Mostly Harmless…
Osaka is only about half an hour from Kyoto by train, so we decided to spend today there and visit Osaka Castle. It was first built in the late 1500’s, and even though it has been rebuilt and restored a number of times since then (The castle itself is actually built of concrete!) , it’s still one of the most impressive buildings I’ve ever seen!
I went for a walk around Kyoto today and visited Nijo Castle and Kinkaku-ji (The Golden Pavilion). I took some pictures.
I’m lucky enough that I’ve never been subjected to the UK rail network for more than a couple of hours, but still, I try to avoid it where possible!
The Japanese rail network is totally different! It’s spotlessly clean (even the Tokyo underground!) and runs to the minute. If the timetable gives a 14:03 departure, the train is leaving the station at 14:03:01.
Today I travelled to Kyoto on the Hikari high-speed train. The interior was set out more like an aircraft cabin than a train car, with everyone given an assigned seat in forward-facing rows. One very cool thing about that: The seats all face forward. What happens at the end of the line? Does the entire train turn around? Do the passengers just have to travel backwards instead? No. A team of cleaners rushes on board between services, and as part of their duty, spins each row of seats through 180-degrees! It’s brilliant!
