There is an infinite number of Shinto Deities, in practical terms about 8000. So, together with the 3000 Buddhist deities there is a need for lots of Temples, Shrines and removing of shoes. Due reverence and respect are paid to the deities with carefully raked rock gardens and liberal use of gold leaf decoration. 12 kg of gold on the Kinkakujicho Temple alone. Somewhere about AUD 1.5 million.

After a walk of a kilometer through grand Kyoto train station past many platforms and shops our guide Hajime (Jim) lead us around a corner into an authentic 1950’s style Japanese restaurant. The deal is “all you can eat and drink in an hour”. Sake is served hot; the food is varied and good. A digital display at each table gives a count down of remaining eating and drinking time. With five minutes to go the excitement is like the final overs of big bash cricket. 

From the year 710 CE Nara was Japan’s first capital and the seat of the emperor. On a hill at the edge of Nara there is a mausoleum that now accommodates the ashes of some 200,000 bodies. Some of the moss covered tombs have, for hundreds of years, been maintained in a forest of 250 ft high very old Cyprus trees.   

We had the pleasure of hands-on participation in the arts of paper making, origame, gold leaf decoration of chop sticks and a tea ceremony. And after dinner guide Jim showed us how to make origame warriors’ helmets.

At one of the temples there was a test by rock. Quite a big rock. You pick up the rock. If the weight feels about right, you are OK. If the rock feels heavier than you expected, the cosmic message is that you must try harder. Sweetiepie magaged just fine, guess that I’m a bit slack.

And then there was food

Not to be outdone, Osaka lifted the bar and offered as much as you can eat and drink for ninety minutes.

Osaka Castle is really something. A very very grand design. The fairy tale wooden castle atop acres of moats and stonework was a few centuries in the making. Way over budget of course. The pretty wooden part was bombed to oblivion in the second world war, now restored to its former appearance, this time in reo concrete.

Bowing is important in Japan. 45 degrees is “Gee I’m sorry” 90 degrees is “oops, that was real bad” and 180 degrees is “How can you ever forgive me?”  Jim took us to a different sort of restaurant in Osaka. A pancake place that does things like those in the following pic. 

The chef departed from the usual list to give a treat to the Ozzies and Poms. At each table for 6 people there was large hot plate built into the table heated from somewhere below. Huge individual savoury pancakes appeared on the hotplate and we were each given chopsticks and a cute little scraper thing. Lots of onion and other stuff, we were most impressed. Back at the hotel, Jim was most apologetic, doing 90 degrees bowing. He said the chef had not followed his instructions. We approved the work of the pancake chef. Jim is a superb tour guide. Taught us to count to ten in Japanese, entertained, amused and cared for us in every way.

At this moment sitting in the Cathay lounge Hong Kong on the way home