21 September The Blues enjoyed their only full official rest day of the tour today with a sightseeing trip around Tokyo. The trip has been long awaited by the hard worked players, who were keen to let their hair down after a long tour. The tour management were in especially good mood, after yet another evening out the night before having dinner with the Kanto Gakuin University rugby team management. Tokyo Temple   The Blues management have enjoyed considerable hospitality on the tour, being taken out to some of the top restaurants in Tokyo hosted by the excellent Yomiuri Shimbun (tour sponsors), or the management of the sides the Blues have played. Not to worry though, this warm hospitality has not been wasted on the sensitive palates or waistlines of the management. The squad were well settled in to the bus journey when it was announced by the lovely tour leader, Yoshi, that we were first going to stop at the Imperial Palace. This was met with a rendition by prop Kevin 'T-Bone' Tkachuk of the 'Dark Side' Star Wars tune usually played for Darth Vader in the famous film series. The normally bashful Yoshi was then encouraged by the tour management situated in their usual 'cool' seats at the front of the bus to tell the 'big fat Canadian man to shut up', or words to that effect. This fight back by the extremely timid hostess against the 128kg of north American muscle was quite a feat. Tour Liaison - Youshi   The arrival at the Imperial Palace with the news that the squad were only allowed to look at the surrounding walls and the front gate was met with the usual excitement and enthusiasm of the squad. After some memorable shots were taken of the stone walls, the squad were taken on a boat trip through central Tokyo. The comments of 'tour guide' Robert Sugden kept those full informed of the cultural and histoical aspects of the trip. Imperial Palace   This was followed by a visit to a local temple and the ubiquitous and obligatory shops that surround these tourist Mecca's was the next stop for the squad. Here, Tim Barlow was seen to purchase some ancient Japanese weaponry the likes of which he is unlikely to ever to get imported back in to the country.   Tim's Samurai Sword   Lunch was taken on the 31st floor of a local Hotel with panoramic views across the city, before the squad were dropped in the Tokyo 'electric town' Akiharbara. Seemingly disastrously the squad were left to their own devices to make their way home from here. It is alleged that a new 'bad tourist' award was made as a result of this, with tour coach Brett Robinson apparently forcing a nine year old child out of his seat on the tube ride home. Chompo self portrait   The squad now awaits the final game of the tour against Kanto Gakuin University tomorrow.