Hiroshima

So the time had finally arrived to try one of Japan's most famous modes of transport - the Bullet train or Shinkansen. These super efficient trains fly between cities, cutting travel times by hours. I was impressed, as I have been throughout, by the quiet efficiency that the trains run by. Always on time, mostly spotlessly clean and incredibly helpful staff. The added part of the Shinkansen, apart from the speed, that impressed me was the respectful nature of the train staff. The ticket conductors and food staff bow on their way into and out of the carriages, this huge respect for their passengers and their work, was lovely.

Having blasted across the countryside, we arrived in the much warmer southern city of Hiroshima. As with our trip to Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam last year, this was a reminder of the destructive power man has and the willingness to bring devastation to a people. The humbling walk through the Peace Memorial Park, still bearing the scars in the form of the never rebuilt 'A-Bomb Dome' - formerly a municipal building, but now a shell and constant reminder of what happened that fateful day - was very sombre. The tour around the museum, complete with fragments of clothing, hair and skin of the victims and witness statements of the damage done by the bomb, were a powerfully graphic way to tell the story. The strong message to end all nuclear armaments around the world is one that you cannot ignore when you see what happened to this place. I was struck by how little hatred is fostered towards America, only a plea that it should never happen again.

Having reflected on the past, we went to sample some more of Japan's cracking cuisine. Having tried ramen noodles in Osaka and vegetable tempura in Koya-san, it was now time for some orunyakibuki. This pancake, filled with meat and veg, topped with a fried egg, cooked on a roasting hot metal skillet surface, that you never take the food off, was a fantastic experience. The one thing I love about tours like this is trying the local food, this was my favourite so far! Having finished up, Vicky and I wandered through the streets of the district we were in. The vibrant nightlife was starting and we wished we could have been more of a part of it. However, it is going to be a busy day tomorrow, so we jumped on the tram, another excellent and efficient form of transport and headed for the hotel. I was struck by how many school age children were still out and about,  seemingly still on their way to classes at 8:30 at night. I had read before I came that it isn't unusual for the children to do 12 hour days here. After talking to some of the guys on tour, it seems they do their school work and then go to tutoring. No wonder Britain is starting to slip behind a little academically. Although the merit of working so hard you fall asleep on a western tourist on the tram, as one young Japanese lad did to me, doesn't seem the be all and end all either!