Japan - The Land of Courtesy

In July 2017, my wife and i made a 2-week trip to Japan. Breaking our practice of taking packaged tours,  we decided to make it a-la-carte. From a travel perspective, a managed tour is more comfortable, predictable and takes away a lot of hassles.  But it also takes away the chances of seeing things that are unique and the chance of interacting with local people and understand a bit of local customs at your own pace. We had the advantage of having some friends in Japan who helped us in identifying the places to visit as also accompanied us to some of them.  Without them, i do not think we would have been so satisfied with the trip.  

We decided on the following destinations:

• Tokyo
• Hokkaido (For the flower fields)
• Kyoto / Osaka (on the way to Hiroshima and being spitting distance from each other)
• Hiroshima (It was a toss up between Hiroshima and Nagasaki. We chose Hiroshima as it was not far from Kyoto)

As before, i will not spend too much time on describing the places that we visited. There is more information on the web than i could ever provide. Before going to details, would like to record some of my impressions of Japan.  These thoughts are purely from a visitor's perspective.

Take away from the trip 

• It's been a kaleidoscope of places; temples, lakes, mountains, busses, trains, shops, malls and so on, the last couple of weeks.  And Flowers!! Flowers and plants everywhere, at homes, offices, shops, lining the streets, everywhere. All perfectly pruned and shapely. It seemed to my mind that even the trees on the hill slopes and mountains seemed to be of the similar height and standing in a line. Though a bit hectic, the tour was extremely enjoyable as most of the days, other than those in Tokyo, we spent amongst nature and historic structures.  

• For long, I had subconsciously imagined Japan to be a small,crowded country with Tokyo-like crowds everywhere. I was wrong on both counts, at least as far as the places that we visited. There was so much open space, greenery, hills, landscapes everywhere we went.  The towns that we passed through were built without seeming to encroach the country side and sort of blended in.

• Hotels have been reasonably good but expensive. As we had booked early, we were able to get them at reasonable prices. But during high season and at short notice, the prices rocket. I was told that one hotel (a 3 star i think) in Hokkaido charged 75,000 yens per night for its last couple of rooms.  The rates were jacked up because it was high season in Hokkaido.  Talk about surge pricing.....

• Service apartments are a good option, if the length of stay is more than 2 or 3 days.  Lots of options from aggregators like airbnb.  We had booked a service apartment in Tokyo for the longer leg of 6 days.

• Not much joy for vegetarians other than margarita pizzas and french fries at some places. Even confectionaries are suspect as many were fortified with some form of meat or sea food. Purchasing anything from convenience stores is difficult as the labels / descriptions are mostly in Japanese. We could not get any veg. food in any restaurant.  I am sure we could have found one had we looked harder , but did not really bother to. I surprised a Japanese cook in a Chinese restaurant by asking for plain rice which we could have with dahi and some indian pickle. I know Chinese cuisine has some excellent veg. stuff, but the cook declined to cook them saying that he did not have vessels that were solely used for cooking veg. fare.  We appreciated his frankness. 

• Roads are excellent and road courtesy shown to each other is tremendous. The "other" vehicle is always given way; sometime the "Pehle aap" time stretched on and on excruciatingly. Requests for turning were always granted. Motor vehicles give way to cyclists and pedestrians, cyclists to pedestrians. The roads are smooth as butter. I did not see a single pothole or broken road anywhere.  We did not hear the sound of a horn during the trip. Car companies can save some cost by not providing horns. In all these 15 days, i did not hear any even once. 

• Toll is as high as Mt. Fuji. I will never again gripe at the toll for mum-pune highway. On our trip Tokyo - Kyoto- Osaka - Hiroshima and back (about 1600 kms) the toll was about 50,000¥ ( Rs.30,000). One particular toll was Rs.5000!!!  Travel by Bullet trains is also expensive, a 4 to 6 hour trip would cost about 20,000¥. Initially it was a toss-up, whether to travel by train or by car.  The problem with train is that local travel becomes difficult, once you have reached your place of interest. There are of course local tourist packages, which are comfortable but are a bit expensive. We took one to Mt.Fuji from Tokyo and it cost 15,000 yen per person for a day trip. 

• (In Tokyo) All busses are air conditioned, always stop at stands, arrive on time.  The busses have electronic display boards that show the next stop and 2 more after that, giving enough time to get off. Many bus stops display the next bus arriving. I think this information is updated online. The novelty was that some busses,while stopping, dip slightly to the left side towards the road, making it easier to get off. One can buy a day pass for 500￥ from the driver which is valid for the day on all busses.  Worth the money.  Didn't get a chance to use busses outside of Tokyo.

• Queues always, everywhere - shops, buses, trains, entry tickets,.... Only one queue at bus stops even where multiple route busses stop there. When a bus halts, people in the queue who are interested, take a step forward forming a new queue and board in order. The driver manages collecting fares. Most pay by contactless electronic card.  The machine in the bus accepts cards, coins and notes. At times when we took time paying the fare, in cash, nobody showed impatience or remonstrated. 

• Bullet train. Japanese name is Shinkansen. They operate on inter- city routes. It is an awesome sight to see them at speed. Our first sight of one of them was while waiting at a station for a Shinkansan. There was a sudden "WHOOSH" and a train screamed past. It was gone in a few seconds. It was difficult to comprehend such a long train could  disappear so instantly. Even the sound of the receding train was hardly audible, as if the train had sucked away its own sound. Almost as if it was our imagination that we saw a train at all. 

• The people are incredibly polite. We experienced this many times. The sales persons at shops were always pleasant and went out of the way to help. One cashier left his counter and showed us what we wanted , another one showed us how to operate the coffee vending machine and so on. Customers waiting at the counters took this as acceptable behaviour. A girl to whom I gave way in a lift, thanked me and when she got out , she punched the "door close" button for me. I have never seen this before. People acknowledge and bow for anything done for them. 

• Everything seems to work. There was not a single hiccup during the trip. Signs of proper planning and execution are visible everywhere. Signages, thoughtfulness towards physically challenged, and the works. I saw people in motorised wheel chairs moving freely in malls and railway stations. I saw a teacher leading a bunch of small children walking backwards and keeping her eyes on them always. Our town planners and politicians should take a trip and learn.

It's been an experience!


Trip begins

Mumbai - Tokyo - 10th July 2017

Took a taxi to mumbai airport at 1330 hrs. Reached at 1630 hrs, well in time for the 2020 ANA flight (All Nippon Airways NH 830). After a quick check in process (we had web checked-in the day before) we went to the lounge.  Plenty of things to eat and drink and everything on the house. Had a coffee and some biscuits.

Flight boarded on time but left 30 mts. late.  Cramped seats of modern airlines but good service.

We got the first glimpse of the social behaviour of the Japanese at mumbai airport.  When the check-in counters were about to open, all the counter staff stood in a line, one of them gave a short welcome speech in Japanese and everyone bowed. Most of us took this in with our mouths open and were a bit bemused, not knowing how to respond.

We were to see such courtesy everywhere in japan.

[We were travelling from Pune and hence Mumbai was the obvious airport.  There are 2 viable airlines from Mumbai ; Air India and ANA (All Nippon Airways).  Air India flies via Delhi whereas ANA is a direct flight, though a bit more expensive.  There was another option of flying to Delhi from Pune and connect to the Air India flight from there, but the timing was not very attractive.

Both Air India and ANA flights land at Narita airport which is around 50 kms from central Tokyo. Plenty of options to reach Tokyo - limousine buses, trains and taxis.  Taxis are reputedly very expensive and we avoided them.  Once in Tokyo we never found the need to hire one.

Data SIM cards are available at the airport from vending machines. I was told that getting a voice SIM is a procedural hassle.]

Tokyo - 11th July 2017

Reached Narita airport at 0910 (japanese time), 30 mts. behind time after a 8 hr. 30 mt. flight. Breezed through immigrations and customs. 

Our friends were waiting and we drove to their home in Ginza. The apartment was small, as is the norm in Japan, but very nicely designed. No  footwear inside the house, as is customary. Ginza is the world's costliest real estate, though i have no clue on the actual real estate price.  

After lunch, went to hotel Harumi Grand at 1500 , a 10 minute walk away, which we had booked for one night. As we were going to Hokkaido next morning, we preferred a hotel to a service apartment so as to make an early departure. Nice hotel and large room by Japanese standards. In the evening took a walk to the market area. Walking was a pleasure inspite of the humidity. At many places, the sidewalks were as broad as the adjoining roads with no obstructions. One could walk on them with eyes shut. 

Lots of people riding cycles. Most cyclists cycle on the broad pavements, but giving way to pedestrians.  When they reach a traffic signal, they wait along with pedestrians to cross over to the pavement on the other side.  Later i was to learn that cycling is very common in Japan, to school, office, market.  Saw some entry level cycles priced at ¥ 30,000 to ¥ 60,000 ( 1 ¥ = 60 paise). Also available on hire which many tourists use to ride through the towns, especially the smaller towns that are in the tourist map.  

Walk took us alongside the extremely clean backwaters lined with trees and flowering plants. The hedges were perfectly pruned. There was not a scrap of debri of any sort on the streets or pavements.  This was the case wherever we went. 

A nifty breeze made the humidity and heat bearable. Dinner at friend's place and  back to the hotel and bed for an early departure to Hokkaido the next morning.

A View of back waters

Hokkaido, Chitose, Sapparo - 12th - 15th July 2017

[Today we are going to Furano flower fields in Hokkaido prefecture.   I think a prefecture is the equivalent of a state, i may be wrong. Hokkaido is an island in northern tip of japan. It is a mountainous territory with living volcanoes and hot springs called Onsen. Onsens reportedly have healing properties and the waters are almost too hot to take bath in. The area is snowed under during winter and gets closed down except for skiing and die-hard outdoors people.]

Got up early , 0200 hrs indian, 0530 hrs. Japanese.  Had coffee in room. Checked out of hotel and walked to the bus stand (10 mnts.) to catch the 0720 hrs. bus to Tokyo station to get an airport bus.  When we reached the bus station at 0710, the bus was already there, the driver sitting in his seat. At 0720, the engine came to life and the bus started. Air conditioned bus and no crowd at that hour. 210 yen (approx Rs.120) for a half hour drive.  The ride was exceedingly smooth and every road regulations that i know was followed  as were a lot more that i did not know. Nobody jumps signals, no jay-waking, no horn, no hassling pedestrians or  cyclists with impatient horns, no lane cutting, respect for pedestrian crossing, the list is endless. All good but unfortunately, we missed our stop and the bus looped back to where we boarded. 

Disaster!! A ride of 40 mts to no avail.  Took the next bus that was waiting, as if it knew that we will return. What was a comfortable window for catching the flight became a nail biter. The earlier feeling of admiration for excellent road manners gave way to impatience . "wah! , wah!" became "Tch! , Tch!".   Longed for our drivers at home, who are color blind where signals are concerned,  who have faith in human survival instincts that will make them jump out of the vehicle's way  .   As it turned out, we just managed to get the connecting bus at Tokyo station to Narita airport and reached there after a 1hr. 15 mts drive. Lovely bus with great seats and a soft ride.  A long queue at the check-in. The airline (Jet Star) employee looked surprised when he saw that we were going to Chitose, an airport near Sapporo, capital of Hokkaido prefecture. Maybe not many indians go there as tourists. We did not see any in the 3 days that we were there.

Only 7 kgs allowed per person. Pay for additional weight.  Flight was full and flew as per schedule. Duration of 1hr 15 mts. Took the shuttle from airport to car rental offices. Picked up a Nissan. And off.  2 hour drive to Furano flower fields about 150 kms from Chitose. Excellent roads throughout, not a single traffic jam, no speed breaker, all traffic signals functioning, but not much traffic and almost no one on the streets of the towns that we passed.   

I have read that japan is a high population density nation; where are the people?

Lunched on the way on puri that lata had made in pune and had survived the trip.  

There many farms of various sizes. We visited 2 of them, possibility the largest; Farm Tomita and Flower Land Kamifurano. I simply cannot decide which was better.  I think it is futile even to try.
Walked around the flower fields which are very large and many of them covered the hill sides completely.  Lavender, for which the season is famous for, was very conspicuous.  Other flowers were also there in plenty, though not as much as usual, we were told. Maybe we were early. 

Lavender field in Furano

[I got the above image from http://ikidane-nippon.com/upload/report/86/17381.jpg  as mine did not do justice to the flowers.  Below photo is one that i have taken. What a contrast!!]

Farm Tomito at Furano

The flowering season is for only 3 months and ends in August and hence a huge crowd. Reminded me of Valley of Flowers in Uttarakhand. No hotel room available for love or money. I was told one hotel priced its last few rooms at 75,000 ¥. Too scared to convert it to Indian money. A few shops were selling water melons and musk melons.  A pack of 4 water melons were being sold for 13,000￥ (about INR 8000), would you believe it and musk melon was at 500￥per slice!!

We then left for a place called blue pond which had, guess what,  blue tinged water. Maybe from the lavender plants growing by its sides.

Blue Pond in Furano

(Not a great pic. that! When seen in life, the pond has a clear blue tinge)

Drove around taking in the country side and then to Asahikawa, where our hotel  was situated ( 60 kms from Furano). Hotel Dormy inn. Decent room, but provided nothing that we could eat, which became the norm during the trip. In a few days we stopped even asking. 

Went to 7/Eleven across the road and bought some bread, butter and yoghurt (900 yen - 550 indian) for dinner. It's a pain being a vegetarian tourist in Japan . Buying anything is also a challenge. Every thing is labelled in Japanese. No indication of veg. content. Even the ubiquitous potato wafers that we bought once, were booby trapped with shrimps. The only saving grace were margarita pizza and french fries from McDonald. Tried to use Google translate that scans and translates online, but got some weird translations. Gave up and relied on the frugal english of the sales people.

Lucky we had decided to carry some  instant umpa and poha packets and the evergreen maggi cup-of-noodles. They were life savers.

13th July 2017

Got up at 0500 hrs.( 0130 hrs. Indian). Had ready-to-eat poha and chai for breakfast and left hotel at 0700 hrs.  Lots of farms and driving. Cheese and wine factory. Margarita Pizza at the cheese factory which we ate after much scanning and sniffing. Returned back to hotel at 1900 hrs . Went for a quick purchase at Lawson and 7/Eleven, both convenience stores , Australian and American. Bought bread loaf(6 slices, each 2cms thick!), butter, wafers, couple of flavoured yogurt. Yen 1100/- ( inr 660). 

Early night as we plan to leave at 0600 hrs for a 500 km drive.

[The social behaviour of the japanese continues to amaze. The first glimpse of it was at mumbai airport.  Here it is seen everywhere. The petrol pump attendant bowed before and after filling up, the sales person  bows before and after the transaction, strangers nod or bow if you make way for them, at every possible people to people interaction. Got a back ache trying to bow back!.]

14th July 2017.

Got up at 0400 hrs. Breakfast of ready mix umpa , the 2 cm thick bread slice and tea. Umpa and poha have ascended to never-before-highs from their lowly positions at home.

Drove a total of about 650 kms today. Went to Shiretoko national park, a distance about 250 kms from Asahikawa. Walked on the 1 km. trail. There are bears in the area and so the trail is actually a wooden walk way built about 10 feet above the ground. The walk way itself was protected by electronic fencing.  For serious trekkers, there was a 3 hour trail and an overnight camping site, which we diligently avoided. 

Trail at Shiretoko National Park, Hokkaido

The rest of the drive was through scenic spots including a waterfall, OshinKoshin, and  beautiful lakes.  Part of the trip was over mountains and part by the sea coast, with the sea visible on the left. The sea of okhotsk  (A Russian name) on the north of japan is very calm, without any waves. I found out later that this is because it is bounded by the Pacific ocean.

A View of Okhotsk sea

Sunset at Okhotsk sea

15th July 2017

First day got up leisurely at 0700 hrs. Had breakfast of .... No prizes for guessing..... Poha and coffee. Drove to the car rental at Chitole airport ( 3  hrs) with a brief stop to look at a park (forgot the name). Beautiful flowers and trees everywhere, japanese garden and people behaving the Japanese way. It also has a mini train to take  people around the large estate.  As normal, impeccably maintained shops selling plants & flowers, a small bistro and 5 star rest rooms. A bit of a panic on the way as the fuel gauge showed very low levels. Used GPS to find nearby fuel pump (23 kms) and managed to reach it without mishap. Japanese GPS provides a lot of subsidiary information besides route map. Reached airport well in time.

[The japanese have mastered the art of tourism.  Every place worth visiting are excellently maintained, informative signages, almost 5-star standard of public convenience, restaurants, gift shops, resting places.]

Back to Tokyo by Jetstar Flight no.GK118 to leave 1845 hrs. Left and reached on time. Took an airport shuttle to Tokyo station (1000 ¥ ). Took another bus to to reach the serviced apartment at 2300 hrs. The landlady, whom we did not meet even once in the 6 days that we stayed there, was a Russian. She had left the apartment door open and the keys in the mail box. It was a tiny place with a kitchenette, a single room with a futon, w/c and a balcony facing the back waters from Tokyo Bay. Good enough for a couple of persons.

Serviced apartment

View from the Balcony of the Service apartment.  

Tokyo - 16th - 21st July 2017

(Ginza, Zojoji shrine, Tokyo Tower, Hachiko and War memorial)

The next few days were spent in roaming around in Tokyo.  We discovered that one can reach any part of Tokyo using the subway.  Tokyo has got a labyrinth of subways, managed by different companies. They criss-cross underground and one can reach anywhere from anywhere.  One can buy a day pass for 900 Y which provides unlimited travel in the subways and in busses. The ticketing machine did not recognise our Chip card.  Luckily had enough cash.

There is a very useful app that i downloaded from Google Play Store, about the Tokyo subway navigation.  It gave precise information on the station, line, connecting station, distance, time and cost. With that we moved around Tokyo without any problem.  A little bit of difficulty after coming out of the subway to find the exact place one wants as all roads are not sign posted. Passers-by readily help, but language is a problem.   

Went to the Ginza area. Reputed to be the costliest real estate in the world. In spite of that the shops were huge. One had 12 floors, another had 5 above and 4 below ground level. A few of the streets were a walking plazas, with many garden chairs, tables and umbrella placed on the roads.

A street in Ginza

In the evening went to a place called Odaimo. It is on an artificial lake built on the bay.  The place has major malls, a what-i-call singing building ( lata has taken a video of it), a statue of liberty replica (smaller than the original), a huge mall built in the shape of a ship. 

Artificial lake at Odaiba with the statue of liberty replica

[Again some of the actions of the japanese surprised me. A bus stopped and we asked the driver whether it would take us to Odaiba. He said "No " and actually got down from the bus to pointe the correct route number displayed on the bus stand. And no one from within the bus said anything. 

Some bus stops have digital displays showing the timing of the next bus. I think it gets updated online. Also, inside the bus, the next stop and the 2 after that are displayed.  We had bought a day pass for 500 ¥. The ticket for a single trip is 210 ¥ irrespective of the destination. So 3 trips make the pass worthwhile. Similar passes are available for the metro trains but are a bit costlier.]

19th July 2017

Today was spent on local sight seeing by travelling by subways. We first went to  Akhibara Electric Town (called Akhibara Denki Gai) situated in Central Tokyo. It is the place for cheap electronic gadgets.  It has hundreds of shops dealing in electronic goods, from huge multi-storeys to hole-in-the-wall types. I think if you don't find what you want here, it probably has not been invented yet. 

We went to a shop called Yodobashi Electronic store. Calling it a store would be like calling Burj al Arab a building. It stretched on and on till it disappeared from view. And 4 floors of it!  Even seeing it made us tired. We beat a hasty retreat.

We then went in search of Zojoji shrine and Tokyo tower. When we reached the shrine i was astounded by its beauty and the aura it had. I don't think I can do justice to the shrine if i tried to describe it. It is a magnificent edifice immaculately maintained. The central hall is a very large place and has the statue of the huge Buddha in a far corner. And absolutely quiet. One could hear the sputter of candles burning, faint smell of incense  and subdued chirping of birds outside. Perfect place for meditation. No photographs allowed inside. Spent some time sitting on the steps.  Seeing the shrine made my day.

Zojoji Shrine

Zojoji shrine

[ To do justice to the shrine, i used the image from http://www.japan-guide.com which is much better than mine.  The Tokyo Tower is in the back drop which was our next target.]

We then walked to the Tokyo Tower a km away. It is a radio commutation tower that has been designed to make it an attraction. It is 333 meters tall and has a viewing tower at about 500 ft. It looks like the Eiffel tower and was built in 1958. 500 ￥ entry ticket. Food courts and memento shops everywhere. The Japanese know how to make people spend. Welcome bows at the entrance, in the lift and the observatory. Think I will buy a elastic band for my back. 

We then went to visit the memorial built for Hachiko, the loyal dog. I have read the story (true) during my school days. Anyone who has not should look it up . Very moving story. I was affected deeply when I first read it at a young age.

Hachiko

We asked directions from a policeman. His lack of english was over compensated by his courtesy and willingness to help. He whipped out a map, showed us where we were and directions to the nearest subway. And we walked. That seems to be the secret of the Japanese fitness. People walk, cycle everywhere. We must have walked more than 15 kms during our trip.

The statue is located at the convergence of 8 streets. It depicts a rather stern looking dog made of bronze. It is next to the exit of Shibuya station. The exit is called "Hachiko Guchi" which translates to Hachiko Exit.  The spot has become a meeting point for people. And lots to eat. For us,  I was reminded of the saying "water water everywhere but not a drop to drink ". Our lunch was an ice cream!

We then went to the war memorial. It houses artefacts from both the world wars.  My main purpose was to see the memorial to jurist Radhabinod Pal. He was a member of the tribunal in the Tokyo war trials. His was the sole voice against summary judgement against all accused. His services were recognised by the Japanese government and his contribution is enshrined in the war memorial. Unfortunately, i could not see it as it was closing time and we had just enough time to see the front hall.

The dreaded Zero fighter from the second war

By this time our touristic fervour was running low and we got back to the apartment for the night.

Mt.Fuji, Hakone - 20th July 2017

We made a day trip to Mt.Fuji and Hakone.   Pretty expensive for a day trip (15,000 ￥per person). 

It is said that, on a clear day, Mt.Fuji can be seen from Tokyo.  In Tokyo tower, there is a position from where one can see the mountain.  But the cloud cover was extensive and it was not visible. 

Two hour ride from Tokyo (about 100 kms). Scenic route, with greenery, mountains all the way. It became a bit chilly as we ascended towards Mt.Fuji. The trip takes one to 5th station at 2300 meters. The mountain itself is about 3800 meters and is the highest in Japan. We could not see the mountain as it was completely covered by clouds.  A few minutes halt and we went to Hakone, which is a small town with lovely lakes, hot springs and a view of Mt.Fuji. It was a beautiful place surrounded by mountains, lakes, greenery and a perfect place to just sit on a bench and vegetate.

Cloud covered Mt.Fuji

Lake in Hakone

One our way back to Tokyo, we chose to travel by Shinkansen.  The bus took us to the nearest station (Odawara). While waiting at the station, we saw a bullet train storm through the station.  It bought a collective "Wow" from the tourists, including us, who were seeing it in action the first time.

Our train slid in exactly on time. We had unreserved tickets. The station display gave the car numbers for unreserved passengers. We got into one and found a couple of empty seats.  The car was absolutely clean.  The legroom was like or more than available in business class of the best airlines. The train started exactly on time without the slightest jerk. From the inside it was difficult to feel the speed as the ride is silken smooth. Most Shinkansans average more than 200 kmph with a top speed of more than 300 kmph.  They have been tested for speeds above 400 kmph. Got these information from  japan-guide.com. Ours covered the distance of about 100 kms to Tokyo, with 2 intermediary stops, in 30 mts. flat. 

During the ride, a conductor walked into our car, bowed and went to the next car. Maybe he did that in all the cars. When we were getting off, i noticed a person who had stuffed some papers in the front seat pocket, remove them and put them in his bag!! 

We got out of the station, it was peak time and a huge crowd. One Shinkansenwas was in the next platform with its doors closed, not ready for boarding yet. Outside each car, people were waiting in queues patiently.

I think the Japanese will form a queue even if there is only one person.

A Shinkansen zipping through. I will attribute the blur to the speed of the train, not my amateur photography

Kyoto - Osaka - Hiroshima 22nd - 24th July 2017

This was the last leg of our tour before we went back to Tokyo and Mumbai. Too many things to do in too short a time. 

Left Tokyo early and drove towards Kyoto, a distance about 500 kms, which we did in less than 7 hours, stopping for some food and local sights on the way.  There are so many great quality lay-overs available with excellent facilities for travellers.  The GPS helps in identifying the next location as well as give information of nearby restaurants, medical care and fuel stations. 

Next couple of days, explored interesting places in Kyoto and Osaka, halting at a hotel which was half way between Osaka and Hiroshima.  We were looking forward to Hiroshima - which found a place in history because of an infamous act.

Left Kyoto at 0630 hrs and drove to Hiroshima , about 350 kms away. Long journey and as usual lunched on bun and chips. Reached Hiroshima around 1530 hrs. as we took small detours to look up interesting places on the way.  Went to the memorial park which has the damaged atomic done and the museum.  The atomic dome building (It was an exhibition hall, now called Atomic Dome) was at epicentre of the atomic bomb explosion and miraculously some portion of the building survived. 

On 8th August 1945 at 0815 am,  the A bomb exploded 600 meters above the dome devastating the city and killing tens of thousands of civilians.  As is known, another bomb was dropped on Nagasaki 3 days later. 

We  went next to the museum, which was impeccably maintained as is usual in this country. There were pictures, artefacts providing heart-wrenching images of what people had gone through. The sequence of events from when the Germans conceived the idea of atomic weapons till the time it was used by America and the aftermath, was explained in great detail through photos, commentaries, 3D animations and such. All of us are aware of the bombing but seeing the actual site is something else. A number of people were visibly moved and some were crying. There must have been about a 1000 persons in the 2 storey building but it was absolutely quiet. We spent a couple of hours at the museum and came out a bit subdued.

Hiroshima and Nagasaki, places that were just part of our general knowledge had come to life. 

Traditional dress

 Photo Dump

Otagi Shrine near Kyoto 

Night sky from apartment balcony

Kinkauji Temple, Kyoto

Miyajuma Island, Hiroshima

Sanjusangendo temple Kyoto

Home - 25th July 2017

Reached Narita airport by about 0830 hrs. to take the 1130 hrs. ANA flight to Mumbai.  No hassles and flight left and landed on time.  Took a taxi to Pune.  2 hours to get to Vashi from the airport, chaotic traffic resulting from free-spirited driving, air filled with sound of horns .... we were back Home.

How to reach

We were travelling from Pune and hence Mumbai was the obvious airport.  There are 2 viable airlines from Mumbai ; Air India and ANA (All Nippon Airways).  Air India flies via Delhi whereas ANA is a direct flight, though a bit more expensive.  There was another option of flying to Delhi from Pune and connect to the Air India flight from there, but the timing was not very attractive.

Both Air India and ANA flights land at Narita airport airport which is around 50 kms from central Tokyo. Plenty of options to reach Tokyo - limousine buses, trains and taxis.  Taxis are reputedly very expensive and we avoided them.  Once in Tokyo we never found the need to hire one.

Food

If you are a vegetarian, it can become very difficult to find any sort of food.  We carried a lot of ready to eat items like Poha, Upma, cup-of-noodles, etc. Hardly any veg. options available at restaurants and hotels.  Even buying from a convenience stores were a bit hazardous as the labelling is in Japanese.  Google translate helped a bit.

Hotel v Service apartment

Both options are available at approximately the same prices. Maybe the service apartments are a bit cheaper.  As usual, there are multiple options available.  We booked a combination of both, service apartment in Tokyo and hotels in other places.  For short stays (1 or 2 days), we took hotels and service apartments for longer stays.  Service apartment was booked through Airbnb.

Discount at shops

Most shops offer a discount if you show your passport.  If the discount is taken, the receipt is pinned to the passport.  I was told that the receipt may be used at the airport to check whether the goods are being taken out and not sold within Japan.  No body checked ours.

JR Pass

If the plan is to travel mostly by train, Japanese Rail passes are available on line.  They have to be purchased before entering Japan and are available for periods 7 / 14 days (also 21 days i think). I found a few agencies in India selling them.