In episode 4 of Top Gear season 11, Jeremy Clarkson raced a Nissan GT-R against the Shinkansen across Japan. The goal was Mt. Nokogiri in Chiba, where they met at a Buddha dedicated to road safety. So this weekend, we decided to follow Jeremy's track from Tokyo to Chiba and see that Buddha - but not with a GT-R ;-)

Awa Odori is popularly believed to have begun in 1587. Lord Hachisuka Iemasa, the daimyo of Awa Province hosted a drunken celebration of the opening of Tokushima Castle. The locals, having consumed a great amount of sake, began to drunkenly weave and stumble back and forth. Others picked up commonly available musical instruments and began to play a simple, rhythmic song, to which the revelers invented lyrics, alternately praising Lord Hachisuka and encouraging others to join the dance - wikipedia

Kagurazaka (神楽坂) is a trendy neighbourhood in Tokyo, near Iidabashi Station. It has a sloping street at its center, lined by numerous cafés and restaurants. In the early 20th century, the area was renowned for its numerous geisha houses, of which several remain today. Currently, Kagurazaka is experiencing a popularity boom due to its traditional, sophisticated atmosphere in the middle of modern Shinjuku.

Takayama is best known for its background in carpentry. It is believed carpenters from Takayama worked on the Imperial Palace in Kyoto and on many of the temples in Kyoto and Nara. The town and its culture, as they exist today, took shape at the end of the 16th century, when the Kanamori clan built Takayama Castle. About a hundred years later the city came under the rule of the Tokugawa shogunate. However, the high altitude and separation from other areas of Japan kept the area fairly isolated, allowing Takayama to develop its own culture over about a 300-year period - wikipedia

Himeji-jo is the finest surviving example of early 17th-century Japanese castle architecture, comprising 83 buildings with highly developed systems of defence and ingenious protection devices dating from the beginning of the Shogun period. It is a masterpiece of construction in wood, combining function with aesthetic appeal, both in its elegant appearance unified by the white plastered earthen walls and in the subtlety of the relationships between the building masses and the multiple roof layers - UNESCO

In-Flight entertainment (IFE) refers to the entertainment available to aircraft passengers during a flight. After World War II IFE was delivered in the form of food and drink services, along with an occasional projector movie during lengthy flights. In 1985 the first personal audio player was offered to passengers, along with noise cancelling headphones in 1989. During the 1990s the demand for better IFE was a major factor in the design of aircraft cabins. Before then, the most a passenger could expect was a movie projected on a screen at the front of a cabin, which could be heard via a headphone socket at his or her seat. Manufacturers of IFE systems include Panasonic Avionics Corporation, Thales Group, Rockwell Collins and LiveTV. Design issues for IFE include system safety, cost efficiency, software reliability, hardware maintenance, and user compatibility - wikipedia

Dory from Finding Nemo caught on Selenium. Dori is a Paracanthurus hepatus or blue tang. The blue tang is of minor commercial fisheries importance, however it is occasionally utilized as a bait fish. The flesh has a strong odor and is not highly prized. This fish may cause ciguatera poisoning if consumed by humans. However, blue tangs are collected commercially for the aquarium trade. An unwary human who tries to handle the blue tang risks the chances of being badly cut by the caudal spine. These spines, on both sides of the caudal peduncle, are extended from the body when the fish becomes excited. The quick, thrashing sideways motion of the tail can produce deep wounds that result in swelling and discoloration, posing a high risk of infection. The pain can last for hours, until eventually subsiding into a dull ache. It is believed that some species of Acanthurus have venom glands while others do not. The spines are used only as a method of protection against aggressors. Having one in an aquarium and cornering it will most likely result in injury - wikipedia

@ Tokyo Midtown

Another sunny day here in Tokyo - Japan