Hiroshima and Miyajima

I caught the Shinkansen West from Kyoto and changed at Shin Kobe. The line pops out of a tunnel halfway up a wooded mountain, there's the station, then the line disappears into another tunnel. I'd just time to walk out of the station. What I could see was very modern. Then another train to Hiroshima. Hiroshima's got plenty of skyscrapers but it seems more regional in its feel - the shops aren't quite as swish. And the tram system has quite an old-time appearance. Although there are some new trams, there's a number of second-hand German trams in use. Of course, I went to the Peace Park first, to look at the famous domed building which partly survived the atomic bomb. Then I visited the museum. Quite harrowing, but a necessary pilgrimage. I caught the wrong tram, got off and walked through a crowded shopping mall, then picked up the right tram back to the station.

Next, a local electric train on the Sanyo Line West to Miyajima Guchi. This is where the Japan Rail ferry to the Island of Miyajima starts from. I got on a ferry straight away for the short, 10 minute crossing. On arrival, I picked up a tourist map and decided to find my hotel, the Iwaso Ryokan, for myself.

I like small islands. This one had lots of tourists, and lots of tourist shops but a good atmosphere. I didn't appreciate how important the island is to the Japanese - it has always been a holy place, so lots of shrines were in evidence. There's wild deer everywhere, the size of a large dog. They're not shy about stealing food or even paper - I saw one tourist lose the snack he'd just bought - he only managed to save the wrapping!

I found the hotel but I'm staying in one of the adjacent cottages. These are totally traditional Japanese houses, sliding doors, tatami floors, the lot. After the brief check in, a housekeeper in a kimono showed me to the cottage. It may not be what I'm used to, but I fell in love with it. The main windows look across a creek with a running stream in Momijidani Park. Hidden by the trees, I could see the tourists in the park but it such a beautiful environment, nature enhanced by man, that I didn't begrudge them at all. Most of the tourists return to the mainland at tea time so, although there are various hotels on the island, there aren't many people around later.

Dinner was served in my room by the housekeeper. It was "a simple meal intended to be served before a ceremonial tea". Just as well it was simple. After the appetiser and hors d'oevre came the raw fish then a grilled course, boiled course, a sukiyaki of duck, a deep-fried course then fresh fruit and green tea. Quite an experience, and I was amazed how much I ate. The maids came in to set up the futon on the tatami and I took a turn around the town before turning in. The air reverberated to the sound of Japanese drums - the Itsukushima-jinja shrine was staging a professional concert with modern lighting, sound reinforcement and a bank of temporary seating for the audience.

Pictures of Hiroshima

Pictures of Miyajima

Leaving Kyoto

This is what the White Heron Castle in Himeji and a D51 look like.

Kyoto and Himeji

Kyoto Steam Locomotive Museum

My last day in Kyoto. Early breakfast, out at 7.50am, walk to nearest subway station and go downtown to Kyoto station. This time, I look at the modern atrium of the station building which caused quite a stir in this conservative city. First task was to make 'Shinkansen' reservations for a trip to Himeji today (Friday) and Hiroshima (Saturday).

Then I took myself off to the JR suburban platforms to find a train to nearby Tambaguchi. Smoking is now only allowed in 'designated' areas and it appears that the end of the suburban platform is one of them. So there's a crowd of people congregating on the platform until just before departure, when they all threw themselves on the train. It's only a few minutes to the first station and I start walking towards Umekoji Park where the Steam Locomotive Museum is located. To get there, I pass the Central Wholesale Market which is huge and very active. Lots of battery electric trucks are buzzing around - modern versions of the old Lister truck - together with gas-powered fork lifts.

I get to the museum just before opening time, so I'm one of the first to be admitted. The old roundhouse has been turned into a museum and they've quite an assortment of large locomotives on display. One end of the shed is roped off. I think that's where they're actually doing work on locomotives and it looks like the original 'factory' end where maintenance would be done. The rest of the 'stalls' you can walk round and there's examples of all the standard Japanese types, as far as I can see. Although this is my first trip to Japan, I've seen a number of the types before because most of Thailand's locomotives were supplied from Japan. Outside, there's a demonstration line about 500m long. There's already a D51 'Mikado' in steam and hooked up to a couple of Emmett-looking semi-open coaches although the first trip is advertised for 11.0am. I can also see a 4-coupled shunter 'brewing up' in the roundhouse. First, I dash round the exhibits making photographs for later study. Despite the 3 foot 6 inch gauge, some of these locomotives are big.

Although some of the earlier locomotives on show have got backhead injectors, later ones have water pumps. You'd think from looking that the injectors were British, but they bear an unfamiliar maker's mark. I imagine they date from the period when Japan was quite good at copying things but hadn't discovered it was good at designing as well. It was very hot today, so I can easily imagine that injectors, with their tendency to 'knock off' when warm, were a real pain.

I was surprised to find one 3-cylinder type, with two sets of outside motion and the inner valve worked by a conjugated motion. Now I wonder where they got that idea from?

There were some large parties of excitable primary school children on site so the train started running on the demonstration line early, presumably to accommodate them all. I took a ride on the 11.0am service. The engine was a bit overkill for the load of two coaches! A little later, they brought the little 0-4-0 onto the electric turntable, span it round about three times, presumably for effect, then it dashed about and parked next to the D51 on the demonstration train. I left the museum and walked a different way back to the station, through a different part of the market, which was noticeably quieter this time - wholesale markets tend to start early and finish early. I took a local back to Kyoto and wandered round the environs of the station before joining the 'Shinkansen' West to Himeji.

Himeji is a bustling, modern city (like most places in Japan) but it has a very famous Japanese-style castle. The castle is only about 1km from the station and once you're inside the castle grounds, the centuries seem to fall away and you could be living in the time of the Shogun. It's a spectacular place and I'm sorry my pictures don't do the place justice. I'm afraid there's a lot of climbing, so I was fairly done-in by the end, but it was well worthwhile. I walked back to the station and dozed on my way back to Kyoto. Subway and walk to get to the hotel, shower and then an evening meal.

Tomorrow, I move to Hiroshima area which is as far West as I go. I'm not sure whether I'll be able to get to the internet, so don't be surprised if I go quiet. On Monday I travel back to Tokyo, then I have to get up early Tuesday to fly home.

My pictures of Kyoto
Pictures of Japan's modern railways
Pictures of Kyoto Steam Locomotive Museum
Pictures of Himeji Castle

World Heritage Site, Kyoto

The Main Gate of a Shinto shrine in Kyoto

I started the day with a short walk in the Imperial Palace Gardens, quite close to the hotel. The palace compound itself is only open for visits by special application, and there's not time for that (this trip). I had a good look round a Shinto shrine within the gardens.

The short version is 'Today, Jan looked at a load of old temples'. Actually, if they're Shinto, they're called 'shrines'. Japan has its own 'religion', Shinto, related to animism, but various forms of Bhuddism co-exist with this. Some of the Shinto shrines I visited have a Buddhist temple on the site, whilst Buddhist temples may have a Shinto shrine incorporated. Most Japanese seem to have no problem following both practices. One explanation offered is "Shinto for happy events, like weddings, Buddhist for sad events, like funerals."

Today I had a driver/guide, Mr. Doi, with a very spacious and comfortable 6-seat people-mover. We started at a large shrine devoted to learning. This was absolutely heaving with secondary schoolchildren praying for good exam results. You start with a simple water purification ritual, then approach the shrine, make an offering, and undertake a series of claps and bows. To ensure your prayer is being listened to, the supplicant shakes a thick rope which sounds a bell fixed at the top.

All the shrines and temples are almost exclusively build of wood, so they're subject to rotting from the rain and termite attack, although they usually set on fire before they fall down. The floors are raised a few feet above ground so that air circulation can help to dry out the timber. The roofs have very wide eaves, many feet overhanging, so as to minimise the amount of rain which actually reaches the main walls. The weight of this overhang introduces design problems, so the rather ornate arrangement of rafters is not so much decorative as a means of managing the roof loading.

We moved on to the Ryoanji Temple, which features a world-famous Zen garden of gravel and 15 rocks. Some of the symbolism is quite appealing, but meditation was not assisted by the hordes of young people also making a visit. The scale of these places is impressive - the main hall is supported by various other surrounding buildings and there's a gatehouse, sometimes a very large gatehouse. There are usually gardens, carefully designed, sometimes centuries ago, to assist in meditation and understanding man's place in the world. The hills and trees outside the compound form an important part of the site ambience and it's impossible not to be moved by these places.

A short drive took us into the country where rice paddies fill the flatland, hemmed in by wooded hills. Most of the rice crop has been harvested and stubble-burning was going on. Many of the fields are provided with scarecrows. Outside one farmers house, there was a vending machine dispensing today's crop - bags of rice, and collections of vegetables. Vending machines selling drinks and cigarettes are everywhere in Japan. There are supposed to be 5.5 million machines and the range on offer is amazing.

We stopped a little way up a hill in a wooded clearing with a large, artificial pond with Koi carp in front of a fairly simple temple-like building which was the grave of one of the early Emperors. The Office of the Imperial Household is responsible for the upkeep of these sites, all over the country. Next, crossing to the East side of the city, we visited Ginkakuji temple, approached by a 50-yard path bordered by camelias trained into 20-feet tall hedges. The two-storey Kannonden is a building probably familiar to everyone. It is set in an idyllic location with trees and a lake, all designed to look natural but in fact artificial (just like Capability Brown).

Moving on again, the shrine at Nanzenji has a huge gatehouse ('Sanmon') you can climb for a fee (yes, I did) - one of the three biggest gatehouses in Japan. The 1.8km Philosopher's Walk is a path along a canalised river surrounded by cherry trees. This is something you should do at blossom time. I enjoyed it but, with all the retail outlets dotted along its length, it is now a bit of a tourist trap. Perhaps the best bit was the quiet shrine set at the end of the path.

And there were more 'best bits' - currently all jumbled in my mind, but leaving a great impression. I've always believed in 'The Spirit of the Place' and these shrines and temples exploit that idea to the full. There's one huge Shrine right in the city on the North side with very impressive gardens including three artificial lakes. Whilst the majority of these buildings are dark brown timbering and white walls, this is one that features the Chinese red-painted timber frame, although the Japanese use a very orange shade. You're sure to have seen pictures of this shrine because the bright colour scheme seems to appeal to art directors. What I didn't expect to find in the garden, protected by a bamboo 'shed' was a Kyoto electric tram! I've no idea what the intended symbolism is - perhaps there is none. We finished up in the area of Gion (where I had the conducted walk yesterday) looking at temples, a pagoda and the attractive traditional wooden houses. Again, it's rather a tourist area and at one point there was a rickshaw taxi stand, with the young men ready to take you on a trip. I didn't indulge.

Mr. Doi was a most congenial and knowledgable companion with excellent English, quite happy to discuss philosophy, religion and history. Altogether, a very illuminating day although I was quite tired on my return to the hotel.

My pictures of Kyoto

Arriving in Kyoto

Geishas in the Gion area of Kyoto

As I think we all imagined, the 'Shinkansen' left Nagoya on time and arrived in Kyoto on time, 40 minutes later. By comparison, our own railway system in England is so utterly third world, it might as well be steam-hauled. The trains here are spotlessly clean internally - I don't just mean the 'Shinkansen', the local trains are all the same. Only the Oigawa Steam Railway stock was scruffy. All the stations are clean, as well. The big stations are confusing to get around but at least there's usually some signage in English - larger stations have almost entirely bi-lingual signs. Today I'd got all my luggage with me so I used a taxi to get to my Kyoto Hotel. Driving through the city, Kyoto didn't look much like the cultural capital of Japan - it looked as nondescript as all large cities usually do. I'm at the Kyoto Brighton Hotel. I wonder if Brighton has a 'Kyoto Hotel'? It's a fairly large, modern hotel with all the rooms set off corridors overlooking a large atrium.

Another good thing, so far, is that each hotel has been expecting me and there's been a minimum of fuss in getting to my room. I started off by having a bath. The hotel-supplied bath salts turned the water a rather startling bright green but, after the initial surprise, that was fine. I'd been booked on a walking tour of the older parts of Kyoto, where you find the traditional, private tea-houses and Geishas practice their craft. So, I had to see about getting myself downtown again, since the 'Brighton' is a few miles North of the city centre, in a mainly residential area near to the former Imperial Palace. Kyoto has just two subway lines, one North-South, one East-West, with an interchange at the improbably-named Karasuma-Oike. I needed to walk about 10 minutes from the hotel to the subway, travel on both lines and then walk a few blocks to the meeting point for the walking tour (outside the Miamiza Kabuki theatre in the old district of Gion). All this passed off without incident and soon the pavement was littered with people obviously going on the walking tour - mainly young and American-sounding, but with a smattering of seniors. Shortly Peter, the guide, appeared and after waiting a few minutes for stragglers, we set off walking the narrow alleys of the district whilst Peter explained a little about the history of Geisha.

We had a fascinating ninety minutes and our 'bag' was two Geiko in traditional white make-up (the post-apprentice Geisha - during the lengthy training they're Maiko), one older Geisha not in white make-up and a couple of off-duty Geisha. Peter said that photos were OK from a distance. By the time we'd finished our walk, it was pitch black although only just after 6.00pm. I managed to re-trace my route back to the hotel and, feeling rather peckish, had a proper evening meal.

The good news is that the hotel's computer has given me back the apostrophe - the bad news is that it keeps jumping into Japanese when I mis-key and I struggle to get it back into at least partial English, plus I can't get the photo-upload to work at all. More when I'm able.

My pictures of Kyoto
Pictures of Japan's modern railways

Leaving Nagoya

Nagoya Castle viewed from my hotel

My last morning in Nagoya. I slept well, had a buffet breakfast at 7.00am and decided to try out the Subway. Nearly getting the hang of things now. Although it was early, I decided to go up to Nagoya Castle, expecting it to be closed (it was). I found the subway, ticketed, and made my way to the Sakura-dori line. The subway was very crowded, but the people from Nagoya seem rather more disciplined than the Tokyoites and everybody was formed up on the platform in diagonal queues two abreast within the painted lines indicating each door. Once the train arrived there was a certain amount of persistent pushing by some passengers to make sure they weren't the ones left behind! I even managed my usual spot at the front of the train. Three stops to Hisaya-odori and then change to the Meijo Line. This is a circle line and a had a bit of trouble finding the platform for the right direction but a local with reasonable English was at pains to assist. I've been impressed numerous times with the casual kindness of ordinary Japanese, even if they don't speak your language. Only one stop to Shiyakushyo and I come above ground with hundreds of girls making their way to the secondary school just next to the Castle. They're all dressed in the same design of white shirt with blue, wide, sailor collar, short pleated skirt and white short socks but, like children the world over, they all manage to be individuals. The massive moat and stone walls encloses not just the castle keep but the modern secondary school as well. I see the keep rising above the trees but cannot get closer until they open. Most of the castle is now a reinforced concrete reproduction because it was fairly comprehensively demolished in the second World War.

There are a number of Civic Buildings nearby so I quickly checked them out then returned below ground to make another subway trip, this time to Nagoya Port. That's Meijo Line anti-clockwise to Kanayama, change onto the Meiko Line, six stops to the terminus at Nagoyaka. It's a glorious day but Nagoyaka is, as yet, quite quiet. The area seems to be a sort of Coney Island. I'm intrigued by the Italian Village. This is a couple of blocks of Venice lookalike buildings with canals and gondolas! None of it open yet, but I see most of it by wandering around the outside which takes me right onto the quayside. They clearly entertain cruise ships here but the only thing moored at present is a large Japanese Coastguard vessel. I wander through the deserted Peoples Park, past the tall and, to my mind, ugly observatory building. There's a Maritime Museum and Aquarium too - closed but I didn't want to visit. More interesting is the Antarctic Exhibition. Parked on the grass is a Snowcat - the tracked vehicles they used for exploration - and moored adjacent is the former Japanese Antarctic survey vessel 'Fuji'.

Back to the subway and return to Kanayama. Here, I change to the Japan Rail tracks for an above-ground local trip on the Chua Line as far as Ozone - wonderful name. I toyed with the idea of going again to the Castle but then decided to get a Japan Rail local back to Nagoya and the hotel to get ready to leave. That's about it for Nagoya, because last night I made a reservation to travel on the 13.07 HIKARI 409 Shinkansen to Kyoto today.

On with the adventure!

Pictures of Japan's modern railways
Pictures of Nagoya and Inuyama

Around Nagoya

Nagoya is the fourth largest city in Japan, I think, but for some reason it is to the Japanese like Wolverhampton to the English - a laughing stock. Haven't seen much of the city because I determined to go to Meiji-Mura - a museum of reconstructed buildings from the Meiji period in the late 19th century when Japan encouraged ideas from the West.

After I'd had a buffet breakfast on the Concierge Floor 36, it didn't take long to get to the station, because the hotel is built above the station complex, but the service I wanted is run by a private company, Meitetsu, who operate from a nearby separate, underground station. I had the ticket machine cracked in seconds so, flushed with success, I was soon on board a semi-fast electric train to Inuyama. Once again, I was up the front checking the route and observing the driving practices. One of the interesting techniques is that the drivers are taught to make a big thing out of certain tasks, like observing signals. With their white-gloved hands they point to the signal with a very histrionic gesture and, as far as I know, say something like "The Signal Is Green". This reinforcement technique is intended to prevent driver errors where the driver responds automatically and doesn't consciously register the situation. From my vantage point, I could see that we were doing 100km/hour most of the time. Then I noticed that the destination displays in the coach occasionally displayed the speed next to an animated electric multiple unit!

Nagoya is built on a large plain and the line North to Inuyama goes through busy suburbs so every few hundred yards, we passed another automatic barrier level crossing. The barriers are invariably long poles which can droop alarmingly - there are no skirts as we have on busier barrier crossings in England. But their busier crossings do seem to have a network of sensors to detect obstructions in the crossing area. Within half an hour, we pulled into Inuyama. I found a tourist information office where they speak a little English - not much - and got a town map and directions to the bus.

The bus arrived fairly quickly but, of course, the buses work differently. A young girl prompted me, but I didn't work it all out until my return trip. You get on at the middle door and, as you enter, pick up a ticket from a dispenser with the stage number printed on it. When you get off, the ticket is placed in a machine after scrutiny by the driver and you pay him the correct fare. Theres a 1000 Yen note change machine which dispenses coins so that you can make the right fare. 1000 Yen is about five pounds. On the way back, I spotted a custom flat-screen display facing the driver and passengers. It displays a table of all the possible fare stages and the fare payable from each stage to the current location of the bus. I don't know how it gets updated but its a nifty bit of kit, once you know it's there.

The bus set off through the town, passing a number of rice fields. In the distance, I could see the huge netted pylons of what I presume is a golf driving range. It appears that no self-respecting Japanese town can be without one of these, although I always think they look like some sort of inter-stellar radio transmitter. We then turned up into the hills and made a steep, twisting ascent which was a bit hair-raising. Part of the route was marked with transverse rumble strips which threatened to shake the bus apart. I was beginning to think I was on the wrong bus, when we pulled into a bus lay-by next to a series of gates and low buildings - we were there!

I bought a ticket to the museum and wandered in. A bus - modern, but built to look old - was waiting. Eventually, I risked it. The driver took us slowly along twisting roads between the various buildings, pausing to explain - in Japanese - what they were. After about ten minutes, we disembarked at the Northern-most point on the bus route, next to the original Imperial Hotel Reception from Tokyo - very art deco, as I should have expected. But, somehow, my steps took me to the Northern railway station where I found a Baldwin six-coupled tank engine at the head of three four-wheeled coaches. The guard was a cheerful soul with a little English. The fireman had quite good English, with a good English railway technical vocabulary. Of course, I had a trip with them. The run is only a few hundred yards long but there's a turntable and run round loop each end so the guard and fireman (who do the hooking on and off, engine turning and point operation)are quite fit, particularly since they do everything at the trot. This business of running I noticed was practised in New Zealand, as well, but it's discouraged in England.

Then I had a few hours of tramping through the hot sun to check out the almost 70 reconstructed buildings. The museum in in a delightful, wooded, hilly area next to a lake, so it's rather like a cross between Blists Hill Open Air Museum and Portmerion. A thoroughly charming place.

I tried out the Kyoto tram, had another couple of trips with my new friends on the steam train and then caught the bus back to Inuyama.

I walked to the Castle, a National Treasure and nothing like English castles although serving the same purpose. Very interesting. I then walked to a different railway station and made my way back to Nagoya, thoroughly tired but very pleased. I'm staying in the hotel this evening, but I'll try to do a little more exploration in the morning, before moving on again to Kyoto.

Pictures of Japan's modern railways
Pictures of Nagoya and Inuyama
Pictures of Meiji-Mura Museum
Meiji-Mura Steam Railway

Tokyo - Nagoya

Oigawa Steam Railway

Another busy day, up at 6.00 a.m., early breakfast, check out of the Imperial, with regret - I was very comfortable there. Travelling light, for a change, because I sent my big case ahead yesterday, as recommended by 'Inside Japan', who made all the bookings. Walked to Ginza subway station and travelled one stop to Tokyo Main Station. This time, I found my way to the Shinkansen platforms without much trouble but it was more through instinct than because of the signage. My tickets worked in the gate and I found my reserved seat without difficulty. We left on time. I was on train KODAMA 535. Because I was going to one of the non-major destinations, I was on a stopping bullet train. These stop at more stations and, whilst at the station, are passed by one or more through trains. In between these stops, they go like the clappers. Going South from Tokyo, its all quite built up, although you can often see wooded hills and mountains in the distance. No, we didnt see Mount Fuji. I gather that this is usually the case at this time of year.

At 10.39 am we arrived at Kakegawa, apparently a large, modern town. Now, the directions I'd been given were rather ambiguous but, by assuming that my onward ticket was correct and with a lot of faith, it worked out. The Shinkansen new station is next to the old Japan Railways Tokaido Line station so it was an easy job to transfer. Then I had to work out which direction to go but I chose correctly. A 3-car electric multiple unit came in at 10.59, two stops and I detrained at Kanaya. This is, at best, a small town. Immediately outside the station, I found a number of people entering what looked rather like a run down shop, but I spotted a faded picture of a steam train so, yes, I was at the Oigawa Steam Railroad! My ticket admitted me to a short bay platform now fenced off from the main station and a rather elderly 2-car electric railcar was waiting. A few passengers got on but, as most people were hanging back and there was no sign of a steam locomotive, I remained on the platform as the railcar disappeared, hoping I'd done the right thing. A little later I was sure I heard a steam locomotive and soon a 7-coach train appeared with an old BoBo overhead electric leading. The pall of smoke suggested a steam locomotive at the other end, but four coaches overhung the platform so it was hard to tell. My ticket gave no suggestion of a seat reservation so I found a seat in the fairly-empty train until the guard came with a computer printout and decided I had a seat reserved at the other end of the train. Although the seat coverings were in fair condition, the coaches were in a fairly poor state of preservation and the impression was not improved by the muddy brown paint scheme. But each window can be lifted up - guillotine style - so at least you can see out.

About 11.48 we set of with the steam locomotive leading but it was obvious that the electric at the rear was doing a lot of work. I don't know whether the top-and-tail working was because of the holiday and the 7-coach load but the electric stayed with us. After a few minutes we stopped at a fair-sized station and the train filled up. I presume there's a car park there for people coming by road. We set off again, with the electric still doing more than his fair share, judging by the commutator whine from the traction motors. The line runs up the valley of the Oigawa River, occasionally crossing over and it's certainly pretty. There are colour light signals and the line has overhead d.c. electrification throughout. Most of the masts are wooden. The line is 3 foot 6 inch gauge, like most Japanese lines - although the Shinkansen Lines appear to be Standard Gauge. We stopped at a number of stations with passing loops, frequently crossing an electric railcar coming the other way. The terminus is up in the hills at Senzu and we arrived about right time at 13.12. Everybody wanted their photograph taken on the footplate or standing on the front framing of the steam locomotive, so it was very difficult to get technical shots for about 20 minutes. The train had come right up to the buffer stops so the engine release crossover was blocked. The fireman had put in a water hose to replenish the side tanks. The electric dropped off the back and came and stood next to the steamer. Eventually, a shunter called on the steam locomotive to set back the stock and the driver let the fireman do this. The shunter unhooked the train - a single air brake pipe to detach and the knuckle coupling can be released by operating a handle accessible from either side. The fireman dropped the engine forward and, when the points were reversed, the engine disappeared to the other end of the train. The shunter then brought the electric through the crossover and set him back onto the train so that the electric would be Tail End Charlie again on the way back.

Yesterday, the Imperial had telephoned the railway for me to see if there was a English-speaker I could talk to but the railway said "Sorry, we have no English speakers". That seemed to be the case. Although on Japan Rail staff tend to have at least limited English, the steam railway seemed to speak Japanese only. I didn't spot another foreign traveller on the train, either. I'd sort of expected it might be a mecca for foreign railway enthusiasts. There were certainly plenty of Japanese both on the train and trackside with serious cameras clicking away.

The kindest thing to say about the 2-6-4 tank which had brought us up was that it's a hard working engine - it was a bit beat-up and reminiscent of locos in Ukraine and India. I'm afraid the whole railway wears a rather run-down appearance. There was an interesting railway museum of memorabilia, artefacts and models but this, too, had a rather forgotten appearance. The line continues beyond Senzu into the mountains and it uses an Abt rack on the steeper parts. This section wasn't running but I saw the rather diminuitive red coaches they use. There was no sign of the diesel locomotives which haul these trains. I had a wander round soaking up the laid-back atmosphere of the place and looking at the river then I had an ice cream cornet before joining the train for the return journey.

We had a pleasant and uneventful journey back to Kanaya. Video clip leaving an intermediate station . The rain which had threatened did not materialise and the sun came out. Everybody seemed in good spirits. On arrival, I made my way across to the Japan Rail station to await the 16.56 local which returned me to Kakegawa. I had a little wait for the Shinkansen I was booked on - KODAMA 549. It arrived on time as it was getting dark and after a few stops we arrived at Nagoya. The underground circulating areas at this large station are about as confusing as those at Tokyo but my hotel - the Nagoya Marriott Associa - has an underground entrance directly off the station so I located it without problem. The hotel itself is in a tower block - I'm on the 36th floor. The hotel business centre I'm using to write this closes at 10.00pm so I will stop there.

Incidentally, the computer I'm using has moved all the punctuation keys so this report was initially issued without some punctuation. I'm also trying to upload photographs, but that won't be complete when I get thrown out! Ah well, tomorrow is another day.

Pictures of Japan's modern railways
Pictures of the Oigawa River.
Pictures of the Oigawa Steam Railway

Sunday in Tokyo and Yokahama

Yokohama

Today I was on my own and, I must admit, I still found the prospect of tackling the public transport unaided a litle daunting!

I'd decided to visit the port city of Yokohama. The hotel recommended walking to Shimbashi Japan Railways station and taking the Tokaido Line train. Walking to the station was no problem - that took about ten minutes. Crossing the road when I got there took a while. Most Japanese pedestrians are quite careful about jaywalking and if the sign of the litle man is red, they don't cross. For some reason, there was a policeman on duty this morning, with an illuminated baton and a whistle, although the traffic lights continued to work.

Once inside the station, I had to get to grips with the ticket machine. You're supposed to look up the cost of the ticket on a big route map which is customised for each station to show the fare to all other stations. Then you buy a ticket for that value. Sounds easy, but a lot of the route maps are only in Japanese, although if you wander round enough you may find another bank of machines where the route map does have 'Romanised' names. There are a number of different types of machine. Some have an English language option (with voice prompts), if you can manage to find how to select the option. Well, I got the ticket and made my way through the automatic barrier onto the platform. At least all the station signs are in two languages but there are so many it can be confusing. There seems little standardisation on what an arrow pointing up at 45 degrees means. Depending on the location, it can mean 'go up stairs', 'go ahead for a bit and then turn down a passage you can't see yet' or 'zig-zap round the next bit'. There's always the risk that when you get the right line, you forget the destination and set off in the wrong direction. Flushed with sucess, I took a few photographs whist waiting for the train. It was the right train but, initially, I boarded the wrong section. Some trains have one or two double-deck coaches. These are 'Green Cars' (the equivalent of first class) and are fitted-out to a better standard than the remainder of the train. Having straightened that out, we have a fast and uneventful trip to Yokohama station, calling at Shinagawa and Kawasaki.

Yokahama is a huge transport hub, interchanging with 'bus and road, plus a ferry. There's a large shopping mall within the station and, a short distance away having crossed about six elevated roadways by bridges and underpasses, there's a massive Sogo department store. I checked all this out hoping to use the ferry but it was only 08:50 and I found the ferry hadn't yet started. So I picked my way back to the station and tried to work out how to use the Yokohama Subway. It took a few minutes to suss it out, but I went East about 4km to Motomachi. Yokohama has a huge Chinatown, so I spent a while wandering around, along with a lot of other visitors. Then I crossed the river to get to the long, narrow street of Motomachi, a 'strip mall' of mainly high-class shops, already well-patronised by visitors. I abandoned the designer boutiques for Yamate, a hilly area and the oldest part of the city originally settled by the foreign traders. There's a "Foreigner's Cemetary" and an English-looking Church (razed to the ground in the Second World War and rebuilt). A few more steps takes you to Harbour View Park (which does what it says on the tin). Having surveyed the Container Terminal, the industry, the power station, the Cruise Ship Berth, the solitary huge wind turbine and the sweep of the bay with the new town of Minato Mirai 21 in the distance, I descended the hill via a steep path, crossed the river and expressways, decided not to visit the Doll Museum and walked through Yamashita Park to the ferry terminal. Now the ferries had started so a bought a ticket and had a splendid trip back to Yokohama main station, making brief landings at Akarenga, where two brick warehouses from the old port appear to have been 'yuppified' and 'MM21' (the suitably-obscure soubriquet for Minato Mirai 21, the collection of modern apartments, museums and exhibition halls no super-annuated port should be without these days). En route back to the station, I looked at Sogo - very large, very upmarket, very like everywhere else you've seen, with the same designers represented. Video clip of entertainment in the Sogo store. I managed to purchase a ticket, find the right train and travel back to Shimbashi without incident, standing behind the driver's compartment. These particular EMU (Electric Multiple Units) have wide expanses of glass so I got an unrestricted view down the line. Video clip. I walked back to the hotel and treated myself to a soup whilst I planned an afternoon visit.

I went on the Subway up to the Park at Ueno which was very busy on this holiday weekend and toured the Tokyo National Museum. Then I got a Japan Railways train back to the main Tokyo station so that I could exchange my travel pass voucher for the actual railway Travel Pass I'll start using on Tuesday. Finding the right place to do this took a little while and then trying to find the subway station for the Marunouchi Line which I'd decided to use back to Ginza took a little while as well. But, eventually, all planned tasks complete, I returned to the hotel. I'd better cut this short as I have a fairly early start tomorrow. Tomorrow evening should find me in Nagoya and I'll give you a report when I can.

Click for pictures of Tokyo and Yokahama
Click for my railway photographs of Japan

Tokyo, second impressions

Ginza - very quiet.

I've arrived on a holiday weekend (Autumn Equinox, I think), evidenced last night by some sort of public gathering in Hibiya Park opposite the hotel. This morning, I discovered that it's a 'Bierfest' and I expect it to be running on Saturday as well, but I probably won't check it out.

Very hot and humid on Saturday - unseasonal, they say, but it suits me. After a very decent American Breakfast in the hotel, I took a short walk East. Main railway lines cut through the city North- South on viaducts and I saw a variety of local trains and Shinkansen as I made my way to Ginza. Being Saturday morning, it was surprisingly quiet. Then back to the hotel to meet my guide for the day, a charming Japenese girl called Maiko. We set off on foot North to look at the entrance to the Imperial Palace, set behind a moat in wooded parkland. For the rest of the day we criss-crossed the city on foot and using local trains and various subway lines. Unusually, we came across a subway test train, equipped with multi-channel recorders attended by their young engineers, who looked surprised to be photographed by a foreigner! The one coach had been loaded with huge plastic tanks filled with water, presumably to simulate "crush loading".

We visited the Senso-ji Bhuddist temple in Asakusa in the North of the city. The approach is via a huge covered market selling trinkets, keepsakes and food. This is a joyous and noisy place. Well over 90% of Japanese claim to be Bhuddist, but well over 90% also claim to follow Shinto - most people follow an informal amalgam of both practices. Only around 1% of the population are Christian.

Next, we went to the Meiji Jingu Shinto shrine. It dates only from 1920 and, following the Animist principles of Shinto, is at the centre of peaceful woodland. Although there were lots of people there, it was considerably quieter than Senso-ji. We were lucky to see two young children, in ceremonial dress, being taken by their parents for one of the Shinto rituals that are more usually carried out in November. Near the main shrine, we found three couples attending marriage ceremonies having their wedding photographs taken by some very professional photographers. Whilst the grooms were fairly simply dressed, each bride displayed a different style of very elaborate (and very expensive) wedding dress.

Outside the shrine, we took a light lunch at a very pleasant Italian restaurant and in the streets we found lots of young people in various modern dress styles starting to enjoy the holiday. By subway again, we went to the Tokyo Metropolitan Government building. This is a modern skyscraper with North and South towers, with observatories open to the public (free) on the 45th floors of each tower. Visibility was prety good today.

Finally, we visited the Edo Tokyo Museum, housed in a improbable-looking modern building on stilts next to the Sumo Arena where the championships are just finishing. Inside there's a fascinating collection of artefacts, models and reconstructions detailing the history of Tokyo. This was a fascinating and enlightening tour. By now, it was already dark so Maiko and I returned to my hotel on a series of subway and local trains for a snack before we said goodbye.

Click for pictures of Tokyo

Click for my railway pictures in Japan

Tokyo, first impressions

Arrived on time after a good, short flight by Asiana's 767-300 (ER). Narita Airport is huge and we were taxiing for 15 minutes before we got to the stand. Immigration, luggage reclaim and customs was efficient and friendly. In the arrivals hall, I was met by a very presentable young man from the tour company and soon he was speeding me to Tokyo in a very comfortable limousine. Is it just me, though - I keep thinking I'm talking to a cyborg when people have a Bluetooth headset stuck to the side of their head?

Narita is about one and a half hours out of Tokyo, even with the traffic flowing well. The skyscrapers start early and just continue all the way in. I've seen big cities but Tokyo seems to be something else. The Imperial Hotel is huge and posh. It's actually 'Son of Imperial' because the famous original by Frank Lloyd Wright was rebuilt in the '60s (just like the Waldorf Astoria in New York which is now 'Son of Waldorf).

The room is very well-appointed but, boy, do the Japanese like gadgets. The W.C. has a heated seat and a control panel on the wall for spray, bidet and flush, with buttons to control the water pressure. The bath has taps, if you prefer, but it also has a control panel to select temperature and a button that says 'Fill' and it fills! There's a stop button, too. When the bath is ready, it plays a few bars from 'Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring' (I kid you not).

I've enjoyed a good American style breakfast and will shortly actually go outside (that was the idea, Jan) but I thought I'd give you the quick update first. Catch you later!

En Route to Japan

Travelling by Aseana, the Korean airline. Just got off the 777-200 flight from the third-world airport which is Heathrow and now in the very well-appointed Seoul International Airport, airy, clean, huge. Lots of people about but a sense of quiet calm totally lacking normally in UK airports.

It's years since I've been to Korea - just flying in the development of the country is amazing since my last visit. Huge reclamation schemes, new roads, a very big bridge project well advanced.

Ah well, can't stop now - I've to get the OZ106 from Gate 12. Fortunately, this free internet lounge is near to Gate 12.

Catch you later!

The Black Country Museum

On 11th September, Keith and Jan visited the Black Country Museum. This is another open-air museum with a township re-created from relocated buildings. There is a replica of Newcomen's famous 'Dudley Engine', featuring the crude valve gear that was used on these early engines. It was not operating on our visit. Like Blists Hill, there is a recreation of a mine with headgear, sidings with mine tubs, winding house and winding engine. Alas, the engine was not operating. Nearby there's a second, smaller pit. You can go underground into a re-created drift mine, but we didn't have time for this experience. The 3 foot 6 inch gauge ex-Wolverhampton tram was giving rides and the driver was very helpful and informative. The re-created town includes shops, public houses, a chapel and even a cinema. We watched a Charlie Chaplin film at the picture-house and were most impressed by the genuine gas lighting which reminded me of my childhood. The period ambience is faithfully re-created and it was a fascinating experience. Time didn't allow us to take the boat trip into Dudley Canal Tunnel, but this is recommended to any visitor. On our way out, we visited the trolleybus depot which has a marvellous collection of vehicles kept in tip-top condition. I'm not old enough to remember the trams in Wolverhampton, but the green and yellow 'Sunbeam' trolley buses were part of my childhood. A very enjoyable, if necessarily brief, visit. Photographs

Shackerstone Family Festival 2007

On Sunday, 2nd September 2007 Keith Watson, John Archer and Jan visited the Shackerstone Family Festival ('Shackfest'). Shackerstone is a tiny village in Leicestershire but somehow it produces an annual festival with trains (on the Battlefield Line), a canal rally, a huge display field with an amazing assortment of stalls and other activities. Unusually, there was no steam locomotive in action on the Battlefield Line (although Burton Model Engineers were giving live-steam rides on a portable track until a mechanical failure stopped them). Well, we made a round trip to Shenton behind a Class 33 'Crompton', but it's not the same. Next, it was down to the canal rally, where Keith got invited aboard the steam tug 'Adamant'. Then, we took a motor launch along the canal to the entrance to the display field. Too many activities to describe, although the aerobatic display by a single aircraft was impressive. There was 'Chitty-Chitty-Bang-Bang', a model steam traction engine and a large display of classic cars and motor cycles. We made our way back to the station in time for the display of wing-walking by two bi-planes. This was real heart-in-mouth stuff to end our visit! 'Shackfest' in photos

The Cradle of the Industrial Revolution

Ironbridge Gorge is a World Heritage Site because it is recognised as the 'Cradle of the Industrial Revolution'. The significance of the ironmaking industry which started there cannot be overestimated. Man had been able to make iron for centuries, but never before on such a large scale. On the 1st September 2007, Keith Watson, John Archer and the writer visited the Gorge.

First, we paid homage to the 'Iron Bridge' itself. The bridge over the Severn Gorge is the first iron bridge in the world, built 1779 and still in use as a pedestrian bridge. It is constructed from a large number of interlocking cast parts, in part mimicking wooden construction but the challenge of building in this new material called for great resourcefulness.

There are ten museums in the area but Blists Hill Victorian Town is probably the best known. The site includes early ironworks and tileworks and numerous old buildings have been transported to make a complete township with working factories, populated by people in period dress who explain the way of life.

Keith soon spotted a Wallis & Steevens 3-ton steam roller and a small portable engine in a locked yard. The helpful staff quickly summoned somebody with a key to give us a better view.

Nearby is a foundry where the art of sand moulding cast iron is demonstrated. Small decorative items for sale are produced here.

In 1802 the Coalbrookdale Company built what's claimed to be the world's first steam locomotive to Richard Trevithick's designs. The museum has a working replica on a short demonstration line, although it was not working on our visit. Sadly, the locomotive is left outside. Its appearance is hardly improved by a plastic cover over the top of the chimney, especially since the cover is fixed to a long piece of wood to allow it to be set in place from ground level.

Nearby, there is a colliery winding house with a single-cylinder steam engine to lift a tub up and down a shallow shaft. This was working.

Next, the unmistakeable 'thump - thump' of a steam hammer drew us to the ironworks, where they actually make wrought iron. We spent some time watching the steam hammer re-shaping cut links of massive mooring chains into the short, thick slabs called 'blooms'. These have to be made red hot in an oven and then quickly transported on a two-wheeled truck to the hammer. After re-heating the blooms can be 'worked' by being passed a number of times through a 'cogging mill' - a type of rolling mill - driven by a steam engine. The steam for the hammer and the mill comes from a modern, package boiler, but there is a non-functional re-creation of an original boiler. It was an awesome experience to watch the men working for real in the very hazardous environment - watch the video clip below.

Nearby we found two massive beam blowing engines, David and Sampson, built in Glasgow and erected at Priorslee Ironworks in 1851. They're not working but impressive for their size and decoration, with elaborate fluted supporting columns.

These are just the highlights of our visit - there's so much to see, including the purely domestic (I was able to buy Coltsfoot Rock at the sweet shop).

As we were leaving, we came upon the preserved section of plateway with its odd-looking points. The horse-drawn wagons on a plateway used ordinary wagon wheels without a flange. Steering was provided by a vertical flange on the rail. Points have a 'crossing' and 'check rails', just like modern points, but in a plateway they are 'inside out' as the photographs show.

My Ironbridge photographs.