reportage

You Are Exactly Where You Need To Be - Cafe Sign. Panauti. Kathmandu Valley

Hello Nepal. Well this feels different!

Outside of temples and a starting spot for mountain trekking, I was going to Kathmandu without any real knowledge of the area. Immediately upon arrival from India, it felt different. Calmer, quieter and less chaotic.

Surrounded by incredible scenery, Kathmandu has a unique and interesting character to it when walking around the city. There’s a ruggedness to it. Many of the streets are dirt roads, the buildings aren’t in the best shape and the architecture and temples all over the city give it its own identity. There’s a mix of Nepalese culture and modernity throughout the city, while feeling you are still far away from a more developed urban life. Since the country has become government run, buildings higher than 2 storeys are now permitted. A new building era  has begun.

Roads are unpredictable, Power-cuts randomly happen, it’s all part of the experience. Everybody is smiling. But before we explore Kathmandu any further we took a jeep ride out of the city.

As we made our way out of the city, brick factories and rural developments give way to rice fields on the way to the hillside village of Panauti.

Panauti is still regarded as one of the oldest towns in Nepal. It offers a poignant look at the passage of time. The crowded bus-stop in the sprawling mess of the new town gives way to small brick streets leading through a once prosperous, trading medieval city with a relatively small temple at its centre accompanied by an antiquated yet charming museum. The main visitors here, it appears, are a multitude of pigeons.

With the exception of a few motor vehicles there seems to be little evidence of modernity. Washing is done in the river, cement is made by hand, wool is hand-spun and wood is hand-carved.

Earthquakes and age have taken their toll on the village but some building renovations are underway. The tiny, lopsided doorways, hand-carved wooden structures and wonky, subsided brickwork provide a historical backdrop to the day to day chores of everyday life.

Our next stop is Bhaktapur…





Every Supermodels Favourite Ramp - Indigo Airlines aeroplane ramp. Gwalior Airport.

From Gwalior military airport, on a flight lasting no longer than it takes to eat the complimentary pot noodle we landed in Varanasi.

Our last experience flying here had left a permanent scar, so it was an almighty relief that we encountered no issues and arrived as scheduled to the same place we resided last time -  Panchkote Ghat. We returned because we never saw the Ghats, they were completely submerged. Three years ago the late monsoon suddenly hit. We left with the water up to our waists, balanced on our luggage, on a rickshaw being pushed by Ranjeet and friends through the waist deep water.

This time it’s warm and dry, perfect for us to explore life on the Ghats.

Situated on the banks are the ghats, the stairs going down to a river, which create the character of Varanasi. The ghats span the length of the entire bank and you can walk along the river by weaving up and down the steps. The stairs themselves slide into the water at the bottom, with the last visible step determined by the water levels of Ganges. At several points on the ghats are large landings where much of the activity takes place.

From families gathering, picnicking, taking selfies, sleeping to bathing, praying, learning, burning and boat building it all happens here from dawn until dusk.

One of the world’s oldest continually inhabited cities. Known by three names: Varanasi - the official more recent name deriving from two Ganges tributaries forming the city's borders - Varuna and Assi. Secondly, Banaras - the old name and finally, Kashi - the ancient name found in the primary Hindu texts meaning “to shine” and shine it certainly does.

By late afternoon some ghats start to fill up in readiness for the evening ahead. Snacks, Chai, sweets, candles and flowers are readily available.

We took a boat as dusk began to settle. It was beautiful to see Varanasi from the water.

We travelled along many of the ghats finally reaching Manikarnika Ghat the biggest of the burning ghats. Between here and Harishchandra, the smaller burning ghat there are about 80 cremations a day each costing 4000 rupees. In covid a cremation cost 6000 Rps due to the risk to the people who work here at the burning ghats.

The new spires, gleaming in the evening light, indicate the modern sleek new walkway completed during Lockdown leading up to the Golden Temple. Three years ago it was just a pile of mud, with many newly discovered temples randomly sticking up out of the ground.

As darkness fell, we moored up at Dasashwamedh Ghat to witness the evening Ganga Arti. This happens every evening, every day of the week. It was held on the roof tops when we were last here so it was exciting to the Arti in all its glory.

Approximately 20,000 people gathered. It was quite a spectacle to see the boats of all sizes pushing and shunting to get their space. Afterwards it was quite a spectacle to see everyone trying to leave. 20,000 people is a lot to battle through.

Of course an easier option is to stop and have a bite to eat.

Small or medium you are always ‘XL’ for us. - Federal Bank Advert. Jaipur

One misty morning we headed 10 kilometres out of Jaipur’s city centre to find the Monkey Temple.

We were greeted by goats, cows and of course monkeys - in abundance.

As soon as we pitched up 2 young brothers introduced themselves and offered to be our guides and protect us from the monkeys - all for the equivalence of a pound. How could we refuse?

Rishi and Naran were good guides, they loved the monkeys and helped us avoid the Babas’ who try to rip you off. Rishi was especially good with the monkeys and wanted to be a vet, but I guess life won’t give him that chance. He told us about all the animals and birds we saw and showed us videos of leopards which they had seen on the path we walked. Thankfully we did not meet them. There is known to be 46 leopards living in the locality, they come into the temple area to hunt the dogs and monkeys.

As we climbed up we passed lots of the local children kite-flying into the mist.

There are many temples within this mountainous site and a natural spring that flows down from the hilltop. The water from the spring fills up many water tanks which are considered very sacred and the pilgrims visiting the temple bathe in the holy water.

A newly married couple were on their way to the temple to be be blessed.

The boys were clever and tricked us into buying them dinner, but for 20p we thought it was funny. Telling us we had to pay the Baba a small fee for the temple, which transpired was a small bowl of Dahl for them each.

The boys were actually working for a gang who were operating as you went in through the gate. However, they were so charming and this is all their life is right now, we were more than happy to pay them well and enjoyed their lovely company and everything they taught us. At the ages of 14 and 12 life has forced them to grow up too early.

The monkey’s cheeks are rammed with the peanuts we fed him.

So now it’s time to bid farewell to Jaipur and all its wildlife. We throughly enjoyed our time here.

'I found My Tokyo' - Travel Agency Slogan. Tokyo.

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The final chapter of an incredible journey.

We’d had enough of the noise, so we gave up the flat and moved into a hotel to finish off our trip in a bit more comfort.

We booked a hotel on-line, using the same sight we have booked all other hotels. It advertised ‘Superior Twin bed room (sleeps 3-4).’ Sounded ideal - spacious and quiet.

Turns out, when we arrived, the price quoted was for two beds, one person. With huge fees for additional people. How can this be allowed? The online booking company told us it was the hotel’s set of conditions and not their responsibility for misrepresentation of facts. They would not let us raise this issue as a warning to others on their media forum. It was banned. 

So, bed 21 brings us to our final couple of experiences and these both took place late at night.

So it seems to me that Japan’s life is about art and culture, anime paradise, crazy technology and a very large sex industry.  Kabukichō is the location of many host and hostess clubs, love hotels, shops, restaurants, and nightclubs, and is often called the ‘Sleepless Town’. This red light district is not quite as explicit as other cities in Japan, but it comprises of many, many hotels advertising stay, rest, or sleep.

The adult entertainment is hidden behind closed doors, with only a few touts hanging around outside. The red light area  has been absorbed into the vastness of Shinjuku - the most central entertainment area in the metropolis of Tokyo. Tourists are encouraged and generally get ripped off with almighty final bills. Not quite as obvious to see are the many places that remain for Japanese only. Foreigners are not welcome.

What has recently emerged are young male Japanese escorts and clubs for females to enjoy their company. The derogatory imaging has become more anime in style.

It still bewilders me that a society that appears so shy, conservative and introverted has such a huge countrywide sex industry, with so many loop-holes to avoid the illegalities.

Kabukicho is apparently crowded with members of the Yakuza, the Japanese mafia. Yakuza members run a large amount of the bars and clubs here. This is why, for the first time in Japan, I have seen policemen patrolling this area. The Yakuza have a scary reputation and tourists are warned not to cause any trouble.

Time for one last adventure and this took place in Kawasaki…

Keihin Industrial Ward is a futuristic landscape. We attempted to make our own way there so we could roam around the eerie never-ending maze of factories belching out fire and smoke 24 hours a day. Unfortunately this wasn’t to be. We found the correct train routes, but they were closed due to an accident. Everywhere was gridlocked and the trains were terminated. We weren’t going to give up and took the next best option - a freezing Japanese boat tour. We could only take the late night one, so not great for photography and we were unable to land anywhere. We have no idea what information was given to the few brave passengers as there were no translations. The views were staggering. Straight-out of Final Fantasy.  

This heavy industry concentrated in the Kawasaki-Yokohama harbour area, includes steel mills, oil refineries, petrochemical complexes, and shipyards. Major land-reclamation projects in the bay have created room for the industrial expansion.

There are massive questions on its environmental pollution.

So that is it. Three months travelling complete. Back to England - a little wiser, more knowledgeable and a great deal to think about.

'Mushroom Face Sandwich'. - Google Translate Lunch Menu. Tokyo

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Geek central, Akihabara is Tokyo’s biggest hub of all things Japanese. Condensed into a 6-block radius - electronics, arcades, claw machines, stores selling weird items, maid cafes and neon. The neon is busy and bright and quite a spectacle.

The maids are out in force targeting the guys. Their menus offer a set price for all you can drink in a said time scale, as well as offering ear-waxing and relaxation.

The young girls are freezing, look really miserable and you have to ask is it really worth it? And the guys, paying to sit in a maid bar? Japan’s society is suffering with a lack of relationships and this seriously can’t be helping.


Jonny Monsoon struck once again …

As the rain lashed down on Tokyo we embraced the grey skies and umbrella-snapping winds and went to see the infamous Shibuya Crossing. The only place where 7 crossroads come together and the lights all turn red simultaneously and thousands of pedestrians all cross at the same time. Perhaps not quite the busiest time of day and not quite the spectacle that I’m sure it can be, we did manage to locate a tourist free empty cafe overlooking the crossing - quite an achievement in itself.

We were however, fascinated by the static crowd of photographers with tripods all taking the same image from the same standpoint, the amount of selfies, vloggers and even tripod selfies.

Shibuya selfie - this is taking vanity to a whole new level.

I was happy to take advantage of the rain, umbrellas and people on such a dull wet day. I was pleased to find the subway glass entrances had signs of graffiti on them, something you don’t see here very often.

Almost home time…

A bit of Christmas shopping to round off the day, Tokyo style.

'We want visitors to get lost rather than follow the order'. - Quote - Toshiyuki Inoko. Founder of Teamlab.

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Good Morning Tokyo, our final destination.

After a wild goose chase We rocked up at our 20th and final bed of the trip only to find we couldn’t get in. Thanks to nimble hands and a pen we managed to retrieve the keys from a locked box. Our traditional Japanese one roomed flat had a certain 70s feel so we knew it was past its sell by date, but it was fine. Until that is the people upstairs came home in the evening. Then the thin walls reverberated every word and footstep around us, then 8.00am every morning the scaffolding company over the road loaded their trucks. Funny how some things are never mentioned in reviews. The location was great and nothing was too difficult to get to.

One’s not enough.

Here in Tokyo, I began to feel as though we weren’t in Japan anymore. It was the same, but different. Same city mind-set but without the historical beauty or skyscraper magnitude like London and New York. Tokyo is vast, impersonal and digitally noisy but humanly quiet.

We must have only scratched the surface in our week here, but slowly we dug and discovered there was more.

The cleanliness is there, as is the order but it’s a little less rigid. The Christmas lights added a warmth to the neon overload. Everything is bigger here: the shops, crowds, stations and the crossings. We saw some bizarre labelled fashion, but we thought there may be more extremes and creative looks but we didn’t see much evidence of this, its surprisingly bland and predictable, I guess thats globalisation for you.

This is the front.

This is the back!!

It appears to be the latest trend to wear matching outfits.

The Cosplayers add an alternative look to the branded market.

The ride out to Palette City, near Tokyo Bay was spectacular both in daylight and night-time. The views were amazing as you looked back at the city. Then we discovered Teamlab…

The new Mori Building Digital Art Museum: TeamLab Borderless, sounds a bit dull and a bit of a mouthful, fortunately its a concept that belies its name. The world’s first digital museum of this scope and massive scale. 10,000 square feet of it. A totally immersive and interactive experience created by TeamLab, a fast-growing Tokyo collective of so-called “ultra technologists”.

Home to about 50 artworks loosely divided into five areas, orchestrated by a network of 520 computers and 470 high-tech projectors.

Like many elements in Japan, their Art museums are bound by rules, but this place is a change from the norm. Here there are no borders, the art moves with you, as you wander aimlessly soaking in the mesmerising fluid displays in forests, seas, fields of flowers and much, much more. Within all the technology it remains tethered to reality, whether its the change of seasons or when you touch a fluttering butterfly, it promptly dies.

Teamlab say the “borderless” concept is what the real world is like. they want visitors to get lost rather than follow the order.”

The slow shutter speed made the hares appear exoskeletal as they jumped down the corridor with you.

Apart from William Kentridge’s - 'More Sweetly Play The Dance’, this was a breathtaking experiences. Links to Japan’s nature, art and culture are evident in most areas and makes the experience even more unique. The term ‘Museum’ is perhaps a misnomer. this is a digital installation and a very fine one at that.

'It’s dangerous to walk whilst using a tablet'. - Train rules. Kanazawa.

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On Japan’s west coast facing the cold winds of Mongolia is Kanazawa. Our penultimate destination. It was kept off the tourist map for a number of years, but thanks to the bullet train it’s now easily accessible. It’s very compact, a smaller version of Kyoto and a lot colder. 

Our authentic bijou, traditional Japanese Air BnB accommodation turned out to be a container unit. Lined with tatami mats, it was actually quite cosy once the heating was on. Unfortunately the bathroom was almost inaccessible. The walls and windows were paper thin -  a typical example of Japanese short-life building. 

Higashi Chaya is a whole neighbourhood of beautifully preserved geisha houses. The geishas have now left and their houses have become restaurants, teahouses and many identical souvenir shops. There are many kimono wearers to be seen wandering around the town, but these are all rented ones. 

Kenrokuen Garden is almost 30 acres and forms the green heart of Kanazawa. It’s ranked by the Japanese as one of the three perfect gardens in the country and ‘it’s a fine place for a peaceful and contemplative walk’. 

Kenrokuen means “six attributes garden,” which is a reference to a Chinese book that describes the six attributes of the perfect garden. As you wander around you discover perfect viewpoints, traditional teahouses and water used in different ways, all tucked away. It is not the size that is breathtaking, its that every angle has a truly amazing view, almost in a surreal way. 

It was perfect. Perhaps a little too perfect?

Throughout Japan’s towns and cities almost every bush and tree has been perfectly manicured or trained to grow in a particular way. Surely the beauty of nature is nature itself?

Digital birdsong in a garden with no wildlife, except for coy carp, is a complete mystery to me.

The garden has tea-ceremonies performed in the traditional teahouses. They are a bit strange to see - there’s multiple ones going on simultaneously. The buildings shutters are open so all the tourists can watch the tourists having a private ceremony.

But the uniqueness of Kanazawa we found were its conical trees. A visual spectacle like nothing we have seen before.

As the colours of autumn foliage deepens, November 1st  hails the beginning of the winter preparations. Its a very labour intensive busy spectacle called Yukizuri.

Snow that falls in the winter of Kanazawa is heavy in weight because the snow contains a large quantity of moisture. In order to prevent the branches of the beloved Karasaki pine trees from breaking, Yukizuri is performed. This is a method of protecting the branches with ropes attached in a conical arrangement to the trees. Skillful gardeners use more than 800 ropes to give Yukizuri to the pines. 

Gardeners on-top of the supporting poles throw out the ropes one by one until perfect cones of ropes are formed. Work continues round the city to mid-December; the Yukizuri ropes are left in place until March, when the heaviest snows finally stop falling.

It adds a surprisingly elegant touch to the garden’s winter scenery.

All around Kanazawa, these conical forms are being erected over trees, hedges and bushes . The great walls of the castle are also covered in woven matting to protect the stone. The town is literally wrapped up for winter.

How I would love to see this place in the snow, we were so close, it is was very much colder over this side of Japan. We were, however, pleased to see the colours of late Autumn.

In complete contrast, Kanazawa is known for its fresh fish and Omichi Market is where the locals all go in the mornings before the tourists arrive. The harsh fluorescent lighting indoor lighting and the shouting of the market traders makes this a completely different visual experience.

So we have reached the final leg of our unforgettable journey. Our last ride on the Bullet Train to our final destination - Tokyo.

'Live Like a King'. - Used Brands shop slogan. Takamatsu.

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There are many glossy internet write-ups about Naoshima, the art island, with reference to its architecture and art museums. 

Well, from our experience they are pretty far off the mark. The art played second fiddle to the beauty of the island. 

Naoshima Island supposedly has a reputation as a ‘Mecca for art devotees’.  We visited on a Monday knowing 4 out of 5 galleries were closed. But, as informed, there were many outside installations and the stunning Benesse Art Museum to see. Teshima, the sister island’s galleries were also all open. 

So off on the ferry we went.

Refreshment stop

What we found, is the ferry company doesn’t run enough island connections to enable you to do both islands in one day - unless you’re a hotel guest, then you can.

We choose Naoshima island because we could see Benesse House, outside art installations and hire bikes and cycle round the whole island.

What we found when we got the bikes was that’s not possible - unless you’re a hotel guest, then you can.

To see the many outside installations you had to leave your bike and walk. The installations were only the examples mentioned on the internet and while they were fun, they had become teenage selfie centres. Yayoi Kusama’s ‘Pumpkins’, being the main contenders.

Each of gallery’s carry a hefty price tag. Chichu Art Museum is the most raved about with a fee of £35. But it was closed.

Benesse Art Museum is a stunning concrete homage to brutalist architecture, that’s where it ends. This was not a curated art museum, this was a private collection. An incoherent small group of artwork, that had been randomly acquired. They had no narrative and bore no relationship to each other or the space around them. Except for Hiroshi Sugimotos seascapes series - presented in an inspired setting but access into the space was denied. You probably had to be a hotel guest. 


Before we knew it we had covered the entire space and seen everything. We left the gallery feeling underwhelmed.

It reminds me of how wonderful Yorkshire’s Wakefield Sculpture Park is. Free, huge and staggering in its wealth of artistic brilliance. I can’t help but feel how lucky we are in The UK. 

Hiring the bikes was brilliant and made it such a lovely day. The higher we climbed the more amazing the views. One minute we were bathed in glorious sunshine then the next it went black. It was like a piece of theatrical art, as we watched a storm approaching from behind the islands.

The lightbox looks so wrong that I like it.

The islands across the water look beautiful. Like nothing we have ever seen before. They are worth returning to another time. But, Naoshima is not a ‘Mecca for art devotees’, the art is the expensive sideshow.

Road mirrors for the Art Museum Bus came in handy.

We got the high speed ferry home having saved potentially £200.


'Please find vegetable juice to go into your wife' - Message on AirBnB from a kind host. Takamatsu.

We left the mainland of Japan via an almighty bridge to Shikoku Island - one of the five main islands of Japan. We were staying at the most northern point in Takamatsu, in a large traditional Japanese house. It seemed huge after the shoeboxes we have had. We even had our own Ikebana Room for flower arranging. This was really homely.

For me, the initial reason to come Shikoku Island lies in a place deep in the Tokushima's Iya Valley called Nagoro. A village inhabited by more scarecrows than humans. A complete indulgence of my doll obsession.

Hiring a car and driving in Japan is very easy as long as you have sat nav and money to pay the extortionate road tolls. The Iya Valley is quite an inaccessible place, so we hired a car to wind our way over Mount Tsurugi, the second highest mountain in Western Japan. 

We decided to follow Google maps and take the most direct route on a free road, perhaps, in hindsight not the wisest decision. It was a hell of a journey.

The mountains are huge and very steep. The mountain roads become lanes that snake up and up and up. It was hard work.

So at 2000 meters, ears popping, streamwater running over the roads, vision impeded by sun and a sheer drop immediately on one side, it did cross our minds that perhaps this wasn’t the sanest idea. There was no turning back, infact there was no turning… we had to pull over for the odd lumberjack lorry to squeeze past, but other that we were on our own.  I wanted a wow factor and this really was a WOW. The mountains are glorious, stunning and wondrous. I love mountains, but these, still shiny, in their autumn glory were a really special sight. 

We passed homes that are derelict, some collapsing over the mountain. The random villages were only partially inhabited. 

Some three hours later, we saw some farmers harvesting the crops and a street dotted with human-like figures.

We had arrived.

Outnumbering people ten to one, these life-size dolls are the work of one woman. Who, in a bid to fill the emptiness and loneliness felt in Nagoro, a village crippled by depopulation, has been creating a community of stuffed companions.

I felt privileged to be able to have the opportunity to photograph these adorable characters. It makes me smile when it’s difficult to see who is human and who isn’t. The gentleman on the far left was very welcoming and allowed us access to most parts of the village.

These are the creations by Tsukimi Ayano, who once lived in Nagoro when it had a little more vibrance. She moved back 17 years ago and decided to make the scarecrows in memory of the town's former residents, over 270 of them.

Inside the Community Hall, there appears to be a meeting on.

The sheer remoteness of this place means visitors are infrequent if not rare. The town is inhabited by a mere 27 people, most amenities have closed down and the youngest person is 55 years old. 

The school closed seven years ago as there was no one left to teach.

But now you are greeted by a whole community of scarecrows going about their business.

There’s even a meeting going on in the school office.

The Nagoro that Ms Ayano remembers was once a well-to-do place with some 300 residents and laborers supported by the forestry industry and dam construction work.

Its virtually empty now. Most of the amenities have closed down, including the grocery store and health centre. Its 200km to the nearest hospital. Ms Ayano hopes her scarecrows will inject a new life into the depopulated town.

Nagoro’s plight is replicated across Japan, as the world’s third-largest economy battles a declining rural population, low birth rate and high life expectancy. The country is on the verge of becoming the first “ultra-aged” country in the world, meaning that 28 percent of people are aged 65 or above.

As Japan’s population ages, towns all over the country and especially in remote rural areas are quickly disappearing, or at least the people that inhabit them are. Abandoned villages are becoming a common sight. 

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has pledged to revive regions outside Tokyo by pumping in tens of billions of yen, but this is not enough to stop young people from leaving their hometowns to work in Tokyo.

We went home a more sensible route, but just as high. The view down on the autumn leaves, crystal clear rivers and canyons is something we will both remember. As well as the beautiful creations by Ms Ayano.

'Make your own octopus'. - Google Translate - Adult Parlour sign.

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After the quietness of Nagasaki we went in search of the nightlife Hiroshima has to offer. It’s a nightlife of food and drink and every type of adult ‘other services’. High-end designer shops and restaurants sit adjacent to street stalls and sexshops. It’s visually a strange combination.

The red light district is different here to other cities we have seen, it’s amalgamated into the eating and drinking area. During the daytime the place is almost deserted but at night it comes alive with crowds looking for fun, food and drink.  Layer upon layer of multiple floors lit with Neon signs and taxis ferrying people back and forth are everywhere. 

Everything you need for you evening’s entertainment is on the main drag, even a milk parlour.

The narrow backstreets are very dark and home to the really seediest looking parlours.

The images are concerning, photographs of really young women are pasted outside the shops with price lists and offers. Touts stand in the doorways actively go out and rein in customers. Girls are transported to and fro in taxis.

Prostitution is open business here in Japan. 

We being jazz fans we ventured into a bar it was called the ‘Charles Mingus Jazz Bar - With Taped Music’. A tiny green velour room with 4 empty stools left at a bar. The  hostess lunged at us with a laminated sign informing us 4000 yen entrance fee, drinks on top. We left the two guests to enjoy their own company.

Next on our tour we are leaving the mainland for Shikoku Island.

'I'm going to saddle a lampoon'. - Google Translate - Restaurant Menu. Hiroshima.

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Good afternoon Hiroshima.

It comes as no surprise that Hiroshima looks and feels quite similar to Nagasaki, possibly a little more alternative and arty, full of businesses and quite lively..

The designer high-end shops sit alongside market stalls and cheap drugstores.

The city is very layered, some buildings could have as many as 8 floors with different businesses.

The Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum and Park are both outstanding. It is monumental in all aspects - the space, presentation and content. You can’t fail to be moved by this place. A fitting memorial to the first bomb, again with many human tales of destruction and suffering beyond imagination, the town totally wasted. The drawings created by survivors had more meaning than any picture or story for us. They have little origami cranes they make to remember the dead and place them at temples and memorials, they look very beautiful. It was started by a girl who survived for about 20 years before dying from Leukaemia. The stories and images are brutal, more so than Nagasaki, due to the sheer quantity. Hundreds of school children are taken through, it is a necessary part of their curriculum. 

Hiroshima, like Nagasaki, have kept their streetcar system and it looks like the flagstones that the rails are set in could be originals. It makes me think how little attention to detail we give our street furniture in England. Money is used here to make the environment better for everyone. Maybe also, the fact that they don’t bury their cables means they don’t disturb the pavements and roads as much as we do. 

There is no litter, everyone takes their rubbish home with them. Eating whilst walking along or standing around on the street is frowned upon. However, it is acceptable to drink while standing aside a vending machine.

Out of view having a sneaky coffee and sandwich.

The lack of birds took an unexpected turn whilst here. The constant electronic notification noises that we are surrounded by have now incorporated the sound of a Cuckoo at road crossings, while digital birdsong plays gently in the background of public places.

Dogs are more frequent, but are carried or wheeled about in pushchairs. Is that the worry of messing up the streets? 

Hiroshima is a series of beautiful islands which is pretty cool, so using a train and a ferry included on our JR pass made it easy to visit the island of Miyajima to see the great floating Torii Gate. 

We checked the tide times in order to see them at their best, only to find the following:

‘During the renovation works, the torii gate is covered under a partially transparent scaffolding.’

Not totally accurate. 

The great gate and holy shrine puts Pushkar to shame. This is the real way to make money from religion. A colonnade of tourism shops selling novelty cakes, fast food and cutesy plastic toys. 

I got told off for taking this photograph of the Torii Gate.

After all the shopping you get mugged by the deer. They will rip open your souvenir bag to get the novelty cakes or fast food and hassle you relentlessly. They even eat the maps which is probably all they were good for.

The deer are very funny and adorable and did make the trip worthwhile, although the victims probably have a different perspective.

Clutching souvenir bags, having just been mugged by the deer.

You just cant be annoyed with them.

Hiroshima is a nice place. We liked the city and for Japan, a lively feel in the evenings. The bars have people in them and the shops though expensive are interesting to look at. It’s amazing how its been resurrected from its history.

'Please refrain from acts that are annoying to others'. - Food-Court Rules.

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As previously mentioned, another reason to travel over to Nagasaki was to go and see the Sumo Wrestling.

We bought our tickets in England as soon as they were released about 8 months ago. As promised, our tickets were waiting for us at our hotel when we arrived. We travelled two hours to the city of Fukuoka to watch the tournament that everyone over the age of 40 appeared to be glued to on both TV and the newspapers. 

Waiting the arrival of the Sumo Wrestlers

Sumo wrestlers are a lot like geishas, in as much that both their professions occupy all aspects of their lives. They have to live by rules that dictate their daily routines and decorum in and out of their sumo stables. As far as clothing is concerned, they are required to dress traditionally whenever seen in public. Interestingly, the specifics of how they are dressed is determined by their rank. For instance, lower ranked wrestlers only get to wear Yukatas even in winter. Sumo is a sport steeped in history and is still closely associated with its Shinto principles.

Inside, around the sacred arena, everyone sits on tatami mats or raised cushions in marked bays. Everyone takes food, beer and a few banners to hold. This is a long day and everyone takes supplies into the arena with them.

Oh my goodness how the ladies love the Sumo. In and out of the stadium, they were shouting, clapping, cheering and waving their banners. They queued behind the restriction tape desperate to get a photo of their favourites sumos. The men took a quieter approach and drank lots of beer.

Crowd control.

Unfortunate losers has to leave early.

Sumos are banned, by the Sumo Association, from driving their own cars.

Our day at Sumo was fascinating and very entertaining. It is potentially a sport with an uncertain future, as the harsh lifestyle makes it more and more difficult to attract new recruits.

So it’s farewell to Nagasaki. We are off to Hiroshima next.

'We look forward to returning without traffic accident.' - Car-hire Slogan. Nagasaki.

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Nagasaki was the only major port open to foreign trade during Japan's era of isolation, and the Chinese and Dutch were the only traders allowed in the city. Today, evidence of both these countries can be seen in various quarters of the city and in the food. In more recent history, Nagasaki became the second city after Hiroshima to be destroyed by an atomic bomb towards the end of World War Two.

We arrived late at night in the pouring rain, of course.

For us, travelling all the way over to Nagasaki was about seeing a variation of character and culture, Gunkanjima Island and Sumo Wrestling. Nagasaki isn’t just about the atomic bomb devastation, but it is a big part. My goodness though, once you’ve walked round the no-holds barred museum and seen the utter horror of it all, it is quite unbelievable how an area can come back from that.

Nagasaki feels different, a bit more chilled and very, very steep. The cars are not quite as pristine and the taxis still sport the white lace covers but the drivers don’t always wear white gloves.

The streets are less sanitised and there is a mixture of old and new and higgledy-piggledy disorder as you leave the centre.

Moving house looks hardwork.

The streetcars add a nostalgic charm, they are great for flitting round the city and we loved them.

Gunkanjima - Battleship Island was our initial reason to go to Nagasaki and we were devastated to discover that there were no boats landing there for the foreseeable future due to recent typhoon damage. Absolutely gutted, another one to add to the list of ‘Unseens’. 

Instead, we hired a car and went over to the ‘hidden potteries’. Well, they’re not that well hidden - it was like Hebden Bridge mid-summer. What we did find in the most beautiful village of Okawachiyama is the studios and kilns are all closed and turned into tourist shops, all selling traditional Japanese porcelain with no contemporary pieces. We enjoyed the mountainous backdrop and the beautiful setting.

We then drove to Arita, the home of porcelain. We saw the outlet stalls lining the roadside and decided to keep driving.

Most independent businesses appear to have very infrequent, random opening times. Maybe the big shopping malls have taken their business away?

The most peculiar thing is that here in Nagasaki, everywhere closes at 8.00pm. With the exception of a convenience store, a Pachinko Parlour or an occasional fast food restaurant. If there are late night bars and clubs hidden away you certainly don’t see them or hear them.

Pachinko customer.

So where is everybody?

'Strong realisation fur is real' - Headline - Front cover Hair Magazine. Google Translate.

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Kyoto is a place where the night takes on a different atmosphere.

Old Kyoto has two very different sides to it. The monied Geisha Pink-light district of Pontocho and the other seedier red light district filtering into the main canal area both found in Gion. 

Pontocho is made up of pretty lanes, almost too small for cars. It’s empty during the day despite being filled with tea houses, bars and restaurants that do not advertise to foreigners. 

At night there are a number of taxis circling the area. It’s spotlessly maintained and manicured for the wealthy, whether you’re after a  drink or a Geisha. This area feels like rich boys private playground.  

‘No photographs’ posters are on each street corner where geisha businesses run. I don’t think this is just about warding tourists off from taking selfies with a geisha, but more for the protection of the suited men diving in and out of taxis in the dead of night.

Due to the decline in girls wishing to become Geishas the rules have changed. Once the tuition fees and accommodation has been paid off they are now, apparently, free to set up a business of their own. The decline in popularity of becoming a geisha has also, allegedly, led to the introduction of a 3 month fast-track course which will teach you the basics of how to act and how to dance. These young ladies can earn about 250,000 Yen per month. 

Away from the affluence of Pontocho, the tourists, for a few 100 pounds, can be entertained and waited on by a Geisha. These ladies will either be the cheaper fast-tracked ladies or Maikos - Geisha apprentices.

A true Geisha is for Japanese men only and for huge sums of money. It’s a secretive world and in its demise still tries to keep the mystique around these dalliances that have happened for centuries. 

Along the canal would be beautiful in the spring with the cherry blossom and Kiyamchi was once an elegant place to wander. Ladies would come to shop, pretending not to notice the red light alleyways. 

Now many shops, restaurants and bars have succumbed to the overspill of the now public red light district. The touts now hang out on the main drag where the crowd is predominantly male, then escorts them to the various clubs and establishments in the back streets.

The lighting is different. Gone are the pink lanterns, now its harsh acrid florescent lights and cheap neon signs. A lot of still money changes hands here but the streets are grubby.

Some establishments are open 24 hours. Some offer alibis to wives, mothers and girlfriends. Others take reservations, address specific requests and have websites that list which girls are on duty and when. Most of the businesses are geared towards Japanese customers only. Foreigners are generally not welcome. 

Fried ones life, deep fried scissors - Dinner menu - Google translate.

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Good morning Kyoto, Jonny Monsoon has arrived. Yes we bought the rain, again. Luckily, umbrellas are given out freely to anyone who needs one., trusting you will return it sometime. 

Luckily by the afternoon, the sun was back out.

Kyoto’s own Thunderbird-esq tower sits over the small modern hub of the city with high-rise shopping arcades, pachinko blocks and a multitude of traint-racks. Does each city have its own tower? I hope so.

We particularly liked the area around our hotel, next to the railway lines.

Kyoto was once the country capital, which Tokyo later became. Thanks to being spared by  the US Air Force bombing during World War II, Kyoto has a larger percentage of old housing stock than any other Japanese city. it has countless temples, shrines and other historically important structures, all in a relatively small area.

Once you leave the modern hub, it starts to feel like the equivalent of Hampstead, London - old money, really expensive boutique shops that don’t seem to need to open much, tiny restaurants and the introduction of a coffee culture. In pockets around the city It’s also geared up for tourism due to its abundance of cultural sights, 

In a country of quiet, reserved people, no noticeable wildlife noises and many rules we were rather shocked whilst at a shrine garden - a place for peace and meditation - the non-stop clicking of cameras, texting and chattering by the tourists was unreal, it certainly wasn’t like James Fox’s experience on BBC4 that’s for sure!

The gardens are incredible and it was wonderful to catch the late Autumn maple leaves and Sharron Fruit trees. I’m hoping the colours will still be in gardens of Kanazara. 

I’m fascinated by the The Kimono  it can be a stunning work of art. The patterns and colours are often mismatched so elegantly. The silk kimonos can be beautiful and worth a small fortune. You can buy them secondhand but they are very heavy and cumbersome despite their elegant look. The Obi belt in all its variations is very symbolic and when 9 meters or more is artistically wrapped, the mismatched pattern and clashes of colour against the kimono gives it its unique look. The whole ensemble comprises of many elements as i found out when I tried the informal Yukata  - cotton kimono and full Obi.

It comes as no surprise that the kimono is generally no longer worn on a daily basis by most Japanese, they are still proudly worn for special occasions such as weddings and coming of age ceremonies. Occasionally we stumbled across shops with contemporary kimonos. The formal obi’s hanging like works of art. Stunning hand painted or woven silks in contemporary designs with quirky little twists. 


In Kyoto some older monied locals still wear a kimono but less often with the formal wide obi. The cotton yukata robes, traditionally used for ryokans have now become accepted as informal outside wear with a simple sash. As its the onset of winter the sight of a beautiful bright kimono is a rare treat, but the winter sombre colours and outer jackets are equally beautiful. 

Kyoto has a number of Kimono hire shops where you can rent a kimono and all its accoutrements and ‘enjoy seeing the sites and take plenty of selfies’ it now tends to be the courting teenage boys and girls dressing up for the day.

The night brings a different atmosphere, but you’ll have to wait another day for that.

'When life gives you lemons, make lemonade'. - Anon - Quote inside T-bag wrapper.

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Almost time to say goodbye to Osaka.

We decided to leave Osaka a little earlier than planned, but before that we went in search of a bike rental scheme. Not quite as straightforward or as cheap as in Taiwan and certainly not as flexible. 

Besides the metro, cycling is a popular form of transport for all age groups and here in Osaka I saw something different on the bikes, an umbrella and glove attachments. Not just for rain, but more so for sun. The women fear getting sun spots on their faces and hands so they shield themselves from the rays.

Our neighbourhood has a wide age spectrum, but we have noticed a large ageing population over here. Apparently 20% of Japan’s population are over 70 years old. The men work well into old age, performing what we would consider menial or unnecessary tasks. The older women don’t appear to work. 

On our city bikes, we zigzagged through suburbia to the port entrance. It’s still so clean and unnaturally quiet - You don’t see anyone, hear any birds or see any wildlife. Japanese gardens are not grown to keep wildlife happy, they are grown for ornamental purposes. The parks and planted areas are manicured and beautifully maintained.  

As you leave the city there’s a mixture of housing stock - detached houses, inter-dispersed with intense high-rises and streets upon streets that are deserted.

The houses are all detached - with no minimum distance between them which get a little wider the further out of town you go. The value of a house depreciates as soon as its purchased and is usually pulled down within 20 years. Town planning isn’t great and despite its extreme cleanliness,  its untidy with wiring overhead and lamp posts blocking pavements. The houses vary from old and ornate to minimal functional urban - They use a range of materials, wood, glass bricks and slowly rusting corrugated steel - the only rust we have seen in Osaka.  When they do use colour on their buildings it gives the area a welcome injection of life. I just wish there was more in the cities to break up the drabness, other than garish advertising. 

The houses are not made to last which is pretty wasteful and because they are detached, albeit by only a couple of inches, it is very easy to pull down a house and quickly put up another without affecting the neighbours. 

Railway lines and motorways layered above us as we followed the river round.

Over a bridge and then suddenly we were hit with an almighty blast of colour. Not subtle, but totally in your face, Gaudi meets Mondrian with a bit of added bling. This was Maishima. 

Often mistaken for being part of the nearby Universal Studios this is in fact The Maishima Incineration Plant and Sludge Center. It really packs a punch. The Incineration Plant receives around 12,000 visitors by accident every year, making it somewhat of an unlikely mini tourist attraction on its own.

Designed by late Austrian artist Friedensreich Hundertwasser  following the government’s request for the incinerator to represent the ‘fusion of technology, environment and art’.

You see school uniforms everywhere after 3.30 and at the weekends. The children have the same school days as the UK, but are at school for roughly 250 days of the year. They have a strict uniform code. They are trying to make Saturday school mandatory again. In the week the children attend clubs after school, followed by Cram Class for 2 hours. Then they have homework to do. 

The students often have school trips at weekends and holidays on which they have to wear their uniforms. Teachers work on average a 56+ hour per week The government has now capped their overtime, but it has been reported that some teachers don’t clock in their extra hours sometimes doing as much as 100 a month - without pay, not wishing to admit they are going over the regulated overtime. They have a teacher’s union but I question why they dont fight back

Playground.

By way of a complete contrast to the empty outskirts we popped back to downtown Shinsekai.

In 1912 Shinsekai was opened as an entertainment district and originally modelled the southern end on Coney Island, New York and the north on Paris.

Shinsekai translates as ‘New World’ and because of its then modern image and Lunar theme park the area quickly gained popularity. Now, its tired and neglected. I was hoping to see the remains of  the deserted amusement park, but it’s all disappeared. In the centre, however, stands a tower ‘leading to heaven’. The gorgeous 1950s Tsutenkaku Tower – even though it’s short by todays standards, Tsutenkaku still stands out. At night it’s all lit up and by day it looks like a scene in Thunderbirds. The colours of the lights change with the seasons. The tower is so loved by the community that the area immediately around it has remained low level albeit crammed with fast food restaurants and souvenir shops giving a nod to the heyday of Coney Island.

Japan’s very own Eiffel Tower.

Pachinko parlours are everywhere through out the city, squeezed into any space or housed in a dedicated brightly coloured high-rise.

Shinsekai Locals

When you go up the tower you are reminded how the cities from Kobe to Kyoto now merge into one huge conurbation with Osaka in the middle.

Randomly, when you exit the tower, there is a Pocky Museum which you have to go through featuring a tower made of chocolate biscuits. Followed by the obligatory corridor of Gashapons the toy-vending machines.

Time to go home to pack. We’re off to Kyoto.