Konnichiwa! I had a wonderful time in Kyoto, but I actually write this from an internet cafe in Hiroshima where I have somehow ordered a private room with a leather recliner and huge screen, the chair is doing a weird massage thing and is making me uncomfortable. We travelled by Shinkansen from Hakone to Kyoto and arrived in the evening, after checking into yet another swanky western hotel - I miss the Ryokan - we all went out for a meal together and I had my f...

We set out to Hakone in the afternoon, taking the first leg by Shinkansen (bullet train), it's pretty darn fast (and comfortable), whenever another Shinkansen passed you could feel the force of it. We transferred onto a local train and then took the final leg by taxi to the Ryokan (traditional Japanese inn). The taxi ride was interesting, we darted in and out of cars on roads that were far too narrow with plenty of blindspots, but we made it there in one piece an...

Ohayou! I had a fantastic first day! My journey really began at the airport. I could not wait for my cultural experience to start, so found a Japanese noodle bar at Amsterdam airport. They were so busy I had to eat my chicken ramen standing up, I was the only European amongst about thirty Japanese; needless to say I made a fool of myself with the chopsticks! After waiting in Amsterdam for a couple of hours I found my gate and went through boarding customs with t...