8 March 2009

So much for the springlike weather - back to overcast and cold today, though thankfully the rain held off. While Emily napped I went to the local hairdressers for a much-overdue cut. The stylist there speaks a handful of English words, but this time I chatted a little with my newly-acquired Japanese. Going there gave me more practice in one hour than I can manage to clock up in any week between classes. I offered comments on Japanese food, hangover symptoms and gift-giving customs for Valentine's Day. Of course, I didn't understand much of her responses, but it did give me more confidence to try my Japanese out.

Though we've now been here a year, we still manage to find the odd new place to visit within easy reach of home. This time we took a train to Shinagawa then walked to Tennoz Island. The walk took us past the head of an inlet with some old houseboats moored up behind old-style wooden houses, looking slightly incongruous against the glass and steel skyscraper background.

In looking for our destination we happened across a playground with a really long metal slide - maybe 20 feet. Emily absolutely loved riding down it on my lap, though at first I was a bit hesitant as I sat looking down the long sweep before me. As it happened it was great fun and we repeated a couple of times before carrying on to the smarter part of the island with a wooden promenade that we were trying to find. First we had to stop off for a coffee and cake, as Emily was playing up, and I suspected that she was hungry. She polished off a good half of a slice of cake; I wish she would approach her savoury meals with the same gusto, but let's face it, I am a glutton for anything sweet myself so can't really criticise. Near the cafe we found a great harbourside restaurant-cum-brewery with a scrummy menu, and resolved to return again soon for brunch.

The island is served by a monorail and we decided to return using that, though it took us to Hamamatsucho and we then had to make our way back from there. It is quite elevated, sitting at about the 7th floor of passing buildings, so it provides great views of the bayside area and also down onto passing trains as it hugs the main line tracks.