Capital to be here but roll on Sunday

Ireland Tour of Japan: There was more than a touch of regret as we boarded the Shinkansen (bullet train) at Shin-Osaka station last Monday.

Osaka had left an indelible impression, endearing itself for a myriad reasons, most of them genteel and soothing, to the Ireland rugby retinue: players, management, media and parents.

One player left his wallet in a taxi; it was returned within 15 minutes. Another left an iPod on a train; he and it were reunited within an hour at his hotel.

The honesty, the genuine desire to help, whatever the personal inconvenience, is striking. This attitude is the norm, not the exception.

Still, there was the prospect of a trip on the world's fastest train (over 300kph), an appointment with the eyeball-searing, neon gaudiness of a city and its environs clogged with 12 million people and a metropolis that offered the contrast of gorgeous temples, superb architecture and the Imperial Palace: Tokyo beckoned.

The Shinkansen might be a tad faster than the old Iarnród Éireann Dublin-to-Cork "rattler", but the space-age exterior of the train is not replicated in the carriages - the Citygold surroundings would be just as salubrious. A trolley service of overpriced, inedible, plastic fare of detracts from the Shinkansen experience.

Japanese travellers invariably purchase the "bento box", a type of lunchbox crammed with noodle and sushi treats.

We passed Mount Fuji, but low cloud and speed made it impossible to glimpse the snow-capped peak. The short journey from the impressive Tokyo station to the team's base, the Prince hotel, offered something we hadn't heard in a week in Osaka: the blaring of a car horn.

Tokyo is the city of 45 minutes. No matter where you're going, you're told it'll be about 45 minutes away. Negotiating your way around brings you into contact with the 13-line subway, which appears to be a colour-coded noodle dish.

It is, though, a wonderful, user-friendly system that disgorges six million passengers daily within the 23 city wards, or ku. Buying a ticket is simplified by vending machines that offer an English option at the touch of a button and plentiful line maps and dual-language signage for price and direction.

For those who like to live on the edge, there is Shinjuku station and its 60 exits.

The trains and the subway are spotless, the irony being there isn't a bin in sight. Another feature is the distinctive, repetitive noise of high heels on tiles, an integral part of a trip underground. It appears decorous young ladies of a certain vintage like to totter.

The skyscrapers of Shinjuku, including the Gotham-city-like funkiness of the Tokyo government metropolitan building, offer a reference point for travellers within the city. A four-minute walk from the team's hotel is the Tokyo Tower, a replica of, and 13 metres taller than, la Tour Eiffel of Paris.

The Tokyo version is 333 metres, painted day-glo red and was constructed in 1958 to commemorate Japan's rebirth as an economic power. It serves as a television and radio broadcast antenna and tourist attraction.

Visitors can ascend to the main observatory at 150 metres, or another at 250, where on a good day you can not only survey the city but also catch a glimpse of Mount Fuji.

A more cultured experience is a wander round the beautiful Zojoji temple next door to the hotel and tower, built in 1393 and now rendered even more famous by being the venue for the Ireland squad's official picture.

It is the main temple of the Buddhist Jodo sect. In the grounds are small, doll-like figures complete with little windmills that poignantly represent children who have died.

The Ireland party headed for a brief tour of the Imperial Palace, where Japan's Imperial family reside. Parts of the grounds are open to the public through guided tours - but only on January 2nd (New Year's greetings) and December 23rd (Emperor's birthday) are people allowed a glimpse of the inner sanctum and the royal family.

While training has dominated the players' daily schedule - they did attend an official function at the Irish ambassador's residence - there was a brief respite on Wednesday afternoon when those who wanted were allowed to head for Roppongi district and Paddy Foley's drinking emporium, a chance to catch the Lions' game against Wellington.

The pub is owned by a Japanese businessman but managed by Neil Day, an Irishman. It was, in fact, the first Irish pub in Tokyo, but is now one of 80. Once the hub of the 1,200-strong Irish community's social scene, it's still very popular, but the advent of competition means people no longer have to traverse the city.

Tokyo is the louder, brasher sibling of Osaka, and though it is engaging for a day or two, Sunday can't come quickly enough for most of the party.

One more match and the players can return home before dispersing on holidays. It's an appealing prospect.