We have all heard of the beat of a city, and I have been lucky enough to experience this sensation in the past, but nothing prepares for Tokyo!

The energy, the vibrancy, the crowds, the lights, the buzz! Wow, the adrenaline started pumping on arrival and never stopped!! Not for everybody, I loved every moment and just wished I was many years younger, to explore more deeply. To venture down the side streets, to follow the music and the neon lights, to check out tbe endless fascination with animation, would have been exciting. Perhaps its’ as well I was stuck on a bus with other ould ones,  or I.kight never have come home!!!! Haha!!!That would have been dangerous!!!

I knew how large and populous it is, but it is hard to imagine a city of almost 40 million inhabitants, not to mention the tens of thousands of tourists descending on the City daily, but looking down on tbe sheer geographical size of the place, from the Skytree Tower, ( at 380 meters, we were only half way!!!)did put it into context a little better.

It was difficult to capture a complete image, as it stretches so far to the North, South, East and West. One could see the Pacific Ocean in the distance with the large Port of Tokyo, adjacent to Yokahama where there is a US Naval base and where the Japanese Navy are located, across from which is Disneyland, the first outside of the US.

Then there is the Citys’ natural river, running into a man made river, created to alleviate flooding in a nearby area. Then one has all the reclaimed land alongside same river with multi million dollar apartment blocks, not far from the financial quarter of towering skyscrapers and one of the beating hearts of Asian Capital.

I loved every moment,  including the ancient parts to which we were brought. The Gardens of the Imperial Palace, that were more a Park than Gardens, but an oasis of calm in the centre of the chaos of the City, with the Financial area peeping above the trees. The Emperor and Empress were in residence but sadly, the invite for morning coffee never arrived!!

A visit to the Sensoji Temple, located in the Asakusa area, right in the middle of the City, was a reminder of a less materialistic world. Crowded at 09.00 with Tourists like ourselves and many school children, neat and tidy and polite as always.

The afternoon was FREE to everything, but ones’ credit card and boy was it used!!! The vast variety of goods, fantastic exchange rate and low low prices did cloud ones’ judgement somewhat while browsing…soon becoming a reality, vaguely resulting in a second case having to be purchased by many of us to bring home the loot!!!

All too soon, it was time for the farewell river dinner cruise. While I had not been too enthusiastic about it, it turned out to be excellent. Once I managed to manoeuvre my bum onto the floor, slotting my feet under a drop under the table,  I was fine!!  Not so easy for my six foot six Aussie fellow traveller!!!Dinner was fine, typical tourist dinner, but nicely served by lovely staff. Once we were able to go out on deck and experience the City at night from the water, it became truly magical. How different does a place look under twinkling lights?

There were locals on board also and with hand language we did manage to communicate!!

They told us the story of the Rainbow Bridge as we passed under it. Double decker suspension bridge, it is lit up at Christmas in different lights hence it’s name.

So farewells to our fellow travellers  who were dispensing to many different places the following day, were duly made, but I had an extra day to do something very special.

It involved my taking a local train out of the City to visit dear friends from my life in Africa. To say I was apprehensive about travelling on the train, is an understatement. The idea of joining the millions that travel by train daily, all knowing where they are going, in huge railway stations, was a bit daunting.

However  always the adventurer, I set off with my travel card, made one wrong turn in the station and did have a bit of a panic, but regrouped and got the Train!!! To say we were squeezed like sardines, would be an understatement, but after 4 stops, the numbers thinned out and I got a seat. On the train, which is spotless,  nobody spoke, drank or ate. Most were reading on their phones, but the silence was awesome. I artived safely in Zushi and my pals were waiting!! Such a reunion after 13 years without seeing one another!!

It was so emotional to see them after so long but lovely to see them so well and unchanged.

Yukiko and her husband Jiro then showed me around the area to which have they retired from Tokyo, on the beach, overlooking the Pacific! Beautiful.

I went to her home and saw the business she has established for African cotton goods and we then went to lunch in a incredible old house with the most amazing food.

All too soon I had to leave but not before 5 walked me in Kamarura, a lovely town nearby and brought me to a very special Shinto Shrine there. The day was so special to see and catch up with them, to reminisce and hear how all the family are doing. True friendships never fade, they just need to be nurtured.

All too soon, it was time to tackle the train again and now my concern was exiting the station when I got back to the city!!! Suffice to say I did, with one small hiccup, but felt quite proud of myself in succeeding in  my negotiations of the Tokyo transport system!!!

So this fantastic adventure is drawing to a close. How lucky I am to have experienced this beautiful country and it’s lovely people. So much done, so much more to do. Another trip in the future perhaps.

In the meantime, Sayonara Japan, it’s been wonderful!

Energised seeing the clear view of the Mountain, when we set off in the morning, we were happy to know it was the last long bus journey before we hit Tokyo, later in the day. While the bus was comfortable and we had plenty of comfort stops, some of the journeys were long and tedious.

The plan was to drive to Hakone, a lakeside resort under the slopes of Mount Fuji. As we drove up to the top of the Owakudani Valley, we passed lush countryside, an interesting golf course and many large beautiful homes with fabulous views! It seems as Hakone is only 90 kilometres from Tokyo  it is a weekend retreat for many from.the city who have holiday homes in the area.

We got to the top of what was a volcano to experience the sulphar impregnated air from the works going on there!!

I didn’t find that very pleasnt despite nice views down onto Lake Ashi, but all to soon we were winging our way down the Valley in a cable car with fine views of the area.

Then it was off for a jaunt in a ferry across the Lake. It was a beautiful sunny day with the lake a deep blue and many other craft, arge and small, sailing nearby.

Onto lunch in Odawara overlooking the Pacific Ocean and the last leg into Tokyo!!! Hooray!!!

Busy, buzzy city of nearly 50.million people, as always I was intrigued, as we drove through the suburbs, to see towers of modern high rise apartments stretching into the sky, traffic congestion beginning to build up and all the signs of a bustling metropolis, but more of that to come!!!

The old adage of ” Best laid plans… etc etc…” came to mind this week, when we were  spectacularly let down by Nature. One of the promoted highlights of this trip was to see the much lauded Snow Monkeys ( Japanese Macques) in their mountain environment. Personally, I could have missed it, as my relationship with Monkeys, while living in Kenya, was to shoo them off my patio regularly!!! However, many of my fellow passengers were looking forward to the experience

En route to the Mountain Park, we stopped in a small town called Obuse, about which I knew nothing. The renowed 19th century Japanese artist, Hokusai, lived here under the patronage of a wealthy merchant and now there is an Art Gallery/ Museum, dedicated to him. Not knowing a lot about him, I was looking forward to our visit. It was fantastic!!! Hokusai is the artist who created the image of the Great Wave of Kanagawa, now synonymous with Japan.

A small Museum, in the centre of a pretty buzzy town, it was full of interesting Art both from Hokusai and his fellow painters. It is  currently hosting a visiting exhibition from the Rhode Island School of Design, comprising 200 Flower and Bird prints from.the Rockefeller collection, based on the Hokusai theory of Japonism. They were outstandingly beautiful, as were all the other artifacts.

When I came out of the Museum into a small green town Square,  I could hear the sounds of a Tchaikovsky overture! There, seated in a corner, was a quartet of adults playing the most beautiful selection of classical music. Many elderly local people came along with their collapsible seats and enjoyed. Ten minutes later  in another corner of the Green, a Brass quintet started playing! This is regular Sunday entertainment with music going on for the afternoon!! Wonderful. This area is known for growing chestnuts and there were chestnut stalls everywhere, selling every form from ice cream flavoured, to hot chestnuts! There was even a path made from chestnuts!!

Then,  it was on to find the illusive monkeys. As we drove into the Mountains, the Guide did start to dampen expectations, talking about breeding season, times of year ( like now) when they are seldom seen and so on. The pool the monkeys come too, a two mile hike into the mountain, is monitored by a live cam. So when we parked, we were met by this notice!!

But we trekked anyway, through magnificent woods, with the tallest trees I have ever seen, through which we glimpsed three ladies bathing in an Onsen. Now, I didn’t take a picture  but some did, as they were waving to us, and literally letting it all hang out!! Our Guide wryly said “Germans or Scandinavian, the Brits or Americans would not use Onsens”! Here’s another, who would not!!! They have been available in all our hotels, but I have not been tempted!

So, bit of a let down for some, but a beautiful Sunday afternoon walk in Nature.

So, next day it was a long journey to Mount Fuji with a bad weather forecast. The highest mountain in Japan, at almost 4,000 meters, a dormant volcano,  it is revered as the abode of Japan’s ancestral God’s.  About 100 km from the entrance to the National Park, it loomed ahead, majestically!!

However, that was the best we got to see!! When we got to the Park, there was thick mist, dense fog and generally, awful weather conditions. We drove to 5th station, at 2,300 meters,  the highest one can drive, it’s a climb for 6/8 hours and overnight after that. The fog was so dense  although we were above the clouds, we could not see anything!!

So, Nature fails us again, sadly. However, there was some hope in sight, as our abode for the night boasted views of the Mountain, when clear. So, when I opened my blinds this morning at 06.00, guess what???

What a wonderful way to start the day!!!

The food in this country is truly delicious! I have eaten so much for the past two weeks, three meals a day,  a variety of flavours, tastes and textures and with few exceptions, have not rejected any.

When I first saw that we were to have breakfast, lunch and dinner each day, I cringed and felt the scales would topple over on my return…that may still happen!!!

However, I have never felt full or hungry, in the way I sometimes do with a Western diet. Most Japanese people  whom I have observed, are slim, with little or no obesity obvious. Yet, watching them eat, as we have done, they eat large amounts of food. Occasionally, breakfast has been a bit if a challenge, but there’s always fruit and yoghurt available. While curious about food, I do draw the line at eel curry for breakfast!! I have now become a breakfast devotee of French Toast! Yummy.

We have been experiencing Japanese food almost every day, with a few exceptions when we were served  Western food. Mastering the chopsticks was a bit of a challenge for me initially, although we are always offered forks, but I have managed a certain dexterity!!!

From the Bento Box to the Cabbage Pancake and everything in-between , it has been a culinary adventure. Restaurants have been spotlessly clean, with food being served in rapid succession!! Sometimes too quickly. I have learned what to add to my rice, to bring the bowl to my mouth, to slurp my miso soup, to cook my food on the burner and while there seems to be an inordinate amount of food served, I scoff it all, yet never feel full!!

Either our Guide or a member of the Restaurant go to great lengths to explain the various foods, from sauces, to spices, to vegetables to meat and fish. We have had lots of delicious Wagu beef and my only disappointment was pork, which I found a little bland. There are little or no carbs, except of course for rice, in their meals, and sauces can be salty, yet very tasty.

Water is served automatically with all meals and occasionally one gets Sake. A list of wine and beer is offered and my experience of the wine is quite good and it is reasonably priced.

We have eaten in hotel dining rooms, private rooms, small restaurants and restaurants in shopping centres!

However my favorite venue and menu was lunch in a beautiful elegant restaurant, in a lovely small town called Obuse.

Here the menu was totally fish, shellfish and white fish, all delicious. The Restaurant was beautiful, elegant and the most typical Japanese of all we had visited  with bamboo matting under foot ( shoes had to be removed) to lovely porcelain dinnerware, to magnificent wall prints. This all with a background of classical music and tinkling water!! Sunday Roast beef at home will never compare, I fear, but how lucky am I to have had the chance to experience such culinary feats.!!!

Today was about discovering Japans’ flavours. In tbe beautiful small town of Takayama, we wandered through the small town, where the old timbered houses are exquisitely maintained. This town was known for its carpenters and they were sent thoughout the country to build the Temples and Shrines of long ago.

We were taken to a Sake brewery where a very personable young lady explained the way Sake is made. It is incorrectly known as Rice Wine although Rice is used in the fermentation, but she very proudly explained that this is a misnomer!!! With over one thousand Sake breweries in the country, the market is competitive.

We were given 3 different flavours to taste but honestly at 11 a.m. it was not for me!!! However quite a fascinating story none the less.

Afternoon at leisure,  Yipee!!! Time to investigate this town with all it’s Arts and Crafts. I quickly discovered a besutiful Art Gallery with magnificent paintings, sculptures and other forms of Art.

There was so much I could have purchased but had to confined myself to one modern piece of gilded metal, based on size and weight!! The creativity was breathtaking.

The atmosphere in this small town was laid back, calming and relaxing. Freed from the constant group walk, following the umbrella, I cherished some me time!!! I found a very beautiful courtyard coffee shop, where I decided to rest and ruminate! Heaven!! One of my travelling companions has a harsh loud voice, which I then heard, heading in my direction….yes, you guessed it ” There’s Jean”and my heart sank, as four fellow travellers decamped onto my lovely calm corner!!! Agh!!! After a reasonable period, I removed myself, disappointed at not having more me-time!!! Defo becoming very odd!!!!!

I then found a fantastic stationery shop. Stationery shops  are so beautiful in Japan, where obviously the art of letter writing is still strong. The range of types of paper, design and selection of cards,  writing papers , notebooks etc was enormous. Another large parcel for the bottom of the case!!!

Apart from the beautiful range of writing materials,  this shop had an upstairs, dedicated to writing instruments!! My John would have been in his element, as he always used a fountain pen and was very particular about the ink he used. There were hundreds of pens to choose from, ranging from Mont Blanc, Waterman and many other brands, new to me.

There were different types of paper on sale here also, which sparked my interest, as the previous day we had been brought to an original Washi paper making studio. Like so many crafts, this is also a dying one, with only 12 experts left working in this third generation company. The Washi paper, which we made, is a little like soft knarled blotting paper. We were shown the process, which was a bit yucky, and then proceeded to engage!!! My effort was not too bad!!!

Next class took place at a Miso plant, now run by the 6th generation of the family. An integral part of all Japanese cooking, the story of Miso production was quite intriguing. On departure, through the usual retail outlet, we were offered Miso ice cream, but I choose to pass on that one!!!

And finally to a Wasabi farm, another staple of cooking in Japan.

Grown in water, underneath these black tarpaulins, the root takes three years to grow. There were people working under these tarps, in water, as they harvested the wasabi!!!

More wasabi ice cream, but again, a polite No from me!!!!

So no more lessons for the day and on to Nagano!!!

Now Kyoto is known for culture but I need to see some that was more to my taste!! Difficult client, I hear you say and you are probably right!!! Two more Shrines/Temples on this morning’s agenda,  but my enthusiasm was waning, as the rain was pitching down!! However we did visit and wondered at the history and significance of said Temples.

These are called Tori Gates and were built as entrances to the Shrine. In this particular Shrine, there are 10,000 of them, forming a beautiful walkway amidst the trees.

The Golden Pagoda is exactly as it says, with one floor completely covered in gold leaf, but more about that anon!!

Later that day, we went to a traditional tea ceremony, which was so genteel! The elegance of the ladies, the precision of the cermony and the welcome we received, was wonderful.

I was anxious to see some Geishas and to go to the Gion area,  where many of them are based. On researching some shows, I decided to play hookie, leave the Group, and head off on my own to a traditional Arts Performance at Gion Corner! It was fabulous!

We were not allowed take any photos or videos of the performances, so I cannot really illustrate the evenings entertainment. We had the tea ceremony first, called Chado. We then had some Koto music, the national instrument of Japan, played beautifully by two ladies. It is a  little like a xylophone with strings.  This was followed by Ikebana, the Japanese art of Flower arranging. Then came the Bugaku Dance, a little terrifying but very colourful and then the laughs!!! We had Kyogen comedy, which although I did have a translation, one could follow it very easily!! Hilarious, a bit Morecombe and Wise on steroids!!! It finished up with Buntaku puppet theatre which was very deft and clever. Fantastic to be there and a bit of everything.

The Gion area is quite spread out and on another evening, if it was dry and I had company, I would have strolled in the area. Lots of restaurants and tea houses, but the night was wet and I thought it wise to return to the hotel. I also learned that in Kyoto the girls are not called Geishas, but Geikos. They train for up to five years for perfection.

So back to pack up again, as we were off early morning to Kanazawa, a bus journey of 4 hours covering 300 km

While we are moving a lot, we are seeing a lot of the country. There’s hardly a town we go through that the HQ of one of the intetnationsl Japanese companies, that would be familiar to us,  is not pointed out!! Panasonic, Mitsubishi, Mazda Epson, Nintendo, Sharp, I could go on. A huge industrial nation, their economy is not strong at present and with the yen being weak, it of course is offering great value to us tourists. Tourism numbers have increased this year by 23% and it shows!!!

The place is spotless! No litter anywhere, streets, pavements, public loos are so clean, puts us to shame. We have seen lots of children on school tours, as its the season. They are so neat, tidy, well behaved, but still having lots of fun!!

Traffic is heavy in the cities, but flows well with minimum congestion. Lots of bikes of course with bike parks everywhere. I was intrigued to see this smaller car, everywhere, especially in the cities. It’s called a Kei car, with maximum engine size of 650 c.c. and does not measure more than 3.4 metres. It costs about $1000 and carries yellow plates which gives it reduced road tax!!!

Space is at a premium in this country and to see how parking is arranged so neatly outside houses, is amazing.

As we drove to Kanazawa, we drove along by the Sea of Japan. Beautiful blue sky and a very different perspective to what we had previously experienced.

I was looking forward to our one night stop here as we were to visit two gardens and my expectation was totally fulfilled!!

We had been told that there were two kinds of Japanese Gardens, a Viewing Garden and a Strolling Garden, both self explanatory.

So we were to see examples of each. The Shogun has built houses in this Town for his Samurai ( soldiers) in the 16th Century and now a particular area is preserved with regular domestic families in residence. The houses are beautifully constructed but we were brought to a particular one to see the viewing garden! It was magnuficent! Designed in such a way that when sitting in a variety of areas, you will see the different perspectives of the Garden..as always, Nature is let flow free and never too far away from the tinkle of water and it’s  calming effect on tbe senses. While this house was quite small, as was the garden, it didn’t feel that way.

Then it was off to Kenroku -en Garden, one of the top three gardens in Japan.

It was truly exquisite and I as did not want to traips around it in a group, I bounded off on my own. I really am becoming very anti social! There are ponds, there are tea houses   there are Plum Groves. The Trees are magnificent and to see the level of maintenence going on was incredible! One gardener, on his knees, was sweeping leaves, with his hands, from the perimeter of the lake!! To walk, sit, contemplate or just empty ones’ mind in a haven like this,was really a privilege.

Then it was off to a gold leaf factory…as you do!!! All the gold leaf in Japan is produced here in Kanazawa, so we were instructed in the Art, which is labour intensive, as was the subsequent shopping!!!! There’s always a Shop!!! So, yours truly purchased a beautiful necklace,(surprise  surprise). which hopefully will look as good at home as it did there!!!!

This morning we have driven through the most amazing Japanese Alps, along twisty alpine roads, over narrow bridges and with every corner the scenery is even more dramatic. The trees on the mountains are just beginning to turn Russet red as Autumn approaches. We thought we would catch the Autumn leaves, but climate change has delayed this year’s arrival. However this does not take from our wonderment of Nature in all her guises in this area. Tricking mountain streams, cascading waterfalls and deep ravines. This area experiences heavy snow falls during Winter and skiing is big business in this area. The Winter Olympics was held in nearby Nagano in 1998

More to follow tomorrow!!!!

I have read about the Japanese Bullet train for years and never thought I would get to travel on it, but Monday was the day!!!

We were travelling from Hiroshima to Kyoto and I was so excited! First of all, the train stations in Japan are awesome and the Hiroshima station was just such a location. 10 to 12 million people travel by rail in Japan daily and this becomes very obvious, when in the station!!!

There was a separate area for the Shinkansen, which is what the Bullet Train is known as in Japan.

We had our tickets, with our allocated seats and instructions to stand on a specifically marked spot, opposite which the door nearest to our seat would open. We had 60 seconds to board!!!! All on board, once the train moved on, we were able to move around and I moved to a window seat to watch the world go by. Hiroshima is quite an industrial city, but once we moved out into the countryside, one could see the rice paddy fields where the harvest has just finished.

Japanese rice is also known as sticky rice and is what’s used for sushi and sasumi. Because the rice bean is small, it absorbs water, plumping it out thereby making it sticky!!! I am becoming quite an expert on such useless information!!!

The journey to Kyoto, a distance of about 300 kilometers took one hour and twenty five minutes, with three stops and we reached a top speed of 300 km per hour!!! On arrival in Kyoto, it was a case of lining up at the exit door in advance of arrival, so we cud get off promptly, in another 60 seconds!!!! Phew!!!

I was looking forward to visiting Kyoto, particularly as it’s known as the cultural capital of Japan. However, it was raining heavily on arrival with a pretty bleak forecast for our time there. We visited two Temples, before we checked into our hotel, by which time, I was Templed Out!!! The Temples were interesting, but the pressure of visitors in this area was immense.

The Arts and Crafts throughout Kyoto are incredible. The creativity and artistic design seen throughout the City is breathtaking.

The pots featured here, that are as small as a tiny cup of matcha tea, were priced at over €6,000 each!!!There was no price available for the frame that was beautifully carved.

There were pieces of show of Satsuma ware from the Edo period, also displayed,  magnificent and not for sale.

Many pieces of this type of porcelain, now seen in Japan, have been repatriated from overseas, as part of Japanese heritage. The pieces are so intricate,  beautiful, fine and delicate like the Japanese themselves.

A week into the trip, as I predicted, some cracks are beginning to show!! Ah Maeve, we have a block buster or a Netflix series!!! The Aussies have ganged together and are loud and always late, the Brits are polite and complain incessantly and everyone keeps dropping names of countries and places they have been, much to the chagrin of those less travelled!!! And of course the Irish, Swiss and Scotish are petfect travellers! It is funny to observe the dynamics. The Guide is wonderful and a Saint!!!

Early on there was a discussion that there was no need to tip him at the end of the trip as all the Guide books say No Tipping!! I was horrified at the thought of no tip, for someone who was babysitting 18 adults for 17 days, so Jean went straight in, and discreetly asked him directly. As I thought, a tip is expected. So with the help of a retired Cop (another passenger, not a local!!!) I let this information be known to one and all.

Well,  guess what, mutiny has broken out and it’s all my fault for asking him!!! Now, one assumes that everyone on this trip, which is not cheap, has reasonable disposable income…… but eventually Andy ( the cop) came back and said he would collect the equivalent of £5 per person ( total) on the last day!!!!! I kid you not!!! When I suggested that £5 per person, per day,  would be more appropriate, he nearly collapsed!!! So, I hv learnt my lesson, from now, I am staying stum and doing my own thing!! As tbe saying goes ” Theres’ none so odd as folk”!!!!

While I needed time to reflect, to mourn and to handle my shock, sadness and anger  at what I had witnessed in Hiroshima, I moved on, somewhat chastened, but also positive in my thoughts. After all, the Cenotaph that contains as many of the names of those killed who have been identified,( currently almost 250,000)  with the inscription ” Let all the souls rest here in peace, for the evil shall not be repeated”.

After our visit to the Museum, we travelled, somewhat reluctantly, to Miyajima Island to see the famous Tori Gatemmade of camphorwood arising out of the water, and the only entrance to the island in times past.

This island lies about 30 minutes from Hiroshima and is home to Itsukushima Shrine. It is accessed by ferry and it was extremely busy with locals and school groups. In the past, if one wished to visit the Shrine, you had to enter, by sea, through the Gate and depart also in similar fashion!!!

As we walked through the Shrine I wondered what the large sacks were, stacked up on top of one another.

Apparently, these containers,  all with varying Kana on them, contain the alcohol Sake sometimes incorrectly known as Rice Wine! Sake is sacred to Shinto beliefs and these containers are used in the Shrine for different events. The differing Kana indicate the level of premium,  somewhat like the vintage/ reserve system with wine. So depending on the occasion or dignitaries attending, the best Sake is produced!!

We are going to visit a brewery later in the week and sample the Sake which has an alcohol content of 15%!

Then it was time for more food, so we were to experience the speciality called Okonomiyaki, or a Cabbage Pancake. My face fell at the thought, but when in Rome…… such an experience!!! We sat around a counter similar to a tappanaki table while this glamorous lady prepared the pancake and explained as she went along!!

It contained egg, pork, bean sprouts, white cabbage, noodles, onion, herbs, salt and not sure what else!!!! It was pure theatre as she dectly chopped, cleaned, sprinkled and chatted fir about 10 minutes!!! It was gorgeous!!! However it had to be eaten with an implement like a small metal spatula called a Hera. Now, i am just about managing the chopsticks, while dropping a lot of my food, but this was new challenging territory!! Luckily there is no photograpic memory of our collective efforts!!!!! Do try it!!!

So, our ride on Shinkansen calls in the morning for our train tide to Kyoto  so off to pack….again!!!

A damp grey day brought us to the scene of one of the world’s greatest atrocities, the bombing of Hiroshima on August 6th 1945. We did of course get all the relevant information and account of that fateful day,  we stood on the Bridge,  the original target that was missed by a couple of hundred meters, but nothing could have prepared me for the horrific, graphic, photographic account of that day.

We walked to the Dome, the only building that has been preserved as a permanent reminder.

A beautiful Park has been created nearby and we stopped first at the Memorial to the Children, killed in the bombing, estimated to be almost twenty five thousand  who died on the day  and subsequently through illness, inspired by a little girl, Sadako Sasaki, who at 2 years old survived the blast, but succumbed to leukaemia 8 years later.

Then I walked towards the Peace Museum and stopped at the Memorial Monument to Hope and Peace. Simple, constructed artistically in granite, it has an ever lasting flame and flowers. While I stood there in contemplation, many Japanese came to bow their heads in memory. So poignant.

I then entered the actual Museum, which is modern, interactive with all the bells and whistles one finds in Museums everywhere, coffee shop, gift shop etc.

The experience is made up of four parts. Initially you get the historical data, dates, numbers etc and you then enter a somewhat darkened area as a long slow line of people walk slowly past the most horrific, graphic, black and white photographs, imaginable. All greatly magnified, they line both walls, floor to ceiling, as you walk by them,  through the area. There is palpable sorrow and silence here, where the majority of people are Japanese, of all ages. Young people, babies in buggies, very elderly people, all so, so solemn. As a visitor, one almost feels like an intruder.

Many  of the photography was taken by a local newspaper reporter/ photographer, who was one of the first on the scene on that fateful day. He said that initially, he was unable to photograph the horror in front of him, but then realised he had to record the horror unfolding before him. The photographs are captioned with names, where they were identified, but of course many victims were never identified. Chaotic scenes at  emergency stations hurriedly set up to help the burnt and wounded are shown, as are pictures of the most horrific burnt bodies, alive, dying and dead.

In the Centre of a large room within this section, are remnants of children’s clothes, some blown of the children and some recovered from their bodies. While it is nauseating, it does serve as a reminder of  the damage that nuclear arms can render.

Then there are profiles of people living  for some time with the effects of radiation and some heart rending accounts told by survivors.

While photography is allowed, I could not bring myself to photogragh anything.

Then there is a Science section, elaborating on the development and use of the Atomic Bomb. This is quickly followed with detail of the Nuclear Age and Nuclear Weapons Abolition, together with detail of all the various Promises, Treaties and Government Acts of Non Proliferation, that we have heard about in the past 80 years, all to no avail, as the current world political state tests.

The Museum isn’t for everyone and I don’t apologise for writing about it here. It is part of recent history and I feel we do need to be reminded of Mans’ inhumanity to Man. I hope you agree.

The humidity is gone for now,  rain has arrived and there’s another Typhoon on the horizon!! Bit of confusion regarding the path of the Typhoon, but no doubt we will find out soon enough.

So, as we left Osaka this morning at 07.45 for a bus journey of 600 kilometres, we donned the rain jackets and sweaters, as the temperature has dropped and it’s raining!

Leaving Osaka, traffic was busy, but I did get a start, to see a train whizzing past us on what I thought was the Motorway. Apparently, the train tracks run between the Motorway lanes. Train travel is huge in this country with between 60 and 70 million people travelling daily.

67% of this country is covered in vertiginous mountains and much of our journey today was through this terrain. This also explains why urban areas are so densely developed and populated. It is actually very beautiful and calming .

At the chance of being indelicate I have to mention the very topical subject of Toilets! Electronic, automatic, and with  heated seats, they are a subject of much wonderment and chat!!! So our opening address from Mike, early this morning , was on this subject and how the current trend has developed and how extensively it is now used. Suffice to say it’s intriguing and I will not bring the subject up again!!! Nor post a picture, you will be glad to hear!!!!

So off to Himjei Castle, built in 1601, a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site and deemed a National Treasure. A magnificent ediface, it is also known as White Heron Castle and is the most visited Castle in Japan!!This is because of it’s soaring Keep and white plaster walls. It underwent two massive reconstruction periods, the most recent only completed in 2015. One must remove ones’ shoes and take off raincoats or jackets in order to preserve the brilliant wooden interior. So, as with all things Japanese, with  amazing efficiency, we are given large plastic string bags in which to carry our shoes!

You climb on the exterior for quite a bit before you enter the Keep, where there, now barefoot or in stocking feet, you climb 110 steps through 8 stories to reach the top, where the views are stupendous! Although quite busy, everyone is polite and takes their time, climbing quite narrow and very steeped steps. The structure is wooden and in the last refurbishment, it was completely stripped down to the basic wooden frame, the model of which, is on view. 2 central colums extend from basement to the 5th floor, one of which was made from a single 35 meter tree trunk!

Of course no visit would be complete without the story of the Maid who was killed for stealing dishes, but still comes up through the water tank every night to count the plates and the sad story of Princess Sen daughter of the Shogun,but she made a political marriage to bond warring tribes together and endrd up having  a tragic life.

We then walked in the rain to the fabulous Koko-En Garden, one of the most famous gardens in Japan. It covers over 9 hectares and has 9 distincively different gardens, each one more tranquil and beautiful than the others. There was “soft ” rain falling during our visit,  but that coupled with the sound of the various garden water features, made for a wonderful calm experience.

While the Lotus is not Japanese, it is part of Japanese culture as it symbolises rebirth, purity and spiritual enlightenment. One stem was blooming weakly adjacent to this notice but i am told that in April, there are many blooms of the Lotus here. There was a Bamboo Garden, a Pine Garden, a garden of Summer trees to name but a few. Each distinctive and each more beautiful than the previous one

I could have spent hours there in peace and contemplation.

How lucky to have been able to visit.

Then it was off for 4 hours in a coach to Hiroshima…in the rain!!! We were staying in the Grand Prince Hotel and one of the Group who had Googled it informed us it was on a beach, 5 star and it was where there had been a Summit some years ago!! Happy Days!

We arrived in tired and were blown away by the magnificent foyer!!

And then to my room!! The crappiest hotel room I have ever stayed in!!! Tired , old fashioned, the air conditioner unit sitting on top of the safe that was on the floor, the bed about four inches off the floor and the bathroom looked like it was designed for Lilliputlians!! It is a three Star, overlooking a Port and the G7 ( before it became the G8) were here 5 years ago!! Bet none of them stayed in my room!!!

Anyway, pity about me, I know, the view was lovely and dinner was wonderful with fun!!!

Gin and Tonic calls, more tomorrow!!!