My Japan

Ukiyo-e of  'The great wave off Kanagawa'
by Katsushika Hokusai (photo-ed in reverse).

Twice last year we'd postponed our trip to Japan, but we were third time lucky. When SH, RMN, AH and I finally went on the 3rd of April (till the 12th) recently, the cherry blossoms were in their full glory! Everywhere we went it was hanami* at its best.

Sakura in Tokyo (CNB 2012)

Sakura in Kyoto (CNB 2012)

Sakura (and me) in Okayama (AH 2012)

We landed in Tokyo (Haneda) and took the YCat bus at midnight to Yokohama, where we stayed three nights at AH's friends' home in Honmoku-Wada. Our hosts kindly took us around Yokohama, and we also made a day trip to Tokyo by train.

An out of focus photo of us at Haneda, waiting for the YCat
bus to Yokohama (YCat Bus porter 2012)

My Japan Rail Pass  (CNB 2012)

From Shin-Yokohama, we went to Okayama by the shinkansen (bullet train), making use of our week-long Japan Railways (JR) Pass. In Okayama we stayed two nights at the Toyoko Inn. We also made a foray into Kurashiki, using the local JR line.

A shinkansen at Shin-Yokohama (CNB 2012)

Shinkansens at Okayama eki (CNB 2012)

On a shinkansen to somewhere (CNB 2012)

From Okayama, we took the shinkansen again to Shin-Kobe, where SH's very good friend Kumiko, came to fetch us in her car at the eki (station). SH and Kumiko go a long way back to when they were studying together at Kobe Daigaku (University) in the 1970's. It was just right that we also visited their alma-mater in Kobe.

Kumiko then drove us to Osaka for some retail therapy and later to the eki for our local JR train to Kyoto. In Kyoto, we stayed at the Oyado Ishicho Ryokan for two nights. From here, with another ex-classmate of SH, Yukari, we went by bus/taxi to visit two of the very numerous temples and shrines in Kyoto, including a contender for the wonder of the world, the Kiyomizu-dera.

Kumiko and Yukari at the Kiyomizu-dera (CNB 2012)

We also went to Nara by train to visit the famed Nara Park and Todai-Ji. Here we bade sayonara to Kumiko who had to leave for Tokyo on urgent family matters.

Together with Yukari, we went by the shinkansen and local train to Nagoya, where she lives. We stayed at the Cypress Hotel, from where Yukari graciously drove us around Nagoya. She also entertained us to dinner at her home, arigato gozaimasu!

We left Nagoya for Tokyo to stay our last night at the eHotel in Shinjuku. By both the JR and subway trains, we explored a bit of Tokyo, taking in the Tsukiji Market, Shibuya, Ginza, and of course Shinjuku.

A local JR train, this one taken at Kurashiki (CNB 2012)

A rather odd looking JR train at Okayama-eki (CNB 2012)

A Tokyo subway train approaches (CNB 2012)

On the 12th April evening we left Tokyo to return to Malaysia with lots of sweet memories - of Japan in the Spring, at cherry blossom time.

Note: (1) A million thanks to SH who meticulously planned and arranged our trip and guided us around a country where we felt quite buta huruf (illiterate) indeed!
          (2) This is an overview of our Japan trip. Please see my other blog entries for more pictures & details.

* flower viewing