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than 24 hours just to reach Japan. Today it’s less than half
that duration with direct flights to Tokyo from most European
hubs, and, its the same from the various USA cities and
key Asian start points. Modern air travel has changed
everything, not least the total cost of travelling to far flung
destinations like Japan .
In 1985 the cost of a flight from LHR to Toyo was around
£1500. That’s almost £4300 inflation adjusted for today. In
2016, a quick shop round will find you the same flight, but
today it will cost you less than £500. This means today the
real cost of flying to Japan is less than 15% of the cost of
the same flight thirty years ago!

While inflationary forces seem omnipresent in the west,
in Japan things don’t change much. Thirty years ago a
decent Nagaoka hotel cost around ¥8000 ish a night, which
seemed expensive at the time, even at an exchange rate
of ¥350/£1, today the same hotel still cost circa ¥8000 ish,
but at ¥180/£1 the real cost , although absolutely nothing to
do with Japan, is now double. So much for zero inflation?
It could be worse though, it’s that not that long ago since
todays ¥180/£1 was ¥120/£1! with historic temples and the most beautiful gardens on the

Japan is not generally a cheap place to visit. Things are planet, as anyone who has ever visited Tōdai-ji in Nara or
expensive. For example, the price paid for the“Carlesburg” old Kyoto will attest.
inspired railway system is, predictably, when things are run The Japanese being the Japanese, it’s also a territory where
and staffed properly, not cheap, and this is very much the the devil is always in the detail. Simple things like winter tree
case for JR. But if you are planning to do some internal protectors, are, often ornate and mini works of carpentry art.
travelling Japanese Railways (aka JR) offer visitors a rail Ryōan-ji garden in Kyoto is considered one of the (if not the)
pass. This is only available for purchase outside Japan, finest surviving examples of kare-sansui (dry landscape).
so it’s no good having a good idea once you arrive - buy it These wonderful places, and things, are a humbling, almost
before you travel to Japan! spiritual assault on the senses in the most positive of ways.
The cost in the UK/USA currently is: There are of course Koi breeders all over Japan, and all
theelements we have mentioned, and much more, are
7 Days = £152/$230 concentrated in the Koi production regions in general and
14 days = £242/$366 Niigata in particular.
21 Days = £309/$468
A combination of natural national pride, and, individual
But given that it’s going to cost you circa £63 each way from responsibility for personal, family, community and country
Narita to Nagaoka on two trains, any additional internal are difficult to articulate to non-Japanese cynics, but there
travel to say Isawa, Hiroshima etc makes the acquisition of are many unspoken lessons here for western selfish,
a JR Rail pass before you leave home, a no-brainer. lethargy. The bottom line is that for those afflicted with the
There is also a lot more to Japan than Koi. It’s an incredibly art of Koi, Japan is and almost non negotiable piece of
diverse nation, a place where ancient and modern juxta the knowledge jigsaw of understanding, and, totally non
pose in an almost ungainly dance, that just works. Japan is negotiable for those aspiring to begin to really understand
also a nation of contrast. The incredible modernity of Tokyo Koi. It’s also great fun, so...do it!
with its electronic hustle and bustle, sits surprisingly easily

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