Round and round the garden...

We're in Japan! Tokyo to be exact. And it's blissfully cold. After ten months of relative summer, we're relishing the less-than-ten-degree temperatures.

In the month since we got here, we've visited shrines, experienced the hubs of modern Japan, used the wonderful train system extensively, visited Mt Fuji and lived in our own apartment (WITH A KITCHEN!!!). But more about all of that later.

After all we've been through, it seems that bureaucracy deals a hand stronger than pain or trauma, a hand that not even stubborness can overcome. We are being forced to grace the golden shores of our beautiful homeland because of strict Japanese immigration laws. John is required to have a degree (which he doesn't) to be sponsored by a Japanese company for a work visa. The only other option for him to work (legally) is to get a Working Holiday Visa - which you MUST apply for from your home country.

Tiff is going to have to wait at least four weeks for her 'Certificate of Eligibility' to be issued - this is the prerequisite for getting a work visa (which has to be done at a Japanese Consulate outside of Japan anyway). So as John's visa will take an equal amount of time to be processed, we will both be making a stopover in our long journey, in a place we call home. Once the visas have been attained, we will then go back to Japan and work for six months to a year. This is also the most economical option as living in Japan for another four weeks without working is CRAZY - everything is super-duper expensive here. We have seen a 2kg bag of rice going for 1400 yen - over AUD$14!

So,　for those of you at home, we may see you soon. For those of you overseas, we'll just have to wait a little longer to meet up in this big, wide, amazing world of ours. Stay tuned for an update of our Japanese travels soon!