Japan Trip: Day 5 - Bullet Train to Kyoto

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We piled on the bus and headed towards Gotemba. Along the way, you could spot glimpses of the Tokkaido Trail, an old trail that people would use to walk from Kyoto to Tokyo. Portions of the trail are still there and are lined by huge cedar trees that were planted a long time ago to provide travellers with shade. Beautiful area.

Bullet Train (Shinkansen)

At Mishima, we boarded the bullet train (Shinkansen) to Kyoto. This was one of the highlights of my trip, and was one of the reasons why I wanted to visit Japan. The train made two brief stops on the way, in Shizuoka and in Nagoya. The train was really moving. It was really cool. The tour guide said it reaches speeds up to 300 kilometers per hour, which is about 180 MPH. It offered a great view of cities, mountains, and rice paddies. It was nice, spacious, smooth and quiet. The trip took about two hours.

Check out the "Bullet Train" video below!

We got off in Kyoto, and had a short bus trip to our hotel, the Rhiga Royal. First thing I noticed was that Kyoto looked older than Tokyo. It was spared significant damage in World War II, and therefore, a lot of older buildings were still around. There was not as much English around either. I went up the Kyoto Tower for a great view of the city. Then, crossed the street and went below the Kyoto Train Station to find some food. Yes, more beef curry and rice.

One thing that stands out in my mind is this vision of seeing this little school girl riding her bike alone down the sidewalk near Kyoto Station after dark. My first thought was being concerned for her safety. This is something you don't see in comparably-sized American cities, because it wouldn't be safe. In Japan, though, even in big cities after dark, it's safe for these little girls to be riding their bikes.

I went to the Starbucks below Kyoto Station. There were no empty seats available at that particular time. There was this guy there assisting people who were waiting for tables. There was this girl waiting. In Japanese, I asked her if she spoke English (Eigo ga wakarimas ka?) She said yes, in fact, she could speak French as well. We sat together when a table opened up. I got us some coffees and we talked for a while. She seemed really nice, and was beautiful. We had a good conversation. It was a really nice time, at least for me. This kind of interaction was one of my favorite parts of the trip, not just hanging out with my American group and seeing the sights.

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Photos

The Kyoto Tower
Standing 100m/328ft tall.