Traveling by train is definitely an easy, clean, convenient and very reliable way to go. The biggest plus, of course, is seeing the scenery along the way, the small towns and villages, and the people traveling with you.

The stations are very well organized with entry points and the platforms well displayed in Japanese and English – not to say we didn’t sometimes get confused! Buying tickets from the machines is easy with an English option. Best of all are all the markings on the platforms indicating where to stand, which queue to get in, and the direction of the queue. Lines are not to be crossed! not that anyone says anything!

From cruise ports we caught JR express and regular trains to visit some of the sights. Most of these local trains are used by school kids in their navy or black uniforms with their backpacks and ubiquitous smart phones. It is fun to watch them giggle, debate, flirt and interact with one another. Also commuters and others traveling locally.

We caught a Shinkansen (bullet) train from Toyko to Toyama which was quite a thrill and difficult to believe that we were traveling at almost 200mph. The Hida Express from Toyama to Tokayama took us up and through the mountains at a much more sedate pace.

From Takayama back to Toyama we took a couple of local trains which stopped at every station, but gave us the opportunity to see people’s back yards, their gardens, the scenery. The scenery was beautiful, even on a rainy morning where the mountain tops were bathed with clouds and fog hung in the valleys. Even though the architecture is different, from the very beginning Japan has reminded me very much of Germany or Switzerland.  Nothing seems to go to waste; land is not wasted by growing grass. Where there is a patch of soil, it is planted with either vegetables, rice or flowers  (more of the former). Shrubs and trees are pruned and formed. Garden implements are neatly stacked beside the house, firewood is neatly stacked, and washing dries on lines. Also the people – the women, especially, dress very fashionably and smartly, and in the cities, the uniform for men is slim-legged dark suits. There is NO trash laying around ANYWHERE! and it is also very difficult to find a trash receptacle. One carries it. Even though there are many eateries, most people seem to sit and eat their food, rather than walking around drinking and eating as one sees in the U.S.

And then there are the toilets! Spotless – everywhere! Warm seats, bidets, you name it! These are on one of the Shinkansens.

…and the cleaning squad who bow to the Shinkansen as it arrives, and to the passengers when they get off the train after cleaning it.

We took the Thunderbird express from Toyama to Kanazawa,  the Shinkansen Tsurugi from Kanazawa to Kyoto, and the Shinkansen Hikari (“light”) from Kyoto back to Shinagawa (Tokyo). Because we hadn’t had enough train travel, and because I didn’t buy the very first fans I saw, we jumped a local train from Shinagawa back to Kamakura to find the little shop selling the best fans I saw during our time in Japan!

Once again – arriving by train is quite incredible; the magnificence of the train station in Kyoto is breathtaking. From  www.japanguide.com:

“The Kyoto Station (京都駅, Kyōto-eki) building was constructed on the 1200th anniversary of the capital’s foundation in Kyoto. It was opened to the public in 1997 and stands in perfect contrast to many foreign tourists’ image of Kyoto as the capital of traditional Japan.

The building’s futuristic design and atmosphere was conceived by the Japanese architect Hara Hiroshi. Hara’s design attempts to convey historical Kyoto through a modern aesthetic. The station’s large main hall with its exposed steel beamed roof, called the Matrix, is meant to reflect both the structure of the station and the grid like layout of Kyoto’s street network.”

In stark contrast, the Gion district is Kyoto’s best known geisha quarter where Japanese men come for the company of professional geishas in private inns and tea houses. Gion’s history started in feudal times, with stalls catering to pilgrims and visitors. In the late 16th century these evolved into teahouses and theaters.

We bought an all-day bus pass so that we could easily get around town and to the sights. We started off at the Shimogama-jinja Shrine in the northern part of the city. It was fairly early and all was peaceful and quiet.

From there we made our way across town to the Kyoto University of Art & Design Theater for the Myako Odori show that I had booked from home. These performances only take place during the months of April and October. The first Miyako Odori was held in 1872 during the Kyoto World Exposition.  The beautiful performance by Geiko (the Kyoto word for Geisha) and Maiko of a tea ceremony, dancing, and music has been shown continuously ever since. Through dancing they express spring, summer, autumn, winter, and return to spring during the cherry blossom season. Unfortunately no photography was permitted during both the tea ceremony and the performance, but the following photos are taken from pictures in the theater. See You Tube.

Onward to Kiyomizu-dera Temple (which is currently shrouded with a mesh tent and undergoing renovation!) However, the magnificent pagoda was enough for me with its vibrant orange and beautifully decorated beams. The view from atop this hill across Kyoto is stunning. For over 1,000 years, pilgrims have climbed the slope to pray to the temple’s 11-headed Kannon image and drink from its sacred spring.

On our way up to the temple we passed the magnificent Ninna-ji Temple’s pagoda.

We took a bus excursion from Takayama to a couple of the Hida villages in the Shokawa valley.

The houses – named Gassho-zukuri houses (gassho coming from the word for “praying hands”) – have steep thatched roofs. The roofs in the first village we visited had a 60 degree pitch, while those in Shirakawa-go were 45 degrees making for a larger base. The climate demands strong, steep roofs able to withstand heavy snow and shed rain quickly so that the thatching doesn’t rot. Typical snowfall in the valley is two to three meters a year, and winter can last for six months.

The houses are generally three or four floors and traditionally accommodate extended families (much like the farmhouses in Bavaria, Austria and Switzerland). The living accommodation is all on the first floor with a hearth in the center and no chimney – the smoke rises and blackens all the timbers above! The hearth is used for cooking and heating. The upper floors housed silkworms. Traditionally, the men farmed the land and the women worked with the silk worms and silk in the home. The houses are all situated with the gable ends facing north-south, and the openings allow for ventilation from the prevailing winds in the valley.