Declan,

I　probably won`t make it to your part of the world on this
Japan trip; I won`t have the time (though if you`re per chance heading
to Kansai, I can).

Today I watched the priest at a shrine near Himeji castle do his
morning rituals; it was very cool. He beat the taiko, then gave the
god a good breakfast and chanted a good deal.

I`m currently rediscovering　Himeji. I`m averaging somewhere
near a million miles a day walking, but there is just so much to see!

John W.