On Track: quite literally.

I write this from the Shinkansen train from Tokyo to Okayama - where I will be getting off at Shin Osaka to get the train to Hiroshima.

Rain streaks the windows of this 16 carriage sleek train and lightening - or is it bad street lighting? - flickers against the windows. The day started out a humid 32C; I love typhoon weather - it reminds me of Malaysia.

The day got off well, in addition to the repaired computer, the lady at JR lines was so helpful without making me feel like an idiot and we talked through my three trains to Hiroshima so I felt comfortable getting around.

I quickly discovered one plus of travelling with someone - having an extra body to stay with the bags while one goes in search of food. I've skipped breakfast when I saw the price tag (10 pounds) and spent that on a phone call to Kati instead; much more satisfying! But by Tokyo I was starving and pointing hopefully at some pastries that were hopefully not curry flavoured doughnuts (we found them last year!). Unfortunately many things happen to have a fish like tail or prawn head sticking out of it and I don't want to tempt fate by coming out in hives from something that looks like seafood.

Tokyo station was filled with little ladies in outfits screaming to passersby to come to their store. Before I had realised what it was, it was a little terrifying, like walking head on into a crowd of teenagers in the front of a Boyzone concert.

I've noticed a real thing for uniforms so far. From the beige decked, trouser trimmed and bellboy hatted staff at my hotel (come on, it was only an airport Holiday Inn) to the train station staff (man who waves flag on platform sports white gloves, navy suit, captain style hat and red shoulder brocade), railway attendants (women in flight attendant suits complete with side-tied neck scarf) and rubbish pickers (navy boiler suits, cute doozer-style yet pointless light blue plastic helmet),there were so many uniforms I felt I should have brought my very smart English Brownie kit.

The train is zipping through suburban Tokyo now which aside from the odd high rise is a fairly flat sea of roofs which even on modern houses are styled in a traditional method. Temples crowd in next to flats and houses; I'm not sure if they are actually old or built to look that way. Low rise metal electricity poles punctuate the air; the branches make them look like robots attacking the city. As we travel further out, there are pockets of green wedged in between housing. It's all verdant and heavy from the seasonal rains; the rivers winding past are swollen with brown water. Small rice fields are also part of the scenery. The reflection from the grey sky makes them appear as patches of bright yellow to painful to look at. The sky is low and cloudy which means for the second time I won't get a glimpse of Mt Fuji as we speed past it...

I have put together the first week's itinerary on the last train ride; you can view it via the link on the right hand side.

Must go now, there's a man in a cap, beige suit with military trimmed pants, gold brocade but no gloves wanting to see my ticket.