Our trip started with an overnight in Tokyo (with a view of the Sky Tree) and then a bullet train to a ski village called Nikko. As there was no snow the place was probably a lot quieter than in the ski season, but we found it a beautiful place with an AMAZING array of cafes and restaurants. The only downside is that most shut late in the afternoon, so you have to eat early and plan ahead a bit!

We were very fortunate in booking a local guide (Fuji-San), who was amazing! He was 78 years old and incredibly fit and active. He spent most of the day with us exploring the amazing World Heritage Listed Toshugu Shrine and then joining us for a delicious local lunch!

We employed the local bus system to get up into the mountains and see some incredible scenery, and even enjoyed a cable car ride.

The ultimate destination of our day on the buses was Lake Chuzenii, which was confusingly also located in Nikko, although many miles from where we started. The roads were awash with motorbike riders of all types - Sports Bikes, Harleys, even some old-school choppers! We stopped in Nikko for a coffee, and in the owner I made an new friend, an amazing local who had a private collection of fantastic bikes and a Nissan 300Z. Language is not a barrier sometimes!

We spent a couple of days in Nagoya so as to visit the Toyota Museum, which I had heard great things about. The museum contains not only Toyotas but a brilliant collection of American and British Vintage cars, all in fantastic condition. Definitely worth a visit! And we had great food in Nagoya also! We spent a couple of days in Nagoya so as to visit the Toyota Museum. The museum contains not only Toyotas but a brilliant collection of American and British Vintage cars, all in fantastic condition. Definitely worth a visit! And we had great food in Nagoya also!

After a false start, we ended up staying a really nice hotel right next to the train station in Kobe. There was a brilliant shopping and food mall attached to the station, which made the food side of things very easy. After a day wandering around the stunning port area, I sampled the famous local product too!

Most of the trip was fairly plain sailing, but we really struggled getting to Kochi, which is on the island of Shikoku (accessible via a train trip). Evidently there are TWO Kochi's. And we wanted to go to Kochi - not Kochi. Confusion reigned, but we made it there finally, after much train riding back and forth. It was worth the effort though!

After picking up our hire car we headed off on an epic road trip to Cape Shizuri, which is located at the southern-most tip of the Island. The views were just unbelievable! and the mountains, countryside and little villages along the way were most enjoyable too.

There is an interesting walking path up the Gorge, which leads to Uryu Falls. There are little monuments and statues along the path. It's a very beautful spot, quite serene if you can find a space away from people.

Jōmon Sugi is a giant cedar tree located on Yakushima, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Japan. It is one of the oldest and largest Cryptomeria japonica trees, estimated to be between 2,170 and 7,200 years old

The park is a popular camping site which sits high in the mountains of Shikoku at 750 m above sea level and offers absolutely amazing views of the surrounding mountains. The park is a popular camping site which sits high in the mountains of Shikoku at 750 m above sea level and offers absolutely amazing views of the surrounding mountains.

Great little collection of privately owned cars and bikes, focussed on quality rather than quantity, and featuring a lot of race cars.

We only had one night in Oita, and didn't get to explore much - but it seemed like a great place! On exitting the train station we were greeted by rows of food stalls and a live act featuring Anime and Cos-play characters, singers and dancers. We even got an honorable mention from one of the commentators, and a round of applause from the other spectators - but we had no idea what they were saying!

We stayed in a japanese Oyson in Yufuin, which was a decent walk from anywhere but at least very quiet :)

Our stay in Beppu included a visit to the "Hells of Beppu", which is an area of hot springs and steam! Something we thought was very clever is that the locals pipe the hot steam through their shops to cook street food!

Glover Garden is a park in Nagasaki, Japan, built for Thomas Blake Glover, a Scottish merchant who contributed to the modernization of Japan in shipbuilding, coal mining, and other fields. In it stands the Glover Residence, the oldest Western-style house surviving in Japan and Nagasaki's foremost tourist attraction.

Nagasaki Port is like every other port in Japan we've visited - clean, tidy, and well maintained!

After being so humbled by the Hiroshima Peace Museum last year, we had to visit the equivalent in Nagasaki (also known as the Atomic Bomb Museum), and were equally impressed. The approach is a little different, and is if anything more personal, with live auditors and artistic input from local schoolchildren.

Very different to the Peace Park in Hiroshima, it feels more humble but still a beautiful place to visit and reflect. The Peace Statue (See the image below) tells a story..

Expected a lot, didn't get much at all! It's not worth the visit.