My week in Japan flew by; it was a snapshot. Yet using my special, tourist-only Japan Rail pass (~$250 for a week, and I probably put $1000 worth of travel on it; thanks again, Aaron, for the tip) and a fresh pair of sneakers (I probably walked 50 miles), I was able to cover a great deal of ground. I spent two full days touring Tokyo, and took day trips to Kyoto, Osaka, and Hiroshima via Shinkansen, the bullet train. In Nagoya, I stayed with my friend Aaron and his girlfriend, Nami.

This is only a glimpse of Japan. Schoolgirls, salarymen, and 12-story department stores will flash by; you'll spy no policemen, pachinko parlors, or fourth-floor bars. For some reason I didn't get photos of the uniquely Japanese style of graphic design that's so omnipresent, images can't convey the sensory overload that defines Japanese cities, and Japanese culture, Japanese people? I can offer no great insight; Japan must be experienced. But I hope to share with you at least a little of what I found so fascinating about it.

I've divided the tour up into cities -- we'll be exploring places more or less chronologically, for simplicity's sake -- and a special railfanning section, as I am of course an urbanist, a geek about the built environment. As some photos are better than others, I've also included wallpaper of my best images, as well as a few short videos. Please click on "Tokyo (Part 1)" below to begin -- but note that random observations are located throughout these pages, as Japan, like life, is not linear.