I will never wear a puffa (puffer?) jacket. Ever.

No. No. No.

I never thought I would find myself being grateful for Uniqlo. It’s not a brand that I like. The designs are dull. They tend to be a boxy fit, which isn’t good when you’re a tall, slim bloke. And I can’t really get over the way that they have the same item in 50 different colours, even if that item is itself rubbish. 50 different colour puffa jackets are still well, puffa jackets.

 Anyway, in Japan they are my best friend. That’s because most shops don’t sell clothes which will fit me. It’s very frustrating. I’ve been really impressed by the dress sense of guys in Okayama and there are a range of men’s clothing shops which sell some beautiful clothing, expensive though it is. But they don’t cater for anyone over six foot. That means I have to do most of my shopping at international chains, super size stores or online.

 Having to shop in this way really limits your choice. At the moment, I feel like I’m having to wear really dull clothes, just because they’re the only ones available. Today I sported the sports-casual look of Nicky Wire circa-1998. This is not really something to be proud of. It would have been good if I was going to a dance class though.

I had a calm weekend, filled merely with shopping, coffee and windy bike rides. That’s because the next few weeks are going to be rammed with activity and I needed to save money. Golden Week is coming up fast and we’ll be making our second post-orientation trip to Tokyo. I still feel like there’s so much there I haven’t done yet. And our last attempt at a wild night out there was foiled by chemicals and long distance taxi rides. This time it will be different and I’m not leaving Tokyo until I’ve at least danced to two songs in a row that don’t make me want to self-harm. I’d also like to find a karaoke place that has a Belle and Sebastian repertoire large than Funny Little Frog and Little Lou, Ugly Jack. Hell, I know doing B and S at karaoke is a terrible idea, but I’d at least like the option.