As Promised

As I promised in my post before last, I'll start doing weekly posts on what I'm doing and where I'm going on my trip. I can't guarantee that it'll be on the same day every week, because my work schedule differs every week and most of the time I can't be bothered to write.
So today I'm just going to recap my plan :).

At the moment I am looking at a flight with Air China from London Gatwick to Tokyo via Beijing for about £545.00. I want to find out what kind of layover time I'll have, because if I can I'll go and explore some of Beijing. I'd love to film it, but I'm also terrified of being arrested for it!!

So by the 1st of June 2011 I should be landing in Tokyo, probably jet-lagged, grouchy and confused. I think I'll be losing a day flying out, so that'll take some getting used to.
For the first week, I'll be trying to get to grips with Japan in Tokyo. I think this is when I'm going to do more of the touristy stuff there is to do in the city.
A week later I'll be catching a night bus over to Nara city for a week there. I'm really excited about seeing the huge park, the tame deer and the daibutsu!!
Of course after a week there it is time to move on again, heading only a short way over to Kyoto. I haven't actually done a huge amount of reading up on Kyoto yet, but I know it was the old Imperial capital and is full of history.
Another short journey takes me only a few miles to Osaka, Japan's second city. Lots to do here, both modern and historical. Should be good.
After touring around that area of Japan, I have a slightly longer journey over to Kobe. Voted the world's best place to live, I'd like to see for myself. Who knows, I might even settle there one day.
The tour now brings me further south to Hiroshima, the city famous for being hit by an atomic bomb in 1945. Of course I want to visit the Peace Park in Hiroshima, but as I'm there for a week, I'll be doing a lot more as well.
And now I head down to Fukuoka, the closest city to mainland Asia. Smaller in comparison to other places, it stills looks very interesting, and I think there is a castle there too (forgive me if I'm wrong, I'm not lookiung this up as I write).
After Fukuoka for a week, I'm jetting all the way back up to Tokyo for a final week, this time to "live" Tokyo, rather than to see it. I'll be heading off the beaten track much more, and possibly heading out to the island of Niijima during this week too.

Now many of you may be thinking that a week in each place is a lot of time to see the attractions! However, this is after all a sort of holiday, so I'm going to be taking things slowly, relaxing more and having more fun. I'll be able to see past the tourist board and to what the city is really all about, I hope anyway.

I should be ending my trip mid-August, and then almost immediately starting university. I cannot wait for either, but I have a little way to go yet.

Until next time,
~GA