Konichiwa Readers

Concluded an amazing trip into 'The Land of the Rising Sun'.  So named as its original name Nippon would suggest, the Chinese described it as such in their ancient texts going back 2,000 years where the sun rose before it did in China.

The world's third largest economy by GDP it is an aging populace that is causing some anxiety in terms of how Japan might grow.  Their ministers are trying everything from increasing taxation to negative interest rates but impact seems to be minimal.  Unlike other countries in Europe we saw very little building going on - sort of consistent with no additional demand on the system.  Japan is also a monoculture in that it seems to have very little by way of migrant populations and is an island in its true sense. Perhaps this singularity makes them amenable to follow consistent processes, and be regimented and disciplined in all walks of life.

Konichiwa is a standard greeting for many Japanese - and is in close approximation to 'Hi, how are you?' or 'Good Day'.  Most of the language has a sing song quality to it and when they do speak it tends to be soft and sparse.  The only exception to this I found in the long winded train announcements that seem to go on forever while the corresponding English translation could be merely, "The train arriving is bound for Tokyo".  It is very poignantly depicted in an old Bill Murray movie called 'Lost in Translation'.

So here are some visuals of the trip and some dos and don'ts IMHO -

Do -

Landmark Tower, Yokohama

Cherry Blossoms along the harbor

World's largest clock (it is a display in the middle of the ferris wheel) in Yokohama

• visit the Yokohama harbor area (just south of Tokyo) and its surrounding landscape that has been gentrified from old warehouses to museums, amusement parks and the like

• visit in first week of April if possible because the landscape literally transforms into a spring flower extravaganza.  The Japanese are fond of their flora and especially the Cherry Blossoms that on cue had burst into vivid pinks and white when we arrived and had the locals in a party mood
• try to visit Mt. Fuji because it is an amazing sight to see - we were unable to visit in close proximity but did get lucky and catch its magnificence through a train window while hurtling at 300 kph.

  

  Fuji-san as the locals revere it looks mighty against its surrounding flatness rises to over 10,000 feet

• visit the small town shrines and shogun castles tucked into villages - they offer a glimpse into life of a bygone era
• try to visit Hiroshima the site of the world's first and penultimate nuclear attack in the form of the Atom Bomb 

  

  The Saddle - monument to remember those lost by the devastation 

  
  

  

  A-Dome - remains preserved for eternity -formerly a convention hall - the building was directly below the blast 

• If arriving from outside Japan (tourist visa) get the JR train pass for the duration you think you would move about and enjoy a transportation experience like no other in the world 

Horizontal rockets - Shinkansen trains

Reservation Desk Monitors - helping tourists book their seats on Shinkansen (superfast train service in Japan)

On station railway signal man - one of at least three managing train operations for arrival and departure

Yes you eat out of it - a typical meal service on board the Shinkansen

Tea, Beer, Snack?  I wonder if anyone flies in Japan

Don't -

• always follow the big tour or guide book on travel - sometimes its more hype than beauty - e.g. the Meiji shrine in Tokyo is a must see according to some but is not nearly as beautiful as say the shrines in Inari - a short train ride out of Kyoto 

  

  Orange Tori or gates are culturally significant in the Buddhist religion, Inari shrine near Kyoto - central Japan

  
  

  

  The Tori highway - a spiritual pathway to the all knowing in Inari

• Kyoto itself comes highly advertised but in our opinion did not offer much by way of diversity as did towns like Odawara or Kamakura outside Tokyo

  

  Kamakura shrine compound near Tokyo

• Bother with or feel sad you could not get a tour of a shrine or temple or castle - there is plenty to do outside and it is free 
  
  
  

  

  Cherry Blossoms or SAKURA envelop the HIMEJI castle - 600 year old beauty built near Kobe, Japan

  
  

  

  Scenic waterfalls near Shin Kobe station

• bother trying to find the high end of food - the local bento boxes at the train station are filling and unique and very flavorful