1. From the Fukuoka - "Getting there and Away" section p650: Rowthorn C., Ashburne J., Atkinson D., Bender A., Benson S., McLachlan C., Lonely Planet Japan Japan 8th edition. Melbourne: Lonely Planet Publications, 2003.
2. Figure given in Fukuoka/Hakata Introduction p643: Ibid.
3. History and features as stated in the Fukuoka/Hakata introduction p643: Ibid.
4. Train station and Airport names as stated in the Fukuoka/Hakata introduction p643: Ibid.
1. Extension to the Kyushu Shinkansen as stated in the online version: Kitagawa, T. "40 Years of High-speed Railways: Extending the Shinkansen Network" Japan Railway & Transport Review No 40(pp14-17) March 2005, available: http://www.jrtr.net/jrtr40/pdf/f14_kit.pdf (16/10/2005).
2. Timing from San-yo/Tokaido Shinkansen Timetable pp.63-83: Japan Rail Timetable (Japanese (Kanji) - JTB version) April 2005.
3. Distance from Hakata to Tokyo as per table in "byun byun Shinkansen" website: Fossett D A J, "Shinkansen Routes and Services", byun byun Shinkansen available: http://www.h2.dion.ne.jp/~dajf/byunbyun/service.htm (16/10/2005).
1. From the section on Pachinko pp.675-676: The Kodansha Encyclopedia: Japan, Profile of a Nation 1st edition. Tokyo: Kodansha International Ltd, 1999.
1. From the Fukuoka - "Entertainment" section p649: Rowthorn C., Ashburne J., Atkinson D., Bender A., Benson S., McLachlan C., Lonely Planet Japan Japan 8th edition. Melbourne: Lonely Planet Publications, 2003.
1. Figure given in Kumamoto Introduction p670: Rowthorn C., Ashburne J., Atkinson D., Bender A., Benson S., McLachlan C., Lonely Planet Japan Japan 8th edition. Melbourne: Lonely Planet Publications, 2003.
1. As stated in the section "Suizenji-koen" p672: Rowthorn C., Ashburne J., Atkinson D., Bender A., Benson S., McLachlan C., Lonely Planet Japan Japan 8th edition. Melbourne: Lonely Planet Publications, 2003.
1. The population figure for Kobayashi was stated to me by Ritsuko.
1. As per the dictionary definition p67: Nakao, S. Random House: Japanese-English, English-Japanese Dictionary First Ballantine Books Edition. New York: Random House Inc, 1995.
2. Note that this was written in my diary for 05/01/1998 after I went to the petrol station with Ritsuko's other brother, however there was the same experience at all petrol stations visited in Japan. Note the Loney Planet Japan also mentions something similar and I could have been influence by it because I brought the book with me. See section "Fuel" on p164: Taylor C., Goncharoff N., Florence M., Rowthorn C., Lonely Planet Japan Japan 6th edition. Hawthorn: Lonely Planet Publications, 1997.
3. I recall Ritsuko telling me this in a conversation 18 months later on my second trip to Japan when we went to fill up our friends car that we had borrowed.
1. Based on the definition given for Boso-zuko in the "Urban Anthropology" section p28: Rowthorn C., Ashburne J., Atkinson D., Bender A., Benson S., McLachlan C., Lonely Planet Japan Japan 8th edition. Melbourne: Lonely Planet Publications, 2003.
2. Based on the definition given for Yanqui in the "Urban Anthropology" section p29: Ibid.
1. This is what Ritsuko told me on that day.
1. From conversations I've had with Ritsuko about her mothers religious practices and my own observations of Ritsuko's mother when I stayed there.
2. From a conversation I had with Ritsuko about the differences between Shinto and Buddhist households (on the 24/09/2005) and my own observations in when going to Shinto and Buddhist households.
1. From the section on Kirishima-Yaku national park p680: Rowthorn C., Ashburne J., Atkinson D., Bender A., Benson S., McLachlan C., Lonely Planet Japan Japan 8th edition. Melbourne: Lonely Planet Publications, 2003.
2. We saw a plaque at this location denoting that it had been used in the 1967 James Bond film "You Only Live Twice" it was not a very unique location (for Japan) so without seeing the plaque we never would have known.
3. When watching the film Ritsuko noticed the topology of Kirishima (which is very unique) in the Helicopter Dogfight segment: Gilbert, L. (Director) "You Only Live Twice" You Only Live Twice - Special Edition, MGM Home Entertainment, 2000. (VHS Video).
4. The documentary mentions Kirishima and Himeji: Cork, J. (Director/Writer) "Inside You Only Live Twice Documentary" You Only Live Twice - Special Edition, MGM Home Entertainment, 2000. (VHS Video).
1. From a coversations I had with Ritsuko on that day and also more recently about Kirishima-Yaku.
1. For a list of official places (locations) for exchanging the exchange order to the rail pass see the Japan Rail pass website page "Stations with JAPAN RAIL PASS exchange offices". Avaliable: http://www.japanrailpass.net/eng/en07.html (16/10/2005).
2. From the time table for the Seaside Liner pp.392-393: Japan Rail Timetable (Japanese (Kanji) - Kousaishuppansha version) October 1999.
1. As stated (at least once) in every episode of "Iron Chef" (English Dub), by the Narrator: Produced by Fuji Television. English Dub, the Food Network USA. Show in Australia (as at 15/10/2005) Saturdays 8:30pm on SBS.
2. I don't have any official sources to prove I am correct, but Ritsuko remembers it being 1200m also. The driver stated the altitude each of the three times we went pass that point. Being near the Ebino Plateau is 1200m resonably accurate guess anyway.
1. From the time table for Hakata to Kagoshima, Kagoshima to Hakata pp.363-383: Japan Rail Timetable (Japanese (Kanji) - Kousaishuppansha version) October 1999.
2. Kyushu Shinkansen and Relay Tsubame as stated in the online version: Kitagawa, T. "40 Years of High-speed Railways: Extending the Shinkansen Network" Japan Railway & Transport Review No 40(pp14-17) March 2005, available: http://www.jrtr.net/jrtr40/pdf/f14_kit.pdf (16/10/2005).
1. As stated in the description of the 0 series in "byun byun Shinkansen" website: Fossett D A J, "Shinkansen types - 0 series", byun byun Shinkansen available: http://www.h2.dion.ne.jp/~dajf/byunbyun/types/0.htm (17/10/2005).
2. Services as per descriptions in "byun byun Shinkansen" website: Fossett D A J, "Shinkansen Routes and Services", byun byun Shinkansen available: http://www.h2.dion.ne.jp/~dajf/byunbyun/service.htm (16/10/2005).
3. As stated on the JR Passes and other souces including the the "JAPAN RAIL PASS validity" page of the JAPAN RAIL PASS Website, available: http://www.japanrailpass.net/eng/en03.html (17/10/2005).
1. I asked Ritsuko's brother what the four houses were doing in the middle of the rice field and that was his reply (Ritsuko was acting as an interpreter for the conversation).
1. I made no reference to the word "washi" in my diary, rather I just wrote "paper", but I seem to recall hearing the word a lot that day. In the Japanese arts section of the "Lonely Planet Japan" there is a couple of paragraphs on "washi" p70 it is quite possible I read this section around the same time as going to the museum: Taylor C., Goncharoff N., Florence M., Rowthorn C., Lonely Planet Japan Japan 6th edition. Hawthorn: Lonely Planet Publications, 1997.
1. This is based on what Ritsuko has told me about Kimonos.
1. Kyoto was founded by the Emperor Kammu in 794AD p66. However when the Tokugawa Shoguns ruled they ruled from Edo, but the Emperors remained in Kyoto pp.190-219. Kyoto was the capital city until 1868 when Emperor Meiji moved from Kyoto to Edo and Edo was renamed Tokyo p260: Mason, R.H.P. and Caiger, J.G. A History of Japan Third Printing of the Revised Edition. Rutland: Charles E. Tuttle Company, 1997.
2. See the section on Kyoto Station p333: Rowthorn C., Ashburne J., Atkinson D., Bender A., Benson S., McLachlan C., Lonely Planet Japan Japan 8th edition. Melbourne: Lonely Planet Publications, 2003.
3. This was based on talking to Ritsuko about speed traps in Japan, but there is also a couple of notes on speed traps of it in the section on driving in the "Lonely Planet Japan" p165. Taylor C., Goncharoff N., Florence M., Rowthorn C., Lonely Planet Japan Japan 6th edition. Hawthorn: Lonely Planet Publications, 1997.
4. Most Japanese people that I have spoken to since said that I was very lucky to have seen Maiko, even in Gion.
1. There is mention of this being one of the most crowded temples in Japan in the "Lonely Planet Japan" p385: Taylor C., Goncharoff N., Florence M., Rowthorn C., Lonely Planet Japan Japan 6th edition. Hawthorn: Lonely Planet Publications, 1997.
1. Lonely Planets section on Shinto talks about it being a religion and not a religion pp. 32 & 65: Rowthorn C., Ashburne J., Atkinson D., Bender A., Benson S., McLachlan C., Lonely Planet Japan Japan 8th edition. Melbourne: Lonely Planet Publications, 2003.
2. There is a mention of this being a popular spot for receiving New Years blessings pp.343-344: Ibid.
3. When I was writing this journal entry I ask Ritsuko what the paper was for and she told me, before that I thought they were prayers.
1. From the "Lonely Planet Japan" section on Kinkaku-ji p350: Rowthorn C., Ashburne J., Atkinson D., Bender A., Benson S., McLachlan C., Lonely Planet Japan Japan 8th edition. Melbourne: Lonely Planet Publications, 2003.
1. If I had read the "Lonely Planet Japan" introduction to Kyoto before going there on p372 I would have know in advance that Kyoto has a lot of neon: Taylor C., Goncharoff N., Florence M., Rowthorn C., Lonely Planet Japan Japan 6th edition. Hawthorn: Lonely Planet Publications, 1997.
2. If I had read the "Lonely Planet Japan" section on Credit Cards (p88) I would have be forewarned, but because I had no trouble in less developed countries, I made the assumption that there would be no trouble with getting money using the Visa Card Japan: Ibid.
1. The two areas and the villages in them are on the world heritage list due to the unique architecture of the houses: UNESCO World Heritage List, Entry 734, available: http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/734 (20/10/2005).
1. Ritsuko told me that Hato means pigeon.
2. I remember seeing a brochure with maps of the routes and the prices on that day. Hato Buses English website only mentions guided tours (expensive) and not the circuit buses see http://www.hatobus.co.jp/english/ (23/10/2005).
3. These days are the 2nd of January and 23 of December (Emperor's Birthday) From the "Lonely Planet Japan" section on the Imperial Palace p153: Rowthorn C., Ashburne J., Atkinson D., Bender A., Benson S., McLachlan C., Lonely Planet Japan Japan 8th edition. Melbourne: Lonely Planet Publications, 2003.
4. As per the dictionary definition p120: Nakao, S. Random House: Japanese-English, English-Japanese Dictionary First Ballantine Books Edition. New York: Random House Inc, 1995.
1. Ritsuko says that it only snows in Tokyo one or two times every year.
1. The Fuji TV new website has English pages and web cams of the inside the station and the surrounding area, Ritsuko reads the Japanese version of this website almost everyday to keep up with news from Japan. See http://www.fnn-news.com/en/index.html (23/10/2005).
2. In "Lonely Planet Japan" there is a paragraph on Fuji Television Broadcast Center in the section on the Odaiba/Tokyo Bay Walking Tour p183: Rowthorn C., Ashburne J., Atkinson D., Bender A., Benson S., McLachlan C., Lonely Planet Japan Japan 8th edition. Melbourne: Lonely Planet Publications, 2003.
1. The JR Yamanote (Ya-ma-no-te) Loop line goes around the Tokyo CBD with a radius of about 5.5km, there is also the JR Chuo (Chuu-oh) line which intersects the loop across the centre you can get to most of the main attractions using these two (mostly) above ground lines. I've never had a need to use the Subway. You can find out more about these two JR lines and the Subway in the "Loney Planet Japan" in the Tokyo section pp.208-210: Rowthorn C., Ashburne J., Atkinson D., Bender A., Benson S., McLachlan C., Lonely Planet Japan Japan 8th edition. Melbourne: Lonely Planet Publications, 2003.
2. If you want to find out more about Akihabara (A-ki-ha-ba-ra) check out the Akihabara website, don't believe the message on the home page about it being the cheapest place in Japan, but there certainly is a big range and a lot of things to see. Akihabara Website available: http://www.akiba.or.jp/english/ (24/10/2005).
1. There are a lot of references to Hachiko on the web the site I found useful was Raritan River Akita Club, Hachiko Page available: http://www.nylana.org/RRACI/hachiko.htm (24/10/2005).
2. This is according to Ritsuko.
3. This is according to Ritsuko's and my experience of Indian food in Japan compared with Australia.
4. On day 2 I stated that that soft drink was 98yen in convience stores and 110yen from vending machines see A Taste of Old Japan.
1. I could have avoided these shocks if I read the "Lonely Planet Japan" entry on the Tokyo Tower first, I am refering to the old edition because the prices reflect what I paid at the time, they are even more expensive now! See Tokyo Tower section p 215: Taylor C., Goncharoff N., Florence M., and Rowthorn C. Lonely Planet Japan Japan 6th edition. Hawthorn: Lonely Planet Publications, 1997.
2. The best description of Kaizen I found was in wikipedia (thanks Vick for the tip) see "Kaizen" Wikipedia available: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaizen (25/10/2005).
3. For facts and figures on the Tokyo Tower check out the Tokyo Tower Website available: http://www.tokyotower.co.jp/2005/web/eng/ (25/10/2005).
1. Check out Wikipedia entry on "Lotteria" Wikipedia avaliable: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lotteria (27/10/2005).
2. Greater Tokyo is population is about 12 million plus add the 4 million living in Yokohama which has merged with Tokyo, its a huge place see the "Tokyo Population" page in the Japanese Lifestyle Website avaliable: http://www.japaneselifestyle.com.au/tokyo/tokyo_population.htm (25/10/2005).
1. Although it means boxed lunch you can have them for breakfast too. Definition on p18: Nakao, S. Random House: Japanese-English, English-Japanese Dictionary First Ballantine Books Edition. New York: Random House Inc, 1995.
2. The 6th Edition of the Lonely Planet had an article about ekiben (eki=train station, ben=short for bento) the bento that you can get at train stations, unfortunately this article has been removed from the 8th edition. See p158: Taylor C., Goncharoff N., Florence M., and Rowthorn C. "Ekiben - Lunch in Locomotion" Lonely Planet Japan Japan 6th edition. Hawthorn: Lonely Planet Publications, 1997.
3. See the subsections on "Shinkansen" and "Classes" in the "Getting Around - Train" section of the "Lonely Planet Japan" pp.136-137: Rowthorn C., Ashburne J., Atkinson D., Bender A., Benson S., and McLachlan C. Lonely Planet Japan Japan 8th edition. Melbourne: Lonely Planet Publications, 2003.
4. Although I have noticed that some Shinkansen now-a-days have less seats in the reserved ordinary cars (ie more spacious) than the unreserved although the seating fabric is still the same in reserved and unreserved, where as in the green car it is different.
1. This is a according to Ritsuko and other Japanese people who I've asked about how often you can see Fuji from the Shinkansen.
1. For more information see "Great Hanshin Earthquake" Wikipedia avaliable: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Hanshin_earthquake (06/11/2005).
1. The Emperor Meiji's reign began in 1867, but it was not until one year later that the Emperor was restored to the position of ruler of Japan see p256: Mason, R.H.P. and Caiger, J.G. A History of Japan Third Printing of the Revised Edition. Rutland: Charles E. Tuttle Company, 1997.
2. The Emperor Meiji died in 1912 see p304: Ibid.
3. See the introduction sections to Kobe and the section on "Kitano-cho" in the "Lonely Planet Japan" pp.444-445: Taylor C., Goncharoff N., Florence M., and Rowthorn C. Lonely Planet Japan Japan 6th edition. Hawthorn: Lonely Planet Publications, 1997.
1. Foriegners seem to like Osaka-ben because it shortened compared with common Japanese which can be long winded with all of its politeness, but to Japanese from other parts of Japan Osaka-ben sounds rough. An English comparision to Osaka-ben would be the London cockney speach. See the introduction to Osaka p426: Taylor C., Goncharoff N., Florence M., and Rowthorn C. Lonely Planet Japan Japan 6th edition. Hawthorn: Lonely Planet Publications, 1997.
1. There are only 9(16 car) sets of the 500 series, compared with around 60-70 sets of each of the other series (0, 100, 300, 700) used on the Tokaido/Sanyo Shinkansen. The reason is although the 500 series is the fastest it was considered to expensive to countinue to build. See : Fossett D A J, "Shinkansen Types", byun byun Shinkansen available: http://www.h2.dion.ne.jp/~dajf/byunbyun/types.htm (14/11/2005).
1. As per the dictionary definition p228 (second entry): Nakao, S. Random House: Japanese-English, English-Japanese Dictionary First Ballantine Books Edition. New York: Random House Inc, 1995.
1. See the "What Happended to the Hills" section of the "Lonely Planet Japan" pp.23: Rowthorn C., Ashburne J., Atkinson D., Bender A., Benson S., and McLachlan C. Lonely Planet Japan Japan 8th edition. Melbourne: Lonely Planet Publications, 2003.
1. For more information on the merger between JAS and JAL. See : Wikipedia, Japan Air System available: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japan_Air_System (27/11/2005).
1. Vick Soulios, sent me an email with photos of unusual Japanese phone booths on the 15/12/2005, when I examined the high resolution version of the photo, the structure with the green roof with a cow on it, was clearly a phone booth (thanks Vick).
1. As per the page on "Japanese Plum (ume) Blossom" on Japan-guide.com Website, available: http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2013.html (14/12/2005).
1. See the Kagoshima History section on p774: Taylor C., Goncharoff N., Florence M., and Rowthorn C. Lonely Planet Japan Japan 6th edition. Hawthorn: Lonely Planet Publications, 1997.
1. See pp 187-188, 203-206: Mason, R.H.P. and Caiger, J.G. A History of Japan Third Printing of the Revised Edition. Rutland: Charles E. Tuttle Company, 1997.
2. According to the sign plaque at the site, and the tourist brochure from the Kagoshima Tourist Information Office.
1. See the Japan National Tourist Organisation publication KAGOSHIMA and Vicinity p2, available: http://www.jnto.go.jp/eng/RTG/PTG/pdf/pg-707.pdf (10/01/2006).
1. See the Wikipedia entry Saigo Takamori available: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saigo_Takamori (10/01/2006).
2. For further reading on Saigo Takamori the book following book might be helpful, but I've yet to read it: Ravina, M The Last Samurai : The Life and Battles of Saigo Takamori Wiley, New Ed edition, 2005.
3. See pp 260, 283, 286, 293: Mason, R.H.P. and Caiger, J.G. A History of Japan Third Printing of the Revised Edition. Rutland: Charles E. Tuttle Company, 1997.
1. See the Wikipedia entry Perth, Western Australia available: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perth%2C_Western_Australia (10/01/2006).
2. See the Wikipedia entry Kagoshima, Kagoshima available: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kagoshima%2C_Kagoshima (10/01/2006).
3. See the "Iso-teien (Sengan-en)" section of the "Lonely Planet Japan" pp.685: Rowthorn C., Ashburne J., Atkinson D., Bender A., Benson S., and McLachlan C. Lonely Planet Japan Japan 8th edition. Melbourne: Lonely Planet Publications, 2003.
1. See the Wikipedia entry Sakurajima available: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sakurajima (19/03/2006).
2. Note: you might think I'm crazy to go there, but I noticed there were a number of houses there. According to http://hakone.eri.u-tokyo.ac.jp/unzen/sakura/sakura.html (19/03/2006) the population is about 7000.
1. According to http://volcano.und.nodak.edu/vwdocs/vw_hyperexchange/sakura-jima.html (19/03/2006) the two most recent major eruptions were in 1914 and 1946, since 1955 there have been regular smaller eruptions.