All about liquids

One of the first things I saw was the "jidou hambai ki" or the vending machine. The most common types sell drinks but you get ones selling pre-packaged foods, alcohol and cigarettes, not to mention even stranger items (which I haven't seen and won't mention here).

It's been quite a confusing day due to the drastic change in sleeping pattern and our sudden emergence in a relatively alien world.

It has also been a very wet day, with two typhoons threatening Tokyo as well as other areas.

We brought our sturdy Teutonic umbrella with us but even the cheaper Japanese ones look like they cope with the winds better. They're more domed with struts supporting the main ribs at a deeper angle. It looks like even umbrellas have different DNA.

Tokyo cyclists are also multi-taskers, riding whilst holding their umbrellas. I don't know if the roads and paint markings here are any less slick but it's not something I would do at home.