Arrived at Brisbane Airport, through customs in a second.
Arrived to a wet morning. Very much colder, having just left 34c we get home to 16c. Nice, if not subtle change.

Tried to stay awake till afternoon, but lasted till only midday. Thought I would close my eyes for a few moments and 6 hours later.
Ahhhh it was sad to leave Japan, the people, the culture, the food, the scenery.
But it is nice to be home and have the memories made during a wonderful trip.

Home again, home again, jiggety jig. remains copyright of the author marckam, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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Wandered tirelessly around Osaka for the last time. Found the Airport Limo Bus pickup early in day and then headed underground for a wander around the mall. Amazing. They seemed to follow the streets above. Went for kilometers. Still easy to get lost. Found some cool flashing lights.

Had lunch in a little bakery. Very sweet pastries. Nice salads and great sandwiches. Met the farting old man.

Hotel, shower, finish packing and off to the bus pickup. Seriously unimpressed that this had come to an end and wanting to soak in as much as we could.

50mins out to Kansai International Airport. A bit early but able to wander around four floors of shops, cafes, Japanese restaurants…
Managed to get exit seats on the plane - so we could stretch out our comparatively long limbs. Again great hostesses. Must have been a quiet flight as the Chivas Regal and French wine was flowing. I reckon two hosties to each passenger.

Mid flight (at about 2am - I know because I only got about 30mins sleep) another passenger collapsed into the toilet in front of us. After two somewhat terrified yet very composed stewardesses helped her to stretch out (at our feet in the exit area), she came to but was still a bit wonky for a while. I think she may have been somewhat embarrassed because she apologized several times while getting out to customs at Brisbane Airport. Hopeful her group of three has a good time in Australia.

Yodobashi Umeda, local Osaka the back to Brisbane. remains copyright of the author marckam, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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Started the day at Osaka City Tourist Information center. Very helpful, very good English. Decided to get a day subway pass and try them out to head through the middle of the Osaka Loop line (JR run). Got to Osaka Bay in time for a 50 minute cruise on the Santa Maria. Live singer, breezes, views of absolutely enormous structures (bridges and buildings)… another really large ferris wheel, Osaka Aquarium, Port of Osaka buildings, Universal Studios. Ended cruise with a walk around Osaka Aquarium building. Thronging crowds on last weekend of school holidays. Families everywhere.

Handy those Subway Passes. Off again to Den Den Town, the home of electricals in Osaka. Found a few more interesting little trinkets. Lots of shops again.
Also found an alley that was lined with freshest of seafood. Totally roofed, mind you some shops were still closed (Sunday of course). Amid all the chaos outside, this was a place where the locals came to do some grocery shopping. It smelt of the freshest, and tasted of the freshest, seafood around. They did say that Osaka is the kitchen of Japan. We also found a stall selling tempura tidbits. A fish n chip shop Japanese style. Fabulous. Mark in tempura heaven. Tempura lotus, tempura eel, tempura something else wonderful. She loved us. We (or I) went back twice. She kept putting one more bit in. The eel was lovely, as was the lotus. This was a surpise as we thought it was sweet potato.

Back to hotel to download the photos then walk around local Osaka before off the Dotonbori (Ami-mura).
A small river runs through, conducting river cruises. Canyoned by the most amazing displays of neon. Buildings lighting up then fading. Is completely neon as far as can see. Busy thriving young area – they come to be seen as being American in some way – wild clothes – exciting – the area is a temple to all things American. Yet pockets of tradition. An elderly Japanese man with a marionette happily dancing away amid the chaos of Ami-Mura.

Dinner at Yodobashi Umeda again. This time thought we would try Japanese Italian. Pizza, garlic bread, Marinara pasta, Caesar salad, wine and beer. Yummmmy. And they said the Japanese couldn’t do pizza.

Packed a bit, well Cam did. I think the beers were doubles .

Osaka Bay, Den Den Town, Shinsaibashi, Dotonbori remains copyright of the author marckam, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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Familiarised ourselves with the JR train system, day ticketsin hand, then went traveling. Osaka Castle was an amazing sight. Inside all done up and not in original form but interesting history displays and great 360 view from top also. Cam took the most expense photo of the trip here. A homeless man, all smiles, Cam gets photo, then he gave him 1000yen, little bugger wouldn't go away.. Cracked me up as he was unrolling a wad of notes a few moments later.

Tennoji Park and Gardens were spectacular. Gardens especially peaceful, although this was an extremely hot day and weren’t nearly as temperature cool as I had anticipated. Photos galore. Thought of Mum all morning – she would love Osaka Jo(Castle) and the gardens especially – I did!!

Umeda (suburb/precinct where hotel was) is a major shopping and food district in Osaka (that’s why we were there!). Yodobashi Umeda (large department store) was full of phones, laptops, tvs, everything. Bought more sunnies (funny, because I need prescription sunnies, not cool looking shades). Unreal coin and turn machines that dispensed all sorts of gadgets and toys. We had a few goes here, for Jess, Finn, and Josh of course, not us big kids.Not half!!

Wandered around Umeda above ground and found ourselves near the enormous ferris wheel we had seen from the sky towers. It starts 5 floors above the ground in a shopping centre called Hep Five. It was huge – maybe top was about equal to 12 floors up but could have been more. Braved it and went on. My small fear of heights was really being tested in Osaka. Was fabulous. So high, slow moving, dangling high as high above the streets (again I note, in a major earthquake zone). Neither of us could look down at all, but Mark took a few photos. The across view was fabulous!!!.

Dinner in the shopping centre – trays of all sorts of things arrive. Morsels of raw fish and tiny dishes of pickled things. Was really quite nice. I have discovered Asahi Beer...mmmm

Osaka Castle, Tennoji Park & Gardens, Umeda remains copyright of the author marckam, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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The waitress from dinner was there the next morning for breakfast. Up she came and said hello while I was loading up on brekkie treats.
Conference in morning and early arv for Cam. I wandered through the malls that I found earlier. Bit of shopping, some lunch. Home to pack and back to JR Okayama for the trip to Osaka. Got our Shinkansen tickets from a very helpful travel agent on the way to the station.

I have always wanted to see Osaka for some reason.

After bumbling our way out of Shin-Osaka station to JR Osaka, we found the information desk at Osaka – English again!! Lots more English understanders and bit speakers in Osaka. Were aided out of the station only to stand on the street and stare aimlessly thinking, which way now? Got in cab – hotel 500 meters away (if that!!). Taxi driver very understanding (about aud7.50 to get in a taxi, mind you). Great room, head hit roof in shower though and had to bend a lot to just get wet. Cool plasma TV thing and bilingual button again. Even had two cold beers waiting in the fridge.

Freshen up and then off to the 300mtr underpass that went straight to Umeda Sky Building (floating garden observation deck held up by two highrises). This is something that defies my logic in an earthquake-prone area.
Went to 35th floor in a glass elevator, then up a 4 floor suspended escalator, suspended between the 2 high-rise buildings, to the observation deck (video – note me already at the top when Mark is still filming – I found this very un-nerving as all but the escalator was made of glass!!.
Internal and external (open air) viewing platforms – did both – all of this is only held up by 2 high rises (one at the south end, one at the north)..have I said this yet.. and it all felt very unnatural. Then had to go down escalator again to get down – another quick trip. Still takes my breath away, a week later.

In a garden below, complete with winding stream and bridges, we met a lovely woman with her two beloved dogs. Did tricks and everything.
Across the courtyard to very cool tropical garden area with waterfalls and ducks and goldfish.

Off to the train station for dinner. Two helpful waitresses (who couldn’t speak English) came with us while pointed at the window display. This works a treat as dinner was again yummy. A dinner Bento and a tray arrived, beers again.

Last day in Okayama then off to Osaka. remains copyright of the author marckam, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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Cam-
Conference day for me. Presentation this day. Couldn’t have walked home (to the hotel) quicker. Something about standing up in front of a bunch of higher level academics revealing my ‘potential’ lack of smarts is disturbing.
Joked later with Mark that I would have to think about this career choice some more – did so while looking out a window (onto spectacular foreign scenery) on a trip that wouldn’t have happened but for the conference – I quickly came around. After conference went for a wander around the local malls that Mark had found that day. They go for blocks and blocks – some great shops.
Perhaps too stuffed to ‘try again’ at a really local restaurant, we had dinner at the hotel restaurant – really nice – was our most expensive meal of the trip (6000+YEN after a 10% discount).

Mark-
Cam was off to the conference and I was off to do some laundry.
After walking about 5 blocks to far I turned on my heels and about 10mtrs from the right street, I was aided by a very helpful Japanese businessman and told to turn around and go up that street, that one there! Very embarrassed and very relieved (was a hot humid morning). A few 100 yen coins later and I was back to the hotel for a Bento lunch box from the hotel, vv yummy. A shower and off to the gardens and castle.
I wished Cam got to see the gardens, nifty little nooks and crannies. Lots of ideas, (in miniature of course), for our own garden. Some amazing waterfalls and an area of Cranes that had been bred in captivity after nearly disappearing from the area.
Over to U-JO for a look at the view and some great features in the castle. During the visit, you could get dressed up as a Samurai and I had photos taken with a group of young Japanese girls. Very friendly and lots of giggling, from us all.
Dinner in the restaurant in the hotel basement, with a very happy waitress. She recognised us from the hotel and was very attentive. Great meal, a few beers again, seems to be the culture and I am one to fit in.

Okayama surrounds for Mark, a day at the conference for Cam remains copyright of the author marckam, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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Cam -
This was un-imaginable. We arrived by Shinkansen from Okayama at expense of one day of conference. I would forego a great many more things to have otherwise facilitated my understanding of this fearful event. Lost again at multi-level train station – found way with help of lonely planet, walking slower, and asking people who couldn’t speak English (but understood what we meant). Got to Peace Park where a destroyed government building shell minimally represented the ravage of the A-bomb. This is a place where perhaps even the cold-hearted could have a lump in their throat. I wish the camera could have captured the feeling.

It was deeply personal too. For want of a better description, I was almost relieved when Mark went to the loo in a way – For a few seconds I had a moment to personally and (holding-back) tearfully reflect. It wasn’t that I re-gained full composure, and nor did Mark (I think). For me, a moment of expression of anonymous grieving was necessary I guess, despite not knowing any of the living victims or living, related persons. I have dreamt of the suffering of these people as a result of A-bombs from an early age. For first ten minutes, lots of goose-bumps and thumping heart here.

We spent hours here – the mound where thousands of charmed body remains were placed, memorials to the 6000 children who lost their lives, lots of other memorials that we captured visually with camera. The facts and statistics are just awful.

We had a night in and got McDonalds for dinner – a food first for me in a long while, but really enjoyed it!! Found bilingual button on the remote (woo hoo!) and could watch some news, and also movies that were originally in English.

Mark -
After another Shinkansen trip, we arrived in Hiroshima.
Got lost just getting out of the station; Japan sometimes had that effect on us.

Found the Information Desk, post office and tramline station. Decided on buying the day pass for trams and off we went.

A trip with the locals ended but a hundred or so meters from ground zero. The scant remains a government building, all but a few walls and parts of a metal dome seem to make the stories all real.
We wandered around the park passing several amazing monuments. We found a bell tower that was surrounded by origami cranes. Rang the bell and thought of the thousands of children killed on that infamous day.

An hour walking through the museum (with very helpful English translator headphones), and passing some heart wrenching artifacts, we arrived at a piece of history captured on some stone steps. An imprint of someone, probably a woman, left at the moment of the blast.

After collecting our thoughts, heading off for a bit of a sit down and a quick lunch stop, we headed back to the tram down to Hiroshima Bay to gaze at the Floating Gate. Viewed from afar and then back on the train for 25mins back to JR Hiroshima, back to Okayama.

Maccas for dinner. Easy and quick for early to bed. Big day, physically and emotionally.

Hiroshima remains copyright of the author marckam, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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We were addicted to Akihabara and went back for one last wander. Bit of shopping, trawling through Sofmap again for some knick-knacks. Couple of more electronic shops then off to JR Tokyo bound for Okayama.

Bought tickets earlier at Ochanomizu station. Japan phrase book has great section of fill in the blanks – we used it after trying to communicate ourselves – it worked a charm - and very helpful train attendants make this job a little easier too.

Shinkansen from JR Tokyo Station was amazing. 300 km/hr and you don’t really know it, about four hours and presto, we arrive. Video shows that speed a bit though. Lovely little drinks trolley supplied me with ample ale.

After getting out of Okayama station we trek the kilometer to Excel Okayama Hotel, about 1.2km from station. Stinking hot. Truly, when I signed the credit card thingy I left it soaking in sweat.

Up to 10th Floor room. Fabulous, although with the most dangerous big opening window have ever seen – easy to fall out to the concrete far below. Great view of Okayama Castle or U-Jo to us locals – {Cam insert – locals?? That’s funny}. Also off the left was the picturesque Koreukan Gardens (one of the three best in Japan)and the north part of the city. Amazing!!
Happy we cancelled our conference recommended accom. and went on our own (for ½ the price).

Dinner at a local (what we now know) noodle bar. Hilarious experience as the waiter tried to explain that we had only ordered one noodle (the basic) dish and that we should get 2. We put this together later when the 1 dish came out and a little bowl for me. There was so much laughter from the kitchen, all with love of course. The other dishes we had ordered were now quite obviously intended to be mixed in, and with, your noodle dish. We had a very difficult time ordering here.
Very few in Okayama had any English up to this point and we felt a tad isolated.

Akihabara in the morning, then Shinkansen to Okayama. remains copyright of the author marckam, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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Off on the Tokyo Loop Line train,with ICA cards-prepaid cards that you can top up at leisure. Went into Tokyo to get cash after couldn’t access accounts via ATM in Ochanomizu. When we got to Tokyo we thought we were in the Post Office foyer where they had international ATMs. About now we were both sweating a bit (me especially as I said we could get by on our cards overseas). Turns out that we weren’t in the Post Office foyer – it was next door. Look for the red T symbol (double lines across the top). Worked a charm and we were both very relieved (the Post Office ATM became our friend).
We walked around central Tokyo. Massive buildings and pavements (esp the Merril Lynch building), a lot underground too.

Jumped back on train (getting good at the transit system) and off to Shinjuku. A young area of town, massive neon signs everywhere, trendy shops. Found the 100YEN shop and loaded up with heaps of little Japanese things.

Back on the train off to Ikebukuro (very hot and humid). Found a cultural art shop and spent a good 45 minutes in there. Then after trying for a while, we finally got to the other side of the station to be met by a swarm of people, malls and great shops. Tokyu Hands Department Store was fabulous and we were there for quite a while. Cats for hourly rent on top floor – we didn’t.

Back on the Loop Line and off to Harajuku. Missed the Harajuku Girls(weekends only), but had a great time walking through a mall bustling with young trendy Japanese.

Akihabara, as per our friend Roland’s ideas, we went in search of the Loax and Sofmap department stores. We found them and spent hours in both. Definitely shopped here.

Back in Ochanomizu area for dinner in a restaurant down a flight of stairs. Busy hangout, few beers, couple of wines. Nice meal again, after some pointing and very friendly people (note perception of friendly without verbal communications too!!).

Ikebukuro outside Tokyu Hands Department Store.

A view to Harajuku Bridge, quiet through the week.

Down the main street in Akihabara. Blocked off in one direction on weekends.

Tokyo, Shinjuku, Harajuku, Akihabara, and Ochanomizu remains copyright of the author marckam, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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Realized today how hot Japan could get – humid, tops of 35 degrees and lows of 25/26. Half my clothes now obsolete. Lots of vending machines.
Had to get train tickets (ICA Prepaid cards) to get to our Hato Morning Bus Tour. Another lovely train employee got out from behind his glassed-in booth and showed us how to use the ticket vending machines. Now a pro.
One bus later we met with our guide, Yuki. We were both rather taken by Yuki – very Japanese cute and really re-affirmed the research Mark had put into the holiday. He was top of the class.
We went to
• Tokyo Tower – 150m up the 333m tower. Great 360 degree views and lots of images taken. Level below had 2 areas of glass/see-through flooring and was quite a challenge to stand on it. Have an image that shows I 90% made it (for about 2 seconds)
• To Imperial Palace for outside view. Stone wall design interesting and amazing. Saw throughout castles and moats in Japan. Some ideas for garden already.
• Asakusa Kannon Temple–Amazing street markets leading up to the temple. Bean curd cakes…mmmmm. Sweet little cake packets of sweet bean curd paste.Nicer cold. Incense (wave in direction of body that want to enhance). Japanese parents (from 50km out of Tokyo) encourage young son to converse in English with us. Photos, bowing (what a wonderful artifact) and handshaking all round – really chuffed.
• Pearl making thing in Ginza – been there done that but interesting to see how it is done.

We are really big people. I wished I could appear smaller to others in Japan, I was scared sometimes that I was intimidating.

Got a bento(a boxed lunch with a little taste of Japan really) at JR Tokyo and back to the hotel. An interesting meal.
Couple of drinks, shower and back on the train off to Ueno.

Ueno – Getting good at the trains and got to Ueno Park with ease. Aquatic section full of wildlife and lotus – Mum would love this. Coolest part of day in terms of temperature.

Night – Akihabara walk-a-round (Electric Town – just 2 blocks from hotel) which we managed to get in everyday. Really liked this part of town – electronics gone mad and we did too. Looked at everything and bought a few things too. USB fans and lights for laptops, souvenir type things, dirt cheap USB hubs….
Dinner at a restaurant in Ochanomizu after walking around for a while finding something that we wanted. Were heaps of restaurants but we had no idea what the menus meant and thought that a proper restaurant was going to be easier. My first (and only) experience of removing shoes; a private booth; great food; huge beers which I couldn’t drink (but Mark helped out); a surprising cheap bill (3300Yen approx).

A view from Tokyo Tower.
A Lotus Pond in Ueno PArk.
Mark in shopping street leading to Asakusa Kannon Temple.

Tokyo. remains copyright of the author marckam, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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After all the packing and websites and paper, we are off.
In a 747 at last. JAL seats designed for little people but personal TVs make up for it in some way. First taste of Japanese courtesy – perfect hostess’s.
Bus to Tokyo station and then taxi to hotel. Taxi driver called hotel after another couple off the street help him to understand the English address of the hotel that Mark brought – amazing. At hotel soon after.
Hotel room was a blast. Small , cosy maybe. Bidet was intriguing. We booked through i-Travel, a Japanese hotel booking site. Very happy with the results. Perfect location, get the address in Japanese and get a cab from Tokyo drop off (the small amount paid is surpassed by the convenience).
Dinner at Chimney Restaurant below hotel where we were placed in a private room. Waiters found us interesting and couldn’t speak English but we got along pointing at pictures on the menu. Delicious food.

The view from Ochanomizu Inn hotel room.

Here we go to Tokyo .... finally ! remains copyright of the author marckam, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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I must thank Peter who has been a great help with only the few pages I have so far posted.
Hyperdia is a great tool for planning trips (costs,times and many destinations help)
Getting a power adaptor that will fit more universally is also,I am sure,going to be a great advantage.

I have a recurring nightmare that I wake up on Saturday morning only to discover that my passport is spelt incorrectly. Is this normal...?
Let me check again..hahahaha

Having broadband internet has enabled me to use Google Earth to search Tokyo and find our accommodation. Makes arriving seem not as unnerving.
If you can download and use Google Earth, I would recommend it.

Lift to the airport is organised.
My sister is locked in to house sit. Look after the cats,plants etc.

Well.......
See you in Japan

Only 2 Sleeps... remains copyright of the author marckam, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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Have booked a Hato Bus tour for the morning after we arrive. Tokyo and surrounds for a few hours.
It will hopefully allow us to get our bearings for future expeditions.
The tour luckily has a portion around our hotel and surrounds. Near Akihabara (close to Electric Town)...woohoo !!!
Go to Hato for a choice of Tokyo tours.

Another good website is Japanese National Tourism Org. Links to maps (found some great ones for Okayama and Hiroshima).

Email them for a handy Tourist's Language Handbook (fits in the pocket). Look for sites for your local office.

If anyone can help with which power adaptor is best, it would be appreciated. I have one with two flat pins and one round pin. The other I have seen is two flat pins only. Hmmmmmm ???
Maybe take two? Anyway...

Japan, here we come.
More soon.

9 Sleeps..... remains copyright of the author marckam, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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Have just found out we need to catch a train from Tokyo Station to Ochanomizu Station after catching the Airport Limousine Bus in from Narita Airport . AirportLimousineBus is the best site for details on this bus service. It also gave us links to our hotel and access details.

Using the ticket vending machines for the first time should be fun, if anyone can give pointers it would be appreciated. What an adventure awaits.

Spending more time in Osaka now,(an extra day),and hope to take a trip to Kyoto for the day. Everyone I have spoken to says that Kyoto is a must see. Have even toyed with the idea of ctaching a train on our own steam. Hopefully we will be more in tune with the workins of the rail system.
JapanRail is THE best place to start (I have found thus far). Japan-guide.com has a good link that shows a map of each of Japans Rail networks, JR East, Jr West, JR Central etc, from here back to Japan Rail and go to the link for the network you need.

Well, some thoughts on transport and such things...
More to come

Getting there........ remains copyright of the author marckam, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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Finding accom. in Okayama was tough. Needed to look around a bit more MyTrip was the best here. Used JapanHotel and itravel for hotels in Tokyo and Osaka. Will let you all know how they were.

Being prepared seems to be the best option for japan, especially if you are only there for a short time.

Got some great maps from JAL booklet from travel agent.
Good range of tours there also.

Still some tours to look at.

More to come

More prep... remains copyright of the author marckam, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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Seem to be very organised, Money Tickets Passport !!!!
Have the little red folder. Maps of the areas we want to go to.
Tokyo first, then on to Okayama(work and play), the a few days to finish the holiday in Osaka before heading home to Brisbane, Australia.

Firstly, I recommend anyone travelling get a copy of Lonely Planet, for whatever country you may be going to. Can't get enough information out of these books, they are great.

I have had some trouble getting maps of Okayama, maybe because it is not a readily visited destination.

Shopping in Tokyo looks like fun. Have been looking up some reviews and looks like fun.

More later.......

First Entry remains copyright of the author marckam, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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