I record this here for my own reference and for other gaijin in Japan who suffer from the BIG feet problem - with the average Japanese foot being only 17cm in length it's tricky to get shoes in your size.

Thankfully, Hikari Shoes, with branches in Shinjuku, Okachimachi and Kawasaki (I think), have shoes up to 35cm in length, so you will never need to cut the ends of your toes off again.

http://www.kutsunohikari.co.jp

I got myself a decent pair of shoes for the long hike as my walking boots are just too heavy. A bargain at 3000 yen.

Whilst we're on the subject of recommendations, I'd like to mention a radio station that I came across thanks to an afternoon spent with Tom and Miyu. It has become my favourite music radio station ever, overnight.

Groove Salad is a streaming station that you can easily listen to via iTunes - go to Radio > Ambient > Groove Salad on SomaFM. It's broadcast from a basement in San Francisco by a small group of dedicated DJs and producers. It's mainly funded by listener donations.

Their homepage can be found at http://somafm.com/