Adventures in Kansai, part 4 - Kobe

Kobe is a port city with a large harbour area on one side and mountains on the other. The city gives its name to the famous and very expensive Kobe beef, which I saw no examples of anywhere (not that I was looking) and of course it's probably most famous for the devastating earthquake which struck the city in 1995. There is a museum documenting this event, and had I been passing by I probably would've gone there, but as it was in a different area to where I was I just decided to stroll around the city and enjoy the warm autumn sunshine.

My first stop was Chinatown, where I had an early lunch. This is one of the three main Chinatowns in Japan, the other two being in Yokohama and Nagasaki. I've been to all three. I suppose there's not a great deal of difference between any of them, but they're interesting to see nonetheless.

From Chinatown it's a short walk to the harbour, with it's pleasant wide open areas (something of a rarity in Japanese cities.)

From there I walked back through the centre of the city and headed uphill to the area called Kitano. This is a very wealthy and fashionable area. There are many old Western style houses here, built in the days when Kobe was an important trading port and many Westerners settled here. These houses are very well preserved and some of them are open to the public. It's twinned with Montmartre in Paris, presumably for the similar hillside location, although it's not really quite the same thing. However, it appeals to people who want to have a flavour of European sophistication without actually having to get on a plane (or speak another language.)

Adventures in Kansai, part 3 - Kyoto

I've been to Kyoto several times before, but there are so many sights scattered far and wide that it's always possible to see something new with each visit. For this visit my first stop was Fushimi Inari, a shrine easily reached five minutes by train from the main Kyoto station. The shrine is famous for the hundreds of red torii gates which you pass under on the many paths through the area, and the curious looking stone foxes which stare down at you from all around.

I then stopped for lunch at one of the many tiny little restaurants in the city. When I say tiny, I mean the seating area is usually just at a counter sitting right in front of the staff as they prepare your food.

The entrances of these restaurants often have "noren" hanging down, a cloth printed with the name or logo of the establishment.

Although it can seem an intimidating prospect going into these small Japanese restaurants if you don't speak the language, I strongly recommend that visitors give them a try. if there's not an English menu there's usually a menu with photos - just point! These places are much more interesting than the usual array of Western chain restaurants around the very large and modern main Kyoto station.

My next stop was a temple called Sho-ren-in. When I went here I was almost the only visitor so it was very peaceful and quiet. The temple has many rooms and some beautiful hand-painted screens on the walls and a large garden area which you can walk around. There was a light drizzle falling as I walked around the green moss-covered garden, very atmospheric and relaxing.

The final part of my day was spent wandering around Gion, the traditional area of the city where you see many old wooden houses, and following the winding paths up to Kiyomizu temple. This is one of the most touristy parts of the city, and when I was there seemed to be literally overrun with hoards of school kids. It's still worth seeing, but when you visit the city it's also well worth seeking out some of the less crowded places to really appreciate the atmosphere of the city.

Adventures in Kansai, part 2 - Koya-san

After a couple of days in Osaka I was ready to get out of the city. I decided to head to Koya-san, a place I'd never been to before, or even heard of before reading about it in my guide book. It's in an area of Japan known as the Kii peninsula, a rural area of forested mountains. I took the train from Namba station in Osaka for the one and a half hour ride to Gokurakubashi station, passing through some very nice scenery along the way. Then I boarded a small cable car for a short ten minute climb to Koya-san station, around 800 metres above sea level. After that I bought a day bus pass for 800 yen, so I could hop on and off the buses which circulate around the main sights.

My first stop was Okuno-in, an area of over 200,000 tombs and mausoleums - the largest graveyard in Japan. Some of the burial mounds are hidden in the forest and covered in green moss and obviously very old, there are also some interesting statues and it's a very atmospheric place to wander around, epecially in the moments of peace when there are no other people around and you can't hear a thing except the sounds of the forest.

I also saw a few temples and a large gate called Daimon, which marks the main entrance to Koya-san.

Finally, I went on a short hiking trail, passing under quite a few traditional red torii gates, and with occasional views of the sprawling countryside below. Supposedly on a clear day you can see as far as the island of Shikoku, but I couldn't see that far.

As the buses weren't very frequent (sometimes more than an hour between buses) I decided to call it a day after the short hike. I'm sure there must be a few sights I missed out, and it may be worth doing this area with an overnight stay and two days to take in the sights. In any case, it's well worth a visit.

Adventures in Kansai , part 1 - Osaka

The Kansai region is the second most populated area of Japan after the Kanto (Tokyo) region, with the three main cities of Osaka, Kyoto and Kobe all within about 30 minutes train ride of each other. As I had a week off work in October I decided to take the bullet train for the two and half hour ride from Tokyo to Osaka and spend a week in the region. I've been to this area three or four times before, so as well as enjoying some familiar places I already knew I also wanted to discover a few new places. My hotel was a "business hotel" - in reality a cheap, slightly shabby hotel with tiny rooms. Quite what is "business" orientated about it I don't know, but it seems to be a name they use in Japan for a certain type of low price hotel with the bare minimum of facilities.

Osaka is a vibrant, noisy and colourful city. Similar to Tokyo, I suppose, but also with it's own feel. One of the famous things to eat here is takoyaki, which you can buy at street stalls over the city. They are octopus fried in little balls which are then slathered in mayonnaise and other sauces and eaten with little cocktail sticks.

The takoyaki places are easily visible due to the often very large and ornate octopus signs and decorations hanging above the premises.

In fact, the shops and restaurants in Osaka do have some amazingly eye-catching facades, with extraordinary fibre-glass creations such as dragons, giant crabs with moving pincers, huge cartoon faces all competing for the attention of passersby.

you see sights like a ferris wheel on top of a building, or a giant 30 foot red whale in a shopping mall.

It's quite a crazy place, good fun, but it can get tiring. If you're not into city life then Osaka is really not for you. If that's the case then one good thing about Osaka is that peace and tranquility, and a more traditional Japanese way of life, isn't too far away.