I had a memorable visit to Japan with my father and mother. My father had to attend a workshop there, and my mother and I accompanied him.

We travelled to Japan from Kathmandu via Bangkok. We were greeted with “Konnichiwa” (Japanese word for hello) at the airport. And the small room at our hotel came as a surprise. Yet, it was an even bigger surprise to see how well the Japanese had managed the space.

Mr Nagahira, a friend of my father’s, was waiting to take us to the Tokyo Tower and the view was awesome. Then Mr Nagahira’s boss invited us for dinner at a Japanese restaurant where we had a dinner of eight courses all made of tofu (bean curd).

The next morning we took a bullet train to Osaka, and a connecting train to Hiroshima, the city destroyed by the first atomic bomb. We visited the shrine at Miyajima and then boarded a ship for an island that was packed with deer.

The following day we visited Nara, a place full of temples that it bored me a bit. The next day was dedicated to Kyoto’s shopping malls. Obviously my mother enjoyed herself thoroughly.

The next day, we went to Osaka. My dad and I visited Osaka Castle. The air-conditioning there was a great relief as the outside temperature was 40 degrees Celsius. Then we visited the Mosaic Garden in Kobe, where I enjoyed the giant wheel very much. I also won a number of prizes in games at the park.

The next day, we visited the beautiful Golden temple and the Silver temple where we took many photos of the designs on the sand. The view from the top of the temple stairs was magnificent. We then took a train to Okayama from where we continued through the longest bridge in the world to Utazu.

My mother’s brother, Trip Uncle, who lives in Tokyo picked us up. And after a few hours rest, we drove to the Rainbow Bridge.

When we visited Mt Fuji, it was beautiful there but the weather was not so. However, while returning, the weather cleared and we drove along as far as cars were allowed. I picked up a few pieces of lava rocks.

The next morning, we took the plane back home.

I learnt many things from this trip — how people can make use of little space for example, small houses, rooms and toilets, and also the use of time. I found out that Japan is the safest country in the world and that even a three-year-old can go to school by himself. — Gaurav Rawat, British School,

Kathmandu

Traveller’s tips :

If ever you find yourself in Japan, remember to

• Always to take all your maps with you

• Buy the Japan Rail Pass if you are a tourist

• Learn the rudiments of the language

• Always carry a water bottle and umbrella as it can get very hot

• Don’t forget your camera

• Prices of items are largely the same everywhere

When people say Japan is expensive, it’s not true. Things are not really so costly unless you stay in expensive hotel or do a lot of shopping.