Today is a National Holiday here in Japan. It is National Sports Day or something and everyone gets the day off. This however has not been the most relaxing of weekends. Reiko and I are physically shattered from Marrosan`s walks at five in the morning and subsequent and numerous escape attempts. He has got through three collars this weekend. Toshi, one of Reiko`s cousins and a thoroughly nice chap came today at ten o`clock in the morning. He lives in Yamaguchi but came up north to see the Japanese Grand Prix in Suzuka. He made a quick pit stop to see lazy bastard Simon asleep on a futon downstairs. It`s all Marrosan`s fault. I slept four hours, walked the dog at five and afterwards was on an adrenaline high so couldn`t get back to sleep until much later. Once more and not for the last time, “Get over it” I hear you cry.

So we attempted to relax today. In the evening we went to a sushi restaurant and ate sushi funnily enough followed by an hour`s karaoke where I sang Wild World by Mr Big which is on a car advert here and Queen`s Bohemian Rhapsody to name a few. My favourite sushi is Tuna sushi. Before I came to Japan, I had only seen Tuna, dessicated, (and pink) in tins. A few weeks after arriving, we saw a demonstration in front of a large crowd of a tuna fish being carved by expert Japanese chefs at a fish market. I never realised that tuna fish were so large and how delicious it is raw (and fresh.)

Following on from yesterday`s rant, today`s Japan Times` World Page features only two minor stories from America and the others from Europe, Afghanistan and the Middle East which is an improvement and maybe requires an apology on my part. Although the rest of the paper is littered with articles about the presidential race in America, it is a startling improvement on yesterday`s page. Today is a press holiday so I must wait until Wednesday to see how it maps out. I take these things seriously. If a paper treats the World News page as what is happening in America that couldn`t be fitted on the other devoted page spreads, then something needs to be done. Yes. Join me.