Tsukiji Fish Market, Tokyo - This is one of the largest fish markets in world and is the center for tuna auctions during the wee hours of every morning. The market itself is relatively easy to locate as it is within close walking distance of two nearby subway stations. But the actual official entrance to the market is very hard to find and somehow I don't think there is such an entrance ! There is no signage at all to guide the curious tourist. There is however, an extremely helpful policeman that is stationed at the police box near one of the large entry ways into the market. He has a handy map of the market that he very willingly hands out to lost tourists.

Surprisingly, the fish markets did not smell that bad, if at all. Though I got there too late to watch the tuna auctions, it was still a great experience to walk around the market. A word of caution though as this is a fully functional market and not a proper tourist spot as such, it can be pretty dangerous to wander the alleyways of the market.

Be especially careful of the guys who drive these little motorised trailers as they do not stop for pedestrians !

This is a just a mix of transportation related photos from the trip. We obviously did not get around town in a Lamborghini Diablo (photo 1) ! But it was something we saw by the side of the road on our first day in Tokyo.

Photos 2 and 3 more accurately reflect our usual mode of transportation around Japan - the Shinkansen or bullet train. The Shinkansen experience is definitely a unique one. The super fast trains are fitted out like airline cabins inside and they depart on the dot, gliding smoothly out of the stations before picking up speed and shooting off to the next stop.

The last two photos were taken on Lake Ashi in Hakone. The crossing of this lake is served by two replica pirate ships and one replica paddle steamer - don't ask me why !

Electioneering Japanese Style - We were in Japan during their election period. The Japanese certainly have a very "different" campaign strategy than western countries. We saw many candidates cruising around town in their small convoy of cars with loud speakers blaring their political viewpoints and supporters (invariably female) waving and smiling furiously from the back seats of the cars.

Nishiki Food Market, Kyoto - The Nishiki Food Market is a 400 year old market located in central Kyoto. For a 400 year old market, it is quite modern ! The small lane is lined on both sides with stalls selling fresh seaweed, seafood (cooked and raw), fruits and vegies.

I noticed that the Japanese do spend a lot of effort and money in the decor of their shops and shopfronts. The three photos are *not* the best specimens to illustrate this point.

At first glance, one would have thought that the shop in the first photo was on fire. On closer inspection, it turned out to be bun shop. The signage of the shop in the second shop was clearly an inspired piece of work. The shop in the third photo clearly took their inspiration for a shop name from some questionable sources !