Keen Blog - Japan (Sept 2025)

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The blog started almost exactly 20 years ago as a means to keep family and friends up to date with the Keen holiday escapades.  Now it is just two of us (me & Mrs K ) and the destinations have become little more exotic, perhaps.  Hope you enjoy it.  You can read past blogs at www.maple3.co.uk/Blogs

Japan

It seems like the world is flocking to Japan, judging by the explosion in visitor numbers in recent times.  

This will be a big one crossed off our bucket list.  

The first challenge Mrs K faces is to pack lightly for a trip which will take us across the southern part of Japan, mostly on trains. Managing with just one case will be tough but a relief for my back.  Or so I thought, until I realised that Mrs K's strategy is simply to squeeze the contents of 2 suitcases into one.

It's another early morning ride to the airport and a 14-hour flight to look forward to (not).  Fortunately, Mrs K has been saving up the points and we will be horizontal for at least some of the journey.

It's funny who you bump into when you are 10,000 km from the UK! See this guy? Stef is my colleague from the office and is our Japanese expert , having lived and worked here. OK, I confess, our meeting wasn't a coincidence.

We spent our first evening in Tokyo with Stef.  We first visited a bar where Stef was greeted as a very old friend.  Then, for dinner, Stef led us down a side street to a restaurant that he told us he once struggled to find.  Believe it or not, the door behind us in the photo is the main entrance to the restaurant.  We are ushered to a small dining area upstairs where about 10 people are seated.  Mrs K found the menu a little confusing (see below) but Stef guides us to the amazing 8-course tasting menu.  The bar has already been set incredibly high for this trip!  Thanks Stef.

We had arrived early morning on Monday so were pleased to survive until the late evening, including a trip up the Tokyo Tower and an excursion on the metro. Walking around the streets of central Roppongi in Tokyo I am struck by the civilised calm of commuters and their very conservative colours (mainly black, white or grey). This seems to be in sharp contrast to the garish colours used in street adverts or used to illustrate the various options at metro stations. The city is incredibly safe and there is no fear of walking around with your phone in your hand (unlike London).  I am not sure I have seen a piece of litter or graffitti anywhere and we have not heard a car horn yet. 

The Japanese are incredibly polite and respectful.  I saw a 60-year old man give up his seat on the metro for a young woman.  However, it is known that the Japanese have a low tolerance for obesity, so I am not sure what they make of me, an overweight gaijin (foreigner).  Fortunately, Mrs K has done very well on that front over the last year.  If they tried to call her out there would be an international incident.   

Our hotel room is on the 48th floor and we have an excellent view towards the north-west  We are warned that we might get a visitor and he turns up at our window.  We also saw his mate at the top of the Tokyo tower yesterday - not what you expect to see when you have gone up 333m in 2 elevators.  The Japanese like to keep things clean.  

Talking of keeping things clean, I had a shock when I visited the loo on our first night and found the loo seat nice and warm.  Fortunately, the flushing was automatic because without my glasses in the dim light I had no chance of working out which button started the flushing on the control panel.  I have since explored the available options (with my glasses) and I must say I love the Japanese toilet tech.  I'll stop there.

From our room we can see the area of forest about 3km away where you can find the largest Shinto shrine in Tokyo - the Meiji shrine.  We decide to walk.  But the temperature is already rising into the mid 30's and the humiity is high too.  We take it slow, including a walk along a road which is Tokyo's version of Rodeo Drive (but nicer).  Mrs K is not permitted to enter any shops but in hindsight it might have been a good idea to get some of the aircon because by the time we arrive at the shrine I am a sweaty mess.  There is a place where you can write a wish on a wooden plaque and hang it up next to the shrine. Mine would have been "can you dial down the humidity a bit please".  We return to the hotel via the nicely air-conditioned metro so that Mr K can make himself presentable for the rest of the day. 

It's our first time here so we have to tick off the tourist 'must do's'.  We have been told about the Japanese traditional theatre, which seemed very expensive but Mrs K found out that you can book at short notice and just go along for a single act (about 30 minutes).  We turn up at the appointed time and are shown to the appropriate queue.  Mrs K is excited because our seats are in row 2, but we learn that we are in row 2 of 2 in a special section in the gods.  It is a bizarre experience to see this strange art-form performed in front of us with a very appreciative audience, applauding various poses adopted by the perfomers.  We are given a tablet with a translation which helps us to follow the plot.  You had to be there - no photos allowed.  

Our next stop is Shibuya where we have booked to go up to the roof of a skyscraper where we can enjoy the view and look down on the famous crossing.  It was good but much more fun to walk across the crossing itself.  About 200 people (about 90% tourists I would say), holding up the traffic while they take group selfies.  

Part 2

We meet Kei outside the Starbucks near the Financial district. She is a typical Japanese woman, very short with a floppy hat to keep the sun off. But she is not holding an umbrella and smiles a lot - so maybe not that typical. She is our tour guide for the Imperial Palace. It's just us and a couple from Sydney - Bob and Katrina, although Bob is originally from Eccles in the UK. He went to Australia 40 years ago as a student and never came back. Who can blame him? 

Kei loves to ask us questions and squeals with delight and claps her hands when we get things right, which is not that often to be fair. 

I ask her if I can take her photo and she stands to attention.

We learn about the complex history of the power struggle in Japan between emperors and shogun over many years. It's a bit sad that the only knowledge we have of Japanese history was gleaned from watching the Shogun series on Netflix (highly recommend it). The Imperial Palace is partly closed off because the royal family still live in it. Interesting that the next emperor is due to be the current emperor's nephew because his daughter cannot be an empress. Not sure that the Japanese are ready to change that tradition yet. 

To be honest there isn't all that much too see of the palace. Kei tells us to use our imagination. Most of the palace was burned down ( a regular occurrence apparently) and they got to the point when they deemed that there was no need for the fortress (originally called Edo castle) to be rebuilt. Other parts of the palace that survived successive fires were bombed by the Allies in WW2, oops. Don't mention the war!

It's still extremely humid and Kei apologises for it profusely. She keeps pulling out visual aids from her tiny knapsack and then pulls out a flask of water and sprays us with it. I am wondering if she has any cold towels in there too.

Seppuku

One of the most striking things about Japanese history is the importance of honour and one of the most famous stories involves 47 warriors committing seppuku (ritual suicide), having carried out a vengeance killing when their master himself had to commit seppuku when one of his minions committed an act of violence. It’s an incredibly brutal story but it is revered by the Japanese. 

Its hard for us westerners in our modern world to understand that.  Interesting that we have politicians on both sides of the Atlantic under pressure due to irregularities with their housing transactions [I see Rayner has now resigned]. The Secretary General of the LDP (ruling party in Japan) just resigned due to the party’s poor showing in the recent elections. And the CEO of Suntory ( a Japanese drinks company) was forced to step down because he was found carrying a cannabis-based substance in his suitcase. Mrs K is now wrapping up that tub of balm we bought in Jamaica earlier this year a bit more thoroughly.

Getting around Tokyo

Our hotel is on floors 45-55 of a skyscraper with offices, a shopping centre and a metro station under us. It's a massive complex and it can take us 10 minutes to get down to the metro station, especially when we are walking against a tide of commuters. By now we have worked out how to find our way round the vast network of tunnels, escalators , stairs and various short cuts (allowing for routes that are closed off late in the evening). 

The metro system is simply amazing and getting around is really easy. It transports 6 million people every day.  Everything is signed in english and the trains are clean, comfortable and nicely air-conditioned. Google maps will tell you which train line to use, which platform to use, where to stand on the platform and which exit to use. The final detail is important because some of the stations have a vast underground footprint. And you get that for about £1 per journey.

Incidentally, the metro system is run by 2 companies. The larger company is simply called Tokyo Metro and runs 9 lines. It is a commercial business with a minority government ownership. Despite the maximum fare being £1.50 (which can take you 15km), the company is profitable. That's also with every station being very well staffed and every train having a driver and a guard. The trick is to build a really pleasant and reliable service, which persuades people to use it. Then you promote advertising and retail to maximise revenue. Surely we could better in the UK?

Thursday is our last full day in Tokyo and we plan to use it. We start off early -ish and make our way to the Senso-ji Buddhist temple. Which was rebuilt in 1960 after a fire. Mrs K has a go at the fortune boxes and burning incense.  Short clips here and here.

From there it's a 30 minute walk to the Tokyo National museum which is in an area of museums and concert halls. It's still humid but the rain is coming which makes it slightly cooler. The museum is packed with people for an exhibition about the female nobility at Edo castle (now the Imperial Palace). You could easily spend a whole day there but we zip around and look at the samurai swords and battle dress.

Leaving Tokyo

On our last night we go for a very fancy Teppan-yaki meal but the result is that I am feeling a bit queasy the next morning and skip breakfast. No fear because I take the plunge with a bento box at Tokyo station, the only form of food acceptable on a bullet train. We are a bit confused about our tickets and the reserved seating so we set off for the station very early, having read a lot about how vast it is and how difficult it is to find where you are going. We needn't have worried because the taxi driver drops us at the correct entrance and we walk straight into the ticket office where we are assured that our seat is fine for our luggage.

Mrs K is travelling light, but our taxi driver is deceived as to the weight of her case when he tries to lift it into the back seat. When we arrive at the station, the rain is coming down heavily and he pulls up outside in a huge puddle. No worries. He gets our cases out, standing in 2 inches of water. Mrs K has made a run for the station. It feels wrong not to give the poor guy something for his extraordinary effort, smile and wet socks but apparently that would be an insult.

The train before ours is delayed (can that happen in Japan?) and is sitting on our platform. Incredibly there are marks on the platform where you need to queue up to board. 

As we are ridiculously early, Mrs K gets her spot at the front of the line. The train comes in, stops and the passengers file off. I make for the door, but I am ushered back to the line. The cleaners need to do their work. After about 5 minutes, during which there is a lot of wiping, hoovering and rotating of seats, the cleaners emerge from the train, line up on the platform and, in unison, bow. Not sure whether that is to us, the station or the train. Now is our moment. There is a 20 metre line of passengers behind us. Our seats are in the Green car which is a bit like premium economy. They are wide and recline to a 45 degree angle. I feel the need to write to South Western Railway.

The last evening view from our hotel room

Part 3

We arrive at Nagano, which was the venue for the 1998 Winter Olympics. It is nicely cooler up here. We have to find our way to the local branch line which will take us up to a place called Yudanaka which is at 600m altitude, as far as the train will go into the hills. Our hotel is a village about 1 mile up the valley – called Shibu Onsen. The village has snow for about one third of the year but it is more like a nice UK spring time temperature right now. We are collected from the station by the hotel manager, Mr Yamada. At the hotel we are introduced to the customs of a Ryokan (a traditional Japanese hotel) where our shoes are left at the front door on a special shelf with my name on it and we get to choose from a wide selection of slippers. Mr Yamada shows us round the hotel including the indoor and outdoor onsens (hot springs) which we are welcome to use during our stay. These are single sex communal baths but if you are a bit shy, there are private versions in the hotel that can be booked.

We are also given a key which gives us free access to 9 different springs in the village, all within about 400m of the hotel. We take a walk through the tiny village along narrow streets and check out the few shops that are open. Everywhere you walk you can hear rushing water under the pavement. From our corner room, we have a view of mountain on one side and the valley on the other with a fast flowing river running down it.

We are asked what time we would like to have dinner - either 6pm or 7pm. Breakfast? How about 9am? No, the choice is 7.30am or 8am. OK 8 it is. 

At 7pm we get a phone call to our room inviting us to come down to the 2nd floor for dinner. We are surprised to be met by about 5 ladies who welcome us at the lift and show us to our private dining room. Slippers off again of course. I am not sure what I was expecting but this is just amazing. We are treated to several courses, including some items cooked on a hot flame in front of us. I have done more 'cooking' on this trip already than I have in the previous year.

Mrs K is getting a bit annoyed that the shoe shelf, our room and the dinner menu all have my name on them and not hers. It is the way of things.  This is one of our menus.

Snow Monkeys

Next morning, our plan is to go up to the Snow Monkey Park where monkeys (called Japanese Macaques) bathe in a hot spring. The park is a bit further up the mountain (about 850m) and the monkeys tend to use it mainly during the periods of snow and cold temperatures. There is some discussion with Mr Yamada if it is worth going because no monkeys have been sighted today but we decide to go anyway. We are dropped by minibus and take a 1-mile hike up the mountain. The weather is perfect. As we stroll up, water is rushing down beside us. Fortunately for us, there is one monkey on site and while we are there a second one arrives. Not to bathe but because the ranger is offering nuts.

On the hill is an inn which built bathing pools for the hot spring water in 1864. The monkeys started to use them at night so the locals built one specifically for the monkeys about 100m further up the valley.

This is how they would look in the winter time

First Class Train Travel

We arrive back at Yudanaka station via the hotel minibus which has picked us up from the mountain. The driver tells us which train we need and leads us to the ticket machine to help us navigate the options. Then the station master personally escorts us to the waiting room as we have a few minutes to kill before our train leaves. About 10 minutes before the train leaves, he comes to collect us and escorts us to the train, directs us to the front carriage and hands us a tourist guide for Obesu, our destination. A few minutes later he rushes back onto the train to give us a timetable so we can plan the journey back. I note there is another staff member on hand to stamp our tickets. One day she will work her way up to station master, but she is probably in her 70's, so she better get a move on.

Our train is a local (slow) one that will make a few stops.  If we had caught the 'limited express' it would have looked like this one - you ride right up front.  The train driver is on the second level.

I know, I am obsessed with the trains, but one final thing.  When the guard does his walkthrough of the train, when he gets to the end of the carriage, he turns and bows to the passengers.  Any chance of getting this introduced on South Western Railway? 

We alight at Obesu, about 20 minutes back down the valley and are initially confused about how to get across to the street side of the station. Then we realise we need to walk across the tracks – look both ways! 

We are in Obesu to visit the Hokusai museum. He was an artist from the 1800’s, probably the most famous Japanese artist and well known for his ‘Wave’ paintings – you would have seen them. The village is absolutely charming. Mrs K is blown away by the museum which features many of his drawings and his famous carriages.

Back in Shibu Onsen we try out the public baths. We get togged up in the hotel provided Yukata and don our wooden clogs and walk down the street. All the baths are tiny. There is a ritual of washing yourself down thoroughly before you get in. In mine there are two of us and a third guy decides he will wait, otherwise it would have been a bit cosy. The water is 45C and is continuously topped up with hot water from the spring, so about 5 minutes is about enough. We could have visited some of the other springs but we have a dinner appointment back at the hotel.

Just before dinner we hear music from the street and rush out just in time to see a procession going past. 

Goodbye Mr Yamada

On Sunday, it's time to leave Shibu Onsen. The bus transfer works with effortless military precision and Mr Yamada is at the hotel entrance to wave us goodbye. We have been blown away by the hospitality and friendliness of this family run hotel. Truly amazing.

This was my final breakfast.

Nagano

We stow our luggage at the station and spend a few hours exploring Nagano, which must include the Zenko-ji temple. It's actually a vast campus of temples (probably the wrong collective term I know) and a Shinto shrine as well. We are studying the map and probably looking lost when we are approached by an elderly gentleman. He tries to help us and then offers a guided tour. How much? Completely free. Just a 30-minute whizz round the main things to see. Perfect. His name is Junzo and I take his photo. I notice that the photo on his ID is very old, so it looks like he has been doing this for a long time. He was a lovely man but sadly I didn’t understand a word he said. But he led us round the site including a stop in a private family service, where there was a lot of drum banging and incense burning.

Kanazawa

We arrive in Kanazawa. Again, the bullet train is so quick we hardly have time to really appreciate the comfort of our seats. We are booked into the hotel next to the station. I had been very pleased with the reservation as it was one of the cheaper stays of our trip, but when we get to our room, we find out why. Mrs K goes in first with her case and then there is not much room left for me. Mrs K says “iie” (‘No’ in Japanese). After 2 more tries we find a more acceptable room.

I am hoping to get some better sleep than I have been getting so far. The previous night I had a dream about losing my wallet. Yes, you guessed it, there is a phone call from reception. My wallet has been found! I didn't even know it was lost! I presume I left it in one of the rooms we looked at. In Tokyo, Stef advised me always to keep receipts so that if I lost my wallet, it would be a type of trail of breadcrumbs as to where we had been, to track it down. On this occasion, I was lucky not to need that.

We have been here a week now and even though Mrs K’s suitcase weighs 30kg, she needs some laundry done. But then she realises that she sent the laundry bag off with a blank slip. There follows a frantic call to reception to track down the bag to ensure she gets her undies back. 

The reception desk are getting to know us already.

Part 4

The toilet in our room seems to be a deluxe version - the lid opens as you approach it. Gave me a fright when I visited it during the night.

On our first full day in Kanazawa, we set off for Kanazawa Castle. Our guide at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo (Kei) thought that old castles should not be rebuilt and that we should use our imagination. In Kanazawa they have a different approach because there is a massive reconstruction and renovation project going on here. Given that it seems that over the centuries every castle that was ever built was burned down within 10-20 years, this project is using a steel carcass over which they will install traditional interlocking wooden beams, so it looks authentic. Kei would definitely not approve. But based on the sections already completed (started in 2001), the results are incredible. We enter the castle via the gate house and visit some of the fortifications, which were used for storing weapons, it is said. The finishing is of such a standard that we are asked to take off our shoes. Next to the castle grounds is the Kenroku-en Garden said to be in the top 3 gardens in Japan, if not the very best.

Geisha Evening

Mrs K has booked us special entertainment on Monday evening – a geisha show. There are now less than a thousand geishas remaining in Japan – it’s a dying art. Normally a private geisha show would set you back thousands, so in many ways (as they did centuries ago) geishas only cater for the very rich. But Mrs K has found a geisha experience over dinner which was more reasonably priced. It is held in a restaurant near the park. When we arrive, I am surprised to find that we are 2 of only 10 guests and the experience is interactive. Mrs K didn't tell me that bit. We watch some performances by the two geishas in attendance and get to chat with them over dinner about their lives. After some sake has been consumed, it is time for audience participation. I have a go at drumming and Mrs K plays a drinking game. When she loses, she has to down a cup of sake. They are playing with fire. The whole event is hosted by Lady Ba Ba. She owns the restaurant and a tea house in the geisha district and is a larger than life character. Mrs K is thrilled to learn so much, which chimes with her current reading "Memoirs of a Geisha". If you can't beat them.....I have downloaded it too.

Two more areas of Kanazawa to see on Tuesday. My preference for transportation is air-conditioned taxi. Mrs K's is walking. So we walk.

We visit the Samurai district where higher ranking soldiers were housed as a reward for achievements on the battlefield, which often resulted in a head being brought back to the overlord. We visit the house of Nomura , which has an amazing garden with a waterfall and huge koi fish swimming in a pond. No connection with the large broking house Nomura Securities apparently. This is a government-controlled area with a number of small museums and houses to visit. The main ones charge entrance but it is rarely more than £3 each. The houses have beautiful gardens with more massive Koi fish.

Geisha district

Then we visit the geisha district (or geico as it is called in Kanazawa). Lady Ba Ba's tea shop is closed on a Tuesday but there is another famous one called Shima which was apparently frequented by wealthy merchants. The dancing and music entertainment was provided downstairs and extra things might have been served upstairs. Shoes have been off and on umpteen times during the morning.

Some people are all-in with visiting historical Japanese sites – they hire kimonos and wear wooden clogs and white stockings while walking around the streets.

Kyoto

When we arrive in Kyoto, we have probably our youngest taxi driver so far. She is in her 60s I would guess.  She isn't wearing white gloves, so perhaps still training.  She is no match for Mrs K's luggage. Mr K is now expert at going up and down escalators with 2 cases.

We visit the famous Gion district for a tea ceremony. Again, it is a small group, 3 Americans, 2 Argentinians and us. It's a fascinating insight into this long standing (and still active) tradition. No such thing as a quick cuppa here. Every single movement has to be just so and happens at a glacial and relaxing pace. Having watched the demonstration we get to have a go ourselves at the whisking of the water and macha tealeaves. The host inspects Mrs K's green foam in her cup and judges it to be perfect (naturally). My foam is unfortunately sub-standard and I need help. When ready, the cup is lifted to the mouth just 3 times in a choreographed way. Women are allowed to have 5 sips. Then you get a bonus last attempt to suck the last bit of foam at the bottom of the cup. Making a big slurping noise is encouraged to indicate your satisfaction. Then of course there is the bowing before and after to your host and the special cup.

Mount Inari

We see that there have been storms and flooding in Tokyo. In Kyoto, the BBC has been forecasting thunder and lightning since we got here but so far not a drop of rain. To be honest that might have been a welcome break in the intense humidity. 

We want to go up Mount Inari so we set off early. The place is famous for its shrines that are closely lined up to create a tunnel effect. The peak is only 200m up but it takes an hour to get there and then we take on the 30 min trek around the peak. I think I feel a spot of rain but is only the condensation dripping off the trees. This is the closest I have come to being a suitable extra for a Vietnam war film. It’s an interesting trek up with literally dozens of shrines and tiny shops every 100 metres. I invest in a new T-shirt.

After a 2.5hr hike we get back down the village and find a nice little coffee shop. A drink and some air-conditioning. Three little Japanese ladies fuss around us. I take the opportunity to change my top though the restroom is so small, it is no easy task to get my wet top off. When I finally emerge, the three ladies are delighted with my Mount Inari T-shirt and give me a round of applause. I must have smelled worse than I thought.

Mrs K drags me to yet another temple on a hillside, but I am a bit broken by the morning hike. However, the views of Kyoto are nice.

That evening we are back to the Gion district for a walking tour. Our host Andre is from Ukraine. He came to Japan 3 years ago and decided to stay. He is still trying to get permission to do that. Note that the Japanese require immigrants to speak the language. Hmm. 

It's a very big group and very international - US, Canada, Norway, Hungary, Austria and some others. But Andre's english is perfect and his voice is strong. Again, Mrs K is thrilled to be in the midst of the Kyoto cultural history. It's an evening walk in darkness but we get some amazing photos. Sightings of geisha are very rare and we don't see any.

Himeji Castle

On Friday we visited the Himeji Castle which is the only white castle in Japan. It has 6 storeys and of course you have to climb to the top. Some of the staircases were more like ladders but the reward is the nice breeze you get at the top and the nice view. There is no way any ruler would live in one of these. Too dangerous to be trapped in the event of a fire. It was used as a lookout and a place to store weapons and gold. We also stroll round the tranquil gardens.

Near to Kyoto is the bamboo forest which would be a great photo opp were it not for the pouring rain. We enjoy a sightseeing railway journey along a gorge overlooking the rapids in the river and then alight for the bamboo. It's the last train so we have to hike back to the main station to get back to the city centre.

Getting our steps in

We have walked 28km in 2 days, some of which was up and down mountains and some of that climbing to the top of castles. So we are both a bit sore, me more than Mrs K. Last night we had dramas in that my phone got wet in the rain and wouldn't charge. Not sure why as it's supposed to survive being 1 metre underwater for 30 minutes! So, we had a late-night dash across Kyoto to an electrical store to buy a wireless charger. Think of a Curry's store times ten. In the back and forth, Mrs K lost her metro card somehow. Luckily not much credit left on it.

I confess we have used a few taxis too, sometimes for speed and sometimes due to exhaustion.

I have read that about 40% of cars in Japan are Kei cars, the tiny little box like cars shown below. That seems like a high percentage but there are definitely a lot of them. You might have seen the odd one in the UK. If you live in one of the tiny houses in city centres, your driveway will probably only fit a car of this size. They have small engines (about 0.7 litres) and can achieve up to 70 mpg. Most importantly the government give tax breaks on them. Cute.

Car drivers in Japan are good, I would say.  We haven't seen any wild driving and cars are very respectful of pedestrians, in the cities at least.  Pedestrians are also obedient to the red and green men at traffic lights - we have only seen 2 people disobey these - 2 old people from Surrey.  Cyclists on the other hand seem to have free reign to terrorize pedestrians on pavements, zipping in and out at speed.  Don't make any sudden sideways moves, else you could be taken out.

Hiroshima

So after 2 hard days, we are off on a long trip to Hiroshima. How do you pronounce that?

huh·ro·shuh·muh

Not how the Americans say it.

The train will take 1hr 36m to travel 220 miles, which is an average speed of about 140mph (including 3 stops). Top speed is 200mph. Allegedly HS2 will go a bit faster but we will have to wait and see if that ever gets completed. To be honest the speed is perhaps of secondary importance to the comfort , frequency and reliability which we see in Japan. Trains from Kyoto to either Hiroshima or Tokyo run about every 5-10 minutes.

In Hiroshima, we visit the Dome, which somehow survived the atomic bomb despite being at the epicentre (or the hypocenter). Then a visit to the museum. It is packed with tourists and yet they move around in respectful silence. Harrowing, horrific and humbling. The lucky ones were those that were incinerated. Those about 1km out of town suffered horrific injuries. By the end of 1945, 140,000 people had died.. I learned that the Nagasaki bomb was 4x the size of the Hiroshima bomb but it is 'Little Boy' dropped by the B-29 bomber (called Enola Gay) on Hiroshima that is the most well known. That was tough viewing.

To lighten the mood, we join the throngs making their way out to the Miyajima shrine, which involves a short ferry ride out to a small island. Wild deer walk with the tourists in search of food. Mrs K rejects all the restaurants, as they mostly serve oysters and eels. We opt for 7-11.

It is now Sunday morning here and we are on the move again to Osaka where we have some things planned.

Part 5

It's 13 minutes on the bullet train from Kyoto to Osaka. 56km is the same distance as Guildford to London Waterloo, which takes at least 32 minutes.

Osaka is the busiest station we have come across, befitting Japan's 3rd biggest city.  People come at you from all directions.

That afternoon..............

Mrs K : Hold these

Me: What are they?

Mrs K : Biscuits

Me: Who for?

Before Mrs K can answer I am mobbed by 8 deer, one of which has my t-shirt in its mouth. All I can do is try and break up the biscuits and throw them on the floor....and get out of there.

This is not how it is done. You find a lone deer, show it the biscuit, bow to it, the deer bows back and you hand over the biscuits.

This is the Nara Deer Park, home of the giant gold buddha, about an hour from central Osaka.

The deer are just everywhere and they don't form an orderly queue like Japanese on the metro.

The buddha is impressive

We watch some people crawl through a hole in one of the main pillars of the temple – supposed to make you wise.  I reckon I would need to be well greased up to get through.  Mrs K said, “not even then”

Mind your head ...and respecting women

By now I should have learned but again I stand up from my seat on the metro only to head butt a grab handle. The average height in Japan is 5ft 7in (for men) and 5ft 2in for women. We are told that when Japan closed its borders (1639-1853), the average height of men was under 5ft. That's why Tom Cruise was well cast in the The Last Samurai – he is only 5ft 7in.

We hear announcements at the main stations about reporting instances of inappropriate contact and “up-skirting” at stations, particularly on escalators. We see women only carriages on a train, but I only notice when I get on it. To be fair there are a few other men too. Is this discriminating against men?

Baseball

That evening, our first in Osaka, we join yet another packed metro but this time it is an express service from central Osaka station to the Hanshin Tigers baseball stadium. 

The national sport in Japan is Sumo Wrestling but baseball must be a close 2nd.

The Tigers are at the top of the league table and their support is strong - the stadium is packed with 42,630 fans. We have been to baseball matches before in the US (for lower leagues) but this atmosphere is nothing we have witnessed before. The faithful sing their way through 3 hours of the game. It's hot and sticky so I do my bit for the Asahi share price (Stef). But we are unlucky to witness a very low scoring game with just 1 run scored. The average of the other games played that evening is 10.

Osaka Street Food Tour

Adam is our Aussie guide for our Osaka street food tour. He says , "If you are expecting Michelin star food, you are on the wrong bus." His objective is to make sure we are not hungry by the end and perhaps just a little bit tipsy. Spoiler alert: I was satisfied on both accounts.

The great thing about this tour of the Shensakei area was that Adam took us into places we would have never ventured into by ourselves. Many of them were barely big enough for our party of 10. In this part of town, the Japanese mafia are active and will be taking a cut from most of the larger establishments. Adam thinks the hurdle for mafia interest is " a million bucks" - not sure if that is US dollars or Aussie dollars. The places we go to are probably not big enough for the mafia to be bothered with, but we see what happens to those establishments that don't play the game - in the shape of several burnt out shells.

There are 5 stops on the tour and we get about 20 mins in each with a 10 min walk to the next. I have a drink at each stop - naturally. At the 3rd stop the owner always likes to have a drinking race with someone on the tour. Adam is looking at the men for a volunteer. Not sure why because he tells us that the only recent times that this guy lost was to young girls. The young guy from Manchester is eyes down so it falls to me to take up the challenge. 3-2-1. I take a couple of gulps and the owner has finished his beer. I am only about half-way. He is happy. And I got a free drink. But that means I have 2 drinks at this stop. By the last stop Mrs K says to me "do you need another drink?". Silly question.

By the way, the food is excellent!!

Thank you to Martin for recommending this tour. It was both delicious and fun.

Tuesday has to go down as a wasted day.

The Expo is in Osaka, so it seems like a good idea to go. Mrs K books tickets but the process takes over an hour including extensive verification and booking of slots. After you have paid for the tickets, you then have to find an entry time, only to be told they are very limited. We make the journey out to the Expo site, out near the container terminal.

When we arrive, we see an area about the size of 2 football pitches full of people, queueing. The umbrellas are out, but not due to rain. The temperature is about 34C and there is zero shade and no water on offer. We are ushered to another line, as we have a midday entry slot. Thank goodness we are not in that big line. But then we realise we are just in an overflow line and soon our line merges into the main line. We eventually get through after 2 hours standing in intense heat. We were not prepared for this. No umbrella and one hat between us. Fortunately, I am equipped with the hotel-supplied sweat towel.

Once we are in, things do not improve. If you want to go into any pavilion, prepare to line up for a couple of hours. If you want to buy water, join the 20 metre line. If you want to use the restroom, join the line. You get the picture. The crowds are so thick, you can hardly walk more than 2 metres without bumping into someone. There are something like 200k visitors trying to cram into 190 pavilions, some of them small.  Do the maths, 1000 people in each pavilion, that was just not possible.  Massively over-ticketed.  I don't think Europeans would have put up with this but the Japanese seem to just get on with it.  As Adam said on our food tour, "a couple of nukes mellowed them".  Bad taste perhaps but maybe true.  

We don't stay long. We head for the exit.

Back at Osaka station we seek out a shop that bakes and sells fresh cheesecakes. Apparently you cannot leave town without trying these.  Naturally there is a queue. But Mrs K is excited.

It's our final night in Osaka. I ask Mrs K whether she prefers the hotel bar for a drink and a snack or the 7-Eleven across the road. Surprisingly, she opts for the latter. We get 2 salads, a spring roll, a packet of crisps, a large bar of chocolate and a deodorant for under £10. Less than the price of a cocktail in the bar. This is one of the reasons that Japan is such a popular tourist destination – the numbers coming are up about 20% on the previous year

We are now on the move again to a place called Hakone.  We hope to see Mount Fuji. It's a longer train journey so time to have some lunch and a snooze.

Part 6

Hakone is up the valley from the train stop, which is just about 40 minutes away from Tokyo by bullet train. This is in the vicinity of Mount Fuji but is also an onsen town. We even have a private onsen in our hotel room. To be honest I am not sure if the hot water is coming from the mountain or a hot water tank on the roof. But we have a great view from our balcony of the river running down the valley.

We are on the first cable car from the station near the hotel. We nearly didn't make it when our taxi driver pulls out into a main highway in front of an oncoming car. First bit of wild driving so far. Fortunately, the cable car (actually a funicular) is stress free and takes us up about 200m to 750m. There we transfer to the Hakone Ropeway which is more what us Brits would call a cable car. 

We get up to 1000m at Owakudani which is a volcanic crater with hot yellow sulphuric gases spewing from various spots. It’s fir trees all the way up but then we reach the crater and the landscape changes completely. We are surprised to hear that the volcano last erupted in 2015 but not to worry, the Japanese have a plan.

The gases are mixed with water and feed down to the various onsens in the surrounding villages, maybe to our private onsen too. But that's not all.  They also boil eggs up here which turn black due to the chemicals.    

Unfortunately, it is a very cloudy day. Mount Fuji is 40km away and stands at 3800 metres but there is no seeing it today. Our cable car ride down to the lake is mostly in dense mist. Even the boat ride is postponed 'due to bad weather' although the lake is still and the pirate ship doesn't use sails. 

But we had an interesting day which included visiting another shrine in the lake. An hour long queue to have our photo taken underneath it, so this is the best we could do. 

We navigate various buses and trains to get back to the other side of the mountain, where we enjoy the onsen. I wanted to send you a picture of us both in it, but Mrs K said no.

The only sight of Mount Fuji was this one.

This is what it could have looked like!

To be fair, Mount Fuji is notoriously 'shy' and apparently only visible 30 days per year. Unfortunately we picked a particularly cloudy day.

Next day, our shuttle bus leaves the hotel with the staff lined up outside waving. It snakes down the valley on a road almost as windy as the train took on the way up the previous afternoon. The driver takes it slow on the bends and when we pass through villages, narrowly missing overhanging shop awnings and garden walls.

While we are sitting on the station platform, waiting for our shinkansen train back to Tokyo, 6 trains pass by at full speed in the space of about 15 minutes. Incredible. The platform guard repeats his stern message over the PA system every 5 minutes to keep behind the yellow line, even though we are the only ones on the platform and we are sitting well back. He strides up and down purposefully in shoes that look about 3 sizes too big for him. The temperature and humidity have dropped dramatically. Only 22C on the platform which is very comfortable.

Back in Tokyo

We arrive back at the same hotel in Tokyo.

Receptionist: “Konnichiwa, how may we assist you Mrs Keen?”

Mrs K : “We have a reservation for 1 night”

Mrs K : “If at all possible, we would like to check in early and have a late check out tomorrow because we have a late flight”

Mrs K : “Oh, and I believe we are entitled to an upgrade”

Receptionist “Of course, let me take a look (bowing)”

Mrs K : “And will you be able to include breakfast for us”

Receptionist: “I can confirm your room is available early but unfortunately breakfast is not included in your room rate”

We leave the hotel lobby with an upgrade to a suite and breakfast included. Don’t mess with Mrs K. This is our view from the suite.  I have told Mrs K not to get used to this.

Checking in early is very handy as we have a busy afternoon and evening. We take the metro across town and meet our guide for the evening’s big Sumo Wrestling tournament. We are very lucky to be in town for this – there are only 3 15-day tournaments in Tokyo each year. Our guide has a name I couldn’t possibly pronounce – she says call her Kaz. She is a high energy woman and she really loves her Sumo. She tells us “he is my favourite” for about 8 wrestlers. We each get a souvenir fan and towel with the name of a wrestler on it and Kaz fully expects us to get excited for their particular matches. Once we get inside the stadium (8000 spectators) we see the sacred circle where the bouts take place with a Shinto shrine overhanging it. There is a special spot for the Emperor but he is not in attendance. Unfortunately, I am sitting next to a guy who probably could have been competing – he is sitting on about a quarter of my seat. He then spends most of the evening asleep. There are 21 fights, all of which have the same symbolism and rituals. Some of the fights are over in a few seconds. The longest one probably lasted about 45 seconds. The best ones are where one or both competitors end up in the front row of spectators.

My allocated wrestlers both win their bouts – Kaz is very pleased for me. It was fascinating to see this – the national sport of Japan

We have to make a swift getaway because we have a second event to attend at the Japan National Stadium – the World Athletics Championships. Another metro ride across town and we are in our seats to see Katarina Johnson-Thompson compete in the Heptathlon high jump. Our seats are close to the finish line so we are nicely positioned to see the finals of the 200 metres and 400 metres hurdles (both men and women), which included Amy Hunt getting a silver in the 200 metres. We also see Keely Hodgkinson get safely through her semi final.

We wake on Saturday morning to what will be the longest day ever for both us. Unfortunately, we have reached the end of our time in Japan and will fly out tonight. However, it’s the not the end of our trip because we are going to travel back via the USA and will cross the international date line. That means that we will take off from Tokyo at 9.45pm and land in Honolulu at 11am the same day.

Just time for some last bit of shopping.  Mrs K buys a Japanese knife and I get to play with a samurai sword.

It has been an incredible experience and privilege to be on this trip and see Japan. We now travel from one of the most civilised countries in the world to the US! The Japanese might have some strange customs but the people are incredibly respectful and polite and perhaps remind us in the West what we might have lost?

When our car arrives at the airport, our driver runs to fetch a trolley and then, after loading it up, gives us a deep bow. Even at check-in, where we had some difficulty checking in online, this is no problem. Having sent our cases through, the check in agent leaves her desk, comes round the front to hand us our boarding passes and bows. We will miss Japan.

Part 7 (final)

Aloha!

We were here in Hawaii in 2016 but we visited Kauai and Maui.  This time we are on Oahu, where you will find the capital Honolulu and of course Pearl Harbour.  Kaui is the wettest place on earth which keeps its hundreds of waterfalls flowing. Maui suffered a terrible fire in Lahainha in 2023 which wiped out some very popular holiday spots including the Fleetwood Mac restaurant that we visited.  As I write, I learn that there was another fast-moving brush fire today in Maui!

We are only here for a few days, so after a day of rest on Sunday, we set off for Pearl Harbour. As we visited Hiroshima in Japan, it's perhaps fitting that we visit here too.

At Pearl Harbour the visitor experience is a bit of a shambles, but eventually we manage to work it out. The main thing to see is the USS Arizona which remains in place at the bottom of the harbour where it was sunk. It is effectively a grave for the 1102 men that died onboard that day (7th December 1941) and even some of the survivors chose to be interred there.

We were surprised to learn that 90% of the civilian deaths during the attack were caused by American shells overshooting their targets and landing in Honolulu city. Battleship cannons were not designed to be used for close combat.

The other interesting aspect was that there was a very large number of Japanese living in Hawaii at the time, but they were mostly loyal to the US and some of them enlisted in the US forces after the attack. Hawaii even boasted the first Japanese American senator that served for over 40 years having become a war hero himself.

We have learned so much about this period of history on this trip. We had talked ourselves into watching the terrible Pearl Harbour movie (a rare poor Ben Affleck film) but we ended up watching "Midway", which I would recommend.

We can't help thinking about the Hawaii Five-0 series.  Not the one that was made recently but the one Mrs K and I used to watch on a Saturday night in the 70's.  "Book him Danno".  

Oahu is the most built-up island and Honolulu must be much larger now than it was in the 70's  The freeway from the city to our resort has 7-8 lanes each side and it still takes an hour and half to go 25 miles during the evening rush hour.  We stayed in the bar on Waikiki beach a bit too long!  

On Monday we drove up to the North Shore which is a bit more like you would imagine Hawaii to be - long sandy beaches with big waves and lots of surfers.  We enjoy an afternoon driving along the coast stopping at various beaches and stay until sunset. 

For our final evening we go to a fabulous Luau at the resort with an amazing group of performers.  We have music, dancing and comedy. Some of the juggling with fire was incredible.  The two guys were both world champions, apparently.    

"Code Red"

That is an announcement you don't want to hear from a stewardess as you are midway across the Pacific from Hawaii to LA.  A big guy has collapsed at the front of the plane just a few feet in front of us.  It's a small Airbus and there isn't much room for him to fall.  We think the stewardess tried to catch him, but she had no chance.  Selfishly I check my watch - we are more than halfway to LA so we will almost certainly not turn back.  "Are there any medical professionals on board please?"  is the next announcement.  Fortunately someone comes forward and after a long time he comes round and they get him to his seat.  That stewardess was an absolute star in the way she handled the situation.  As we leave the plane, she apologises to Mrs K for not getting her coffee. Well done American Airlines.

Last stop - Chicago

Walking through Chicago airport at 6am, it is striking how well dressed the Japanese are compared to most Americans. We have arrived early so there is no queue for a taxi. Our cab smells and looks like the driver slept in it overnight. No white gloves. I am expecting a swift transfer at this time of the morning but we crawl the 20 miles into the city in the traffic. Should have taken the train! But here in Chicago, we will need to be selective with our use of the metro with some areas and lines reporting high levels of crime.

Things improve dramatically when we reach the city. Our hotel allows us to check in and have breakfast even though it is only 7.45am. Secondly the TV in the room has the right channel for me to watch some of the Ryder Cup over the weekend.

It was an option to go to New York instead of Chicago for the Ryder Cup but it didn't work out this time. Hopefully Jason and I will make it to Ireland in 2027 for our 4th consecutive home match. This time I will have to be content catching some of it on TV.

Scrabble

I haven't mentioned Scrabble on this trip yet because Mrs K was lagging and those bits got edited out. She was 7-2 down after I achieved a lifetime best score of 505, but then she won 3 in a row. It is now 8-5. Still up for grabs. Nearly as tense as the Ryder Cup.

Chicago Architectural Boat Tour

We take a great guided boat trip along the river which is organised by the Chicago Architectural Center. It's a huge boat with about 250 passengers maybe. We are hosted by a volunteer (Bill). He loves Chicago architecture and there is nothing he doesn't know about the buildings that line the river. Some of them go back to the late 19th century which in US terms is very old. Then we take the famous River Walk back along the same route but jet lag has kicked in and we return to the hotel. En route we stop by Millenium Park which is full of art exhibits, the most famous of which is 'the bean' which provides a great photo opp.

When we were in Osaka on the food tour, one of the other tourists was a young lad from San Francisco, on holiday with his Dad, who worked in Chicago. He gave us some pointers and urged us to venture out of the city to see the real Chicago.  So we get on the Chicago metro and take a ride out of town to a leafy suburb called Wilmette to see the Baiha'i Temple. It was designed around 1920 and took over 30 years to finish, but it looks like it was built much more recently than that.

it's the first time that I have heard of this religious sect which is inclusive of all religions, has no clergy and seems to be mainly about living a decent life, serving the community and devoting lots of time to prayer and contemplation.  Nothing about aliens.

Back in the city we pass through Union station which was the scene of that famous scene from The Untouchables.  Mrs K is a Kevin Costner fan.  Having been to the baseball in Osaka, we have been wanting to watch baseball movies.  I watched Moneyball again the other day and we found Field of Dreams on TV last night - another Costner classic.

We have a special meal booked this evening (Friday) at a top-rated restaurant in the City and plan to have an easy day on Saturday before flying back on Sunday.  We have kept up quite a pace in the last few weeks but it has been an amazing trip.  As always, the blogs are a diary of what we got up to.  

Thanks for reading and see you soon!
Jeff