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iohourtime · 7 years ago

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Japan: Trip Planning Resources (Incomplete - Updated Periodically)

I am one of those weirdos who actually love the logistics part of planning a trip. Since Narita is a major hub for flights to Asia, I ended up in Japan a few times in the last few years. I am really just summarizing the websites and apps in a post for my own future reference, but maybe this will be helpful to you too.

I am just a “casual” tourist to Japan, so there are a lot (a lot!) of things I am not aware of or have not tried (like those Suica cards). If you have any tips to share or if the links or information are outdated etc, please let me know.

Resource List:

Not sure where to go, what to do, or how to get there while in Japan? Check out these sites. (I will add more as I come across / remember them.) They have articles, sample itineraries, description of tourist attractions as well as things like luggage forwarding, or even how to buy discount movie tickets.

Japan Guide - http://www.japan-guide.com/

JNTO - https://www.jnto.go.jp/eng/

Gaijin Pot - https://gaijinpot.com/

Tsunagu Japan - http://www.tsunagujapan.com/

Tripadvisor - They have their articles about things like currency and transportation in addition to hotels, attractions, and restaurant reviews. https://www.tripadvisor.ca/Tourism-g294232-Japan-Vacations.html

I had used guidebooks like Lonely Planet or Eyewitness guides for general information, but since they are so popular, I am not going to link them. I also like to look at Time Out, which focus more on food and entertainment, although they also have sample itineraries and trips to surrounding areas. Here is the link for the Time Out Tokyo:

https://www.timeout.com/tokyo

If you are need information that cannot be found in the above sites, you can always ask a question in Travel forums like these:

Flyertalk (especially if you are really into logistics and/or how to maximize earning / using points) - https://www.flyertalk.com/

Tripadvisor (obviously) - https://www.tripadvisor.ca/ForumHome

I would add a caveat to this. People who post on forums have personal opinions that may not match your tastes and there could even be fake posts that are used to promote or discredit a place, so use your own judgement.

Transportation

If you are going to Japan, you will probably end up taking trains a lot. The JR pass might be the first thing that comes to mind, but it is not necessarily the best option, depending on where you want to go.

Before getting into train passes etc, you can look up schedules and logistics on the Hyperdia website. They now have apps on IOS and Android, but the apps are not available in all regions. You can filter the searches for JR passes, etc, but they actually schedules for JR, private rail, and subway / bus systems.

http://www.hyperdia.com/

JR Passes

The JR network is actually made up of 6 companies: JR Hokkaido, JR East, JR Central, JR West, JR Shikoku, and JR Kyushu. You can buy an all system pass, but each rail company also offers various passes for the network they operate.

JR All System Pass

The JR all systems pass can only be purchased outside of Japan and only if you meet the eligibility, so please make sure you check before you buy. The pass do not give you access to all types of trains (like nozomi or mizuho) / seats though, so you should check to see if you need to pay supplements.

I am not sure if this is the official site (it is according to Tripadvisor), but it has a lot of information on how to buy the passes and even some money saving tips. Each country has its own agents, so make sure you are buying them from the official spots. I included the Canadian agent’s site.

Japan Rail Pass - http://www.japanrailpass.net/en/index.html

JTB Canada site - http://www.jtb.ca/eweb/jrpass/alljrpass.aspx

I only used the JR system pass once because I was traveling between Hokkaido and Tokyo and it was the cheapest option at that time. We bought our passes (in our local currency) from the JTB agent. They gave us a voucher and we have to go to the railway station in Japan to exchange it for the actual pass. You generally cannot make reservations until you have the actual rail pass, so it was challenging if you need to get a seat on a popular train (basically a sleeper seat without a fee supplement).

The pass is valid from the date you enter on the pass to whatever duration you picked. You can future date the pass. We were transiting through Nagoya but did not need the pass until we get to Hakodate, so we went to the train station to pick up our pass and future dated the “first day of use” to two days after that. But since we already have the passes in hand, we could book that sleeper train we wanted, although we weren’t able to get the ideal seats. (Sadly, I just found out that train was discontinued in 2016.)

JR Regional Passes

Since the system pass is pretty expensive, sometimes it may make sense to buy the JR regional passes instead. The regional passes are usually available for purchase inside Japan, as long as you have your foreign passport with you. (I think they were doing a pilot test of letting Japanese nationals to buy the regional passes, though I am not 100% sure.) Some (Most?) of the regions also sell the passes online and may even let you reserve your seats on some trains. (e.g. I was able to get the JR West pass online and reserved for the Hakata-Shin Osaka train.)

JR Hokkaido - http://www2.jrhokkaido.co.jp/global/index.html

JR East (Kanto) - http://www.jreast.co.jp/e/

JR Central (Chubu) - http://english.jr-central.co.jp/index.html

JR West (Kansai) - http://www.westjr.co.jp/global/en/

JR Shikoku - http://www.jr-shikoku.co.jp/global/en/

JR Kyushu - http://www.jrkyushu.co.jp/english/index.html

Also, you can reserve seats at the train station, although that's when you could be surprised. One very confusing thing I found is that a different JR company maybe running the train in the region you are visiting. For example:

The Hakata (Fukuoka) to Osaka line is actually operated JR West, even though the train terminated in Kyushu. Also, we were not able to take the shinkansen all the way to Kyoto, because the stretch between Shin Osaka and Kyoto is operated by JR East, even though both cities are in the Kansai region. We had to switch to a local train.

We were trying to get from Kyoto to Shirahama and were told that the pass only cover up to Wakayama. The Wakayama to Shirahama stretch is operated by JR Central, even though both cities are in Kansai. The supplement was actually so expensive that it was cheaper for us to rent a car for the day instead.

There are many varieties of passes, so always look at the coverage map when trying to decide on which one to use.

Other Rail or Transport Passes

There are also other regional private rail companies in Japan, so don’t limit yourself to JR. For example, I was visiting the Kansai region and I found the Kansai Thru Pass more useful, since it allows you to use buses and subways as well. You do have to weigh the travel times, because it depends on the rail system covered by the pass. (I will add more links as I come across them.)

Kansai Thru Pass - http://www.surutto.com/tickets/kansai_thru_english.html

SunQ Pass (Kyushu bus network) - http://www.sunqpass.jp/english/index.shtml

One thing I have never tried were the prepaid IC cards like Suica or Pasmo. You basically buy the card and load money on it. When you tap the card, you will get a discount on the ride. It is basically very convenient and can let you use various forms of transportation (buses, trains, subway). However, there are different coverage areas for each of the numerous passes, so you should do check to see which pass covers your area of travel.

It didn’t really make sense for me but it may be useful for those who are staying there in the longer term, visiting often, or using different modes of transportation.

https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2359_003.html

Tokyo

The first time I was in Tokyo, I already had a JR pass, so being frugal, I tried to use the Yamanote line exclusively. Unfortunately, that was not the most efficient or convenient option. I was so dead set on not using the Tokyo metro, I was walking from the train station to Tsukiji market with a really bad limp from hiking.

Last time, I found out about the Keisei Skyliner + Tokyo Metro pass. Basically, it included the return tickets from Narita to Ueno on the Skyliner express train plus a 24, 48, or 72 hour Tokyo metro pass. The cost of this pass was just a few hundred yen more than an actual return ticket on the Keisei Skyliner, so it was a pretty good deal if you plan on using the subway a lot and is only staying there for a short time.

http://www.keisei.co.jp/keisei/tetudou/skyliner/us/value_ticket/subway.php

Renting a car

We rented cars for the first time on the recent trip! To drive in Japan (as a tourist), you will need an International Driver’s License. They drive on the right side, so if you are from North America, then you will need a little time to acclimatize. Unless you are very comfortable with big city driving, I would not recommend renting a car in the major cities. The lanes are also very narrow, so that was definitely challenging for those of us who are used to wider roads.

We rented one car by visiting the actual rental agency’s site (Budget in our case). The reason is that we needed an ETC card to get the Kyushu Highway Pass, so we figured it is easier to request that from one of the agencies that are listed. We didn’t pick the express rental, so we ended up at the agency for 45 minutes so that they could go through the rental rules and agreement in detail! We almost missed the entrance time of a reserved ticket!

For the second car, we ended up renting from Orix through rentalcars.com. The experience was fine and we got a reasonably priced rental, although we were a bit lost finding the location of the rental agency at first.

Rental agencies offer insurance options. Based on the 2 rentals we had, there seems to be the full coverage, partial coverage, or no coverage. The agencies do have some coverage (like 3rd party) on their fleet. The rental agencies will explain all the options to you fully. We unfortunately had to deal with damages this time and we had to go through our credit card insurance to recover the fees. All I am going to say is that you should review all the options carefully and decide on the one you feel comfortable with.

There are a lot more about driving and renting cars in Japan, so I am just going to leave you with this link from Japan Guide. Remember - highway toll charges are super expensive, so if there is a highway access pass that cover your region of travel, you may want to consider purchasing it.

https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2024.html

Taxi

We took a taxi once. It was expensive but with the amount of bags we had, it made sense. I tried using the Japan Taxi app but could not get it working to actually order a taxi. However, there is a fare estimator in the app, so at least we can figure out if it made sense to (say) get a bus pass or rent a car.

Food

I like to eat, but I am not a foodie, so I basically cannot tell the subtle differences between a Michelin starred restaurant and a pretty decent but way less pricey meal. My approach to food research is more haphazard. Basically, I like watching travel shows, and will write down the names of restaurants or the regional foods that looked interesting and start my research from there. I look at a lot of blogs once I narrowed down on what I want to try.

Here are a couple of sites that talked about the regional specialties in Japan, so this may be a good starting point.

https://www.fluentu.com/blog/japanese/japanese-food-vocabulary-regional-cuisine/

http://www.cnn.com/travel/article/10-japan-dishes/index.html

https://www.tofugu.com/japan/japanese-food-by-prefecture/

I use Yelp to look up restaurants back at home. So in Japan, I used these sites. You can look at menus, maps, and even make reservations. Restaurant listing and review sites:

Tabelog - https://tabelog.com/en/

Gurunavi - https://gurunavi.com/?__ngt__=TT0db067e46005ac1e4ae4c1DleROQaIaW7kTLkGiGwtwz

I came across the Food Sake Tokyo site when I was researching Tokyo restaurants. I went to a few places she recommended and they were pretty good. Here’s the link:

https://foodsaketokyo.com/

You can ask questions about food and restaurant suggestions on forums like Chowhound. I find that in general, forums are a good place to get suggestions.

https://www.chowhound.com/tag/japan

One other thing I do is actually look at itineraries for food tours to get ideas. Food tours are a good way to sample a lot of items and but not overwhelm yourself with information. Obviously private food tours are the best since you can tailor everything to your tastes, but they are so very expensive.

Sometimes, randomly searching for a food item on the Internet also yield interesting results. For example, I was looking up wagyu online just to see how much I should budget for a meal, I found that Matsurokuya in Roppongi offers a lunch special. You can have A5 grade wagyu for 2000 yen (it was 1500 yen when I went). It looks like a lot of pricier restaurants offer lunch specials at a fraction of the dinner prices. Of course, with some of these specials, you have to go line up at least 1 hour before the restaurant opens to even get one.

https://www.timeout.com/tokyo/restaurants/matsurokuya

I think there are a lot of fun just wandering around the city and trying stuff that looks good to you. We didn’t really have a tight sightseeing plan in my last trip, so we were just walking from area to area and kept wandering into food festivals in the neighbourhood parks. Like a Kyushu regional food festival or the finals for national izakaya competition (?).

#Japan #Travel #Resources links #Nowhere near comprehensive list #Some personal experiences included

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asrinsjaf · 8 years ago

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Totoro’s (team) Vacation in Saijo

I’ve written a post about Totoro’s team before, and as I said, I’d like to write a post about our journey in Saijo City. So sorry, this post really takes a loooooong time until it is published.

Before I tell about my vacation, I’ll tell about Saijo first. So, where is Saijo? Saijo is located in West of Japan, precisely in Ehime Prefecture, Shikoku Island. From Matsuyama, it takes about 1.5 hours by car. It can be seen in the picture below.

From now on, the story of Totoro’s team begin!!!

Firstly, we made a plan. We chose the places that were really interesting for each of us, search it on the map, then gave it to Shimagami-sensei. Sensei would tell us if the plan was good enough or not, and if not, she would give some advice for us. After a loooooong discussion, here it is!

Actually, we made this “poster” after we were going back to the room. But, using a picture to explain something is much easier than just using words. People said that a picture is worth a thousand words, right?

1. Kodomo no Kuni

So, what is Kodomo no Kuni? Actually, it is such a museum, and we can get much information about Saijo City from this place ( of course, if you understand Japanese very well). But, I can only tell two main parts of the information that I got.

Danjiri Danjiri (or mikoshi, I don’t know which is the right one he he he) is a large wooden cart shaped like a shrine or temple as we can see in the picture below. In Saijo, Danjiri Festival is held annually in the mid-November. When the festival is held, there will be about 90 danjiris carried out by Saijo’s people. We can say that Saijo is very rich, because each neighborhood has one danjiri and one danjiri costs about ￥10,000,000!! Usually, each danjiri is carried by 200 people, so you can imagine how heavy it is!

The two pictures above show each danjiri from each neighborhood in Saijo City.

Uchinuki Why is it called “Uchinuki”? Because when you dig a well, then the spring water comes out. Uchinuki water is very famous around Saijo City, because it was selected as the clearest water in Japan by Japanese Government. Uchinuki water contains many minerals causing its taste so good. In the picture below, as you can see that people brought their own pet bottles to get the water.

Actually, on the way between Kodomo no Kuni and the spring of Uchinuki Water, we were stopping in front of a gate which used to be a gate of a castle. Now, the castle has been demolished and there is a high school on the land of the castle that used to be. This information was also got from Kodomo no Kuni.

2. Railway History Park

After we went to the spring of Uchinuki Water, we were going to Railway History Park. In this park, we could see many unused train and locomotive. We could also get much information about train (especially when you understand Japanese very well).

There was a sculpture of Sogo Shinji. He was a great influence of Shinkansen invention. He insisted adopting standard gauge railway all around Japan, and that was a big decision back then. He was also the chairman of JR (Japan Railway) on that period.

It can be seen in the picture below the locomotive of first Shinkansen. They called it, “0 Shinkansen”. There are pictures of other train locomotives which can be seen in this Railway History Park, and information about them taken from its official website (http://s-trp.jp/en/guidence1.html).

0 Shinkansen - The first Shinkansen (bullet train) in Japan This is the Bullet Train car which traveled from Tokyo - Shin Osaka on October 1st, 1964 for the first ever debut journey of the Bullet Train. This "21-141" car was made in 1976, and its large windows are a characteristic. At the time of its retirement in October 2000, it was affiliated with JR Hakata Railways, functioning on the Sanyo Shinkansen line as a "Kodama" car. The distance traveled by this car is 10.2 million km, equivalent to 255 trips around the earth. In December of 2000, JR Shikoku proudly accepted it from JR West, and it was preserved at the Tadotsu Factory. Afterward, the city of Saijo proudly accepted it from JR Shikoku, and it was then exhibited at the Shikoku Railway Cultural Center.

DF501 The DF50 No. 1 car was manufactured at the Mihara Factory of the New Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Co. It was first assigned to the Takamatsu railway sector, later being assigned to Tsuruga, Nagano, and Yonago as well, before being re-assigned to Takamatsu in 1967. On September 25th, 1983 its final trip was made on the "Sayonara DF50 Tosa Road," much to the regret of its many fans. In the end, the DF50 ran 2.6 million km, equivalent to 67 trips around the earth. The No. 1 car on display here is the only functioning DF50 car remaining in Japan. Deemed a railway heritage selection, it is a remarkable and valuable car. ＊You can sit in the driver’s seat of both cars, move the levers, push the switches, and feel what it’s like to be in the real driver’s seat!

C5744 - The las locomotive which used to be used in Japan 201 of these high-performance passenger steam locomotives were produced from 1937-47. With its sharp, beautiful exterior, this train earned the nickname "The Lady" from fans. The C57 (No. 135) is also known for being the last steam engine to pull a Japan National Railways passenger car on December 14, 1975. The engine on display (No. 44) is a first generation locomotive completed on March 30, 1938 at the Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Shipyard in Kobe. It is one of five C57 trains (with Nos. 38, 57, 135, 144) that operated from Hokkaido's Iwamizawa No. 1 Engine Depot. This locomotive, called "Spring Thunder" after the nickname of former Saijo mayor and director of JNR Shinji Sogo, was located in the Saijo City Citizens' Park for many years before being moved to the Shikoku Railway Cultural Center for permanent exhibition.

Free Gauge Train The Free Gauge Train is capable of using different gauges to alter wheel width while in motion to run on both standard Shinkansen rails (width: 1435mm) and older tracks (1067mm), making direct operations through different lines possible. This feature removes the need for passenger transfers and reduces travel time. The 2nd Test Car on display was completed in March 2007 at the JR Kyushu Kokura Factory. Until 2009, it was engaged in test operations on Kyushu's shinkansen and regular train lines. In June 2011, the train was refitted and moved to the Yosan Line in Shikoku for test operations between Tadotsu and Sakaide Stations, and in August of that year, it began high-speed curb testing between Tadotsu and Takihama Stations. Test operations were completed in September 2013 and the train was stored in the JR Tadotsu Factory until it was graciously donated to this facility by the Japan Railway Construction, Transport and Technology Agency (JRTT).

Train and The City Diorama This diorama is also displayed in this Railway History Park. This working miniature railroad recreates Iyo-Saijo Station, the Railway History Park, and famous sights along rail lines across Shikoku's four prefectures. Ten-minute shows are held several times a day. Guests can enjoy the beauty of Shikoku's railways from morning to night as model trains depart from and return to Iyo-Saijo Station. This working miniature railroad recreates Iyo-Saijo Station, the Railway History Park, and famous sights along rail lines across Shikoku's four prefectures. Ten-minute shows are held several times a day. Guests can enjoy the beauty of Shikoku's railways from morning to night as model trains depart from and return to Iyo-Saijo Station.

3. Kichijoji Shrine

Shrine is always being a part of Japanese, because most of Japanese people religion is Shinto. Shikoku Island is known as the place where the 88 shrines located. Many Japanese people come to Shikoku Island to do the spiritual journey, visit those 88 shrines, and pray there. Kichijoji Shrine is one of those 88-shrines. Actually, there are some similarities in every shrine, whether the ritual or the architectural. In the main gate, there will be a pair of animal statue, although the animal is not same in every shrine. In Kichijoji Shrine. they use elephant statue. Then, main the front gate, there is a place for washing hands ritual (there is a rule about how to wash their hands which I don’t really remember :p). Then they will go to the main building and pray there.

Main Gate

Temizuya - Place where they do the washing hands ritual

Main Shrine

4. Alcohol Factory

Actually, we didn’t do anything in this alcohol factory. We expected to see the alcohol (or sake) making process, but there was no such sake processing equipment in this place. In this place, we can buy many different kinds of Japanese sake (FYI: sake for Japanese people is like rice for Indonesian, they always wonder why Muslim don’t drink alcohol). Sake from this place was acknowledged by Japanese Government as one of the best sake. So, Shimagami sensei bought a bottle of sake there. Only Shimagami sensei, because the others didn’t drink sake too. There’s a rule that people who haven’t been 18 years old or more are prohibited to drink sake, and most people obey it.

No picture here :((

5. Hekigantosuiro

We didn’t do anything in this place either. We came here because there was a beautiful picture shown in the pamphlet that we saw before. But, we couldn’t do anything there. Actually, there is an onsen (hot-spring water), but we didn’t prepare anything for get-in-to-onsen purpose. So, we just passed by and went to the next destination.

Onsen Building

6. Shuchan Park

Shuchan Park is a kind of supermarket where many kinds of fresh vegetables are sold. Actually, not only vegetables but also other groceries, such as fishes and meats. Sooooo, many people came to get the fresh vegetables there. They said that the vegetables were not only very fresh but also very cheap. In this place, Shimagami sensei bought a kind of vegetable that she said that she never ate that before, and I didn’t know what vegetable it was. We also bought soft ice cream with fruit jam topping on it. I tried a fruit that I had never tasted before, but I forgot the name :(

No picture here either :((

After that, we were going back to the hotel and got some rest. Then we had dinner together in a very nice sushi-sashimi restaurant, and I ordered this:

Very fresh and many kinds of fishes in one plate. I couldn’t name each of them tho :(

After we had dinner, we came back to the hotel and then we prepared the poster (already showed in this post) of our vacation. Then we presented it to other team and sensei in the next morning.

That was very fun and enjoyable, and one thing that made me very happy was it was free for me :)))

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j4m3s-b4k3r · 7 years ago

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Nippon By Rail

The Japan Rail Pass was grossly expensive to someone used to meagre 1980s Australian animation wages but I forked over my hard earned cash anyway, for a chance to explore the length and breadth of a country I'd long wanted to see.

Only available for purchase outside Japan, The JR Pass is valid on ferries and trains (even snazzy Shinkansen 'bullet trains') for up to 21 days. In 1986 it was almost as expensive as an air ticket to Asia, and was an exorbitance for a 22 year old who barely payed his rent, but its bargain-value was proven upon seeing crazy Japanese prices. While thoroughly exploring Tokyo I hatched a travel-plan; head north on the main island of Honshu, catch the last snows of Winter up in Hokkaido, travel back down Honshu to the islands of Kyushu and Shikoku, and end my grand tour in Japan's ancient capital of Kyoto.

However, when trying to validate my JR Pass at Tokyo Station I learned it was invalid with the type of visa in my passport, and could only be refunded outside Japan at the office where I'd bought it. Thoroughly deflated I sulked around Tokyo while deciding what to do. I could no longer afford the itinerary I'd set my heart on, tried to find work (without any luck) and considered heading to Korea or China instead. An enterprising traveller at my guesthouse urged me not to give up on the JR Pass, reasoning that its rules might not be common knowledge. The officious bureaucrats in the JR main office knew them in detail, but somebody in another station might not. Sure enough, I eventually found an employee who saw a 'foreigner rail pass' held by a foreigner, and cheerfully stamped my JR Pass without checking my visa status. BINGO! With a start-date of March 6th, 1987 I had 3 weeks to see as much of Japan as I could.

Leaving Tokyo, with my JR Pass and a small bag (containing clothes, camera, guidebook, rail-timetable, & sketchbook) a map of Japanese Youth Hostels was my second most useful possession. These days I can book accommodation anywhere in the world from my cellphone, but in the pre-internet age it was daunting to find lodging in countries where you couldn't speak (or even read) the language. The Youth Hostels Association provides a network of budget accommodation, and in 1980s Japan it was extensive. Typically, bathing was in the Japanese communal style and beds were in dormitories, giving you a modular posse of like-minded travellers if you wanted it. Breakfasts were usually a raw egg in a bowl of rice and seaweed to wrap it in, a strange concoction initially, that eventually I looked forward to. My first stop was Nikko, to see the Tosho-gu shrine (burial place of the first shogun of the Tokugawa shogunate) and countless other shrines and temples in a beautiful mountain setting. In subsequent visits to Japan I came to realise that I'd not seen Nikko at its best that first time (my favourite season is Autumn) even so, I was floored by the beauty of the place and the wealth of things to see.

This trip was where my enthusiasm for travel began, kicking off a several-year period where I lived out of a bag and put many miles under my feet. However, I was a meandering traveller and rather lazy about it at times. That was soon to change, due to the influence of a local dynamo:

JOURNAL ENTRY, MARCH 7, SENDAI: "The blistering pace in which I have surged up and away from Tokyo is in part due to the itinerary of a diminutive local known, to me as Matsunaga-san that I have been travelling with since Nikko, where we met in the youth hostel. His idea of travel is to zip from one site and onto the next. The best example of this happened this morning when we arrived at the railway station with half an hour to go until the next train. We jumped into a taxi and sped to the very next town to a museum. He said "please hurry we must leave Museum at 11 AM for train!" It was 10:52. Slightly disgusted but amused also, I declined to shell out (money) to blast through what was potentially an interesting museum in eight minutes. Rather, I waited outside and took photographs. He emerged breathless and hurrisome as ever, and our waiting taxi driver sped us back to the train station where we just caught our train. Once again we zipped to another site, This time a Castle, (Aizu Wakamatsu) with barely enough time to pause and take a photo."

I recently found a bag of maps, tickets and tourist pamphlets from 1987, including my youth hostel cards. Each hostel in Japan recorded a stay with distinctive stamps, with rewards if you collected enough. Perhaps Matsunaga-san was obsessed with these, or maybe he was simply one of those goal-focussed types.

JOURNAL ENTRY: "While in a temple I may become distracted by an old lady sweeping the stones, or a photography session going on by the gates. Matsunaga-san is hopping from leg to leg with impatience while I stand to observe these things. Thankfully I have not tried to sketch anything yet; that would certainly cut into his schedule."

My tendency to dawdle, or sit in a coffee shop and look out the window was automatically corrected by the 21 day time limit of the JR Pass. Sloth was already being mauled by frugality without the extra bustlings of Matsunaga-san, and we amicably parted at Matsushima. Supposedly one of the '3 great views of Japan' back in the days of Basho, and by 1987 it had clearly been a tourism mecca for quite a while. After checking out the great view, you'd turn 180° for the great view of the crowds looking at the great view, and beyond them the great view of the shops selling views of the other view. This was perhaps my first trip where I reflected on the absurdity of being a tourist who was annoyed by the ravages of tourism. Something about seeing a place changes that place itself (quantum tourism mechanics) and in Japan, where there are so many people doing the seeing, such realisations are quickly brought into focus. Celebrating my freedom from the hectic scheduling of Matsunaga-san, I luxuriated in a daylong walk along The Bay of Matsushima, famously dotted by hundreds of tiny islands.

24 years later these islands shielded Matsushima from the full force of the 2011 tsunami, and places heard in the news leapt from memory as towns I'd stayed in long ago, including wave-pounded Ishinomaki. Nearby Onagawa was devastated by quirks of its geography when a funneled inlet amplified the tsunami's force and 10% of its citizens were washed away. This fishing village (where I long ago transferred from train to bus) became a site of tragic heroism when Mitsuru Sato, the manager of a fish canning plant, rescued all his trainees but was swept away himself. I remember an early morning bus ride, winding through rainy valleys and past misty factories, strangely beautiful the way such places can sometimes be. That looming industrial shadow may have been heroic Mitsuru Sato's factory, but internet maps reveal another candidate; the Onagawa Nuclear Power Plant. Though much closer to the epicentre than the failed Fukushima plant, this reactor withstood the destruction. The difference was building on higher ground, choosing higher safety over lower cost. The foresight of engineer Yanosuke Hirai saved Onagawa's reactor, and the building became refuge for a community whose homes had been washed away.

I was passing through this area to see Kinkasan, a tiny island at the the end of the Oshika-hanto peninsula. With a population of 32 people, 240 monkeys and 600 deer, it had been called 'one of the holiest places in Japan'. Half expecting a holy site ringed by trinket shops selling tea-towels of the holy critters, I arrived to a good news/bad scenario. Kinkasan was every bit the serene island of scenic beauty I'd heard about, but I'd not done my homework and its infrastructure shut down November to March. Accomodation was closed and there were only 2 daily ferries, so I contented myself with ambling about the misty island and barely took a photo, let alone sketch. The island was so pretty that I considered sleeping rough outside, until a fall of light rain brought me to my senses. It would be unpleasant to be out all night and cold and rained on.

Wistfully, I got on the last ferry and plotted my next move. Retracing my ferry/bus/train steps got me to Ichinoseki well after hostel curfew. Sleeping in a bus stop held no allure whatsoever, and in fractured Japanese I enquired at the railway station about hotels. A worker understood my plight and walked me to a nearby minshuku where I got a room, and spent the rest of that evening in a lounge squatting at a kotatsu drinking with off-duty rail workers, already several beers into a good night. Their jovial companionship briefly convinced me that I was conversing in Japanese, whereas it was simply that such conversations follow the same pattern anywhere, and misunderstandings are smoothed over by good spirits (and spirits).

Even 30 years ago my next stop was reputed to be overly touristed, but I was pleasantly surprised by GeibiKei gorge. Even a tourist trap can be charming if you're the only tourist in the trap; I had a barge all to myself, poled up the river by two bargemen, a glass roof allowing me to admire the gorge while sitting by a heater, sipping tea. It was another misty day, serene and beautiful and the bargemen were cheerful. Seeing as there was only one tourist, and him a foreigner besides, the lads stopped at a few shrines along the river to gather money. I doubt they'd have openly raked this loot in front of your typical praying Japanese punter tossing coins for good luck, but with only me, they figured what the hell; "Oi, Kenji, save us a trip and hop out and grab the dosh."

Next, I hopped the Shinkansen to Morioka where it terminated (in 1987) and transferred to Aomori, catching an early ferry next day to Hakodate on Hokkaido, where I met two American Mormons on their '3 year mission'. In contrast to frosty Tokyo Gaijin, these missionaries were eager to talk, and not simply to proselytise (I got the impression that they were lonely). Hakodate had a great atmosphere, helped along by its old wharf area buildings, wooden trolley-cars and whimsically musical pedestrian lights (playing 'comin' through the rye'). At the end of my whirlwind 1987 tour of Japan, Hokkaido was one of the places I'd wished I'd lingered longer (eventually travelling all around Hokkaido in 1989).

Back on Honshu, I was eager to see Hirosaki Castle, which I'd read was the real thing rather than a postwar reconstruction in concrete (as at Aizu Wakamatsu) but it didn't fill my expectations. I'd eventually realise that Japanese castles couldn't top memories of childhood visits to British castles, with their foreboding silhouettes, dungeons, murder holes and torture chambers, setting my morbid little-boy imagination afire. The aesthetic of Japanese castles is completely different. Rather than projecting 'menace', they're 'pretty', and these cake topper cuties are better compared to a chateau, another building made to impress but in a completely different way. Show pony rather than war horse. Japanese castles were lacy confections made of paper and wood, meaning that few survived the 1945 exertions of General Curtis LeMay (and his OddJob; Robert McNamara). Any castles not destroyed in WW2 had already been flattened countless times by typhoon, quake, or fire (or all of the above). Truly ancient castles just don't exist in Japan.

A long train ride on The Gono Line took me along Honshu's northernmost Japan Sea coast, where the tracks were very close to the sea, revealing stunning vistas of bleak grey beauty. I'm not a train-nut by any means but enjoy countries with well-developed rail networks for the simple reason that I can't drive, making countries like Australia or the USA problematic to navigate in anything but the most perfunctory fashion. Japan's extensive rail infrastructure gave me scope to explore, and I enjoyed switching from high-tech Shinkansen to dinky trains (with only 2 or 3 cars) to see remote parts of the archipelago.

Staying in a tiny coastal town called Fukaura, I walked further along the coast the next morning, before another long train ride took me inland to… a dead spot in my memory. Unsure of which route took me to my next remembered destination, no maps jog my memory, nor is there any ticket stub, photo, or sketchbook-doodle that clarifies those lost days of my 21 day journey. Such voids are a reminder how frail memory can be. Without photos, letters, or conversation to keep neural pathways alive, our experiences wither. Moreover, the memories we do have are often exaggerations or simplifications of what really happened. Several trips, conversations and people become consolidated over time, and who said what gets jumbled around. Crosschecking photos and documents from that time reveals a sequence that differs from the memory I'd been carrying for 30 years. I’d forgotten visiting some towns, even though I've proof that I’d been there. These inconsistencies are part of the motivation to write memories down, before they curdle or evaporate entirely. Which is a long winded segue to my next remembered stop;

I arrived by twilight to a snow covered hostel run by a cheerful family near Tazawako, a beautiful lake in snowy Akita prefecture. The woman running the place cheerfully urged me to have bath before dinner, and I was led to a bathhouse a short walk away by a little boy holding an umbrella, to shield me and my toiletries from the thickly falling twilight snow. It was a beautiful night as he chattered at me happily, led me to the 'sento', gave me the umbrella and scampered back to his Mum at the hostel.

As I sat in the lovely Japanese style tub, soaking in hot water up to my earlobes, I thought of the wholesomeness of the 'bathhouse' concept in Japan, made all the more beautiful by the snowy setting. Growing up in Australia, I had seen snow laying all around only once or twice, and even then it was patchy slop. My plunge northward to Hokkaido was partly an attempt to find deep snow, but the snow in Hakodate was slush. At Tazawako, snow was piled thickly and there was nobody around but me, as early the next morning I walked partway around the lake, before heading onward by local train to connect with a bullet train back to Tokyo, spending the night before heading onward the next day by Shinkansen.

The most beautiful of the many castles I saw on my first trip to Japan, Himeji Castle loomed on a hill in the centre of town, finally delivering the skyline-dominating profile that I associated with a defensible castle. I spent a day walking around Japan's largest castle, taking photos in misty rain, until night fell and light finally failed. Atypically, Himeji Castle is largely authentic construction from the early 1600s (though the site dates from the 1300s). Though the city around it was firebombed in WW2, the castle survived when the firebomb dropped on it failed to detonate.

The next day I went onward to see the sobering Peace Memorial Museum at Hiroshima, a reminder of the further industriousness brought to bear on the Japanese after those fire-bombing missions ended. A people long-pounded by typhoons, quakes and tsunamis had developed a resilience that is hard to overestimate, but Oppenheimer's crew finally broke Japanese wartime tenacity, at terrible cost. The information within the museum wasn't presented hysterically, and didn't need to be. A simple statement of the ghastly facts of 1945 was enough to set mental wheels in motion, extrapolating frightening destruction if the latest generation of slaughter-tech (proudly crafted by our best and brightest) were ever unleashed. Coming out of the museum, I was hollowed out by the experience. Hiroshima was the only time I saw money gathering in Japan, and the people soliciting donations were from a charity for survivors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Every person coming out of the museum gave generously.

After visiting beautiful Miyajima nearby, I rode the Shinkansen to its westernmost terminus, which in 1987 was in Fukuoka, Kyushu. The timetable indicated my arrival would be mere minutes before departure of the local train I needed. Bigger Japanese train stations can be overwhelming (a statistic that stays with me was that Shinjuku station served 3 million passengers daily in 1986) and I doubted I'd be able to get my bearings and make my connection in time. Normally this wouldn't matter as trains were so frequent, but I needed to connect to a local train, and from that to another, to get to my intended hostel before curfew. Time was of the essence. Arriving at Hakata Station, I took the easy way out, simply doing my by-then standard pantomime of a confused foreigner, hoping to find a sympathetic soul.

Remarkably (and typically for Japan) I did. He was an average Japanese 'salaryman' in suit and brief case and no doubt had his own connections to make, but when barraged with questions delivered in broken Japanese (and frantic pointings at maps with circled destinations, and timetable connection times) he immediately grasped my situation. Snapping into action, he bustled me through the crowded station, urging me to follow him with all haste, down stairs; Hai, Haiyaku! along a corridor teeming with people; Oide! up some more stairs, and along again. He got me to my train and seated, with time to spare. After thanking him profusely and waving our goodbyes, he reappeared at my window a moment later with a simple meal he'd bought for me from a platform vendor, just as my train departed. I've often thought how lucky I was to have my first solo travel adventure in Japan. I later learned that in other countries throwing yourself on the goodwill of the locals can be to paint a 'fleece me' sign on your head, but in Japan the people were always gracious, helpful, generous and honest.

One of Kyushu's many scenic railway journeys took me past views of early Spring blossoms to Aso-San, one of two active volcanoes on the island. As the train came within sight of the volcano I was awestruck to see red lava flowing down the mountain! When I checked in to the nearby hostel I was told that the 'lava' streams were actually thousands of people bearing flaming torches in a fire festival. Wonderful! I couldn't wait to attend, but discovered that this distant spectacle was in the process of ending. I became shrill; Surely there must be a taxi service or something? Can't I just walk there? But as far as I was able to discover, there was no way to get to this spectacular culmination of the month-long 'end of winter' celebration before it ended. Dame Desu! I suspected the truth was that hostel staff didn't want the kooky gaijin wandering off into the night to play with fire, after he'd signed in and become their responsibility, but I had to make-do with watching the fire orgy as it climaxed from a few miles away. The next day I went up to the crater, in the company of other young travelers from the hostel who'd been up there the night before and assured me that the festival was utterly sugoi!

Impressive though it was, unfortunately my imagination had been set ablaze the night before and it was hard not to smoulder.

JOURNAL ENTRY: "I saw an active volcano at Mount Aso. No big deal really. It belches out smoke while dried out old ladies sell souvenirs on the lip of the crater."

That's the bitterness of a thwarted 22 year old kicking himself for not researching his trip more thoroughly (and those old ladies were actually sweeties). Just one day earlier (4 hours, even!) and I could've participated in the fire festival rather than merely watch it impotently from afar. I realise now how lucky I was to see what I saw. To stand in one of the biggest active volcano craters in the world is no small thing, and the Aso-san crater is often overwhelmed by sulphurous fumes, or cable-car access is closed due to earthquake.

Kyushu still had another active volcano and I bustled further south to see it, via another beautiful train journey down the west coast of Kyushu. The closer I got to Kagoshima the more excited I became to see Sakurajima, the iconic volcano belching fire over Kagoshima, like a Japanese Vesuvius. But it was another case of vulcanus interruptus. Bucketing down with torrential rain, it was hard to see (or do) anything in Kagoshima. The weather still hadn't changed after staying the night, so I kept moving, contenting myself with a few looks at colourful posters rather than Sakurajima volcano itself.

I went up the east coast of Kyushu, then inland to Takachiho Gorge. This beautiful area was accessible in 1987 via the Takachiho Railway from Nobeoka, before that line was swept away by Typhoon Nabi in 2005. In Japan you'll often hear of destruction wrought by earthquakes, tsunamis and typhoons, and every temple or castle you visit has been repeatedly rebuilt (no wonder a people so often pounded by nature and science would invent Godzilla, the ultimate city-smashing temper tantrum). The train followed the river all the way to Takachiho, with town after town nestled in nooks between water and tracks. This area was another I could have spent more time in. The weather was lovely and the scenery beautiful, but with only a few days left on my JR pass I pressed onward to the Kyushu east coast and Beppu, a hot springs town where any hot water bubbling out of the ground is fenced off so a fee can be charged to look at, sip or sit, in it.

I walked through these places with a French woman I met at the hostel and neither of us were impressed, until stumbling onto a pretty spring garden with small hot springs completely ignored by the crowds and the guidebooks. Minimal entrance fee, cups of tea served by a nice old lady in a quiet teahouse. Best of all, I found round the back one of the tourist traps a wonderful boilerhouse, presumably sitting over a geyser. Marvellous thing it was; belching steam, alive with pipes and valves, all covered in mineral salts. This was often the pattern; I'd head towards a 'destination' that might be a disappointment, but there was usually something else around that made it worthwhile (life itself is often like that too). A quick ferry ride from took me to Yawatahama in Shikoku, the smallest of the 4 main islands of the Japanese archipelago.

After staying in Uwajima, and walking to the castle there, I went onward by local train to Kochi and looked around its castle too, which retained prewar splendour high on a spectacular hill. Although Kochi was deserving of more exploration, I moved on. After chasing elusive volcanoes and castles, I was in the mood for scenic beauty which Shikoku has in great abundance, and I wanted to get as far as the picturesque Iya Valley before my JR pass finally expired, on March 26 1987, the day I drew these sketches;

The hostel I checked into that day was a treasure. Japanese Youth hostels of the 1980s were always clean and affordable, but could be be either an ugly spartan blockhouse or a lovely traditional building, and you could never be sure which until check in. It was hostel roulette. In the Iya Valley I came up a winner, as the hostel was affiliated with a temple and the building and grounds were lovely. As I soaked in the tub of the hostel's bathouse, I was startled by a shadowy monster emerging from the surrounding steam. This looming leviathan was the pendulous netherbits of another guest staying at the hostel (one of those beanpoles that becomes a tripod when their pants are off) entering the communal tub. He was a likeable fellow from Tennessee, and over the next few days he, I and a Canadian woman (we 3 were the only hostel guests) explored the valley. Firstly, we went on long hikes, but eventually hired bikes and took on a mountain bike course. It took us 11 hours and we were exhausted as we stumbled into the hostel way after curfew. Ouch. Next day we went on another walk, got lost again, and dreading being late again back to our hostel, we hitched a ride from a very sweet woman who took pity on us when we stuck out our thumbs.

After the Iya Valley, I took a train north and stayed in Takamatsu, visiting the wonderful Ritsurin garden (before departure of my overnight ferry back to Honshu). Later that same year in Suzhou, China, I saw many classical Chinese gardens being rebuilt after the ravages of the not-then long ago Cultural Revolution. Interestingly, consultants hired by the Chinese government to retrain the Chinese how to do Chinese gardens were traditional gardeners from Japan (which of course had learned how to garden from the Chinese in the first place) and Ritsurin supplied some of the expertise.

JOURNAL ENTRY, APRIL FOOLS DAY 1987, NARA: "Coming into Osaka Bay at 5:30 AM is quite breathtaking. The light at that time transformed an otherwise ugly harbour into something magical. I walked through Osaka fish market and the city itself most of the day, before coming onward to Nara, a pretty town with by far the largest concentration of historical buildings I have yet seen. For what it's worth I can say that I've been on all the major islands of Japan."

Doing the travel blitz is OK for a few days, but maintaining that rhythm for weeks is a drain (as snippy asides on these sketches show). Blasting around seeing a different town every day blurs it all together, and occasionally staying in one place is essential for me to really get to know a country, at even a superficial level.

By the time I arrived in Kyoto, I'd been a proactive power-tourist for long enough, and was again ready to meander and relax, spending a few weeks enjoying the cherry blossom season of April 1987. I stayed in a guesthouse occupied by both temporary travellers like myself, and longterm tenants living & working in Kyoto. Most were young, probably just out of college, and very similar despite coming from various countries, but one tenant was unlike any other I ever met in years of traveling. He was much older, possibly as old as 45 (gasp) and didn't fit the typical backpacker profile. He was a short-haul truck driver from Tacoma Washington, with mixture of broad American mannerisms and a childlike wonder about his present situation. Always sunny and kind, I gradually inferred some sadder parts of his history, which only appeared as sidebars to the main conversation and were never worn on his sleeve. The more I got to know him the more impressed I was that this fellow had plunged into the unknown. When asked what set him on the road, his answer was very much like my own; he'd always been fascinated by far away places. He had little money, apart from somebody renting his truck back in Washington. He was under no pressure to head back home and we explored Kyoto together before it was time for me to leave.

When I'd thought the JR Pass wasn't going to work, I'd been told that Japan was a wonderful place to hitchhike. Though the Japanese did not often hitchhike themselves, and may look askance at those Japanese who did, they were generous in picking up foreign hitchhikers. With JR Pass expired and my funds low after months in Japan, I hitchhiked from Kyoto back to Tokyo, getting rides from an outgoing truck driver in a garishly decorated truck (in the Japanese style) and a businessman whose car would PING PING berate him when he went over the speed limit, much to his chagrin (I later found out such nagging cars were standard). Back in Tokyo I picked up the bulk of my bags from storage, before heading to Korea (and later China).

My first trip to Japan had started in Okinawa (via ferry from Taiwan) then onward by ferry to explore Tokyo, before activating my JR Pass. What a bargain it had been, giving me a whirlwind introduction to a country I've revisited many times over the years, and love to this day.

#Japan #Journey Man #Location Sketching #Travel #travel photography #travel sketch #shinkansen #japan travel

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charllieeldridge · 5 years ago

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21 Things To Do in Japan: An Insider’s Guide

Right now, Japan is one of the hottest travel destinations on the planet. The frequently trodden path from Hiroshima up to Tokyo (or vice versa) is still the backbone of Japan’s travel center. While there are some undoubtedly beautiful places in this area, the rest of Japan is home to spectacular scenery, awesome food and oodles of culture.

There are endless things to do in Japan. Truly there is no other country like it on earth; for many, it’s this uniqueness that makes it particularly spellbinding. Its customs and culture both confuse and enlighten, while its history inspires and saddens. Meanwhile, Japan’s scenery captivates and the food is the stuff of legends.

Welcome to one of the world’s most awe-inspiring countries!

I spent 2 months in Japan taking in Southern Honshu by trains, boats, and buses and exploring Hokkaido, Kyushu and Shikoku by rental car. In that time I hiked all over Hokkaido and Kyshu, took on death-defying roads in the Ilya valley, relaxed in many a sumptuous onsen and enjoyed some of the finest food I will ever eat.

Unsurprisingly, I’m already planning my next trip to Japan.

There are numerous things to do in Japan to keep you busy for a very long time. Here’s a list of 21 to get you started.

1. Eat Anything and Everything

Japan is a foodie paradise, so it’s no surprise that eating makes it onto the list of things to do in Japan. Food here can go from the cheap and cheerful to incredibly expensive (sushi in a swanky Ginza establishment comes to mind).

Sampling proper Japanese food is, without a doubt, one of the best things to do in Japan. Dig into frozen salmon on Hokkaido, Chicken Nan-ban on Kyushu, Okonomiyaki in Hiroshima (although this can be found everywhere) and pretty much everything in Osaka.

If you are lucky enough to visit Osaka, one of Japan’s food havens, you must eat takoyaki and conveyor belt sushi as both were invented here! Surprisingly, both are very affordable despite their heritage status in this region of Kansai.

Eating doesn’t have to be expensive, and if you’re travelling Japan on a budget, there are numerous chain restaurants serving sushi from 100 yen ($0.94) a plate, a bowl of ramen noodles for around $5. Plus, convenience stores have a range of affordable options.

Whether you want to chow down on ramen or sample the best sushi, eating is one of the best things to do in Japan.

2. Explore the Shiretoko National Park

The island of Hokkaido is Japan’s last remaining wilderness. Jutting out of the island’s northeast, pointing towards Kamchatka a few thousand miles away, the Shirteoko National Park sometimes feels like it’s at the edge of civilization.

The national park is home to a reasonably large population of brown bears that you may be able to see on a cruise or a hike (note, if a bear is spotted on the 5 Lakes Trail then the entire trail is closed).

There are plenty of trails ranging from an hour or so to full-day hikes up to the peak of Mount Rausu. Check out the small town of Rausu on the eastern side for some awesome sashimi and free natural hot springs located right on the beach.

☞ SEE ALSO: Cost of Living in Japan – The Ultimate Guide for Digital Nomads

3. Stargazing and Hiking at Lake Mashu in the Akan National Park

Regarded as one of the world’s top stargazing spots, Lake Mashu in the middle of the Akan National Park is just as stunning during the waking hours. During the day, there is a fantastic hike to the top of Mashu Dake, offering picturesque views over the national park — another absolute must!

The area around Lake Mashu is spotless, partly due to the fact that people are not allowed to approach the lake itself. This makes the area of water one of the cleanest spots in Japan.

After completing the Mashu Dake hike, grab some food in the village of Teshikaga before heading back to watch the stars. Truly mesmerizing.

4. Pay Your Respects at the Peace Museums (one of the most important things to do in Japan)

The atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki brought about the end of World War II with the surrender of Japan. This horrific period in history is forever intertwined within the Japanese psyche.

The peace museums and memorials in both cities offer honest, thought-provoking accounts of what hundreds of thousands of innocent civilians went through from the moment the bombs were dropped.

Despite being completely destroyed, both Hiroshima and Nagasaki have risen from the ashes to become vibrant modern cities in their own right that are definitely worth a visit. As awful as this history is, visiting the Peace Museums is one of the most important things to do in Japan.

☞ SEE ALSO: Living in Japan – A Guide For Digitial Nomads

5. Watch a J-Pop Show

Along with Anime, J-Pop is one of Japan’s biggest pop-culture exports. Getting to see a show, such as AKB48 in Tokyo, is one of the most fun things to do in Japan.

There are numerous music festivals throughout the country during the summer months and many artists are touring regularly. If you want a slice of modern Japanese pop culture, this is a pretty good place to start!

6. Visit an Onsen – An Outdoor One if You’re Lucky Enough

If you’re wondering what to do in Japan to relax, without a shadow of a doubt visiting an onsen (hot spring) is at the top of the list. Whether you’re staying in an onsen hotel, visiting a public bath or checking out an outdoor onsen, get ready to feel cleaner and more relaxed than you ever have before.

One of the things that puts visitors off is the fact that you have to be completely naked. That’s not an option, it’s one of the most basic onsen rules.

There are many other rules as well: don’t dip your towel in the water, don’t splash water when you shower, you can’t have any tattoos, and you must shower before entering. If you’re unsure of the rules you can check with one of the onsen employees, however, the vast majority will have the rules displayed in the entrance or in the changing rooms.

Onsens are a practice unique to Japan and an activity that is very much intertwined with Japanese life. Once you’ve been, you’ll wonder how you were able to survive without this in your life.

If you have the chance, try and visit an outdoor onsen. Coastal onsen towns like Ibusuki near Kagoshima in Kyushu are the best places to find these natural gems.

☞ SEE ALSO: How To Get a Working Holiday Visa in Japan – A Step by Step Guide

7. Hike To The Inari Shrine in Kyoto

Kyoto is one of the most popular destinations in Japan. It is mainly known for its stunning temples and gardens, particularly Ginkakuji and Kinkakuji. However, one of Kyoto’s most enduring and spectacular experiences is visiting the Inari Shrine.

There are so many things to do in Kyoto, with this being one of the most popular sights. Naturally it can get very crowded, however, if you get there early in the morning, around 6-7am, chances are that it will be almost deserted, meaning that you can wander through the torii gates in silence.

8. Take on The Terrifying Roads of the Ilya Valley in Shikoku

Shikoku is the smallest of Japan’s four main islands, but it still packs an almighty punch. Hiring a car is one of the best things to do in Japan and Shikoku is no exception. One of the island’s most popular areas is the stunning Ilya valley.

Single lane roads wind through valleys, traverse rivers and hug the mountainside. Because of this, encountering any other drivers requires nerves of steel and the spacial awareness akin to the most skilled lorry driver.

We spent two nights here a few days after a typhoon had blown through the area, making our driving experience extra tense…but still incredible.

☞ SEE ALSO: Teaching English in Japan – A Guide To Finding Jobs

9. Visit a Castle

Castles are one of the best things to see in Japan. The country is littered with stunning castles, some are original structures but most have been rebuilt due to earthquakes or the devastation of World War 2.

Some of the best-preserved original castles are Kochi, Himeji, Matsuyama, Matsumoto and Nijō. If you get the opportunity to visit one of Japan’s stunning castles, jump at it!

10. Get Acquainted with Japan’s Incredible Rail System

The JR pass is one of the most famous travel documents in the world. For years the JR rail pass has allowed millions of travellers to experience some of the best parts of Japan at an affordable price.

Japan’s rail system is the stuff of legends. Punctual to the second, militantly clean, all while speeding along at over 300km per hour. It is one of the best ways enjoy all the things to see in Japan.

That being said, there are a variety of different regional and local rail passes that may end up being better value for you than the original JR rail pass. Do your research and choose a pass that’s right for you.

As a word of warning, the Japanese rail system can be extremely confusing. There is a helpful app called Hyperdia that is an excellent resource for planning your train travel across the country, many a time this was a lifesaver! Unfortunately, this app is only available on android, and for sale in certain countries (including the USA and the UK).

If you do find yourself completely lost at the station there are often railway employees wearing badges identifying if they speak English. They will be more than happy to help you.

11. Hike in The Japan Alps

By far, one of the best things to do in Japan is to do some hiking. Home to some of the country’s best hiking trails, the Japanese Alps is the place to experience Japan’s most beautiful scenery.

The region is spread across Gifu, Nagano and Toyama prefectures. Throughout the region, there are various stunning towns that act as the jumping-off point for some incredible day hikes, the most well-known of these towns being Kamikochi, Matsumoto and Takayama.

The region is well connected by public transport and unlike many other mountain areas in Japan, you really don’t need a car. Its reasonably close proximity to Tokyo makes it far more accessible than some of Japan’s other mountainous regions.

12. Sleep on the Floor

This may seem like an odd thing to do in Japan, however, it is one of the first things that surprises people when travelling to Japan. The vast majority of accommodation options offer beds that roll out on the floor (on top of a tatami mat), a type of futon. While this may not be everybody’s cup of tea it’s actually very comfortable, so give it a chance!

This option is especially common if you stay in an onsen hotel or utilize Airbnb. In many of the places I stayed in, hand-drawn instructions on how to set up your bed and how to pack it away again were there to help out confused tourists.

13. Visit an Arcade

Japan is the epicenter of the video game world so naturally, this is one of the best things to do in Japan. Arcades in Japan are chaotic, intense places where young people go to hang out after school and at weekends.

Arcades in Ikebukuro and Shibuya in Tokyo are well worth checking out if you want to combine the experience with some good people watching.

14. Sleep in a Manga Cafe

The cost of Tokyo, in particular, the accommodation, can be quite expensive. So, what can you do to save a few pennies and have a great night’s sleep? Easy, stay in a manga cafe.

These cafes/libraries/guesthouses are dotted all over Tokyo and are often a resting place for business executives who would rather sleep in Tokyo than endure a long commute home after a night out.

Most of the time you will get a small cubicle that has a comfy chair or sofa with a computer set up on a desk at the other end. If you’re looking for funky budget accommodation option in Tokyo or elsewhere in Japan, then Manga Cafes are an excellent choice.

15. Explore the Constantly Erupting Volcano, Sakurajima

Volcanos have helped to shape Japan’s landscape for millennia. From the country’s most famous peak at Fuji to some of the lesser-known ones dotted all over Japan’s four main islands, volcanos are a part of Japan’s landscape that is intertwined with its history and culture.

Opposite the port city of Kaogshima in southern Japan is the very active volcano of Sakurajima, Every day it burps out ash covering visitors and the surrounding area. Spending a day exploring the peculiar natural phenomenon is a highlight of any trip to the southwestern island of Kyushu.

16. Check Out Farm Tomita in Furano

The island of Hokkaido in Japan is the wildest, most raw and (many would say) most spectacular. Furano is a tiny town 3 hours or so from Sapporo. It’s most famous for its stunning flower farms that in spring and autumn burst into colour. The most famous of these is the gigantic Farm Tomita. Buy some lavender ice cream and spend an afternoon surrounded by more colour than you can believe.

17. Take a Day Trip to Miyajima

A short tram and ferry ride from Hiroshima is the gorgeous island of Miyajima, a highlight of any trip to Japan. It is home to one of Japan’s most famous sights; the Grand Tori Gate, part of the Itsukushima shrine. Sunset offers some spectacular photo opportunities.

Head further into the island’s interior and explore the stunning Daisho-in temple. There are plenty of other smaller temples around the Itsukushima shrine that are well worth checking out.

If you have enough time, enjoy the stunning views from Mount Misen. There is a cable car that will take you pretty close to the summit, but from there it will be a 30-45 minute walk depending on your speed.

One thing to note is the deer. Although Miyajima’s deer are not quite as well known or as notorious as the deer in Nara, they are a confident bunch who will go after your food with some gusto. Keep anything edible you have in a backpack that zips closed. If the bag is open then they will try and get in.

18. Explore the Temples of Nara

After Kyoto this may be Kansai’s most famous and popular city. More often than not Nara is visited as a day trip from Kyoto or Osaka, with excellent public transport links between them.

The city is probably as famous for its temples as for its deer. As a former imperial capital of Japan, the city was a political and religious centre. This history is represented today by incredible Nara Park. This area is home to some of the most stunning temples in Japan — particularly, the Daibutsu in the Todai-ji temple.

Take the time to fully explore the park in its entirety as there are plenty of temples that are secluded well away from the crowd.

The deer are one of the city’s star attractions and they will find you before you find them. There are numerous stalls selling ‘deer biscuits’ that once purchased will cause a conga line to form behind you. Be aware that the deer will try and get food out of your bag if it’s open. Sadly, a number of deer have gotten sick recently by eating human food.

19. Hike in Kyushu

As I mentioned, Japan is a hiker’s paradise. Hokkaido justifiably hogs a lot of the glory here, but since there’s already a Hokkaido hiking entry on this list it seems only right to include the stunning island of Kyushu. The third largest of Japan’s four main islands is home to onsens, volcanoes and epic scenery.

Whether you want to take on the peaks in the Kirishima National Park, the trails around Unzen and Hirado or check out central island highlights of Takachiho, Aso San or Yufuin, Kyushu has great hiking. Naturally, this is one of the top Japan attractions.

20. Visit an Art Island in the Seto Inland Sea

This rather lovely expanse of water is sandwiched between southern Honshu and Northern Shikoku. Over the last few years, some of the small islands here have been used by both Japanese and international artists to create some of the most forward-thinking and unique art installations and exhibitions today.

The islands of Teshima and Naoshima are most famous but there are a couple of smaller islands that are well with checking out.

21. People Watch in Tokyo

No article on things to do in Japan would be complete without a tip of the hat to the neon metropolis that is Tokyo. The world’s most populated city is breathtaking. Each district has its own culture, soul, and personality. Japan’s economic miracle rubs shoulders with Japan’s modern pop culture and traditional ways of life.

Nowhere in Tokyo has the charm and intoxication of Shibuya. This is everything you imagine Tokyo to be and more. Wandering through the narrow alleyways, checking out gigs and restaurants is all part of the Shibuya experience. Pick a spot around the Shibuya Crossing and enjoy the people watching.

Getting To and From Japan

Japan is very well connected if you plan on flying into Tokyo (Haneda/Narita) or Osaka (Kansai International). However, outside of these two, the international services are limited to flights from Asia, particularly from China, South Korea and Taiwan.

Outside of flying, it’s possible to take a ferry from China or South Korea. This is certainly not the most efficient way of getting to Japan, however, it has the potential to be cheaper than flying.

Getting around Japan

The JR pass is the mainstay for many and as wonderful as it is there are plenty of other passes that may be cheaper and better value for you to take advantage of during your trip.

Another excellent way to get around this vast country is with internal flights. Both ANA and JAL offer internal flights for around $100, this goes up or down depending on where you are heading to and where you leave from.

However, for me, the best way to get around Japan is by rental car. I explored Hokkaido, Kyushu and Shikoku with a car and it is the best way to explore these rarely visited areas of Japan. In these areas, rail passes are in operation, but to really access the most spectacular and off the beaten track locations, having your own set of wheels is the only way to go.

That being said, the region between Hiroshima and Tokyo and further north towards Nikko is very easily explored by train, boat, and bus. Since this is the most densely populated area of the country, hiring a car would probably be more of a hindrance than a help.

Enjoy all the amazing things to do in Japan and leave a comment down below to let me know anything I missed!

Note: Images in this article provided by Shutterstock.

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