Trains

So , when you visit a new country you obviously take in the sights, the touristy hot spots etc , but sometimes it's the every day things that give you the 'wow' factor too. When I booked the Mount Fuji trip there was an option to make the return journey on the bullet train, so we took it- 30 minute journey by train compared to two plus hours on the coach. Japan is well known for its bullet trains , high speed networks which travel at 180/ 200 mph, and incredibly slick and punctual - each year the average delay of all trains is less than one minute.

Our seats were unreserved, but everyone waits in an orderly line to board , you know exactly where the carriages will stop as they're numbered on the platform. There's no scrum with other passengers to try and get in! The trains are spacious, clean, calm and quiet - etiquette is to try and keep noise/ all conversation to a minimum and respect for other passengers. And of course , they travel at this phenomenal speed. We got out at the end of the line and there was an attendant at each carriage door- neatly dressed and prsented - waiting to help as passengers got off. It was amazing. Contrast that the experience of train journeys back home.....🤔 Interestingly, our guide on Monday, Romy, was suggesting that in recent years Japan was maybe going backwards and declining from where it used to be. Can't see that as far as trains are concerned!

The train stations are also huge, and we did get slightly stuck trying to navigate getting into the metro network from the train network, but we got there in the end. And the offerings of food available to buy is also a wow factor., do much choice it's slightly overwhelming. When we get the bullet train to Kyoto later in the week, we'll have to be at the station as hour earlier to check out all the options. We did buy one thing which Carys had read about - a strawberry and cream sandwich -in bread! It shouldn't have worked- but somehow it did!!