> HOLIDAY OF A LIFETIME - JAPAN

Tokyo - Kyoto - Tokyo
31 March - 14 April 09



From the bright lights and round the clock madness of Tokyo to the beauty of Kyoto - the Japanese really do have it sorted!

 Our itinerary...Tuesday 31 March - We enjoy a great flight from Heathrow terminal 5 to Narita airport, Japan.

 Wednesday 1 April - Arrive in Japan, weather is a little over-cast but our spirits are high... Japan - we are ready for you! We check into our Hotel in Shinagawa. Up to our room on the 36th floor for a quick fresh'n up then off out to explore! Walk around Ginza then up to the Senso-ji Temple - Tokyo's most sacred and spectacular temple. Dinner in the Hotel and early to bed.

Shinjuku at night - Our first blossom in the gardens of the Imperial Palace
- The huge paper lantern at Senso-ji - Delicious tempura
Thursday 2 April - Imperial Palace and grounds, we enjoy our first amazing blossom. Visit the Tokyo Museum of Modern Art and Crafts Gallery - spectacular scrolls, screens and pottery. Up to Ueno Park and explore the National Museum. Back to Hotel and get our first glimpse of Mount Fuji from our room on the 36th floor. Delicious dinner of tempura at Tsunahachi amongst the bright lights of up-town Shinjuku.

Friday 3 April - Train south to Kita-Kamakura. Explore the beautiful Engaku-ji temple then trek up in the mountain woodlands down to the 'Great Buddha' in Kamakura, also visit the magnificent Hase-dera Shrine. Short train ride to the sea-side resort of Enoshima, quick walk around and head back to Tokyo.

HANAMI in Shibuya - The Great Buddha in Kamakura
- Details from Engaku-ji and Hase-dera
Saturday 4 April - HANAMI! We celebrate the blossom season in Shibuya with Marina & Haruki and Yuko. After the feast we stroll through the very cool districts of Nako-Meguro and Ebusu - we see our first kitty Cafe and go wild with excitement. We continue to Marina and Harukis beautiful Japanese home and have a fab eve with our new friends.

Sunday 5 April - Off to the Japanese alps! Bullet train to Nagano then local train up to Yudanaka, a pleasant alpine resort in the mountains. We check into our traditional Ryokan and sample the delights of the roof top onsen (natural hot spring baths)... wow! Have a quick wander around the town and visit the 'World Peace Kannon'. Back to our Ryokan for a truly amazing traditional multi-course dinner served by our very own kimono clad lady!

Snow Monkey at Jigokudani - Getting into the spirit of things in our Ryokan
- Water Dragon from the peace park - Breakfast in our Ryokan
Monday 6 April - Get up and experience our first Japanese breakfast - delicious! Visit the world famous snow monkey park at Jigokudani - gorgeous little monkeys and breathtaking scenery. Catch train down to Obuse. Walk around this pretty town and visit two of the main attractions linked to the famous Edo period painter Katsushika Hokusai - enjoy fabulous wood block prints and editions of 'The great wave off Kanagawa' from the 36 views of Mount Fuji. Back to Yudanaka where we see the sunset from our onsen on the roof - magical. Then down stairs to be treated to another Japanese feast. (...How many bowls?).

Tuesday 7 April - Another huge Japanese breakfast. Time to leave the mountains. Train to Nagano then Bullet train to Kyoto - we view beautiful countryside from the train. Check into the Mitsui Garden Hotel. Fresh'n up and off out. Walk around Pontocho - the district full of historic back lanes and haunts of Geisha girls and world class Sushi Chefs.

The Golden Pavilion - Back streets of Poncho
- Zen detail and entrance gate to Honen-in temple
Wednesday 8 April - A beautiful day to explore ancient Kyoto - we head to the North-west of the City! We start with the stunning Golden Pavilion, otherwise known as Kinkaku-ji. Now off to amble along the blossom lined Philosophers walk down to the very pretty Honen-in temple. A short stroll south and we get to the Nanzen-ji temple, another peaceful complex. Off again, further south to the Chion-in temple, very impressive! We amble along the beautiful ancient streets known as Ishibei-koji and down to the busier shopping and gift streets of Ninen-Zaka and Sannen-Zaka.

High up in the forest of Nanzen-ji - The impressive Chion-in
- The streets of Ishibei-koji - Gift shops, they love their cats!
Next we visit the amazing Kiyomizu-dera - We experience the magical Tainai-meguri, very dark and very moving... This place just gets better and better! Now down to Sanjusangen-do - incredible long wooden structure housing 1001 statues of the 1000-armed Kannon (the Buddhist goddess of mercy). Finally we head back to our hotel - we do mange to squeeze in one final temple, the huge wooden hall known as Higashi Honganji. That's it! we make it back to our room and collapse....

Part of the Kiyomizu-dera complex - Kannon inside Sanjusangen-do
- The blosom covered gardens of Sanjusangen-do - The wooden hall of Higashi Honganji
Thursday 9 April - Catch the train to Nara and do a bit more temple spotting! First up - the fabulous complex of Kofuku-ji - Beautiful structures and very cute wild Deer! Then onto the mighty Daibutsu-den, this is the worlds largest wooden structure! Amazing Buddha statues too. A pleasant woodland stroll leads us to the enchanting Nigtsu-do and Sangatsu-do, lovely views and very peaceful. Next up, the magical lantern stacked temple of Kasaga Taisha. Nara really did blow us away! We head back to Kyoto and are brought bang up to date with a quick tour around the cathedral like modern architecture of Kyoto train Station! Dinner time - we head to a local Izakaya (Japanese pub) and enjoy traditional dishes and a beer.

One of the many deer of Nara - The mighty Daibutsu-den
- We sponser a roof tile for the grand hall (+we get to paint on it)
- Dave enjoys Kyoto central train station
Friday 10 April - Hot and sunny - the shorts are on and we are ready to hit the streets! We head for shade as we explore the grounds of the Imperial Palace. Next stop the Kyoto Museum of Modern Art - Interesting collection and more examples of work by the wonderful Kiyoshi Hasegawa. We write our post cards outside by the river as the blossom falls around us. In the afternoon we head North to Arashiyama - we wander through majestic bamboo groves and meander along picturesque old streets dotted with beautiful craft shops and artisans studios. This place is yet another of the hi-lights of our Japanese extravaganza!

Saturday 11 April - Off again!, we say good bye and thank you to the beautiful City of Kyoto - this place has been truly amazing. We board our bullet train and enjoy a 45 minute journey west to the town of Himeji - home to the amazing Samurai strong-hold known as Himeji Castle. We have just 1.5 hrs to explore the beautiful grounds and impressive fortifications of the main tower. We're off again... We board the bullet and enjoy a 3.5 hour blast through the ever populated environs of Middle Japan, we get over excited as we spot our old friend the 'elusive Lady' (Mount Fuji) - she is spectacular! Once at Tokyo we check into the Mitsui Garden Hotel in Ginza. Quick fresh'n up and we head out to meet Emma and Lucas in the Roppongi district of the City. We enjoy a delicious local meal of sushi, sashimi and tempura - Lucas also introduces us to the art of Sake appreciation - Cheers!

Still life with Mexican Dove by Kiyoshi Hasegawa - Bamboo walk, Kyoto
- Himeji Castle - Maman outside Roppongi Hills complex
Sunday 12 April - Another warm and sunny day of exploring... We head to Harajuku - the fast beating heart of Japanese youth culture and playground to Gothic Lolita's, vamped up Manga super hero's and fans of subversive Edwardiana - the ultra slick teddy Boys and Girls also put on a great show! Takeshita-dori was cool too, felt a bit like being on Camden High street back in the late 90's. We also visit Yoyogi Park and enjoy a leisurely stroll to the Meiji shrine complex. Shibuya is our next stop - more cool shops and home to the busiest pedestrian crossings in the world! We also have to stop and drool over kittens in a pet shop window... Next we hit Roponggi Hills and Tokyo Midtown - two mega-glitzy developments that include retail, business, cultural and entertainment spaces... they are HUGE! We head back to our hotel for a quick dip in the bath and enjoy views out over the bright lights of the city - very surreal!

Monday 13 April - Our last day to explore Tokyo ;-(... we head to the spectacular Tokyo International Forum - impressive modern architecture at its best! Now off to the Seaside! The area known as Tokyo Bay is a bit of a mish-mash - some retail space and a man made beach, some industrial areas and a smattering of hotels - the Fort Venus shopping arcade was a kitsch disaster! We take the train back to mainland Tokyo and decide to have one last stroll around the dazzling streets of Ginza, this shopping Mecca is amazing and hosts flagship stores for all the design houses and must-have brands of the world... amazing!Tuesday 14 April - Up early and off to Narita airport. Fly back to the UK. Our heads are jam-packed with happy memories. Thank you Japan!

The party people of Harajuku - Shibuya at night
- View from our hotel in Ginza - Tokyo Bay
Ok, to sum up... Japan is a beautiful country with a strong sense of identity and culture. The people are polite, considerate of others and they value society. Public services run like clockwork and people really seem to appreciate them. Above all, the Japanese clearly love their country, its natural beauty as seen in the blossom, the beautiful hills, mountains and above all Mount Fuji-san! They love their heritage as seen in the temples and shrines, art, rituals, ceremonies and traditional dress and not forgetting food! They embrace western and other cultures, but never forget or lose the importance of their own identity. This is what makes Japan so very special...
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