25 days to peel the layers of an onion called Japan.... At first sight Japan is getting the closest to home from the countries we visited so far, but strangely enough at the same time it feels very far away. The more time we spent in this country the more a 'gaijin' (stranger) we felt. One moment you think that you have pelt off the first layer(s) of the onion and you think this 'gaijin'- talk is crap, the next moment it turns out to be a tough onion to peel....

Arriving by boat after a 36 hour bumpy ferry trip from Qingdao (China) in the port city of Shimonoseki accompanied by a snowstorm was not really a dreamstart in Japan, but the warm and friendly welcome by the curious border guards (who wanted wanted to know the origen of all the stamps collected in our passports...) made things more bearable. At Shimonoseki railway station we handed in our 'exchange orders' that we bought in Beijing (you have to buy these things outside Japan, duh....) and after getting our JR Railpasses, which enabled us to use the Japan Railways (JR) trains almost without limitations, we were set to go.

Our first ride with the Hikari Shinkansen bullet train brought us to the city of Hiroshima. And travelling by train in Japan feels like home. Even better. Travelling with JR is nerve-soothing, almost relaxing. Everything is smoothly organized, departures are on time, the trains are clean, seats can be turned in either direction (for those who cannot drive backwards...), people are quiet and polite, there is a special 'phone'- wagon, seats can be reserved free of charge at the 'midori-no-madoguchi', everything is clearly signposted both in Japanese and Roman script, even ladies have a 'ladies only' entrance at certain times of the day. There is no 'Lost in Translation'- like feel about Japan yet...

And then Hiroshima. The snowstorms have stopped. Of course Hiroshima means only one thing: the nuclear attack by the US Air Force on the 6th of august 1945. Honestly, we didn't know what to expect, but walking around in Peace Memorial Park, built right at the hypocenter, made a huge impact. It even made us contemplate about world peace which is something that we don't do that often in daily life... It was impressive to have a face-to-face encounter with the A- bomb Dome, one of the very few buildings that survived the attack and now a monument for world peace and to visit the Peace Memorial Museum. Although we are not really museum- freaks this museum literally gives you the shivers, not because it is such a 'wow'- museum, but mainly because of the fact that you are right at the spot where the cynically nicknamed 'Little Boy' hit and made about 200.000 victims. The impact and effects are visualized in a pretty confronting way leaving not too much to your imagination... But despite its gruelling past, present Hiroshima is an ultramodern city with an optimistic vibe. The city is so clean, so perfect, so plastic... unreal almost. It feels like walking in a maquette-world: the toy-like trees (they are just too perfectly shaped and coloured), the extremely clean streets (there is not even a small piece of paper on the pavement), the miniature soundless shining boxes-on-wheels with names like Daihatsu and Suzuki (they look like they are being cleaned on a daily basis), the fact that buildings do not show any signs of neglect whatsoever (each and every building is well- maintained so that it looks brandnew) and the fact that it's simply not busy enough for a city with 1,2 million inhabitants... However, the friendly grandpa stopping his car to give us his city map without words, a man on a bicycle showing us the way (in Japanese though) and the elementary schoolchildren in Peace Memorial Park practicing their english language skills asking us to fold origami crane birds together with them as a symbol for world peace, made that sterile Hiroshima has a heart and a soul. Again shivers...

Deeply impressed by our first encounter with Japan's present and pretty recent past, we went to the island of Miyajima just off the coast of Hiroshima. Although labeled as one of Japan's 'top-three scenic spots' and being a holy island it was just not sacred enough not to build a cable car to the top of Mount Misen...hey, this is Japan

.... The National Treasures, the wild deer, seen as messengers of the gods in pre-buddhist times, are still running around the island begging for food (or paper...) and of course posing for photos with the local tourists (peace...). But Miyajima has more treasures. The vermillion coloured O-Torii Gate which seems to be floating on the water at high tide giving us one of the most beautiful sunsets ever, the Itsukushima Shrine which protected the island in the old days which is a sublime piece of architecture demonstrating how minimalistic temples can be, the plenty small Shinto shrines hidden in the mountains, the little Jizo Bosatsu (small Buddhist monk sculptures) at Daisho-in Temple wearing red bibs as they are 'adopted' and taken care off by parents who lost their child. Moreover, eating grilled oysters in soy sauce as a snack with a good Kirin beer, eating sushi on the beach watching the sun go down behind the mountains on the mainland, hiking through pristine mountain forests all the way to the top of holy Mt. Misen (no cable car for us this time...) were great ways to experience the Japan of our imagination.

After a 10-minute ferry trip to Miyajima-guchi (finally, the last one after 6 previous rides to get something to eat...) and a local trainride back to Hiroshima station, another Shinkansen-ride took us to Kyoto. Kyoto is another place where you hope to see the Japan of your imagination. But finding this is hard. Kyoto is a puzzle. The ultramodern train station is an overwhelming and confusing maze of shopping malls, sub-trainstations for Shinkansen trains, JR Trains, Kintetsu trains, trains, trains, trains.... The modern uninspiring downtown area with the huge Kyoto Tower as a landmark is also not what you expect to find in an ancient city. But between the big grid-lined streets there is a world which still shows samples of the old Japan: Narrow streets with wooden houses, small streams gently flowing through the neighbourhoods, Zen complexes like the Daitoku-ji Temple and the Myoshinji temple which are separate worlds within the city, the (really) golden Kinkakuji Temple and (not so) silver Ginkaku-ji Temple, the beautiful but incomprensible Zen gardens of Nanzenji and Ginkakuji Temple with apparently randomly positioned stones representing heaven and earth or mountain and lake (this is truly abstract...

), the inspiring Tetsugaku-no-michi (Path of Philosophy), the fairytale bamboo forest of Arashiyama, the first hanami (cherry blossom viewing) opportunities in the Imperial Palace park, ... and of course: Gion, the neighbourhood of neighbourhoods. Being the entertainment district of Kyoto, Gion has dozens of 'clubs' housed in traditional wooden buildings and behind the dark wooden facades there is a mysterious and elusive geisha- world taking place. You cannot even catch a glimpse of what is going on there... But sometimes, if you are very lucky, you can spot a geisha in the backstreets of Gion. And we were lucky... Although the young lady was not a geisha yet, but a 'maiko' (an apprentice geisha), catching the eyes of this beautiful and utterly elegant fragile white-faced lady posing with her typical umbrella and smiling in a very 'geisha'- like shy way, was a once-in-a-lifetime- experience which cannot be described with words. But that mental picture will never blur...

From Kyoto a 1,5 hour local ('futsu') trainride took us to our next destination. Nara. Although the good thing about Nara is its small size, we have to admit that we are getting seriously spoilt... Although the Todai-ji Temple with its Daibutsu-den Hall, still being the world's largest wooden structure, with a huge 16m high Buddha inside and the Kasuga Taisha shrine with its winding lanes lined with stone lanterns all covered in bright coloured moss, are pretty impressive, the other temples in Nara-koen are getting more or less anonymous... The old Naramachi- district though with its old machiya trades houses was a good cure for our temple- overdose. And as the weather was great, spending our lazy afternoons in the park with a beer and a book was not bad at all. No hard feelings about coming to Nara...

Next stop. Takayama. Looking outside the panorama windows of the Limited Express train from Nagoya to Takayama, with the landscape increasingly becoming more mountainous but still industrialized and urbanized, riding along the wild Hida-gawa River, with the weather changing Shinkansen-speed from sunny to rainy ending with snow in Takayama... Was it a mistake to make a detour all the way to here? Yes and no. After Kyoto and Nara, this small city has nothing distinctive to add except its laidback vibe, its gorgeous wooden designer furniture which made us prattle and its worldfamous Sake. In contrast to Nara, with the weather Gods not being on our side, Sake was our saviour ...

Five different trains starting with the panoramic Limited Express train from Takayama to Nagoya, followed by a shinkansen-ride from Nagoya to Shin- Yokohama, then a local metro-like ride on the JR Yokohama Line to Hachioji, next the express train from Hachioji to Otsuki and last but not least the annoyingly slow Fujikyu Express brought us to our destination Kawaguchi-Ko, a small town in the Fuji-Go-Ko (5 lakes) region very close to Mount Fuji (3776m). And in Kawaguchi-Ko it rained, it rained a lot, and it rained for 2 days non-stop, making Mt. Fuji disappear in the clouds and we could only hope that it is truly there... And these are the days that we realized what we missed in Japan.... Ultimate freedom. In a country where it's all about 'introduction' and surprises are not appreciated, all accomodation (at least the more or less affordable ones) had to be booked in advance which certainly limited our freedom to go where- ever, whenever we wanted... So we had to wait. And fortunately the waiting was rewarded. The last day of our stay in Kawaguchi-Ko the sun was fighting with the clouds and it won... Mt. Fuji revealed itself and it was gorgeous to see this snowtopped perfectly cone-shaped shy mountain. Although the 'breast' was visible the 'nipple' was too shy to show itself and remained hidden in the clouds, until sunset... the sunset was magical with Fuji-San's 'nipple' appropriately illuminated delicately by the soft-tone orange colour of the setting sun. And it was well worth waiting for this (kind of sexy) moment....

And then our last stop in Japan. Tokyo. After 3 weeks living in traditional ryokans, which means sleeping on futons on tatami mat floors and rooms with sliding rice-paper doors, no furniture whatsoever, using common Japanese baths, wearing our yukata (bathrobe) and being devoid of 'normal' modern facilities like internet (is this Japan?), we were happy that our hotel in Tokyo had a bed, a real bed and a private bathroom...

Tokyo. The Eastern Capital. Formerly known as Edo. A city of villages. A world on its own. Tokyo makes up for a 'sensory overload'. There are just too many stimuli for our brains to handle... The 'sakariba' (party)- area of Shibuya with its worldfamous pedestrian crossing supposedly being one of the busiest in the world, its Love Hotel Hill with kinky theme hotels and rates by-the-hour and its shops like Tokyu Hands and Loft selling stuff of which you never knew you missed it. Then there is Harajuku with the 'Goth- Lollies' a.k.a. 'Cosplay- zoku' (costume play gangs) performing on sundays on the Jingi- Bashi for their 'one-minute-of-fame' before returning to their daily (often not so easy) life in the suburbs, with Tokyo's popculture in maximum overdrive on Omote- Sando Avenue and Takeshita- Dori with e-n-o-u-r-m-o-u-s numbers of mainly young people, with Elvis look-alikes shaking things up in Yoyogi Park with their rock 'n roll moves

... The contrast with the peaceful Meiji Jingu Shrine in the park could not be bigger. Asakusa with its kitchenware-streets around the Kappabashi Dori where plastic food samples are filling the shopwindows, its overly crowded Senso- Ji temple and its beautiful cherry- blossom trees on the banks of the Sumida River, giving Tokyo even a vintage and bohemian flavour. Connected to Asakusa is Ueno being the home of Ueno- Koen, a huge park with great cherry blossom viewing opportunities, with groups of Japanese seated on plastic canvasses (without shoes with 10 degrees outside) celebrating their 'hanami' (blossom viewing parties) which most of the time involves some serious coma- drinking with tetra-packs of Sake. And this is just an average monday afternoon... Having that said, there is Kanda, a part of the city with some specialized neighbourhoods. There is Akihabara, the so- called 'Electric Town', considered to be the capital of the nerd- universe with its numerous games entertainment halls (SEGA- halls), its electronic devices shops, Manga-shops and 'maid- cafes'. This in contrast to the more intellectual Jimbocho neighbourhood which is specialized in (second hand) books and hence attracts other kinds of nerds... The area around Tokyo Station should have reminded us of home, as the station is a replica of Amsterdam CS. Unfortunately the station was completely covered under a huge plastic tent due to renovation works. Everything in Tokyo evoking nostalgic feelings seems to be eliminated systematically.... Also adding to the 'alienation'- factor which grew considerably the last couple of days being in Tokyo was the somewhat disappointing visit to the Tokyo Stock Exchange, which was just too quiet to be the center of the Asian financial universe (did the crisis hit Japan that hard?). After another day in Tokyo full of confusion, amazement and contradictions the gorgeous Kitanomaru- Koen and East Palace Gardens of the Imperial Palace made excellent places to cool down. After having survived Tokyo's many many many shopping temptations, Ginza (5th Ave of Tokyo) was the final test and it was a tough one.... But we managed pretty well, without too much financial damage..... Besides shopping Ginza is home to the Sony Building which opens a window to the future with the next generation of televisions (3- dimensional), prototypes of new products and gadgets. All free to try. How not to lose your head.... Around the corner of the fancy Ginza district the world's biggest fish market, Tsukiji, made us having to deal with other forms of temptations. Although the collection of (mainly) dead fish, sometimes huge ones being cut with an automated saw, swimming in blood, was not that hard to resist, the sushi-restaurants in the area were. And we could do nothing else then surrender to the gravitational pull and give in... and it was worth it. It was the best sushi we ever had and probably will have! And then...When you think you slowly have come to a state of mind which makes you more or less comfortable in Tokyo, accepting the fact that you truly are a 'stranger', there is Shinjuku. The (hard)core of Tokyo. This is Japan Inc. on speed . Shinjuku is go-go-go with the entertainment district (red light distict) of Kabukicho and Shinjuku Station with about 2 million people passing through on a daily basis, making it one of the world's busiest stations and probably also one of the most confusing (where are we? Where is the exit? O damn, there are maybe 30 exits..., how the hell to get out of this place?). And then there is the Nishi Shinjuku office district providing jobs for about 250.000 salarymen (hardly women...), who are crowding the streets like a homogenous group of 'black crows', like true 'slaves to the wage', with the futuristic Tokyo Metropolitan Government buildings, designed by Kenzo, providing a place to work. For us though it was a 'safe haven', a way to escape it all, and watch the world pass by below us from the 45th floor observation platform... Get the picture? This is Tokyo!

As there is not so much to see in Japan (don't get us wrong, but it's simply less exotic than e.g. Myanmar where mind-blowing surprises are on every streetcorner...), travelling in Japan requires a different mode. As it is not exactly a third world country or even a developing country, it's more about experiencing Japanese culture and exploring the, sometimes huge, differences with our own behavior. The Japanese have a certain uniqueness not to be seen elsewhere. That's for sure. You can think about them what you want, but at least they are consequent. In Japan they behave the same as abroad... They walk their special walks shuffling their feet without lifting them (are the X- legs and feet with the toes pointing to eachother genetically inherited or is it just a fashionable walk and why do they wear shoes at least 3 sizes too big?). They have an obsessive neurotic tendency to cover their nose and mouth area with masks even in the pristine forests filled with clean oxygen. Moreover, they all seem to have a certain degree of 'fear of stains' as doors of cars open (and close) automatically, money is not transferred from hand to hand, and so on... They are blessed (or cursed?) with a sometimes painful self- confidence making them wear the weirdest imaginable combinations of clothes and accessories. This extravaganza illustrates more than obvious the inner conflict between social cohesion on the one hand and a longing for individualism on the other hand going on in their minds (as is extremely obvious in the case Harajuku's 'Goth- Lollies'...). They are as patient as a meditating Buddhas waiting for the traffic lights as long as they have to, even when there is not a single car in sight. The bleeping, shiny Pachinko pinball games, slot machines, Taito 'grap-and-pick' Stations, Big Max entertainment halls and Manga comics being passionately read on the Tokyo Yamanote Line- trains, all providing infantile ways of entertainment for the Japanese making them go nuts in their own remarkable ways (and us too after trying our luck several times to take out a little Manga- monster at a Taito station...). How to align this with the fact that these are the same people who work off their asses, are the main responsible ones for the Japanese 'economic miracle' and are able to build 22nd century buildings like the Metropolitan Government Buildings and the 'Cocoon' in Tokyo? How to understand their devotion to the complicated religious cocktail made up from the ancient Shinto belief, the 'Way of the Gods', which is the religion of this life and this world on the one hand and Buddhism being the religion of the next life and the next world on the other hand? And, maybe most remarkable and least understandable .... the phones in Japan are always on the 'silent'- mode (no-one actually talks on the phone). However, everyone is playing with their phones, PSP, I-pods and other devices of which we don't even know what they are. It seems that chatting has taken over from talking. But...we thought (no, now we know) that the Japanese love to scream in Karaoke bars, they love the loud bleeping bleeps in the entertainment halls, they love noise... And what is it with this addiction to vending machines? These things, even present in the remotest parts of the country, ruining the landscape, but providing cold (and hot!) drinks for a few Yen for those who are thirsty. Only in Tokyo there are about 6 million of these machines, roughly meaning that there is one machine for every 3 people! Conclusion: If there is something like a national psyche, then the Japanese one is a complicated one, a very very complicated one...

Besides a unique 'national psyche' Japan has a unique cuisine as well (that makes sense...). Yep, the food. A sensitive subject. Probably our biggest frustration in Japan...

The worldfamous refined Japanese kitchen with an exquisite eye for detail and presentation made us suffer. Why? Because it's so f&*king expensive! A decent meal easily costs around 3000 Yen which equals approximately 20 Euro, often even excluding a 300 Yen 'seating charge'. As we have a tight budget we needed to find alternatives and resist the temptations to eat out every night and be 'big spenders'... the plastic food samples in the restaurant windows make you hungry and they even look eatable (are we desperate?)... But fortunately Japan has the 'bento'- box. These ready-to-go meals in nicely organised boxes, a pleasure for the eyes, can be bought in kiosks and convenience stores everywhere around the country. The typical bento box consists of some rice with sesame seeds, hijiki (seeweed) and some 'side dishes' like kamaboko (a sort of steamed fish-paste roll with a pink colour) and sometimes baked fish or meat. Of course we also tried various 'budget' meals mainly consisting of rice with some tempura prawns with egg accompanied by buckwheat noodles in Kyoto, or rice with Hida beef in Takayama, or microwave ika okonomiyaki (a sort of pancake/ omelet filled with vegetables and squid) in Kawaguchi-Ko, and an 'all-you-can-eat' currybuffet in Tokyo (very Japanese...). Not really exiting, but affordable and still typically Japanese (except the curry of course....). However, the typical Japanese breakfast at our ryokan (tradional Japanese inn) was a fiesta .. misoshiro (a brownish soup made from a mixture of stock, miso and shellfish), hot rice, tamagoyaki (sweet flavoured cold omelet), hijiki, spinach with peanuts and sesame and lots of tea. And eating tofu, another Japanese specialty, in a trendy small restaurant in Sunshine City (Tokyo) also was a tongue- melting delicacy... and not to forget the aforementioned nigiri sushi at Tokyo's Tsukiji fish market.

Speaking of food... did we peel the onion? Actually, we don't know.... yes and no. If the outer layers of the onion represent observable behaviour, the so-called 'tip of the iceberg' , then maybe 'yes'. We cannot deny that the Japanese have more in common with us then that there are differences. However, when it comes to a true understandig of Japanese values, norms and behaviour it is definitely a 'no'... And probably if you are not Japanese you will never get to understand it... Once a 'gaijin, always a 'gaijin'....

Sayonara! Next reporting from Nepal ...