The long ride home

The final day in Japan is never easy, never relaxed. There is always so much left to do that it usually ends up as a rushed frenzy of activity rather than a quiet goodbye. We always leave with heavier bags and even heavier hearts.

Departing the hotel on time has been a constant problem throughout this trip. Firstly we had to wait for a sleeping baby to awake (and who would have thought that we would ever complain about that) and then to be fed. In order to accommodate Alex and our own schedules we have missed many meals on this holiday. I was sad that we never sat down for a proper breakfast, one of the highlights of our previous trip.

B's mission on this final day was to purchase rice crackers. Asakusa is the most popular place for rice crackers in Tokyo, but cannot be reached directly from Shinjuku.

We boarded the Yamanote Line, but only made it as far as Ikebukuro, the nearest ToysRUs that we knew of, as B wanted to purchase some other Japanese baby items. On emerging from Ikebukuro station you feel like you have entered a canyon of department and electronics stores. We walked past the Pachinko parlours to Sunshine City, but were disappointed at the range of products available at ToysRUs.

Next stop was Ueno, because we knew that there was a feeding room there and that we could change for a subway line to Asakusa. After feeding Alex we caught the subway and emerged into a dense crowd of locals and foreigners, concentrated around the cracker and souvenir stalls of Karimon-dori on the path to the Senso-ji temple. With Alex and a big daypack attached to my body it was tough trying to make my way through the crowd, so B had to make the purchases by herself.

Unfortunately, we were running out of time, so we couldn't make it all the way to the Senso-ji temple, which is a pity because the cherry blossoms were just starting to bloom and it would have made a nice last scene to remember Tokyo by.

By using the Tokyo Metro Ginza Line and the Toei Oedo subway line we returned to Shinjuku and retrieved our luggage from the hotel, then we rolled and carried it to Shinjuku Station. We hurried, but, for once, arrived at the Narita Express platform with plenty of time to spare. We had not eaten lunch or breakfast and there was not even a kiosk on the platform.

The Narita Express is one of my favourite trains. The hour and a half journey from Shinjuku to the airport was a relaxing postscript to the hectic day. It begins in central Tokyo, full of shops and skyscrapers, continues on out towards the dormitory suburb of Chiba, with tall apartment blocks and the imposing overhead monorail, then finally emerges into a rural Japan of rice fields and bamboo forests. A round Buddhist pagoda towers over the final city of Narita, then we go underground into the airport complex. I'll miss this version of the Narita Express when it is upgraded later this year.

Though I was sad to be leaving Japan, I just wanted to be at home right then. I was not looking forward to the long flight back. The truth is that I was scared. Scared of turbulence, scared of Alex flying out of our arms as the aircraft dropped, scared of looking after a crying baby while others around us tried to sleep, scared of the boredom.

Despite not eating anything much during the day, the fear removed my appetite and I only picked at the rice and tempura we ate for dinner. We had checked in more than the free weight in luggage, but the check-in stuff had ignored the extra. We carried extra hand luggage in the form of paper shopping bags, but this too was ignored by the flight attendants. I guess that travelling with a baby has some advantages!

It looks like Narita's airside shopping and eating has improved since we were last there, but we had surprisingly little time before boarding our aircraft, especially as we had to take the shuttle train out to the satellite terminal. I did have enough time to discover that the odd toilet out there is of the wonderful bum-washing variety, though some were standard western seated or standard Japanese squats.

Mentaiko!

Like most sources of fear, the reality is a lot less scary. We took off on schedule, at about 8:30 pm, into dark skies. It was a reasonably smooth flight, with the seatbelt sign only lit while we were off the coast of Papua New Guinea. But sitting in the aisle seat made it more difficult for me to cope with the bumps, as I couldn't look out the window and reassure myself that it was only high level cloud or that we were dodging storms.

Alex was unsettled early on in the flight, but not too bad. While he lay in the cot I found one way to calm him was to hold my portable media player above him so that he could watch the video on it. He is such a tv addict! He spent most of the night sleeping on B's lap, where he was much more settled.

I watched (or rather mostly listened for the first two episodes) to the excellent last three episodes of the new Doctor Who Series 3. Then I watched two episodes of Double the Fist on another device. I wanted to watch Ghost Town on the main screen, but Alex was too distracting during the screening. I really missed sitting in the window seat, especially once the magnificent sunrise arrived. B was on photography duties.

We descended through bumpy clouds, then across a serene ocean into Coolangatta Airport on the Gold Coast. Exiting the aircraft down stairs we emerged into a large construction site. As in Narita, the security staff let me keep the Baby Bjorn on while passing through the metal detector. The transit lounge was dreadful, a small duty free store, a cafe that only opened an hour after we arrived, no windows or televisions for amusement. I hope that it will be improved before the mid-2010 completion date for the new airport terminal.

After a two hour layover, we boarded another Jetstar A330, though the flight number was retained. We were delayed by about 10 minutes with four passengers stuck in the terminal due to a fire alarm. They were a very different set of passengers aboard this aircraft, a shock after being surrounded by Japanese for the past two weeks. Finally the last two boarded and we took off into sunny skies.

The one hour trip to Sydney was one of those flights that make you love being in the skies. High above the cloud layer, only a few bumps here and there and a smooth descent across the Royal National Park and Botany Bay into Sydney. If only I had the window seat to enjoy it!

Our baggage appeared quickly, we were waved through customs despite declaring items on our passenger cards (though I suspect the Philippine Airlines passengers queuing at the same time were screened more thoroughly).

Now began the final stanza of our trip: the journey home from the airport. Firstly a train from the airport to Wolli Creek. Then a change of platform to catch the train to Sutherland. Fortunately both the railway lines and the elevators were operational this weekend. We were stuck at Sutherland for about half and hour waiting for the bus to Menai, so we made use of the time to eat lunch. Our first meal back in Australia was a meat pie from the bakery opposite us. At least we are back eating the local foods!

Last, but definitely not least, was dragging the bags back from the bus stop to the house. It was too much for B, so I had baby on my chest, daypack on my back, B's carry-on bag on my shoulder, two shopping bags in one hand and the big roller bag in the other. She dragged a roller bag.

Home! In perfect weather. Much as I loved Japan, it was good to be back in our own house. There is always a feeling of utter contentment upon a return from overseas. But it feels strange to be back in Australia, to see non-Japanese, to use the English language again and, as a consequence, participate in society again.

Was it worth travelling with such a young child? I would have to answer yes. We may not have been as flexible as before, as free to pack to choose as we will and to pack in as much in as day. But it was wonderful to spend two weeks with my family, to hold my baby close to me, to look after him in a way that I cannot when I must work. I watched him grow, watched him develop in those two weeks.

During the flight back from Tokyo I was convinced that I did not want to fly overseas, or fly at all, for a very long time. I even felt that I had been cured of my overseas travel addiction. A day later and I'm not so certain. Sitting in the aisle seat spoiled the flight for me, but the flights themselves were pretty good. And the sound of the jets flying overhead still makes me dream.

Next trip will be different. Maybe we'll stick to Australia for a while, there's plenty to see here. And if we do travel overseas then Alex will have changed. A month and a half from now he'll have started on solid food. He'll be mobile, be able to use a tiny umbrella stroller.

For now, I'll be missing my family. My shoulder might enjoy the rest, but I'll miss having my son held on to my chest, being able to look down upon him. I'll miss spending the day with my wife, sharing lunch and breakfast with her (when we actually took those meals at all!). That's what these travels are about, sharing new experiences with my loved ones.

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Sadness in Shinjuku

I'm so sad. This will not come as news to many seeing as my final full day in Japan was spent purchasing model railway components, perving at cool computers and buying a lunchbox. But that's not what I meant. I am sad because we won't be spending another night here in this hotel gazing out at the bright lights of Shinjuku, hearing the trains rattle below.

It's always this way. There is so much left to do in Japan. I doubt that a year would be enough. Life back in Sydney seems so boring in comparison.

I will also miss spending my days with B and baby Alex. I spent even more time with Alex today than usual. B went off for a two hour haircut today, so it was just Alex and I for that time, doing boys stuff like shopping at Sakuraya's model railway section and admiring panel PC's and mini-notebooks at Yodobashi in West Shinjuku. For most of that time Alex was very happy, gurgling and chattering away.

When we met up with B again the three of us went to the expensive Takashimaya Times Square Department store to make use of the baby feeding room. The staff were very helpful, even finding a pack of nappies for us to purchase. Nappies are one thing you don't seem to be able to purchase from the many convenience stores and pharmacies.

Very late lunch was above Takashimaya. I had a spaghetti with chicken and Japanese vegetables in a soy and mayonnaise based sauce. Quite nice.

At Tokyu Hands we purchased all sorts of decorations, widgets and gadgets that, in previous times, we had not been able to make a decision to buy. It's that feeling that we may not be back for a few years.

I'm looking forward to using the mini-charcoal griller.

Also in the Takashimaya complex is the Kinokuniya book store. Their selection of locally published English language Japanese recipe books was surprisingly small, but we found one to add to the collection. We also bought Alex a book of Japanese folk tales, a book on Japanese culture and another about Hiroshima. B and I grew up during the latter stages of the cold war, with the threat of nuclear holocaust hanging over our heads and permeating the culture.

The threat is still there, but the consequences of nuclear weapons aren't woven so closely into the culture any longer. I think it's important that Alex understand the consequences of nuclear weapons. I know that the books I read as a young child influenced me greatly, for the better, so I want to give him the same opportunities.

Dinner was at the same stall where we first tried Japanese noodles back in 2003. Their tempura soba and udon is by far the best I have tasted on this trip. The stall is located in the centre of a narrow alleyway lined with lanterns and tiny bars, the remnants of an older Shinjuku. It's on the South-West end of the station area.

It's difficult to believe that two weeks have already passed since our journey began. I'm not looking forward to leaving, to the flight home. I just hope that it's smooth, safe and quiet.

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Shopping in Shibuya and Shinjuku

I love the variety of goods on sale in Japan. Take non-alcoholic drinks, for example. In Australia you can go to any shop and you have the same drinks available. The flavours are always the same, the variation is basically if the fridge is a Cadbury-Schweppes, Pepsi or Coca-Cola fridge.

In Japan visits to different convenience stores in different regions reveal a variety of drinks on sale. Hence the hunt for Gokuri Grapefruit juice. I haven't seen it in Tokyo since 2007, but I found it in one shop in Fukuoka, one vending machine in Matsue.

It's a myth that Japan is really expensive, at least in comparison to Australia. Yes, it has become more expensive for Australians travelling to Japan thanks to the drop in the value of the Australian dollar in comparison with the yen. However, it's probably not fair to use that comparison, because the effects of that change in value have not really been felt by consumers within each country, especially with the recession keeping a lid on prices. So if we continue to treat the exchange rate as about parity then the prices in Japan are often cheap in comparison to Australia, especially when you consider the quality of the product over the quantity.

In Australia we usually value quantity over quality. You might spend the same amount of money on a single apple in Japan as you might pay for half a dozen in Australia. But after you eat the giant Japanese apple you might realise that the flavour and texture of the fruit beat that Australian supermarket apple hands down.

Today was a shopping day for us. We caught the Yamanote line down to Shibuya. First stop was Shibuya 109, multiple levels of young Japanese female craziness packed into a tiny space. Shops like Glad News and Titty & Co. It was overwhelming.

Also overwhelming were the choices at Loft. Shibuya's Loft (there are branches elsewhere, including Osaka) has 7 floors of everything from stationery and cosmetics to gadgets and furniture. Just selecting an alarm clock was an ordeal as so many of them looked so cool. You would pay $100's for such items in Australia with their northern European minimalist looks or wow factors, but the prices really aren't too bad. Loft is the kind of place that makes you want to throw out everything you own and redecorate.

We had to escape Loft partway through in order to feed Alex. Loft's sibling department store, Seibu, has a totally different atmosphere with staid and expensive clothing. Needless to say, it was beyond our budget.

After a dinner of Japanese curry we set off back to Shinjuku. Alex was getting unsettled, but once we were outside our little tv addict spotted the huge screens on the side of the buildings and his eyes opened wide. He loved the lights of Shibuya and Shinjuku, but it seems he hates the crowds on the Yamanote line, crying his eyes out a few times now.

We fed and changed Alex back in the hotel room, then returned to the streets of Shinjuku to make the most of the night. The Takashimaya department store, and Tokyu Hands, were both closed by 8:30pm, but a few other stores, like Gap and Tower Records were open until 10pm. More limited edition John Williams soundtracks for me!

Feeling very sore after carrying Alex in the Baby Bjorn. I don't regret leaving the stroller at home as it would have been more pain than it is worth to lug it around, but I think I may have hurt my shoulder a bit tossing luggage into the overhead storage racks in the Shinkansens and now it aches. Still, it is good to snuggle Alex so close to me during the day. It will be strange not to have him close by when we return to Australia.

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Bamboo, blossoms and monkey business

It's so good to be back in Shinjuku! It is our spiritual home in Japan.

Actually it's not spiritual at all, it's totally materialistic, loud and flashy. But our day started in a highly spiritual place in the Arashiyama area of Kyoto.

When planning this holiday one of the activities I wanted to do was to travel the entire length of the JR San-in line. We did manage the stretch between Masuda and Yonago while travelling to and from Matsue. Today we started on the initial segment from Kyoto on a local train to Saga Arashimaya station.

Outside the JR station is the SL (Steam Locomotive) and Piano Museum. Interesting combination! Unfortunately, we had to put off a trip on the scenic tramway leaving from the museum until another time. Instead we walked from the station and towards the river. A variety of trendy and souvenier stores lined the streets.

After a simple meal of pork sets (putting up with american tourists who were reading the guidebook out loud) we crossed over the Oi river on the Togetsukyo Bridge. B wanted to see the Iwatayama Monkey Park.

I was expecting a tacky experience with lots of caged performing monkeys. Instead we climbed the steep path up the side of the hill, under cedars, maples and the occasional camellia and cherry trees until we reached the wild monkey territory up near the top. We were warned not to stare at the monkeys and to be careful with photography, so it was quite scary to see these medium size creatures squatting in front of you on the path ahead.

Fortunately there was an indoor observation building with a nice wood fire at the top of the hill, as it was bitterly cold and had begun to rain and we were without umbrellas. Peanuts and fruits were sold in order to feed the monkeys from inside the shelter. It was as if we were in the cages!

We watched the crazy antics of the monkeys for a while, but it was Alex's feeding time so we could not stay too long. The walk down was so much easier than the way up! We found a public toilet block with change facilities and a covered area where B could feed Alex.

Once Alex was sated we crossed back over the bridge and walked up the street until we came to the entrance of the Tenryuji Temple.

The Adachi Museum of Art might have been voted the best Japanese garden in the world, but I prefer Tenryuji's superb garden. The Adachi's garden was sterile and uninvolving in comparison to some of the temple gardens that we have seen. There were gorgeous blooming cherry blossom trees weeping towards the ground, as well as other flowers beginning to show themselves.

We exited Tenryuji and entered the bamboo grove. The tree-tall bamboo offers a grand corridor to walk through, the leafy tops high above us, shading us from the sky, but for a small amount of dappled light filtering through to the ground.

There really was not any time to view the many other temples and sights in Arashiyama as we had a train to catch to Tokyo.

When we arrived back at Kyoto station it was in chaos. Power had been lost to the entire station building and staff were manually passing passengers through the barriers. Shops, toilets and escalators were all closed.

Fortunately, the subway was still open and we were able to collect our bags from the hotel. On our return power electricity appeared to have bee restored.

We decided to take our chances with the seating for the Hikari Shinkansen to Tokyo, but managed to find a three seater ourselves. It was another boring early type Shinkansen, but it got us to Shinagawa station, where we changed to the Yamanote Line to Shinjuku.

The local Yamanote train was absolutely packed. Three stops before Shinjuku and Alex had had enough and started bawling.

Stepping out of Shinjuku station brought back a flood of wonderful memories. It's actually been three years since we were last in Shinjuku, but it seems like little has changed. Even the same one-eyed homeless women standing outside the PePe building that houses our hotel.

The Shinjuku Prince Hotel is our home in Shinjuku. The Semidouble room may be small, but its so stylish and the big window makes it feel so much larger than it really is. I wish that I could take it home with me, complete with view, and make it my room or office.

Now it's time to enjoy that wonderful bed and doona. Goodnight!

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Castles, tea and trains

Anyone who has only travelled on a Shinkansen and thinks that they have seen the best the Japan Railways has to offer is sadly deluded. Okay, the regional trains may not be as comfortable as a Shinkansen, but the often fantastic views more than compensate for this.

We bought day tickets for the Matsue Lakeline Sightseeing Bus and covered most of where we had walked yesterday in much less than half the time.

Our first stop was Matsue's castle, a rare original. We've already seen four other Japanese castles, but like them, Matsue's brings something original to the table. The intact castle walls, moat and gardens are gorgeous and the cherry blossom lamps were already in place for the blooming. Inside the wooden castle were impressive displays of samurai armour along with wonderful views of the city. By walking down the steep stairs backwards I felt safe carrying Alex.

Adjacent to the castle is the Local History Museum. The captions appear to be in Japanese only, but the building itself is an interesting fusion of western and Japanese architecture.

We wandered out through the castle's forest paths and out to Shiomi Nawate, a historic street running alongside the castle moat. We skipped Lafcadio Hearn's house and went straight to Buke Yashiki, the more than 250 year old residence of a middle ranked samurai.

The English brochure is rather confusing, but, like many Matsue sights, it is only half price for foreign passport holders and thus quite cheap to enter.

Walking further along the street we took a left turn and climbed up the steps to the Meimei-an teahouse.

The gardens are very pretty, but it appears as if the actual teahouse is not longer used for tea ceremonies. We were instead welcomed into a more modern structure looking out towards the garden and Meimei-an. There we sat on tatami mats in front of a gas heater.

There wasn't a full tea ceremony, but it was quite pleasant way to relax while drinking the bitter macha green tea and eating the sweets. The lady who served us was more interested in Alex than us! Alex had a milk tea minus the tea.

We returned by bus to the station, collected our luggage from the hotel, bought ekibento for a very late lunch and started our journey away from Matsue.

Once you leave the passenger cabin the Yakumo Express has a real old feel to it, lots of solid grey metal like an old navy ship. But the views, as it travels down from the San-in coast to the Sanyo coast at Okayama, are stunning.

As we turn away from the coast at Yonago the conical Mount Daisen emerges snowcapped into view. We then spend the next couple of hours winding our way through a mountain valley, a river carving itself to alternate sides around us.

There are bamboo forests, forests of pine, but also of deciduous trees. Terraced rice paddies and stone walled towns hinting at floods dot the wider valley stretches. There were many mining operations burrowing right into the cliffs, possibly for lime.

There are a number of lines crossing between the Sanyo and San-in coasts. I'd love to spend a few weeks travelling up the entire San-in coast and across to the other side on each of the lines.

I had to stand much of the way, not due to a lack of a seat, but to carry an upset Alex out of the other passengers' hearing.

At Okayama we changed trains to a Rail Star Hikari Shinkansen for the leg to Sin-Osaka. However, at Shin-Osaka we missed out tight connection due to a lack of downwards escalators and the need for old people to try to pack en masse into elevators. It seems like the old of Asia never learned patience.

Fortunately, our rail passes allow us to catch any other train, apart from Nozomi Shinkansens, so all we had to do was wait unil the next non-Nozomi to ride it in the unreserved carriages to Kyoto. I left my camera on my seat and, with the help of the passenger now seated there, only just managed to retrieve it before the doors closed.

At Kyoto we changed to a subway for our hotel, the Karasuma Kyoto. The room is wonderfully big here, the location pretty convenient. Unfortunately, it was too late to go out as a family and eat dinner. The shops were closed, and Alex needed sleep, not a late-opening bar. Looking for take-away and wanting something hot rather than another bento box from a convenience store I only managed to find First Kitchen, a Japanese burger chain. I wouldn't mention it except that they serve mentaiko pasta. Sounds yucky!

Only one night in Kyoto, then we are off to our final destination in Japan, Tokyo. I saw yesterday that an aircraft had flipped and burned at Narita airport, probably due to windshear. Scary, seeing as that is the airport we are flying out of. I don't want to think about it yet!

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Art, gardens and warm feet

We set out to visit the world's best Japanese garden, but we barely set foot in it. That's okay, because it's designed to be viewed through glass windows.

A local express delivered us to Yasugi with it's very wooden station selling all manner of local crafts and foodstuffs. From there the free shuttle bus took us to the Adachi Museum of Art.

The museum specialises in Japanese artwork and ceramics, but is perhaps best known for its garden, consistently voted the world's best. Most of the garden can only be viewed from inside the museum building, the windows turning the view into an artwork in itself. It is a picture of perfection, carefully placed stones, perfectly raked gravel and meticulously trimmed bushes standing against a backdrop of mountains. The garden is scrupulously maintained by the museum staff, a video display showing one member using a handheld lawnmower to trim the grass.

I was actually glad that we were viewing the garden from the indoors because the weather was bitterly cold and there was the odd shower or two.

The artworks themselves varied in quality from childish cutesy paintings to serene landscapes evoking mystical imaginings. The ceramics were mainly from the highly influential Kitano Rosanjin, but I have to admit that I didn't particularly like most of the items.

By the time that we had finished touring the collection and returned to Matsue it was too late to visit most of the major tourist sites. One that wouldn't be closed was a free foot onsen near Matsue Onsen station. So we decided to walk there.

It was an interesting walk across the rivers of Matsue and through some historic streets of tiny shops. It was quite a long walk too, especially in the icy winds!

The foot onsen is located right outside of Matsue Onsen station (it's a private line and not connected with the main JR line in Matsue). We removed our shoes and let the pebbled bottom massage our tired feet while they bathed in the warm, but not especially hot, waters.

I had bathed in the famous Dogo Onsen during our last trip to Japan. B couldn't join me as she was pregnant at the time, so it was her turn now.

We asked at the nearby local produce centre if there were any public onsens in the area and they directed us to one near the waterfront of Lake Shinji.

While B tried out the onsen, I, with Alex on my chest, wandered the shores of Lake Shinji to take photos of the sunset. The lake was beautifully calm, ducks and fishing boats bobbing on the surface. Unfortunately, it was too cold to stay out long, especially for Alex.

It was dark by the time we returned to the hotel. We went in search of some specialised maternity items for B at the chemist under the station, but they had none and directed us to Saty, just down the road.

Saty seems to be a big, but cheaper, department store/supermarket. There were also eateries and cinemas in the buildng. B found what she wanted, but after feeding Alex in the baby room it was after 9pm. Alex was a bit whingy, so we went looking for somewhere fast to eat, choosing a sushi restaurant.

They were just about to close, so we didn't have much choice of dishes. At least I had some slices of perfect, thick, milky white bread back in the hotel room.

When we returned to the hotel I discovered that my photo uploads stalled before I could put anything much up. A very tiring day and I took the opportunity of a lack of internet access to go to be early.

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Tsuwano go there

It is such a struggle getting out of the hotels on time. We had to race down the main strip of Yamaguchi in the rain rolling our bags noisily behind us in order to reach the station in time for our train to Tsuwano.

It's the first day of wet weather on this trip, which messed up the photos of this beautiful route up through the mountain valleys of bamboo and pine forests. Little towns dotted the landscape with the cherry trees just beginning to blossom. Now and then a puff of pink was visible high in the mountains where the odd cherry tree had sprouted amongst the pines.

The distance between Yamaguchi and Tsuwano is less than an hour on the fast diesel express train. There were advertisements and souveniers everywhere for the Steam Locomotive that plies the route during the warmer months, but unfortunately it will start next weekend.

It was good to note that the Super Oki Express may be small, but it does have decent change table facilities onboard, unlike some of its more prestigious cousins.

Lugging our roller bags up the stairs of Tsuwano station was a bit of an ordeal, but thankfully they had a couple of large coin lockers. The station Kiosk shop gives change as the lockers only take multiples of 100 Yen.

After collecting a map from the friendly tourist information office adjacent to the station (look out for the informative wall map drawn by local school students) we set out to explore the town that dubs itself the Little Kyoto of San-in.

The town itself seemed dead, at least around the train station. I love such places, though the near solitude only lasted until we approached the Tonomachi, the historic main street. There were crowds, there was cheering. It was the finish line for a marathon through the mountains.

Behind the crowds, situated at the entrance to the Tonomachi, was a small Catholic church surrounded by pretty pink cherry blossoms. The street itself was lined with canals of running water. On one side of the street the canal contains the largest carp that you will ever see. Some black, some gold, orange, white, speckled. One in particular had a very amusing habit of surfacing, taking in air, then leisurely blowing bubbles on the way back down.

We walked to the end of the Tonomachi, to the edge of the Tsuwano river where statues of two dancers in crane costumes stood against the backdrop of the cherry blossom lined waters. Across the road was a concrete torii under which the marathon participants were running, and a small park containing stone lanterns and more cherry blossoms.

We walked under the torii and past a Shinto shrine with a beautiful garden in front, a tanuki (Japanese racoon dog) statue peering cheekily out from the waters.

Beyond the Yasaka shrine is the entrance to the Taikodani Inari Jinja temple. The corridors of red and black torii are the well known signature of Inari shrines. Here, the torii wound themselves up the hill and through the forest. We'd made it this far and we had plenty of time, so we decided to climb the steps up.

Though it was not close to the grandeur of Kyoto's Fushimi Inari Shrine, it was nevertheless a nice, though tiring, walk in the mists of this grey and wet day. We made it to the bright red and white temple at the top, to be greeted with the loud sound of drums from inside the main temple building. We noted that most visitors seemed to have driven directly to the car park at the top rather than exert themselves as we had.

After admiring the scenery of the valley below, and another large red torii on an opposite hill, we began a careful walk back down. We ate a lunch of soba at a restaurant shortly after the base of the Shrine, from a low table and sitting on straw tatami mats. Much nicer than your average dining table.

We could hear a lot of noise coming from along the Tonomachi. When we arrived brightly costumed performers were waving large flags around to music, presumably in celebration of the running.

Before returning to the station we had a couple of missions. The most urgent was to find some tissues the blow our snotty noses into. Then to get some cold medications. On the way we picked up some paper dolls as souveniers.

Despite wandering around the shops and even into a supermarket it seemed like we had failed at our missions, until we tried the last shop opposite the train station. They had tissues! No cold medications though.

At the station there was a moment of panic when it seemed our train was cancelled. The station master was busy sending other people on their way in taxis! It turned out that the train to Yamaguchi was running 20 minutes late. Ours was bang on time (as is normal here).

The Super Oki train from Tsuwano to Matsue took a tad under 3 hours, but what a magnificent journey it was. We started through the misty forested mountains, a fantasy land of pines. At Masuda we hit the coast of the Sea of Japan (or substitute another name if you are Chinese). Dark waves pounded the coast under grey skies, the coastline a series of pale sandy beaches littered with the detritus of fishing nets and buoys, and dramatic rock outcrops. Old fishing boats sat berthed in harbours small and large, some just areas protected by jumbled concrete barriers. Brave, or crazy, rock fisherman stood with their lines out into the sea.

From the shape of the coastal trees it was obvious that the region sees a lot of wind, which would explain why giant wind turbines were located at points along the coast. Elsewhere, large factories indicated a less environmentally friendly impact on the landscape.

After the rural and coastal landscape and so many tiny hamlets it was a little bit of a shock to be greeted by Matsue's large and modern station with accompanying shiny department stores. In a way it's good, just for the convenience of being able to obtain necessities, like medication from a pharmacist or even a 24-hour convenience store.

Alex was totally over travel by this time, but B wanted to go out to eat. We found a bar/seafood restuarant, that served up small dishes. We ate miso soup with small clams (or rather B did), half a very full flavoured crab and nabe hot pot. Alex spent the whole time on my lap and the only way to stop him crying was to use my finger as a dummy substitute. It can be difficult dining out with an infant and I suspect that we might need some Japanese equivalent of fast (or fastish) food some nights.

I doubt if one day in Matsue will be enough as this city appears to have a lot to see. Can't wait to explore tomorrow!

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P.S. The Toyoko Inn at Matsue has Grapefruit Gokuri in its vending machines.

Goldfish lanterns, soy sauce and a bridge to blossoms

I have a fondness for goldfish and I love lanterns, so how could I resist combining the two? Today we caught the train to Yanai where Kingyo Chouchin, or paper goldfish lanterns, are made.

It was a journey of sniffles as Alex has given us his cold. I hate getting a cold in Japan, a country where blowing your nose is considered rude.

At least it was a sunny day and the mountain valley scenery outside the local railcar to Shin-Yamaguchi was prettier during the day than the previous night's trip. The connections aren't great at Shin-Yamaguchi and there was about half an hour's wait to catch the Kodama Shinkansen to Tokuyama. The Kodama is an all stations train usually run by older versions of the Shinkansen. Not like the modern Type 700 that shot past us on the middle tracks, making a huge noise.

From the port of Tokuyama we changed to another local train for the ride to to Yanai. The train was packed and I had to stand up with Alex on my chest most of the way.

From Yanai station it was about a one kilometre walk to the main sites, a street of whitewashed Edo Period buildings. These sell crafts, crackers and other goods, though most were closed, presumably still on holidays. It was disappointing, especially because we couldn't find anything to eat for lunch.

Close by was the Sagawa Shoyu-gura (soy sauce factory), a 200 year old enterprise where big round vats of soy are still fermented to make a variety of soy sauces. We bought some soy sauce for eggs and another for cherry blossoms, along with some natto.

Adjacent to the factory was a warehouse converted into a craft gallery. Here visitors can experience making traditional craft items for themselves, such as dyeing and weaving. I elected to make a goldfish lantern. Unfortunately, it isn't about making the lantern from scratch, tying off the bamboo supports and dyeing the paper red and white. Here the body was already constructed, I just had to paint on the highlights and glue the fins. A child's activity really, though the painting skills were a bit beyond me (but still better than the young kids across from me!).

Carrying the lantern delicately back with us, we returned to the train station for the next leg of our trip, to Iwakuni. It was a very pretty ride, with tracts along the coastline, islands and ships visible out in the ocean.

Iwakuni's big sight is the Kintaro bridge, a wooden structure with multiple arches. It's a fair distance from Iwakuni station, so we caught a bus there (route 21). Many coaches were parked on temporary riverbed parking near the bridge and lanterns were strung up along both river banks in preparation for the blooming of the cherry blossoms.

We crossed the bridge, paying the entry fee and found a festive scene, cherry blossoms and celebratory food. I had mitarishi dango, glutenous rice balls served hot and dipped in sweet soy sauce. Unfortunately, Alex was in a bad mood by this stage and we needed to go back to the hotel.

The bus ride continued on to Shin-Iwakuni, where we caught another Kodama Shinkansen to Shin-Yamaguchi. Another long wait there, and we were distracted by the various local sweets and foods available for purchase at the station. Each area of Japan specialises in certain products, making it fun to explore the shops at each large station.

We were tempted to stop at Yuda Onsen and try out one of the foot baths, but we were carrying too much baggage and a very tired son. As we walked back from Yamaguchi staton to our hotel we searched for food, but about the only open places were a few bars and a posh looking Italian restaurant. This city seems to close at 8pm. All we wanted was some fast food (Japanese style preferably) and we dared not take Alex into a restuarant.

We reached the hotel without success and I had to make a second trip out to a convenience store in search of pot noodles or something else suitable for dinner. I ended up with a hot dog roll containing yakisoba! At least there's Japanese television to keep us amused, shows like The God of Entertainment and the best show in the world (according to the intro): Honey Coming. And a son who smiles when you take him out of the Baby Bjorn and lay him on his back. What more could you ask for?

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