Jan Ford's World

Remembrance Day 2007 was particularly poignant. All over the globe, conflict, of one sort or another, is still flourishing. Hopes that the ...

Autumn has been rather late this year. When I was in Japan in September, people were telling me how late the trees were changing colour and...

My recent visit to Japan gave me the opportunity to see how they run the railways in Japan. The answer appears to be 'very well', co...

'Thomas' during the re-railing process. Nothing brings a chill to a railwayman like the phrase "They're off the road...

I've chosen the O-Torii Gate on Miyajima as a single symbol of a wonderful trip. I've been back in England for a few days now, b...

Well, not literally a postcard, but I'll try to add a picture when I'm home. In transit through the clean, quiet, efficient airport ...

The Park Hyatt is a very swish, modern hotel, although I think it's been open about 13 years now. It occupies a number of floors starti...

So, what about Sunday? I rose at 6.00am had a little walk exploring the park before breakfast at 7.30. I'd booked an English breakfast a...

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 ...

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

Kyoto Steam Locomotive Museum My last day in Kyoto. Early breakfast, out at 7.50am, walk to nearest subway station and go downtown to Kyo...

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. T...

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, 4...

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...

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 laughin...

Oigawa Steam Railway Another busy day, up at 6.00 a.m., early breakfast, check out of the Imperial, with regret - I was very comfortabl...

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! ...

Ginza - very quiet. I've arrived on a holiday weekend (Autumn Equinox, I think), evidenced last night by some sort of public gatherin...

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 w...

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...