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Memories and Conclusions

D and I have been back from Japan for a few months now and thoughts have settled enough to write a few notes and conclusions down that may be interesting or useful to readers. Obviously, there are many people far better informed than me on Japan, so my thoughts are just that, my thoughts. Research extensively to expand your understanding. 1) Don't visit Japan in August, unless you're a salamander. It really was shockingly hot and humid. 2) If you want to interact with Japanese people, try to find a local guide for at least some of your trip. If you are an extrovert and not at all shy, you may be able to strike up spontaneous conversations here and there, but you may also offend. If you book a guide, even for one day, they are likely to introduce you to people who are ready and open to chat. On our self-guided travel, only one local ventured to speak with us. 3) Kyoto appears to be a mini-Japan. Everything there from the traditional to the modern, and in a much more manageable a...
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Day 20 - Tokyo Harbour, then Heading Home

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That's all folks! The adventure is over. D and I popped over to Odaiba, a spot on reclaimed land in the harbour facing Tokyo City from the sea. They even have a replica of The Statue of Liberty here... But the heatwave continues with temperatures in the high thirties and feeling like high forties (°C), and it's just too hot to be sightseeing, so we left Tokyo and headed out to Narita Airport earlier than we'd planned. Goodbye Japan! 👋   Just in case you thought I'd forgotten, here's another power pylon, my favourite that I have named 'Godzilla'... 😆 
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Day 19 - Tokyo Skytree

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This morning we experienced the aftermath of Tokyo morning rush hour, crammed into a metro train to get to Tokyo's tallest structure for our 10am booking. The Skytree looks out over metropolitan Tokyo which is home to 38 million people!!! Weirdly, even though we didn't go to the topmost viewing gallery, it was so high up that it didn't seem real. It could just have been painted scenery two floors beneath us... And when we got back to Shibuya, we manged to get a view down onto the famous 'scramble' crossing... Check out this video for a 20-second insight into the madness that is The Shibuya Scramble...
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Day 18 - Back to Tokyo

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Most of today was taken up by a 700km train journey back to Tokyo, crossing The Seto Ohashi Bridge on the first leg... ...and then Shinkansen all the way from Okayama to Tokyo. Sadly, Mount Fuji was swathed in cloud, so we didn't get to see that iconic scene of the snow-capped volcano. Back in Tokyo, and staying very close to the Shibuya Scramble, that mad multi-way pedestrian crossing. I only took video footage, but here's a shot from a nearby street, just to give you some of the big city vibes...
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Day 17 - Takamasu, Ritsurin-en and Kinashi

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A good lie-in today followed by an excellent brunch of pancakes, bacon, an egg and maple syrup! Fuel to face another inferno of a day out there. Something like 34°C and 67% humidity. Phew!  The reason we're in Takamatsu is to visit the third and last of Japan's famous gardens that Diana and I will visit. Ritsurin Garden is a 2km walk from our hotel which means we probably sweated a litre of fluid each just to get there. Anyway, here are a few of the photos we took... What a beautiful place! Lots of water and islands. Over 1,400 pine trees, of which, 1,000 pruned by hand! We grabbed lunch from a corner shop and ate it in our room back at the hotel, then I left Diana to go and find a 'bonsai village', at Kinashi, a short way from Takamatsu. Unfortunately, all the proprietors of the businesses were sheltering indoors. I tried hailing them from outside their homes, but to no avail. Finally I saw one old chap and ma...
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Day 16 - Matsuyama Castle and the Yosen Line

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This morning we investigated Matsuyama Castle, fearing it might be a mock-up, Osaka-style; concrete and an elevator inside.  Well, the castle sits on a hilltop overlooking the city, so it has a natural defensive advantage. Although it doesn't have an elevator inside the Castle, it does sport a quaint cable car to get you from street level up to the lower grounds of the castle, or if you're more of a thrill-seeker, a chair lift (no belts or restraining bars). Once at the top of the 'ropeway' - as the Japanese refer to cable cars - there's still a healthy climb to the top. There are at least three zig-zag gateways, natural killing zones, that an attacker would have to break through to reach the castle itself. Admittedly, the castle was rebuilt in 1852 (of course) after a fire, but it was rebuilt in wood which means it has a lovely old feel to it, and it's not hard to imagine stepping back in time. Arrow slips and loop holes give out into th...
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Day 15 - Ferry to Matsuyama

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Today's main experience was a 3 hour ferry journey across the Seto Inland Sea that separates the island of Honshu from Shikoku. Our destination was Matsuyama, which perhaps is not a premier sightseeing spot, but I love a ferry crossing, and it is en-route to Takamatsu where there's another fantastic garden to visit. Anyway, cracking weather for a sea cruise! I couldn't help but notice the megaphones mounted on poles near the sea once we got to Matsuyama. I guess these are the tsunami warning sirens which really makes the danger of this area seem real! That said... We've been here two whole weeks now and still no sign of Godzilla 😞
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