I thoroughly enjoyed this Terry!

Thanks for sharing some of your story with us mate.

Japan is on our Bucket-List of places to visit :

“Like any great and good country, Japan has a culture of gathering- weddings, holidays, seasonal celebrations- with food at the core. In the fall, harvest celebrations mark the changing of the guard with roasted chestnuts, sweet potatoes, and skewers of grilled gingko nuts. As the cherry blossoms bloom, festive picnics called hanami usher in the spring with elaborate spreads of miso salmon, mountain vegetables, colorful bento, and fresh mochi turned pink with sakura petals.”

― Matt Goulding

P.S. That sardines in a can line gave me a hearty laugh :)