Japan

A tree at the Heian Shrine holding paper fortunes (tied to the tree in the hope they come true)

Our time in Japan was wonderful. For me, it was one of the best destinations. With only seven days available, we decided to spend three in Kyoto and four in Tokyo and I think we got the mix just right.


Sashimi


The infamous Fukuzushi Sushi Restaurant in Roppongi, Tokyo


Polar Bears at the Ueno Zoological Gardens, Tokyo


Ling Ling the Giant Panda at the Ueno Zoological Gardens, Tokyo


Cherry Blossom - Tokyo


Tokyo Street


The Asahi Brewery HQ - Tokyo


Deb at Nakamise Market - Tokyo


Dried squid or octopus - not quite sure


Definitely octopus amongst other delights


Ameyayokocho Market - Tokyo


Shibuya - Tokyo

From Kyoto we boarded a Shinkansen or Bullet Train to Tokyo. The 500km+ journey takes only two hours and twenty minutes. We arrived in Tokyo reasonably fresh from our journey and prepared ourselves for a whistle-stop four day tour.

During our time in Tokyo, we ventured to the Nakamise Market where you can buy lots of traditional Japanese souvenirs. We also went to the Ameyayokocho Market and saw some weird and wonderful food stuffs. We ventured to the zoo in Ueno to see the Giant Panda Ling Ling but we weren't overly impressed by the zoo's facilities and some of the animals appeared to be a little distressed so we didn't stay for long.

The highlight of Tokyo for us though was Karaoke. Danny and I headed to Shibuya which is a bustling area in Tokyo boasting huge pedestrian crossings that appear to cater for thousands of people at any one time. We found a restaurant called LOHB situated on the eighth floor of a tower block so as to have a great view of the goings-on. After a suitable amount of the very tasty Kirin Ichiban lager, we made our way to Karaoke-Kan. Again, this venue is featured in the film Lost in Translation and we managed to get room 701, one floor up from that used in the film. If you've seen the movie, you'll know that Charlotte and Bob (Johansson and Murray) spend a night singing tunes by the likes of Roxy Music and Blondie whilst overlooking the Tokyo streets. Well, we did exactly the same. We'd planned on spending an hour in there for the bargain price of 3000yen (twelve pounds) but with this you get all you can drink. Three and a half hours later, Danny and I finally dragged ourselves out of the very brilliant and very hilarious Karaoke-Kan and attempted to make our way back the hotel. We missed the last tube so had to grab a cab but it was absolutely worth it. We have some video footage which we thought would be excellent for the blog but having watched it again sober, there is no way these films will ever be brought into the public domain!


Our bullet train from Kyoto to Tokyo is announced


One of the bullet trains (or Shinkansen)

"Kyoto, with its hundreds of temples and gardens, was the imperial capital between 794 and 1868 and remains the cultural centre of Japan. Its raked pebble gardens, sensuously contoured temple roofs and mysterious Shintō shrines fulfill the Japanese fantasy of every Western cliché hunter.

With an astonishing 1600 Buddhist temples, 400 Shintō shrines, a trio of palaces, and dozens of gardens and museums, Kyoto is Japan's cultural treasure house. Seventeen of Kyoto's ancient structures and gardens have been declared UNESCO World Heritage sites." - Courtesy of Lonely Planet's Online Destination Guide


Deb putting incense in sand at the Nanzen-Ji Temple - Kyoto


Nanzen-Ji Temple - Kyoto


Cherry Blossom


Dan at the aqueduct found in the Nanzen-Ji Temple's grounds


Murin-An Garden - Kyoto


Wooden plaques - Kyoto


Gate at the Heian Shrine - Kyoto


Cute sushi sign - Kyoto


"Tea's up"


Deb at the Heian Shrine - Kyoto


Dan admiring the lanterns at the Heian Shrine - Kyoto


Girls in Kimono

The Heian Shrine and the Nanzen-Ji Temple are featured in the film Lost in Translation, a favourite of ours, so we felt it only right to pay them both a visit. We also visited the Gion district in the hope of seeing Geisha but unfortunately, we weren't lucky on this occasion.

Kyoto is a calm, clean and spiritual place and I don't think anyone could fail to be touched by this very serene and beautiful city.


Toilet - Japan style