My Japanese Picture Book Trivia Quiz

Answer: Bullet Trains

The name "bullet train" refers both to the speed of the trains - in 2003 it set what was then a world record speed of 361 mph - and their streamlined, bullet-like appearance. In 2013, the Shinkansen linked most of the major cities of Honshu and Kyushu (the first and third largest islands of Japan respectively). The service is divided into several lines, such as Tokaido Shinkansen, which runs over a distance of 515 km between Tokyo and Osaka, stopping at Kyoto and other stations along the way.

The efficiency and technology in Japan makes getting from one place to another a joy. Even as a non-Japanese speaker, the train lines in Tokyo were easy to use. Passengers tend to use Suica - a travel card which can be topped up and used as currency on the trains, much in the same way as the Oyster Card is used in London. Suica cards can even be used to purchase cold beverages from the train station vending machines!

Answer: Electronics and anime

Akihabara (often known as Akiba) is what I imagined Tokyo to be like before I visited - bright lights and busy streets full of colour, sound, and enormous advertising signs. Akihabara is the undisputed home of electronics and anime in Tokyo. Throughout Tokyo you can browse selections of anime comics at mangakissa - manga cafes which allow customers to rent private booths to enjoy their comics in peace and quiet. Some of these cafes even offer overnight stay.

As mentioned, Tokyo is split up into several districts, each of which has a unique character. Ginza is the home of high-street shops, while Shinjuku is characterised by its skyscrapers, and Shibuya by its nightlife.

Tokyo is not all bright lights and big buildings. The busy streets are often (and, at first, unexpectedly) punctuated by beautiful parks and gardens which give a feel of being a million miles from the built-up city.

Answer: Skytree

The Tokyo Skytree took just under four years to complete, and was opened to the public in May 2012. The novelty of this tower was unbeknownst to me when I arrived in Tokyo shortly after its opening, which meant a rather long wait in the queue. Stunning artwork can be found throughout the building, and there are numerous shops and restaurants for visitors.

At the front of the queue, visitors were invited into a magical-looking elevator with shiny, bejewelled black walls. The speed at which the elevator carriage travels upwards is actually enough to make your ears pop as you arrive at the viewing station 350 m above the ground. Visitors willing to pay extra can travel up a further 100 m.

Answer: Harajuku

Nearby to Harajuku station, you will see an enormous torii, which marks the entrance to the Meiji Shrine. Emperor Meiji reigned from 1867 to 1912 and was responsible firstly for the renaming of the city of Edo to Tokyo, and in 1889 for moving the nation's capital to this newly named city. The Meiji Shrine itself was officially completed in 1926, and it features several artistic displays, as well as several information signs telling visitors about different parts of Japanese history. Directly across from the wall of sake barrels is a wall of burgundy barrels. The emperor was known to enjoy his wine, and these barrels were offered to him as a gift from France.

Deeper into the Meiji Shrine is the Inner Garden, which bursts with life. Its ponds are filled with koi carp and tortoises, and its bushes with various creatures including raccoon dogs. I was lucky enough to be visiting the garden shortly after the large bloom of flowers which gives the Inner Garden its alternative name of the "Iris Gardens".

A short walk from the Meiji Shrine is Harajuku, which is famous for the eccentric fashion style of the people (mostly teenagers) who visit. The colour pink leaps out at you immediately, and there is also a predominant Gothic style amongst the youngsters.

Answer: Ueno Zoo

Ueno Zoo was opened in 1882 and is Japan's oldest zoo. It received two pandas from a Chinese nature reserve in 2011, which quickly became one of the most popular attractions. The birth of a panda cub in the summer of 2012 made headlines all over the world, but the cub sadly died after contracting pneumonia. This sad event occurred just two days before I visited the zoo, which had by then built a small shrine for the cub where visitors could lay flowers.

Ueno Zoo also houses Japan's first monorail, which visitors use to get between the two main areas of the zoo.

Answer: Nara

Nara, which is located about an hour outside of Kyoto by train, was the capital of Japan before both Tokyo and Kyoto, from 710 to 784.

The Todai-ji complex contains parks, gardens, and ancient shrines. Throughout the complex, sika deer, which are regarded as messengers of god, are free to roam. The deer are tame, but warning sings throughout the complex remind visitors to be cautious when approaching them. A stall at the main entrance sells biscuits for the deer, which visitors may buy. I arrived at Todai-ji in the early hours of the morning when the stall had just opened and was (un)fortunate enough to see the reaction of the deer who set upon the unthinking man who was the first to feed them that day (no one was hurt in the process!).

The main part of the complex is the temple which holds the world's largest bronze statue of Buddha. There are various additional and impressive statues in this temple. Early in the morning, the complex was populated only by me and several groups of schoolchildren. Seeing a large queue forming in the temple, I decided to join, thinking that whatever could result in such a queue must be worth the wait. As I got nearer to the front of the queue, I saw six year-old Japanese schoolchildren, one-by-one, struggling to get through a small hole within an enormous wooden pillar which helped to support the temple. Having waited so long in the queue, I felt it would be a waste not to give it a go (much to the horror of the temple workers and to the delight of the schoolchildren). Inevitably, I became stuck halfway. With the help of the schoolchildren who pulled my arms and pushed my legs (all the while taking pictures of me on their cameras) I managed to pop out of the column to rapturous applause. Only afterwards did I discover that I had just passed through what was called "Buddha's Nostril" and by doing so had gained eternal enlightenment.

Answer: Naoshima

The island of Naoshima was like nothing I had ever seen. For hundreds of years, the island's small population was supported by the fishing trade, but it has since become a popular destination for art-lovers. Since the late 1980s, the Benesse Corporation has overseen the installation of various artworks all over the island, as well as several art museums. The result is a landscape which has both the charms of a rural fishing community, and the occasional artwork which makes you stop and stare.

One such museum on the island is the Chichu Art Museum, which houses several works by Claude Monet. This curious museum was designed as if to merge into the island, and is partly underground. Its name - Chichu Bijutsukan - literally means "art museum built into the earth". The museum also features installations by the Arizonan artist James Turrell, who relies on light and colour to create works which initially deceive the senses. Turrell also has another art installation inside a darkened hut on another part of the island. This, along with many other art features, can be discovered as part of an organised scavenger hunt.

Another curiosity of this island was a small cafe where I was served a delicious seafood curry. I began to look around and noticed that everything, from the menu, to the clocks, to the apron of the waitress, was cat-themed. Indeed, through a glass panel next to where I was eating was a room with around thirty cats that no doubt were after my curry.

Answer: The Kamo

The Kamo River, which flows through Kyoto, is a popular spot for people who wish to read, walk, or say hello to stray cats. The Kamo has its source in the mountainous northern region of Kyoto and ultimately joins with other rivers as a tributary of the Yodo River system.

Kyoto seems to specialise in serene waterways. The Philosopher's Walk describes a footpath running along a canal, off of which can be found a selection of Buddhist and Shinto shrines. It takes its name from Nishida Kataro, a 20th century Japanese philosopher who used to walk the length of the canal during his meditations.

Answer: Kyoto

The building in the picture is the main hall of the Kiyomizu-dera temple complex, which is made up of several buildings. This complex was built in the 8th century and is named for the Otowa Waterfall on which it is built (the name "Kiyomizu-dera" translates as "Pure Water Temple").

The impressive main hall juts from the trees and is supported by wooden stilts, giving it the appearance of an elaborate tree house.

Answer: The Temple of the Golden Pavilion

Kinkaku-ji is located in northern Kyoto and was purchased in 1397 by Shogun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu. Yoshimistsu intended the site to become a Zen temple after his death, and this was honoured by his son. After being largely destroyed by fire, the temple was reconstructed in 1955 and is now covered in gold leaf.

The original temple inspired Yoshimitsu's grandson to create a "Temple of the Silver Pavilion", also in Kyoto. Its construction began in 1482, but has arguably never been completed, since the original intention of covering it in silver leaf was not fulfilled. Following restoration in 2008, it was decided that silver leaf should not be added to the temple, but should be left as it is.