Here’s my little update on my recent trip to Japan. We spent just over two weeks in this beautiful country, and it flew by so quickly! I have so much to tell you that I’ve decided to split it up into a couple of different posts. So here’s a quick summary of what we were able to see and do. We made a big loop, starting and ending in Tokyo, and traveling by train the whole way. Between the larger cities we traveled by Shinkansen (bullet train) which felt like stepping into the future. I really do believe that the Netherlands and the UK (and the USA for that matter) should just buy some trains or at least some advice from Japan, because they really know how to do train travel. We traveled by train the entire time, and not once was there a delay. No delays for reasons I’ve heard in the UK – strikes, the temperature being too cold or too warm or leaves on the tracks. Just quick and efficient travel. It was wonderful!
We started in Tokyo where the jet lag hit us really hard, despite the time difference of only 7 hours. So there was a lot of wandering around late at night, “Lost in Translation”-style. We went to the
Yodobashi electronics store in Shinjiku and a Japanese friend took us to a locals-only sushi place. During the day we managed to see the Imperial Palace and especially enjoyed the walk through the cherry blossoms around the outside of the palace, where street vendors were selling lots of noodles and dubious-looking-meat-on-a-stick, and locals were having picnics under the blossoms.
We then went to Nagano, which we used as a base to visit Matsumoto Castle as well as the snow monkeys at the
Jigokudani Monkey Park. The monkeys were a highlight of the trip – a lovely walk through a snowy mountainside forest where we only encountered two other people, and then arrival at the onsen (hot springs) to watch the monkeys hanging out in their big outdoor monkey hot tub.
We continued down to Kanazawa on the western coast of Japan. What a beautiful town! I think because of its location, it is largely overlooked by most foreign tourists, but all the Japanese people we spoke to were very positive about it. Once we arrived, we could see why.
Kenrokuen Garden is arguably Japan’s most beautiful botanical garden. During our three day visit, my garden-crazed husband visited three times, and I visited twice. Kanazawa also has lots of lovely local shops and a charming district of old samurai houses, and is a very walkable town.
From Kanazawa, we headed to
Mount Koya (Koyasan), which is the spiritual center for Buddhism in Japan. It’s difficult to describe the beauty and magic of this place. It’s not easy to get to, which is actually a plus, because it means it is not overrun with tourists, despite being a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Imagine a beautiful train ride through the mountains, a cable car taking you up one of the steepest slopes in Japan to the village of Koyasan at 900 meters. There, set within a cedar grove of 800-year-old trees, you find more than 100 Buddhist temples and
Okunoin, the largest cemetery in Japan. It might sound creepy to go wandering amongst more than 200,000 ancient tombs, but it was actually breathtakingly beautiful. In the mornings and evenings, the whole area is shrouded in fog, which only adds to the mystique. This was my favorite part of the whole trip. I absolutely loved it and would recommend it to anyone traveling to Japan – it is obviously a sacred and spiritual place, but a religious background is certainly not necessary to enjoy the beauty and peacefulness of the place.
After Koyasan, we headed to Kyoto to experience the former Imperial capital. Beautiful gardens, the picturesque streets of the geisha district in
Gion, great shopping and delicious food. We walked the
Path of Philosophy along a cherry blossom-lined canal and visited the temples and the Imperial Palace. The loveliest thing we saw in Kyoto was the
Shugakuin Imperial Villa and Garden, which is an enormous 133 acres filled with gardens, waterfalls, and even buildings from the 17th century.
Then our journey took us back to Tokyo, which we used as a based for a couple of day trips to the island of
Enoshima and the
Great Buddha in Kamakura. We rounded out our visit to Tokyo with some great food and shopping, which I’ll tell you about in
another post – I bought lots of
Japanese goodies! All in all, one of the best trips I’ve ever taken. I absolutely love Japan – the food, the culture, the design, the people. A beautiful country in so many ways. Stay tuned – more details to follow!
OMG! I’m really envious of anything or anyone. BUT your trip to Japan sounds exactly what I would do, if I ever get there!!!! Japan has been on my list for ages but it has never been the right time or the right companion.
I tell you, if I go, I will take your itinerary place by place and emulate it. Nearly ALL your visits have been on my list and I really think you organised it beautifully.
I read ‘Monocle’ and Tyler Brulee goes on and on about the japanese train travel. Of course, it is stylish, fast and efficient. Europe should be ashamed, although the germans have got it pretty much right. Can’t wait for Part 2.
Was going to say something about Berlin, but err, faded into the background xx
Thanks so much Tina, I’m glad you liked the recap of my Japan trip. There is so much to see that we are already planning another trip – maybe next year or the year after. Funny you mentioned Monocle – they had a special on Japan a couple of months ago and I picked it up just in time for our trip:) Hope to see you soon!
I’m so, SO late but as soon as Tina reminded me of your trip/this post, I knew I’d be here like a shot!
Oh, be still my beating heart! Your trip sounds absolutely blissful!! I’m just as intrigued by ancient Japan as I am with the modern so, like Tina, I shall bookmark this post for future reference.
That train looks like something from the future we were promised in all those futuristic movies from the 1960s but never got. What a spectacularly stylish way to travel!
I’m rushing off now to read your next post!!!
P.S. You don’t mind if I pin some of you photos, do you?
Thanks Chi! I am so glad that you liked the post. But still so much to see and do in Japan – I think I’ve already filled up my next trip! Feel free to pin all the photos you want. Eventually I’ll put some of my other Japan photos in a separate Pinterest album
Thanks! I’ll keep an eye out for your Pinterest photos.
What gorgeous images, I would love to visit Japan. I can remember when my son was going through his trainspotting stage at age 3 – I had to endure you tube viewings of Shinkansen going to and fro. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for stopping by Geraldine! Hilarious, your 3 year old son and my husband have something in common
He loved the trains too!