So anyway I'm on the train the first train i get is just a regular train and not the high speed Shinkansen, i have to go to Tokyo station to get this one. One thing I've already noticed since being in Japan is that everything is well organized and if there's a rule everyone follows it, not quite like in the UK. On things like the escalators for instance, everyone stands perfectly on the left and those that want to walk can pass on the right, there's not one person standing on the right side.
Train was along those lines it pulled up in the station perfectly aligning the carriages to the numbers on the platform, it also left to the second it said on the schedule, i was impressed.
After about 50mins I'm in Tokyo station, now to find the Shinkansen was looking forward to this as it was the first high speed train i had ever been on, Shinkansen sounds so much better than fast or express train or new trunk line which apparently is the literal translation. Tokyo station is huge didn't have much time to look around as the train was scheduled to leave in 15mins and i had to find where it went from, wandered around like a bit of an idiot for a couple minuets until I got my bearings then spotted a sign. Everything was pretty well signed after I knew what to look for and i only had to ask or show my ticket once and didn’t need to use my extensive language skills.
Train was a bit of a disappointment I'd envisioned it belting along at 300kph and whizzing round the corners but it didn't get anywhere near that, doubt it got above 150kph, you couldn't really tell as it moved so smoothly. Didn’t realize at the time but there we made three stops and where I was going was only about 70kms away so it could not get up to speed.
Travel was Bullet proof though even for a first timer like me, when you neared a station a tannoy system announced it in both Japanese and English, how cool is that even a Yorkshire man couldn't’t go wrong.
Finally arrived at Utsunomiya and it was raining, just my luck reminded me of England, apparently it's the rainy season over here lasts for about a month, oh happy days.
I'm in the station just wondering where my hotels is and thinking about walking out in the rain when i spot it about 200 yards away, a sign saying Richmond hotel sticking up on the skyline like an omen.
This is where I'll be staying until i get an apartment sorted out, now i just had to negotiate the way there and hope my reservation was good and some one could speak English. Off i go into the rain to find the hotel, first thing i spot when i get out of the station was a MacDonald's, well if all else fails at least i can eat here but I'll try not to.
Got to the hotel reception was a bit wet, soaking actually must have looked a bit funny trying to dodge the rain drops as i still had two bags in tow. Everyone else i saw had an umbrella except the stupid foreigner, damm i nearly put a small one in my suit case.
Umbrella use in Asia is just seen as the smart thing to do, women even use them for sun shades, for some reason in the UK it's seen as unmanly or wimpish form an early age and that sticks with you a bit so we don't tend not to use them as much, a bit or rain won't hurt me I'm English until you get pneumonia, it may just be that no one likes carrying them though.
There was also a novel little hot water boiler come humidifier in my room, at least I'll have something to boil water with for tea bags i carted over here, the other photo is a view looking out of my hotel window.
Train was along those lines it pulled up in the station perfectly aligning the carriages to the numbers on the platform, it also left to the second it said on the schedule, i was impressed.
After about 50mins I'm in Tokyo station, now to find the Shinkansen was looking forward to this as it was the first high speed train i had ever been on, Shinkansen sounds so much better than fast or express train or new trunk line which apparently is the literal translation. Tokyo station is huge didn't have much time to look around as the train was scheduled to leave in 15mins and i had to find where it went from, wandered around like a bit of an idiot for a couple minuets until I got my bearings then spotted a sign. Everything was pretty well signed after I knew what to look for and i only had to ask or show my ticket once and didn’t need to use my extensive language skills.
Train was a bit of a disappointment I'd envisioned it belting along at 300kph and whizzing round the corners but it didn't get anywhere near that, doubt it got above 150kph, you couldn't really tell as it moved so smoothly. Didn’t realize at the time but there we made three stops and where I was going was only about 70kms away so it could not get up to speed.
Travel was Bullet proof though even for a first timer like me, when you neared a station a tannoy system announced it in both Japanese and English, how cool is that even a Yorkshire man couldn't’t go wrong.
Finally arrived at Utsunomiya and it was raining, just my luck reminded me of England, apparently it's the rainy season over here lasts for about a month, oh happy days.
I'm in the station just wondering where my hotels is and thinking about walking out in the rain when i spot it about 200 yards away, a sign saying Richmond hotel sticking up on the skyline like an omen.
This is where I'll be staying until i get an apartment sorted out, now i just had to negotiate the way there and hope my reservation was good and some one could speak English. Off i go into the rain to find the hotel, first thing i spot when i get out of the station was a MacDonald's, well if all else fails at least i can eat here but I'll try not to.
Got to the hotel reception was a bit wet, soaking actually must have looked a bit funny trying to dodge the rain drops as i still had two bags in tow. Everyone else i saw had an umbrella except the stupid foreigner, damm i nearly put a small one in my suit case.
Umbrella use in Asia is just seen as the smart thing to do, women even use them for sun shades, for some reason in the UK it's seen as unmanly or wimpish form an early age and that sticks with you a bit so we don't tend not to use them as much, a bit or rain won't hurt me I'm English until you get pneumonia, it may just be that no one likes carrying them though.
So anyway I'm at the hotel reception armed with my little piece of paper that says i have i reservation or at least that's what i hope. Luckily one of the girls speaks a bit of English and i get checked in, have to pay in advance though and it was via sort of an ATM machine everything was automated think you could probably check into a hotel in Japan with out the need for a receptionist.
Then up to my room which is on the 13th floor, not sure if that's an omen or not, but there again we are in Asia and four is though of as unlucky and not thirteen. So any way into my room and what do i find but a Bu
ck Rodgers toilet, I've used the name my son Ben gave it when he asked me if i had one the other day.
ck Rodgers toilet, I've used the name my son Ben gave it when he asked me if i had one the other day.
There was also a novel little hot water boiler come humidifier in my room, at least I'll have something to boil water with for tea bags i carted over here, the other photo is a view looking out of my hotel window.
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