Update from Japan

A long-overdue update on what I've been up to in Japan...

Sumo

I was lucky enough to be in Fukuoka when one of the 6 annual Sumo tournaments was being held. The bouts start at around 8 in the morning and conclude at 6 in the afternoon. Although the arena was pretty much empty when I arrived at midday, a huge crowd had assembled to see the later action, featuring the 'big' names of the Sumo world. The atmosphere for the last couple of hours was fantastic.

Hiroshima

I spent several hours in the Peace Memorial Museum which was a very moving experience, particularly watching video testimonies of the survivors of the bombing.

The explosion took place almost directly above the Industrial Promotion Hall, as it was then known. It was a significant landmark of the city at the time and, as the closest building to withstand the explosion, it is now known as the Hiroshima Peace Memorial or more commonly as the Atom Bomb Dome. Some pictures of the dome and the nearby Peace Memorial Park.

Miyajima

Miyajima is a small island very near to Hiroshima. It has one of Japan's top three sights, the 'floating Torii'. A Torii is a large orange gate normally seen at the entrace to Shinto shrines. The floating Torii lies in a small bay near the Itsukushima Shrine on Miyajima and when the tide is in, is a truly beautiful sight delivering the picture-postcard scene which everyone comes to the island to see. When the tide is out it looks like a big orange gate in the middle of a muddy field. Not knowing the Japanese for 'high tide' I simply asked when the gate looked 'most beautiful' and, luckily enough, this turned out to be about 30 minutes after I was due to arrive.

Miyajima also has inquisitive deer...

...and interesting street food. Before anyone asks, no I did not eat deer...

...but I did eat a squid on a stick.

Kyoto

After Hiroshima I headed up to Kyoto. I spent 4 days there last year during which it rained every single day so I was keen to get back there and see a few temples again in the gorgeous Autumn weather. Kyoto has so many temples and shrines that it can be hard to know where to start. I didn't want to spend all my time rushing from place to place so I decided to visit just my two favourites from last year and two new temples.

Fushimi-Inari

A wonderful Shinto shrine with countless torii winding into the hills behind Kyoto.

Kinkaku-ji

Or as we would call it, the temple of the Golden Pavillion. One of Japan's best-known sites. I was over the moon to see this again in nice weather.

More temple pictures...

Kiyomizu-dera

At certain times of the year, Kiyomizu-dera is illuminated at night.

Koya-san

Koya-san is a mountain area a couple of hours from Osaka by train. It is home to a large complex of Buddhist temples and also a large cemetery.

The alarmingly steep funicular on the way up.

One of the most impressive sights is the Okonuin cemetery which is surrounded by a forest of cedar trees.

I spent the night at this small temple.

Part of the fun of staying at a Budhhist temple is getting involved in daily temple life so, along with the 3 Japanese toursits also staying there, I was woken up at 6am by very large and loud temple bell. We plodded down to the temple to witness a ceremony which lasted about 45 minutes.

The morning weather was fantastic for an hour or so after which cloud descended over the mountain once more.

Monks doing their thing. Due to my lack of hair, I was asked a few times if I was in Koya-san to study Buddhism...

One of the downsides to staying the night on the top of a mountain in November is that it gets very cold, something I had not yet experienced on this trip. It was less than 5 degrees when I woke at 6am so I put on all my warmest clothes, including my beloved West Ham hat...which I left on a train shortly after this picture was taken.

Osaka

I stopped off for a few hours in Osaka on my way from Koya to Tokyo and sampled some interesting street food.

Tofu

Yesterday afternoon I went to a restaurant which serves only tofu dishes. The meal below cost me less than £4 and was absolutely delicous.

They even make their own tofu on the premises.

Coming soon...

I am staying with my friend Tash in the small town of Togane (about an hour from Tokyo) for the next couple of nights and then I am off to the West coast of Japan in preparation for my departure to Vladivostok on Friday; a 40 hour crossing of some pretty choppy waters with a boat-full of Russians should make for an interesting weekend.

In anticipation of the Siberean winter I am soon to experience I popped into the local branch of Muji Uniqlo this afternoon to pick up gloves, a fleece, thermal underwear and a very thick, warm coat.No suitable hats, though so I will pick up a suitably Russian number when I get to Vladivostok.