Castles, Shrines, JR Rail and Takoyaki

My recent 3 weeks in Japan were focused on discovering the culture, history and flavor of the Japanese islands.

My itinerary was basically limited only to my JR rail pass and time to fit everything in. The JR pass took me by Shinkansen from Narita airport to Shinagawa in Tokyo. I stayed at a nice small hotel in Kita Shinagawa which gave me a view of a small suburb inside Tokyo. There was a Family Mart nearby with almost anything you need - yogurt, rice, tempura, etc. Also available at AM-PM, 7 Eleven and Lawson Station stores on nearly every corner.

In Tokyo I visited Shibuya, Shinjuku, Asakusa (Senso-ji Temple) , Ginza, Harajuku (where the youth dress outrageously, food is fabulous and interesting shopping), from Yoyogi park - site of the Meiji Shrine - to the Tokyo Tower. Impressive parks and the Imperial Palace (Edo Castle) made Tokyo a special experience. The Tsukiji fish market was impressive on the Tokyo waterfront with over 1500 stalls all preparing over 3000 types of fish for local restaurants. Mmmm, sashimi :)

I had lunch at the Asahi brewery restaurant and tasted micro-brewed beer that is only available there. Andrew's friend, Dave took me through rail stations, Shrines, and high into buildings with amazing views of the city of Tokyo. The population exceeds 13 million in the metro Tokyo area. I think all of them were in Shinjuku station on one of the days I was there. BUT the rail system runs fast, smooth, and ON TIME!

One thing that impressed me was discovering some of the medieval history from the mid - 1750's and on during the Edo period. The fishing village of Edo became the Shogunate power center in 1590 and was renamed Tokyo in 1868. The whole area suffers from earthquakes from time to time as well, parts of the islands experience volcanic eruptions.

By shinkansen railways, I traveled to Yokohama, Zushi, Osaka, Odawara, Hiroshima, Himeji, Kyoto, Nara, Shizuoka on Honshu, and to Fukuoka and Kagoshima on the south island of Kyushu where I met up with a friend Tomoko. Her mother and father ensured I had an authentic Japanese experience eating lots of fish, miso soup, rice, soba noodles,  homemade bread, and many other foods.

During the 3 weeks I ate sushi, yakitori, sashimi and takoyaki - my favorite lunch- a Tokyo fast food of bits of octopus in sauce inside a kind of dough ball. Delicious with beer! I also discovered Hiroshima's specialty - Okonomiyaki - a crepe-type thing with vegetables, seafood, sauces cooked on a griddle and wonderfully delicious. Oh yes, there are plenty of Starbuck's; also Doutor coffee, Veloce Italian coffee & Tulley's coffee places and some of the best bakeries outside Scandinavia! One of the best was Andersen, a bakery that seemed to be in every major train station.

So here were a few of my stops and places of interest:
Tokyo - Meiji shrine, Senso-ji shrine, Imperial Palace (Edo castle), Metro Gov't Buildings
Yokohama/Kamakura - Diabutsu (Big Buddha)
Odawara -  Donjon Castle from 1590
Kyoto - views of Mt. Fuji, Nijo Castle, Nishi & Higashi Hongan-ji Temples
Nara - Todai-ji Temple (the largest wooden building in the world), Kofuku-ji Temple
Himeji - Himeji Castle which was under re-construction (used by Kurosawa for movie RAN)
Hiroshima - Hiroshima Castle, A-Domb site of Atom bomb August 6, 1945 UNESCO world heritage site, Peace Bell and Museum
Fukuoka - also known as Hakata, Mt.Aso with Tomoko's family, Takamori
Kagoshima - Sakurajima volcano, unique streetcars, great food, hot springs
Shizuoka - tried to see Mt. Fuji from Fujinomiya but too much cloud, Sumpu Castle, Sengen Shrine - one of the best!
Narita - and the airport home - Terminal 2.

Japan is very western in many ways, and yet very modern with a little bit of history here and there. It is easy to travel there and make your way. Prices are expensive for accomodations.

Neil