Arrived in Japan yesterday, Sunday, Aug. 27. It is disconcerting to fly following the sun and lose a day. It was about 11 pm San Francisco time, when we arrived, the next day. The smartest thing I did was arrange for a guide to meet us at the Osaka Airport (Kansai). Remy helped us purchase IC cards and train tickets. First night was in Kyoto. The most efficient way to travel is by train. There’s an express. The Haruka express operated by JR West. We bought first class tickets which gave us assigned seats. We swiped our tickets through the fare gates and took the escalator down to the platforms. I’m not sure how many trains call at Osaka. I saw our express and an Osaka Loop train. (See photo) The closest thing we have in the U.S. to this kind of service is in Chicago. In Osaka and Tokyo, the JR urban railroads have loop trains that circulate around the central city core. I’m planning to ride the Yamanote Line in Tokyo. Japanese trains sometimes have special paint schemes. Our...