Due to the fact that I spent an extra half day in Kyoto, I arrived at Nagano later on that I had hoped. And then I still had a 40 minute train ride to Yudanaka - out in the Japanese Alps. I had also failed to take in to account the infrequent nature of trains to these smaller towns, having grown accustomed to the abundance and regularity of transport in the cities of Tokyo, Osaka and Kyoto. When I finally arrived in Yudanaka, the very last stop on the Nagano De...

Karma came round to bite me on the arse! After mocking the Japanese sock and flip flop ensemble, my only pair of pumps were still soaking wet from the trip to Nara the day before, and I was forced to look like a total and utter retard of a tourist by wearing my jeans with running trainers! Nightmare. Little did I realise at this point, that things were to go from bad to worse… I arrived at Kyoto station, made a b-line for the tourist information office to gr...

I woke up Tuesday morning and decided I would make the most of Juliana's company by joining her on a trip to Nara. Given that we were both feeling pretty under whelmed by the repeated shopping districts of Osaka compared to Tokyo, it was a welcome break. We grabbed a quick breakfast at a small ramen bar in Fukushima, where you stand to eat. But unfortunately for me I was also stood next to the urinal! In Japan, most women stay at home to bring up the family, so ...

I arrived in Fukushima, the next stop along from Osaka, where my hostel is based. I dragged my bag behind me and wandered up the road next to the train station, following my hand written directions, when a Japanese man of a similar age to me jumps out and asks if I am going to J-Hoppers. I was. But I didn't want to tell him that. So I asked why. He didn't understand, so said J-Hoppers again and tried to show me the way. My suspicious side immediately felt uncom...

My final day in Tokyo was a bit of a mish-mash, zig-zagging across the city to visit the final few places on my metaphorical checklist. I headed for The Imperial Palace, at Nijubashimae, first, and when I arrived the place was swarming with police, which at first I thought was just usual security measures for the residence of Japan's imperial family. As I got closer to the palace, however, there was also a press area and a number of locals standing and waiting be...