Cold hands no heart

'Gundam' are robots that have featured in manga strips, video games and books since the late '70s. To mark the 30th anniversary, this summer, the toymaker Bandai has constructed a full-scale reproduction in Tokyo's Odaiba Shiokaze Park. Apparently its the biggest ever and at 60' tall, the true size they were envisioned by the creators. Its head moves and it can do various other special effects with light and smoke so all in all a fairly frightening spectacle.

As you would imagine, this is big news in Tokyo, and this weekend, as the result of a big competition, a lucky couple were married at Gundam's feet. The couple are so keen on the series that they have a daughter named after a character. Thousands turned out to see the marriage and Gundam performed well with lots of light and smoke effects puffing overhead.

We've had M's son and daughter in law for the last 3 weeks so sorry for the silence. Last night to celebrate their departure, we all went to Hummingbirds Hill, an American style diner in Evisu. These are the type of restaurant I normally avoid - big slabs of meat, and ribs all cooked in an open kitchen is not usually a good experience for a fish-a-tarian like me. But it turns out the Japanese do American very well indeed. The food was good - big fat prawns and scallops with rice followed by banana and oreo cake (shared) and washed down by chardonay. Probably the largest meal I've had for a while and certainly not the tiny portion sizes normally associated with Japanese restaurants. But the thing I love most is the way the Japanese do 'detail' so incredibly well. Everything was themed. The walls were lined with sculpture made by indians and horn chandeliers from Hoikkoido deer. Hung on the walls were neck ties, each in a different style and all hand sewn but yet incorporating the tiny hummingbirds that are the restaurants brand. The handrails and seating was beautifully finished leather which must have cost a fortune. And when we left the uneaten ribs had been placed in a beautifully wrapped box and was presented to us to take home.

The water's warm ....

Back in Tokyo, it's sticky and hot and although the rainy season is over, there are days of rain. In between however there are some truly beautiful afternoons and evenings, where the shadows are long, the cicadas are deafening and I know that even here, Summer is my favourite season.

Whilst I am yet to find something to come close to my beloved daily swims at Highgate Women's Pond, I've found a little treat, which is the Komazawa pool, in the Olympic park about 10 mins from home. When I left Tokyo in June, uninviting dark green water could be seen behind barbed wire. But now the 1950's pool is transformed, manned by buffed boys in yellow pants and at just the perfect temperature to cool you down, the pool is somewhere I visit at least once a day.

And yes, every hour, on the hour, I get to experience one of the most bizarre safety procedures which I understand happens in pools across the land. On the hour, every hour, a bell sounds and a voice across the tanoy says something which I presume means 'get out of the water'. Everyone does, dutifully, without comment and sits patiently on the side. About 8 lifeguards, each proudly sporting a red whistle and a yellow load hailer, stand in position around the pool, scanning their section of the water, and waggling their finger which apparently assists them in double checking that they haven't missed anything. Meanwhile, the chief lifeguard gets into the pool and does a few lengths. We've been told that he is looking for bodies, which is quite interesting given the water is clear and no more than about 5 feet deep so I'm not sure a body could be missed from the lookout tower, or even just looking from the side. And anyway, don't bodies float?!

This whole process takes about 10 minutes and meanwhile, we all sits in the sun. I noted a couple of children chasing dragonflies, well off to the side, who were stopped and told to sit down. Its very quiet and nobody else moves. Finally, after its been confirmed that there are no casualties, another announcement is made. All the lifeguards line up by the edge of the pool and blow their whistles which signals that we can get back in the water. Obviously we all let out a sigh of relief that another hour has passed without a drowning and jump back in.

Quick one ...

Thought I'd share this great little viral featuring time lapse photography for Uniqlo

Anyone for tennis?

Well me actually. When I arrived in Japan, one of the first things I did was to check out the Wimbledon website and was delighted to see that they would be showing all matches live and I diligently bookmarked the site and bought the strawberries. On the opening day however, I saw the tiny words 'footage unavailable in Japan'. Always trying to make me happy, M found a timetable of the coverage on TV and last night we ventured to the other side, away from satellite television to a place I had never been before... Japanese terrestrial television.

The news was showing on the channel he had identified as the one showing the tennis. A man and woman sat in cream suits in a muted brown studio. To my delight, as its the main news, the programme is dubbed in English for jonny foreigners like us. Rather interestingly, female voices covered both the male and female newsreaders, often interchanging so it was rather difficult to work out who was saying what. In fact when the newsreaders had a little chat, the same translator covered both which made it very interesting. Then came the news reports.... The big story was of course, Iran. But why bother going there when you can talk to some Iranians living in LA? For 10 minutes... Next, Afghanistan. Due to constitutional arrangements after the war, Japan has no army and cannot be seen to be involved in conflict. But as the US has 'large expectation from Japan to assist', Japan has decided to build some schools to shade pupils from the sun. (Cue shots of children shading their eyes). So off we go to meet Nago, who is working there. Nago appears to be the only Japanese person working there as he turned up in every part of the report. Maybe he is the Japanese effort?

There doesn't appear to be any other news so we go to the Sports. A woman in a striped t shirt stands in front of a poster and talks for 15 minutes about a school baseball league who is struggling. We don't actually see any baseball, just people collecting money. Finally, we go to Wimbledon. Hooray! In fact there are 5 minutes dedicated to Wimbledon so clearly tennis is not that popular here, or deemed as important as the charity lunch for 80 held to raise money for baseball. Who wants to know about Federer or anyone else for that matter when you can hear about Dana, the 38 year old Japanese tennis player who actually retired last year but is playing on the outside courts, a woman 20 years her junior? Dana apparently prefers grass to clay because it is faster? So lets watch Dana practice on grass and talk to her a bit about it. For 5 minutes in fact (she likes grass) .... 'And now over to the coverage of the high jump....'

The news finished with the weather. Possibly the best weather reporting I have ever seen. We start with some footage of people on the beach, splashing in the sea. A voice asks that despite the beaches not being open, wouldn't it be nice to be on the beach? Then back to the studio where the female newsreader in the cream suit has moved to the weather area and is standing next to a man in a pink suit who is holding a bath plunger. They bow to each other, and then she says nothing for 5 minutes whilst he points his plunger at various parts of the country and we see big grey clouds floating up the coast. And some sunshine... So maybe it will be raining and sunny? Actually its not, its torrential rain but maybe that bit was covered by the bath plunger.

So back I come to watch the tennis from a sofa near you. Flying on Tuesday 30th for about 3 weeks. Any requests for darth vader masks or small dogs?

Wet weather option

After a busy Friday and Saturday night with the boys who are in town, on Sunday we were feeling very lazy. This matched the weather perfectly, because sometime during the night, the heavens opened, and continued until mid afternoon. Its the warm kind of rain, which falls straight unaffected by wind. We stripped off and took a shower standing on the balcony, and within a few minutes, we were absolutely soaked!

Through word of mouth, we've found a German/french bread shop not far from here, and we breakfasted on scrambled eggs on real poilane bread. Mine of course with marmite. This may not seem much but when these simple things are so hard to find, it makes them all the more delicious.

M has started painting again, and spent most of the day in his studio. I love it that he is so happy and everywhere I go I find bits of cloth with shocking pink or blue streaks of paint. I'm having magazines forwarded, and I'm relishing everything I can get my hands on, even some that I would not normally read. Yesterday Country Life and Monocle felt like the Sunday papers and were read cover to cover.

At lunchtime, we ventured out in flipflops and plastic coats to one of my most favourite eating places - Hibusuma Oriental Cafe. The tiny little whitewashed space is filled with old antique mismatched furniture and dried hydrangeas and the chef busies himself behind a tiny glass screen making delicious Chinese dumplings and soups. The owner, who has come to recognise us, serves all the food, assisted by his non smiling wife behind the counter. He knows we love the food and passes dishes bound for others, under our noses, so we can smell what else there is on offer. And he even remembers I don't eat meat, bringing us bowls of noodle soup with 'no meat, only chicken', which I pretend to enjoy and pass secretly to my delighted boyfriend!

Hibusuma Oriental Cafe

Kakinokizaka Street

Zip 152-0023 Tel 03 3723 2455

When the boat comes in

Lots of food this weekend and all so delicious, I thought I would share.  Firstly, M cooked me an amazing meal last night, which included a home made miso soup, the two fish dishes above, along with roasted taro, a sort of sticky, hairy potato, which was absolutely delicious.  Both fish dishes have a last minute heated oil bit which is a cinch but makes it look really impressive.

SASHIMI OF SEA BREAM - for 4

This was amazing and really easy to do, although I could not believe the mess that M made in creating it.

A bunch of washed rocket

400g bream fillets (or seabass, brill, turbot or sole) remove skin and bones

110g grapeseed or groundnut oil

1 tablespoon of sesame oil

2 tablespoons of rice vinegar

Salt and pepper

1 teaspoon of wasabi powder

1 tablespoon of soy sauce

Put the rocket at the bottom of a plate then slice the fish thinly and put that on top of the salad. Put both the oils into a saucepan and heat until it starts to smoke.  Meanwhile mix vinegar, salt, pepper, wasabi and soy sauce.  Pour the hot oil over the slices of fish then do the same with the vinegar mixture.  Toss and eat.

MIZUNA AND KING PRAWN SALAD - for 4

Mizuna looks a bit like rocket but you could probably use any kind of salady type leaf.

200g mizuna, washed and chopped roughly

1-2 sticks of celery - peel of the strings and then chop into match sticks if you want to really show off

25g ginger root - matchsticks again

200g cooked and peeled tiger prawns - or you could try smaller prawns which I personally prefer

(Salad dressing)

4 tablespoons rice vinegar

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon sugar

Juice of 1 lime

4 tablespoons sesame oil

Put salad, celery and ginger into a bowl and the prawns on top.  Mix the dressing bar the sesame oil and pour on top.  Put the sesame oil into a ladle and heat gently and then chuck this over the top just before you serve.