ARJ85

Hello again,

some of you may remember that i planned (and booked) a trip to Japan for earlier this year. The trip would have started about one week after the tsunami - but as we didn`t know how the situation would evolve we changed our itinerary and visited China instead.

(if you are interested in that trip - here is the report about it: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trip-...ul-flyers.html)

Although that trip was really great - i still wanted to visit Japan - and in November i finally found the time for it.

On my usual trips to Asia i fly into one city - leave from another one - and have a few flights in between to different citys. This trip was different: The outbound flight was to Osaka (MUC-FRA-KIX with Lufthansa to be precise) and the return from Tokyo (NRT-ZRH-MUC with Swiss) but when in Japan i didn`t step on another plane - instead i used the best train system in the world. More about that later.

And as usual - i will not only include pictures about the flights - but also from the citys i visited. It wasn`t a long trip - not even a week - but i nontheless could see a lot, so i will split the report into the following chapters:

I. MUC First Class Lounge and MUC-FRA with Lufthansa (C)

II. FRA First Class Terminal and FRA-KIX with Lufthansa (new - F)

III. Osaka

IV. Hiroshima and a few surrounding places

V. Himeji

VI. Traveling with the Shinkansen

VII. Kyoto

VIII. Tokyo

IX. NRT-ZRH with Swiss (F)

ARJ85

Although Munich has an ever growing amount of non-stop long-haul destinations Osaka isn`t one of them. So to get there i had to get to Frankfurt first.

As my flight from FRA to KIX was in First class i was allowed to use the First Class Lounge in Munich (my flight from MUC to FRA was only in Business Class - but with an same day first class flight on Lufthansa you are allowed to use the First Class Lounge)

The design of the Lounge looks like the first class lounges in Frankfurt - but it is smaller of course.

Aside from a seating area, showers and a smoking room there is also a restaurant-area with a nice buffet.

As it was still in the morning there were all the usual breakfast items available.



But the buffet is not your only option. There even is an a la carte menu. And what i really like about that: Not only with fancy stuff - but also with simple (but great tasting) regional food. Don`t get me wrong - i really enjoy visiting exotic countries and tasting exotic food - but the best breakfast in the world is still...

... Weißwürste!!!!



And as this is the first class lounge they are not simply served on a plate - but in the appropriate pot of course:



The flight to Frankfurt was on a A321. Lufthansa (like most european airlines) has no real business class seats on its short haul planes. Business Class uses the same seats as economy - but the middle seat stays empty to give you more space. The other difference to economy is the catering of course. Where you only get a chocolate bar in the back they serve a nice breakfast in the front of the cabin



And instead of plastic cups you get real glasses in business class



And as it is only a short hop from Munich to Frankfurt we soon started our descent through some very low hanging clouds.

ARJ85

Despite all the praise about the Lufthansa First Class Terminal here at Flyertalk i didn`t spend much time there. I took one of the first flights from Munich to Frankfurt so i could meet a friend in Frankfurt and when i went to the airport again i only had a little time in the Lounge.

But enough to try some of the food offerings. (It was around Halloween - so no surprise: almost all the dishes had some Pumpkin in it.)



Do you know how you spot a guy that once dated a girl working in a high-end Hotel/Restaurant? Simply look at how his plates look when coming from a self-service-buffet...



The Pumpkin-Ravioli where really tasty.

Soon it was time to board the plane.

Lufthansa is right now refitting the fleet with a new first class cabin (like the one on the A380) and i was lucky enough to get the only Frankfurt-based A340-600 that already has the new cabin!

In the first class cabin are two rows in 1-2-1 layout - so eight seats in total with every one with direct aisle access. And the flight was completely full.

Immediately after i boarded i was offered something to drink and a bowl of Macademia Nuts



I only took a water - but of course there would have also been champagne available.

I really like the new cabin. The seat is very comfortable and all the materials used look (and are) high-quality. Like the leather covering the armrests and even the walls of the cabin are covered with some kind of fabric.



One nice feature of the new seat is the very convenient camera holder ;-)



(It`s actually for water bottles)

The food service on the flights to Japan is a little different from the other Lufthansa routes. In addition to the usual menu there is a whole Japanes Menu available.

Service started soon after take off (you can of course choose when to eat but as it was already past noon i decided to eat right now)

First was an amouse bouche



Followed by a choice of Hors d`oeuvres (You can also choose to have all of them...)

Caviar with the traditional Garnishes



Grilled Scallops on Tomato and Apple Confit



Fried Knuckle of Veal Carpaccio with marinated Chanterelles

Of course there was also a selection of bread and rolls available



Next on the Menu would have been the salad.

Seasonal Leaf Salad
with Herb Mushrooms, Pumpkin Juliennes and sun-dried Tomatoes with your Choice of Balsamic or Potato Dressing.

I skipped the salad and had the sushi from the Japanes Menu instad



On the Western Menu where two different Main Courses available

One looked like this when served:



Filet of Sea Bass with Mediteranean Vegetables served in Parchement



and the other was one of the LufthansaClassics

Wiener Backhendel
breaded and fried Chicken on warm Potato Salad presented with Lingonberries

Followed by a selection of Cheese and Desserts

Selection of Cheese
Gorgonzola, Pecorino, Brie, Rahmberg and Banon Goat Cheese served with Apricot Mustard, Grapes and Cashew Nuts



Chestnut Mousse Tartlet with marinated Plums



Fresh Fruits would also have been available.

Those that are familiar with the Lufthansa Menus will notice that there are usually a few more choices available. Thats because on the flights to Japan there is also a whole Japanese Menu on board:

Zensai

Caviar with traditional Garnishes

Kabotacha Pumpkin, Sweet Root, Sugar Snap Pea, Soybean Gluten and ground Chicken

China Beans, King Prawn and Shiitake Mushroom with Sesame Dressing

Suimono wan

Suimono with Squid Surimi, Chives and Zest

Hassun
(i had these instead of the salad)

Almond crusted King Prawn, Ginko Nuts, Anago Eel Roll, Sushi featuring smoked Salmon and Scallop, Keta Caviar and pickled Ginger

Men

Men Tsuyu
Buckwheat Noodles, Black Popular Mushroom, Wasabi, Chives

Omozakana

Beef and Vegetable Roll, Sweet Root Noodles, Spinach, grilled Silk Tofu, Shiitake Mushrooms served with Japanese Rice and Sesame

Chestnut and Egg crusted fried Halibut with Ginan Sauce, Carrot, Radish, Shimeji Mushroom, Snow Pea, Tofu and Vegetable Patty served with Japanese Rice and Sesame

Miso Shiro

Misoshiro Soup

Konomono

Pickled yellow Radish, Nozawana Greens, pickled Pearl Onions

Dessert

Wagashi
Soy Bean Tartlet with brown and white Sugar Frosting


To be honest - i have not idea what most of these dishes are - but the sushi was really great.

And to confirm one more bavarian stereotype i had a Weißbier after the dinner.



(A Colaweiße to be precise)

The seat of course converts to a completely flat bed - and i slept quite good in it.

Lufthansa decided against enclosed suites in the new first class - but that doesn`t mean you don`t have privacy - there is a privacy wall at every seat which you can rise whenever you want.



For the middle seats there is also a divider between the seats.

Of course also the Breakfast Menu contains not only a western, but also a japanese selection.

The western menu is a selection of cold and hot specialities

Freshly squeezed Orange Juice

Mango and Passion Fruit Curd with Passion Fruit Seeds,

Yoghurt

Smacks with Milk

Edam, Herb Cheese,
Milan Salami, smoked Turkey Breast, Cherry Tomato, Walnut



Scrambled Egg freshly prepared upon your Request with your Choice of Bacon or Chives



And the japanese Breakfast

Zensai

Japanese Omelette, Japanese cooked Herring, white Fish Pie, Cod Roes, white Asparagus, stewed Sea Weed

Kobachi

Leaf Spinach with deep fried Soy Protein and Sesame, Happo Dashi

Omozakana

Shake
Soy marinated Salmon, green Asparagus, Shiitake, Lotus Root, Carrot served with steamed Rice

or

Okayu
Rice Soup

Miso Shiru

Miso Shiru Soup

Konomono

Yellow Radish, red Plum, Karashi Takana Pickles

ARJ85

I didn`t spend much time in Osaka - but enough to visit the citys most famous attraction, the Aquarium.



They have lots of tanks with fishes and other animals from oceans around the world

Some are small



Some are surprisingly big





some are quite fast



and some really slow



and some aren`t even fish but mammals



All of these are in different tanks, showing different parts of the oceans of the world.

But the main Attraction is in the big tank in the center of the building



a real Whaleshark - more than five meters long!

The Aquarium is really easy to reach - its just a short walk from Osakako subway station

ARJ85

The next day i took the train to Hiroshima (more about travelling by train through Japan later)

But bevore reaching Hiroshima i made a quick stop in Kure. In the first half of the century Kure was one of the main bases of the Imperial Japanese Navy - and still is a base of the JMSDF today.

The Kure Naval Yard also built the Yamato - together with its sister ship Musashi the biggest Battleships ever built. When i was a small kid i once built a 1:350 Model of that ship. At Kure there is a museum that also features a Model of that Battleship - but in a bigger scale: 1:10!





On the other side of the street is another museum - showing the history of the JMSDF - with a real submarine in Front of the Museum



My next stop was to the west of Hiroshima, the Island of Miyajima. The Island is a very popular tourist destination as it is the location of the Itsukushima Shrine, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

When reaching the Island by ferry the torii in front of the Shrine is the first thing you see



I think its also the most famous torii in Japan.

Aside from the Itsukushima Shrine there are lots of other Shrines to see on the Island.



And the great thing is - its really easy to reach from Hiroshima. Just a half hour trainride and a short trip with the ferry and you are there.



And it is really worth the time. The whole island is a counterpart to the huge crowded Japanese Citys.




After those two detours i finally made my way to Hiroshima.


There is one day, one event in History people will forever remember when hearing the name of that city: August 6, 1945 - the first atomic bombing - killing 70.000 people in only a few seconds and destroying more than two thirds of the city.

Only 600m from the center of the detonation stood the „Hiroshima Prefectural Products Exhibition Hall“ which was heavily damaged during the attack.



And while the rest of the city was rebuild in the years following the war - the Genbaku Dome as it is now called remains preserved as a memorial of the bombing

ARJ85

On the way from Hiroshima to Kyoto you pass the city of Himeji - most famous for its castle - the biggest one in Japan. (Have you ever played the computer game "Siedler 2"? Then you know exactly how it looks like...) At first i didn`t plan to visit this town - but while sitting in the train and browsing through my guidbook i read about it and as i had the time decided to make a short stop in Himeji.



When leaving Himeji train station its just a short walk to the north until you reach the wall surrounding the castle area



The castle is not only the big main building - but also a huge area surrounding it with walls and towers.



What i didn`t know is, that the main building of the castle is right now undergoing a huge renovation project - so most of it is covered.



(The building you see in the right half of that picture was built to cover the whole main building of the castle during the renovation.)

But you are still able to go inside the main building itself.



And of course visit the surrounding area with all the walls and towers.



From the top of the hall built to cover the main castle during the renovation you also have a nice view over the city of Himeji



and the walls and towers of the castle



And after this short detour i continued my trip to Kyoto.

ARJ85

I guess now is the right time to talk a little about travelling in Japan. On a frequent flyer forum three important questions come to mind:

1.) is it expensive?
2.) is it difficult for foreigners?
3.) can/should i use planes?

Well there is an easy answer to all three questions: NO!

I met a few guided tours during my days in Japan - but even if you travel on your own like i did it is absolutely no problem to find your way around.
I also didn`t do much planning before the trip. I only planned my basic itinerary: Osaka - Hiroshima - Kyoto - Tokyo and booked Hotels in each of these citys. I didn`t look long for a hotel - simply took the one closest to the trainstation. The hotels were nothing special - but all of them very clean and well maintained - and instead of chocolate in one of them i even got this origami swan on the pillow:



So how did i travel between those citys? With the best and most efficient high-speed train network in the world. All the citys i visited are connected to the Shinkansen Bullet Train network. And most of the stations are right in the center of the city. So instead of taking an airport express - or at least a subway or taxi to reach the city center with all the sights as you would do when arriving by plane - you simply walk there!



And it is really easy to navigate that train system. Most of the stations only have two platforms for the Shinkansen trains. Like in Kyoto - where one platform is for the trains running to the west (to Hiroshima for example) and one for the trains running to the east (like to Nagoya and Tokyo)



Of course the stations have a lot more platforms - for subway or regional trains for example. But the great thing - and what makes the whole experience really quick and reliable is that the high-speed-tracks are only for High-Speed trains! They don`t have to share them with commuter or freight trains - which would slow down traffic.

Also the platforms are laid out in a way to optimize time - as the trains only stop for a short time at each station there is signage on the floor where your wagon will stop:



As you can clearly see - for trains with 16 wagons this is the place where wagon 5 will stop, for trains with 8 wagons, this is the place where wagon 1 will stop.

You probably wonder how difficult it is to read a japanese train schedule? To be honest - i don`t know - the trains run that frequent that i never looked up when the next train would go - but simply went to the station, and boarded the next train that came along.

You can of course also reserve your seats for a particular departure time - but every train also has a few wagons where no seat reservation is necessary.



And one interesting fact: At the last station they turn all the seats around so you always face into the direction you travel!

On the train there is no restaurant or bistro car like you maybe know from the german ICE trains. Instead service is like onboard a plane where a crewmember walks up and down the train with a trolley and selling food and beverages. And there are also little kiosks on all the platforms where you can buy something.



I really enjoyed that - i could spend as much time as i wanted in every city - and as soon as i had seen enough or simply wanted to get to the next place i only had to go to the station and hop on the next train. And even side trips like to Himeji where no problem at all.

But how expensive is all of that? If you buy all your tickets at the day of travel at the train station it gets really expensive. But for tourists there is a much easier and cheaper way. As tourist you can buy the so called „Japan Rail Pass“. There are a few different ones available - mine was valid for one week in second class (also first class or a longer validity would be possible) and i paid about 280 Euros for it.

You probably wonder why i paid in Euros? Here comes the important part: You can`t buy that pass in Japan! You have to buy it at a travel agency at home - where you get a voucher which you can exchange against the pass once you get to Japan.

If you want to see a lot of Japan this pass is the most important thing to take with you. It is of course valid on the Shinkansen network. (The only exception are the super fast trains like the „Nozomi“ that stop almost at no stations - you are only allowed to take the second fastest trains - but as these only take a few more minutes thats not really a problem)
But not only that - you can also use it on the regional trains like i did on my sidetrips around Hiroshima. It is also valid on the Airport Express from Osaka Kansai Airport and to Tokyo Narita Airport. And even on the ferry to Miyajima Island!



If you have any further questions about that - just ask.

ARJ85

One other very convenient thing: At almost every restaurant - even if you don`t speak Japanese and can`t read the menus - you have no problem ordering something to eat:



All the restaurants have windows where they present replicas of the available dishes!

If you would only visit one city in Japan - Kyoto would be the one.
In this city - which was the former imperial capital you can find around 2.000 temples and shrines!

If you are looking for the "traditional Japan" this is the place to go.



But it is also a modern city - as you can see at the Kyoto Station for example.







I only spent one and a half day in that beautiful city - but visited a few of the highligts:







Ryoan-ji







famous for the Zen-Garden







Kiyomizu-dera
(sadly it was partly covered by scaffolding - but there is a solution for that...)







Nijo Castle











At one of the kiosks in the park i discovered my new favourite Fanta



and one of japans most famous sights Kinkaku-ji

ARJ85

Some of my regular readers are probably wondering where the usual Skyscraper Pictures are. But don`t worry - my last stop was Tokyo...

To see the city from above there are two easy ways:

The first is the Tokyo Town Hall in Shinjuku District. There is a viewing Platform on both towers that is open to the public (and its free) from where you have a nice view onto the surrounding high-rise buildings







and down to the busy streets of Tokyo



But there are two downsides to that Platform: The first is that as it is no open air platform its not easy to take pictures without flares or reflections in the glass. And the more serious problem is that they have a really strict NO TRIPODS policiy - even my little gorillapod was not allowed! So had had to improvise a little.



The other viewing platform you can visit is on top of the tokyo tower



During the daytime i explored the other side of Tokyo. And i was really surprised that in City with more than double the population of the whole country of Denmark you can really find places where you are all for yourself.

Like Yoyongi Park for example.



Its a huge park - lots of plants and even interesting wildlife:



An important part of the Park is Meiji Shrine










On a sidenote - when talking about japanese food everybody thinks about Sushi - or Wagyu Beef. But did you know that you also get great desserts there? Even at a simple 7/11 you get a Masterpiece like this:



I also made a short sidetrip to the harbour area crossing the rainbow bridge






In the heart of the city you can also find the imperial palace



Unfortunately thats about the only part of the palace you can see. But if you turn around you see this.



And if you walk a few more meters you are in the famous Ginza District






Never during all my travels so far could i use such short exposure times during the night...









Tokyo was my last stop in this fascinating and beautiful country. A country not only totally different from Europe (thats obvious) but also totally different from almost every other country in Asia.

ARJ85

My return flight was from Tokyo`s Narita Airport with a Swiss A340-300 in First Class to Zürich.



(in the background is the Lufthansa A380 to Frankfurt)

When you travel a lot you of course know a few things that are the same at every airport - but there is one thing thats unique to Narita Airport:



They have Luggage Carts designed for use on Elevators!!

I somehow can`t find the menu from the flight - i will add the details about the food as soon as i find it again. For now: Enjoy the pictures.

There is of course an amouse bouche served



Swiss has the biggest table i know



The starter in First Class onboard Swiss Planes are no pre-prepared plates like with Lufthansa - its rather a buffet style where different dishes are aranged on the trolley and you simply choose whatever you like



Most of the dishes change regularly - only the salmon (which is great) is available on every flight.

Next course was a soup ...



and as the table is quite big - of course the plates have to match that size



... followed by a salad with different dressings available.



Of course you also get a bread-basket with your meal (if it its not enough you get a new one)



The main course



And as this is a swiss airline there is of course a huge selection of cheese available



followed by dessert



A few hours bevore landing there was a second meal served.

You could choose between four different dishes - like this salad with chicken for example



Of course also followed by a nice dessert



And too soon this short trip came to its end - i hope you enjoyed reading my report as much is i enjoyed taking that trip. And as always - if you have any questions or comments - just ask.

Goodbye for now - and see you next time...

hoyateach

A phenomenal start. I lived for several years in Japan and still return every chance I get to visit family there. I'm looking forward to the rest.

SFO777

ARJ85, what amazing pics! Some of the absolute best photos I've seen on FT, ever. Thanks for posting. What camera did you use?

hencjo

+1

I snapped some similar views during my visit to A-Dome, Kaiyukan and Miyajima in September. It's stunning to see how the colors have changed with the seasons. I had no idea it would be such a difference. Great work on bringing out the colors of the fish in the aquarium. Amazing!

TrayflowInUK

Great start to a great trip... I'm subscribed!

blueline7

I'm eating this TR up! Love it! Keep it coming!! Thanks so much for it.