27 June 08

A quiet day, apart from a trip over to see Sharon and Taylor in the afternoon. Emily didn't seem very keen on the carrot and potato in the morning, but I suspect that was more to do with the bitty texture of it. It's good to see Taylor from time to time and monitor his progress. He is still rolling well, but doesn't get up on his arms as strongly as Emily and doesn't seem as interested in sitting. He has a tooth through now; still no sign of Emily's coming through as yet though she is gumming a lot.

26 June 08

We met Geraldine & Gaby for lunch at Times Square. Emily and I got there early and had a look around the kids department of Takshimaya department store first. I don't think I can justify buying Ralph Lauren or Burberry for Emily! The toys were fantastic, but the price tags ridiculous. It's just not worth spending £30 on a toy that she will outgrow in a matter of weeks.

I'd whetted Gerladine's appetite with descriptions of the curry we'd had at the weekend, but we couldn't eat there as they were full, so we went to the creperie along the corridor. As it transpired that Geraldine was half- French, she no doubt felt at home. We tucked into scrumptious galettes, and both babies behaved really well. Gaby sat in a high chair, and I longed to be able to put Emily in one too. Her pram was pulled up at the table so she didn't feel too left out though.

Back home after 7 hours without sleeping and very groggy, she roused herself when it came to dinnertime and wolfed a decent portion of baby rice mixed with apple puree (a.k.a. slop). Balancing her on my knee to feed her is not ideal, but I tried feeding her in the Bumbo in the morning and that didn't work either because she still slumps forward. Getting a high chair is imperative.

25 June 08

So far, so good. The feeding is going well, though Emily thinks she can feed herself and she's very wrong! She obviously doesn't really know where her mouth is. What a mess; the washing machine will be in overdrive as both of us get plastered in gunk.

Tokyo New Mums group had a meeting at a place called Ai-port, over near Aoyama cemetery. It's a great facility for young children, with a large playroom equipped with lots of toys, and plenty of soft seats for feeding time. Amazingly, the annual registration fee is just 500 yen (£2.50). I'm sure that once Emily can crawl and walk she will get a lot out of it, and for now she can at least watch older babies in action and hopefully pick up skills and progress faster. No doubt she will also pick up germs - we have been mercifully free of any bugs, but that can't last as we socialise more.

Afterwards we went to pick up a secondhand activity mat for her from a mum who was having a clear out. She has had the rainforest for more than three months and is getting bored with it. It's not worth spending good money on a new one as she should soon be on the move and won't need one any more.

22 June 08

It's Emily's half birthday today. Half a year sounds so old; a lot more than 6 months, or 26 weeks somehow.

She ate rice again today and enjoyed it more. I'll be glad when she's onto finger foods as puree is so messy.

It started raining as we went out and got progressively heavier all day. Finally, some semblance of a rainy season. Our destination was Shinjuku. We returned to Times Square for lunch, though the roof garden was obviously out due to the weather. We struck lucky and picked an Indian restaurant where we had a fantastic curry. It compared favourably with a certain part of a dog's anatomy. By far the best South Asian fare I've had: light and grease-free, well-seasoned, the crispest poppadums, garlic nan not at all doughy. The accompanying deep pink chilled hibiscus tea was refreshing, the taster selection of desserts all delicious. We will be returning there, for sure.

My visit to the loo was instructive. A sign in the toilet showed 'how to wash your bottom': at last, after all these years! With all those options it is quite handy, if you fancy trying a bidet function.

Downstairs in the department store we looked in vain for high chairs, before going across the street to IDC. They actually had a young man outside taking wet umbrellas and locking them in the secure brolly stand for customers. He even wiped the key with a flannel before handing it over! That's what I call service. The man who helped us with our furniture order was equally as obsequious, to the point of fawning.

21 June 08

The day finally dawned when we'd set the date for starting Emily on solids. Nick was very disappointed that she was only to get a couple of teaspoons at first. The baby rice looked very unappetising, though it tasted alright: similar to Ready Brek. We were surprised that Emily didn't seem all that excited, particularly given how much she'd enjoyed sucking on banana and watermelon before. In fact, she was frowning most of the time. Of course, she wanted to hold the spoon - fine, but she also wanted to stick her fingers in the sticky gruel.

It was quite overcast and very humid but we couldn't stay in all day, so finally got ourselves organised to go out at 2.30, just for a walk to Arisugawa park. The expat community was out in force; there was a gathering of Finns from the nearby embassy having some sort of celebratory picnic. Under the trees the air was heavy with moisture and loaded with insects so we had to keep moving so as not to give them easy prey. We strolled around the pond and looked at the ducks and turtles, before heading for the relief of Starbucks.

Emily scared us by choking on a bit of vomit just as we were about to bath her. It must have gone down her windpipe and she went red and struggled to breathe for a minute or two, then spent the next 20 minutes crying. It made me realise that I am clueless in an emergency and need to get myself educated about infant first aid.

20 June 08

I'd arranged to go to Kinshicho with Momo and Jean, to blitz Babies R Us and Akachan Honpo (Japan's answer to Mothercare). I invited Jo to come along as I thought she'd like to meet Jean because she had lived in Melbourne, where Jo is from, and because she also lives in our area. I seem to be forming a Tamachi breakaway group. Nick says I am becoming a 'hub' for mums and babies!

The afternoon went very fast and before I knew it, I was running late to get Emily home to start the evening routine. So I made my goodbyes and headed back to central Tokyo on my own. Bad mistake. The train I took terminated at Tokyo station instead of going through to Shinagawa. It was rush hour and Tokyo station is very complex and spread out so I had real trouble trying to find an alternative way to get home. I was very close to tears, I admit, and also sweating profusely in my panic. Eventually I made it back to our local station, only to find that I'd lost my ticket. Fearing a tirade in Japanese and a heavy fine, I approached the barrier timorously. However, the official knew exactly what I was trying to say, and even charged me less than my original ticket, intimating that next time I'd face a penalty. Since he didn't give me any kind of receipt or take my details, I very much suspect that he pocketed the 160 yen.

17 June 08

A very hot day for the walk back down to the station with all our things. We left the big pack in a locker and walked across to the river, where we got a good view of the hills behind the town.

Then we trudged back up the main drag in search of souvenirs and lunch. It was a good schlep almost back to the 'divine bridge' to track down a Korean restaurant in the guide book, but we were really glad that we did. Apart from a little old lady who soon left, we were the only customers in the small eatery. The old couple who ran the place made us very welcome and were taken with Emily, to the extent that the woman took her off my hands so I could eat (she soon had to give her back as she started crying, unusually).

We ate a fantastic spicy 'bibimbap' dish of rice, vegetables and egg cooked in a sizzlingly-hot cast iron pot, washed sown with lashings of chilled oolong tea.

Our train was delayed soon after leaving Nikko - almost unheard of in Japan where trains run like clockwork. It seemed that a drunkard had wandered onto the track and had to be removed by police. Emily and I were pretty tired and nodded off part of the way home.

In fact, she was so worn out that when it came time for her late evening feed we just couldn't rouse her, and left her in bed. She slept for 11 hours and even then I woke her when Nick got up for work the following morning, as I couldn't believe she could sleep that long unless something was wrong.

16 June 08

Neither of us got a good night's sleep, although Emily did. Maybe the bed was a bit small, the aircon too noisy or perhaps we shouldn't have had that post-dinner coffee. We had to take her down to breakfast with us though, as she wouldn't go back down for her nap.

The hotel was very well placed for the shrines, with Taiyuin-byo, the mausoleum of third shogun Tokugawa Iemitsu, just a couple of hundred yards up the road.

It's set very attractively in a wooded vale, with many large moss-covered stone lanterns around. The copper maples really caught the sunlight to good effect. The impression it left was of gates and gods, dragons and birds.


The style of the buildings was more Chinese than Japanese, with lots of red, gold and green paintwork. The inner buildings were predominantly gold and black and quite tasteful. Most of the intricate carvings were of birds; none of them were repeated.


After a break we carried on with a visit to nearby Futarasan. This shrine is a simple affair with a bit of a fairground feel to the wooded grounds, having a sort of hoopla game to win good luck (Nick got one on the stick but my throwing skills weren't up to it), and a wheel of cakes and sweets with a fortune linked to the one on which the arrow falls after you spin it round (mine was some sort of warning, apparently). There is also a special spring with three outflows to sip from, each with different health properties.


We took the guide book's recommendation for our lunch, sampling the regional speciality of yuba (tofu skin). Emily got a welcome relief from the sling, laying on the restaurant's tatami dais.

Continuing on our tour of the shrine complex we next tackled Rinnoji. Inside Sanbutsu-do we peered up at the three large gilded statues on their lotus-flower seats: thousand-handed Kannon, Amida Buddha and horse-headed Kannon. In the temple behind we watched a monk go through his devotions, under a beautifully painted ceiling depicting a pair of fearsome dragons.


Above there, and past a magnificent five-storey pagoda, we entered the busy main attraction of Toshogu. This is the elaborate - some would say OTT - shrine to Tokugawa Ieyasu, the first shogun, who died in 1616. There are quite a few buildings, including the sacred stables which have a famous carving of the three monkeys (see no evil, speak no evil, hear no evil).

As well as dragons and birds, there were also quite a few elephants. The ornate carvings were colourful, the buildings mainly black and gold.

The actual tomb, up 200 steps, is a very simple and tasteful affair that few tourists bother to go and see.


Feeling that we'd done Nikko justice, we took a walk around the residential streets before going back to the hotel for the night. It's always nice to wander around and see how ordinary folk live. Most houses had lovely gardens with lots of flowers. Emily was very hard to settle and cried for half an hour, so Nick had to go down and start dinner without me. I was dismayed to find that my main course was a pair of king prawns. However, I thought it was about time I overcame my dislike of them and forced myself to eat them. Actually, they weren't all that bad and I managed to eat both. If only they didn't have their heads and legs - it makes me shudder. The hotel had a rather nice cedar wood bath and we treated ourselves to a dip before retiring. I'm looking forward to taking an onsen bath in the winter, as it isn't really so nice to soak in a hot bath when it's hot and humid outside.

15 June 08

We set off with plenty of time in hand to get to Asakusa for our train to Nikko. Despite it supposedly being the rainy season, it was a lovely day with blue sky and white clouds. The journey took two hours an the train was very spacious and comfortable. As we travelled north from the centre of Tokyo to the outskirts and beyond, the height of the buildings gradually reduced until apartments gave way to two storey houses set in emerald green rice paddies. Now and again they were punctuated with white egrets.

Opposite our seat was an elderly couple. The lady was bent with osteoporosis, typical of old women here (due to lack of calcium in the diet because milk products are not a part of the traditional Japanese diet). She had very yellow skin and was nearly toothless. Like most older women she was wearing trousers; it's very unusual to see a pensioner in a skirt here - quite the opposite of the UK. She was very taken with Emily as she had a grandchild the same age. Just as we got near to Nikko we realised that Emily had done a big poo; with only 10 minutes before we had to switch to another train for a short ride to our destination we had to change her nappy and clothes on the floor of the carriage.

We emerged from the station to find that the town is set among tree-clothed hills and mountains. It was a long uphill walk of about 2km to the hotel, with Nick carrying a very heavy rucksack and the buggy and various other bags to manage too. I noticed lots of souvenir shops for closer inspection later. Halfway to the hotel the road crosses the river Daiya and spanning it there is a famous and very photogenic red footbridge called Shinkyo ('divine bridge').

Our hotel, Nikko Pension Green Age, was a bit weird and had seen better days. The outside was mock-Tudor, and the lounge full of chintz and lace-covered chairs, with a huge TV the only nod to modernity. Surrounded by trees, it seemed very gloomy in there. Our room was very large by Japanese standards, with a separate ante-room equipped with microwave, fridge and hob. The twin beds were so large that we decided we'd sleep in one and Emily could have the other to lie on (lucky she still can't roll over or we wouldn't be able to do that).

We still had a couple of hours before it would be time for her bath so we went back out for a walk along the river.

Emily was chuckling like mad as she looked down at me from her vantage point being carried on Nick's chest. Half a mile from the hotel is a place called Ganman ga Fuchi abyss. It was quiet on the riverside footpath, and very pleasant to be in the countryside surrounded by trees and hills. 'Abyss' is perhaps a misnomer, but the river was certainly very powerful as it courses through the valley there.

It looks very clear and appears tinged with blue as it passes over the pale riverbed before being funnelled through water-polished rocks. Lining the path are dozens of jizo statues, most wearing the obligatory red hat and bib, with small offerings of coins and flowers in their laps.

We walked back along the main road and called in at a garden cafe for refreshments. An odd little man in a beret stopped to talk to us briefly and was very taken with Emily; he insisted on buying her a little packet of candy. Back at the hotel she was laughing a lot in the bath with Nick. She went down to sleep very easily, allowing us to go down for dinner on time. We were the only diners apart from a funny little English man of about 60 who didn't respond to my 'good evening' and sat very upright with his feet neatly together the whole meal.

12 June 08

Emily had a difficult morning. She was running a bit of a temperature and cried a lot, so I wasn't sure that we should go out as planned. However, she seemed better after Calpol and a long nap, so we went out in the rain to Tamachi station to meet Momo. She had asked another mum, Jean to join us for lunch. Jean's baby Valerie is 8 months old, and was born in Germany. Jean is Singaporean Chinese, but also lived in Australia; her English is impeccable as it is her first language. Valerie is really advanced and already pulling herself up on furniture and crawling well. She is a bright little thing and can wave and clap her hands.

We had some food at the nearby boulangerie/cafe beneath the station, and spent three hours sitting there at the tables outside. Emily was very patient though she inevitably got a bit cranky with nowhere to lay down and play. With three separate social fronts open I feel that we have more than enough scope for friends for Emily and me now.In fact it is quite hard trying to juggle them and keep seeing them all regularly. No complaints though!

11 June 08

Emily and I sallied forth into the noon heat, heading for the New Mums group meeting in Omotesando. As I was early I walked along the main shopping street there; Omotesando probably has the most exclusive shops in town, and I peered into Louis Vitton, Armani et al, feeling very dowdy. I would be very uncomfortable in one of those shrines to Mammon, with a gaggle of immaculate assistants poised to swoop to my assistance. After all, I can count the times I've spent more than £100 on a piece of clothing on one hand!

There were about twelve of us at the meeting, held in a small civic centre down a back street. We sat around on tatami mats; or rather, most of the mums spent the time chasing after and amusing their inquisitive crawling/toddling children. Emily was the youngest there: most of the other babies were between 8 and 10 months old. There was a speaker at the meeting, a clinical hypnotherapist, who explained roughly how it works and was then trying to drum up trade. I thought of Kate and knew she'd find it hilarious. I am a natural sceptic, but found myself strangely interested, and even contemplated the possibility of having a few sessions. Perhaps she'd put the voodoo on me. In any case, back outside in the cold light of day I regained my suspicion of all things unproven.

Geraldine was there, and asked if I'd like to go along for a coffee afterwards. Several of us set off, but we got diverted by a branch of Next that's just opened, so in the end I didn't get my caffeine hit as it was time to take Emily home.

10 June 08

The day dawned bright and fresh, after the massive thunderstorm the previous evening. It soon became hazy, but it was still a good day for a picnic. I'd invited a few people to come along to Hamarikyu but in the end only Bettina came. However, that was nice because it gave me the chance to get to know her more easily, and she seems a lovely person.

Just inside the entrance, and at various places around the garden, there were beautiful stands of white/purple irises.

The picnic area was a bit soggy, but we were fine sitting on our picnic mat. Emily and Tim lay happily for a while,

but no sooner did we break out the food than they both played up. I'd made a quiche in the microwave, and amazingly it tasted quite good, while being colourless and therefore not that appetising to look at. Emily really wanted to try everything I was eating, and I gave in eventually, letting her suck on a piece of watermelon.

She loved it. I feel guilty making her wait until the 22nd to start on solids, but can't contemplate it until after we've had our trip to Nikko this weekend.

8 June 08

We had to go to Asakusa to book our train tickets to Nikko next Sunday, so decided to make a day of it and see Sensoji temple and have lunch out as well.

After Nick sorted out the tickets, we dived into a restaurant for tempura. Mine was very good: the lightest, crisp batter and not at all oily. The ginger shoot was particularly nice. Emily was charming the elderly serving women with lots of smiles.

This is a major draw on the tourist circuit, so the whole approach to the temple was packed. The entrance to the complex is through Kaminarimon (thunder god gate), with its giant lantern hanging beneath.

Beyond is souvenir-hunter's delight, Nakamisedori, a network of stalls selling fans, kinomo, kitsch trinkets and Japanese snacks. I bought a rather nice cotton kimono; the design was cherry blossom, peony and cranes. Not at all my usual minimalist style, but ideal for wearing around the flat.

Before the temple is a large treasure gate, Hozomon, decorated with a pair of giant rope sandals.

We were rather intrigued to find a statue of a group of pigeons. Surely must be the only place to immortalise those flying rats in bronze. The real-life specimens foraging nearby looked just as mangey as those infesting every city in the world and certainly not worth celebrating.

Before going home we made a great discovery in a side street called Cafe Rest Czun. It billed itself as a travellers' cafe and was very laid back with mismatched secondhand chairs and tables and a huge squishy sofa; not at all Japanese. Emily went crazy when we started drinking our iced water and entertained everyone by supping happily from the glass. She was being very appealing with lots of smiles and chuckles.

When we got home we heard about a stabbing in Akihabara, only a few kilometres from where we'd been. Six people were killed and many injured. Apparently it was a yakusa (gangster) who said he was 'tired of the world'. As Nick said, if he really was, why not top himself instead of causing mayhem like that?

I managed a half hour run before dinner, though it was hellishly humid out there.

7 June 08

Finally Nick got to see Emily roll over, and also enjoyed her gurgling laughter as I tickled her.

Once we'd done a few vital chores, we set off to Shinjuku. As always it was heaving with shoppers. We joined the throng heading for Times Square (actually not a square at all, but a large building housing a couple of giant department stores). It was lunchtime, so we went up to the top to check out the three levels of restaurants. On the 13th floor we found a fantastic roof garden.

I was absolutely bowled over by it, and we were really lucky to be able to get a table on the decking bordering it. We ate at a creperie that specialised in Breton galettes, and best of all it sold cidre bouche from the Rance valley!

The beds were stocked with beautiful trees and shrubs and had quite a European feel. From the edge there were fabulous views over the city, and the huge tree-filled green space of Shinjuku Gyoen was laid out close by.

After lunch we spent quite a while in a great outdoor-gear shop called L-Breath and treated ourselves to some sport sandals each, which we've both been desperate for.

On the way back home, Emily was drinking from the cap of a water bottle. She was really excited. Recently she is so interested in everything we eat and drink and wants to join in, so we've decided to start her on solids on her half birthday.

6 June 08

A beautiful, if hot, day. The social whirl continues: Emily and I had a lunch invite to Bettina's. It's great to be meeting so many mums and babies but quite wearing, though I know that sounds ungrateful.

When we left the station at Yoyogi Uehara I spotted Jo, the Aussie I met at the Arisugawa event last week. She and I navigated through the quiet pleasant streets to the flat. The area had quite a village feel to it, and was mainly given over to houses no more than three storeys high. Bettina and Steve have a nice ground floor flat with a good-size deck outside. We found that Tracy and Lottie were already there. Lottie didn't look any the worse for her viral infection and seemed bigger than Emily, if anything.

The babies were all good as gold while we had our pot-luck lunch. Emily rolled over a couple of times again. Tracy had made a divine Brie and fig salad, and Bettina a quiche, so I vowed to widen my repertoire. Tracy had to leave quite early, but Jo and I stayed and the three of us walked back to Harajuku station through Yoyogi park. Emily became upset, and I was worried that she was dehydrated, so gave her a few sips of water in the cap of a water bottle. She seemed happier after that, so I think in the really hot weather I need to give her some more often. It turned out that Jo lives really near to us, on the other side of the tracks at Tamachi, so we can meet up regularly.

5 June 08

A very sticky day. We went over to Geraldine's place in Komazawa Daigaku. She's the one I met last week who also had her baby, Gaby, back in the UK and came out here in March. Coincidentally, they were living in Newcastle and working just along the road from me at the Nissan works in Sunderland. Gaby is about 9 months old. She has very plump thighs but is a strikingly attractive little girl.

It was quite a faff getting there as I had to carry the buggy down three separate double flights of steps at Shibuya station, in the process getting a nasty bruise on my bicep. When we got to her local station, she had made a mistake in her directions and I headed off the opposite way for a while before I realised the error. Their house is quite Scandinavian in apearance, being made of clapperboard and painted bright green. It's really nice and spacious with four bedrooms and an open-plan first floor, and has lovely hardwood flooring. The joys of an expat package and two salaries.

Already there was Heather with her 9-month-old Charlotte (also very cute), who we also met at Arisugawa last week. Later a Dutch girl (Elske - sp?) came too with her little boy Joep. Emily should have been tired and hungry but was so excited by the company and all the toys that I couldn't get her to settle at all. While we were there she rolled over several times again, and was most taken with Gaby's playgym. By the time we left it had come on to rain steadily, though it was still very warm. The rainy season proper is due to start soon, and will be a bit depressing as there won't be any chance of picnics and visits to parks for a month or so.

Later in the evening the cloud lifted and the air felt nice and fresh. I rarely venture out of the flat after dark, so always forget what an impressive view we have from the north-facing front, though the attached picture doesn't really do it justice.

4 June 08

So yesterday wasn't a fluke; Emily rolled from her back to her front (not the other way yet though) several times today, and I saw her do it twice. She was mighty pleased with herself, so she knew that she had done something clever.

If she's got hiccups, she thinks it's hilarious if I copy her, and laughs fit to bust. She's still waking between 5am and 6am, but I am used to it now, and at least it means that Nick can see her briefly before he heads out of the door. Anyway, judging by comments from other mothers I think I've got it pretty good, getting 6 hours+ guaranteed sleep a night, and four hours every evening to boot. I'm quite looking forward to starting her on solids now, after being nervous about it at first. The other day she had a suck of a banana and seemed very interested.

Sharon and Taylor came around in the afternoon for tea. We had a nice couple of hours, and even talked about non-baby related things!

3 June 08

Nothing much to report today, as it was very dreary and wet, EXCEPT Emily rolled over! She was lying under the playgym and I turned my back for a minute. When I looked again she had changed from being on her back to being on her tummy. I think she may have used the toucan to pull herself over, but who cares? I'm under no illusions, though: it will probably be another week or two before she does it again, but it's a start.

1 June 08

Emily spent her first night in her own room, and it all went fine. She clearly realised she wasn't in the usual place as she had a good look round while I was feeding her, but it didn't seem to faze her and she slept normally. In fact, Nick and I woke before her. Looking at the big gap in the corner of our room I did have the odd feeling that she had just been a dream, and I was really looking forward to going in to see her and get the first smile of the day. Nick was the same even though it was his day off and a chance for a lie-in.

After lunch we walked over to Sharon and Ryan's pad for a BBQ. Luckily, the weather played ball as it was fine and clear with a light breeze. Mind you, the barbecue was set up on their balcony and we ate inside anyway. Also present were Sam and Mario with a sleepy Ami, and Philippa and Michael with Indi(go), who was crawling all over the place and even standing up with help - not bad for less than 8 months. Taylor was quite grizzly and spent a lot of the time crying or sleeping. In contrast, after a few tears on arrival, Emily was really bright and happy, with lots of smiles and delightful giggles. She's been babbling a lot the last two days, having stopped blowing raspberries to concentrate on forming proper sounds. She was watching Indi intently as she sat and crawled, so I hope it rubs off. Being around slightly older babies seems the best way to bring them on, so I shall have to make every effort to go to meetings like the one we attended this week. Mind you, trying to maintain a social life feels very tiring at times.