Simon Bartz's Feb. 8 Timeout Travel article, "Storming the keep of Himeji Castle," which I just read on The Japan Times Web site, is a fantastic piece of writing. I've done a small amount of travel writing about Japan and have always struggled to find an appropriate style to cover the traveler- fun-seeker-British-drinker part of my experience as well as the historical/factual part of the job. Bartz has nailed it perfectly. I think the Internet caters for the complainer without really providing a community for the compliment, and I'm attempting to correct that. Not very British, I know, but what can you do? I look forward to reading more of Bartz's work.
iain maloney