The Shinkansen Train in Japan, commonly known as the "Bullet Train" travels at more than 200 mph. 

I had a little time before catching my train this morning and got to talking to the man attending the desk at the hostel in Tokyo . 

It was early morning (around 5:30 a.m.) and no other customers to deal with, so we had a chance to talk some. He is an older man that traveled some when he was younger. One place he was really impressed with was Taiwan. He suggests I go there sometime. Very friendly people he says. I will put that on my list, I think.

Tokyo was an interesting place. The currency in Japan is the Yen. You write it like Y100, with the Y in front of the number. All the other countries I have visited put the money sign AFTER the number, like 50$.

Y100 is about equal to $1.00 dollar now. So, it's very easy to figure the price of things you are buying. Just move the decimal point two places to the left and you know the dollar amount. The bills start at Y1000, which is $10. Everything under $10 comes in coins. You have a Y500 yen coin, Y100, Y50, Y10, Y05, and Y01. I had a hard time reaching for coins when something cost $5 or $1 . I instinctively went for the paper money, but, not finding them, I just used the smallest bill in yen that I had, which would be $10 at the least. This caused me to end up collecting a heavy pocket full of coins.

The Japanese people are very disciplined, it seems. They walk on the side of the walk they should be on (they all walk fast in Tokyo), and ride the bikes on the side of the walk they should ride on. They do not talk loud or act aggressive on the crowded trains system or sidewalks. They are willing to help anytime I ask them. It's truly a large city, but with a kind spirit. The police here do not carry guns, just nightsticks as they walk the streets. 

Also, I have noticed there are not the large amounts of motorbikes in Tokyo like I have seen in the other Asian countries. Everything from the shrines and red light district to the anime electronic district  was fun to see. (Texas Al would have like the anime district). I did not have my camera the night i went to the electronic and anime area of Tokyo, though . 

I'm glad I got to visit Tokyo, but now I am on my way out of town on the bullet train.

Japan has a highly complex and efficient network of trains throughout the country. Three different types of trains operated by different lines, which makes it confusing for me. You find them in different areas of the station, often taking up and down escalators and walking long hallways to find them. The train lines are color-coded, which helps, once you figure that out. I have noticed it is easier for me to find my way when the huge stations are not so crowded with people rushing in all directions. During the slower times, I have times to look for signs and make turns easier across the hordes of people.

Today, I leave Tokyo for Kyoto in the southern part of Japan. For the first time I get to ride on the Shinkansen train, called the "Bullet Train".
 
The train has not had any fatal accidents in it's history and is very costly to ride . I bought the Japan Rail Pass before leaving the U.S. You can buy it online and have it mailed to your address outside of Japan. You cannot buy the pass in Japan. It can only be used by foreigners showing a passport. I paid $280 for a 7-day pass. It will save me a lot of money the last 7 days in Japan traveling on the trains.

The seats are wide and comfortable and always face forward. The trains are known for keeping a tight schedule, usually to the second.

There is little talking on the trains, whether the bullet train, local train or subway trains. It is usually quiet on all the trains. People read or look at their phones or sleep. 

I am surprised that I cannot feel the speed of the train while seated. The best evidence of the speed is when I look out the window and see the passing scenery. I got a video at one point that I think demonstrates the speed. I tried several times to video our train as it passed another bullet train, but could not get my camera positioned in time for a video or photo . You could not see the windows in the other train as we passed, it looked like the train was just solid, without windows.

I see Panasonic and Sony plants while traveling through the countryside. The train goes through many tunnels through the mountains on the trip. I have a window seat and get to see some pretty country when not passing through a mountain.

A cart is rolled through each car with refreshments on it. As the person with the cart enters the car, they stop and bow. When they leave the car, they turn around and bow to the people in the car they are leaving. The conductors do this also as they leave and enter a car.

The trip to Kyoto takes a couple of hours but they pass quickly. The train is a pleasure to ride and the scenery is pretty.

Once I reach Kyoto, the first thing I see when I exit the station is the Kyoto Tower. It's Kyoto's tallest building and stands 300 feet above ground level . From it's top you can get a 360 degree view of the area. It's located on top of a commercial building with a lot of shops in it. It will become my locator point while in Kyoto. As long as I can see the tower, I will know which direction I need to go.

There are more than 1,600 temples in Kyoto. I will not see them all, but, after stopping by the hostel and leaving my backpack, I start walking to see one of them.

The one I want to see is famous for having 1001 statues of the goddess of mercy. It was founded in 1164. The temple is the longest wooden structure in Japan. In the middle of the building is a large, wooden statue of Kannon, the goddess. 

She has 1,000 arms. On each side of her are about 500 human sized statues. They each have 1,000 arms and 11 heads. They say the heads are so she can better handle the suffering of humans. The 1,000 arms help to fight the sufferings.

I paid the $6 to get in to see the temple . It was a nice visit. You have to take your shoes off at the entry, which is normal. What I didn't like, though, is they would not allow photos. They should inform you of this before you pay to get in. There are signs all along the inside saying if you take a photo your camera will be confiscated. They also warn all cameras will be checked when leaving to be sure no photos were taken. These signs are posted every few feet. It looks like they mean business! The sign said it would cause great harm to the spirit of the goddess or something if you took a photo.

On leaving, no cameras were checked. Also, they had photos of what they said could not be photographed -- for sale. Y100 each or a 2 or 3 page book with 5 photos for Y500. I guess they took the photos to sale on a day when it did not bother the goddess.

I have stopped entering places where photos are not allowed, if I know it in advance. Everytime it turns out they just want to charge an exorbitant price for their photos even after you have paid a good price to see or do whatever event it is .

 The fortune cookie dates back to Kyoto, Japan during the 1800's. A cookie very similiar in appearance to the modern day fortune cookie was made in Kyoto. The Japanese version of the cookie is different in a few ways. For one, they are larger. Also, they are made of darker dough and their batter contains sesame and miso rather than vanilla and butter. The fortune paper was wedged into the bend of the cookie instead of in the hollow part of the cookie. They are still sold in some regions here.

I like Kyoto already. I think this will be a good week.

The hostel is very nice. There are school groups staying here as well as families with children. Of course, there are the backpackers as well. There are a lot of backpackers from France, it seems. Many seem to come to Japan for just a week or two vacation. The other countries I have travelled seem to have more long-term travelers. Maybe it's the expense of Japan that makes it a week or two trip for most, or maybe the location is closer for more to do a week or two trip to. I'm not sure, just n observation.

The hostel has an elevator and 10 floors. Most hostels do not have elevators, regardless of the number of floors. There is a large common room for relaxing and meeting other travelers or using the free wi-fi. A nice kitchen to use, with plenty of dishes and pans and a number of refrigerators to keep food in, if you wish. There is free tea and coffee all day long, what's not to like?