troika

Ginza is where most of the upmarket department stores and designer shops make their presence most visible. If you have been to any of the Japanese department stores outside of Japan then their home versions are much bigger than anything you have ever seen. For a city whose land prices are astronomical the department stores must certainly be extremely rich to occupy such vast expanses of prime retail property space. The good thing about them is that most of their top floors have affordable restaurants, and better still their basements have supermarkets and food stalls selling a bewildering choice of food for those on a tight budget. At weekends parts of the streets of Ginza are pedestrainised which is great for wandering aimlessly from one department store to another. Also in Ginza is the Sony building ... read more

The Hakone area which is about an hour by train from Tokyo (depending on which part of the area you're heading for) is one of the places where you may get to see Fuji-san in its grandeur. It all depends weather the clouds are hiding the mountain - and more often than not they are. Chances are before 9 a.m. you're more likely to have some view of the mountain. And if you expect to see Fuji-san with its snow-capped peak you can forget it at this time of the year as it has been summer and the autumn has been warm and there doesn't seem to be any snow as yet. And if you're wondering why I've referred to Mount Fuji as "Fuji-san" (no it's not Mr/Miss/Mrs/Ms Fuji), it's because that is the correct way ... read more

Tucked in the Japan Alps is the picturesque area of Kamikochi which is inaccessible in the winter. The bus trip from Takayama to Kamikochi necessitated a change at Hirayu Onsen. The views from the bus from Hirayu Onsen to Kamikochi are really beautiful. At this time of the year the leaves are just about to turn autumnal gold but still mainly green so it was not the picture postcard view I was hoping for - but pretty nevertheless. If you are really lucky (and I was) you might just come across the famous snow monkeys in the wild. More of these primates tomorrow. I just spent a day here and then took the bus to Matsumoto. Along the descent there were several large dams could be seen. No time was spent at Matsumoto - which was ... read more

The torii at Miyajima island is so famous, it probably has been used by the Japanese tourist board zillions of times and I simply had to see it in spite of the fact that it rained all day today. The shrine itself is interesting and the island is also famous for its very tame deer that hassle people for food. The best way to get there from Hiroshima is by JR train and ferry as it is the quickest and is free for JR pass holders; plus the JR ferry has the best views of the torii as you approach (or leave) the island. And then it was on to Hiroshima which is synonymous with the dropping of the first atom bomb. The building that has now become known as the A-bomb monument is a reminder ... read more

There was a typhoon between Manila and Hong Kong on the flight from KL to Osaka so the flight was a bit bumpy most of the time. Kansai airort is interesting but like millions of other passengers I made a quick exit to Kyoto without exploring the environs of the airport further. As the train departed from the airport station the railway staff waved goodbye to the train. There are signs on the train that you must not use your mobile phones and that they must be switched on to silent mode. How very civilised. The view from the train was that of the urban sprawl of the east coast of central Honshu. Everywhere along the train route from Kansai airport to Kyoto was human habitation and every bit of land was precious and what was ... read more