Fuji-san and 'illegitimacy'

I am now the proud owner of a washing machine. It has glue scabs on top but I love it anyway. I am a little alarmed that the only connection involved appeared to be jamming a flimsy-looking plastic hose onto a tap that comes out of the wall, and a bit of plastic that looks like it's been stolen from a vacuum cleaner being shoved into a plug in the floor. I always thought this kind of thing had to be done by a plumbing professional, but the removals guy who delivered it was perfectly confident to connect it himself. On his head be it if my kitchen floor floods...

Little-known fact of the day: under the Japanese constitution, children born out of wedlock in Japan (the word 'illegitimate' is used prominently) are entitled to only half the inheritance rights of those born within a marriage. Astounding. That and more came as part of a lecture on the koseki system of family registration, which took a little while to get going but was actually a really good insight into various aspects of the politics of personal identity. In Britain I had never really connected issues such as gender status, surnames, inheritance and shotgun weddings, but in Japan it's possible to connect them all through analysing how the family registration scheme works. I am profoundly grateful that I never have to fill in the form (unless I naturalise and become a Japanese citizen), apart from anything else because it looks fiendishly difficult to understand.

I know it's still over two months away, but I wondered if anyone had given thought to what's happening at New Year? I only ask because someone mentioned New Year plans earlier today and I got to pondering what I'm doing, given that it will be one of my few appearances in the UK in the near future.

We had a very exciting moment in morning break today, when we trooped up to the rooftop of the school building and were rewarded with a startlingly clear view of Mount Fuji looming over the buildings in the hinterland between it and Tokyo. Lots and lots of places claim to have this view, but it's quite rare to actually see it - it tends to be visible only in the mornings and in exceptionally good weather. There was (apparently) a typhoon somewhere off in the Sea of Japan, which caused a day of continuous rain and wind here in Tokyo yesterday. I can only conclude, with my distinctly limited meteorological knowledge, that all the bad weather was somehow used up and we were left with clear blue skies... geographers (or those better informed than me), enlighten me, please...

Also, is it bad that I've now gone to the same cafe for breakfast enough times that they know my order without having to ask? I feel faintly profligate but justify it to myself on the grounds that I do study as I sip my espresso and blood orange juice (not at the same time), and also because I have yet to have a fridge that works, though that will soon change. I fear that now the rot has set in, I might just carry on going there on the way to school.

Final plea: any suggestions for which iPhone apps I just can't live without? At present I'm intrigued but bewildered - any suggestions welcome.