I visited Japan in 2017 and it is by far the best country I have ever visited. On my 10-day trip I visited Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka, seeing numerous temples and famous sites like Hiroshima.

 

Tokyo

The capital city and business hub of Japan is where I spent my first few extraordinary days. Shibuya, also known as Tokyo’s fashion capital, was incredible with its hundreds of shops to choose from and explore. If you’re a fashion fan, Shibuya is a definite must-visit, although your wallet might not thank you. Close by, in Roppongi, my group attended a sushi making workshop where we learnt how to make sushi with traditional techniques. It was a great experience which I highly recommend.

If you’re a fashion fan, Shibuya is a definite must-visit, although your wallet might not thank you

The transport system is relatively simple; although, I wouldn’t recommend taking the trains if you’re claustrophobic as they get so busy that the stations employ ‘Oshiyas’ (train pushers) to help squeeze people into the carriages.

Asakusa is a beautiful district that has preserved the vibe of an ‘older Tokyo’. It was easily one of my favourite places as its cultural history stood out so vividly. It is where the Asakusa Shrine is located, one of the most famous shrines in the city, with multiple craft stores and a prediction centre. Unfortunately, I received ‘bad fortune luck’.

Kyoto

From Tokyo to Kyoto, we took the Shinkansen (the ‘bullet train’).

The Higashiyama district is one of the best-preserved historic districts with the buildings made from wood reflective of ‘old style Japan’. It has a variety of traditional pottery shops and tea houses. We saw many women in their traditional dresses as they made their way to the shrines. This was a beautiful sight and highlighted the importance of the culture that still remains today.

Kinkakuji temple is the most visited tourist site in Kyoto, which is no surprise as it was one of the most breath-taking temples I visited. The sun beautifully reflected off the gold temple which had a beautiful forest as a backdrop.

Kinkakuji temple is the most visited tourist site in Kyoto, which is no surprise as it was one of the most breath-taking temples I visited

At Sanjusangendo Hall, a master taught us how to do traditional Japanese sword fighting. It was such a thrilling experience and a fantastic opportunity to learn more about Japanese culture, whilst experiencing something completely new.

Fushimi Inari-taisha, the head of all of Japan’s Inari Shrines, was breath-taking. The long trail of orange Torri Shrine Gates is stunning, with each gate having individually been donated by a business or a family in hope of receiving good luck, with their names written in black on them.

My last trip whilst in Kyoto was to the Sagano Bamboo Forest. The forest is thought to protect temples in Japan from evil because of its history in myths and legends. The stunning forest is very calming and a great way to see how the Japanese people value and interact with their environment.

 

Osaka

Osaka Castle is an important landmark due to its key role in the unification of Japan in the sixteenth century. The castle itself is beautiful and the views of Osaka from the top are incredible – don’t worry, there’s a lift if you don’t want to climb to the top.

One of the coolest trips was to Nara Park, commonly known as the ‘deer park’. It is full of vendors selling ‘Shika-Senbei’ (deer-shaped rice crackers) that you can feed to the deer. The best part is they are bowing deer, meaning if you bow, they bow back.

 

Hiroshima & Miyajima

Hiroshima and the Hiroshima Peace Memorial are places that everyone should visit. It was an extremely emotional visit, with numerous people paying their respects. It was particularly poignant when our tour guide started to tear up whilst speaking about Hiroshima. Paper origami cranes are sold to represent the innocent lives lost to nuclear warfare. Sadako Sasaki, a 2-year-old girl, made 1000 paper cranes herself before being killed during the bomb.

 

It was particularly poignant when our tour guide started to tear up whilst speaking about Hiroshima

 

A 45-minute ferry from Hiroshima brings you to Mijyajima, an island where the Iksukushima Shrine is located. Miyajima is the first place I recommend when someone tells me they’re going to Japan. It is full of temples and luscious forests, offering beautiful places to relax. The island also has some bowing deer, however they aren’t as friendly as the ones in Nara.

Final thoughts

If you love learning about other cultures, Japan is the place to visit. I loved every minute in Japan and I can’t wait to go back. I would recommend visiting each city that I went to (Tokyo, Kyoto & Osaka) as well as making the trip to Miyajima.

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