Fast trains, typhoons and electric toilets (Japan)

Arrgh! I had just written my account of Japan when a cat from the hostel here jumped on my keyboard and deleted everything! D'oh! Here we go again...

We spent two weeks exploring Japan with the benefit of a Japanese Rail Pass which gave us unlimited travel on most of the trains, including their super fast Shinkansen, or 'bullet' trains!

We also managed to get stuck in a hostel for 2 days while it rained solid because of a typhoon! The typhoon even managed to overturn a train just 50 miles from where we were staying! Thankfully this was not on our train line, so our onward journey to Hiroshima ran as planned :-)

When we arrived in Hiroishima, we were met by Eoin Mallin's brother, Greg, who lives here with his wife. During our few days here, he and his in-laws took great care of us, showing us around the city and the nearby sights and also cooking an absolutely magnificient traditional Japanese home cooked meal. I wasn't sure what to expect when I was asked to break a raw egg into my bowl (to dip the food into) but it was delicious!

Hiroshima is, not surprisingly, quite a modern city but the highlight is the Peace Park which is situated almost directly under where the atomic bomb exploded. As well as nice grassy walkways, etc. it has an extensive museum giving you all the information you need to know (and some things you probably didn't want to know) about the bomb. At the back of this photo on the right, you can see the 'A-Dome', one of the few buildings which withstood the explosion - very errie to witness!

We also spent a bit of time in Tokyo. It was impressive when we first arrived, with all the bright lights and typical Japanese efficiency, but we soon got tired of the sheer number of Tokyo-ites who were so obsessed with their appearance and the numerous designer stores lining the streets. Everywhere we went, we saw people looking in hand held mirrors fixing their hair, or adjusting their cap so that it is just a little crooked, or whatever. Not me! It was not uncommon to see 2 or 3 people (men & women) sitting in a cafe, and rather than talking to each other, they would be 'fixing' their appearance.

Thankfully, we also got to meet down-to-earth Eric, a friend of Kate's brother, who has lived in Japan for the past 25 years. He took us out one evening and introduced us to a nicer side of Tokyo. When he heard that we had not yet sampled sushi, he had a mission! Kate actually loved it, but considering that I don't even eat cooked fish, leaving it uncooked didn't exactly make it more appealing! Anyway, I gave it a try and it was not as bad as I was expecting.

I'll finish up with a quick mention of Japanese toilets (sorry - I have no photo's!). Let me just say that if something can be automated then the japanese will do it! You can now do your business and when you're finished, you just press a button and are - ahem - cleaned. Fancier toilets even blowdry when you're all washed! And if you hate the feeling of sitting on a cold toilet seat, then fear not... you can even set your desired temperature!