Going East: The belated Japan update (updated)

Its high time that I took time out of my precious and meticulously planned travelling schedule to upload some more treats for the eye. Im writing this one in Sapporo (a significant place as its the furthest East we will travel on our adventure).. I think the last post was in Kyoto and between there and here we have travelled almost the whole length of Japan, including a brief stop in Tokyo; Hiroshima, Hakata, Beppu, Kobe, Osaka, Nara and of course Sapporo. One of my memory cards is being a pain so these are not in the correct order.

Hiroshima

What a brill place. Lest we forget what happened. Its really developed into an amazing place since then, pretty much from scratch, apart from the amazing memorial which was kept as a reminder.

The night we arrive we hear music and noises pumping out of the centre of town, and so we go over to explore and its a baseball game - something we had wanted to do at some point in Japan as it is a favourite sport here. It was the Hiroshima Carps versus Kyoto if I recall rightly. The electric atmosphere helped us go crazy when we appeared on the big screen, and we presume live on TV screens across Japan, hopefully in HD.

Miyajima, just outside Hiroshima, is the apparently where you find the vista most commonly associated with Japan (i.e. Its on all the tourist brochures).
I wasnt familiar with it but it was very nice. A small island with inquisitve,tame deer roaming free in the street, and lush forest, and this arch "thingy". Well it was actually very beautiful, part of a shrine, I cant remember, does anyone care?! Mohsin and I hiked up the hill, sweating buckets, it was great.

One of the many different types of Shinkansen. I like this one - it looks like a 747.

We get to Beppu, a hot spring town full of wonderful hot Onsen. Going naked is de rigeur here.

Back North again to Fukoaka/Hakata where we experience the concept of a capsule hotel. It was very good value and gave us everything we need - a small hutch to sleep in, TV, an alarm clock and a fabulous roof top onsen. All for 20 pounds. N.B. Capsule hostels are (Business-) men only. It was full of stressed out salary men nattering to themselves about god knows what.

Ummm, which one to flush it?

Jets of water for every 'occasion'.

Muji sells food. I love it.

If you remember these guys you were born in the early to mid 80s.

Kobe

A Physical Geographer in my element here. Cast your mind back to January 1995 and imagine what this would have looked like then? Everything is built of steel now.

The remains of a pier damaged in the Earthquake.

Manga

Shinny-K

Nara

It rained.

But we saw Bambi.

And another.

And more.

And more still.

And a couple more after a long hike uphill.

Summit.

Dinner.

Horses.

Actual betting on computerised horses! Its almost as sad a pachinco. Actually sad because they are addicted to the strangest things like this.

The Capital of cool

Shinjuku - busy busy.

Do you recognise this film set?

Shibuya

So little effort, yet so very cool.

Japan's advanced technology. This video camera worked as a microscope. Whatever next?

Tsukiji Fish Market

You might have seen Palin once watching the tunas being sold at auction here. We had to get up very early, nearly pulling an all-nighter, to see the best action.

Trek to Hokkaido

We spent the day on the trains getting to Sapporo. 9 hours and 3 trains later, passing under the worlds longest undersea tunnel (the Japansese dont care to boast - and its probably twice the lenght of the channel tunnel which is one of our proudest achievements) on the way, and were in Japan's fifth largest city. Good vibes..