Japan

We have arrived!! In the pouring rain, after a typhoon which apparently swept through the day before.

Flight and getting into Tokyo was easy enough.

Navigating Tokyo underground a little more complex, especially without internet connection.

However, English is available for those not fluent in Japanese!

Weather was definitely interesting……..

Took refuge in a cafe to sort data connections and orientate ourselves (and shelter)

After leaving luggage at hotel, we explored, enjoying many first tastes of Tokyo before crashing back at the hotel for a much needed sleep.

First temple – Sensoji in Asakusa

First beers – Kirin Ichiban (if anyone is interested!)

First dinner – Spicy pork ramen and dumplings

We’re not going to post everyday – but this was a first day must!

Day 2, here we come……

Updates to eventually follow.

After 4 days:

OSAKA

4 nights in Tokyo later, we navigated subways and trains and arrived in Osaka – next leg of the journey – and all of a sudden we have found that we are leaving, having done nothing to update our travel-log. Time is flying past and we are having an absolutely incredible experience!

Day 1 was an introduction to a ‘HOSTEL’ for accommodation – never before experienced and happy to be repeated. Up market student accommodation we would suggest. Tidy and clean, if basic, bedroom (no TV!! – what a result!), laundry area and shared kitchen facilities – spotlessly clean. Absolutely brilliant for a cheap, no frills, but very comfortable stay.

Walking around on the first afternoon was definitely an introduction to a city, like Tokyo, where old and new combine and clash, but strangely, it all begins to feel normal.

Amazing, fascinating and totally awesome.

2nd day was Kyoto – the capital before Tokyo became the capital. Nishiki Market was a must, with a stop for street food – first ever Conga Eel – much like cod – in tempura batter. After fortification we had a fascinating, educational and fun tour of the Samurai and Ninja museum! Really, really interesting and a chance to have some fun too. We learnt how to throw Japanese throwing stars and then became Samurai. Women and children were Samurai too and to defend their domain when required.

Got a local train to Arashiyama to visit a temple and bamboo grove. It was a bit of an eye opener in the bamboo grove

Day 3 – Back to Kyoto to walk the Fushimi Inari Taisha walk – a 5km walk (mainly uphill in very humid, hot temperature – probably about 32 degrees but felt like 40!) through at least a thousand vermillion Tori gates. These are the gates at the entrance to every shrine – this was a whole route of them up a mountain for views over Kyoto.

A train to Nara – Japan’s first permanent capital – before this they moved capital to wherever the Emperor decided to live. Had a walk through Nara parks and tried very hard to avoid the many deer that roam the streets (they are revered here) to visit the Todaji Temple, a Buddhist temple with a huge Buddha. Despite the crowds, it was very peaceful.

Various trains eventually brought us back to Osaka for a much needed shower, use of the washing machine after our first full week in Japan (where is the time going!) and packing for the next trip to Onomichi to stay in a B&B so we can experience a more local life and also Hiroshima. Can’t wait!

HIROSHIMA

On arrival at Shin-Onomichi (Shin means ‘new’ in Japanese – so many towns have both the original train station and the “Shin” which serves the Shinsanken) we were collected by our host, Kumiko. She and her husband took us to their house and gave us cold green tea with a very delicious bean paste bun and left us to relax a little.

It was most definitely a very Japanese experience, which was what we were hoping for. We were asked to leave our shoes and umbrella at the door step (indoors). The rooms were very minimal, with paper window shutters and futon beds which were made up for us in the evening. It was absolutely lovely and spotlessly clean.

That afternoon we headed out to explore Onomichi. It appears that in our random choice of Onomichi as a destination we had inadvertently stumbled upon a town which is the starting point for a cycle route called the Shimanami Kaido, a 60 km cycle route connecting the mainland of Japan across six small islands in the Seto Inland Sea. It was incredibly hot so we did not hire bikes and pedal off into the distance, but we enjoyed exploring the river front which overlooked the docks before finding a cable car which took us up to a look out point on the top of a hill.

Words cannot convey how absolutely stunning the view was. Unfortunately, the picture below also does not convey it either. Suffice to say, we were dumbstruck by it. All around was island after island, dotted in a tranquil sea (the Seto Inland Sea) as far as we could see. Absolutely stunning and we both felt privileged to have seen it.

On our second day we headed to Hiroshima where we had originally planned to see the Peace Park and museum with other sights. However, Kumiko told us it was both a holiday weekend, and that there was a baseball match on in Hiroshima. Baseball is very popular in Japan so she took us for an earlier train to miss the crowds. Given how busy it could have been, we decided to change plans and visit the Itsukushima Shrine on Miyajima. This is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and has a torii gate in the sea so it can appear as if it is floating when the tide is in – quite a famous image we’ve now got our own version of.

The buildings were traditional Japanese and it was a lovely town to wander around and grab a very much needed icecream

We spotted a cable car (quite a lot in Japan) which took us up to a viewing platform on Mount Misen.

From there we followed a trail up to the top of the mountain and we rewarded with some wonderful sights

The view from the top was worth the effort, if a little haze for the camera to do it full justice

And although we enjoyed a bit less the hundreds of steps on the route we chose down, again, we were rewarded with some very special memories

After heading back to Hiroshima we wandered into the Peace Park which was incredibly serene despite being in the centre of a busy city. It was a moving experience to actually be in the place where there had been such devastation and to actually be able to consider its enormous impact. The memorials in the park are simple and profound.

After a very contemplative day, a dinner date with our hosts beckoned – they had very kindly asked us to join them so we headed back and had a very delicious meal with Kumiko and her family, both sides asking questions and learning more about each others cultures.

On our final day in Japan (!) we headed back to Hiroshima, negotiating left luggage lockers at the station before jumping on a tram to the Hiroshima Memorial Museum. Suffice to say, it was not an enjoyable experience, but it is something that has to be seen and experienced. We have never been anywhere with so many other people all moving in absolute silence.

Sadly, we then had to leave to head for our ferry. Trains, walking and International Terminal negotiated, we boarded our ferry to South Korea for a (hopefully) quiet night.

Thank you Japan – we will be back