[sameerpb]

Thought came to visit Tokyo when I saw pictures of sakura (cherry Blossom) and Mount Fuji was a childhood dream

So planned my trip to Japan and then everybody started asking about Why Tokyo as Travel destination?

My answer was to visit family and other reason was to explore Japan. Japan is a very unique combination of heritage and modernisation also they preserved history and Future in a unique way

I planned my trip from 1st -10th May while whole Japan was celebrating golden week (this is a Citizen's Holiday to celebrate Kings birthday)

About Travel bookings got a good deal from Air India and getting visa was also very quick and all travel arrangements sorted in in just 3 days

This was my first overseas experience with Air India and I was amazed with the hospitality and the Dreamliner experience was too good

My Trip itinerary as follows

Day 1 : Spend time with Family, book tickets for my stay in Tokyo and familiarise with train stations (find a how to get back home)
Day 2 : Senso-Ji Temple and Sky tree
Day 3 : Nikko and world Heritage site Tosho-gu, Ranoji and in around national park Key reason was to travel in bullet train of japan (shinkansen)
Day 4:Akihabara - Tokyo's electronic market
Day5: Mount Fuji and Shibazakura - Flower garden
Day 6 & 7 - Disney Land and Sea
Day: 8 Odaiba and Tokyo mega web and heritage garage

Narita Airport view


First glance of city:


pano of Tokyo station:


Sanso-ji Temple and sky tree pictures:

[sameerpb]

Cycle ride also there near skytree


Sky tree is observation tower in Tokyo. This is a tallest structure in Japan in 2010 with a height of 634 meters

Sky tree view:

[sameerpb]

Day 3 : started with buying Kanto Train Pass from Japan Rail. It costed 8300 YEN for 3 days and you can be used on selected lines.

Travel to Nikko was in a bullet train for 45 mins and will cover maximum speed of J52 E2 series was 275 kms per hour.

Attachment 1373970
About bullet train there are various types of engines and they run at a speed of 150 to 320 kms per hour.
I travelled in middle one which is 200 Kms per hour. the experience in travelling in Shinkansen was amazing and you can feel the speed. but the way they maintain the service is amazing

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kt92-ZDm-HM

About Nikko: Nikko is a town surrounded with mountains, at the entrance to National park, most famous for Toshogu, Japan's most lavishly decorated shrine and mausoleum of Tokugawa leyasu, the founder of the Tokugawa shogunate.

Nikko had been a center of shinto and buddhist mountain worship for many centuries before Toshogu was built in 1600.

Nikko is located in Japan's romantic roads, I found lot of bikers roaming around.
Shinkansen I travelled in:


View from and of Nikko Railway station and street photos



Fresh drinking water is available on streets and it tastes really nice. This
drinking provision is across Nikko and I found it very unique in Nikko.

[sameerpb]

More pictures from Toshogu Shrine, this shrine was initially built in 1617. Carvings in deep relief, painted in rich colours and very nicely decorated surface of the structure.








The carving of 3 wise monkeys



Main Shrine:










One group was riding on miniature bikes:



Fire station at Nikko:



Railway station:



More to come on Mount Fuji and Toyota mega web !

[embee]

Hi sameerpb,
Wonderful and well compiled travelogue with beautiful snapshots.
After going through your travelogue, it made me remember my trip to Japan where I visited Tokyo, Osaka, Yokohama, Nagoya, Kyoto and Toyota City.

[Motoringlover]

Loved reading it Sameer, thanks for sharing the pictures, how long was the travel time ?

[sameerpb]

Originally Posted by embee

Hi sameerpb,
Wonderful and well compiled travelogue with beautiful snapshots.
After going through your travelogue, it made me remember my trip to Japan where I visited Tokyo, Osaka, Yokohama, Nagoya, Kyoto and Toyota City.

Thanks embee! I was planning to go to Kyoto but couldn't make it. Kyoto has very beautiful shrines and temples

Originally Posted by Motoringlover

Loved reading it Sameer, thanks for sharing the pictures, how long was the travel time ?

Thanks ML! Travel time to Nikko was 2 hours of which 45 mins was in shinkansen bullet train.

[Tushar]

Thanks for some really great images. Japan is a great example of how you can be progressive and technologically advanced, while preserving your heritage and cultural identity.

That video of the Japanese train cleaning service was really cool. It also shows that a job gets done right when you take pride in it. I've always wanted to travel in one of those high speed trains, just to see what that window seat view would be like. Also, I heard that in Japan, the trains aren't late by so much as a minute! Is this true?

[wantarangerover]

Sameer, great pics there! I am living in Japan for about 9 months, and I am amazed by the cleanliness, politeness of people and the fact that they are traditional yet modern in a unique way. Yet to travel to Nikko or Tokyo, your pics make me want to visit Nikko. I have been to Hiroshima, Miyajima, Osaka, Kobe.

@Tushar: Yes, the shinkansen is very punctual and safe. They have been running since the 60s with no fatalities in accidents so far. And they are usually within seconds of the scheduled times. Average delay for a Shinkansen in a year is 8 minutes per year or something. Yes, per year! (and they run like local trains, every 10- 15 mins there is a bullet train leaving from the main stations)

[sameerpb]

Originally Posted by Tushar

Thanks for some really great images. Japan is a great example of how you can be progressive and technologically advanced, while preserving your heritage and cultural identity.

That video of the Japanese train cleaning service was really cool. It also shows that a job gets done right when you take pride in it. I've always wanted to travel in one of those high speed trains, just to see what that window seat view would be like. Also, I heard that in Japan, the trains aren't late by so much as a minute! Is this true?

Thanks Tushar! So True Japan is truly combination modern and heritage culture. Shinkansen is really amazing and with a great frequency and bang on time. you can imagine with in 7 minutes entire train is cleaned up

There are various types of Shinkansen. Please see below picture

Originally Posted by wantarangerover

Sameer, great pics there! I am living in Japan for about 9 months, and I am amazed by the cleanliness, politeness of people and the fact that they are traditional yet modern in a unique way. Yet to travel to Nikko or Tokyo, your pics make me want to visit Nikko. I have been to Hiroshima, Miyajima, Osaka, Kobe.

@Tushar: Yes, the shinkansen is very punctual and safe. They have been running since the 60s with no fatalities in accidents so far. And they are usually within seconds of the scheduled times. Average delay for a Shinkansen in a year is 8 minutes per year or something. Yes, per year! (and they run like local trains, every 10- 15 mins there is a bullet train leaving from the main stations)

Thanks wantarangerover ! Nikko very nice place apart from shrines there is Tobu world. Tobu world is miniature theme park contains many 1:25 scale models very famous buildings. Also you can visit Mount Fuji which has shiba zakura festival going on.

About Tokyo there are many places to go around and I am sure you must have researched.

[ampere]

Nicely captured. Japan is a perfect amalgamation of old and new. Especially the way they maintain their old, while embracing the new development is an example in itself.

[sameerpb]

Originally Posted by ampere

Nicely captured. Japan is a perfect amalgamation of old and new. Especially the way they maintain their old, while embracing the new development is an example in itself.

Thanks ampere! Indeed Japan is really great combination of new and old heritage.

[DicKy]

Aah, Tokyo... Japan

Can't describe how i am a sucker for the place since having Meiwa wallpapers at home with pics of their parks and cities and of course the films. So much that i fear it would be an anti-climax if i visit there in real.

Waiting to see more pics and glad that a proper car pic you took was of my fav Toyota Mark X.

[sameerpb]

Originally Posted by DicKy

Aah, Tokyo... Japan

Can't describe how i am a sucker for the place since having Meiwa wallpapers at home with pics of their parks and cities and of course the films. So much that i fear it would be an anti-climax if i visit there in real.

Waiting to see more pics and glad that a proper car pic you took was of my fav Toyota Mark X.

Thanks DicKy ! there is difference what pictures you have and reality. So you should visit the place.

About Toyota Mark X I have some more pictures which I will upload later.

[sameerpb]

Day 4: Visit to Akihabara, Akihabara is a electronic hub of Tokyo. I found lot of interesting electronic goods. I picked up few things from local shops.

1. Selfie stand
2. Solar Battery - 550 MAH
3. iPhone case
4. Extended battery for iPhone 6

Local Market view,


Electronics sold on road, but they are good quality


I got a good deal for iPhone 6 3200 mAh battery at just 750 RS


Finally I also got 550mAh solar battery charger for 350 RS it has various functions such as torch, radio and USB chrager



After local market I went to Yodobashi mall. This was one of the biggest shopping mall I have seen.