Goody

During the month of August, Japan 'celebrates' (if I can use that term) the festival of Obon. To show due respect to their deceased ancestors, people return to the family home for a round of grave visits, meeting and greeting relatives, and eating and drinking as much as they can in the sweltering summer heat.

We are no different, heading east to Memuro where Sanae's from. I though, tend to go further east again, to what I regard as my original 'home' in a small fishing village called Hiroo.

I spend three and half wonderful years there, made many friends and met my wife. So it is a place of happy memories for me.

I should make a special mention of 'Goody', home of the finest beef stew east of Dublin (or so my father swears). Toru, or rather 'Master', his wife and his wife's mother, have been my family since I first arrived in Hiroo, and continue to be so.

They are kindness personified and the warm welcome we receive on those unfortunately rare occasions we get back to Hiroo make me feel like I have come home.

Plus, they let Cian go up on the roof of their cafe and he thought that was the coolest thing ever.

And my father wasn't exaggerating about the stew - it's incredible, and you have choice of creamy mashed potatoes or chunky chips.