Vacation, vacation, vacation

With no more Japanese classes I was now ready for some vacation. I wanted to go to either Hiroshima or Nakasaki to visit an A-bomb museum. Nakasaki is on the Kyuushuu island in southern Japan and it was both more expensive and troublesome, so while it was probably the place I wanted to go to the most I decided on Hiroshima instead. Then I could also ride the Shinkansen (bullet-train) which is one of the most pleasant ways to travel. I was recommended visiting Onomichi as well so I reserved 3 nights in Hiroshima and 3 nights in Onomichi before I return to Tokyo on Saturday.


Japanese style toilet at the Shinkansen
The Nozomi Tokyo-Hakata Shinkansen ran at 270 Km/h very smoothly and quiet and after just over 4 hours I reached Hiroshima. The trip itself was quite uninteresting so instead of a grand description of the Japanese landscape rolling by the window I will tell a little about Japanese toilets. In Japan they not only have toilets like we know them they also have Japanese style toilets. A Japanese style toilet is very much inspired by a hole in the ground and you squat over it while you do your business without every sitting down. The Japanese claim they are more hygienic because you don't touch the toilet at any time but they do require some practice. Believe me, this is no place to read the morning paper. The toilet in the Shinkasen was Japanese style but because the train sometimes roll there was bars in the walls you could hold on to. I guess that when it comes toilet-paper-time you just had to rely on you own balance...