After a long stay in Kyoto (2) I traveled by shinkansen to Fukuoka/Hakata (3), then by a local train to Higashi-Hagi (4), and on to Matsue (5). Next I took a train through the mountains to Kurashiki (6), followed by a trip on the Nozomi (the fastest shinkansen) back to Kyoto. The incoming and outgoing flights landed at Kansai (1) airport, which has a 'commuter train' through Osaka to Kyoto. I recommend anyone traveling in Japan to make a trip on the Nozomi. It is by far the most comfortable train that I traveled on, and traveling at up to 300km/h will make even a long trip seem short.