Ever since I started 'planning' this trip, I had doubts wether I should visit Japan. What set me back where the 'horror stories' of how expensive the country is. However, I figured I would not be this close to Japan anytime soon, and with the barrier of an expensive flight out of the way, I decided to go!
Tokyo
My flight from Hong Kong (the first one since the start of my trip, 10000 kilometers ago!) was delayed, so I didnt get to my hostel in Tokyo until 11 in the evening. I picked a so called 'capsule hotel' for my first night. It was a surprisingly nice experience, although there were not many other travellers in the hostel.
I spent most of my time in Tokyo exploring it's many districts, such as Akihabara (an area that embraces Japanese popculture) and Shibuya (famous for the busiest crosswalk in the world). Tokyo is the biggest metropolis in the world, and my week was barely enough time to see the essentials.
Another task in Tokyo was getting a new Chinese visa. I was afraid that being denied once would mean it is impossible to ever get a new Chinese visa again, but against all expectations I got one. The lady that helped me with my application gave me two thumbs up when I picked up my passport 4 days later :)
Railpass
The most convenient way to move about Japan is by train. They are extremely expensive however, but I got myself a 7 day railpass back in Hong Kong. This allowed me to take basically any train for free, and so a week of frantic travel started.
The first place I visited was Takayama, a village in the foothills of the Japanese alps. It is renowned for its historical center, and the trainride to get there is rightfully considered one of the most scenic in Japan. I spend an afternoon exploring Takayama and the surrounding hills.
The next day I headed for Hiroshima, most famous for being the first city to ever fall victim to a nuclear attack. The city however is not a nuclear wasteland, but extremely thriving! In the center is a large park dedicated to memorize the devastating impact of the nuclear attack.
(On the way to Hiroshima I stopped by Himeji, home of one of the most impressive original medieval castles in Japan)
Close to Hiroshima is Miyajima island, considered to be one of Japans most beautiful spots (according to the Japanese themselves). I took a rental bike with me on the island, which allowed me to explore it rather quickly. This allowed me to be back early (before it started raining), and have a relaxed afternoon in the hostel. When you have been sightseeing everyday for months, you just want to take it easy sometimes.
This is where I made a change of plan. Originally, I wanted to go to Nagasaki, and then back to Kyoto to take a plane from there to my next destination. However I discovered I could take a ferry to Korea from the south of Japan. So I switched Kyoto and Nagasaki around in my plans. This made my route through Japan a bit inefficient, but the trains are fast enough.
On my way to Kyoto I stopped by 'Rabbit island'. This almost abandoned island (it used to be a secret military facility), houses a lot of rabbits, that have no predators here. The rabbits are extremely tame and run up to people to eat out of their hands. Besides the rabbits, the island is also surprisingly beautiful. It made for a nice midday excursion.
Kyoto is the first place in Japan that felt like a 'tourist trap'. Although it does have some nice sights, being in a conga line with a couple of hundred of tourists sort of takes you out of it. My favorite part was the hike up mount Inari, which is decorated with hundreds of Torii gates. I only had one day in Kyoto, as thr next day was the last day where I could use my railpass, and I had to get to the far south of the island.
My last major stop was Nagasaki. This city too was bombed in World War II, but my interest lay somewhere else. For over 200 years, a small man-made island called Dejima was the only place of contact between Japan and the West. This island was a Portuguese trading settlement first, but after some religious conflict, it was handed over to the Dutch. They were the only western nation to trade with the Japanese, and were not allowed of the island. When Napoleon conquered Europe, and the British subsequently occupied the Dutch Colonies, this tiny island in Japan was the only place in the world still flying the Dutch flag.
I spend one more day in Mogi, a small fishers village close to Nagasaki, and headed for the port the next day. A small boat will take me 200 kilometers across the ocean in only 3 hours!