You can't go to Japan without riding a bullet train at least once. A very quick 2 and a half hours saw us arrive in Tokyo and we were blessed on the journey by getting a reasonabl;e view of Mt Fuji. Covered by clouds to sopme extent but at least we could see the snow covered peak. Somehow we managed to navigate our way through Topkyo station and whilst we knew that our hotel was close by, we didnt realise that it was actually in the adjacent building. From ou...

What can be more Japanese than a traditional tea ceremony? And what better way to do it than dress in a Japanese way. In a 100 year old machiya (Japanese tea house) we were taken through the history of the tea ceremony and the rituals involved and then allowed to make our own cup of tea, accompanied by Japanese sweets. Both informative and a lot of fun. By now we had (almost) become experts at navigating the rail system. It's a bit confusing in Kyoto as the...

The weather continues to spoil us so this morning we use a train and taxi to get to the Philosphers Path. A beautiful walk beside a stream that winds through traditional housing areas surrounded by gorgeous trees and bushes. So tranquil and quiet. It's about 1.5kms in length and along the way we saw numerous fish and a few cranes searching for food. Another taxi and we were at Nishiki Market. A very long narrow arcade, fully roofed and lined with all manner ...

This morning we headed off to Arashiyama Bamboo Forest for our pre arranged rickshaw ride through the forest. Two train rides and a short walk to where we met our rickshaw driver, Koki. Fantastic young Japanese guy, full of enthusiasm, knowledge and a very respectful attitude. His strength to haul us and a rickshaw was amazing. The bamboo forest was incredible. Average height around 20 metres. Following lunch and a stroll through the retail area we caught t...

We only had the morning in Osaka so we decided to head to Osaka Castle. A walk through the streets in the early part of the morning gave us a chance to get a feel of the place. Basically it just feels like a city. The castle itself is quite a site. Originally built in the 1600's its been destroyed and rebuilt a number of times. The current structure dates from the 1920's. A huge moat surrounds the entire area and an inner moat surrounds the castle itself. ...