Sunrise in the land of the rising sun All of us up at 5:30 and soon drinking coffee and watching a national TV programme about the sun rising over Japan. After seven we piled into Hiroko's car with Haneko, the comedy-faced shitzu, and Miranda the spaniel, andset off for the nearby beach. Lots of people, some standing about a big impromptu-looking bonfire, others imbibing shots of sake against the bitter pre-dawn cold. Further along the beach were a group of drummers that I couldn`t see, but could certainly hear. There were about 15 surfers in the sea with small boards and wetsuits - even though the sea was quite calm. It was freezing enough with a coat on, in fact Hiroko retired back to the car to watch the dawn through the windscreen, God alone knows what it must have been like with hands and head in the sea. Toby Romy and I walked along a short pier out into the sea and waited for the sun. There was a low bank of cloud on the horizon and so a glimpse of the sun was slightly delay...