Five-storied red pagodas, carefully manicured gardens, geisha girls and futuristic skylines: just a few of the most popular images of Japan. During our month travelling around the country we saw all of the above. Yet Japan is a country we hear relatively little about and in the course of our travels we stumbled across plenty of surprises. Here are just a small selection:

This red London bus was parked permanently in a side street in Matsuyama and has been transformed into a cafe

Pasteis de nata: this oh-so delicious treat is the signature dessert of Portugal. Imagine my surprise to find them on sale in a covered market in Kyoto

Oura Church, Nagasaki. Japanese Christians endured three centuries of persecution. Nagasaki, the cradle of Christianity in Japan, is today home to dozens of churches

Hot bubbling mud in the hells of Beppu. We saw similar in Rotorua and in Yellowstone but hadn't heard of Japan's equivalent until we stumbled across them on the island of Kyushu

Looking through bridge floor for giant whirlpools. The Naruto Straits are home to some of the world's largest whirlpools. Excited by this fact we travelled a long way to see them, to no avail. Here we are looking in hope for something to happen

Russian Orthodox Church in Hakodate. Not something I expected to find. The whole city of Hakodate has the feel of a northern frontier town with a strong Russian influence

Polish memorial in Peace Park, Nagasaki. Being of Polish origin I look out for signs of Polishness wherever I am. I didn't expect to find a memorial donated in the 1980s by communist Poland

Rainy day in Kyoto by Golden Pavilion. If you're travelling to Japan for the first time you'll probably have a picture in your mind of how it will look. If you're going in September, you mind want to add a little rain to that image

Funny Japanese signs. Of course there were plenty of examples of twisted English. But I was more impressed by the ones that showed off the Japanese sense of humour

Flowers in the city - this Tokyo garden was just one example of the way that even the most congested and densely populated cities had their greenery and open spaces

Statue of Liberty, Tokyo. We actually found two Lady Liberties in Japan; this one was the most impressive

Kyu Iwasaki-tei Teien House and Garden, Tokyo. A traditional English Victorian house built for a member of the Mitsubishi clan. Wandering around the house I could have easily been in a National Trust property back in England

12 things you wouldn’t expect to find in Japan is a post from: 501 Places

Deer grazing freely on MIyajima

Before we came to Japan I received suggestions from several people about the places we shouldn’t miss. The advice to visit Miyajima was unanimous. Reading a little further into this I discovered that Miyajima is also listed as one Japan’s three most scenic spots. I felt compelled to find out for myself what the fuss was about.

The 'Floating' Tori, Miyajima

Miyajima is a small island in the Hiroshima prefecture, only a few minutes by ferry from the mainland and less than an hour’s journey from the city of Hiroshima. It is one of Japan’s most popular tourist destinations, as anyone who has had to battle their way through the ferry terminal to reach the island will testify.

Looking down from the hiking trail on Mount Misen

The star attraction on Miyajima is the 10 metre high Torii gate standing out in the sea and appearing to float on the water at high tide. In fact, the majority of visitors head straight from the boat along the short road lined with tourist shops and make their way to the Itsukushima shrine.

At the first clear sight of the gate the done thing is to pose at what must surely be one of the most popular photo spots in the world. Large group tours, company outings, families, couples, friends: within a few minutes we saw all of these standing to attention with the red torii as the backdrop to their souvenir snap.

Five storied pagoda, Miyajima

Once you’ve seen enough of the torii gate there are plenty of nearby places to spend your precious yen. Gift shops, food stalls and chocolate sellers make the most of the daily flow of people and their well-trodden path. Yet for those looking to lose the crowds there is a tempting option that is constantly staring you in the face: the looming 535m peak of Mount Misen that dominates this tiny island.

Hiking trail on Mount Misen - deserted in the heat of the midday sun

No-one climbs Mount Misen in the midday heat, as we soon discovered once we left the shoreline and started climbing the well-marked track. With temperatures at around 35C and very little shade it is not for anyone with a shred of sanity.

We did pass a couple of folks heading down the hill (and at one point were even overtaken by four guys running up with their rucksacks) but for the most part we were alone for the slow and exhausting 90 minute climb.

Imagine then, arriving at the top and finding this monstrosity:

Unexpected eyesore at the top of Mount Misen

Whoever built this in such a beautiful location should be ceremoniously thrown from the summit (or made to walk up in the midday sun without water). Our instinct to indulge in architectural critique was soon cast aside when we found that the eyesore did in fact contain a vending machine and even a cafe selling ice cream. The views from the top across the Inland Sea were, needless to say, magnificent.

Inside the Daishoin Temple, Miyajima

Another highlight of a visit to Miyajima is a look inside the Daishoin Temple. Hundreds of statues adorn the walkways around the site while there are several beautiful shrines within the site that remain in regular use.

We were very fortunate to stumble upon a couple of violinists playing in one of the temples. They were rehearsing for a later concert and were happy enough to have a couple of tourists sit quietly at the back of the room and admire their music. I couldn’t have been happier, resting our weary legs after our day of hiking and enjoying the haunting sounds of the violin in a lovely old Buddhist temple with the evening light fading rapidly outside.

Tori at night, Miyajima

The vast majority of visitors to Miyajima return to the mainland before sunset. The island empties quickly, shops and restaurants close and very soon only a few couples can be seen sitting on the sea wall or strolling hand in hand through the quiet streets. Many paths are candlelit and with the pleasant evening temperatures this is perhaps the best time to enjoy the tranquility of Miyajima.

Candlelit path, Miyajima

Staying on Miyajima

We stayed in a traditional ryokan – Yamaichi Bekkan – on the solid recommendation of James from Inside Japan (who helpfully provided me with several other good tips for our journey). The rooms were comfortable and clean, while the owner Shinko-san is one of the most delightful hosts you are likely to meet on your travels.

A stay in a ryokan can blow a hole in a travel budget, but it’s worth splurging on at least once on a trip to Japan. We paid 13,000 yen (a little over £100) for a room for two at Yamaichi Bekkan which is probably one of the cheaper prices you’ll find to stay on what is generally an expensive island. Here more than anywhere else we felt we were getting good value for money in our ryokan experience.

Miyajima is certainly worthy of the hype. There is plenty to enjoy on the island in the daytime, but if time allows an overnight stay you can experience a very different, far more peaceful side to Miyajima.

Miyajima – Japan’s Holy Island is a post from: 501 Places

'Fat Man', a model of the bomb dropped on Nagasaki

Most of us would never have heard of Nagasaki had it not been for a few rogue clouds. On the morning of August 9th 1945 an American B-29 bomber carrying a nuclear bomb with the code name “Fat Man” was circling over the city of Kokura, its intended target. A late covering of cloud had obscured the city from the bomber crew and was preventing them from releasing their lethal cargo.

Running short of fuel they switched to their secondary target, the industrial port city of Nagasaki. Even Nagasaki may have been spared, with more clouds covering the city and forcing the pilots to consider dropping their bomb at sea. But fortunately for the crew (and tragically for the city’s inhabitants) a last-minute break in cloud cover gave the crew the opportunity they needed.

At 11.02 the second American atomic bomb to be dropped on a Japanese city detonated over the northern Nagasaki suburb of Urakami. That the hypocentre was around 3km north of the intended point probably saved many lives although 75,000 were killed instantly or as a direct result of the bomb. The city lies at the bottom of a valley and many of Nagasaki’s buildings were shielded from the blast thanks to the city’s topography.

A visit to the Atomic Bomb Museum in Nagasaki provides a powerful insight into the events of 1945. Visitors are shown ruins from Urakami Cathedral which stood only a short distance from the hypocentre and where mass was taking place at the moment the bomb fell. All were killed and the building was completely destroyed, but a few poignant personal objects were later recovered.

Rosaries and crucifixes recovered from Urakami Cathedral

Part of the walls of Urakami Cathedral

The museum then focuses on the lives of those affected by the bomb. It recalls stories of the people who survived and the hellish aftermath that the city became in the subsequent days. The accounts are difficult to absorb, yet from many of the stories a spirit of hope and resilience shines through, along with constant pleas for future world peace. The exhibits of the final hall looks at the global nuclear arms race, the effects of nuclear testing in the Pacific and questions the role of a nuclear deterrent as a force for world peace in the future.

Outside of the museum, the hypocentre is clearly marked with a black stone memorial in a small enclosed park, while the newly built Urakami Cathedral is worth a visit. A few original artifacts are kept outside the modern building, while to the side a large section of the church that fell onto a grass bank in the atomic destruction has been left untouched.

The stone marking the hypocentre of the Nagasaki atomic bomb

Urakami Cathedral

Ruins of the old cathedral with the new building above

The Nagasaki Peace Park is dominated by a giant statue created by sculptor Seibou Kitamura. Around the park are various memorials given to the city as an gift of friendship, mainly by the ex-communist states of Eastern Europe.

The Peace Memorial by Seibou Kitamura

It is only natural to compare a visit to Nagasaki with one to Hiroshima, especially having visited the Hiroshima Peace Memorial only two days earlier. The area around the Hiroshima Peace Park is wide and flat giving a sense of space and openness. The Nagasaki sites on the other hand are dotted around the slopes of Urakami and are very much within a residential area. Walk from the museum to the Peace Park or to the cathedral and you’ll be passing homes, offices and busy streets. Everything appears, on the surface at least, reassuringly normal. While the Hiroshima site has developed buildings and an infrastructure to cater for the huge crowds that visit, Nagasaki feels a lot more intimate and an integral part of the surrounding modern city.

I liked Nagasaki as a city very much. Beyond the atomic bomb monuments it is a very pleasant port city with a trendy harbour area, several grand old buildings and plenty of evidence of its strong multi-faith roots (the city had been the centre of Japanese Christianity for many hundreds of years and had withstood a lengthy period of persecution).

Nagasaki Harbour

Within three days we had been to Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the two places in the world where humans have used their scientific knowledge to unleash an instrument of the most devastating power on their fellow men. As our train pulled out of Nagasaki station I’m sure I wasn’t the first to reflect on the hope that I never have the opportunity to visit another place that has suffered the fate shared by these two Japanese cities.

Nagasaki and the Atomic Bomb Museum is a post from: 501 Places

8.15am on August 6th, 1945 - the moment time stopped in Hiroshima

Growing up in the latter years of the Cold War the subjects of nuclear wars, mushroom clouds and Armageddon were never far away. We had Reagan and Thatcher talking tough to the revolving procession of aged Soviet leaders while the movies of the day depicted scenes of nuclear wars that caused genuine panic in many quarters when they were released.

All these nightmare scenarios would have been based on pure hypothesis and speculation had it not been for two very real atomic attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The names of these two faraway cities stayed in my mind since childhood. I found it hard to believe that places that had suffered such absolute devastation could have risen from the rubble to become thriving major cities once again. Once we had decided to visit Japan these were two cities I had to visit.

Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum

The first stop for visitors to Hiroshima is usually the Peace Memorial Museum. The museum is very popular with Japanese school groups and as a natural consequence is not a place for peaceful reflection. That said, once you start reading about the horrors that are described so vividly and personally the background noise soon becomes forgotten.

Entrance is a nominal 50 yen with a 250 yen audio guide option available when you buy your entrance ticket. Do take the audio guide; it provides plenty of additional information, even if the very intimate accounts of survivors make what is already a difficult experience even tougher.

The museum occupies several large rooms and takes a couple of hours to explore at a steady pace. The main hall on the ground floor tells the story of the wider Japanese war from 1931 to 1945. It features large scale models of the city of Hiroshima before and immediately after the bomb was dropped on August 6th 1945. One section describes the American development of the bomb and tells the story from the viewpoint of the men aboard the Enola Gay, the plane that released its murderous cargo over the city.

Model of Hiroshima in 1945 before the bombing

Hiroshima in 1945 in the aftermath of the bombing

Workers rebuild the tram lines immediately - transport was restored within 3 days of the bombing

The upper floor looks objectively at the global nuclear arms race before directing visitors to what is surely the hardest part of the whole museum to witness: the personal accounts of the parents of children or of the children themselves who were victims, either killed as a result of the immediate fireball and blast or later by radiation. Artifacts such as charred lunch boxes and burned clothing hammer home the completely indiscriminate nature of weapons of mass destruction.

Children's toys are accompanied by some of the most tragic testimonies

Each of these pieces of clothing reveals another heart-breaking story

Hibakusha – the atomic bomb survivors

Of particular interest is the information about hibakusha, the survivors of the atomic bombings. They were offered government medical support although many have suffered discrimination in Japanese society in the subsequent years, with some people fearing that they may be contagious or carry some sort of misfortune with them. Even the children of hibakusha have suffered this prejudice, finding it more difficult than others to get work.

While Japanese victims could access state support for their medical needs, the same help was not available for the many thousands of Koreans who were conscripted as forced labourers and who were affected by the bomb. Their fight has been long and painful and many still wait for recognition of the suffering they endured.

The museum does try to address the issue of the Korean conscripts but I found the mentions of empathy with the Koreans felt somewhat forced and seemed to be more of a nod to political correctness. For a far more powerful and soul-searching account of the treatment of foreigners during the war I would recommend a visit to the excellent Museum of World Peace in Kyoto.

Outside the Museum

The Peace Memorial Park outside the museum is dotted with statues and sculptures presented as gifts from world leaders to the city of Hiroshima. It provides a leafy area away from the crowds to contemplate the sounds and images of the museum and remember the horrors inflicted on this city.

Peace Memorial Park

The actual hypocentre, the spot exactly below where the bomb detonated at 8.15 that morning, is marked by an easily missed memorial on an inconspicuous back street close to the park.

The hypocentre - the bomb exploded exactly over this spot

A-Bomb Dome

Perhaps the most recognisable symbol of Hiroshima is the A-bomb dome, previously housing the Hiroshima Prefecture Industrial Promotion Hall. It is barely 100 metres from the hypocentre of the atomic blast yet it remained one of the few buildings still standing, albeit badly damaged.

A-Bomb Dome

The site is illuminated at night and the nearby riverbank a popular area for families and groups of friends to bring their barbecues along with saki and music.

A-bomb dome in Hiroshima at night

We sat on the wall across from the A-bomb dome and watched and listened as a group of twentysomethings partied away under the exact spot where, a little over 66 years before, the first nuclear bomb in history had been deliberately used to wipe out an entire city. As I watched them enjoy the balmy summer evening, seemingly without a care in the world, I was reminded of the men who rebuilt the tracks and had the trams running 72 hours after the bomb exploded. Whatever we might sometimes think, humans really are a resilient species.

Hiroshima and the Peace Memorial Museum is a post from: 501 Places

It is said that we can link anyone in the world through no more than five connections. The link between the last Shogun of Japan and Paddington Bear however is considerably shorter than might be expected. These two unlikely characters are in their own way a part of the history of the city of Hakodate and a look at how they are connected provides an insight into a fascinating period in Japanese history.

The Shogun

Let’s start with the shogun. By 1853 Japan had maintained a policy of international isolation for almost 300 years. In that year the American Commodore Matthew Perry landed his small fleet without permission near the Japanese city of Edo (now Tokyo). After a series of discussions which appear to have been a mix of negotiation and threat, the Shogun eventually agreed to open up a number of treaty ports and trade quickly boomed with the world’s major powers.

Hakodate in its heyday

As a major port Hakodate benefited greatly from this new openness. At the southern tip of the northern island of Hokkaido, the mild summer climate made Hakodate very popular with the Russian, British and American merchant seaman who were keen to escape the tropical heat. Very soon the city became a melting pot of cultures and languages, with churches of all denominations springing up and consulates established to provide support for the many foreigners who visited the city.

Fire was a constant enemy in Hakodate, with the wind coming in from the sea and fanning the flames of any small fires that broke out in the city’s wooden houses. Churches and government buildings were destroyed and rebuilt time and time again, some were moved to other parts of town but few escaped being burned down at least once in the 19th and early 20th century. But the city thrived and grew quickly in size until the port lost its strategic importance between the two world wars.

Visiting Hakodate today

Fast forward to 2011 and a walk through the Motomachi district of Hakodate provides a wonderful insight into the rich history of this northern port. Visitors can wander into the churches belonging to the Russian Orthodox, Greek Orthodox, Catholic, Anglican and Episcopal denominations. Grand European style buildings blend uneasily with Japanese architecture while the steep slope on which Motomachi is built provides dramatic views down to the harbour and a constant reminder of what made this city such an important outpost.

The British consulate was one of the busiest official buildings in Hakodate’s heyday, serving the needs of the many sailors and traders who came here and found themselves ashore, far from home in what was at that time a largely unknown land. The consulate closed its doors in 1934 by which time the city’s influenced had waned, but the building was restored and re-opened in 1994 as a site of cultural importance.

Visitors to the grand old house can learn about the story of Hakodate and how it welcomed the seamen of the world with a mix of curiosity and suspicion. Exhibits reaveal a little of the lives of the early British consuls and their work, helping not just their countrymen but also supporting the local Japanese community. A giant map covering a whole floor depicts how the city would have looked in the 19th century at the height of its commercial boom.

There was no English spoken by any of the staff we encountered at the museum but most exhibits have English translations. There is even a traditional Victorian Tea Room on site where you can enjoy an afternoon tea, complete with scones, jam and cream.

Paddington Bear

At the entrance to the museum is a British gift shop, where you can find all manner of British related trinkets. As a Brit I always find it fascinating to see which items are associated with our country and this shop did not disappoint. All the stereotypes were on full show: Union Jack hats, every variety of tea cosy, dear-stalker hats and even Welsh flags.

And Paddington. He was available as a cuddly toy, on an apron or on the front of a T-shirt; clearly Michael Bond’s character still represents a popular face of Britain in the 21st century.

I wonder if Tokugawa Yoshinobu, the last Shogun ruler of Japan, would have guessed that one of the lasting symbols of his decision to open up Japan to the outside world would be a very polite bear in a duffle coat who was rather partial to a marmalade sandwich.

The Last Shogun of Japan and Paddington Bear: the story of Hakodate is a post from: 501 Places

Japanese castles don’t really conform to the the Europeans understanding of what a castle should be. Built at a time of relative stability, most of the castles were constructed as a show of wealth and power rather than as a fortification. The consequence of this is a series of buildings dotted around Japan that are rich in exterior design if rather simple (even bare) on the inside.

Hiroshima Castle, rebuilt in the 1950s after being destroyed in the Atomic Bomb attack on the city

Visit most historic buildings in Japan and you’re more than likely to read about an original construction that was destroyed by fire. The habit of building everything from wood was the downfall of many castles, palaces and temples, with both deliberate and accidental fires meaning that only a minority of the original major buildings have survived to the present day. Of those that survived the fires, few were lucky to escape the attentions of American bombers in the war.

Kanazawa Castle

A lucky few have successfully dodged the bullets of fire and war and these are now held up as national treasures. One such example is Kochi Castle in the south of Shikoku. While the first version burnt down true to form in 1727, it was immediately rebuilt and it is the 18th century version that you can still walk around today.

Kochi Castle

Visiting many of the the castles as a non-Japanese speaker can leave you confused, with many signs having no English translation and audio-visual displays having no sub-titles. The displays inside Kochi Castle were particularly impressive for this reason. Several large model depictions of life in the castle needed no interpretation, with skilfully made figures giving a captivating view of the many characters who would have lived and worked in the shadow of the castle.

Models inside Kochi Castle

Most other castles, such as Kumamoto Castle which is often described as one of three finest castles in Japan, have been completely rebuilt in recent years. Most of the structures at Kumamoto Castle date from the 17th century and were destroyed by fire in the 1877 Satsuma Rebellion. The castle was fully rebuilt in 1960 and most recently the Lord’s Inner Palace was renovated, allowing visitors a rare glimpse of a castle interior as it may have looked in its heyday.

Kumamoto Castle

Inside Kumamoto Castle - one of the few interiors open to the public

While the entrance fees are relatively modest to most of the castles (around 500 yen on average) if you visit enough of them you may choose not to enter every single castle you see. We walked through the extensive grounds of Matsuyama Castle in the early morning before the staff arrived and enjoyed the site with only the occasional company of a keen runner out on their morning jog.

Matsuyama Castle

I had read in a guidebook that Nijo castle in Kyoto was not really worth a visit, but we decided to go in any case. We were glad we ignored the guidebook as this was probably one of our favourite sites. Being in the old capital Kyoto, Nijo has perhaps the richest history of all of the Japanese castles and visitors can walk through the corridors and stare into the rooms where the Shoguns once held court with the great and good of feudal Japan.

Nijo Castle in Kyoto

Nijo Castle and Gardens, Kyoto

A photo tour of Japanese castles is a post from: 501 Places

At first glance the Japan Rail Pass looked very expensive. £444 for 21 days of unlimited rail travel (up to £476 now thanks to the ever-strengthening yen). Would we really travel enough to make the investment in the rail pass pay off? We had crossed Europe from Lisbon to London earlier this year for roughly half that amount.

Looking back, the JR Pass offered great value for money. Not only did we travel across the length and breadth of Japan but we soon learned that to use the shinkansen (bullet-train) services without a rail pass is very expensive. Without our passes the rail journeys we made would have cost us over £1,000 each.

What’s so good about the Japan Rail Pass?

You can use your Japan Rail Pass on all JR trains apart from the fastest variety of bullet train, a restriction that really doesn’t cause a problem. What is particularly handy is that you can make free reservations on all of the trains (apart from the slow local services) right up to the moment you board the train.  A reservation grants passengers a seat in the reserved cars, where even on a busy service the amount of space and levels of comfort you enjoy would not be found in many European first-class carriages.

Using the JR Pass is easy and in most parts of the country we were consistently surprised at how the journey to our next randomly chosen destination was made in quick time and with minimal fuss. English signs on all stations and even English announcements on many services make for an easier task than many would-be visitors might expect. Making reservations at the ticket offices never a problem with the right combination of nods and smiles as we perfected the dual skills of repeating strange place names while pointing at calendars.

Where Japan Rail get it wrong

The greatest failing of the Japan Rail Pass is that you can only buy one for 7, 14 or 21 days. Perhaps I am missing something blindingly obvious here, but it seems to me that the Japanese tourism authorities are damaging their international tourism revenues by not offering a longer pass. We met several fellow visitors during our time in Japan and the majority of them were staying in Japan for three weeks. When we asked why, they explained that they had booked their flights to tie in with the validity of their rail pass. Surely the Japanese government would prefer to get four weeks of custom from their international tourists rather than tying them to a three week trip?

We were the exception to the rule but this was purely down to my shoddy planning in booking the flights before even making a cursory check about how the rail passes worked. I’m glad we did have the month as it happens but there’s no doubt our travel habits changed for the final week when we had to pay for each ticket we needed. Buying a combination of rail passes (21 + 7 day, or 14 + 14 day) is not an attractive option as this would penalise you very heavily for that final week.

Our rail fares in the final week after our Japan Rail Pass expired cost us around £130 each. More than that however, the lack of a rail pass meant that we tended to stay in the main cities and take day trips within the urban areas rather than hop on a train for an hour to visit a quirky random suggestion.

Time for a 4 week Japan Rail Pass?

If you ask people at the end of their three weeks in Japan most will tell you that they wish they’d stayed for longer. I hope a 4 week Japan Rail Pass is introduced soon to allow visitors to enjoy more of this fascinating country without being penalised for wanting to do so.

Japan Rail Pass: a good purchase that could be a lot better is a post from: 501 Places

Japan has more than its fair share of difficult museums to visit. The Hiroshima Peace Museum and the Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Museum tell the story of the atomic bombings on their cities in their own distinct ways. Both are sensitively put together and provide political and historical context along with personal testimonies given by survivors of the atom bomb. Most difficult to read are the accounts told by the parents of the thousands of children whose lives were extinguished in an instant on those fateful August days.

Less well known is the Museum for World Peace within the Ritsumei University in Kyoto. Your guidebook may not feature it and it is rarely included in a recommended Kyoto itinerary. Yet this carefully perhaps even courageously established facility offers visitors the chance to learn about what for many Japanese people is surely the most difficult part of their nation’s history.

Exhibits focus on the Japanese Fifteen Year War (1931-1945) and tell the chilling facts of the nation’s brutal colonisation of Korea, China and much of South East Asia. With first-hand testimonies provided by survivors of the war years along with military and domestic artefacts donated by local people, a story unfolds of young men conscripted into a system of endemic brutality who would stop at nothing to obey the Emperor’s commands. Accounts of torture, rape and brutal executions were hard enough for us to read, but I suspect far more so for the museum’s small numbers of Japanese, Korean and Chinese visitors.

Even the role of the Emperor himself is addressed, something that is considered anti-Japanese by many and an action which must have taken a lot of thought  for those setting up the displays. You only need to read what happened to an ex-Mayor of Nagasaki Hitoshi Motoshima, who in 1988 suggested in a council meeting that the Emperor might bear some responsibility for the war. Large crowds came out in protest and an assassination attempt soon followed.

While the museums in Hiroshima and Nagasaki focus on the many tales of horror created by the bombs that reduced those cities to dust and ashes in 1945, the Museum for World Peace in Kyoto takes a very different approach. It attempts to provide a narrative that addresses the Japanese actions in the build up to the war and offers uncomfortably poignant evidence of the mental as well as physical damage caused by war, both to troops and civilians.

It also looks beyond the end of the Second World War and explores later conflicts in Cambodia, Yugoslavia and Latin America, each claiming its own inevitable quota of needless tragedy. A section of the museum then looks at how we determine responsibility for war crimes, again posing a series of uncomfortable questions.

We had intended to visit for an hour but ended up staying closer to three hours, so powerful were the stories and pictures on display.  In that time we saw only a small handful of other visitors despite the museum being within walking distance of two of Kyoto’s main attractions.

The museum is a must for anyone with an interest in modern history and it is ready to welcome large numbers of visitors within its spacious halls. I left wondering if perhaps many of those potential visitors are not yet ready to face the uncomfortable truths that the museum holds.

Kyoto Museum for World Peace: Japan’s past laid bare is a post from: 501 Places

Too often I read about other people’s travels and wonder about the costs involved in their trip. It’s one thing to inspire someone to visit a new country and experience its many attractions, but the information isn’t always available to tell me whether it’s something I have the money to do at a particular time.

In that light I thought I’d share the finances of our recently completed Japan trip with anyone who is interested. Of course the finances of our trip will never be same as someone else’s: different tastes, different route, even different exchange rates. So this might serve as little more than a rough guide, but hopefully it’s enough to give someone thinking of going to Japan a basic idea of costs.

Here’s the background: we’re a forty-something couple, backpacking but staying in reasonable hotels (think typical 3 star or guest house standard), choosing transport with an eye on the budget but first and foremost on comfort and convenience. We travelled for exactly one month. All costs listed are for two people.

Hotels: £1961 for 30 nights – average £65.37 (approx. $100) per night

We stayed mainly in business hotels, most of which were a few minutes from the train station. These are comfortable and clean if a bit on the small side, and all had free wired internet access. During our trip we stayed three times in ryokan (traditional Japanese guesthouses). These tend to cost more than the business hotels and may not have all the amenities expected by the western traveller but do offer a different experience that’s worth trying. Many have an in-house onsen (hot spring bath).

We booked most nights via several online agencies (such as Expedia) – walk-in rates were similar in some places and more than double in others. I don’t think we saved much overall, but by paying in pounds in advance we did enjoy the certainty of knowing that the ever-strengthening yen was not affecting our costs and did not have to pay additional charges to the credit card company.

Travel around Japan: around £1400

Our Japan Rail passes cost £444 each for a 3 week pass (we certainly got our money’s worth out of it). For some reason the Japan Rail folks do not offer a 4 week/month rail pass. This seems like a very poor decision judging by the number of tourists we met who were in Japan for three weeks, the length of their trip governed primarily by the longest rail pass available.

In our final week we paid around £130 each in additional rail fares. Additional costs are made up of subways and buses to get around the cities (most rides were between £1 and £2) and one rental car which cost us £70 for the day.

Food and drink: around £1000 (£33 per day for the two of us)

Most business hotels don’t offer breakfast within their rates and in most cases where it is offered it’s quite expensive. Convenience stores are everywhere and offer great value hot and cold snacks. We often picked up a selection of snacks, sushi rolls and sandwiches (all come with crusts removed) and took them into a park for a picnic lunch. You’re never far from a vending machine and most drinks costs from these are around £1.

Dinner options are plentiful and we frequented many of the Japanese chains for fried rice, noodles, ramen and curry. Sushi was more expensive (the good stuff at least) and most of our most expensive meals were at sushi restaurants. On average we paid £15 for a dinner for two. A beer typically costs £3 to £4. Neither of us are big drinkers; if we had each drunk two beers a night with our dinner the budget would look quite different.

Entrance fees: around £500

Most entrance fees are reasonable, with museums and castles charging £4-£5 entry. There are discount cards available in most cities that can save you small amounts in addition.

Flights to Japan: £1,000 each for Premium Economy flights with Virgin (we were very fortunate to get upgraded in both directions and can only say the nicest things about Virgin’s Upper Class cabin).

The total cost for everything came to £6,982 which for a month away in a country with a reputation as being expensive (and at the worst time for the £/yen exchange rate) was quite a bit less than I had expected.

Japan travel costs: a breakdown of our spending is a post from: 501 Places

Writing this at the end of a month long trip to Japan, it’s fair to say that this has been one of our favourite trips of all time. There is a lot to like about Japan (much of which I listed in the previous post). No trip is perfect however and it would be remiss of me not to mention some of the more challenging aspects of Japan, for me at least. Here are just a few things that spring to mind that make the thought of coming home that bit easier.

Language struggles

Arriving in a place where the language is alien and where the alphabet is completely unfamiliar is part of the thrill of travelling. Having to mime your way to a get a meal, a bus ride or even a drink in a shop can all become memorable moments of confusion. After a month however the novelty wears off and it’s time to learn the language in order to enjoy the country any further.

It will be good to walk into a restaurant (it won’t be long before we go for a Japanese meal I’m sure) and order a meal without being totally clueless what it is that we’re asking for.

Jaywalking

It’s not easy coming from the UK where the red/green lights for pedestrians are an optional guide at best and in most cases little more than street decoration. In Japan the pedestrian signals are strictly followed in pretty much all cases, leading to frustratingly long waits on empty roads in the dead of night. I have to accept that I’m better suited to the relative anarchy of London’s streets.

Eating and drinking while walking

There are vending machines everywhere in Japan. It’s a similar story with fast-food joints. Food and drink on the go – except that nibbling at that cake or drinking from that cold can while walking is taboo. Understandable and not inconvenient when there are benches close by, but often this is not the case. Do you stand out as an ignorant foreigner and satisfy your thirst/hunger while standing, or do you wait for the next bench by which time your purchase might be cold/warm? Of course I prefer to sit and eat when I can, but having lived my life in an ‘anything goes’ culture the Japanese way has proved very restrictive on occasion.

Rubbish Bins

Related to the previous point, there is a dire lack of bins in cities and around tourist facilities. There are recycling points around some vending machines but as you’re not supposed to drink standing next to the machine these are not always the most convenient locations. On several occasions we have walked for over an hour with our bag of rubbish before eventually dropping it into the bin on the train.

Smoking

Japan has some strange smoking restrictions. Lighting up in many outdoor public places is banned, but walk into many coffee shops and the air is thick with cigarette smoke. There are non-smoking sections but too often the method of segregation renders the whole café a smoking establishment. It seems total nonsense that a smoker can’t smoke outside and has to wait until he steps into a cafe to light up.

Television

Thank goodness for BBC World news. Only a few of our hotels have offered this but it’s been a blessing when we’ve had it. Flicking through TV channels around the world can be very entertaining even when you don’t have any idea what is going on. Japanese TV however appears to be particularly low-brow and frankly very silly.

Home cooking

This final point is not Japan-specific but more one that comes from spending a month in hotels. I can’t wait to get back to my kitchen, pull out those pots and pans and knock up some of our favourite dishes. However good the food has been here, the taste of your own home cooked food is hard to beat.

Things I won’t miss about Japan is a post from: 501 Places