I took a New Year’s trip to the Orient last year - China and Japan, to be specific. My favorite city in Japan, by far, was Tokyo. But the best is always kept for the last. One of the things I loved about Japan is the names of their various streets and subway stations. Trying to pronounce station names like Fukuromachi, Nishikujō, Konohana-ku, and Sakurajima made us laugh. Just like the names, the Shinkansen metro line, which is the world’s busiest high-speed rail line, was efficient throughout Japan and we were amazed to be able to use the bullet train and transportation so easily in a country where the language is so foreign. The cities of Osaka and Kyoto are filled with beautifully maintained shrines and Buddhist temples. In Osaka, despite it being a major business center of Japan, we walked on a lengthy and traditional uphill road cluttered with vendors on both sides of the narrow street, trying to sell us fish, snacks, little Japanese dolls, etc.

At the end of the road was the Shitenno-ji Temple which was founded about 1400 years ago and is one of the oldest temples in Osaka. Similar to this temple was another Buddhist shrine in Kyoto called Kiyomizu Temple, a large portion of which is perched on a cliff and provides its tourists with an amazing view of the Kyoto city. Both of these temples were not only visited by tourists, but also an abundant number of Buddhists monks and followers, often seen praying and meditating, lighting candles and incense sticks, and joining large groups of people to listen to a preacher. The religious environment of these temples, as well as the decorated high-roofed shapes of each shrine, was astounding. The most famous shrine we visited would was the Itsukushima Shrine, popularly known as the Miyajima shrine, near the city of Hiroshima. The long tram ride we had to take to get to this remote site was very much worth it. This Shinto shrine - Shinto being another major religion of Japan - often occurs to us when we think of Japan and is one of Unesco’s World Heritage Sites. The body of water that surrounds this orange-colored structure gives it a feeling of sanctity and the motor boat ride that takes tourists to the site is magnificent. The journey there was around dusk and the twilight looked gorgeous on the shrine and the mountains behind it. Adding to the purity of the place were the numerous deer running around the tourists, and the entire environment expressed the serene beauty and culture of Japan.

The Miyajima shrine is of course not the only tourist spot in and around Hiroshima. We all know the atomic destruction that Hiroshima endured at the end of World War II, and standing there today is the only building that still exists near the bombing area. Known as the Hiroshima Peace Memorial, the Atomic Bomb Dome serves as a memorial to the people who died in the atomic bombing of Hiroshima. The absolute destruction of the bomb can be seen in the Dome. The hinges holding it up are barely recognizable, the paint has melted off the walls, and the only parts of the roof that are still there are the metal rods forming the dome structure. The building that once was an industrial promotion hall now overlooks a river as a memoir to those who died a tragic death. The Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum told us more about the first atomic bombing in history on August 6, 1945. With horrifying images of burnt skin, gray skies, and the mushroom cloud, the museum provides heart-wrenching exposure to the fatalities of the atomic bomb. Holding information about the 140,000 deaths, the museum reminds us of the casualties and horrors of warfare and stands as a homage of peace.

Another historical building we saw was in Tokyo. The Imperial Palace, where the Emperor Akihito currently resides, sits alongside a river with the Meganebashi Bridge spanning it. The river beneath it curves away behind the trees, but the part of it that is visible is truly beautiful and adds to the serenity of the Palace and its surroundings. Other than the Imperial Palace, Tokyo is known for its Tokyo Tower along with great commercial centers around the city with high-tech shops and sushi restaurants. The Tokyo Tower, at 1,091 ft., is the tallest self-supporting steel structure in the world. It is also the tallest artificial structure in Japan, much taller than the Eiffel Tower, which is 1,063 ft. Inside the tower are a number of commercial attractions, the main one being the observation deck. This circular glass-covered room gives a 360 degree view of the city, and it was very exciting to be able to see Disney World Japan and Mt. Fuji from the tower. On the other floors were various other attractions such as the Guinness World Records Museum, which we went into and learned all sorts of fun facts.

The Ginza district in Tokyo is recognized as one of the most luxurious shopping districts in the world, with name-brand stores lining the glamorous main street. Dior, Sony, Giorgio Armani, Casio, and many other major companies have stores in this famous shopping district, my favorite being the Sony store which included five stories of electronic goodies. In the store, I saw the first pocket laptop which was recently premiered, a robot that dances around while playing music, and many other interesting gadgets that I’ve never seen before, not even back in the States. It was interesting to see how technologically advanced Japan is, and walking out of the Sony store, I decided that if Ginza adds a couple more major stores and a few more neon lights, it will be as good as any Times Square. Ginza is not only known for its commercial sector, but also for its various restaurants and cafes. A restaurant very close to Ginza was where I tried sushi for the very first time. The chef handed it to me and this Japanese cuisine of raw fish, seaweed, and vinegar rice became one of my favorites.

The final bullet train ride of the trip lasted about two hours from Kyoto back to Tokyo, along the snow-bathed landscape of Japan. Although we hadn’t experienced a snow fall in Tokyo, it had snowed in some of the rural regions we passed. The rooftops, the grass, the tops of cars, the trees, everything was white. We passed snowy barns and little towns with empty farming fields and winter-abandoned ranches. We passed the famous snow-capped Mt. Fuji, standing there like a giant. Looking out from the glass window, I had to strain to get a good picture of the entire mountain.

On the flight back to the States, I knew I be asked about my favorite part of the trip. But I loved every destination in China and Japan, even the places with temperatures below zero. With this thought, I got out of the airport, put on a light jacket, and walked out under the sunny skies of Houston, Texas.