And hopefully that is the last move for ages, And ages! The only downside I can see is that I now have to do my own cleaning, but fortunately I have low standards.

We have moved 8 km northwards with close & easy access to the train network and also to the metro system so access to the entire city is easy. Well that is the theory, but I am sure that I will still manage to get lost.

We like a bit of height with views, so we are now living on the 21st floor of a 23 floor block, with a fabulous city vista through a wall of windows in our lounge and a full length balcony. The sun streams through all morning so I think it will be very hot in the summer.

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We are surrounded by canals …. I am loving the flat walking after struggling with the hills of Hong Kong.

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The apartment is great – spacious, light filled and with high ceilings. And spare bedrooms so we are all set for visitors. Or we would be if people could travel!

We arrived with just a corkscrew and a very small amount of crockery that we had to purchase in Hong Kong, and somehow have to furnish and equip a three bedroomed flat. And unlike the places we rented in HK, this place didn’t have a fridge, washing machine or light fittings. Fortunately I was able to strike a deal with a young couple who were leaving Japan to purchase the contents of their small apartment so we now have the bones of a home. After a shopping trip we now have a kettle, a coffee maker and the all important rice cooker and a delivery on Sunday will bring curtains, pots & pans and more furniture. Phew!

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The kitchen is a good size … but has just one electrical socket in the only area with a worktop. The hob is gas with three rings and a small fish oven/toaster underneath. No oven for baking or roasts. The sink is cavernous; I have placed a normal sized mug & desert spoon to show the scale. Big enough to bathe a three year old I think – a shame I don’t have one!

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The bathroom is a wet room with both a bath & a shower. I think the mirror in the shower area is such a bad idea …. who wants to look at their overweight & saggy body whilst showering?!!!. In Japan, people would never have a bath before showering first. It is traditional for the entire family to use the same bathwater; the cover in the photograph above is placed over the bath to retain the heat whilst people shower first.

The sink area is separate and is the place to get undressed before entering the wetroom.

In the blurb on our apartment it stated that the bathroom had a drying facility; cynically I assumed this meant a retractable washing line. But with this whizzy control, it is possible to transform the wet room into a laundry drying room. I haven’t yet attempted this …. my brain is scrambled attempting to understand the instructions on the various appliances.