Today I took 3 hours to put up a sum total of 2 bits of wood. It took 2 attempts.
I also moved some previously installed roof batons so I would have a point to fix into with the hardboard.
But what really took the time was fathoming the floating shelf to skylight interface. For a while Ive thought of running the LEDs around both the shelf and the skylight, but the thickness difference was causing my OCD to flare up. So I’ve ditched that and just going for a simple rectangular floating light shelf (it will make more sense when you see it) I may give it some sort of zoning by connecting it visually with the electrical panel… Not thought that bit thru yet but the general build up, is fathomed.
I also tested a hunch about bending hardboard. I wet it for 20 mins and then slowly bent and clamped it to the final radius. Its a little wrinkly on the inside, but holds its shape surprisingly well. This is how Im going to bridge that annoying gap that will be left by the skylight trim.
Needed to add more wood batons to the centre of the roof ribs to support the floating light shelf thing. Still not quite worked out how to do it, so left them oversized.
Also labelled up a load of conduit so I can keep track of which cables run in which conduits, from where to where. Right now I’m just banging in conduit all over the place incase its needed. Mostly between areas that will tricky to cross when the van is boarded out. I can run all other cables within the cabinets so it will be hidden anyway.
Using WAYYY too much duct tape I made little dividing walls in the door cavities. This will – in theory- keep the fluffy insulation from getting tied up in the mechanism of the door and locks.
This is the first time I’ve had a really good look at my back door and it looks like it’s been bashed in… Andy… But it’s still functional and will be almost completely covered, so it’s not important. A bit of spray paint to cover bare metal and it’s time for more insulation and spray glue.
This was a big one. Can’t do much else without the floor being sorted out.
All the mounting points unbolted, and as many screws as i can find are unscrewed. A few were to buried or rounded to dig out, a few just sheared off. They all got removed one way or another.
Rust blocker was used everywhere there used to be a hole, and then 4 coats of professional spray paint to seal the metal up again.
This is how it will have to remain until ridged foam insulation is put in with some batons and I seal all those holes.
On a standby flight means being there early, so this morning I was first up and, having packed the night before in a chocolate frog-fuelled rage, left the house before seeing anyone else. My flight was at midday (I hoped) and then the team’s flight was at midnight, so they had another 12 hours to play in Tokyo.
Checked out of the swanky Asakusa hotel after WAYYYY too much breakfast and dropped our bags at the new AirBnB. The team is meeting up for the final couple of nights before our Japan adventure comes to an end.
We started the day with a return to Meiji Shrine, walking through the peaceful forest of Meiji Jingu like we hadn’t just spent the last few days being battered around by Tokyo’s chaos. It’s one of those places that immediately allows you to slow down, right in the heart of the city, its a calm natural space. It was busier than last we came, but we are now into golden week so this is expected but we found some quiet parts off the main path.
Our last morning in Osaka started with a beautiful breakfast. A big sectioned tray arrived, filled with lots of different bits—little portions of fish, rice, pickles, things I couldn’t identify but ate anyway—and all of it laid out with the kind of care that makes you feel like you should be more respectful than just shovelling it in.
And then there was the tea. Black tea. Excellent, I thought. Finally, something familiar. But no… no understanding whatsoever of adding milk to it. Instead, I was presented with little sachets of crème. Not milk. Crème. So there I was, sat in Japan, cautiously squeezing what is essentially dessert topping into my breakfast tea. It worked… sort of.
Then it was time to leave Osaka and head back to Tokyo on the Shinkansen. There’s something about these trains that feels different to anything else. It’s not just “getting a train”—it’s more like preparing for a flight. People arrive early, queue neatly, and everyone seems to have proper luggage with them. Fewer stops means fewer chances to hop on and off, so everyone is organised.
Before boarding, we grabbed a spot at Starbucks for a bit of crowd watching. Always a solid decision. There were long lines of school kids moving through the station, some of them spotting us and smiling excitedly. A few waved, which of course we returned like minor celebrities. Not entirely sure what they thought we were, but we’ll take it.
When the Shinkansen arrived, it did so with the kind of precision that makes you question every delayed train you’ve ever experienced in the UK. These things don’t just run on time—they define what “on time” means. You could probably set your watch by them… if anyone still did that.
The journey itself was smooth, quiet, and efficient. No drama, no delays, just a steady glide back towards Tokyo. We got a brief view of Mt Fuji which was nice, but I barely managed to get a photo before it slid back into the clouds.
Arriving in Tokyo felt like stepping back into organised chaos. We checked into the hotel, and in a move that still feels wildly luxurious, our bags were taken and trollied up to our rooms for us. No dragging suitcases through corridors today—thank you very much.
From the room, we had a view of the Skytree standing tall over the skyline, casually reminding everything else what “tall” really means.
We didn’t hang about for long and soon set off walking, heading towards Senso-ji. The area was busy, buzzing, and full of energy, with stalls, lights, and people everywhere. One of those places where you don’t really have a plan—you just go where the crowd and curiosity take you.
And somehow, through a series of turns that felt both deliberate and accidental, we ended up back at the Skytree just as Aimi hit that very specific level of hunger… hangry. The kind where decisions need to be made quickly and correctly.
The original plan was sushi. A noble plan. A plan I was fully on board with.
But no.
Ramen won.
I didn’t argue. It was the right call for survival.
Now fed, we took a short walk around the skytree park and found a beautiful cake shop. I mean the cakes were beautiful, and we wondered if they tasted as good as they looked. For £4 a slice in a country where that’s a whole breakfast, it seemed impossible.
Aimi went for Chocolate Berry tart and I went for Chocolate Orange. And they were sublime. Worth every yen.
No one made a plan for breakfast, so I did. I found a nice little bakery that did loads of French toast options and croissant options with fruit and chocolate, and they seemed to have good coffee too. Taking a seat at the entrance after putting our names down on the waiting list, we sat surrounded by loads of pot plants in a quiet, tucked-away spot right in the centre of town.
