Japan - the wrap up

Beautiful morning at Philosophers Path, Kyoto

Hinayu, a maiko (trainee Geiko)
 we met on the last day 

Amazing day at a Himeji Castle

Visiting Japan was like being on another planet. Everything was just that little bit different, more designed, more pleasing to the eye and more polite. I loved the juxtaposition of the modern life sitting side by side with the centuries old traditional aspects of Japanese culture.

The highlights:

• staying in a ryokan, a traditional family run inn and learning the traditions of wearing a yukata, having a sento bath, what shoes to wear when and more
• chasing cherry blossoms, I was very lucky to experience the peak of the cherry blossoms in all the cities and towns visited 
• Himeji Castle, a magnificent world heritage site perched on a hill to defend the western approach to Kyoto, one of only 12 original castles left in Japan

The surprises:

• Everyday activities are all different, from unwrapping a chocolate bar to going to the toilet, being able to follow instructions is essential.
• English is everywhere, from announcements on the train to assistants in shops, trying out some words in Japanese was lots of fun and people were very patient with me (I have been told there is less English as you get further away from the cities).
• Trains are impressive, frequent, signage is excellent, loved the Ginza line in Tokyo that even had interactive boards with useful information like where the exit points are from your carriage.
• Crowds were not as big as I expected, the streets, train stations, shops all seem to be designed to cope with the millions of people passing through each day.

In my 15 days, I took 4270 photos and a lifetime of memories. This is a country I would like to visit again.