Nagoya: one of Japan's largest cities, a modern busy metropolis. From the heights of
Nagoya Tower to the depths of the subway system, from the old castle to the modern form
of Oasis21, Nagoya really mixes it up.
Koyasan: an ancient small town with temples and shrines in the snow. Here you can stay with Buddhist monks in the
birthplace of Japanese buddhism. Wake early for the morning recitations and then enjoy the best food.
Kyoto: the old capital of Japan. With a modern heart built on ancient foundations, temples scattered throughout the city,
and a surprise on every corner.
Hiroshima: a once-ruined city rebuilt in the name of peace. The museum details the horror and the hope for building
a world without nuclear weapons.
Jigokudani: a little valley with a population of snow monkeys. It may take a few hours to reach from civilisation,
but the monkeys will surprise you with their antics and make the trip worthwhile.
Shizuoka: another modern town. Bursting with busy karaoke places, signs and lights everywhere, and a dinosaur.
Tokyo: the capital of Japan in all its shiny glory. All neon and lights and mirrors and skyscrapers. Tokyo never
sleeps!
Fujisan: Japan's highest peak. At 3,776m high at the moment, it is an active volcano so this could change! The views
from the bullet train are stunning.
Castles and temples. Pagodas and pavilions, shrines and gardens.
All the Japanese shiny newness. Buildings and towers create the distinctive
form of the modern japanese town.
Trains and planes. The trains dont always arrive on time, but
they do always stop in exactly the right place.
The unique cuisine of Japan - or at least some of the things
I sampled whilst trying to stay vegetarian.
The journey to Koyasan involves a ride on the 45-degree cable railway! Up we go, into the mountains...
After a short walk in the snow, we reach the first temple gate and it's guardian statue.
Taeko wraps up against the cold.
The graveyard in Koyasan has millions of graves, dating back perhaps thousands of years. There are monuments to unborn children, corporate graveyards for faithful workers, and great old tombs.
At the monastery where we stayed, the tastiest vegetarian food ever was delivered to our room. Here we tuck into dinner.
The room may have been simple, but was warm and decorated with fantastic brush paintings all round.
Breakfast the next day was equal to dinner.
The temple bell rang early that morning, and we went off into the temple to listen to the chanting of a buddhist text and to watch the burning of offerings. After the chanting, we were invited to make an offering ourselves, and then after a bit more chanting we took tea with one of the monks and a friendly cat.
We left the monastery and explored the temples and pagodas of Koyasan.
Now it was time to head back down the mountain. The view from the top of the cable-train was stunning.
As our cable car descends, its companion comes up, bringing a fresh batch of pilgrims to Koyasan
From Koyasan we made our way to Osaka and my surprise - tickets to the Kodo Drummers - an amazing performance!