Final impressions

After a full day of travelling I am back in the UK! Left Tokyo, where it was raining again on Saturday morning. Had a bit of a delay on the flight on the way back, but made it to Heathrow, as did my case (two flights in a row that it managed it!)

The time I spent in Japan has been great. The first week in Kyoto really enabled me to see some different places, from the big city of Osaka to the island of Miyajima. Visiting Hiroshima was a moving experience, and one I am glad I took. Kyoto itself had some beautiful temples in it, but I am not sure whether I really got a good feel for the city itself - being based at the station meant there was so much on hand there that I never really found the real centre of the city.

Moving onto Tokyo for the second week, I had a slight concern from anecdotal comments that there might not be enough to keep me occupied for a week. However, there certainly was! The city itself was interesting and full of contrasts, from the big city areas with towering skyscrapers, to the commercial areas with all their bright lights to the number of parks and gardens that were around to give some stunning greenery. Helpfully for me, there were a significant number of art galleries around to keep me interested (even allowing for some being shut!) and the display at the Mori Art Museum was well worth visiting.

Getting around in Japan has been fairly easy. Having the Japan Rail Pass for the first week meant that I could go anywhere, do anything, which was really helpful. The bullet trains weren't perhaps the magical experiences I was expecting(!), but when you look at the time that it might otherwise take to get about they certainly had their advantages! In Tokyo the subway system was fairly comprehensive, but it did suffer from the same problem that there was in Kyoto, namely different companies operating different systems. Of the full subway there were 2 companies (Tokyo Metro with 8 lines, Toei with 4), and you could either get a ticket for one network or both. On top of that there were a fairly extensive network of local Japan Rail lines (which were not included in the ticket) and also several private lines about! Thankfully the basic cost was so small that getting a daily ticket for both subway networks cost around the cost of 1 journey on the London Underground, so even if I did not get full value I got the flexibility from it. The other useful thing was that all stations had their names in English on them, and most announcements were also translated, which certainly helped finding out where to go!

I was exceedingly lucky with the weather there, despite the occasional rain. Most days it has been sunny (as you can probably see form the photos) and temperatures were in the mid 20's - just right for me!

Both hotels I stayed in were very nice and the staff very helpful. The the Hotel Granvia in Kyoto had a great rate for the rooms by virtue of having the Japan Rail pass - with the time I was there it would have made the pass worthwhile even if I had never set foot on a train! The Prince Park Tower Hotel in Tokyo had some great views from the room, and getting a free breakfast just for having joined a free loyalty club was a bonus!

Japan has a reputation for being an expensive place to visit, but I found it generally very reasonable. Most evenings I ate out very well for £10-15, snacks were well priced (lots of vending machines about with drinks for 50p) and standard short journeys on public transport would have been less than £1 (my day pass for 2 networks was only £4). Most places charged an entrance fee to get in, but usually it was £2-3 and the most I paid was £6 for the Roppongi Hills viewing tower and art gallery.

Overall, I am really glad that I went to Japan. I have had a great time, seen some fantastic places and, despite all that I have packed in, had time to relax a bit as well (I guess the fact that the blackberry and mobile didn't work out there helped a bit to this respect!) Definitely somewhere I would recommend to go to.

There's something in the water...

There's a pattern developing here. It's Friday. It's my last full day in a place (in this case Tokyo). And... it's raining! I shouldn't complain - the weather has been generally glorious for 2 weeks in October - spot on in terms of sunshine and heat. However, it does like to give a damp send-off!

To shelter from the rain I started off by going shopping, wondering round a couple of department stores including the "Times Square" store which isn't on a square and looks nothing like New York (although it is near a building which looks a little like the Empire State Building). From there I went to the Metropolitan Photography Museum, seeing a set of photos form Japan in the 70's and 80's, as well as a more general display.

Finally, because it was still raining and I knew I could get from the train to it without going outside, I returned to the Advertising Museum to have another browse through their extensive archives. Still there are thousands I haven't seen! I had dinner at a Japanese/Western fusion restaurant, before heading back to the hotel for my last night in Japan...

A scramble for something to see

How rude! I head off for my first destination of the day - the Tokyo Museum of Modern Art - only to find that it is shut! My guess is that it is shut for rehanging until the weekend, but there are no signs to say this, only one saying that the Crafts Gallery down the road is open. So off there I went. The Crafts Gallery is housed in a building that looks like a minor English public school, and is currently celebrating its 30th anniversary. The anniversary show is quite strange, showing one or two items from many of the shows it has hosted through the years, meaning that a show such as "Glassware from the 1960's to the present day" just shows 1 vase from 1973!

Next, I took the subway to the Edo Tokyo museum, housed in a giant concrete frog-like building (really!). This told the story of how the original trading town of Edo grew and eventually turned into Japan's capital and was renamed Tokyo. It showed ho the technological Japan we think of today is a relatively modern invention, and as little as 150 years ago it was very isolationist.

To complete a hat-trick of museums/galleries I went from here to the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum. This was a strange space, housing lots of separate galleries, all with their own temporary display in, but no way of really finding out what each of them was showing (well, I guess there was a clue if you could read Japanese!). I went round the free one (naturally) which was a collection of photographs, and another on which promised modern art but was more amateur art.

Finally, I made my way over to the "Shibuya Scramble" crossing - a busy point where 7 roads meet in the middle of a shopping and transportation area. Here, there are lots of electronic adverts and screens above the crossing. I had a look round the shops before grabbing some dinner in a nearby Chinese restaurant.

Islands in the stream

Another day, another art gallery! First stop this morning was the Tokyo Museum of Contemporary Art. Here, there was a display based on Pop Art as part of their permanent collection, as well as some other interesting pieces. From there I had a walk through a nearby park to a Subway station, from which I had two changes of train (each after 1 station) and a bit of a walk to get to Odabia - a waterfront collection of "islands" which are home to both high-tech and old industrial companies.

First stop was the Panasonic building, which showcased new technology, green solutions and some science and maths puzzles. I then walked over the the Fuji TV building, and saw displays on lots of TV programmes I could never hope to understand! To get back to the "mainland" I took a ferry bus across the bay, which gave some good views as the sun started to go down.

Final destination of the day was the Advertising Museum of Tokyo. This gave a history of advertising in Japan, along with the best of current adverts and a huge archive of adverts from around the world. If it hadn't have closed at 6:30 I would have been there all night! As it was I called in at a nearby Sushi restaurant for tea, before heading back to the hotel.

The hidden palace

Another sunny day here in Tokyo, and first stop was the Imperial Palace. Whilst the palace isn't open to visitors, the grounds are, so a walk in the sunshine was called for. Confusingly, the palace itself cannot be seen from the grounds - you have to go on a bit of a walk outside them to catch a glimpse of it around a corner!

After this I went for a walk around the nearby business/retail area, including a visit to a small gallery in the offices of a life insurance firm and the Sony building. Later I took the Subway to visit the Tokyo Museum of Western Art. The current exhibition was of paintings by Edvard Munch, although many of them were drafts rather than the finished article. The permanent collection had a fair selection of western artists from the past few centuries - 2 of the Brueghels, Renoir, Monet etc. Final stop of the day was a wonder around the "Electric City" area of Akihabara to look at all the bright lights and shiny products, before grabbing some dinner and getting the subway back to the hotel (once I had chosen one going the right way at least!)

Just another manic Monday

Now, as I found out last week, Monday can be a tricky day to be a tourist in Japan as many attractions close down for the day. However, as I revealed yesterday, I have a huge pile of leaflets to look through so I wasn't going to let a Monday stop me form doing things. I started by heading off to the Shibuya district to see the NHK Television Studios. After arriving at the station I took a detour to see first the Meiji Jingu Shrine and to walk through the Yoyogi Park. Neither were that remarkable, but for a neglected corner of the park which had a collection of trees in which were brought by competitors the last time the Olympics were in Tokyo. When I finally made I to the NHK studios, I followed the tour round, which I am sure would have been a lot more interesting if I could speak a word of Japanese!

From NHK I wondered through the shopping district to the Subway station, from which I went a couple of stops down the line. Here, I went to a free exhibition on "Intelligent Manufacturing" and state-of-the-art technology. The organiser quizzed me as to where I was from and why I was there - was pleased that I had picked up a leaflet at the tourist office as they were trying to attract foreign visitors. However, how many other people will be of the same random mindset as me, I couldn't speculate! Made an interesting diversion with a few interesting inventions there (horse riding machine, anyone?). On my way to another station I saw a sign for an art gallery which I naturally followed - went in and it was a gallery showing the life of Emperor Meiji in 80 paintings - an interesting history lesson for me!

Final stop of the day was the Roppongi Hills - a tower where there was a viewing gallery (naturally! - a few more photos for the collection) and, more importantly for me, the Mori Art Museum. The current exhibition of 36 artists from the contemporary art scene in Japan included some of the most interesting pieces I have seen in a while, including some amusing video work (karaoke classical music!) and some interesting sculptures including a city-scape made out of engine parts and a collection of Maths logic gates - I guess you had to have been there! (http://www.mori.art.museum/english/contents/roppongix02/index.html) By the time I had been round and had another look at the night-scape from the viewing area it was time for dinner so I called into a nearby restaurant before heading back to the hotel.

Garden City Tokyo

After making my way from Kyoto to Tokyo yesterday and getting my bearings last night, it was time to get out and about in Tokyo. First stop was naturally the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building. Why? Because, along with many other things including the headquarters of the Japan 2016 Olympics bid, it is home to the Tokyo tourist information centre. It is certainly well stocked - I have a huge pile of leaflets from there of all the different things to do here. It also has an two observatories (one in each of the north and south towers) with views over the city from the 45th floor - you could almost see Mt Fuji in the distance.

From there I had a look round the local area, which included a park with a "suitcase sale" going on, a local gallery and the Times Square shopping centre. I then walked over to the Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden. This is a green oasis in the middle of the city, with gardens in both the European and Japanese style, On a sunny day like today it was a lovely place to be. From there just a couple of minutes walk brought you back into the heart of the city's commercial area, where the bright lights of the stores towered over the streets. It also is one of the few places with an ATM that works for UK cards!

A "goodbye" in gold

For my final morning in Kyoto I set off early to see the Kinkakuji Temple. I took the train to the nearest station, checked the map there and set off towards it. After 15 minutes walking I found myself at another station. Strange, I thought - I know that Kyoto has a bizarre rail system with 5 different companies on different lines, but I thought I would have noticed a station at the sight. Pulled out my map, couldn't see it - until I looked south from the original station and found it! Turned around, went back, and walked the 20 minutes necessary the other way. (Found out when I went back to the station later that they had the map pointing south!)

When I finally got there it was a dazzling sight - particularly with the good weather that had returned. It really showed off the gold. Well worth the walking, although you could only look from the outside, no visiting the interior here. Couldn't hang around too long though, as I had to get packed to head off to Tokyo...

More posters

As you liked the train ones so much... I saw these posters at the station today - haven't a clue what they are for but they looked cute again! If you are wondering about the strange angle, there was a rope going in front of them which I was desperately trying to avoid getting in the photo!

Queue are the one that I want

I have noticed since I have been over here that the Japanese could well rival the Brits in a world queueing contest. Not only are there polite queues outside restaurants (indeed, given the chairs there it is almost expected) but travelling by train is a model of decorum. As the trains are so well regulated, the doors will always be at certain points on the platforms. Here, people politely line up (often in 2 lines), move out the way of those coming off the train and then file on. Very civilized!

A Wet Day

Woke up this morning to rain, which continued all day. Puled on a waterproof and walked the 15 minutes to the National Museum Kyoto, expecting it to be all one building. Instead found that it was spread across a few buildings, and therefore I could not even leave my wet stuff in one place! Had a look round the permanent collection and a special collection of ink drawings and screens. If anything it was raining harder when I walked back to the hotel!

After lunch it was still pouring down, so decided to stay in the hotel and go for a swim. There were several strange aspects to going swimming here. Firstly, you had to pay, despite staying at the hotel. This I had expected (and think it is worse at my next hotel). Secondly you had to wear a swimming hat, even if your hair is like mine! This was quite strange, particularly as (of course) they only had bright purple ones that you could wear! Thirdly there was a long list of rules and regulations, including no tattoos! Whilst (naturally) it didn't worry me, whether this would apply if you were David Beckham or Robbie Williams, I don't know... Still, made it in there and did 2km.

For my final night in Kyoto went back to the collection of restaurants at the top of the station, and had a Japanese-style meal (including some sushi and tempura) for dinner.

Peace and serenity

Making use of the fantastic value of my Japan rail pass, I have today travelled further afield from Kyoto to see more of Japan. First stop (a couple of hours away by bullet train) was Hiroshima. Now, obviously the events of 1945 are the first and possibly only things that you will think of in relation to Hiroshima. Their reaction to them has been the creation of a "peace park" in the city centre, near the point at which the bomb was dropped. There are several moving elements to this area. Firstly, you see the "atomic dome" - a local landmark building which remained standing (with the structure of its dome) whilst almost all the city was flattened (the pictures are remarkable). Then, alongside the cenotaph and the national memorial hall to the victims is the Peace Memorial Museum, which tells the story of Hiroshima before, during and after the bombing, including the campaign it continues to wage against nuclear weapons. All very moving - I am glad I went to see it.

On my way out of the peace garden I was stopped by a group of Japanese schoolchildren (I am hopeless at estimating ages but maybe they were 10?) asking me in broken English my name and why I was there for a school project. It is very difficult to think of a good answer to "what do you think about the atomic bomb" that was in sufficiently easy English that they could understand! Then, being Japanese, they naturally wanted a photo with me! Following this I had a walk around some of the rest of the city (including a thriving shopping area) before getting a tram back to the station.

Next stop was the shrine island of Miyajima, which necessitated another short train journey and a ferry crossing (also included in the rail pass) to get there. The main attraction on Miyajina is the Itsukushima Shrine which consists of a gate standing out in the ocean and buildings which also would start "floating" at high tide. It paints quite a serine picture. However, it is also a beautiful island, with many other temples and things to see, along with some mountains to be walked. I set off along one path, fairly steep in places (although with steps) and had been going for about half an hour, when I met some (English) people coming the other way. They warned me that (1) it was half an hour to the next junction, (2) the pathway down the mountain was closed at that point anyway (3) to get to the cable car down from there was another hour plus in walking and (4) the cable car shut at 5! Therefore, I decided to turn back and walk back down the hill instead! Had a bit more of a look around before having a beer and watching the sun set over the island.

Then time to head back, a longish journey as all parts were put together, not helped by the fact that I found an even slower class of bullet train which stopped at a vast number of stations. After a while I got out at an appropriate station and changed to a quicker one!

Walking in sunshine

Another sunny day here in Japan, and time to see a bit more of Kyoto. Took the subway for a change (had to pay as not included in my rail pass) and then had a walk across Kyoto to get to Ginkaku-ju - a Zen temple who's name translates as "silver temple" even though it isn't. Had a wonder around the grounds, but very busy with tourists.

Next was a walk along the "Philosopher's path" along a canal. Lots of Cherry trees bout, but wrong time of the year for blossom. (There is also a "Philosopher's way" in Heidelberg, not that I have ever had time to walk it!). I have to admit that my main thought was "can't those school kids be quiet?" At the end saw a few more temples.

After lunch I went to the Museum of Modern Art - interesting collection of ceramics, and even a Barbara Hepworth in the permanent collection. Then back to the hotel to do some reading and recover from all that walking!

When is a bullet train not a bullet train?

When it is a different type of bullet train. Looks like it was a bullet train I was on to Kyoto on Monday, but just not one of the latest, super-fast ones. I guess having been on the German train network I was expecting something more... Never mind - at least I can say I've done it!

A tale of 2 cities

For my second full day I thought I had better make use of my rail pass and get out and about a bit. First stop was Osaka - 25 minutes down the line from Kyoto. Main target was Osaka Castle, mainly rebuilt but still am impressive site. Some of the rocks that made up the boundary walls were so large it was remarkable how then got there hundreds of years ago.

Then went to the Umeda Sky Building - another tower. This one was a fairly modern building which had a circular observatory placed on top of 2 towers. The lift up was also surrounded by glass, and was a little scary! Super views from the top though, particularly as you could go outside rather than taking pictures through glass. the only strange note was caused by a display of tall buildings inside, which referred to the Twin Towers in New York in the present tense...

Next caught a train further along the line to Kobe. Kobe is a big port town, so I headed down to the harbour. Here I went round a museum which combined the maritime museum with a Kawasaki museum - all a bit random but some occasional good points. Main reason I went there was that it was only a few Yen in addition to going up the Kobe Port Tower (yes, another one!). Went up here at sunset, so I was able to see the transition from day to night in the town.

Time for a random dinner, before getting a packed train back to Kyoto. Saw a train at Kobe station which was actually running late!

Top Posters

Saw these posters at Osaka station today & thought they were worth sharing with you - aren't they great?! (No comments on taking pictures of posters in a crowded train station, please!)

Temples and Towers

After spending so much time getting here, it was time I got out & about. With it being a Monday, most of the attractions were closed (don't ask me why), but I still managed to find enough to keep me busy!

I started by visiting the Sanjusangen-do temple, 15 minutes walk from the station. The Temple is the largest wooden building in Japan. It has 1000 statues in it, some of which so expressive they could have been made by Hanna-Barbera. there also appeared to be some debate as to the images they were showing, as at least one was described as usually being shown as a half man/half animal combination, whereas here it was a warrior with a bird on a stick.

Next I went up the Tokyo tower (see picture from yesterday) to look out over the city. Good views coming from the good weather that we have been having today. Again I noticed my height, as I ended up having to kneel down in places in order to be able to take a picture through the window!

In the afternoon I took the train to Arashiyama - site of a famous bridge which used to be all wooden but now has concrete supports. Went for a walk along the river (almost rural) and then visited the Tenryu-ji Zen Temple. As usual had to take of shoes, but the largest slippers they had to use were a 7! The gardens were impressive (a world heritage site) and will be even better when autumn sets in a bit.

For dinner back to the shopping centre - less queues today (is Sunday eating out day) and actually managed some chopsticks!

First Impressions

Well I made it to Japan and, more surprisingly, so did my luggage! It took nearly 24 hours of constant travelling but I finally made it to Kyoto this afternoon. Since here I have been out around the station (see photo), finding a shopping complex with a large number of restaurants at the top of it. They all seemed popular judging by the queues outside each one. I went to an Italian restuarant for my dinner (!) as I didn't fancy chopsticks with jetlag, but I will certainly be looking out for something more local tomorrow.

A few observations from my first day here:

1. My height really is noticable! Not specifically around poeple - I haven't been out and about much yet to notice - but in the design of items. For example, handrails on stairs are a good few inches lower than I mihgt expect them to be, and I managed to bump my head on a train doorway. As for the difference between the complementary slippers and the size of my feet... don't ask!

2. The trains here are quite impressive, even if I wasn't on a bullet train to Kyoto (will definately get on one before too long though!). They really do run on time, and (contrary to the hight comment above) give you a lot of legroom - very American in design.

3. It is easier to get by in English than I feared it might be. It has been genreally spoken in the (admittedly tourist) areas I have been in so far, and there are a significant number of signs that have the place written in English as well as Japanese. I might just be able to find my way around at this rate!

I've been here before...

Heathrow Airport, Terminal One. A place I spend far too much of my time in, and the place my luggage appears to have moved in at. Have checked my case in (will it make it this time?), bought replacements for the items that haven't arrived due to the postal strike and settled back to forget about the stress of 2 lost cases in 2 days.

BA lounge is emptier at the weekends, but still getting a fair bit of custom. The Saturday papers are only the main sections - no endless supplements available, so I am glad that I have had at least one full paper to read on the bus on the way here! Have eleven and a half hours to fill on the flight, so at least I have a few books with me.

So, Japan, eh? Suppose I'd better do a bit of research, as Sunday will come quicker than I might think, and by then I will be in Japan...

Welcome

Here's a short post of introduction to the tales of a tall man in a small country...