Japan On Location May 2008

I was not sure of exactly what to expect when I arrived in Japan. I was told it was as foreign as you are likely to get. A society so entrenched in its own forward development yet so steeped in tradition that it is difficult to see how the two co-exist.

Japan is so busy, I was told. You are herded on to trains by attendants so that every last inch of space is maximised. I visited during the Chinese New Year and over a weekend. I had more space than to move in than if I had been in a small provincial Cotswold town. The Japanese it seems had left town and the streets were devoid of traffic. Where had they all gone? To the hotels it seems. Every hotel that I wished to visit for an inspection was full or, going back to my point about being a rigid society, was not possible to visit because I had not made an appointment. Appointments could not be made by me or by my guide.

Tokyo does have its bright lights and a trip through Ginza, the main shopping area, is ablaze with neon. Nearby though is a theatre performing Kabuki, a form of traditional Japanese theatre. Men are the sole performers playing the roles of both men and women. It is usual to go to a performance and see the whole show. Here one can buy tickets to see a scene only and these last anywhere between 45 minutes to an hour and could cover a series of dances or just a story about the Samurai, the warrior class, for example.

An excursion to Nikko to see a collection of temples in the forests was made by local train. One temple still has a white horse in residence, a gift from the New Zealand Government. Large bell towers with skirts, numerous stone lanterns and devoted pilgrims make for a pleasant day out.

I left Tokyo for Hakone travelling by car through the small town of Karakura on the coast. Nestled in a valley with a view of the sea I visited the largest bronze Buddha in the world. Rebuilt several times over the centuries because of tidal waves and earthquakes it is now seated on a platform that moves so as to absorb any sudden movement of the earth. A nearby temple has a beautiful peony garden, in full flower during the February period, complete with straw hats to protect them from rain and snow. Hakone is on the shores of lake Ashi. On a clear day there are splendid views of Mt Fuji away in the distance. I was blessed with exceptional weather on the morning after I arrived having been unable to see more than a few metres the day before because of rain and fog. Mt Fuji stands majestically above the surrounding area and was engulfed in light blue sky, the winds whipping off snow from its upper slopes. It is possible to climb the mountain but only officially during July and August.

Steppes Travel specialise in holidays to Japan, China holidays and South Africa safari.