Day One - Hiroshima

Yes, my first update of the Japan trip! I took well over 100 pictures (thank you, my digicam) and have managed to filter it to just 40 pictures (sorry la, too many things to show). Because I'm sooOoOOo considerate about the page load on your computer, I set the blog to one entry per page, so if you want to see the other days of my trip, just click Next.

Moving on!



Oooh, what's at the end of this tunnel?



Why, Japan, of course! Narita airport, to be exact.



We got lost for awhile, but we managed to catch our train to Tokyo. We have to go to Tokyo first before we move on to Hiroshima.



N'EX. I just thought the logo was cool. The train looks clean too.



Ah, perspective view. I'm starting to feel like an artist.

After that, we got on to the train. The train trip was an exhaustive one. We had to take a train to Tokyo (1 hour trip), then to Shin-Osaka (4 hours), then finally to Hiroshima (2 hours). Imagine, if I were not on a bullet train, it might take many more hours!



Well I have many friends who like to take pictures of themselves using their own hands, so I thought I'd give it a try. Not bad, huh?



My mom, smiling to the camera. Also, the only time she was awake. She fell asleep throughout the entire train trip!



A typical view from inside the Shinkansen (bullet train).



Yup, they have a vending machine in the train too. They also have a power point for the laptop, a wi-fi connection (only for subscribers), an information counter, a food cart and a number of public phones. A small town on the go.



My mom said that japanese houses are not unique. True, but I like the randomness of the arrangement and how they manage to save space. To me, it's breath-taking. My mom, well, she can still breathe.



A small town near the outskirts of Tokyo. Those who watched the anime Zettai Shounen might feel familiar with the scene above.

Finally, we reached Hiroshima. My mom's friend who is also a Professor in English, Hideyuki-sensei, asked us to wait in front of the train station. When we got there, guess where we came out from...



Yea man... we just came out from the Asse!



Hiroshima, unlike Tokyo, has some trams running, or street cars as the Japanese call it. We rode on one, but not the above. Hideyuki-sensei said that this is the latest model running on the road.

We reached our hotel, Hotel 28 Hiroshima.



Wow, very cozy room. The tokyo room that Dzaid and I stayed 2 years ago is much smaller. The bathrooms and washrooms are still shared though. More on that tomorrow.

The rest in the hotel was only 10 minutes. Since we're in Japan, I don't think we should rest too much. Hideyuki-sensei, my mom and I headed out to the city once again.



Hideyuki-sensei and my mom in the Hiroshima bus.



After the bus dropped us at the stop, we walked for around 15 minutes to appreciate the look and feel of a Japanese residential area. I dunno why, I just like taking pictures of the residential areas in Japan. Feels so different, yet familiar (watched too much anime, haha)



A typical underpass in Hiroshima.



Another shot of the residential area, with the Shinkansen track towering above.



I also like this shot, coz it includes people as well. The whole family is playing a little pass-ball together. So nice.



A typical bridge in Hiroshima. Cities are normally built around rivers, so bridges are practically everywhere.

The meterogical readings in March mentioned that we wouldn't make it to Japan to view the Sakura blooming. My mom and I got depressed coz the tickets were already bought, but we went to Japan anyway...

Well, we made it in time. In your face, Mr. Weatherman! Hideyuki-sensei said that we came at the perfect moment (not perfect time, the perfect moment). Took some great photos, these photos need not any explanation (ok ok I'm lazy to come up with something :D)































Woohoo, a damn yeng picture of me. Should set this as my MSN avatar when I go back to Malaysia.

After all that strolling, Hideyuki-sensei brought us to an exquisite dinner place.



The whole place is traditional, but the chef took our orders with a PDA. How typical of Japan :D



A nice perspective shot of the dinner table.



Hideyuki-sensei, the chef and my mom. (what a combination)



Sashimi platter. Hooray for Sashimi!



Heh heh Hoshi-chan... Nyin... envious, aren't you? Seriously, the texture and taste of this sashimi beats any sashimi in Malaysia. Trust me on this one.



Same goes for this Miso soup. The best miso soup I have ever tasted. I'm really not joking :D

ok that's all the pictures I've got now. It's Sunday 10:00 am in Japan now and we're headed to an island full of shrines. Watch out for the next entry!