Faster than a speeding bullet

From Japan's modern heart, we took the famous bullet train to what is perhaps the place which gives the best taste of traditional Japan; Kyoto. Spared the allied bombing in WWII, its narrow, winding streets and wealth of shrines and temples large and small, survive to this day alongside traditional tea-houses in Gion district, the home of the Geisha.

In a city with an historic building on every street corner, just about, the most impressive were a Buddhist temple built around Japan's longest wooden building (holding 1,001 golden statutes arranged, mesmerisingly, row upon row), the Golden Pavilion (which, as its name suggests, is a pavilion set in beautiful gardens and almost entirely coated in gold), and Nijo castle with its wonderfully preserved Kano-school wood and lacquer paintings on gold-leaf backgrounds, and its 'nightingale floors' that chirp like birds when you walk on them (originally designed to alert guards to intruders).

Shady Zen rock-and-gravel gardens and Bonsai-laden stroll gardens abound along Kyoto's Philosopher's walk - I'm more of a legal theorist, but close enough - and in the castle ground we took traditional 'matcha' green tea (made of powdered tea leaves frothed-up with a small brush) in a Tea pavilion overlooking a Paradise garden.

Although there's more than enough to see in Kyoto for three days, we dragged ourselves away for a day to travel to Himeji castle (one of Japan's great castles with imposing fortifications and graceful towers) and Hiroshima. While visiting the tortured metal and concrete of the A-bomb dome, and the sobering museum was at points a difficult experience, the graceful Peace Park and the spirit of progressive anti-nuclear and anti-war movements provided an uplifting note.

The Land of the Rising Sun has been a rather magical place to visit, though the energy expended after an already busy stop in Seoul has left us ready for the next relaxing stop with our friends in Hawaii.