Day 16 - The Last post

Spent the day shopping for souveniers around tokyo. Visited Tokyo Pokemon centre for Simon and had a trip on the Tokyo monorail which takes passengers out to Haneda Airport. Spent the afternoon back in Asakusa, where we started, bought buns for the guys at work and other pieces of souvenier tat.

We have had a fantastic trip. Japan is everything that you believe it is, a modern thriving country with very friendly people who will go out of their way to make you welcome. I can thoroughly recommend it as a destination for a holiday.

See you all when we get back

Sayonara.

Day 15 - Return to Tokyo

Absolutely hammering down, weather in Hakone has been atrocious and we have not been able to do the place justice. Catch the bus to Odawara and last Shinkasen ride to Tokyo. Still super impressed with Japanese railways so it was with some regret that we left the Shinkasen at Tokyo station. Tomorrow is our extra day sight seeing, suspect we may take it easy an concentrate on shopping. Tired now and I am looking forward to returning to the UK friday.

Shinjuku, the skyscraper district.... not kidding either. Shopping district too. Simon an I found a electronics shop spreadover 8 floors of 3 buildings with everything from phones and PCs to lightbulbs. Spent an hour wandering around. Its very in you face and brash and noisy. Prices are quite high so I dont think I'll be buying. Went up the Tokyo Government building last night 47 floors great view from the top.

Day 14 - Hakone district

Raining again this morning with heavy mists shrouding everything. We catch the bus down th hill to the village to see if the sightseeing boat is running (These are done up like galleons, tourist kitsch but fun) but due to the weather all services are cancelled. We get back on the bus and travel to Youssen. This is a giant spa complex featuring multiple themed pool areas featuring both traditional onsen and family oriented fun. We opt for the fun areas and had a great couple of hours trying various pools, with and without water jets and scented with different things like chocolate, honey, green tea and red wine. The most entertaining of these was a pool where you dangled you feet in and hundreds of small fish came to you and nibbled at the skin on your toes (Extremely tickly).

When we came out the sun was shining so we caught the bus to the next town where funicular railway and gondola whisked you to the top and over back to the shores of lake Ishi. The idea being to see if the sightseeing boats were now running and catch one back to our departure point. At the top it was clear that the weather over the lake had not improved and whilst we were there it closed in further. This was supposed to be the place we would view Mount Fuji but she was a no-show

Day 13 - Travel to Hakone

A bit damp and dank this morning. Caught Shinkasen to Odawara and the bus up the mountains to Moto Hakone. The Hakone area is centred around lake Ishi and comprises a number of small Spa towns and attractions based on the areas volcanic past and the natural beauties of the area. Unfortun ately the weather has closed in and we cannot see a sausage let alone beautiful vistas. Our guest house is a Japanese B&B, we walk down to the village and find that due to the bad weather most of the tourists have left and everywhere is shut. We buy dinner at the Seven-11 and take it back to our rooms to eat.

Day 12 - Hemiji Castle

Today we took a day trip to Himeji to see the castle. This was our 3rd full day in Kyoto so it was good to get out of the city for a day. Himeji is a small (for Japan) coastal town about an hour from Kyoto. The castle is its main attraction and I must say, well worth the visit.

This was much more of a castle than the previous examples we have seen, they were more like administrative palaces, this was a place of power and defense. More like a european castle, it is built on a rocky outcrop that dominates surrounding landscape. Extensive massive walls and moats surround it, now put to gardens, they would have housed the shoguns close advisors and allies, the samurai classes. Further out beyond the inner moat would be merchants and artisan. The peasants would live outside the moat and walls that surrounded the whole town.

The main keep was a 5 storey wooden tower like a blocky pagoda, you were allow to climb this to the top and each floor contained exhibits from the shogunate that built and ruled from that castle. It is odd to westerners but you have to remove your shoes before entering the building (we carried them around in plastic bags provided). The benefits to the preservation became clear at the end when having put our shoes back on we could see the state of wear on a wooden staircase we had to climb down.

Truly old buildings see to be rare in Japan probably due to the fact that most are wooden construction and the risks from fire and earthquakes (not to mention dry rot) are high. Himeji castle was extensively reconstructed using traditional tools and techniques in the late 50s. However it still remains a facinating insight into the lives of Japans feudal lords.

Kyoto - Nijo Castle

We visited this after the tea ceremony. It is a large castle in the centre of kyoto. The most interesting thing from the westerner point of view was the "Nightingale Walkways". These are corridors running alongside the reception rooms with the floors specially design to squeak. When groups aof visitors walk along them it sounds like birdsong. Of course the other handy thing about this is that it is very difficult for you enemy to silently sneak up on you.

Mangled English

I know its easy to laugh at the way foreigners translate notices for tourists..... but its never stopped us before. So here are a few of the best for you

Day 11 - Kyoto

"I think I'm turning Japanese, I think I'm turning Japanese, I really think so......"
The Vapours... circa 1980..


Visited a kimono makes in a traditional house in the back streets of Kyoto. We were dressed in Kimonos and given a tour of the building. Traditional Japanese houses are long and thin consisting of a number of interlinked buildings with small courtyard gardens (I mean small... couple of metres square) intersparsed to allow light. Constructed of wood this house had been on the site for 130 years making it old given that in the past fire was a common hazard.

We were told all about the family that lived there and had their business there. The family had been in business for 13 generations. The house was built by the master of the 10th generation and a further 3 generations had lived and run the business there.

After this we were taken through the tea ceremony. Shown how to enter the tea room as a guest (on your knees) through a very low door (about waist height). What the tea ceremony was about and what the host and the guests did during it. It was very interesting although green tea is much an acquired taste and not much to our liking. We were then taken tgo another room and served lunch sitting at an antique mother-of-pearl inlaid table. A meal of sticky rice with small fish fry mixed in it, with pickled vegatables and meso soup, washed down with more tea. The whole experience was fantastic and I would highly recommend it to those of you who are lucky enough to visit.

Day 10 - Kyoto

Oh dear, cultural overload is setting in.... Not another *!#%*&!$ temple/shrine. Dont get me wrong, they are all beautiful and we have hundreds of photographs but after a while they start to blur one into the next and it ceases to have the impact.


The antidote to this???? Retail therapy. We hit the Kyoto craft centre where there are 5 floors of Japanese stuff to to purchase and bring home. This varies from the extremely tacky plastic dolls and fake samuri swords to £400 lacquered boxes and watercolours. There was some reasonable stuff there. I dont expect it was the cheapest but it allowed us to buy souveniers and small gifts for friends (Hello Kitty anyone?)

This evening we hit Kyoto station for dinner. Now you would expect to go to a station for a meal but Kyoto station embodied everything you imagine about modern Japan. It is a landmark building with 11 floors of Shopping, Hotels and Resturants build around a huge open atrium. Its quite a sight looking acros the open space and seeing the opposite escalators rising 12 floors to the roof garden.

We found a lovely little resturant that specialised in Meat or Prawns in batter served with shredded cabbage, rice, meso soup and pickles. This particular resturant also added a bowl of sesame seeds that you ground and mixed with the special sauce which you then dipped you meat or prawn in. Fantastic. Anita became the first of us to sample Saki, she's still upright but a little wobbly.

simons 3rd post

hello, simon again. im currently in kyoto and im here for 4 days of which 2 have alredy expired. yesterday we arrivied from hiroshima (which was flattened by america in world war 2)and went to have a japanese chinese meal in a building with 2 floors of resteraunts then today we walked our socks off for the oldest dojo in the world and an arts and crafts shop which was totaly worth it because i got a load of lucky charms. Eek its nearly my bedtime last few words hope my class enjoyed sailing and japan beats school 10000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000
times over

Day 9 - Hiroshima and on to Kyoto

One couldn't visit Japan without visiting the landmark city of Hiroshima a place forever associated in the mind with the use of nuclear weapons. I didnt known what I would think or feel as we toured the peace park in the city centre. It was a sobering place but by no means grim. The A-bomb memorial museum is well laid out and gives the history of Japan as a military power leading up to WWII as well as the planning by the allies and the choices made before the bomb was used. It was all very even handed without recourse to blame or finger pointing.

It could have been sad shadow on the day if were not for the fact that the place was heaving with school kids just happy to be out on a field trip chatting happily to one another as they viewed exhibits an the effects of radiation poisoning and other such pleasantries.

Our day was made by a small group with their teacher who wanted to ask us questions in english and find out who we were and where we were from. Their teacher took our photograph with the students and then they gave us gifts of folded paper cranes. A sign of peace and hope.

Before and after shots of the city models in the museum

There you go Uncle Sam, It aint big and it aint clever!

Day 8 - Miyajima - The Ascent of Mt. Misen

Miyajima is a world heritage site. Based on the 2 complexes of the Itsuhushima shrine and the Daoshin temple the area extends from the coast there back across the island to include Mt Misen the highest peak on the island (525m). The land between is primieval forest. The rest of the island is a buffer zone and development is strictly controlled. The island is reknown for its wildlife especial monkeys (a species of Macaque) and Deer. The Deer are very tame and wander throughout the town scavenging from tourists (despite the signs saying not to feed). They will help themselves to unguarded belongings like goats they seem to eat pretty much anything.

We got to the top via the Misen ropeway (Cablecar to you an me). Well I say the top actually its it the top of the peak next door and required a further 20 minutes walking down and then up again to reach, first the mountain temple complex and then up another 10 mintues to the summit. At the top is a rather shabby cafe run by a little old man. Sold fabulous ice creams though and these were welcome refreshment as we took in the view. The air was too hazy to provide good photos but the views were still stunning.


We decided that we would walk down rather than go back to the cable car. It looked pretty simple on the tourist map.... big mistake, It seemed to be mostly stairs, after an hour my knees were wobbling and I honestly dont know how Shirley managed it (she had a hip replacement 3 years ago). We were so glad when the Dioshin temple came into view and we knew we were on the edge of town. It had taken us 2 hours.

Notes on Japanese school kids

You see them everywhere going round in packs. All very neat and tidy with uniforms and hats. They get a big kick from talking to foreigners and laugh or giggle if you wave to them. Most can say hello and will shout it out and then laugh.

Day 7 - Nagasaki to Miyajima

A 3 leg train trip today, 2 by Shinkasen via Hakata and Hiroshima and finally a commuter train to Miyajima-guchi and ferry to the island. The approach to the island is a bit like the trip across the Solent to the Isle of Wight. But the approach is dominated by the Otorii gate which is one of the sights of the island. This massive wood structure is made from tree trunks but is not anchored in the seabed but just sits on the sand held there by its own weight. There has been a shrine complex here for over 600 years and the gate has been replaced many times in that period. It is an imposing sight rising from the water with the shrine buildings behind it.

Our hotel is very traditional Japanese. The rooms are pretty bare with flooring of tatami mats. The beds were put out after we arrived, these being futon style with hard pillows (not wooden but filled with beads a bit like a small beanbag. Very comfortable actually) Our room has a little reception area with a low table and 'Chairs' (actually just chairback without legs) you sat on a cushion on the floor and leant on these. Being traditional you took your shoes off before entering the room. The supplied a small rack of flipflops to put on if you needed to leave your room and go to the resturant. These seemed to only go up to (roughly) size 8 no good for my size 11 plates.

Went for a walk after we arrived. It was really hot so Simon to advantage of the sea and went for a paddle. The Japanese dont seem to do beach like the english. If this had been England the little patch of sand would have been packed, as it was Simon had it to himself whilst packs of giggling schoolkids went past on trips to the temple.

We had dinner in the Hotel, seated cross legged on a platform at the side of the room. Again you removed you shoes before stepping onto platform. It was all part of the ambience however, sitting cross legged on the floor for over an hour nearly crippled me.

Further Notes on Japanese hotel rooms

Now it would appear that Japanese hotel rooms come as a kit. Especially the bathrooms, these vary from minute to very small and reasonable size (The last one being an ex-holiday Inn so a slightly higher standard than the others). The small bathrooms seem to have been dropped in complete and the just hooked up to the services. (Probably what actually happened).

Anyway they all have these rather scarey toilets with control panels on the side and heated seats (nice). What with the dire warning of burns to the user should the controls get wet, I'm too scared to work out what they might do. I'll leave it to you to speculate

Simons Picture Post

Here are some pictures I have taken from our trip so far

Day 5 - Nagaski

"Back in Nagaski where the fella's chew tabbaccy and the women winky wanky woo!!" Jeeves and Wooster I think. Dont know the really writer but remember Fry and Laury doing it on telly. Anyway Nagagski is brilliant place. Much smaller than Tokyo or Osaka and a lot less brash. Much more comfortable to be in and easy to get around with an efficent tram system and compact centre meaning that it is possible to walk from place to place.

Nagasaki is of course famous as the second place to be on the wrong end of an atomic bomb drop. This tends to overshadow the fact that the city has a long and interesting history as the gateway to Japan through the period of enforced isolation from the mid 1600s until the mid 1800s. In that time foreigners (especially missoinaries) were forbidden from entering Japan. The crafty Dutch at the time of the expulsion were able to negotiate a continued presence on the basis that they didnt preach christianity. Never being a people to let anything get in the way of trade they were happy with this and Nagasaki held the monopoly on imports into Japan for almost 200 years.



Today we did walking tours of the city sight. Starting at the Glover Gardens. Glover was a scottish merchant who went native and married a Japanese woman. Probably enough to get him blackballed at his club in those days. He obviously didnt care and founded a trading an brewing conglomerate that lasted for 3 generations and created the Kirin Beer brand which known world wide. The Gardens are the site of his house and have over the years had a number of official residencies and public organisations sited there. Now they are a public historical monument. The gardens cascade down the hillside in a series of terraces, lots of fountains and flowing water. The pools are stocked with turtles and fish, some of the biggest Koy carp I have ever seen.

This afternoon we walked the bridges and temples of the Nakashima River. This is one the rivers that flows into the bay here and the bridges each served a different temple in the area. The original bridges have long be lost to floods and other disasters but their modern counterparts still occupy the sites and are sympathetic to their original looks. The Temples are very beautiful and peaceful. They all solicit donations for their upkeep and now the tourist is their main funding source. I suspect without this income many would be abandoned or lost and that would leave us all the poorer.