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Japan Day 20 – Kumamoto
Wednesday 25 January 2023 Today all my preconceptions about Japanese efficiency were shattered when a little bit of snow took down the entire transport infrastructure. Nagasaki Peace Park But first we start the day with a a walk/slide along the icy pavements to Nagasaki Peace Park, which we thought we’d visited yesterday, but apparently we…
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Fukuoka in 1 Day
Fukuoka is the largest city on Kyushu, Japan’s third biggest island and the closest to mainland Asia. It is joined to the main island of Honshu by a tunnel and a bridge. Fukuoka is made up of two former towns: the castle town of Fukuoka and the merchant town of Hakata. The two towns merged…
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Japan Day 17 – Miyajima
Sunday 22 January 2023 It’s the penultimate day of of our very expensive JR passes. There are two things you can do in Hiroshima on a JR pass; take the tourist loop bus and take a ferry to the island of Miyajima. So that’s our day planned. Ferry to Miyajima You can get a ferry…
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Hiroshima in 2 Days
When planning our trip to Japan, Hiroshima was at the top of my bucket list. ‘Dark Tourism’ might not be for everyone, but having studied history at university, I am always fascinated to visit places where things happened which shape the world we live in today. Even if those things were terrible like in Auschwitz…
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Japan Day 14 – Matsuyama
Today we are taking a train which hugs the northern coast of Shikoku for about 100 miles then heads south, still along the coast, to the island’s largest town, Matsuyama. First, breakfast, which is complimentary at the Comfort Hotel. Before approaching the buffet, we must be appropriately dressed in masks and gloves. The food is…
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Japan Day 13 – Okayama and Takamatsu
Wednesday 18 January 2023 Okayama We start the morning with a walk to the park. It’s quite a long walk and there’s a tram which follows the same route but the old man is determined to walk (the tram costs 64 pence). It’s another walk along a statue lined boulevard. This time no cabbages, just…
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Japan Day 12 – Himeji and Okayama
17 January 2023 Today, we travel 130 miles west to Okayama. Technically, this can be done on the bullet train in under an hour. However, along the route lies one of Japan’s top tourist attractions; Himeji Castle. So, we will be taking two trains and stopping at Himeji. Train to Himeji We get up, get…
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Osaka in 1 Day
Osaka, Japan’s third largest city, is only 30 miles from the ancient capital of Kyoto. So, it makes sense, to me at least, to base yourself in one city and visit the other. We opted to make Kyoto our base and do a day trip to Osaka. How to get to Osaka Osaka can be…
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Nara in 1 Day
We spent one day in Nara, visiting from our base in nearby Kyoto. Nara, Japan’s first permanent capital, is famous for its temple containing a large Buddha statue. And its park full of friendly deer. This charming city is just 26 miles south of Kyoto, thus a popular day trip. How to get to Nara…
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Kyoto: Top 10 Things To Do
Kyoto is a bustling, modern city interspersed with ancient temples and shrines, where geishas can be spotted amongst suited office workers. It’s a fascinating place to visit and also makes an ideal base for exploring further afield. We stayed in Kyoto for five nights. We spent three days sightseeing in Kyoto and made day trips…
Jane's Midlife Journey 