horror stories about tunnel passes he's made. We were lucky to have a footpath. Anyway, we got to the town and headed to the train station where we had a last cuppa and chat and then I made my sleepy-arsed way back to Kichijoji where I met up with Christian for dinner.

37/365: Aug 11 2008. Gertrude, my 5 year old red eared slider turtle had quite a growth spurt this spring. I bought this kiddy-paddling pool at Seiyu for ¥900 and set it up in the garden for her. She loves it. She spends most of her time climbing up on top of her mountain then leaping off it. I love this turtle. She is such a character.

38/365: Aug 12 2008. My litle bro turned 38 today. When we spoke he was just on his way back from Cairns where his wife, Elissa had taken him for a movie date while the kids were in school. Things have been full of change for him lately - he is officially starting up a new real estate agency of his own in Port Douglas. Exciting stuff. Anyway, the photo for today is one of the reasons why I live where I do. Where else in Tokyo are you gonna find kids paddling around in a leafy stream in a big lovely park? Kichijoji. The most liveable city in Tokyo. I passed this scene on the walk into Inokashira Koen where I spent the afternoon drinking coffee, taking photo's and just sitting and thinking about stuff. I've been a little distracted by silly things lately and wandered off the photography path but I'm back on track now. It's hard juggling 3 jobs at the same time but I have to find the balance to make it work.

39/365: August 13 2008. My kitchen fridge. The fridge polaroid project keeps my kitchen noisy and full of life and good times, even when there is no-one else home (Greg is away scuba diving in Izu this week). One of these days I'll scan them all for posterity and put them up on the web, facebook probably.

The house behind us is being knocked down this week, and I just received a visit from an old man who had something to do with the house. He told me that there would be a lot of dust and noise and he was deeply sorry for the trouble that it would cause us, and then handed me his name card should I need to complain, and then an elegantly wrapped gift box, offered with three deep bows and as many yoroshiku onegaishimasu's.

Sometimes I forget that it's Japan outside.

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