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JAPAN - Central Cities train trip


Japan is a wonderful blend of the ancient and ultra-modern. 

There are a large number of UNESCO World Heritage Sites on this trip - fabulous gardens, temples and cultural highlights linked by super smooth fast bullet trains. 

Visiting the major cities of Central Japan - Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, Hiroshima, Okayama and Kanazawa - together with trips out to the Nikko National Park and Naoshima Island.

(Picture shows Garden at Nishio Yatsuhashi-no-Sato restaurant , Kyoto)

HOW TO GET THERE


We arrived at Tokyo's Haneda International Airport. For this trip we used the services of a travel company - for a number of reasons. As you may know from other posts we have usually made all our own travel arrangements because we enjoy tailoring trips to our own tastes. The Japan trip took us outside our usual comfort zone because we have no language skills at all in Japanese. We also wanted to make the most of our time on the trip rather than having to navigate all the connections and bookings before and during the trip. And last but by no means least we wanted some support in getting a deeper understanding of culture and history along the way by having personal guides in the two major cities of Tokyo and Kyoto.

Shinkansen Bullet train headed into Himeji station

We travelled around Japan mainly by rail, using the superb ‘Bullet Train’ connections wherever possible. 

  ROUTE



TOKYO

We chose to stay in Asakusa, one of the older parts of Tokyo with nearby sights and good connections.  A short walk away was the Senso-Ji temple, busy by day but quieter and more beautiful when lit up at night.

TOKYO Asakusa- Senso-Ji temple complex

On our day with a guide we visited sites across the city, including the beautiful Koishikawa Korakuen gardens, the Meiji Jingu shrine, lunch in the downtown business district and then finished off down by the waterfront Hamarikyu gardens which were established more than 3 centuries ago. The following day we took off on our own to visit places near to where we were staying, including Ueno Park, the Tokyo National Museum, and a walking tour of the old Yanaka area.

TOKYO - Ueno Park cherry blossom 

NIKKO

We took the bullet train out of Tokyo and changed to a local  train from Utsunomiya to Nikko, a total journey of a couple of hours. Nikko National Park is set amongst mountains and rivers as the backdrop to stunning UNESCO World Heritage religious architecture. The temples are festooned with ornate carvings and rich decorations.
NIKKO- Toshugu Shrine

Many visitors come for the day but if you want to enjoy the temples at their least crowded you have to stay over in Nikko village and get out early. After a morning looking round the temples we took the local bus out along the winding mountain road to the highest lake in Japan, Chuzen-Ji. There is a cable car up to the mountain above it with views of the 100 metre waterfall draining the lake. Down at the lakeside you can take a short walk from the bus stop along the lake front.
NIKKO NATIONAL PARK - Chuzen-Ji lake and waterfall

 KANAZAWA

We retraced our steps via Tokyo, taking the bullet train on to Kanazawa on the north coast Noto Peninsula, a journey of just under 4.5 hours with just over an hour wait for connections.

Kanazawa is beautifully preserved with some of Japan’s loveliest gardens.

KANAZAWA - Kenrokuen Gardens

We visited the Nomura Samurai house, part of the old canal district called Nagamachi which housed the feudal city’s Samurai warrior class, close to Kanawaza Castle. This had a beautiful garden including streams containing Koi Carp fish.


Later we tried to go round the 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art but most of it was closed due to repairs being undertaken to rectify damage caused by the massive Noto Peninsula earthquake earlier in the year ( 1 January 2024). We diverted to the National Museum for Traditional Products and Crafts which had a special exhibition of ceramics by a 90yr old potter, and a very interesting mock up of the workshop of a lacquer craftsman including a video of his workmanship, with a small sample of his wares.


We rounded off the day with a walk round the stunning Korakuen Gardens including a visit to the Seisonkaku Villa. Walked back through the grounds of the 16th century Kanawaza Castle. 

KYOTO

The train journey from Kanazawa to Kyoto is just under an hour.

We had a brief trip to the busy Nishiki market, and then enjoyed an evening walk through the old Geisha district of Kyoto, accompanied by our guide who also escorted us on the second day of our 4 night stop here.

KYOTO - Fushimi Inari temple visitors

KYOTO - Fushimi Inari vermillion gates

KYOTO - Kinkaku-ji Golden temple
Whilst in Kyoto we visited the Kinkaku- Ji (Golden)and Fushimi Inari (Vermillion arched gates) temples and gardens, which were very busy. Our guide then took us to the very quiet, peaceful and atmospheric Entsuji temple which was completely off the tourist circuit.
KYOTO - Botanical Gardens, enjoying the Cherry Blossom

We ventured out on our own to the Kyoto Botanical Gardens , and also to the old Higashiyama district and took part there in a traditional tea ceremony. We returned on one evening to the Geisha district for the entrancing Miyako Adori cherry blossom dance performance that has shows during the month of April.

KYOTO- poster for Miyako Adori cherry blossom dance


The Geishas have been performing this dance for over 150 years.

 OSAKA

From our Kyoto base we had a day trip to Osaka, a half hour train journey each way. This is very much the modern Japanese city with buildings and gaudy street decor that look like the set of the futuristic ‘Bladerunner’ movie.

OSAKA -Store fronts

We enjoyed a stroll through the streets, market and along the river front, mingling with the crowds of mainly younger Japanese mixed in with the tourists.

HIMEJI

Leaving Kyoto on our way to our next overnight stop at Hiroshima we were keen to break the journey at the 16th century UNESCO ‘White Heron Castle’ at Himeji.

HIMEJI - White Heron Castle

This is one of only 12 original castles surviving from the feudal era of Japan, and it is the biggest and best preserved. As well as the main fortress there are extensive grounds, outbuildings and the lovely Nishinomaru ornamental garden with streams teaming with goldfish.

HIROSHIMA


The total journey time from Kyoto to Hiroshima is under 2 hours (not including the stop at Himeji). Hiroshima has a lovely location nestled into hills with a riverside and wide open position onto the bay. The heart-rending fact about the geography of the City is that is why it was chosen as the location for the maximum destructive impact for the first Atomic bomb in 1945. The Peace Memorial Park straddles the river with the central feature of the shattered A- Bomb dome standing as a reminder of the total devastation of the City. This is also the location for the moving Children’s Peace Memorial - a display of thousands of paper cranes sent by children from across the world with messages of peace.

HIROSHIMA - Children’s Peace Memorial 

The Peace Memorial Museum houses a harrowing exhibition that chronicles the A- Bomb’s development, deployment and aftermath. The City keeps a flame of peace burning in the park that will not be extinguished until the last Atomic Bomb is dismantled and destroyed.

OKAYAMA

Okayama is less than half an hour’s train journey from Hiroshima. This city is easy to walk round, with the Park, Castle and riverside all in close proximity to the centre. The Korakuen Gardens are beautifully laid out on one side of the river, and the castle is on the other side.

OKAYAMA - Castle & Korakuen Gardens

NAOSHIMA

From our Okayama base we took a day trip out by local bus to the Ferry that sails out to Naoshima Island. This is a haven for modern art. A free shuttle bus takes you to the various Art Museums and art houses scattered around the island. There are pleasant walks around the coast that take you past a number of sculpture parks. This is in a beautiful setting and includes renovated ancient houses as locations for the art installations.

NAOSHIMA - art island 

 TOKYO

The return journey to Tokyo from Okayama takes just over 3 hours, speeding you past coastal and rural scenery including a glimpse of Mount Fuji if clouds allow. Time to grab some last sights and shopping in the capital before departing.

Have a Safe journey home!
.


 

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