| The flight
(Lufthansa
FRA-NRT)
|
Cologne Cathedral (Kölner Dom). The start of the journey was at Cologne railway station. |
The high speed Intercity Express Train to Frankfurt Airport |
Lufthansa First Class
Good use of air-miles
|
Inside the HON Circle
LH First Class lounge at Frankfurt Terminal 1 - A |
Inside the HON Circle
LH First Class lounge at Frankfurt Terminal 1 - A |
The Lufthansa Boeing 747-400 Aircraft at Frankfurt Airport Terminal-1-B |
Inside the Lufthansa Boeing 747-400 First Class cabin |
The Lufthansa
First Class Rose |
Lufthansa First Class food (smoked salmon etc) |
|
| Tokyo |
We stayed at the Intercontinental
Tokyo Bay (using up 4 years of AMEX points) |
The first beer was very cool and refreshing |
We exchanged our Japan Rail Pass coupons for the real passes and reserved our seats for the following days here at Ueno Station |
Ameyayoko market stalls shopping street |
Water lotus leaves at Ueno park |
Big Echo Karaoke Box building (you can hire a private room for singing Karaoke and have tasty drinks and food) |
Edo Hakubutsukan
(Good museum about the history of Japan/Tokyo) Here is a model of a village scene |
Edo Hakubutsukan
Me in the "kago" carrying box (sedan chair) |
Shinjuku |
Shinjuku |
| Kamakura
and
Yokohama
|
Difficulties buying the right ticket at Shinjuku station |
The large bronze Buddha statue at Kamakura |
The Kamakura Buddha statue's large slippers |
Yokohama China Town |
Yokohama China Town |
Yokohama China Town |
Yokohama China Town |
Yokohama Restaurant Bar Ship |
Yokohama Skyline |
Pokemon ANA Boeing
747-400 domestic version |
| Hokkaido -
Obihiro
and
Sapporo
|
Obihiro Station, Hokkaido |
Obihiro museum |
Tame wild foxes on a view point car park near Obihiro |
The cruising boat on Lake Shikaribetsu |
The mini island on Lake Shikaribetsu |
The Naitai highlands in Hokkaido north of Obihiro |
The Naitai highlands viewpoint and resthouse (approx 800m high) |
Road marking arrows above the Hokkaido roads |
|
|
Sapporo Station |
View of Sapporo City from the Hotel restaurant (next to the station) |
View of Sapporo City from the Hotel restaurant (next to the station) |
Sapporo City Park |
Sapporo City Park |
A large crow in Sapporo City Park |
The ANA domesitc Signet lounge at Sapporo New Chitose Airport |
Inside the ANA Boeing 777 plane |
|
|
| Yonezawa and Sendai |
Buying a bento (lunchbox) at Tokyo Station Shinkansen area |
Ban-san does some yakiniku cooking in Yonezawa at Irori |
Yukke - raw minced beef (tastes slightly smoked) |
Cows' stomach shreds |
Strange small cars for 1 person "Midget II" |
View of Sendai from the Castle Site Hill |
Sendai Station and Matt |
The shrine at the site of Sendai ca |
Date Masamune (a powerful feudal lord of Sendai) |
Date Masamune on a horse (at the site of Sendai Castle) |
On Kyogamine Hill where the tomb of Date Masamune is. |
The Zuihoden Mausoleum on Kyogamine Hill |
Very colorful decorations on the mausoleum |
Matt and Ban's Bottle at a bar in Yonezawa |
Me and Banbaka singing Karaoke |
| Nagoya
and
EXPO 2005
|
Train car indicators on platforms are sometimes confusing |
Inside the Hikari Shinkansen from Tokyo to Nagoya |
Shinkansen mini wine bottle |
We arrived at Nagoya Station |
View from Nagoya Station Tower |
The high-tech alcohol dispensing machine |
EXPO park in Nagoya |
The popular Hitachi pavillion at EXPO |
The crazy 6 hours waiting time !!! at the most popular pavillions |
EXPO park tower |
EXPO park Singapore pavillion |
Delicious Indian curry and Kingfisher Beer at the India Pavillion at EXPO |
A fine and proud astronaut from Kazakhstan |
Toyota pavillion at EXPO |
Typical view of a small but comfortable room at the Toyoko Inn Nagoya |
| Takayama
and
Hida Folk Village
|
View of the mountainside from the Takayama bound train |
Takayama station |
Map of Hida Folk Village, a historical museum village |
View of Hida Folk Village |
The Arai's house |
Layout of the Arai Family house |
Inside one of the historical houses |
Near Hida village we tasted extremely tasty Takayama Beef curry |
Takayama beer, brewed German style |
The very tasty beers, brewed German style |
We stayed at the Country Hotel Takayama |
It was a bit tight in the twin room |
West country style accent in the bathroom "this water be good to drink" |
We had dinner at a nice Izakaya in Takayama |
We had dinner at a nice Izakaya - here sitting at the counter |
Takayama Town - a picturesque street |
View from the train on the way back to Nagoya |
Sleeping room Japanese style futons |
|
|
| Osaka, Universal Studios |
The entrance to Universal Studios Osaka |
Waterworld at Universal Studios Osaka |
Me and Naoki with his Aunt at Universal Studios |
The evening show at Universal Studios |
The JAWS Shark |
| Kyoto |
Kyoto Station spectacular building |
The Kyoto Tower |
Sanjusangendo The temple of 1001 statues of Kannon, the goddess of mercy |
the 1001 statues at Sanjusangendo (from pamphlet) |
An old style restaurant in Gion, Kyoto |
Inside the traditional restaurant in Gion |
Entrance to Gingkakuji (Silver Pavillion) |
View down to Gingkakuji (Silver Pavillion) |
Gingkakuji, Kyoto |
The philosophers' walk |
Chionin - Head temple of the Jodo sect of Buddhism |
Macha green tea ice with anko and mochi - n i c e |
Market shops near Gion, Kyoto |
Vegetables pickled in sake lees - narazuke |
Liver of some strange creatures |
| Nara |
Horyuji, Temple Nara |
Horyuji, Temple - has the world's oldest wooden pagoda |
Horyuji, Temple Nara |
Horyuji, Temple Nara |
Yakushiji Temple - one of the oldest in Japan |
The east pagoda at Yakushiji Temple dates back to year 730! |
Yakushiji Temple |
Local train in Nara |
Tame deer at Todaiji |
Todaiji Temple, nara |
Todaiji Temple, Nara |
Inside Todaiji - the largest Buddha statue in Japan |
Very popular Osaka okonomiyaki restaurant |
Okonomiyaki restaurant |
Osaka style okonomiyaki |
| Himeji |
Himeji - Japan's most beautiful surviving feudal castle |
Himeji |
Himeji |
Himeji |
Himeji |
Himeji |
Himeji |
Himeji |
|
|
| Okinawa
-
Naha
Moon Beach
Ocean Expo Park
|
ANA Signet lounge at Osaka Itami ITM airport |
The most complicated toilet controls I have ever seen |
Domestic ANA 747-400 |
ANA Superseat (Domestic flight) |
ANA shouchu cocktail |
Okinawa World - Gyokusendo Cave |
Gyokusendo Cave |
Gyokusendo Cave |
Gyokusendo Cave |
Gyokusendo Cave |
Okinawa World - snake farm sake |
Drying squid |
Okinawa style dessert |
Naha seafood restaurant |
Naha seafood restaurant |
Okinawa style food |
Relaxing lunch on tatami |
Okinawa style food - pig ears |
Shuri Castle walls, Naha |
Shuri Castle |
Naha Monorail |
Kokusaidori (main shopping street with many souvenir shops) |
Gōyā, a very bitter but healthy vegetable, looks like a kind of cucumber |
Fugu, balloon fish |
We stayed at the Pacific Hotel in Naha |
An Awamori shouchu |
Shikuwasa Okinawa citrus fruit |
Ocean Expo Park |
At the huge aquarium at Ocean Expo Park |
Uni - Sea Urchin |
Lobsters and shell fish |
Sea cucmuber - Namako |
Huge aquarium tank |
Two whale sharks |
A Manta ray |
Ocean Expo Park |
Moon Beach Hotel, Okinawa |
Onna Marine View Palace |
Moon Beach |
Nice shells and coral |
Moon Beach |
Tastey Orion Beer from Okinawa |
The elephant rock on the West coast of Okinawa |
You can buy giant turtle shells there |
Peace Memorial near Onna |
Pitcher plants |
A jungle nature park near Onna |
A jungle nature park near Onna |
Huge Japanese spider |
Huge Japanese spider |
Venus fly traps |
Orchids |
Sake and Shouchu |
Goya omelette |
My Birthday cake |
Celebrating my birthday |
An Okinawan musical instrument - Sanshin (Shamisen ) |
Model of the ANA Pokemon Jumbo |
The real ANA Pokemon Jumbo landing at Naha |
|
| Back to Tokyo |
View of the Tokyo Tower in the distance |
Hachiko dog statue at Shibuya Station |
Shibuya |
Japanese McDonalds (Maku Donarudo) |
Tokyo Izakaya |
| The flight back (ANA) |
ANA First Class Cabin - Boeing 747-400 (Longhaul) |
Frankfurt airport aerial view |
|
|
|
