Affordable fruit is one thing I miss about my hometown of Herefordshire. Back there we have fruit trees in the garden, orchards down the road, English Cox’s (an apple variety) in the shops that cost a fraction of these apples pictured.

Bananas are cheap but lack taste, it having been bred out of them.

To be fair japan has rich fruit-growing areas too. When I worked in Shikoku we were surrounded by mikans, whilst travels in Aomori saw me stuffed with pears and apples.

And actually, when I’d gone about 10km from home during my run yesterday I suddenly found myself in an orchard. It was on a steep slope, the side of one of those little hills that’s somehow managed to survive urbanisation.

It took me a few moments to register. When it did, I stopped in my tracks. A huge smile spread across my face, and a great feeling of happiness came over me. I soaked up the green. I could have been anywhere! Shikoku, Greece …but certainly not halfway between Tokyo and Yokohama!

I look forward to retiring in Herefordshire, eating English apples and drinking Weston’s cider!

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