Tokyo 2020 Olympics Notebook - Day 17

Road tolls here cost and arm and a leg

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To drive on Japanese roads, you need to have quite some pocket change! Taxis are quite expensive here with an average charge of 25 yen (Sh25) per kilometre, plus 150 yen (Sh150) and further charges, including 10 percent consumption tax, etc.

Meaning that at toll gates, private cars are charged as much as Sh1,000 and trucks Sh2,500.

Depending on the route, and number of interchanges, one will pay as much as Sh3,000 for a 30-kilometre trip!

That explains why taxis are charging up to an equivalent of Sh10,000 per trip within Tokyo during this Olympic period…

Smitten by a lass, at a loss of words…

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A colleague (whose name I won’t disclose for social reasons) was smitten by a Tokyo lass the other day.

However, the language barrier was a huge deterrent. But he wouldn’t give up! “You and me, stomach, Naomi Osaka,” he said in a language the beautiful lady - working as a volunteer at one of the tournament venues - easily decoded with a giggle.

Mixed race marriages are common in Japan. Leading tennis player Naomi Osaka, who lit the Olympic cauldron at the opening ceremony last Friday, is perhaps the most famous Japanese national from a mixed race marriage. You now know what my colleague was driving at, don’t you?

DJ’s music to the ears of Kenyan players

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The music played during events at Olympic competition venues is carefully chosen.

Invariably, songs are selected from competing venues. At yesterday’s Malkia Strikers vs South Korea women’s volleyball match, for instance, the DJ played the Luhya Gospel song ‘Olwanda’ by Guardian Angel, featuring Pastor Timothy Kitui.

This must have fired up the Kenyan girls to race to an early 5-1 lead over the Koreans.

During Shujaa’s placement rugby match against hosts Japan, also yesterday, Mercy Masika’s ‘Mwema’ was the song of choice for the Kenyan rugby team.