It is one of the most common traps for anyone writing a blog: I’ve been to a place so I must write about it. As if the act of merely being somewhere is a story worthy of telling to the world. Let’s face it; sometimes we visit a place and while it may be nice and we might have a lovely time, nothing happens that provides us with a reason to write about it.

Our recent day in Bratislava is a great example of this. The small capital of Slovakia is pleasant enough to stroll around for a day. And stroll we did. We found the much-photographed public statues:

We crossed the bridge over the Danube and took a few pictures of the UFO Tower. The €6.50 for the lift to the restaurant and viewpoint at the top didn’t strike me as good way to spend our money so we moved on.

We wandered up to the castle area. Most of the buildings were shut but they did look very impressive from the outside.

The Christmas market was in full swing and made for a lively festive atmosphere, although the cold December rain didn’t encourage us to linger after our evening meal.

And the colourful houses on both sides of the cobbled streets in the old town make for a very enjoyable wander with a camera, providing plenty of photo opportunities.

I’d happily recommend an overnight stop in Bratislava and there are probably enough places to visit nearby to make it a good base for a weekend break. Prices are reasonable: for under £70 we stayed in an excellent 4 star hotel (Art Hotel William) with one of the best hotel breakfasts I’ve enjoyed, while the bus fare from the airport into the city was €0.90.

But what would I write about it? Nothing newsworthy happened to us while we were there. We didn’t strike up a deep and meaningful conversation with a local person. Neither did we get stranded on a deserted motorway or have to negotiate our way out of a hostage situation. Even our 2.5 hour train journey to Budapest the next day (€14.50) was uneventful.

In short we spent a pleasant but very ordinary 24 hours as tourists in a European city. Nothing less, nothing more. On reflection I don’t think I’ll bother with a Bratislava post after all.

Bratislava: very nice but nothing to write home about is a post from: 501 Places

Budapest has long been an important European capital, sitting as it does pretty much in the centre of the continent and straddling the mighty Danube. A succession of invaders have left their mark on the skyline of Budapest and evidence of 20th century European battles is easy to uncover.

Budapest is home to dozens of high profile museums and galleries, and those who are keen to explore this side of the city’s attractions could easily keep themselves busy for a week. For those looking for a brief taste of Budapest on the other hand, a 48 hour visit should still allow ample time to enjoy many of the city’s most prominent highlights.

Széchenyi Baths

A Budapest institution, the Széchenyi baths are worth visiting even if the thought of spending an hour or two wallowing alongside some of Europe’s most impressive muffin-tops doesn’t appeal. The 100 year old building housing the baths is simply stunning, while the sheer size of the complex makes this spa experience different from any other. Entrance prices vary on time of day and whether you need towels or private cabins but expect to pay around 3600 forint (£10) for your visit.

Take the time to explore the City Park that surrounds the baths. In the winter months the park boasts the largest outdoor ice-skating rink in Europe.

Buda Castle

Dominating the Buda side of the Danube, the castle is worth exploring not only for the fine views over the city but also for the museums that the impressive buildings house, including the National Gallery and the Budapest History Museum. Visit on a Monday (as we did) and you’ll spend your time enjoying the outside of the many buildings on the hill top as the museums observe the Monday closing tradition.

Matthias Church

Built in the 14th century and restored fully in the 1800s, Matthias Church is a beautiful example of the late Gothic style of church construction. With painted walls, ornate balconies and an exterior dotted with many gargoyles, Matthias Church is one of the most popular stops on the Budapest circuit. Catch it between the tour groups that shuffle through and you can enjoy it at its silent best. Particularly interesting is the exhibition detailing the work currently being done to preserve and restore the building. Entrance to the church costs 1000 forint (£2.75).

Parliament Building

This impressive neo-Gothic structure was built at the turn of the 19th/20th century and remains Hungary’s largest building. Perhaps best seen from the Danube and reason enough to take a boat trip along the river. Guided tours of the Parliament are free of charge to EU citizens (bring your passport) although only operate on certain days and are liable to be cancelled at short notice.

Margaret Island

This parkland to the north of the city is a popular place to walk, cycle and take a picnic to enjoy a pleasant green space in the heart of the city. Wander around the ruins of the old convent and you’ll soon stumble upon the tomb of St Margaret, after whom the island is named.

St Stephen’s Basilica

One of the most ornate church interiors you’re likely to see, St Stephen’s Basilica is also pretty impressive on the outside, with a neo-classical facade facing straight towards the river. Wander around the aisles and gaze at the gold-dominated artwork. Views across the city are also available from the top of the bell tower (open in the summer months)

Memento Park

Locals may roll their eyes (and they do) at tourists wanting to see their old communist statues but a visit to Memento Park provides a fascinating insight into life under communist rule. The statues built to glorify Soviet heroes and ideals were shipped to this park in the outskirts of town and now form an odd collection.

Also in the park is a small museum showing old training videos for the secret police. Watch carefully and you’ll learn how to observe people in a park, listen in on your neighbour’s activities and even how to exchange documents discreetly in a public place.

Synagogue

The Dohany Street Synagogue is Europe’s largest and the second largest in the world. The exterior is Moorish in style and covers several street blocks. By all accounts it is well worth a visit, although bear in mind that you can only enter by buying a combination ticket that includes other nearby sites relating to the city’s Jewish past. Tickets start from 2600 forint (£7), so don’t make our mistake in allowing only enough time for a quick look before heading to the airport.

Cave Church

Start at the Hotel Gellert (well worth a look inside for its grand lobby) and climb a short distance up the path to the Cave Church. Created as the result of a painstaking attempt to remodel a hermit’s cave based on the Lourdes Grotto, the resulting church was blocked up during communist times and re-opened in the 1990s. Entry is 500 forint (£1.40) and includes an audio-guide.

Citadel

From the cave church another 20 minutes of serious cardio-vascular exercise brings you to the Citadel, one of the highest points in Budapest. From here you can enjoy splendid city views while you puff and pant loudly enough to let all the lazy hop-on hop-off bus people how hard you worked to get there. When you have your breath back take a look at the old Russian military hardware on display on the outside of the citadel before heading back down to the city.

Practicalities

You’ll hear a lot about the Budapest Card and the fantastic value it offers. We chose not to get one and saved enough as a result to cover a very nice meal. It might pay if you want to visit half a dozen museums a day, eat at the same restaurants as the other card holders and use public transport for journeys that most people can easily cover on foot. If these don’t apply to you, save yourself the money and pay as you go.

Budapest is not an expensive city and you can eat good hearty meals for less than 2000 forint (£5.50) a head. The prices around the main tourist areas are significantly higher so it’s worth venturing away from the crowds. Transport is very reasonable with a bus/subway ticket between the city and the airport costing 480 forint (£1.30) and a day pass on all public transport 1550 forint (£4.30).

We stayed at the Hotel Victoria on the banks of the Danube. The view from our room of the river and the Parliament building was one of the best we’ve had and the room itself was spacious and comfortable. I wouldn’t recommend the hotel for those who have a strong aversion to smoke. There are a few non-smoking rooms but even the common areas have a tobacco stained aroma, although this is not unusual in Hungary. We paid £61 a night, inclusive of taxes and breakfast.

10 Highlights of Budapest is a post from: 501 Places

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