Today we have activated our Japan Rail pass and we will go to Tokyo. This should take about 5 hours, for 1000 km! We are booked on first class seats so we are assured of a seat and hopefully will be comfortable.
Our Shinkansen arrives!
This is a "super express" train. We are using a GPS to track us so we know where we are.
The blue line is our track. Check out the speed (km/hr) in the bottom left corner. Yes that's right -over 300 kmph!
We passed Hiroshima, a familiar name for the wrong reasons, but saw no sign of the awful history of course.
The Journey was through built up area with not a lot to show of Japanese countryside or vegetation. There seemed to be very flat land (the result of ancient inundation? Rather than river valleys) and small hills in between. The Japanese don't seem to like building on the hills, (unlike us) so the flat land is fully inhabited and the hills have vegetation. The vegetation was a low heath-like vegetation, reminiscent of wind swept sea-side vegetation at home.
As we got closer to Tokyo some mountain ranges appeared, and Mt Fuji came into view through the smog. It was just visible for a few minutes before being obscured by smog and cloud.
We passed some industrial areas which make Gladstone pale into suburbia! There was pipe work spreading for kilometres. It must have been a number of different plants alongside each other. And many chimney stacks right to the horizon. I was so astounded I forgot to get a picture. My thought was it would be an Occupational Physician's heaven, but the next thought was that one would need to live there! However on reflection I realised that the fast train means you could live in a nicer area and easily commute.
Tokyo station is superbly organised. Despite large numbers of people we were very quickly outside and looking for a hotel. Despite having a map we could not find it. We apparently walked past a number of hotels and didn't recognise them. The entrances are quite discrete and not ostentatious like Australian hotels. Eventually a very nice lady led us to it. This seems to be the Japanese way -so helpful.
But even a 3 star hotel set us back $200+ .this is double the price in the last two hotels -close to the station, and in Tokyo.
Of we went to a nearby Vegan Restuarant, advertised as European/Japanese fusion style. It was small and rustic, and I think we got the last table. The food was more European than Japanese unfortunately. I wanted to see those unique Japanese vegetables in use.
We did however have a nice conversation with our neighbouring guests.
The walk back to the hotel took us through the famous Ginza St, with its neon lights. This was not quite spectacular as I expected. The lights were certainly huge but not flashing and gaudy as I had thought. Maybe I am thinking of hongKong or elsewhere in Asia.
It was Friday night and revellers were out. Parties of young men in black expensive looking suits, with white shirts dominated. They were cheering and looked like work parties to me -bonding sessions? We noticed no drunken or aggressive behaviour. The Japanese seem very disciplined. We have not seen one bit of litter, not a cigarette butt, everything is sparkling clean despite so many people. Even the footpath seems clean. The train stations are clean, with tiled floors, marble wall tiles, stainless steel rails all gleaming.
There are people everywhere with paper masks too. Apparently this is out of consideration for others when one has a cold, rather than to protect ones-self against catching a cold! This is a custom I would like to see take off in Australia! One effect is that you can see just how many people around you have a respiratory virus! It makes you more conscious of washing your hands, and who to keep clear of!
Vending machines are everywhere! And they are rarely vandalised. We saw one with a broken glass. But in Australia they would all be broken I reckon. This was in a side st near the station.
And a nice surprise as we neared our hotel... Cherry blossoms in full flower. These pictures were taken at night but I couldn't help myself!
I wait with great anticipation for tomorrow's display in Sendai! We are off on another long fast train trip, through more mountainous country to where the blossoms are in full display, way up to the north of the country.
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