Japan's Bullet Train

Last night I ate Kobe beef for dinner. In Kobe. I could do this – eat the most gratuitously flash meal of my life, that is – because Kobe was just 13 minutes away by bullet train. It takes longer than that to walk to my local pizzeria and wait for a Quattro Stagione.

So, I did it. Why not? It had been the same with Osaka – this time a paltry 14 minutes from Kyoto, or as long as it takes to grind past three bus stops in central London.

I never dreamed I could see off-the-beaten-track cities such as Kobe and Osaka on a week’s trip to Japan, but here I am, still picking the meat out of my teeth.
The Sunday Times Travel Magazine - October

The shinkansen (bullet train) travels across Japan at 300kph. It is never late. If you have only limited time in which to see the country, this is how to travel. Thus, in a week, I squeezed in the mania of Tokyo, the tranquil temples of Kyoto, the urban grit of Osaka, the restful hot springs of Kinosaki, and the fine food of Kobe. Here’s how…

TOKYO AND KYOTO: Singing toilets and the geisha trail...

Read entire article here.