Shinkansen

Japan has arguably the best train system in the world. Almost everywhere in the country is connected by trains. In regards to railroads, Japan is probably most well known for its bullet trains called Shinkansen. These trains can go almost 200 mph and offer an incredibly smooth ride.

Hiroshima and the Atomic Bomb (Warning-graphic photos of victims are posted)

Hiroshima was the first city in the world to have an atomic bomb dropped on it. The bomb was dropped on August 6, 1945 at precisely 8:15 am. Almost all of the buildings in the city within a two kilometer radius of the hypocenter were destroyed. However a few stood, the most well known of which is now referred to as the A-Bomb Dome or the Hiroshima Peace Memorial. This building now stands as a memorial to the people who were killed from the bombing. Unfortunately, I was not able to see the building in its entirety because there was work being done checking to make sure the building was sound.

the way the building looked prior to the bombing

the building and the scaffolding used to work on it

the A-Bomb dome how it normally looks since the bombing

The A-Bomb Dome and the surrounding area after the bombing

another angle

The dome from across the river

the mushroom cloud created from the atomic bomb

many people who were not killed instantly suffered terrible burns and died days after

the heat of the blast was so intense that it melted and fused together many objects that require thousands of degrees of heat to melt

the bomb itself was about three meters long

Japanese Yen

The money in Japan is called the Yen. The current exchange rate is 1 USD to 117 Yen. The bills come in 10000, 5000, and 1000. The coins come in 500, 100, 50, 10, and 1. The 50 Yen coin is interesting because it has a hole in the middle of it.

the man on the banknote is Hideyo Noguchi, a Japanese bacteriologist 

The Story of North and South Korea

The Demilitarized Zone, or DMZ, is the buffer zone that exists between North and South Korea, the buffer zone between the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and the Republic of Korea, and the buffer zone between communism and democracy. This area has existed since the Korean War armistice was agreed upon in 1953.

the form I was required to sign before going on the tour

all military personnel in the Joint Security Area (JSA) of the DMZ have to wear these armbands that say they are military police

the Military Demarcation Line or MDL runs through the middle of these blue buildings. The gray building in the background belongs to North Korea. This is Conference Row and is part of the JSA

the concrete slab in between the gravel and paved concrete is the MDL. Republic of Korea (ROK) soldiers stand guard 24/7 

a US soldier accompanied me the entire time I was in the DMZ. Notice the sign in the background that says "United Nation Command Military Armistice Commission (UNCMAC) Conference Building" I went into that building and was able to stand on the other side of the MDL, so technically I was in North Korea

the ROK soldiers on guard must be a black belt in Taekwondo 

inside the conference building. the MDL runs through the very center of the table

the left side of the table is South Korea, the right side (where I was standing) is North Korea

me standing next to a ROK soldier on the North Korean side of the building. He was guarding the door making sure I didn't defect

not perfectly lined up, but one foot in both countries

a view of Propaganda Village. fake buildings were built by North Korea in an attempt to lure South Koreans over to their side. It wasn't windy enough for it to fly, but atop the tower is one of the world's largest flags, a North Korean one

North Korea and Propaganda Village in the background. I was not fooled

Dorasan Station is significant because it is the last stop in South Korea, but it could also be the first stop to North Korea

inside Dorasan station. Pyeongyang is North Korea's capital

despite the armistice, there have been multiple skirmishes between North and South. there have been four tunnels found under the DMZ that were dug by the North in order to launch a surprise attack on the South. I was able to walk through part of the Third Infiltration Tunnel