Japan – The Land of the Rising Sun. I always wanted to visit Japan, but at the back of my mind it was always a country which I planned to visit later in life. I was fortunate enough to find two friends who were interested in the idea. It took us around a month to plan it all out – sorting our flights, accommodation and discussing which places we wanted to visit. We drew a rough plan and it was set in stone. For those interested in visiting the country, don’t hold back – do it. From the countries I’ve had to opportunity to visit, Japan ranks first in my books. A true superpower, this country has it all – metropolitan cities, massive gardens, temple complexes, theme parks, festivals, hiking activities, fairytale castles, districts dedicated to technology, manga and anime…. the list is endless. The best thing out of all this? The people. Although relatively shy, their attitude and respect to everything is a characteristic to look up to.
I personally love planning out a trip and focusing on what interests me the most, however to save you plenty of time I am going to include the itinerary we followed. I’m confident that you will find this information useful if you ever plan to ever visit this beautiful country.
Tokyo and Nikkō
Tokyo, the capital city of Japan is one huge metropolis. There’s so much to do it is very easy to waste time coming up with a plan on the fly. Prior to visiting Tokyo, I suggest you get a little familiar with its districts. You don’t need to drive yourself crazy and physically map out all the districts and points of interest, but I do recommend that you have a high level plan of what a district offers. For example, it is good to know that Ginza is Japan’s premier shopping district or Akihabara is the technology district. In this way you will be able to balance your activities easily.
During the 6 days, you may dedicate a day trip to go to Nikkō, which is a city in the mountains of Japan. Here you can enjoy the city’s National Park, ‘onsen‘ hot springs and experience walking a couple of awesome trails.
Another day trip may be dedicated to visit Mount Fuji.
Usually tourists and locals opt for the Hakone Tour and a cruise which takes you round Lake Ashi. Some of the best places to visit in Tokyo include the temple complex next to Senso-ji, the Tsukiji fish market, the Skytree observation tower, the picturesque Imperial Palace and the National Museum which is located in the beautiful Ueno Park. The district of Shinjuku must also go on the list with Akihabara and Ginza. Kids will also appreciate a trip to the Ueno Zoo which hosts a couple of giant pandas, gorillas, crocodiles and Sumatran tigers, to mention a few.
Koyasan and Mount Koya
A small town on a mountain surrounded by forests, Koyasan is a place you need to visit. You will not regret it. Mainly because it is a little out of the way, many Japanese people haven’t even had the opportunity to visit this place. Many tourists avoid it for the same reason. Why should you visit this place? Simple. It is one of the best places where you can experience living with the monks in a temple. Apart from experiencing their cuisine, known as shojin ryori, you will have the opportunity to attend early morning prayers with a few monks. There are well over 35 temples in the area, but you will need to book as early as possible before even arriving in Japan. The rooms are always taken and the prices tend to be quite steep. The town also boasts a massive temple complex and also a picturesque cemetery known as Okunoin.
Hiroshima
For some reason I thought that Hiroshima would be a disappointment, mainly due to the atomic bomb’s history. I couldn’t have been more wrong about this beautiful city. Although the city is quite large, you immediately feel the difference in comparison to Tokyo. The city somehow feels a little more laid back, minus the men in suits. It felt strange. A few places which are worth visiting in Hiroshima include the Peace Museum, Hiroshima Castle and hands down the most beautiful park I’ve ever laid my eyes on – Shukkei-en (Asano Park). Dedicate a few nights walking around the lit up streets, especially next to the river called Ōta.
Himeji
Before leaving Hiroshima, we decided to make a stop by Himeji which is a city found in the Hyōgo Prefecture between Osaka and Hiroshima. The aim was to visit the Himeji Castle, a white Japanese castle-complex located on a hill. Paying a little more will give you direct access to the top part of the castle located in the keep. The first floor of the castle is known as the “thousand-mat room”, which is filled with Tatami mats. There are also big gates which divide the different sections of the castle, which is surrounded by moats. Three moats existed in the past, however only a couple survive today. Unfortunately I didn’t get to see much of the city, but visiting Himeji Castle, its surrounding grounds and gardens should be on anyone’s bucket list.
Osaka
Osaka is the second largest metropolitan city in Japan. It is a port city. Like Tokyo, Osaka is littered with activities and places to see. We had opted to take a break from city life, so we decided to head directly to a place known as the Universal District. In this district lies Universal Studios Japan which definitely offered something completely different from what we had experienced during our stay. Most of the time was spent around the Universal grounds and we were lucky to experience most of the entertainment that the theme park threw at us. The theme park includes major attractions like the Spider-Man ride, the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, a Jurassic Park ride and also a small cruise with Jaws. There are many other rides apart from these, all of which come with an adjacent shop.
A stone’s throw away from the Universal District you can also find a ferry shuttle service which drops you off next to a couple more awesome places – the Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan and the Tempozan Ferris Wheel which I recommend you consider visiting. If you have never seen whale sharks or manta rays, you will enjoy this. In the same area, which is on an island, there is also a shopping mall with little restaurants inside it. The prices range from average to high, but there are some really good options. There is also the Tempozan Park which you may visit and lights up very beautiful at night. Consider a walk in the surrounding area before catching a ferry ride back to the Universal District.
Osaka’s centre also boasts a number of great places to visit however you may need to catch a couple of trains to fit them all in. The first is Osaka Castle and the surrounding grounds. The Umeda Sky Building is another. If you are into parks, then you need to drop by Tennoji Park. There is also Nagai Botanical Garden next to Nagai Park. Osaka also has its own zoo known as Tennoji Zoo which currently houses around 1000 animals including a hippo and a rhino house. Like any other place in Japan, you will also find a few temples like Shitenno-ji. The Buddhist temple called Nakayama-dera is also beautiful but it is a bit out of the way to the north. There is also a Shinto shrine known asTenman-gu where a Tenjin Festival is held annually – one of Japan’s top 3 festivals. Namba Parks is a shopping complex, just in case that’s your thing. If you likes museums then I am happy to inform you that you will find a few including the Osaka Science Museum, the Osaka International Peace Center and the National Museum of Art.
Kyoto and Nara
If you’ve seen picturesque temples in gardens on the Internet, chances are you’ve been looking at pictures of Kyoto. Kyoto is very different from the metropolitan cities likes Osaka and Tokyo. The main reason for this is the history. Once the capital city of Japan, Kyoto boasts some of the most spectacular sites and traditions in the country. You will most likely see women dressed up in kimonos. The district of Gion is a must see. The old area houses numerous wooden houses, most of which are in use till this very day. If you’re lucky you will come across the local female entertainers known as geishas.
Having some of the best temples in the world, I suggest giving priority to Kinkaku-ji; The Golden Pavilion. The surrounding gardens are also a pleasure to walk in. A close second is the Kiyomizu-dera UNESCO World Heritage site which is Buddhist temple. The five story pagoda, Ninna-ji should also make it on your list. The list of temples in Kyoto is endless so I highly recommend that you walk the areas which are littered with temples (you cannot miss them) and decide there and then if you’re up for some more temple site-seeing.
Temples however aren’t the only sites that Kyoto has to offer. Chances are you haven’t heard about Arashiyama. You did however see photos of a bamboo forest. Arashiyama is located on the outskirts of Kyoto and can be reached by train. Close by to the forest you will also find the Ōi River and a bridge. Once you cross the bridge you will come across signs to a monkey park which is located on a small mountain. Take some good walking shoes to ease the climb. The monkey park was decent, but you will need to climb for the views of the city underneath. I suggest you store any food or water in your day-pack to avoid any drama with the monkeys.
Fushimi Inari Taisha is another place you need to include when visiting Kyoto. There is a trek which leads up to Mount Inari, which is a three to four hour walk. More than 3/4 of the people who started with us, did not manage to make it to the top. You need good trekking shoes. The beauty of the trek lies in the thousands of red torii gates which you need to pass through. There are well over 10,000 torii gates which have been individually donated by businesses as a way to give thanks for prosperity and to hope for a better future.
If you like museums, consider visiting the Kyoto National Museum and the Kyoto International Manga Museum. Kyoto also has a botanical garden known as the Kyoto Prefectural Botanical Garden which is also worth a visit if you have some spare time.
Bordering the Kyoto Prefecture, you can also dedicate a full day to visit the Nara Prefecture. I believe a day is enough to enjoy Nara and interact with the surroundings, including the large number of deer roaming the streets and the parks. A collective number of sites within Nara, known as Historic Monuments of Ancient Nara, include Yakushi-ji, Todai-ji, the Great Buddha and Kasuga Shrine.
Helpful Travel Information
Airport
- Tokyo has two main airports, Haneda and Narita.
- I suggest that you try and arrive in Haneda as it is the closest.
- Narita Airport is over an hour away from the centre.
Japan Rail Pass
- If you plan to do some long distance travelling in Japan, I suggest you use bullet trains called Shinkansen.
- I recommend getting what is known as a Japan Rail Pass. I found absolutely no problems with this company.
- Depending on where you are going, especially if you are simply visiting one place away from Tokyo (Example: Tokyo to Kyoto), then it may not be worth getting.
- Having a JR Pass does not mean that you will be able to use any train “for free”. You will not be able to use the pass for the Nozomi, Mizuho and JR trains using non-JR tracks.
- Refer to more information about train access here.
- Price: €426 / $483 for 21 days.
Pocket WIFI
- You don’t trust yourself with directions and using 3G/4G services is way too expensive – go for a Pocket WIFI.
- The same company that offers the Japan Rail Pass, offers Pocket WIFI servicess which you pick up from the airport upon arrival.
- In a nutshell, you have an Internet router with you which will allow you to easily have instantaneous Internet access.
- All you need to keep in mind is that you need to charge it in the same way you would charge a mobile, via a USB adapter which is also provided.
- Price: €44 / $50 for 5 days.
Recommended Monasteries in Koyasan:
The experience booking through Japanese Guest Houses was great. We booked successfully online and once we got to both Ryokans, we encountered no problems whatsoever. Here are the two Ryokans we spent one night in.
- Hoon-in Ryokan: Price: ~ €80 / $90 night
- Shojoshin-in Ryokan: Price: ~ €120 / $136 night