Saturday 26th July 2025
I felt an earthquake during the night at about 3am. So did David. It just felt like the car rocking again.

A couple of statistics
In the past 30 days, Kozaki has had 942 quakes of magnitudes up to 4.9 within up to 100 km distance:
– 3 quakes above magnitude 4
– 28 quakes between magnitude 3 and 4
– 69 quakes between magnitude 2 and 3
– 842 quakes below magnitude 2 that people normally don’t feel.

Today we will head to the beach to see Stuart Patterson from Avoca. He is here working for 7 weeks over the Japanese summer school holiday break. He works every day for 7 weeks. He is about an hour south east of Kozaki. On the way we stopped under a tree, in a farmland area to pack our bags and get ready to drop the car off. We then drove to see Stuart at the beach. It cost 1,000Y to park and then private bar/cafes had spruikers trying to give you special parking places, they then charge another 1,000Y but with your parking spot you also can go into their bar/cafe. We didn’t understand this to start with but decided to go further to where we were instructed when the initial payment was paid. We walked the beach and found Stuart patrolling at the water’s edge. The beachgoers only swim out a little way and they all have floats. If they go out more than 20m they get whistled in. We spent about 90mins chatting with Stuart and then headed on our way to Japan Campers. On the way we had to wash the car. This proved more difficult than we expected. All the car wash places were either autowash which we didn’t fit in or serviced carwash 5,000Y. We called in to a car wash we thought was self-serve and were directed to what we thought was the self serve. It turned out to be an auto-wash, the attendant said we would fit, so DB thought the carwash must rise to accommodate higher vehicles. WRONG! It must have hit the sunroof, as it only washed the front half of the car and returned to base. Oops! Hopefully there was no damage to the car. The young man apologised and we were happy to just continue as time was running out. Japanese being Japanese, he wouldn’t let us leave without refunding our 500Y.

We then continued on our way towards Japan Campers and I found a carwash a little out of the way, but I thought it was self-serve. It was successful. So after 40 mins washing the car we were on our way to deliver the camper. Sadly, our time in the camper is over for this trip.

Minato checked the camper and only charged us 3,000Y for the inside cleaning (total cleaning could have cost between 8,000-15,000Y), so the effort of cleaning the camper was worth it. We also weren’t charged 2 x 1,000Y for linen washing. The extra 3 days cost 3 x 11,000Y. So this came out of the 100,000Y bond we had already paid.

Next stop, free shuttle to Narita station, then two trains to our new home at APA Asukasabashi. After a quick shower we were on our way again to the Tembo Deck (350m) of the Tokyo Skytree Tower. Unfortunately tickets to the Gallery at 450m had sold out. I was surprised as it was before lunch when I bought them. Minato told us that there were fireworks near where we were staying tonight, so that was why they had sold out as the fireworks were at the Skytree and on the Sumida River between 7pm and 8.30pm. We had decided to walk to the Skytree as we thought the trains would be a nightmare. It should have only been a 40 min walk and we had 37mins before our scheduled timeslot of 8.30pm. Bad decision. The streets were worse. We didn’t really know where the fireworks were to be held but they were right in our path. It was madness on the streets with about 1 million people trying to watch the fireworks. We had to dodge and weave through the people and then head away from the river to continue. The GPS was struggling and I ended up sending us the wrong way for a little while. As always, David worked out we were headed in the wrong direction and we changed course. We were about 1km from the Skytree when we were stopped by a road block across the bridge by police controlling the crowds. They couldn’t indicate how long before the road would be opened but it didn’t matter which bridge we tried as they were all closed. Even the subway stations nearby were closed. It was now 9pm and we still were trying to get to the Skytree, well overdue for our booking. We eventually got to a subway station that we could enter, caught the train 2 stops and arrived at the Skytree at 9.20pm. We weren’t sure if they would let us in, but it was worth a try. It wasn’t a problem, they did and we had 40 mins to enjoy the most amazing view of the city from 350m. It was the most spectacular view and had an amazing vibe. It was a long way down and the view was incredible in every direction. The city is so large, with the beautiful river running through it. The roads and bridges also looked amazing. It was worth the money and I would have loved to watch the fireworks from here or have dinner up there just enjoying the view. Maybe, next time. At 10pm we were all ushered out and we still had to try to find dinner – we ended up having kebabs at 10.45pm. We then caught the Metro back to the hotel and were totally exhausted. We made the decision to try and extend our stay for an extra night so we could have a sleep in. Thankfully, that was possible and we were off to bed after midnight, totally smashed.

The Sumida River Fireworks Festival is one of Tokyo’s most famous and historic summer fireworks displays, dating back to the Edo period. Approximately 20,000 fireworks were launched from two locations along the Sumida River, near Asakusa and Tokyo Skytree, between 7:00 PM and 8:30 PM. It’s a huge event that attracts a large crowd of spectators, many dressed in traditional yukata, enjoying the festive atmosphere.
The Sumida River Fireworks Festival typically attracts a massive crowd. While the exact official attendance figures for last night (July 26, 2025) might not be fully tallied yet, it is consistently reported that nearly one million spectators gather along the Sumida River to witness this event.
It’s one of Tokyo’s most popular summer events, so large crowds are always expected.

Tokyo Skytree
Your TOKYO SKYTREE adventure begins in the Tembo Shuttle (elevator). This high-speed elevator takes you to the Tembo Deck in under a minute, climbing 350 metres at 600 metres per minute. The ride isn’t just fast—it’s magical. Seasonal decorations inspired by spring, summer, fall, and winter make the journey a visual treat. Dynamic visuals on the ceiling and doors track your ascent to 350 metres, adding to the excitement.
Get your camera ready as soon as the doors close—this is an experience you won’t want to miss!
The Tokyo SKYTREE Tembo Deck at 350m (located on the 350th, 345th, and 340th floors) is the lower observation deck of the two available. Visitors can enjoy stunning views of Tokyo through its glass floors and explore its variety of restaurants, cafés, souvenir shops, and a commemorative photo corner.
The Tembo Gallery at 450m, located on the 445th and 450th floors, is the Tokyo SKYTREE’s upper observation deck and the highest point accessible to visitors. A spiral walkway leads you to Sorakara Point at an incredible 451.2 meters above the city, where various events are hosted.
The SKYTREE Archives feature videos and images documenting the evolution of Tokyo’s landscapes, people, and culture over the years. This visual timeline highlights the city’s major transformations while a high-definition digital telescope provides breathtaking views of present-day Tokyo.