Sayonara Japan

This will be the last post on Japan. We have obviously arrived home safely. While Changi airport was hot and steamy, it was less than a 10 min walk to our hotel. The hotel was really nice. Plenty of space, good air conditioning and a lovely pool, but we did not use it. We were so much more relaxed staying at the airport overnight and then getting up at 7 am , taking our time and checking out and then having breakfast at the airport.
A comfortable flight home until we landed and then for some reason the pilot broke hard throwing us all forward. It was a pretty new plane so maybe not used to touchy brakes?
Our scenic hire car driver was there and we had a very comfortable drive home in a BMW! Bloody cold though.
Absolutely loved JAPAN - best toilets ever. Missing them already.

Added a couple of more photos. Enjoy.

Osaka Castle

Anyone for an ice cream

Spider man restaurant

Dragon Restaurant?

 The Moss Buddha

 Pachinko corner

 The beauty in the eye of the Tiger

Homeward bound

It has finally arrived, the last day in Japan. We are up early and it is raining! Have breakfast say goodbye to Kari who was fantastic. We get on our pick up and it is a 50 min drive to the airport. For all but 5 mins we are on an elevated roadway. The Japanese love their elevated roadways. The airport is on reclaimed land and is an island. There is a 4km long bridge to drive across.

Japan has been great. They are such a friendly and respectful people. The cities are very clean, no graffiti, and great public transport. We have been really lucky with the weather. It has rained all the way to the airport and is still raining as I write this. 

Osaka 6/6/2017

We have a sleep in this morning, don't meet until 9. We have chosen a walking tour of downtown Osaka. It is another clear sunny day with expected temp of 28. There are 10 of us on the tour. We have a 10 min drive by coach to the area. It is a vibrant place of restaurants and cafes. It would have been great at night. We then move to another area, it reminds of Fremont area in Vegas. The Japanese don't have casinos or slot machines, but they have pachinko which is very similar to slots. You win numbered balls that you can exchange for prizes, but then you can convert the prizes to cash. While gambling is generally outlawed apart from horse racing, they have circumvented the law with the pachinko. We are there at 9.50 and they don't open until 10, but there are hundreds lined up at each shop waiting to go in.

From there we go to another area of narrow walkways where shops sell everything you could need to open a restaurant. From order pads to hot grills and plastic food!

It has got cloudy but remains warm and humid. A couple of the group are lagging behind and our guide calls an early end to our walk which is disappointing. We are back at the hotel at 12.10 pm. 

In the afternoon we visit the Jinaimachi town. This area is heritage listed and the houses are all wooden traditional type residences. However we are told they are very modern inside. 

We get back to the hotel 3.45 and have time to pack and walk around the shopping areas. They are all high end department stores. We get back in time for drinks at the executive lounge, as I mentioned before word has spread about the free drinks. While there a guy asks is that an Aussie accent and he asks how we enjoyed Japan. Turns out he and his mate run a company called luxury escapes and are researching the Japanese market.

We have are farewell dinner at the hotel and say our farewells. We have to be up early tomorrow as our pick up is 6.55 am.

Drinks on our last night in Japan

I know I need to update the blog. But apart from our last dinner tonight we are almost at the end of the road. We are sitting in the executive lounge on the 32 floor with great views drinking Chandon champagne (Ann) and a nice Chile sav Blanc. We are on our own, but a group of about ten of our group are together being very noisy. Ann suggested we should join them, but after an email I received from Karen and Ross we are staying put! We are not going to prostitute ourselves. We will be loyal to our friends no matter what the cost.

See you all soon.

Osaka 5/6/2017

Today we head for Osaka. Bags out by 7 am but don't meet until 10.20. The Shinkansen departs at 10.50 and covers the 340 kms in 1.5 hours. The hotel has prepared a lunch box for us to eat on the train.

After arriving in Osaka we board a coach to drive to Asahi brewery. We have a tour followed by sampling. The tour is ok but not as good as coopers or boats. At the conclusion we get to taste three different beers.

We then move on to Osaka castle. It was last restored in 1931, but was originally built in 1583. It is on a hill and surrounded by moats and large stone walls. It covers a vast area and from the top has great views.

We return to the hotel by 5.45. It is a beautiful hotel and very comfortable room. We have a welcome letter which implies we have access to an executive lounge on the 32 floor and from 5.30 to 7.30 snacks and drinks are served. We are on the 32 floor so I check it out and it is included in our Hegel rate. So Ann and I go for a drink. I have a sav Blanc and Ann has a champagne - Chandon from Australia. 

We have a western dinner tonight. There are eight of us, the others chose a Japanese hot pot style restaurant. We are on the 37 th floor with great views over the city. The food is fantastic. We star with a cold corn soup, followed by mussels, pip is and snapper, then lobster and then duck and then dessert. A great night.

Can't believe we have only one more full day! 😨😢

Hiroshima 4/6/2017

.We have an early morning meeting of 8.10am. We head off to Miyajima island to visit the Itsukushima Shrine and the Daishoin temple. We have to travel by ferry to the island. The ferries run every ten minutes and carry both cars and people. There are two companies running ferries. It is very hectic. It is a clear day, bit cool in the morning but warms up quickly to high 20s. 

As we approach the shore there is a torri gate standing out in the water. The shrine area covers a wide area, but the tide has gone out. It would have been a beautiful sight at high tide with the water lapping at the floorboards. We then move on to the temple. There is over 96 stes to the top, but Kari our guide takes us on a different route. As we head up we pass hundreds of miniature statues with beanies on. It is a bizarre sight. We get to the top and we have a great view. There are a number of temples around and there is avbuilding which houses  models of the 88 temples that we heard about earlier. Our guide Kari was impressed when we told her we had been to number one in Tokushima. We have lunch on the island.

After lunch we travel to the bomb centre at Hiroshima. It is very moving  as it was at Nagasaki. We both thought that Nagasaki peace park was better than Hiroshima. However the blast at Nagasaki was considerably larger. Again it upsets me that such destructive bombs were dropped without warning and giving the Japanese a chance to surrender. The USA had 49 practice runs dropping fake bombs on Japan to prepare for the final run. To be able to do that  meant there was none to very little air defence left to the Japanese.

After the bomb museum we go back to the hotel and have free time and dinner is at our arrangements. Ann is hanging out for a burger so we might have room service.

Tomorrow we had off to Osaka on the Shinkansen. 

Barrels of Sake offered to the Shinto deities

Building preserved as it was following the blast almost directly below the hypo centre.

Hiroshima 3/6/2017

Tonight for dinner we are going to a Okonomiyaki pancake place. This is a traditional Japanese style pancake. It is walking distance from our hotel. There are a lot of baseball fans with their team tops on. We are near a stadium and a major league game has finished. We enter a building and travel to the 6th floor. The whole floor is devoted to this cuisine. There are booths that hold about 16 people sitting around a hot plate in a L shape. There is also a small ledge that is like a warming tray that runs in front of you.

The chef then starts with a handful of cabbage that he puts on the hot plate, then a light pancake mixture, he then builds it up with bacon, calamari, egg, then prawns and calamari cooked in another egg, and tops it off with spring onions and then teriyaki sauce. It is delicious. As is the beer that comes with it. Both Ann and I finished ours!

Kyoto to Hiroshima 3/6/2017

Last nights experience was great. It was a Japanese menu again. I don't like tofu! I did try the seaweed and it was ok. One dish that came out was a box that had shredded vegetables and thin slices of a very marbeled beef. We were not looking forward to eating raw beef. It was then explained that we had pots of water in front of us, a flame was lit under the pots, we then put in the vegetables and when the water started to boil place some meat in. The beef cooked very quickly and we had a satay dipping sauce for taste. Very enjoyable.

After dinner we had a Maiko entertain us. Maikos are apprentice Geiko (geisha). They serve a 5 year apprenticeship. She had the full kimono and face make up. It was great. The restaurant was a converted house that belonged to a high ranking government official. It had a beautiful water garden and the rooms were private dining areas.

This morning our bags are out at 7.30, but we don't meet up until 9. We are taken to the gion area where there are narrow streets and plenty of shops. Surprise surprise there is a temple. The place gets really crowded after 10 with school children everywhere, even though it is a Saturday. We have 2.5 hours to shop. After hopping it is off to the train station. Our driver thanks us for using his bus company and wishes us a joyful onward journey. The Japanese are so polite and respectful.

We have an hour at the station to shop or eat/buy lunch. The Shinkansen is right on time and we head off to Hiroshima.

It is a smooth ride at 270 kms per hour and we covered the distance 380 kms in 1 hr 40 mins. We walk to our hotel the Sheraton, which is 300 meters from the station. We have beautiful rooms and a bit more space this time. The temp is 30 degrees. Time for a drink!

School kids waiting for train

Kyoto 2/6/2017

Another great meal last night. We had Italian at the hotel. We had a great table with a lot of laughs. Pannacota cotta with a berry coulis was the highlight. The whole meal was fantastic.

This morning is a little cooler, about 24 degrees. Our first stop is the Fushmi Inari Shrine. It is a shrine with a thousand torii gates. All shrines have a torri gate at the entrance. At this shrine apart from the main gates the worshippers can buy gates to be erected on the path to the main shrine. There are different prices for different size gates. In fact we are told there are more than a thousand.

We then head on to the Todai-Ji Temple in Nara. This temple has the largest bronze Buddha in the world. He is a big fella! The grounds also have wild deer wandering around and you can buy food to feed them. 

After the shrine and temple we head to the Gekkeikan Okura Sake museum. We are shown how sake was made years ago. We then get to taste two different sakes and a plum wine. While ok I won't be buying any.

Japan has more temples and shrines than Europe has Cathedrals and churches.

We head back to Kyoto and are dropped off at the Kyoto train station. It is 15 minute walk back to the hotel, and we are able to wander around the shops before heading back for beer o'clock. 

Tonight we have Japanese cuisine and a geisha experience, although it will be an apprentice who are called Maiko. Their apprenticeship lasts five years.

A torii gate

The big Buddha

Schoolchildren who saw me taking their photo and I waved to them.

Don't like Sake!

Kyoto 1/6/2017

Last night we went to a Kyomai dance performance. Interesting! We had a tea making demonstration, Japanese harp playing, flower arranging, court music, a comic play, dance from apprentice geishas and a puppet show. The comedy was great, the dance ok, the puppet show interesting ( see picture).

Afterwards we had  dinner at a French fusion restaurant.  It was ok but got ripped off with drinks. $10 for a small glass of beer!

Today we have a visit to two temples, a castle, a tea ceremony and kimono wearing experience. The day is cloudy but hot 30 degrees. The first temple Ryoanji Temple is famous for its rock garden and gardens. Both of the temples are heritage listed. It is a beautiful. The second temple is called Kinkakuji Temple and it is covered in 24 carat gold leaf. It is a popular site and is extremely crowded, particularly with school children. Had a few high fives with some of them. Again there are beautiful gardens and surrounds.

We then head off for our tea making. While the men are having explained to them the styles etc of the kimono, the girls are being dressed. After the girls were done it was the men's turn. We all looked great. We then had the tea making ceremony. Traditionally the tea ceremony take four hours. Our tea master was 80 years old. She was great, funny and very informative. She explained all the phrases and bows etc you need to say and make.  We all had to repeat them there were three phrases and I tried to remember the last one. I ended up being pretty good. At the conclusion she asked for one volunteer to prepare the tea and then one to drink it. No one offered on the drinking side so I put my hand up. Once the tea was provided to me I had to respond and fortunately I got it right. Some of the group thought I had an ear for language, just dumb luck. At the end of the ceremony we were given a token by the tea master, who is a famous tea master, which said Treasure every encounter.

We then had a Japanese lunch. It was enjoyable. Can't believe what we are eating!

After lunch we went to the castle. It was a shogun castle built of wood. The floorboards were built so that anyone walking would make a sound so they could not carry out a sneak attack.nas you walked along it sounded like birds chirping and is been called the nightingale floor. The gardens surrounding the castle are beautiful.

We get back to the hotel at 4.30 and it is time for beer o'clock with chips!

Kyoto is a lovely city and feels more like our image of Japan.

Tokyo to Kyoto

Our dinner last night was incredible. The restaurant was at the hotel and it is called Collage, Ann googled it and found out it is a one star Michelin restaurant. The plates and bowls were beautiful as was the presentation of the dishes. It was French with Japanese influence. I will include a photo of the menu, but the descriptions do not do it justice, while not included in the menu but served with coffee was a plate of three tasty morsels. One was like a small macaroon, only it was made from rice paper and inside was soft marshmallow with a touch of soy sauce, the next was a small square of raspberry jelly with crushed beans and the last was a semiglobe of green tea chocolate. They all tasted divine. 

Today we visited the Tokyo sky tower a 634 metre tower. The obversation deck is at 350 metres. Fantastic views, but limited by a smog/haze. No clear skies today, but still 30 degrees. We then move on to the Sumo arena and museum. The museum was interesting but no photography was allowed. Those sumo wrestlers are big boys. We then head to Tokyo station to catch the Shinkansen to Kyoto.

The station is vast with a huge underground shopping mall. It would be very easy to get lost. We have some free time to shop and grab something for lunch. The train ride will take 2 hours and 17 minutes and it will be on time.

Arrived right on time at Kyoto and transfer to our hotel. It is a nice hotel, the Hyatt Regency, but not as spacious as our hotel in Tokyo.

By the war another addition to our list - Greg Allman

Ann at lake Ashi

Our hotel from the gardens

View from sky tower 

Ann's new friend

Sumo wrestler getting off the Shinkansen.