Hiroshima to Tokyo

The Hikari Shinkensen whisks me towards Tokyo at 6.22am the next morning - so leaving Hiroshima behind I am hurtled at 300kph through an ever changing landscape and regularly through long tunnels. Every so often we stop and load up with more passengers while the Nozami train bursts past us on its non-stop leg to Tokyo (Bare in mind that there are lots of these trains not just one or two, so the service is regular throughout the day…). During the journey it begins to snow suddenly and does not stop - the landscapes we pass are magically transformed by this covering of white powder and I realise how much I have missed the snow of winter back home in the UK. The ride in the Shinkensen is once again one of luxury but today there is a difference, I meet a lovely spry couple who are also heading for Tokyo (I am introduced to a lady of 77 who looks much younger and her husband) then offered conversation an orange, sweets, sushi and tea :) from their own lunch, while in return I only had chocolate and my contact details to offer. I continue to be at a loss for how warm and welcoming the people of Japan have been. Arriving in Tokyo it is a simple matter of being organised and using the excellent Lonely Planet guide and subway map to find your destination - all the tracks are numbered and colour coded so although it looks like a pile of complicated spaghetti it is actually fairly easy to follow, heated and comfortable. I have 7 hour before my next train so time to explore one of the districts of Tokyo - in this case the electronic district where I find literally streets of stores selling nothing but electronics or Manga related merchandise… So time to ‘window shop’ for the latest gadgets while the snow gently covers my coat and hat :)