I arrived in Tokyo last Sunday morning and, after a train ride into the city and checking into the apartment,  I went straight to rehearsals. It was weird joining the room at a late date in the process but I was made to feel more than welcome. I watched a partial run-through,  met the actors and crew before having a bite to eat with John at one of his favorite shushi haunts before crashing out.

For the following few days, I attended rehearsals as the runs got slicker. It's been interesting seeing how the play has progressed through translation by Kaka Nagashima and it was good to be on hand to answer questions from the actors (usually about a character's motivations or a technical aspect of the translation,  eg is this sentence said in a business or more familial context?)

With my free time I've done a lot of walking around different districts (the 'discovery' of the beautiful Yoyogi temple was a particular highlight). The best thing I've done with my spare time is visit the new Kabuki theatre. It opened this week (national news) and I managed to get a day ticket, covering me for one act after queuing up. The show was brilliant, a skillful,  colourful spectacle. I particularly loved the fact that the audience gets involved,  shouting out approval for skillful acting or movement.

So I'm now popping in and out of technical rehearsals (writing this on a tablet in the darkened balcony looking down on the set - John is currently overseeing a part in the play where an efficiency exercise comes to life through animation). Earlier today I walked down to the museum of electricity. I'm a big fan of small museums and it took me ages to find this one. When I finally got there it was closed. Though I come across some great views on the way.

The play opens on Tuesday night (just starting to get nervous) and before then I plan to see some football (possibly FC Tokyo in the Chou district), go to the Ghibli Museum, find some small museums that are actually open, and attend more tech and dress rehearsals.

I live in fear of Abdul taking me to a karaoke bar, but would like to go to a restaurant where you are served by robots.

PS. The face mask: You see people wearing them everywhere in Tokyo. I'd assumed it was to stop you getting a cold. When I was here last time myself and John commented that even the most fashionable of Tokyoites wear face masks. Obviously, they are not being used as a fashion statement or part of a fashion. Why, we thought, would these uber-fashionastas choose to wear these masks?

Then our translator, Noh, explained it to us and it finally made sense. People in Japan do not wear a mask just to prevent them getting a cold but also to prevent others from getting a cold.

PPS I know it's easy for things to get lost in translation but the marketing people should have spotted this one. Would you drink this?: