We arrived at the main island of Naoshima, which has a land area of 8.13 square km and a population of 3,705 people. We stayed at Benesse House, which was designed by the great architect Tadao Ando. I love the mixture of the green trees, the blue ocean and the gray Tadao Ando concrete. From our room (202), we had a great view of the Seto Inland Sea! We wanted to take the Cultural Melting Bath (with a swimsuit), but it was fully booked. After dressing up a bit, we had a welcome drink (Champagne) and walked around the building to check the gallery space. I was very impressed with the huge space and we hardly saw anyone in the gallery! Nice. We celebrated our 2nd wedding anniversary (1 day late) in the restaurant. Our meal was described as: 'Naoshima KAISEKI, Mimoza: Unique course meal that introduces Western elements to Japanese Kaiseki. Meat dishes are included'.

After recovering from the seasickness, we moved to Takamatsu city in Kagawa prefecture by train. Kagawa is the smallest prefecture of Japan, but their Udon noodle (Sanuki Udon) is a big thing. The best Udon in the world! It's amazing to see how many Udon shops are in Kagawa. We didn't have a chance to eat at one of the famous Udon shops, but even eating at a normal Udon shop, their hand kneaded noodle was so good. The soup is lighter in taste (a little bit sweetish) and colour than that used in the East (Tokyo) and the noodles are covered with lots of dried bonito flakes. I love it! After enjoying Udon, we went on board the ferry from Takamatsu port to Naoshima Island. It took about an hour, no seasickness this time!

On the first day of our Shikoku trip, after arriving at Tokushima Airport, we headed to Naruto City to see the Naruto Whirlpools. I wanted to see a clear swirl just like a naruto maki (fish sausage with a swirl pattern) in ramen noodle. But on that day the size of the swirl was only medium (a big swirl appears at the times marked red on this calendar). Anyway, we took the Undersea Eddy Current Observer Boat AQUA EDDY. When the boat started to splash and move quite fast, I remembered that I easily get seasick. Oops!

We came back from our first trip to Shikoku Island (couldn't go to Ehime prefecture even though lots of people recommended it!). It was a 3 nights 4 days trip, and we were at Tokushima Airport - Naruto - Takamatsu - Naoshima - Kotohira - Kouchi - Ashizuri Cape - Tokushima Airport. Very tough schedule! But it was great. The nature was seriously so beautiful, and the food was also superb. I loved Sanuki Udon and Katsuo (Bonito). I didn't even notice that most of the things I bought are Katsuo products. I will write about them later.

Our friend played a guitar in his band last night at UNIT in Daikanyama and almost all members of our drinking mates gathered. The air conditioning was good in the club. Not too cold, not hot and not smoky. I like it. After our friend's band (he was cool as usual!), Larry Tee from N.Y. played. I haven't danced for a long time, but had a great time being a crazy dancer. It was very empty, maybe because of the bank holiday Monday, but empty is better than too packed. I feel lucky to be in an empty club, is this wrong way of thinking?

After swimming at Meguro swimming pool, we enjoyed the Meguro SUN Matsuri. The queue for the free chargrilled sanma (Pacific Saury) was super long! We didn't even think about joining it. But it was funny to see the long row of grills with lots of sanma cooks on one side and customers waiting with tickets and paper plates on the other side.

After shopping at Tokyu Hands for my bicycle bell and a guide book for next week's Shikoku trip, we were having a pint of Yebsu in a pub. Then a bunch of people turned up on a main street of Shibuya. They were carrying a portable shrine on their shoulders. We realised that a year ago we were sitting in the same place, watching the same shrine from Konno Hachimangu Shrine.

After reading a bread baking recipe book Pan o Tanoshimu Seikatsu by Kumiko Tokunaga, who owns a famous bakery called Bäckerei Tokutaro, I felt like baking bread. But I needed to buy a scraper first. I want to scrape the dough off the bowl, not only cutting butter or dividing the dough. So I looked for a flexible plastic one, not metal. But all plastic scrapers were white or half transparent colour, I didn't like them. I spent a bit more time on the internet, and finally found a red scraper by many many make which is produced by a celebrity chef Makiko Fujino, launched a few weeks ago. It was a good timing! I might bake croissant soon.

Last night, after swimming at a sports gym, I went to ¥99 shop which I don't usually go. And I was so surprised to see my friend A in the shop. She told me that she was having a break in the middle of walking. I couldn't believe that she walked an hour from her flat! I told her that I just went to swimming, and she said 'yeah, I can see the goggles markings around your eyes'. Doh! I completely forgot about how I look! I bought 'do not cause marking' goggles, but I get the marking every time! A and her friend were wearing casual outfits but they looked cool. She is always fashionable anyway.

Sanma (Pacific saury fish) are at their best just now. On Sunday, there was a 'Meguro's Sanma Festival' on the East side (Shinagawa-ku) of Meguro station. I wanted to see lots of people queue for 6500 of free chargrilled sanma (donated by Miyako city in Iwate prefecture), but I couldn't go there because of my work. There is an another Sanma festival on the East side (Meguro-ku) of Meguro station next week (pdf). They grill 5000 of sanma from Kesen-numa city in Miyagi prefecture. 'Meguro's Sanma' is very famouse phrase although there is no sea in the Meguro area. That's because of an classic Rakugo (a Japanese comic story telling).

I was invited to an interior shop's birthday party. The invitation seemed quite casual, but I realised that I was so underdressed. After I had some sliced ham and champagne at a black lacquered dining table, I left the party. Walking around Omotesando, I saw that shigoto cafe travail, which I wrote about the other day, was still opened.

When I went to London, I bought lovely naked matryoshkas (Russian nesting dolls). I found out that I could buy them online in Japan too, but I wouldn't buy them if I didn't see at the nice shop called shelf at Brick Lane in London. I was attracted by the smooth surface and the wood grain. When I opened these matryoshkas imported from Russia, lots of tiny wood shavings came out. Some of the dolls have rough edges. But I don't mind that. They are good sizes for a name stamps, lighters and keys boxes. My Russian friend brought this matryoshka key chain from Russia.

I was walking down the street in Omotesando this afternoon, and I saw a new cafe (opened yesterday), owned by a recruitment magazine called Travaille. It is a small cafe but they offer a job counselling service, a photo shooting service (for Curriculum Vitae) and some lectures. Even if you are not looking for a job, you can just have a drink there (I didn't go inside because I had a coffee just before). Travail's new TV ads also appeared on TV since yesterday. I was an extra, but I can't find myself. There were a few Velotaxies next to the cafe. They had Travail logos on them.

My friend's friends from Sweden are visiting Tokyo. C and I and our friend A had drinks with them in Shibuya last night. We thought it would be nice to drink at Nonbei Yokocho (drunkards' alley), and we went to the same bar we visited last time. We didn't stay that long, but it was very expensive!

On Sunday, I went to a friend's wedding party at planet3rd in Shibuya. The bride and groom were wearing Kimono. Very nice. They looked so happy, and seeing them happy made me happy. Congratulations!

I and C were invited to dinner at C's friend flat. The appetizer was Aubergine and Mozzarella stacks with Tomato sauce, and the main dish was Spicy Rice Noodle Soup with Seafood and lots of Mushrooms. I was very impressed with the finely chopped lemon zest in the Aubergine dish. It was very good. Thanks! After dinner, I watched the British TV comedy show Bo' Selecta! for the first time. The comedian uses rubber masks to do celebrity look-a-likes, but it seems like they are not meant to look like the real celebrities. It looks crap, but it works. Crazy. There were some jokes which I wouldn't enjoy watching while having dinner, but I love British comedy shows in general. They are bloody silly and funny.

There has been a server problem since yesterday, but I'm back! I went to the bali barret opening party in Shibuya on Tuesday. Everything was red: the shop, the food and even the invitation.