Now I understand why Bambi's mother had to die...

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Last time I wrote, I was in Kyoto enjoying the hospitality of J-Hoppers excellent hostel. Since then, I have visited 6 more cities in my journey west across Japan and I now sit in an internet cafe in Fukuoka waiting to make the trip across the Eastern Sea to Busan in South Korea. It's been a busy week indeed and I'm now just trying to relax after so many hours walking and viewing various sights. I think I'm learning that 5 1/2 months of sight-seeing will be unsustainable, so now it's necessary to switch into traveller mode, which is much more relaxed. Since last time, I also had my first real encounter with that disarming Japanese generosity we always hear so much about and spent time getting to know a few young Japanese, which helped to flesh out my knowledge of the country a little.

My remaining time in Kyoto was well spent. I took a day trip to Himeji castle, supposedly the most spectacular in Japan, with the Australians, also sampling a traditional Japanese tea ceremony in the neighbouring garden. The castle was indeed spectacular and could be viewed right at the end of a very straight road upon exiting the train station and we could easily see how its prohibitively steep stairs made its defense relatively simple. The tea ceremony was made memorable not so much by the ceremony itself but instead the social crime committed in the removal of our shoes at the incorrect time before entering the teahouse. The attendant woman's cries of "NO NO NO NO NO!" continue to disturb my sleep to this day. However we eventually made it inside intact and enjoyed a very fine cup of green tea followed up by a delicious confection to sweeten the taste.

Saying my goodbyes to my new Australian friends, I spent the next morning viewing Kyoto's famous Golden Pavillion and nearby Ryoanji Zen garden. Both were indeed worth the trip but were also a little disappointing. Most notably in the pavillion, I was shocked to find myself emerging from the enclosure after 10 minutes, saying "so that's it"? Yes the view of the building across the lake was beautiful but surely more could have been made of the experience? That said, these sights nicely rounded off my time in Kyoto before I headed to nearby Nara which I was told contains even more shrines. Arriving too late to see anything of the sights, I instead got chatting to a fellow Englishman who had just come off a mammoth trip cycling from Bangkok to Shanghai. He had so much interesting to say that I listened to him for a good few hours before going to sleep. The next morning, he set me in the right direction for the sights and I spent about 4 hours wandering through the beautiful Nara park. The highlight was undoubtedly the famous 15m tall bronze Buddha statue and associated temple of Todaiji but this was also the first day when I was able to get a little peace, given the lack of tourists and generally serene surroundings. The only problem was the cutely insistent deer that swarmed me whenever I so much as thought about lunch. The novelty soon wore off but little was I to know that it would get worse. Nara well and truly visited, next stop was Osaka.

I wish I had done more with Osaka because it looked like a great and fun city. However, the early check-out policy and disdain for left luggage at my hotel meant that I instead had to depart quickly the next day for Hiroshima. However, on the plus side, I was staying in one of those exciting capsule hotels for which Japan is renowned. Yes it is rediculously small and you do feel a little like you've been buried alive but it had TV, radio and air-con, and I was also able to enjoy a free jacuzzi and sauna. I did manage to spend an hour walking the streets in the surrounding entertainment district, which was fantastic and for my money had more lights per square metre than either Shibuya or Shinjuku. I turned back to my hotel when I eventually reached a street which seemed to be overflowing with infamous Love Hotels.

Hiroshima was a personal highlight of the trip so far and I'm glad I managed to see the best of it in my short stay. The first thing that struck me was the kindness of one woman on the tram on the way to my hotel. She approached me to ask me where I was from and we began to talk about all sorts of things. As it happened we missed my stop, so we got off at the next and she paid for us to return to the correct one. She then led me to the location of my hotel, asking directions as necessary. I'm not even sure that she was supposed to be around that area. As a thankyou, I gave her one of the postcards I'd brought in case I needed gifts. She then apologised for having nothing to give in return. Thinking about the likelihood of a similar chain of events taking place in England with a complete stranger and foreigner no less, I assured myself that in future, I would do the same.

For obvious reasons, Hiroshima stirred up all kinds of mixed emotions and gave much food for thought. The Peace Park and associated memorials and museum were world class and really got the point across. In the museum, the most affecting exhibition was a display of artwork by survivors collected by a national appeal. This time, the theme was "Stolen Family Ties" and the stories told of some truly shocking sights were deeply upsetting. The museum also does a good job of avoiding knee-jerk anti-Americanism, though it was suggested to me that this could be because of Japan's dependance on the USA for both trade and protection. However, one thing was particularly frustrating. Firstly, there was but one small paragraph which acknowledges the equally heinous attrocities conducted by Japan. It was extremely difficult to look beyond these and a feel pure sympathy for the city laid waste. However, I think I came to the conclusion that in war nothing is 'good' or 'bad' except in hindsight and that instead war itself is wrong. I guess that's the point of the Peace Park.

The next morning, taking a train to the port of Miyajima-guchi, I boarded a ferry to the famously beautiful of Miyajima. Given the disgraceful cost of accommodation on the island, my idea was to get to the island and just see what happened regarding accommodation. As it happened, I was befriended on the ferry by two young Japanese students, also staying the night on the island at the campsite. It was decided that we would camp together and they booked　me a tent. They led me round the key sites of the island, telling me what they knew of the history. The highlight was undoubtedly the famous Itsukushima shrine and is bright red gate in the sea, the O-torii. I was apparently viewing one of Japan's top three views. It was certainly very beautiful.

Making our way out to the camp-site, I noticed that, like Nara, there were many, many deer. We got to our tent, dropped our things and went to assist one of my friends with putting up his tent. I noticed a few of the deer sniffing round our bags, so I went to drive them away. Moving our things inside and shutting up the tent, we went to shower. We returned and entered the tent, only to find that somehow, the deer had entered and eaten all of our food. Let me tell you that until that point, I've never come so close to ditching vegetarianism. I'd already heard that deer were sacred in Japan, seen as messengers from the gods. At that point I didn't care because I had no food. Nevertheless, we sat by the sea near our camp and chatted for a few hours about Japanese history, culture and so forth. It wasn't so bad. I even managed to sleep pretty well but for the deer that insisted on spreading our garbage across the ground outside our tent. I would say, definately visit Miyajima, definately camp because it's really cheap (￥2600 for a 4-berth tent) but definately put barbed wire round your tent.

Leaving Miyajima early, I headed down to Nagasaki, the furthest south I would get in my trip. Since leaving Nara, I had noticed the weather getting increasingly hot and Nagasaki was no different. Ditching my bags at my quirky hostel (I think the only one in town, the JYH place in Ebisu) I headed North on the streetcar to view Nagasaki's own A-bomb memorial. I couldn't help but notice that it was a poor cousin to Hiroshima's display, which seemed sad, given that the suffering was equal and that about 2/3 died or were injured in the attack. That evening, the matronly but friendly owner gave us all plum Sake at a social gathering, where I attempted with difficulty to describe cricket to the Japanese residents. Thanks then for Google's image search. There was a strict 11pm curfew in place, so I went to bed early and got up similarly early to see the other side of Nagasaki, its colonial history. Although Glover Garden is the most famous part of the experience, detailing the exploits of a number of pioneering Brits in the mid 1800's, I actually preferred the nearby Hollander Slopes and Chinese Confucian shrine. I found it amusing seeing European colonial wooden houses next to an incredibly ornate Chinese shrine in the middle of a Japanese city. I really enjoyed Nagasaki and it did indeed have a nice feeling to it, different to the rest of Japan I had seen.

So now, I find myself in Fukuoka, which is different again, reminding me heavily of a modern American city. I have yet to explore properly, though now I have an extra day and possibly more as hurricane conditions have seen the ferry I intended to catch cancelled for the next couple of days. I have booked myself in on 7 September and I am hoping that this trip makes it successfully across to Korea as I am now keen to leave Japan and begin the next phase. I have enjoyed this country immensely but I don't feel I could live here (for me the acid test). It is simply too populated and the quieter areas I have seen do not seem to have the same quality of life as the rest. That said I definately want to return, as I think it is a great and welcoming country to visit.

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Photos

Chris & Ben
Two of the Aussies from Kyoto.

Himeji castle
Much bigger in real life!

The Golden Pavillion
Very beautiful but that's all there is!

Mike outside the youth hostel
The intrepid cyclist begins the next leg of his trip across Japan

Deer block the road in Nara
And that's just three for starters...

The bronze Buddha at Todaiji
At 15m it's probably more impressive in real life...

Me in my capsule
The view from the inside

The famous A-bomb Dome
There were a lot of young Japanese playing guitars and singing by the river

Comments

[Ben Rawley]

Hey my brother from another mother! Great to hear about your travels. Nice pictures. Let me know when you have a phone number I can call you at and catch up (land of the Kiwi's I guess?). Much Love, Ben

[TDV]

impressive writing
That shot in the pod is a little risque Daniel! Ever considered being a reporter? I felt like I was back in Nara again with my bottle of Pocari Sweat. Himenji, the Golden Pavillion very entertaining and I remember them well