In Japan cherry blossom or Sakura has deep cultural significance, symbolising spring and renewal. The act of viewing the flowers is called hanami, which may date back to the 8th century. There are over 600 varieties of blooming cherry trees none of which bear fruit. Weeping trees are particularly revered.

The transition from bud to bloom is closely monitored by the meteorological office with updates and forecasts published each day. There is a specifically defined data set – which trees (58 preselected nationwide) how many blooming buds (5)etc – to determine that the season has begun in a specific location.

There are a lot of events and festivities centred around the season from food stalls in parks to illuminated displays as well as seasonal food and sake.

We were in Tokyo for the official start of the season and Kyoto for the full bloom.

Emperor Kanmu chose Kyoto as the capital of Japan in 794. It remained as such until the Shogun resigned under pressure from the regional Lords and the capital was transferred to Tokyo in 1869.

Unlike many other Japanese cities it avoided most of the bombing of World War II and was removed from the potential list of A bomb targets as a result of pressure from the US Secretary of War Henry L Stimson, who had visited on his honeymoon.

“1,000 gates” – there are more – on the back of each gate is the sponsor that has paid for the gate and its subsequent upkeep

Miyajima translates as “shrine island” and is a small island reached by ten minute ferry from Hiroshima.

The tori, traditional Japanese gate, of Itsukushima Shinto Shrine sits in the sea, but can be reached at low tide and is one of the most photographed sites in Japan.

The island is visited by thousands during the day but with limited accommodation becomes very calm for those staying overnight. We stayed for two nights and enjoyed the peace while it lasted!

There are a number of Shinto and Buddhist shrines and temples. It is popular for weddings and birth marking ceremonies. However it is forbidden as a location for births and deaths as the whole island is designated as a shrine. With so many visitors and some elderly residents, we were not sure how this works in practice.

The centre of the island is mountainous, accessed by hiking trails, gondola or (as in our case) a combination.

A city forever known for a single event.

On 6 August 1945 at 8.15am the United States dropped the first atomic bomb, Little Boy, on Hiroshima. The order was given by President Harry Truman on the basis that a land invasion of Japan would give rise to total casualties in the millions.

Within a year of dropping the bomb it is estimated 140,000 mainly non combatants had died from the effects.

After the end of the war a Peace Memorial was built. The memorial comprises a museum, a park with a number of memorials and “The A Bomb Dome”, a concrete building constructed as an exhibition hall in 1915 to withstand an earthquake, which was almost directly below the blast.

Today Hiroshima is a city of just over a million almost entirely built since its near destruction in 1945. It was the southern most point of our trip, reached by two Shinkansen trains.

Gora is a major tourist attraction (predominantly domestic tourists) with hot springs as the source of onsen (traditional hot baths). The public onsen comprise male and female only pools where clothes and tattoos are forbidden.

Gora has several art museums including an impressive open air museum but the highlight is the trip to Sounzan by cable car followed by the ropeway (gondola) to Lake Ashi. The ropeway passes over a volcanic valley with active sulphur vents, smelling of bad eggs before, on a clear day, giving views of Mount Fuji.

Mount Fuji is an active volcano and at 3,776 m the highest mountain in Japan. Lake Ashi also gives views of Mount Fuji as well as temples and shrines around its shores.

On our second day the ropeway was closed due to high winds giving us an “opportunity” to try our luck with local buses!

Gora is about 120 km south west of Tokyo and reached by three trains. The first is the famous bullet train (Shinkansen) which first came into service in 1964. It has a maximum speed of 320 km per hour, is the most punctual service in the world and has never had a fatality.

The train is in each station for only a couple of minutes with the passengers already in orderly queues in designated parts of the platform depending on your carriage. Getting on and off the train is helped considerably by the absence of steps or gaps – platform and trains are at the same level with only a few cm between the two.

The next two trains run on the Hakone Tozan Line, with the section from Hakone to Gora being a spectacular mountain railway including three switchbacks.

Tokyo became the capital of Japan, replacing Kyoto, following the resignation of the Tokyo based Shogun and the Emperor moving to the new capital. With a population of 37 million it is the world’s largest city.

Much of Tokyo was destroyed in World War II and few buildings remain from prior. From the 1950s many Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines were rebuilt along historic lines but with modern materials.

The city does not have a major problem with traffic as most locals do not own cars due to the lack of parking, so use public transport. We avoided rush hour and found it easy to get around by metro or taxi. The metro introduced more English signage and announcements in preparation for the recent Olympics which then sadly could not host spectators.

Japan was a feudal country with an Emperor at its head but controlled by the Shogun until 1868, when pressure to industrialise and have greater involvement from the outside world led to major change. The last Shogun gave up his position to leave the Emperor with political power and modernisation began.

After defeat in World War II, Japan became a democracy with the Emperor as figurehead. The population is approximately 125 million with only 3 million non Japanese nationals. Japanese citizens are not permitted to hold a passport for another country. Japan is approximately 20% larger than the British Isles.

It is the fourth largest economy in the world but has suffered from shrinking populations with low birth rates and an ageing population. However more women have been entering the workforce and growth in per capita GDP has been better than most developed countries.

The country is volcanic with Mount Fuji, an active volcano its highest mountain. It has regularly suffered from natural disasters- earthquakes, tsunami and volcanic eruptions.