Yes, it looks like we've made it to the end...

As we said goodbye to Aka and the sunshine &  headed back to Tokyo for our last few days, it's fair to say we weren't hugely enthusiastic, but then, after we had booked into our accommodation – more on that in  a moment – we went out for a walk &  found we had put ourselves in a great little area we didn't really explore on our first visit, with plenty of places to eat & drink, shopping arcades & a nice little vibe. We had something to eat & then found  ‘Don Quixote’s 24hr store’. Mr L was lured  by the flashing lights &  expectations of finding random,  obscure things for sale. Whilst he mooched I spotted 2 sumo wrestlers  shopping. I tried to get a sneaky pic but without success. Then as we left  the store I spotted them & grabbed my chance. They weren't keen I have to say, well that's what their faces said, but I snapped them anyway! Then we headed back to  our accommodation. A popular place to stay is Japan is a Ryokan – a traditional Japanese inn. As we hadn't stayed in one I thought it would be a good idea  for our last few days. The room is very basic. No furniture but some shelves, a tiny toilet & bathroom, two roll mats for beds, a quilt & pillow & that’s pretty much it. I think perhaps this level of minimal living is a step too far for us and I'm not sure Mr L's back will ever forgive me, but at least we've had the ‘experience’!
We spent the next day visiting the skyline Tokyo Tower and shopping, looking for a few gifts to bring home. We haven't been able to buy anything along the way as we couldn't fit it into our bags so this was a real treat. In the evening we went to a local Jazz club (I know – what has become of us) to find it was ‘Dixie Night’. It was great fun & being the only westerners we attracted a bit of attention & even got a request played. The music was good and we admired their spirit as they attempted to sing ‘it's a long way to Tipperary’ which is quite challenging with a  Japanese accent.
Our last full day we finished our shopping, sorted our bags  & found a bar, where we sat talking through our experiences. For those of you who like lists and numbers, we put together some statistics for you to enjoy.By the time we land at Heathrow tomorrow we will have:
Been way for 252 days,in 15 different countries and transited through 2 other countries
Stayed in 55 different hostels/hotels
Flown 25 times (plus 1 paragliding experience)
Been on 16 long train journeys (many short ones)
Taken 27 different ferry/boat trips (not including kayaking which of course I am now brilliant at)
Taken long 10 trips by bus (far too many short/local trips to count)
Hired/slept in 3 Camper vans
Rented 2 cars
Stayed in 6 homes/homestays/ friends houses
Been on 5 motorbike/scooter trips – on the back of course - & all hair raising for me at least!
Stayed in 4 Airbnb properties
Seen countless temples and Walked thousands of kms
In my backpack, I am only going back with 7 of the original items that I took with me. I have discarded at least 22 of the original items and even thrown out some  replacements.
These 7  are a pair of jeans, 2 shirts, - pair of trousers/joggers, a jacket, hoodie & a top.
Mr L However goes back with about 90% of the clothes he originally set out with.
The backpacks have been amazing – I would highly recommend Opsrey travel packs.
The washing line and the bag locks have also  been great. If we had our time again we would invest in a GoPro camera but my iPhone 6 did a sterling job. We relied on wifi and FaceTime for communication & apart from a few occasions where signal strength let us down, we managed to keep contact with our children  as we travelled around.
At no time did we ever feel threatened or in danger. I can recall an encounter in a bar In Russia where I was a little concerned  but nothing happened. I've been scared on a number of occasions but as you will know by now that geckos are in my opinion, a  danger to mankind.  So, on reflection, despite our lack of planning it's turned out alright in the end.
Tomorrow we head to the airport.