re: #59 klys (maker of Silmarils)

Will have to go back again and hope for better conditions.

If you’re still in that area of Japan and your schedule is flexible (JR Pass for the win!) I recommend you drop by Onomichi for a day or so. It’s my favourite Japanese small-town, lots of temples but not Kyoto-style, manicured to perfection and full of tourists. It’s on the Sanyo shinkansen but I use the regular JR line from either Mishima or Okayama since that puts you directly on the shorefront. There’s an amazing knife and sharp-objects shop in the covered ichibangai just to the east of the station entrance.