It was 30C+, even in the shade, and we set out at the height of the sun for the BBQ at Odaiba, with Nick's departmental colleagues. Our chosen method of travel was the Urban Launch, a rather swish boat that makes the trip across from Shibaura to the reclaimed island. 
The views on the 20 minute journey were superb: we could see the full expanse of buildings along the water's edge for miles, and lots of bird-like loading cranes. The boat passed under multi-layered Rainbow Bridge, which spans the bay for a couple of miles.
On disembarking we found an attractive waterfront with plenty of trees and artfully-arranged rusting anchors along the shore. There were a couple of small islands just offshore, also reclaimed, inhabited only by colonies of cormorants. 
We walked along the bay as quickly as we could bear in the heat for 10 minutes or so to the designated BBQ area. It's possible to hire barbecues and tables and chairs, so you just bring your own provisions. The rest of the group had been there for a couple of hours (we were delayed by Emily's routine) so were already well-oiled. They had a kids paddling pool full of chilled water for the copious amounts of drink they'd brought. Unfortunately for me there wasn't any fish, only meat and veggies, so I didn't get to eat much.
The group of about 40 were all young and sure of themselves, as befits successful banking types. I got to meet Nick's very dynamic boss, Okazawa-san. He wasn't what I was expecting somehow, despite Nick's descriptions of him. Emily was very much the star of the show until a gaijin turned up with his adorable retriever, Max. That was fine, as she was hot and tired and being over-stimulated by all the attention. She was very keen to try our drinks and food. I enjoyed a can of an alcoholic grapefruit drink that packed a bit too much punch on such a hot day. One young guy said he wanted to marry Emily when she was 20 and he 47. Nick bridled a bit at that! I asked him if he was rich.
After the hire time had elapsed the others drifted away to carry on drinking, and Nick and I walked on further to see what else Odaiba had to offer. We found a building shaped like a ship, plus lots of boats moored up. There was a fab-looking water park that Emily will love in a year or two. A nice little cafe yielded fish and chips - not quite up to Whitby standards but very welcome as I was starving. We decided to take the elevated monorail back across to our side of the water as we were close to the station. It was a great ride with glorious views over the city and the bay. The track actually passes across Rainbow Bridge, with cars moving along right next to the carriage, before looping nearly 360 degrees beneath the bridge into Shibaura.
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