The front-end of a super fast train.

Bugs splattered across the elongated nose from high speed smashes. The top is usually very dirty, I’m guessing all the smog and dirty which gets pushed around the nose collects along the top. You’ll also find a very smartly dressed crew, wearing what look like beige pilot suits.

This article will give you some information on the Shinkansen, and how to use them to travel Japan.

The first ever Japan Travel Mate video has been created for this article. Check out this high definition video from my summer trips on the shinkansen.

The Shinkansen has a rich history in Japan. The English term “bullet train” comes from the direct translation of the project to originally build the Shinkansen, way back in the 1930s. The Tokaido line, which runs from Tokyo to Osaka, was the first Shinkansen route and started operation in 1964. Since then, it has been almost non-stop expanding, up to this year when the latest E5 Hayabusa was launched and the MagLev line (also to run between Tokyo and Osaka) was approved for construction.

Checking Shinkansen timetables

Use Hypermedia to check Shinkansen trip times and timetables, it is a website in English which you can use to check not just the Shinkansen, but also local trains and buses of JR and other private transport providers.

Types of Shinkansen

A common misconception is that the names of the service (e.g. Nozomi, Hikari, Kodama) is the name of the train itself. While it can be a good guide, these are actually the names of the service and it tells you how express it is (from fast to local).

Here are some photos I’ve taken of the different types of bullet trains.

Shinkansen series N700 from the side, very cool lookin' train.

The series N700 is the second newest Shinkansen operating in Japan. The newest, E5 on the Hayabusa service is super cool, view some E5 pictures and a link to some HD videos. A new red E6 has already been built and will be launched around 2013.

Logo on the side of the train.

JR West Shinkansen series 700.

Shinkansen series 700 logo.

Shinkansen 700 series - JR West Hikari Rail Star service.

Shinkansen series 300 - you'll probably ride one of these if you travel Japan with a JR pass.

The different bullet train services

There are a few key things which characterise the different services:

1. How many stops it makes and how long it takes: for example, a Nozomi (the fastest with least stops, first in the photo below) from Osaka to Tokyo will stop make 3 stops before it gets to Shinagawa in Tokyo. The Kodama will make 14 stops on the same route. Hence, the more stops, the longer the journey.
2. The type of train: usually the series N700 is used on the Nozomi and Hikari services. The Kodama service may use a series 700, 500 or 300 train.
3. The number of train carriages: Nozomi services will always have 16 cars. See the image below for more info.
4. The price: the Nozomi from Osaka to Tokyo will cost about 14,000 Yen, Hikari services are about 200 Yen cheaper, the Kodama another 200 Yen cheaper.

Shinkansen train and service types information - photo taken on a platform at Okayama.

Buying a bullet train ticket

If you are travelling Japan using a JR Pass, you can ignore this section.

Which Shinkansen service should I use?

When buying a ticket, you need to decide what service you want to use. Nozomi, Hikari and Kodama are the most popular services. During peak times (Friday night through to Sunday night) and holidays, the Nozomi service can become booked out very quickly because it is the fastest service and it’s only around 200 yen more than the other services.

The Hikari and Kodama services do take longer but are a good option to choose if you are travelling in peak time.

Where to buy a shinkansen ticket in Japan

You can buy a ticket from any JR station, up to 30 days in advanced. It’s pretty clear when you are at the station where to buy them, if you are unsure just find an information booth or ask a staff member. Saying something like “shinkansen no kippu wa doke de kae masu ka?”, to ask “where can I buy a Shinkansen ticket?”.

When you buy your ticket, you may receive either one or two tickets (like the one in the photo below). You’ll usually receive one if you booked a ticket from one Shinkansen station direct to another. However, you can book tickets to and from any JR station. For example, when I travelled from Osaka to Nagoya, my trip was actually a local JR train from JR Osaka station to Shin-Osaka station and then the Shinkansen to Nagoya. In these cases, put both your tickets in the gate machines as you enter the terminal.

Unfortunately, you can’t buy tickets online.

Here's a ticket for a trip from Nagoya to Okayama on the Nozomi. 350kms in 1 hour and 40 mins!

Where to buy a shinkansen ticket outside Japan

The best place to buy a Shinkansen ticket outside Japan is at a JTB travel agency.

Arriving at the station

The station where your bullet train departs from will have both Shinkansen and local train lines. Make your way to the shinkansen area, and put your tickets in the gate. If you have a JR Pass, just go to the window and show one of the gate attendants.

You'll see this board, in Japanese and English just after passing through the gates at the station.

After passing through the gates you’ll need to find your platform. At most stations I’ve been to, there are 2 lines on the one platform and both lines head in the same direction. Check the board, like the one above. The easiest way is to look for your train number. However, as the boards only show the next 4 or so trains, you may need to just check in which direction the train is headed.

Another departure times board on the platform.

Platforms will always have another departure times board where you can check your train.

Just like everywhere else in Japan, you’ll find vending machines and convenience stores on the platform. The shops are basically mini-convenience stores, but they have just about everything the larger versions does, such as bentos, alcohol and snacks.

Shinkansen waiting to depart the platform.

The bullet trains are usually really long. The N700′s cars are each about 25 metres long, and there is 16 of them! So before your train arrives, make your way to the waiting are for your car on the platform. In the picture above you can see the open door of the 15th car. On the platform on the white tiles, is a blue area with the number 15 next to it. People will stand in an orderly manner arranged in the shape of this waiting area, and quickly board when the train arrives. The train usually stops at the platform for between 1-2 minutes, so be prompt!

On-board the shinkansen

Information of the Nozomi service train layout.

The above photo is the layout of an N700 Nozomi service.

Inside the bullet train, it feels like you are on a jet. There are however some great differences: you get much more leg room; the seats recline more; there isn’t so much noise from the outside. Usually there are 5 seats to a row.

I was lucky this trip to be in an almost empty carriage.

Within 1 car there are toilets, and there are also vending machines and phones throughout the train.

The vending machines I’ve seen are really limited, you get a better selection from the trolley cart that is regularly wheeled around where you can buy food, snacks, drinks and alcohol.

Vestibule area between cars, with a vending machine and toilets.

This article is part of my summer holiday of 2011 in Japan post series.

Related posts:

1. Why travel to Japan? Top 10 reasons to go and visit
2. Why go to Japan?
3. Kyoto – things to do

The trip took me to Okayama (west of Himeji and Osaka), then a day trip to the amazing Awa Odori festival of Tokushima and ending with a few days in Kyoto. Although I’d been Kyoto before, there really is so much to see in this beautiful city so I had to go back.

I’ll be posting more detailed articles (with photos and some videos) on each of the places I visited below. Getting email alerts or grabbing the RSS (Feedburner) feed is the best way to stay up to date, and make sure you receive notice when the in-depth articles are posted.

Subscribe to new posts by email

Subscribe to Japan Travel Mate posts with RSS

Shinkansen from Nagoya to Okayama

Read the post: Shinkansen: riding the bullet train in Japan – photos and HD video with all the information you need about bullet trains in Japan.

It’s been a while since I’ve ridden the bullet train. The other option to get to Okayama was an overnight bus (leaving Nagoya at about 11PM, arriving in Okayama at 7AM), and I can’t sleep on buses. So, I took the Nozomi shinkansen, it takes about 1.5 hours.

HDR photo of one of the 700 series shinkansen waiting at the station.

I’ve never ridden the Nozomi before, when I used bullet trains before in Japan it was using the JR Pass. With the JR Pass you can use almost all bullet trains, except for the Nozomi. The Nozomi is a super express, usually the newer 700 series super-cool looking train. I got to the platform very early to take some photos and videos of the shinkansen.

In Okayama I met some of my girlfriend’s family and friends. Had a fun time at an Izakaya with a cool Japanese guy who is an electronic music producer.

A day trip to Awa Odori in Takamatsu, Shikoku

Read the post: Awa Odori Festival in Tokushima, Shikoku – lots of photos and HD video from the front row of the festival’s main stage.

Next on the itinerary was a bus trip from Okayama to spend the day at Takamatsu for Awa Odori. Actually, it was only a few hours, but we saw the best of it.

The bus left Okayama station around 9AM. We stopped about everything 30 minutes at designated road-rest areas along the way. The best bit of the bus trip was travelling over the Seto Inland sea and the amazingly huge bridges.

Chanting and dancing, was truly a spectacle.

Awa Odori was just awesome. Since we were with a kind of tour, we had purchased seat tickets and had a great seat. We were in the second row of the main festival dancing stage. There are 4 such stages, as well as dancing in the streets. The dancing in the streets is free for all, so it’s hard to get such a good spot to see the dancing.

Day trip to Kurashiki

Read the post: Kurashiki and the historic Bikan district – a bit of history on a sweltering day.

Kurashiki is a unique small town on the outskirts of Okayama city. It is unique and famous for its buildings which have white walls with dark wooden frames. We spent a little over an hour roaming the streets.

A typical white walled building in Kurashiki, this one selling souvenirs.

But it was a very hot and humid day, so we didn’t last too long.

Night trip to Karakouen

Read the post: Korakuen in Okayama at Night – One of Japan’s Top 3 Most Beautiful Gardens.

A botanical/historical style garden across the river from Okayama, Karakouen holds an event each summer where for about 2 weeks, the garden is lit up at night.

A once in a year opportunity to stroll the gardens at night.

There were many awesome sights, including seeing Okayama castle lit up across the river. I utilised my long exposure photography practice from the previous nights bus trip with average results.

A few days in Kyoto

Then we headed to Kyoto for a few days. There was a lot happening in Kyoto, as it was Obon (a festival period honouring the dead) and many families come to Kyoto for various rituals. After a ritual or two, I set off on a mission to see as many of Kyoto’s World Heritage sites that I could in just a few short days…

Kinkaku-ji

Read the post: Amazing Golden Pavilion Temple, Kinkaku-ji, Kyoto – lots of photos and a HD video.

After seeing so many photos of this place, the pure impression of seeing the Temple of the Golden Pavilion (as it is sometimes called in English) was that of pure amazement. Perhaps the most famous icon of Japan, there was a huge amount of tourists strolling through.

HDR photo of the famous temple.

Keep an eye on japantravelmate.com, for an in-depth, photo heavy post on my visit to Kinkaku-ji, including a HD video.

Nijo-jo

Read the post: Nijo Caslte in Kyoto?-?as always, lots of photos and information about this World Heritage Ancient Kyoto Monument.

Nijo castle is situated in the heart of the city. However it’s not your typical castle. I was expecting to see a large building, stereotypical of a castle structure (like Himeji castle). However, Nijo-jo is more of a group of buildings, surrounded by a moat and layers of thick walls and battlements.

The main moat and high walls of the central area of Nijo-jo.

Still very impressive, and very easy to access.

Kyoto Gosho

The Kyoto Imperial Palace, and former residence of the Emperor. The palace contains several buildings, and although it isn’t a world heritage site, the grandeur of this place is very impressive.

A main hall inside the Kyoto Gosho (Kyoto Imperial Palace).

Accessible only by guided tour (tours available in English), entry is free.

Bicycle Hire

The above all happened on day 1 of my Kyoto trip. We got around all day on some very comfortable bicycles, which were hired from near Kinkaku-ji in the morning and then dropped off near Kyoto station in the late afternoon.

Comfortable and almost new bikes, great way to get around Kyoto.

9 Hours capsule hotel

I’d been really keen to stay here, after seeing this place on the net a few months before. This really is a special capsule hotel, one of the newest in Kyoto. It is within walking distance to the famous Gion area of Kyoto.

A single capsule in the hotel, a specially formed mattress and pillow make for a great sleep.

Walk to Shimogamo-jinja

On the second day I got up before the sun came up, to walk north along the Kamo River towards Shimogamo Shrine is another World Heritage site, open free to the public from 6AM.

A little north of the city, near a fork in the Kamo river you'll find Shimogamo Shrine.

500 yen bus pass

After an entire day cycling, and with the temperature around 35 degrees, on day 2 I got a 500 yen bus pass. It lasts the entire day and get’s you to most of the major sites around Kyoto. A typical one way trip on the city bus is 200 yen.

Probably the cheapest way (besides walking) to get around Kyoto.

Ginkaku-ji

Everyone told me Ginkaku temple (a.k.a Temple of the Silver Pavilion) was nothing impressive at all. Being a Zen Buddhist temple, I found a quiet and welcoming serentity to the temple and its beautiful gardens.

HDR photo of the Silver Pavilion Temple.

Daigo-ji

I was looking for outstanding things in Kyoto, and at Daigo-ji you can stand beside the five-storey pagoda (gojunoto in Japanese), which is Kyoto’s oldest wooden structure that is still in existence today.

The five-storeys of the main pagoda temple in Daigo-ji.

There are many grand temples, modest shrines and beautiful gardens throughout the Daigo-ji temple area.

Kyoto station

Continuing to look for outstanding things, I spent some time in Kyoto station. While hanging around a train station doesn’t really sound like fun to most people, you have to realise that Kyoto station is the biggest train station in Japan.

There is a happy place on the top of Kyoto station.

If you ever visit, be sure to take the many escalators to the Sky Garden where you can look out over Kyoto.

Stained glass windows

Spotted just a few blocks north of Kyoto station, is Yodobashi department store. It must be very new (on Google Maps street view it looks to be under construction). Along the south and west facing streets are these great colourful stained glass windows depicting various scenes from Kyoto.

There was at least 10 of these above various windows and entrances to Kyoto-Yodobashi department store.

…watch this space for photos, videos and more in upcoming posts.

Related posts:

1. Japanese cherry blossom – photos and info
2. Pictures of Japan – 10 photos
3. Pictures of Japan – Best of JTM Photos 51 to 100

Samurai picture from Tokyo, Japan

Katana (sword) wielding samurai are one of the most famous icons of Japan. With such a rich and long history, samurai have been depicted in art, television, anime (cartoons), manga (comics) and movies including a few Hollywood blockbusters.

State of the samurai warrior Kusunoki Masashige in the East Garden outside Tokyo's Imperial Palace.

I took this photo during a holiday to Tokyo. The photo has been published in the Japan Times Online.

Geisha & Maiko

Unique to Japan with their white faces, extravagant hair and expensive kimono, the tradition of Geisha and Maiko survives to this day. Most famously they are shown in paintings from Japan dating back hundreds of years.

The face of traditional Japan is still alive today.

Photo credit: Michael Chandler via Flickr.

Temples and shrines in Japan

Temples and shrines go hand in hand in Japan. Rarely will you find a temple which does not have a shrine, conversely there are many small shrines littered around the country.

Todaiji Temple in Nara, Kansai, Japan (near Osaka).

This picture was taken during a trip to Nara, just near Osaka. Todaiji temple is famous for roaming deer and the world’s largest bronze statue of the Buddha Vairocana. Temples are always an impressive scene and there are many different types.

Castles

Part of Japan’s history comprises eras of fierce battle between rulers of various areas. As a result, almost every region, town or city of Japan has a local castle. Some are poised atop mountains, others surrounded by moats and large walls. A visit to any castle is a must during a visit to Japan.

Okayama castle, painted in black, it is known as the Crow Castle.

This picture was taken in Okayama, Japan. Unique with black paint, Okayama castle is usually lit at night and can be seen from various places around the city.

The Big City

Japan has the 10th largest population of any country in the world, with about 128 million people. Tokyo alone has more people in one city than Australia does in its whole country.

Tokyo, truly a city that never sleeps.

This picture of Shibuya, Tokyo is from Dan Chui via Flickr. An amazing HDR photo, Shibuya’s famous and massive pedestrian crossing can be seen in the right bottom corner.

Mt Fuji

Perpetually capped with snow, on a fine day Mt Fuji can be seen from Tokyo Tower. Shown in perhaps the most famous piece of art to come out of Japan The Great Wave off Kanagawa, Mt Fuji is reveared by the Japanese people.

Typically in Japanese, mountains are named ‘Mountain Name’ yama, for example Sanage yama (in Aichi, near where I live). However Mt Fuji is called Fuji san in Japanese, san is appended to peoples names, which shows the close relationship people have with Mt Fuji.

Mt Fuji at night.

This brilliant photo of Mt Fuji at night is provided with thanks to (c) Tomo Yun

Cherry Blossoms (Sakura)

Arguably the most famous flower or plant of Japan, and known all over the world is the cherry blossom (sakura in Japanese). Blooming for only a few weeks everywhere, just about every Japanese person will annually attend a cherry blossom festival or spend a day picnicking and viewing cherry blossoms (ohanami in Japanese).

A glimpse of the cherry blossom flower in spring.

This picture of cherry blossoms in Japan was taken during my visit to Okayama castle. Take a look at the articles in the Cherry Blossoms category for more pictures and info.

Bullet Trains (Shinkansen)

There are two photos for this one, for a few reasons: I think shinkansen are awesome; Japan is the pioneer and leader in high-speed trains, the latest bullet train (the E5 Hayabusa) travels at over 300km/h; the E6 (which is red so must be slightly faster!) has already been built and will be in operation in a few years; approval from the Japanese government has been given to JR (Japan Railway) to build a Maglev train between Tokyo and Osaka, it will travel at over 500km/h in an almost straight line!

A wallpaper of the E5 Hayabusa shinkasen from JR East.

An advertising poster for the new bullet train.

Both images are from JR East.

Go to Why go to Japan? Reason #2: Technology to see HD video of the new bullet train.

Japanese People

And last, but of course not least, is the Japanese people themselves. There are many stereotypes of Japanese people; the cosplay style, crazily dressed teen-to-twenty-something in Harajuku; the salary man squashed and asleep on the train; the old man and woman with hunched backs pulling their shopping trolley; ninjas… When you visit Japan you quickly realise that the Japanese hold onto a virtue, and that is general courtesy towards everyone.

Waiting for a train to pass in Tokyo.

This photos was taken by Lee Chapman at Tokyo Times. Personally I am a big fan of the way he captures Japanese people in his pictures.

Related posts:

1. Pictures of Japan – The best of JTM Photos 1 to 50
2. Why travel to Japan? Top 10 reasons to go and visit
3. Pictures of Japan – Best of JTM Photos 51 to 100

If you are looking for reasons to travel to Japan, then look no further then this highly refined article from a foreigner who has holidayed in Japan and now lives in Japan. When I first started this blog, the very first post was about reasons to visit Japan. Since then, I have discovered more of its hidden culture and surprises. A revision to the original list was needed, so here is the new Why go to Japan post.

The thing I have come to find most interesting about Japan, is how the country can be so ultra-modern technologically, while juxtaposed with tradition and culture. This is the thing Japan does best of all and tops this revised list of reasons in this Why go to Japan post.

Why go to Japan? Reason #1: Japanese culture

As a tourist, it’s all about Japanese culture. From the castles, temples and shrines, the authentic restaurants and festivals, experiencing Japanese culture is the number 1 reason for coming to Japan.

Sanjuusangendou temple in Kyoto, a view from the temple gardens.

• A visit to Kyoto is a must. If you don’t go to Kyoto, and for example, only visit Osaka then do check out Osaka Castle, or whatever the major castle of the area or city is.
• Temples and shrines are everywhere and are never far off the main tourist track.
• If you travel to Japan in their spring (around April) then you must see the cherry blossoms, or go to a cherry blossom festival. If you do not travel to Japan in spring, then find out what festivals are on and go see them, you will experience great local Japanese food and culture.

This is the famous (and huge!) Osaka Castle, surrounded by moat walls and cherry blossoms. Most cities and towns have a castle.

Why go to Japan? Reason #2: Technology

Along with a rich tradition, Japan is the birthplace of many technologies, from the Toyota Prius (check out the interactive 3D experience of the new Toyota Prius Alpha, just press the CLICK HERE button when you are on the site) to the famous electronic “washlet toilet“, to perhaps the even more famous bullet train (Shinkansen, the newest E5 Hayabusa started service in March 2011, the E6 Hayabusa bullet train is about 1-2 years away).

Japan also has, on average, the fastest internet speed in the world. I guess this is because it is geographically a small country, and the penetration of fiber optic is very high.

For the traveller, everyday you will experience this technology. It could be a ride on the bullet train, it could be the fancy touch screen pad or “dumb waiter” used to order your sushi (which arrives at your table on a mini-bullet train), the automatic bath (which fills itself and keeps warm) or any other number of hidden technologies that just make travelling so convenient!

Why go to Japan? Reason #3: Food and drink

Japan’s unique cuisine is world famous, especially sushi. Some of my favourite Japanese’s foods (which are extremely difficult to find outside the country) are Okonomiyaki (often referred to as Japanese pizza), Hiyashi Chuka (a cold noodle dish that is great summer) and Miso Ramen (Japan’s version of the famous chinese noodle).

To accompany your meal, try a Chu-Hai (fruit flavoured carbonated drink) or Umeshu (fruit liquer) or one of the good nama (draft) beers such as Asahi Super Dry or Yebisu Premium Gold.

This is one of the reasons that has been identified since living in Japan. I’m pretty sure that the concept of all you can drink would be illegal in Australia. Best experienced at either an Izakaya (traditional Japanese drinking establishment, which serves food and drink) or at a Yakiniku (which means grilled beef in Japanese). Here you can have all you can eat, called tabehodai (Kanji = 食べ放題, hiragana = たべほうだい, romaji = tabehōdai) and all you can drink, called nomihodai (Kanji = 飲み放題, hiragana = のみほうだい, romaji = nomihōdai).

You might get about 3-5 small pieces of meat per serving, so make sure you keep the orders coming...

After getting a table, order some nice beef. It will be served raw at your table, and it’s over to you to do the grilling. It isn’t just limited to beef though, there is some amazing chicken, pork, seafood and vegetables.

Yakiniku - a table full of beers and food, with beef grilling in process.

In no time at all you will have a table full of delicious food and drink. Make sure you keep the orders coming, as the servings are small.

The revised list of Why go to Japan wouldn’t be complete…

…without adding that Japan needs tourism now more than ever. In my opinion, some of the mainstream media has been overly sensationalist when reporting on the nuclear disaster. However the radiation risks are limited to a 20-30km radius around Fukushima in the north of Japan. A long way south of that is Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto and many of the best places to visit.

So come visit Japan, and decide for yourself the best things about this wonderful country!

Related posts:

1. Why travel to Japan? Top 10 reasons to go and visit
2. Pictures of Japan – 10 photos
3. Kyoto – things to do

Getting to Kyoto

The best way to get to Kyoto from other cities is by the bullet train (shinkansen). You can use a Japan Rail Pass (JR Pass) to take the bullet train to Kyoto Station. If you don’t have a JR pass you can still buy shinkansen tickets to Kyoto from JR stations which the shinkansen passes through.

Kyoto Station is one of Japan's largest buildings, and is the second largest train station building in Japan.

Kyoto train station is a mega-hub as far as stations go, and is a tourist attraction itself. It services two JR lines and some private lines. It is quite a sight, very large inside and looks to be a very new building with lots of shopping, cinemas, hotels and more. Kyoto station is easily accessible from the other major cities such as Tokyo, Osaka, Okayama and more.

Just one of the statues outside Kyoto station.

A quick travellers tip for this station, my friend had a very funny experience, when he encountered a toilet inside the station that did not have toilet paper. It is extremely rare, but some places require you to purchase toilet paper. My advice… if people are handing out tissues on the street (which they do everywhere, popular method of advertising), then do take a few and keep them in your carry bag.

Getting to the main tourist attractions in Kyoto

Kyoto is a city that requires a bit more exploration, but it is well worth it. Unlike other cities where you step off the train and you are amongst it all, you generally have to take a bus to get to Kyoto’s temples, castles and shrines. There is a major bus terminal adjacent to the station.

As Kyoto is such a popular place for Japan tourism, you can find tours and tourist information in English to help you find the right buses. Take a look outside the station to find these.

A Kyoto temple you must visit

You will not find any photos of the interior of Sanjuusangendou (translated literally into 33 ken/length hall) here, as the monks forbid it. However, inside this building is one of the most amazing sights you will see perhaps not only in Kyoto, but all of Japan…

Sanjuusangendou view from the temple gardens.

The main hall contains a marvel, the Thousand Armed Kannon Statues. This temple is a National Treasure, and it is easy to see why. The hall contains 1000 life-size statues, all coated in gold (the remnants of the original coat anyway), all striking different poses. Some are from the original temple and some were rebuilt in the 13th century.

Sanjuusangendou verandah, used over hundreds of years for traditional archery competitions and displays.

The outside of the hall contains the temple gardens, strewn with shrines, ponds and more. Since the Edo period, the verandah outside the hall has been used for famous and traditional archery competitions, and marks can still be seen underneath the roof of the walkway.

One of the ponds in the gardens surrounding Sanjuusangendou temple.

Kiyomizu Temple

This temple in Kyoto is easily one of the biggest temples I have ever been to. It is positioned on the mountain overlooking Kyoto, and is extremely popular, especially in the Japanese spring.

Kiyomizu Temple, viewed from one of the shrines.

A view of Kyoto city from Kiyomizu temple.

Around the temple are many large and small shrines. A popular activity at a Shinto shrine is to drink natural spring water, it is a form of prayer (but I just make a wish!). You can just watch and learn, but the basic method (I’m told…) is to first wash your hands (with the water in the rock basin) take the ladle, which is on a long handle, fill it with water which is dripping down from the small rock canal. You then pour a small amount into your hand and drink it.

After hands are washed, drink from the ladle.

The pinnacle of Japanese culture

Kyoto has it all when it comes to Japanese culture. It is also a great place for authentic Japanese food and drink, as well as purchasing unique, hand-made souvenirs.

This article is basically a travelogue of a day trip which my friends and I did in Kyoto. We arrived by around 9AM, and between seeing the sights, had time for a nice lunch and souvenir shopping before getting on the bullet train to Okayama.

Other famous places in Kyoto that you should (and that I want to) visit are: Kinkaku-ji (Temple of the Golden Pavilion); Saihō-ji (Temple with famous moss garden); Nijō Castle (with fortifications, a palace, older palace ruins and gardens); and many more…

Related posts:

1. Fukuoka – things to do
2. Amazing Golden Pavilion Temple, Kinkaku-ji, Kyoto
3. Why go to Japan?

I am from Australia and recently travelled to Japan for a holiday. In terms of traditions, we borrow from elsewhere, in terms of historical architecture there is nothing older than 250 years. Travelling to Japan was a chance to visit a country that is most steeped in tradition and culture of their own country – deeply proud and very generous people. It is a challenge and a massive reward holidaying here. So much so that I am now planning on returning to live.

There are so many reasons to visit Japan. Here are my top ten reasons why you should travel to Japan.

1. City, night lights and shopping.

Major shopping hub at Shibuya in Tokyo, near Shibuya 109.

The first of my top 10 reasons to visit Japan is really hard to justify on camera. But the shopping here is something very different, Shibuya 109 is a mutli-storey shopping centre just for teenage girs. And Akihabara in Tokyo is know solely for its electronics and games.

2. Festivals.

Sakura (Japanese Cherry Blossom) during the spring festival in Osaka.

Although in this list of 10 reasons to visit Japan I include only one example of a festival, Japan has many and they are very unique. From the snow and ice festivals in Sapporo in the north and more ancient/traditional festivals with priests and shrines, Japan loves the celebrations!

For more information see Wikipedia’s article on Japanese festivals.

UPDATE: New post ‘Japanese cherry blossom – photos and info‘.

3. Robots, gadgets and all things tech.

Sony AIBO, robot dogs at Roboworld in Fukuoka

Western style Japanese toilet with myriad of controls. Known in Japan as the Washlet (ウォシュレット Woshuretto)."

If you visit Japan, you will encounter one of these toilets. They really should be all over the world! Very hygienic, although it took a few times to get used to the water jets…

4. Castles, temples and shrines.

Okayama-jo, black and gold castle called 'Crow Castle' or 'U-jo'.

5. Efficient transport and the shinkansen (bullet train).

JR Central's Hikari Shinkansen.

Riding on Japan’s bullet train was actually at the top of my mates 10 reasons to visit Japan. Riding along at 300km/h or more, it feels more like air travel than rail travel.

At the opposite end of the speed scale, bicycles have right of way on the roads in Japan.

6. Japanese food and drink (especially Yebisu beer).

Yebisu beer and takoyaki (octopus in battered balls).

7. Manga and anime.

Just a small part of a multi-level book store in Okayama

8. Astro boy.

Statue of Astro Boy (named Atom in Japanese) outside Kyoto train station.

9. Architecture.

ACROS Fukuoka - the green side.

10. Origami, ancient traditions and art.

A tiny origami crane sitting on the bar of a nightclub in Fukuoka

This post marks the beginning of a series of posts, about my trip to Japan. I went to Japan for a holiday for about 1 month. Almost daily I would go to an internet cafe to find something to do – being in a non-English speaking country meant things to do were hard to find on the internet. My site ‘Japan Travel Mate’ aims to provide information on what to do and how to do it when you are in Japan.

Related posts:

1. Why go to Japan?
2. Pictures of Japan – 10 photos
3. Japan on a Budget, Tips for Cheap Travel!