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We're now on the last day of our holiday and off off out shortly to spend the day in Hiroshima. We're only here three nights as we had difficulty finding a hotel. We've since found out it was the 71st anniversary of the atomic bomb being dropped on Hiroshima and as such there was a big memorial with paper lanterns sent down the river.

We managed to get an earlier train here on Sunday than the one we had booked so arrived at about 12. The hotel was easy to find as it's right next to the train station. We weren't able to check in until 3, do left our luggage at the hotel and headed for the atomic bomb dome and memorial park. It was another hot day so we relented and caught a tram across. They seem to operate a tram system here rather than subway, a bit like San Francisco, you just hop on and pay a flat rate of 160 yen so pretty straightforward. We managed to see the dome and went in the memorial museum which contains stories, images and artifacts from the bomb. It's very moving  and clearly explains the human cost of atomic weapons. 

On our first full day here we visited Miyajama an island just around the coastline. We got a JR train using our passes and then it was a short ferry ride across to the island which could also use our passes on. The island is inhabited by wild deer that wander around quite unphased by tourists and are happy to be stroked and fed. We visited the Itsukushima shrine which appears to float on the water when the tide is in and also saw the large Tori gate which stands out to sea a little. We had a good wander around and also tried to go up the ropewalk cable car but we're unfortunately suspended due to an approaching storm. 

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Yesterday we decided to take a trip out to Rabbit Island which was used as a factory for producing poisonous gas during the war. Now all that remains are a few ruins and a population of thousands of wild rabbits. The island is a little off the beaten path and required a couple of trains and a ferry to get there but was totally worth it. We hired bikes and cycled around the island stopping frequently to feed the rabbits with some rabbit food we had bought on the way. At certain parts of the island as soon as they heard the rustle of the food bag lots of rabbits came running. We had a fantastic day and it's definitely worth a visit.

Got to leave it there for now. It's time to check out!

We only had a short trip to Osaka staying just 3 nights although we'll be back for a night before flying home. It was pretty straightforward to get to from Kyoto taking only 30 minutes by train and so on our first day here we found ourselves with almost a full afternoon having got an early train and checked in by lunch time. We spent the first afternoon visiting the castle which was a short metro ride away. The castle has been burnt down a few times in the past but dates from 1583 originally. Inside there's a museum spanning over 8 floors with a viewing platform around the top offering fantastic views of the surrounding area. We finished off the day with another view this time from the Umeda sky tower which again was easy to access by the metro. We stayed for sunset and took a few night photos but the heat had turned it into quite a hazy evening so you couldn't quite see as far as you might on a clearer day. 

On our second day we decided to visit what is apparently Osaka's top attraction - the aquarium. It was a good aquarium with a decent range of sea creatures and a huge tank through the middle of the building that you gradually worked your way around. They had a special exhibit to coincide with the Finding Dory film and had some of the fish from the film in smaller tanks. They also had a fantastic range of deep sea creatures and some brilliant jelly fish. The aquarium is beside a large complex which amongst other things housed Legoland; there was a full size Lego giraffe outside but we decided to give it a miss. There was also one of Japan's largest Ferris wheels which we decided to visit the next day. We had lunch at the Luna café which is very close to the aquarium. It's run by a very friendly Australian and serves a range of Western food including cottage pie - we opted for a pizza which was very nice but very filling. Decided to have a rest back at the hotel before heading back out to take a few night shots. 

On the last day we visited the Shitennoji temple which has a five storied pagoda that you can climb up. It was very hot and the pagoda felt even warmer so we didn't stay up there long. It was a nice temple but there was quite a bit of landscaping going in and it looked a bit like they were ramping up for some sort of event. Afterwards we went back to the same place as the aquarium to ride the Tempozan Ferris wheel. You could queue for a totally transparent car on the wheel or get straight on. We decided to get straight on as didn't think it was worth the wait. We'd read some reviews that had suggested the same thing and it was going to be about an hour to wait otherwise. The cars were air conditioned which was amazing and offered fantastic views of the surrounding bay area. You could see Universal Studios across the port and inland flashes of lightning over Osaka which was pretty awesome. We had lunch in the nearby complex and browsed in some of the shops. They also had a small petting zoo type place in there with animals ranging from kangaroo's, a pig and several large tortoise, to rabbits, dogs and a llama; a little odd but pretty popular, we gave it a miss. We headed back out in the evening to see some of the lights in the nearby Dotonbori district which was only a short walk from the hotel. There were paper lanterns lining the river and the usual array of bright lights. There was lots to see with large 3d models on the outsides of restaurants. It was pretty busy with lots of people out for meals and drinks but a good atmosphere.

That's all for Osaka, next stop Hiroshima.

Well we've been here 6 days and I've only just got around to this. It took just over two hours to get here from Odawara station on the bullet train and was fairly straight forward to get to the hotel. We're right next to a metro stop but have only used it a few times as unlike Tokyo, there are only two metro lines so it doesn't cover as much of the city. It's been really hot generally keeping in the mid thirties during the day time which has made walking around a bit of an ordeal but despite that we've got about a lot and even found time to climb a mountain.

The mountain was Fushimi Shrine which is one of the top sights to visit here. It's famous for the thousands of Tori gates that line a trail up and back down a mountain side. We picked what turned out to be one of the warmest days for it but made it all the way to the top managing to see some wild monkeys on the walk back down which was fantastic. 

We've also seen a lot of temples and shrines around the city and some spectacular pagodas. It's not far stretch to say there's a shrine or temple in every district and more often than not more than one. We're on the move again tomorrow heading for Osaka which is only a short distance away, but I'll try and come back and add a little more detail about Kyoto if I get a chance. In the meantime check out the album, linked below!

Well we've had a busy few days in Hakone so far. We're staying at the Hakone hotel which is in a great location right on the edge of lake Ashi looking out towards the mountains. On a clear day the hotel has a prime view of Mt Fuji but so far it's been too cloudy. The tops of the mountains have been covered in fog meaning no Fuji, nevertheless there's been plenty to do and we've been having a great time. We bought the Hakone free pass whilst in Tokyo which gives is unlimited free use of boats busses and cable cars in addition to free entry to a number of museums and gardens. Because we're on the edge of the lake, we're only a very short walk from where you can catch the sightseeing ships which take you across the lake to Togendai port. The ships that you catch are modelled on famous 16th century ships like HMS Victory and the Vasa and you're treated to fantastic views of the surrounding mountains on your journey across. 

Whilst here we've completed a loop starting from the hotel in Hakone Machi travelling across the lake by ship and up into the mountains by cable car. Up in the mountains was particularly cloudy on the first day with the cable cars seeming to disappear into the clouds. At the top of the mountain in Ōwakudani visibility was quite poor. The area is an active volcanic valley with sulphur vents and is well known for its black eggs which apparently add 7 years to your life so of course we bought 5 (followed by another 5 the next day).

We bought a few souvenirs before continuing the loop back down the mountain by funicular railway stopping at a at Goes Gyoen (garden) which was fantastic. We particularly enjoyed the glass craft shop and workshop which was giving demonstrations and appears to run classes. The loop finishes with a bus ride back to the hotel, though we stopped at Moto Hakone which is a port around the bay from the hotel for a few supplies from the seven eleven shop. We walked back on the first day discovering a park which lies between our hotel in Hakone Machi and Moto Hakone. Seemed worth a visit so we went back there today.

The park we had discovered and visited today Onshi Hakone park was fantastic. There were some great viewing points for looking at Mt Fuji which was sadly still missing in action (summer is the worst time to see Mt Fuji and statistically the most unlikely time to see it) There was also a range of topiary trees mossy pathways and huge stalks of Lillie's. To explore. The park was very quiet and seemed so etching of a hidden gem. We leave here for Kyoto tomorrow catching the bullet train from Odawara station it should only take about 2 hours and we can use our Japan Rail passes. Have a look at the photos, let us know what you think.

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UPDATE

On the day we were leaving we had the best table for breakfast overlooking the lake. Quite typically the weather was was looking much clearer and as we sat there eating breakfast, the clouds quite literally parted and there was Mt Fuji. Amazing, what a superb end to our time here!

Well we've just about finished our time in Tokyo before we head off tomorrow to Hakone (Hak-on-ey). We've had a pretty busy few of days trying to fit in as much as possible. On Saturday we went to the Tsukiji fish market which starts around 5 am if you want to see the fresh fish auction bug continues as markets selling fresh produce into late in the afternoon. There was a lot to see and we had s great time walking around, trying a few bits and bobs. From there we headed to the Royal palace gardens on the metro. You can see the palace surrounded by a sort of most and high on a hill connected by bridges. It looked quite splendid. We saw some of the gardens which were a bit of a walk away from the palace itself and stayed until closing. Feeling quite tired we went to a local Japanese restaurant that was only a few minutes from the hotel. We had to queue outside as there was only seating for about 8 people in doors but we're in soon enough. We both had the special which was a large pork and noodle dish. Very tasty but there was a lot of it and some of it managed to make a few blobs on my tshirt.

On Sunday we went to Asakusa to see the shrine and multi story pagoda that we had seen pictures of. Unfortunately the pagoda was closed for renovation and was completely covered. There was still however a great deal to look at as on the way to the shrine you walk through a corridor of small market stalls selling a variety of toys, clothes and souvenirs.

We spent quite a while there before heading on to Ueno park on the metro. Ueno park was vast again with lots to see including a Jazz band and a baseball match not to mention a number of shrines and a fairly spectacular multi storey pagoda.

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We stopped off at Starbucks in the park for a drink and a bite to eat before heading back via the palace for a few more photos as the sun wad setting and the Shibuya for another look at scramble junction. We finally got back to Shinjuku at about 9 and feeling quite hungry went for tea at a pizza place near the station. It was very nice. Got back to the hotel about 10 feeling very tired after our long day

Today was the last day in Tokyo and we had a big to sort out. The first stop was the station to change our Japan rail voucher into the actual tickets. We then sorted out the Hakone free pass and train tickets for the trip tomorrow. Around midday after dropping off the tickets back at the hotel, we decided to head for the Tokyo port. We went to a park close to the port. The park was really quiet and tranquil. There was a nice sea water lake fed directly from the sea with a number of bridges crossing it. There were also some traditional Japanese tea houses though we didn't go in. At the back of the park we caught a water bus which took us on a 45 minute trip back to Asakusa providing some fantastic views of the Tokyo skyline. Finished off the day with a curry before heading back to do a bit of packing. On to Hakone!

Today we bought ourselves metro passes from the BIC camera store. We decided to go for the 72 hour unlimited passes to prevent us having to mess about paying for individual tickets. The passes were 1500 yen each which isn't bad considering short journeys start at 170 yen each way. So with our newly bought passes in hand we set off to explore a little further afield starting with Shibuya which is about a 6 minute metro ride from the station. 

As you come out of the station at Shibuya, you immediately face a huge cross roads known as the Shibuya scramble. We went for a drink in the Starbucks which offers a prime view over the junction and spent some time watching as hundreds of people crossed the road at once. It wad racing a bit so everyone had umbrellas up and it was really quite a sight. Decided to come back later to see about some night shots before heading on to our next destination the Meiji Jingu shrine. On route we stopped off at Tokyo hands which is another huge store spanning 7 floors and selling a variety of home, craft and stationary items. It took a little walk up to the shrine entrance but the rain had given up and it had turned out nice.

As you enter the site of the shrine you pass under a huge wooden gate that towers above you. It's a pleasant walk round to the shrine but when we got there we were a little disappointed to find the gate house which is quite a focal point was under repair so totally clad in scaffolding. Had a wander nonetheless and watched as some prayers were under way with occasional gongs ringing out. On the way back out we stopped for a walk around d the gardens we which had a small entrance fee. They were very tranquil and whilst there encountered some very friendly birds that were landing on people passing through. We had some dinner in Shibuya before heading back to the hotel for a rest. Headed back out again later back to the busy junction for a few night shots.

Hope you like the pictures.

We arrived early afternoon yesterday and managed to get to the hotel relatively easily on the express train from the airport. The hotel let us check in early which was fantastic as we both fell asleep almost as soon as we had dropped our stuff in the room. The jet lag had caught up with us and we slept through until late in the afternoon. The room is nice and the hotel is pretty close to shopping, restaurants and transport which is great.

That makes today our first proper day. We had the included buffet breakfast in the hotel which was great before heading out. We had decided to visit one of the most popular attractions in Tokyo; the Shinjuku Gyoen national park. It was only a short walk from the hotel and we spent a few hours looking around. It split into a French formal garden an English landscape garden and a traditional Japanese garden. One of the more popular sights are the Japanese cherry trees which blossom during spring but it was nevertheless a great place to spend the day and a bargain costing about £3 for the both of us.

After the park we headed for a view at the Tokyo Government Building which allow you to go up to their observation towers, free of charge. The view was spectacular and you could see the vast sprawling landscape. On a clear day you can apparently see mount Fuji although it was a just a little too hazy to see that far today. It's cooled down a bit now but stayed pretty toasty so far at around 30 degrees, although I think it's about that at home at the moment too!

I've uploaded a few photos to the Tokyo album linked below. Let us know what you think.

It's official. We're all booked up for a big Japanese adventure. Two more weeks of school and then we're off, so keep your eyes peeled over the next few weeks for all the updates and photo's. We're visiting Tokyo, Kyoto, Hiroshima, Osaka and Hakone. If you have any tips for must see sights or other recommendations just put a comment in below.