Diligence is a national sport in Japan (along with shopping and eating).  Our tour guides have all been "radies" who carry a kit which always includes "flash cards" and laminated photographs to illustrate the point at hand.   They take their work very seriously indeed, and just to watch them count heads on a bus is enthralling.    Our first guide declared "I need a "frag" as our group began to  straggle a bit.  Out of the bag came the extendable aerial with a bright orange "frag" at the end, and after we stopped laughing, we did indeed stay closer together!    Our guide in Hiroshima spoke wonderful, grammatically perfect English (her frag was actually an orange pom pom!), but she had very consistent and pronounced "issues" with her R's and L's.  We retained our composure until she began to talk about the Arsequakes and Fruds, and a Prayboy Plime Minister.

Of course it has been wonderful to have our guides at hand, to answer all manner of questions, and they do that very well.   It isn't surprising at all to see them very well informed.   In Tokyo, we asked our guide what is the significance of rabbits which seem to be everywhere - depicted in souvenirs, artwork, etc.  The answer:   "We Japanese believe there are rabbits on the moon, making rice cakes."  When we asked if the rabbits bring the rice cakes down to earth to distribute, the answer was no, they just stay there!!

On religion we learned that the Japanese are very "frexible", cleverly having a bit each way by "brending" Shinto and Buddhism.  Homes commonly have small shrines to both.

There are Shinto gods for everything from rice cake baking rabbits, to good golf swings.

Weddings are often a blend of both.

A little list of the plain quirky!

• A hotel lobby ATM closed on a public holiday (Respect for the Aged Day by the way)
• The fashionable gumboots which appear in the rain.  Clearly every "rady", young and old, has some.  
• You have to love a nation where no-one ever really grows up.  All things cute and cuddly are seized upon by young and old.
• Flight attendants hand out porn. mags. on internal flights - mostly patronized by businessmen.
• For such a perfectionist nation, the English translations - signs, menus etc are probably the worst anywhere, but the source of much amusement for English speaking visitors.
• Hotel phones calls are hideously expensive, yet there is free internet everywhere. 
• Shampoo and conditioner are expensive but makeup is not.
• Jewellry and spectacles are markedly cheaper than at home.  

T-shirt words

• These are a source of never-ending curiosity, - I have to stop looking for them because it's quite distracting!  My favourites from this trip so far:

Seen on an extravagantly dressed young punk, and embroidered on gold studs on the tail of his shirt - DRESS GAY.

Beautifully embroidered on the back of a T-shirt worn by a young lady - MADLY OF WITH YOU LASTS FOREVER WILL BE BRIGHT

On the back of a leather jacket worn by her companion - LOVE MUSIC BRAIN BY THE ROOTS

THE WORLD DENVER COLORADO GENTLE HONEST

THE PICK OF PORKEYS STUDIO ARTISAN MILITARY ACADEMY FAT ARMYS GOING WEST.