Art for Arts sake….or is that sake?

6 am seems to be the time I’m actually losing touch with sleep every morning. I lay in bed for another hour but at 7 o’clock,I gave up the ghost and got up and made some coffee and started consulting the guide books.

Last night, I had a brilliant dinner with Connor and his wife Katherine, which gave me some ideas for today. Top of my agenda was getting to Tokyo station to activate my rail pass for Thursday

and reserve my bullet trains for the next week.

Well, King’s Cross St Pancras, it isn’t! It’s probably one of the most confusing places I’ve ever managed to try and find a ticket office. A little like the American stations were there are absolutely no signs of any train because they’re all hidden on underground tracks. A very nice man did all my ticket reservations, and I think I’m going to arrive extra early tomorrow in order to make sure that I can negotiate this particular maelstrom with a suitcase.

The Japanese are ineffably polite. The man in the ticket office was absolutely charming and helpful, and even though I was wrong with the time two of my trains on my list of reservations, he dealt with it with great charm.

One other mission today was to try and buy a pair of Issey Miyake pleated trousers, but there seems to be a stock shortage as most shops I went to literally have no stock. The staff were virtually in tears in terms of an apology that they couldn’t help. I think I need to have a word with Mr Miyake. He’s got people working for him who are very upset because they have no trousers.

I do like an art gallery on these trips when I can fit one and there is a very good Japanese modern Art Gallery at a place

called Ruth Pingo. I am resorting entirely to phonetic pronunciation here. I was worried that there would be no English at all, but Connor told me that, in the last couple of years, they have started adding more and more English signage. It’s not quite enough when catching a tube train though and you have to make an educated guess at the name of the place you’re going to. Heaven forfend that you actually have to pronounce it out loud to someone.

Although quite a lot of people did seem to know Ruth Pingo. She’s obviously a popular girl.

The art was cool and hip. Like Japan really which is very cool and hip. At least here in Tokyo. It will be interesting when my travels move a little further afield, and I’m sure I will witness a slower pace of life, but I have to say I’m loving Tokyo. Tomorrow I move onto Kyoto, that well-known anagram, but I will be back next week for two days and some theatre related meetings.

Tonight I was out for food on my own which can be a lonely experience. Particularly when experimenting with the new cuisine. My knowledge of Japanese cooking goes as far as the conveyor belt in YO! Sushi or a chicken Katsu in Wagamama. I did quite well with a nice big bowl of Ramen and some gyoza, but I left dessert down to a bag of brilliantly named Crunky bars.

This hotel has been very sweet. It’s not five-star, being at the top of the “comfort“ range, but it’s got everything you could wish for (I’m already in love with the toilet) and many things that are an unexpected delight. There is no bathrobe, but there are a pair of white silk pyjamas with a button up jacket, a garment I haven’t worn since about the age of 12.

Also, in reception, there is a rack containing complimentary facemasks and bath salts, so having returned from the Ramen and the crunky bar, I’m having a me evening with a movie on the ipad.

I have four moves during these two weeks and tomorrow is the first tonight I’m doing what I do at home and packing bags early and worrying that I will leave something behind. That’s the worst bit of travelling on my own. I tend to panic about these things. I’m sure I’ve ordered the taxi early, but when you no longer have someone else to rely on, I worry.

But the day has been great fun. My step count is up again to well over 18,000 and tomorrow is a new adventure.