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Shinkansen Japan’s bullet trains

December 11, 2016 by David Herd

Explore Japan in comfort

Shinkansen Japan’s bullet trains

Shinkansen Japan's bullet trains

 Shinkansen Japan’s bullet trains are the perfect way to see this wonderful country. Rather than arrive at an airport 2 hours before your flight simply travel to the centre of one city to centre of the next.

Tokyo was the start of my trip

Shinkansen Japan's bullet trains

My good friend Kayo came to Tokyo Station to help me sort of all the tickets for my trip to six cities I had never seen before.

Currently a Japanese rail pass can only be purchased outside the country however from March 8th 2017 selected Japanese stations will sell them at a more expensive price.

Shinkansen Japan’s bullet trains

Shinkansen Japan's bullet trains

As of January 2017 $100 usd = 11,695 Yen.

Tokyo to Kanazawa 4 hours

Shinkansen Japan's bullet trains

One thing to keep in mind, I stay in budget hotels which are usually near the station. In many cities you can’t check in until 3 or 4 pm. Often I would just leave my luggage and head off to the nearest attraction.

My hotel was great value in a perfect location with free WiFi, book through THIS LINK for an excellent discount.

How about the edible gold leaf?

Shinkansen Japan's bullet trains

Kanazawa’s history with gold leaf began 400 years ago. Kyoto and Edo (modern-day Tokyo) used to make gold leaf, Kanazawa now is the only remaining production hub of the coveted craft. 

Shinkansen Japan’s bullet trains Kanazawa to Hiroshima  5 hours

Shinkansen Japan's bullet trains

 Hiroshima was an emotional experience that I’ll never forget. Seventy one years ago at 8.15 am on August 6th 1945 U.S. pilots dropped an atomic bomb which instantly killed 140,000 people. 

As if that was not shocking enough 3 days later they killed 70,000 in Nagasaki.

For a super room rate in a great location with free WiFi just book through THIS LINK.

Cenotaph & park

Shinkansen Japan's bullet trains

A memorial is held here every year on August 6th.

 Hiroshima to Kumamoto 2 hours 40 minutes

Shinkansen Japan's bullet trains

I was on my my to Kagoshima so I thought I would stop for one night to see the damage done to the castle by the recent earthquake.

My budget hotel was in an excellent location, good rooms with free WiFi, for a great rate just book using THIS LINK.

Three years to repair wall

Shinkansen Japan's bullet trains

 The city hopes to repair the main keep within three years, while the rest of the grounds are expected to require about 20 years to be fully repaired.

Kumamoto to Kagoshima 2 hours

Shinkansen Japan's bullet trains

Well worth a visit, the city lies opposite an active volcano.

Wonderful smiling faces

Shinkansen Japan's bullet trains

Some things in Japan you can be sure of, happy smiling faces, they love to be in a photograph, & people are just so nice & polite.

 My hotel was only 10 minutes walk to lots of restaurants & the ferry terminal, a great location with free Wi Fi and a great room rate if you book through THIS LINK.

Kagoshima to Nagasaki 2 hours

Shinkansen Japan's bullet trains

I had heard a lot aout Nagasaki so I was eagerly looking forward to visiting this seaside city, in particular the atom bomb site & Battleship Island.

 My favourite Nagasaki sign

Shinkansen Japan's bullet trains

It’s on billboards, the side of trains & trams, wonderful Japanese humour. 🙂

My hotel was only a three minute walk to the station. Rated highly by AGODA, book through THIS LINK for an excellent room rate with free WiFi.

Nagasaki to Fukuoka 2.5 hours

Shinkansen Japan's bullet trains

The final leg of my Shinkansen rail trip through Japan.

I would certainly recommend the hotel Ascent, for a very good discount just book through THIS LINK.

Craving a change of cuisine

Shinkansen Japan's bullet trains

As much as I love Japanese food after 2 weeks I was craving a change. The fabulous pizza is a speciality at Gorm’s, part of a Danish restaurant chain, opened 2014 in Nagasaki & shortly after in Fukuoka.

Fukuoka was anther surprise packet, lots of things to see and do. Think about flying into Tokyo & out of Fukuoka as I did, travel by bullet train in between these 2 cities.

On the way to Osaka in October 2015 with my friend Hamish

Shinkansen Japan's bullet trains

Hamish of course is world famous for the number of selfies he takes. 🙁 Look closely and you can see me in the background. 🙂

Thanks for visiting my Shinkansen Japan’s bullet trains photo blog.

Please check out some of the most popular below, and thank you for visiting.     

Pattaya Hilton

Pattaya hotels, Hilton & Holiday Inn

This is the view from Horizons the amazing rooftop bar. A great five star hotel located opposite the beach & above the Central Festival shopping mall. Just book through THIS LINK for an excellent room rate. 

 Soi Cowboy                  Nana Plaza                    Patpong

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 That’s all folks

1g Duck

 

Pattaya live webcam
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Battleship Island Nagasaki

November 16, 2016 by David Herd

Ferry to Battleship Island aka Gunkanjima

Battleship Island Nagasaki coal mine

Battleship Island Nagasaki

 Battleship Island Nagasaki coal mine, has been abandoned since 1974. The real name is Hashima Island commonly known as Gunkanjima which translates to ‘Battleship Island’. The ferry trip takes just 45 minutes to reach the fascinating deserted island. 

Battleship Island Nagasaki coal mine

Battleship Island Nagasaki

Here is our first glimpse of the “ghost island”, and yes it does look like a battleship. 🙂

Lookout or bird’s nest?

Battleship Island Nagasaki

Not too sure what this little house was used for but it is a good spot for a lookout.

We are almost at the dock

Battleship Island Nagasaki

Only a hundred meters to go before we leave the ferry for an hour to walk around the island.

OK, here we are at Battleship Island Nagasaki

Battleship Island Nagasaki coal mine

We are all given a number in a plastic holder to wear around our neck, I guess they don’t want to leave anybody behind.

Crumbling walls & buildings

Battleship Island Nagasaki

According to our guide the destruction of walls & building is totally due to the regular typhoons that have pounded the island over the last 40 years.

The power of a typhoon

Battleship Island Nagasaki

It seems incredible that typhoons & storms can reduce concrete buildings to rubble.

Japanese guide

Battleship Island Nagasaki

 Our guide was excellent and told us a lot about the history of Battleship Island Nagasaki coal mine. For instance, from 1887 the island was a very busy coal mining facility that employed thousands of workers. In 1959 there were over 5,200 people living on the 6.3 hectare of space which was Battleship Island, this in fact made it the most densely populated place per square meter on the planet.  

The boys from Sydney

Battleship Island Nagasaki

Doug & Waz are two lads from western Sydney I met on the ferry, we hooked up together & explored the island, then back in Nagasaki enjoyed many ice cold beers followed by an excellent Italian dinner.

 Aerial view of  Hashima Island

Battleship Island Nagasaki

This shot puts the island into perspective, credit to  Kntrty, Flickr Source: Supplied.

 Video of Battleship Island

Hashima Island is called Battleship Island

My apologies for the wind noise.

 Happy tourists

Battleship Island Nagasaki

  The island has been featured in several films and recently  being the inspiration for the villain’s lair in the James Bond movie Skyfall.

More boats approach the island

Battleship Island Nagasaki coal mine

There seems to be a huge amount of tourists visiting the island, TripAdvisor rate it 3rd out of 242 things to do in Nagasaki.

The power of nature

Battleship Island Nagasaki

It seems hard to believe typhoons can cause such devastation.

Battleship Island Nagasaki coal mine

Battleship Island Nagasaki

So as you can imagine after the mine mine closed in 1974 sadly Hashima Island gradually was reduced to ruins.

Make sure you take this interesting tour.

Battleship Island Nagasaki

The cost was 4,300 Yen & well worth the expense, here are the ferry details.

My hotel in Nagasaki was only a three minute walk to the station & a short tram ride to the ferry terminal. Rated highly by AGODA, book through THIS LINK for an excellent room rate with free WiFi.

Standing Boy of Nagasaki

Nagasaki remembers Atom Bomb

Please follow think link for the full story.

A young boy carries on his back the lifeless body of his younger brother, in the devastated city of Nagasaki after the atomic bomb. An American military photographer, Joe O’Donnell, took a picture of him standing stoically near a cremation pit. No one knows the boy’s name, but the photo has become an iconic image of the human tragedy of nuclear war. This program follows the continuing efforts to deepen understanding of the photograph, while exploring the fate of thousands of “atomic-bomb orphans” and their struggles to survive the aftermath of World War II.

Thanks for visiting my Battleship Island Nagasaki coal mine photo blog, please check out my Nagasaki city blog on THIS LINK.

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For a great room rate at the A-One hotel opposite the beach just book through THIS LINK.               

 
 
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That’s all folks

1g Duck

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Counter only started June 16 2020.

This gallery contains 2 photos

Nagasaki harbour street drummers

November 15, 2016 by David Herd

Nagasaki Station

Nagasaki harbour street drummers

Nagasaki harbour street drummers, arriving at the station by Shinkansen from Kagoshima, I was eagerly anticipating the history and subsequent recovery of this fascinating city on the west coast of Kyushu Island.

Trams

Nagasaki harbour street drummers

A great way to get around the city in Nagasaki, my hotel was only 200 meters from the station where all the trams stopped as well. 

 My favourite Nagasaki sign

Nagasaki harbour street drummers

It’s on billboards, the side of trains & trams, wonderful Japanese humour. 🙂

Kankō Maru

Nagasaki harbour street drummers

Kankō Maru was Japan’s first steam-powered warship, originally a Dutch warship named Soembing it was presented to Japan in 1854 and renamed Kankō Maru.         

Kankō Maru 

Nagasaki harbour street drummers

 She was based at Tsukiji until she was sent to the scrapyard in 1876. This exact replica was built in the Netherlands in 1987, it has a crew of 14 and can carry up to 300 passengers.

 Waterfront restaurants

Nagasaki harbour street drummers

A number of restaurants overlook the harbour, I enjoyed many ice cold beers with two Sydney guys I met on a tour to Battleship Island.

Nagasaki nature culture history

Nagasaki harbour street drummers

Here I am with Doug & Waz, not much culture but lots of tradition, we solved many of the world’s problems before finally having dinner at Gorm’s, a very nice Italian restaurant.

Hills overlooking Nagasaki

Nagasaki harbour street drummers

One one side of the city is the bay & the other side hills overlooking the city.

Nagasaki harbour street drummers

Nagasaki harbour street drummers

On two occasions I was so lucky to see street performances by some amazing artists. 

Nagasaki harbour street drummers

Nagasaki harbour street drummers

Just a matter of being in the right place at the right time.

Drummers in Nagasaki perform for the crowd

Nagasaki ferry terminal

Nagasaki harbour street drummers

I bought a ticket to Battleship Island.

Ferry terminal

Nagasaki harbour street drummers

The terminal itself looks like a ship with a huge funnel. 🙂

In front of the station

Nagasaki harbour street drummers

The tram stop was in front of Nagasaki station and my hotel was just around the corner.

Orion Hotel

Nagasaki harbour street drummers

Perfect location only a three minute walk to the station. Rated highly by AGODA, book through THIS LINK for an excellent room rate with free WiFi.

 That’s all for now.

Nagasaki harbour street drummers

Thanks for visiting my Nagasaki city harbour street drummers photo blog, if you have time please check out the Peace Park, Battleship Island & Nagasaki food.

                     

Standing Boy of Nagasaki

Nagasaki remembers Atom Bomb

Please follow think link for the full story.

A young boy carries on his back the lifeless body of his younger brother, in the devastated city of Nagasaki after the atomic bomb. An American military photographer, Joe O’Donnell, took a picture of him standing stoically near a cremation pit. No one knows the boy’s name, but the photo has become an iconic image of the human tragedy of nuclear war. This program follows the continuing efforts to deepen understanding of the photograph, while exploring the fate of thousands of “atomic-bomb orphans” and their struggles to survive the aftermath of World War II.

  Here are some more posts to check out 

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            Great hotel room rates anywhere in the world if you            
 book through these links below.  Book now & pay later.
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A-One hotel on Beach Road

Seven deadly Songkran days

For a great room rate at the A-One hotel opposite the beach just book through THIS LINK.               

 
Pattaya live webcam
 
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That’s all folks

1g Duck

Fukuoka Hiroshima Sapporo Sendai

Tokyo Kagoshima Kanazawa Nagoya

Nagasaki Yokohama Kyoto Kamakura

Counter only started June 16 2020.

This gallery contains 3 photos