Japan Trip 29th Jan to 5th Feb

A Typical Bullet Train - Shinkansen 新幹線



It was a very enjoyable trip as a family. We did quite a lot considering that we travel by public transport; travel in group of 5, including an old grandma with a slight walking difficulty. The amount of walking up and down the stairs and escalators in those train stations alone was indeed an impressive achievement. The train stations in Tokyo are like an underground “ant hill” - with levels upon levels of shops in the underground city. They are typically larger than any airports in Australia in term of floor space.

The pace of life is quick and people walk very fast. The trains are always jam-packed but surprising orderly as the people are very courteous and polite and everyone Q-up in line at the platform.

Japan is a nation of contrast. The ancient is juxtaposed with the new. Ultra modern fashion, weird trendy gadgets and stuff co-exist with ancient ritual like temple festivals and geishas. The devotion to cleanliness and technological advance plus the polite social facade mask the many underlying social anomalies.

Food is generally healthy, with little oil, very nice and very always well presented. The unique social etiquette is that people do not eat or drink while walking. So I guess there is less rubbish to throw. No one talks while eating either. Eating is the Ramen store is a very quiet affair as everyone just orders their food, sat in his or her own stool and eat their meal quickly and quiet and move on. Some stores provide stand-eat –and-go service for those in a hurry. Vending machine is every where and they sell every item from can hot corn soup to cigarettes. Most fast foot outlets use them to dispense food coupon for you to hand over the counter for your meal order. Hence for us who do not know Japanese – it is like a “Russian Roulette” you just press the button in the machine and hope for the best! I can recognize a few kanji (Chinese character) but still it is hard to know what it says.

Besides Tokyo, we went to Osaka, Kyoto, Kobe and Hiroshima. The Bullet train ride was surprisingly quiet and stable despite the speed. It was snowing on the way to Hiroshima. We met my mum-in laws’ old friends Mr & Mrs Takahashi in Tokyo and Mrs Lim in Kobe. The former is a retired Japanese couple while Mrs Lim has her 3 daughters running a quant old coffee shop under the railway line in Kobe. The shop is a trip down memory lane with old pictures of singers of the by-gone era, with jazz music playing from the vinyl on the turn-table. Both our hosts were very hospital and insist on shouting us to a some posh restaurants where the chef cooks in front of you. Hence the tempura were crisp and elegantly presented. The Japanese waiter/waiters kneel when they were serving us sitting on some modified tatami dining set. I was glad I had a new pair of socks on the first day when we sat cross legged on the floor with the low table. Smelly feet would be very embarrassing.

There are many highlights on the trip, we visited Disney land in Tokyo – enjoy the whole day and stay till 9pm in the freezing cold to watch the crowning of Cinderella – with full costume, horse carriage and dance. The well rehearsed and choreographed dance and music is worth money. Disney always makes sure that fairy tale is brought back in real life. Hiroshima with the Atomic bomb memorial and museum is haunting real and sobering. Many man of renown have visited the place and left commends espousing the pacifist views.

There are many photos that Sarah has taken. I shall not do a run down on the whole trip but just some highlights.

If we are given the choice of holiday destinations again – Japan got to be top of the list.