Glas ow's Moroccan Choosing mos ‘ food with a the best talked- Spanish new TV set about bar flavour M5599 PAGE9‘7 PAGE98
Honshu in bloom
From the mad rush of Tokyo to the villages of the Japanese Alps. exploring by train is the best way to get the most out of Japan. discovers Caroline Pretty.
JAPANESE TRAINS FACTFILE Japan introduced bullet trains as long ago as 1964. Back then, their top speed was
200kmh. Today, the bullet trains manage an impressive 300kmh.
Smoking is still permitted on Japanese trains, but it has just been announced that JR East is to introduce a ban in Spring 2007.
lnnk til Japan and a rush (ll apparentl\ tnntradit‘tuu Images spring to mind triim the ehanlit'. neon tlt‘L‘ltt'llL'tl et'tl\lt Hl 'litlhht‘. lit lllL' tt'llllt‘tl t'legaltt‘t‘ ill geishax and tea ceremonies; lrum lllltlt‘l\llt'. lightning laxl hnllet trams. tn the ealm tranqmllit} (ll .inerent tentpr and /en gardens. .»\ trip through the eentte ul .l.tp.itt\ main l\l;llltl. llunxhn. urll re\ea| lltl\ tll\t'l'\ll_\ mall ll\ gliirx. \htming that. despite the tumnllnunx metal. pnlrtit'al .md eennnmie ehangex that ha\e melted the tummy met the past eenlnr). enntempnrar_\ Japan I\ a nation in \xlnt‘h the L‘ttllll';t\l\ til old and new are ine\trieahl} mterm med. 'liilxyi'x identit} a\ a \a\t. [HIlMtllllLH ll lltllll lllt‘llttltttll\. ix perhaps hext eprtnmixed in the legendar} \‘lnnrnlxn dixtriet With its ernxh til tmxerrng \l\_\\t'raper\. high t'la\\ department \torex. seed} strip harx. enlting edge elnhx. noise. nenn and sheer \iilnme til human trallie liner million people pass through its station e\eI‘_\ da_\ l. Slnnrnkn
hn//e\ \\ ith a head_\
atmosphere harel}
ennxtrained pandemnnnnn.
When the ehanx til llllx}()
gets too mneh. it’s time to lnt
the fund. ()I‘ lk‘ttet‘ \lill. tlle '
railx. .lapan'x rail netmirk l\ s
ineredihle \nper quielx. THE ROAD, $5 EBEAILESR'
\Ck'tllltl\
\PtlllL‘\\l_\ elean and enxiahl}
reliable. Virtuall) all lt';tllt\ run
like elnekunrk. and \\ hen
things dti gu “rung. the
a\erage 'de|a_\' l\ inst a le\\
When the lirxt \hinkanxen or ‘hullet’ llttllt\ lulled mm m l‘)(i41he} \\ ere an inxtant \ueeexs. nllering a potent \} mlml til the natiim'x pmt \xar rexnrgenee. l'he_\ remain a wnree til national pride. and an enduring renn nl modern Japan I tra\el|ed on an older mndel. but this rnrddle aged lteattt} still managed to /ip along perleell} elegantlx at \peetlx Hl up to th miles per hour. (hanging at \agnyt to a mere ‘liieal' train. I e\peeted it to leel like some kind til elmgging behemoth. but again the innrne} \\a\ \llltmtlt. men as we elimhed high into the stunning mountain seener} til the llida distriet. Here. the eharmmgl} etitnpael eit} lelttlxtt};tltl;tl3()1t\l\ hustling lllitt'le'h. attrattne lllll\ltlL' temples and «me ill .lapan's mmt llamhmant lexlt\;tl\
.-\ \trnll though the old l()\\ll.\ \ihrant morning markets I\ a great \\a_\ to start the da_\. a\ the narrim \ll'L‘L‘l\ heeiime jammed \xith stalls selling eua‘fihihg lrnm lrnrt and \egelaltlex tn the linest lneal delieaetes and liilk eraltx. .\ltl\l til the lurid \tztllx \xill itlltm )(itt It) It} lt‘ee \alttple\. as \xill man} (it the \alxe hrexxeries m the nearh} Sanmaeln distriet lidentil‘ied h} large halls ()l eedar l\\|j_'\ hanging ahm e their entraneesl. (her in the 'l‘eramaehi and Shirn}ama—lmen distriets. more than a dn/en pt‘ett} \lll'lnL‘\ and temples nestle in the hill} parkland lone ()l uhreh houses a eharming but rather \triet )unth hmtell. .\ \artet}
Ul
\ex. \eenndx.
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