Joyful Japan
Japan, where ancient traditions and beliefs meet Anime and futuristic innovations.
Organising a holiday to Japan was one of the most daunting I’ve done. I wanted to see as much as possible in the limited time available, whilst not rushing the experience in each place.
Japan highlights
Things to see in Japan
Best time of year to visit Japan
Japan research tools
Where to stay in Japan
Earthquakes
Read below for answers, information and other Japan tips
The iconic O-Torii gate on Miyajima island near Hiroshima
Japan is a sprawling country in East Asia made up of five main islands Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku, Kyushu and Okinawa, and thousands of smaller surrounding islands.
Planning an itinerary was the hardest part of this holiday. I went with my brother and sister-in-law, and we spent months discussing possible destinations, travel and hotel options.
It’s a long post as there is so much to tell you about. In fact, there’s so much I’ve written another post called ‘Places to visit in Japan’ which gives more details on what to do in each city we visited.
Japan highlights
I’m sat here wondering how best to describe this incredible country. It seems to have everything - ancient history, modern living and futuristic innovations; megacities and forests, mountains and beaches; sea and snow. There is so much more to explore than we did, but here are my personal highlights.
Japanese people
If I have to pinpoint one highlight, it’s the politeness, kindness, respectful and trusting people.
Tourist numbers in Japan are booming and it’s been reported that some have caused problems by disrespecting Japanese culture, sacred sites and cleanliness. Prior to going | was concerned that this new wariness of foreigners could mar the holiday, but I needn’t have worried.
Nothing was too much trouble. Everything was always done with a smile and a gentle bow. It took a couple of days to get used to the bowing. The willingness to help was beyond anything I have seen, especially in the knowledge that this is not done for tips. Tipping is not an accepted part of Japanese culture, as they pride themselves on offering a high level of service at all times.This altruistic culture is immediately evident at airports and train stations where some ticket counters, help desks and taxis are signposted as ‘Foreigner Friendly’. Where else would a taxi driver give you a bag of sweets and origami paper crane, as happened to me in Hiroshima?
And it’s not just those who work in the stations, stores and hotels, the general public offer to help if they notice you are looking for somewhere or unsure how to use a ticket machine. They move seats on a train, or stand, so that your group can sit together. It is truly a wonderful way to live, which the western world has lost.
Vast megacities
Busy, bright and exciting. A melting pot of ancient and futuristic, where shrines, temples and castles sit amongst modern skyscrapers and jaw-dropping 3D billboards.
Picturesque countryside and seascapes
Waterways, rice fields, mountains and hillsides thick with forests.
There are over fourteen thousand islands around Japan, many of which can be seen in the warm seas edging the Pacific ocean, from Hiroshima and Toba.
Cultural juxtaposition
Beliefs of purity, modesty and minimalism, versus extravagant Anime and manga characters, and neon signs in the cities (see the Japanese term otaku).
Shinto kannushi (priests) and Buddhist monks in traditional attire, versus young women dressed in risqué anime outfits lining the streets of Akihabara.
Subdued, almost dull, daytime and office dress, versus colourful and flamboyant night time wear.
Insanely good fried chicken
Creamy zesty ramen
Food
OMG, the fried chicken, and fluffy pancakes - I’m drooling just remembering them.
I could have eaten fluffy pancakes all day
The Japanese are beautifully creative and food is art, with both sweet and savoury dishes perfectly and delicately presented. Many stores and restaurants have plastic food displays which are life-like.
There are many tasty dishes both Japanese and international. Ramen made of thin or creamy broth; tempura prawns the size of your hand; okonomiyaki, a teppanyaki (cooked on a hot plate) savoury pancake dish; king crab; Kobe and Wagyu beef; fruit sandwiches; and Bento boxes.
And, sushi. I only had it once. In three cities, we visited the well known Kura revolving sushi restaurants but each had between a 60-90 minutes waiting list without the possibility of booking.
I ate Japanese, Italian, Indian, and was served Chinese by a robot with a smiley cat face.
There are also some options that may not appeal, such as ‘natto’, a potent fermented soya bean dish often served amongst the breakfast buffet.
I enjoy octopus so was keen to try ‘Takoyaki’ - deep fried octopus balls. Sat on bar stools in a skinny little kitchen in Shibuya, Tokyo, we watched them being made, hoping they would be crispy and full of octopus, but they were disappointing. Soft and mushy with very little octopus.
At our hotel in Toba we didn’t realise the restaurant only served Japanese food and unexpectedly had a ‘full Japanese’ breakfast. There were some strong flavours and unfamiliar textures, including conger eel soup. It definitely wouldn’t be my preferred choice, but I’m so glad to have had it. It was beautifully served and presented in a small private cubicle made of rice paper with a sea view.
The fresh fruit and vegetables we saw were massive. They must be genetically modified. One apple was so big I could barely hold it in one hand. One carrot or leek big enough to feed a family, and I’m not exaggerating. Grapes and strawberries the size of plums.
Premium grade A5 Kobe beef
Japan Tips
Wagyu or Kobe beef - If you want to enjoy the best Wagyu or Kobe beef, choose premium grade ‘A5’. Beef is graded between C-A (A being the top grade), along with a number 1-5 (5 being the highest). It is expensive but having never tasted it before it was a must do, so I prepared myself to pay a premium price.
We saw a restaurant in Kyoto advertising Wagyu for £30 per person which we thought was a bargain. Agreed, it was a reasonable price but it was a novice mi-steak (sorry). The Wagyu had a gelatinous texture and was not at all flavoursome. I’ve had better beef in the UK so couldn’t understand what the hype was about. Thankfully, we had an excellent dining experience in Kobe at Kissho-kichi in the Sakaemachi Dori district of Kobe, where the beef was cooked teppanyaki style. It cost ¥16,000/£80 per head - there were cheaper and more expensive options but this was perfect for us.
Japan train travel
The trains run to the minute and are cheap. For example, a half hour one way fare from Kobe to Osaka was ¥420, approximately £2.
There are many options which takes a bit of getting used to. The key is taking your time to understand which train company and line you need. They are colour coded, often with a specific letter for individual lines. Getting familiar with the differences between Rapid Express, Express, and Local is an added confusion. It was a little daunting at times, but there is always someone close more than willing to help, and most signs are in Japanese and English.
Private train companies - There are many private train companies - I believe there are seven different ones operating in Tokyo alone.
Shinkansen aka Bullet train - The most well-known Japanese train is the Japan Rail Group’s (‘JR’) famed Shinkansen. The company has many dedicated stations for all types of JR trains, and eleven different lines serving different regions. We used the Tokaido line which was celebrating its 60th Anniversary.
What a ride! The fastest Nozomi train reaches speeds of 300kmh/186mph and is spacious, smooth and quiet. Watch out for train drivers hanging out of the window as they leave the stations. During the journey, staff regularly walk through each carriage making checks, politely bowing as they enter and leave each one.
Even though we were going to use the trains extensively through the regions of Honshu, we decided not to purchase a JR Pass, as the cost for a standard seat 21 day pass was ¥100,000, approximately £500 per person - they can be bought for 7 and 14 days too. A three hour one way Shinkansen ticket from Tokyo to Hiroshima on the Nozomi cost ¥19,960/£105, and from Nagoya to Tokyo was ¥11,940/£62.
The Shinkansen
Japan Tips
1). Wrong Train - If you accidentally get on the wrong train, for example a Rapid Express rather than Express, it is easy to adjust your ticket cost at ticket adjustment machines before you exit the station.
2). Seats on JR Shinkansen - The seats in the regular car are comfortable with lots of space. There’s no need to book the more expensive green car seats.
3). Luggage on JR Shinkansen - I travelled with a large suitcase and rucksack which I had measured as being an acceptable size for the train. I didn’t book a luggage space as I thought there would be some available, similar to the UK where you board the train and place your luggage in the luggage area. There are not - all spaces must be pre-booked. My case was too big to put in the overheard shelf but luckily I had a middle seat in the front of the carriage which had just enough space to wheel it in front of me and place my rucksack on top. Not sure the two gentlemen either side of me were overly impressed but, in true Japanese style, they were very polite. See ‘Where To Stay in Japan?’ Japan Tips below for a solution.
4). Stations - Enormous! They are on several levels and have shopping malls. Don’t underestimate how long it can take to get through them. The bullet trains are extremely long with up to 16 carriages. It can take 10 minutes just to walk the platform to get to the right car.
5). Train etiquette - It is considered rude to chat or use your mobile phone whilst on a train. On most journeys we observed travellers respected this, although on a couple (particularly the train to Universal Studios) there were people talking who may have been tourists and not aware of the expected code of conduct.
6). Prepaid travel cards - Suica, Pasmo, ICOCA, JR Pass, and the list goes on. We found the choice mind-boggling, and paid as we went for each journey. The only exception being in Tokyo where we purchased a 72 hour Tokyo travel card at a Tourism Information centre in Shiodome station. It cost ¥1500/£7.50 which worked out slightly cheaper than individual journeys around the city.
Shopping and cost
The flights and mid-range accommodation were expensive but, once there, food and gifts were far more reasonable than we expected. Some hotel room cost less for me as I was single occupant - where else do you get that? Train and taxi prices were cheap.
My eldest daughter, who is obsessed with all things Japanese, raved about the Don Quijote stores and I see why. They are huge, some over five floors, and filled with everything from tea bags and face masks, to luggage and authentic luxury brand second-hand bags. It was hard to resist filling our baskets, and it made Christmas present ideas for my daughter effortless.
Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe have lengthy outdoor covered shopping arcades that seemed to go on for miles.
Safety
It felt safe and comfortable wandering around the cities of Japan, even on my own. |n the three weeks we were there, we saw four policemen and two parked police cars. There were probably more but they weren’t obvious as in many other major cities around the world.
Japan Tips
Look down! - Many drain covers are intricately designed and differ in city areas. There are many dedicated to Pokémon around Japan, although only two in Tokyo, both of which I missed, as I found out after a visit to the National Museum of Nature and Science in Ueno Park
A cat mural in Kyoto
My brother giving crackers to the bowing deer in Nara Park
Cats and deer
Cats are revered in Japan as they are believed to bring good luck, and they’re everywhere - billboards, sides of trains and logos. Coincidentally, Hello Kitty celebrated her 50th anniversary this year and one Ginza store had portraits of her in their window.
I had read that many cats roamed around Hibiya Park, near the Imperial Palace in Tokyo, but never saw any. There’s even a island called Tashirojima (Cat Island) about a 3 hour drive from Sendai where several hundred wild cats roaming the streets, living their best lives.
The wild deer of Nara Park are known for politely bowing before accepting crackers out of visitors hands. They can get a little over excited and more aggressive during the autumn rutting season, so it’s important to be mindful this.
An unexpected sight was deer roaming freely on Miyajima, although they are not quite as polite.
Japanese Toilets
Modern Japanese loos make your bottom feel like it’s been to the spa.
Some automatically raise the lid so you can place your cheeks on a heated seat. The sound of running water automatically fills the air, maintaining your modesty, and once you’ve finished there are multiple cleaning buttons to chose from. I nervously pushed one and almost squealed at the directional accuracy! I wasn’t brave enough to try the ‘wand clean’ - the mind boggles.
Or you can use the more traditional squat option.
Wand Clean!
Things to see in Japan
Below are bullet points on places we visited. For more detail go to my other post ‘Places to visit in Japan’.
Our reason for visiting Japan was not because it is currently the holiday destination. It was a more personal and emotional trip made in memory of our mum who had wanted to visit since she was seventeen. We were booked to take her in 2020 but the pandemic resulted in her holiday of a lifetime being cancelled, and sadly, she passed away before we got her there.
Our main incentive was to visit places that Mum had wanted to see which gave us our top five destinations and distances we would need to travel:
O-Torii gate (Itsukushima Shrine) in the sea off Miyajima, an island near Hiroshima:
A-Bomb Memorial at Hiroshima;
The Thousand Torri gates near Kyoto;
Wedded Rocks (Meoto Iwa) near Toba
Mount Fuji - sadly, on both occasions the Bullet train went by, it was cloudy so we couldn’t see it.
Japan Tips
Comfortable and well-used walking shoes - Wherever you decide to go, be prepared to walk - a lot! Our daily step count was intense, the biggest being our last day in Tokyo when mine hit 29,273. Throughout the whole holiday we walked over 200km.
Top of the tree
Things to see in Tokyo, Japan
Japan’s largest city is vast with no possibility of seeing even half of it in our four night stay, but here are some of our highlights.
Tokyo SkyTree
Shibuya Scramble Crossing, Tokyo
National Museum of Nature and Science, Ueno Park, Tokyo
teamLab Planets, Tokyo
Tokyo Tower
Tokyo Imperial Palace and Hibiya Park
Akihabara Electric Town, Tokyo
Japan Tips
1). Animal welfare - Avoid cat and animal cafes, and aquariums. The Japanese may love their cats and pets but, generally, animal welfare is poor and it is strongly recommended not to support animal cafes or aquariums.
2). Eating in the streets - It is considered rude to walk and eat at the same time, so if you buy something from a market stall remember to find somewhere quiet to sit and eat it.
3). Fires - As we discovered, throughout their history Japanese cities have had many devastating fires, so many historical sites have been reconstructed in part or full.
Just some of the Torii gates on the way to the summit of Mount Inari
Things to see in Kyoto, Japan
Kyoto has the reputation of being more traditional than other Japanese cities. There are traditional Japanese homes and temples, and several high-rise buildings, but we didn’t see any skyscrapers. We stayed for three nights which was plenty for what we intended to see.
The Thousand Torri Gates
Bamboo Forest at Arashiyama
Nishiki Market
Gion
Dotonbori
Things to see in Osaka, Japan
Japan’s third largest city known as ‘Japan’s Kitchen’, is hosting Expo 2025. We used Osaka as a base for Nara and Kobe, and stayed for five nights which was a good decision for us. The short local train ride from Kyoto to Osaka cost of ¥580/£3.
Dotonbori
Umeda Sky Building
Universal Studios, Japan
Go karts
Rikuro’s bakery for baked cheesecake
Japan Tips
Dinner is cheaper below ground - On street level Google advised that many restaurants near our Osaka hotel cost ¥10,000+/£50 per head. Go underground where it seems the local office workers go. The basement levels in the shopping mall were full of cheap and varied dining options. The Japanese, usually reserved, were there to let their hair down. The atmosphere was relaxed yet vibrant. The noise of voices was almost deafening.
Train heading to Nara
Things to see in Nara, Japan
Japan’s oldest capital city is a short train ride from Osaka Umeda Station - a one way ticket costing ¥590/£3. I’m sure there are many more things to do in the city but our day trip was solely to visit Nara Park.
Nara Park - Freely wild roaming deer
Nara Park - The Great Buddha Hall at Todaiji Temple
The A-Bomb Dome
Things to see in Hiroshima, Japan
This historically significant city is 500 miles/800 km from Tokyo and easily reached by the Shinkansen. We took the fast Nozomi train on the Tokaido line which took 3 hours.
If I ever travelled to Japan, I knew I would visit the city to pay my respects to those who died.
Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park
Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum
2024 Nobel Peace Prize
On 11 October 2024, the Norwegian Nobel Committee awarded the Peace Prize to a group of Japanese atomic bomb survivors from both Hiroshima and Nagasaki. They are called Nihon Hidankyo, also known as the Hibakusha, and were young children when the bombs were dropped. They have worked tirelessly to educate the world about the devastation of nuclear war and to promote peace.
Japan Tips
1). Hiroshima Peace Museum - Buy your tickets before you head to the A-Bomb Dome which removes the need to queue. We spent an hour and a half walking around the park and dome, visiting each memorial and paying our respects, then headed back to the museum which took another hour or so to walk round.
2). Ferry to Miyajima - These leave from Miyajimaguchi Port near Hiroshima, or ferries serving Hiroshimako Station and the Grand Prince Hotel.
The O-Torii gate
Things to see in Miyajima, Japan
One of our top four destinations to see the iconic O-Torii gate.
Floating O-Torii Gate, Itsukushima Shrine
Wild free roaming deer
Ropeway cable cars to the summit of Mount Misen
The Wedded Rocks
Things to see in Toba and Ise, Japan
A sleepy town off the beaten track with a surprising pearl history and close to Meoto Iwa, otherwise known as the Wedded Rocks, in Ise.
Mikimoto Pearl Museum
Meoto Iwa aka the Wedded Rocks
Best time of year to visit Japan
It very much depends on what you wish to see and do, and where.
The most famous, and possibly most expensive, time to visit Japan is during the Sakura season when the cherry blossom trees are in full bloom. It can happen anywhere between March and May, and Sakura calendars like this one provide the expected blossom times. Weather conditions, and which region of Japan you are visiting, will play a part.
The autumn season provides leaves of reds, oranges and golden yellows. We hoped to witness many trees turning into Fall colours during our October holiday, but the weather was so hot the season was delayed by 3-4 weeks. The changes can even start in December.
Summer is usually hot and humid, and cities are probably best to be avoided.
The rainy season hits different Japanese regions between May-July, and is referred to us tsuyu meaning ‘plum rain’, as it coincides with the ripening of plums, often used to make plum wine.
Beware of the mosquitos. I don’t usually suffer too badly, but I was clearly a very tasty specimen for the Japanese mosquitos. Any exposed skin was a magnet for them and they left nasty bites. I had a natural deet free mosquito repellent and an electric ‘zapper’ but halfway through the trip I needed a Japanese mosquito cream to calm the bites.
Ski season in the northern island of Hokkaido is popular during winter.
October is usually cooler with temperatures ranging between a low of 15° to high of 28° in the most southern island. However, both October 2023 and 2024 were unusually warm and we wore summer clothing the whole time we were there. The lowest temperature we had was a cool 15 degrees one morning in Osaka, but it soon increased to 24, and most of the time we had mid 20s-low 30s. If you like Halloween then October is the time to go.
Where to stay in Japan
We pre-booked our hotels so we knew how much accommodation would cost, and it helped solidify our route. We wanted mid-priced hotels in convenient locations for sightseeing so budgeted for £150 per night. Some were a little less, some a little more.
Hotel Villa Fontaine Grand Tokyo Shiodome, Tokyo - Four nights. Modern business style hotel near Ginza shopping area and within walking distance of Tokyo Tower. Large open reception and atrium. Snug but acceptable sized city rooms with a bathroom. A couple of hooks on the wall to hang clothes - no wardrobe.
Grand Prince Hotel, Hiroshima - Two nights. Impressive modern hotel on the seafront with all rooms having a sea view. The breakfast buffet is on the top floor with a 360 degree panoramic view of nearby islands and the city. The G7 Summit 2023 was held here. We got a fantastic deal and wished we’d stayed another night. It’s about a ten minutes taxi drive (¥1000/£5) or twenty minutes bus trip (¥220/£1.15) from the city. The ferry to Miyajima docks is at the hotel and there’s a coastal footpath around the hotel peninsula.
Nikko Princess Hotel, Kyoto - Three nights. Old style elegant hotel with exceptionally large rooms containing two queen size beds, a sofa and table, desk, and a proper wardrobe. Fairly central and within walking distance of Higashi Hongan-ji Temple, Gion, and Nishiki Market.
Monterey La Frere Hotel, Osaka - Five nights. Modern business style hotel, a five minute walk from Osaka and Umeda Stations. Small and very busy reception area, with a large restaurant serving an excellent breakfast buffet. Reasonable sized bedroom and good sized bathroom, especially for a solo traveller. A self-service laundry room with washers (¥300/£1.50 per wash) and dryers (¥100 per 30 minutes) which we made the most of.
Toba International Hotel Shiojitei, Toba - Three nights. Traditional Japanese hotel with low floor based furniture on tatami flooring, and a traditional hot spring onsen (where you bathe naked). Walking distance to the Mikimoto Pearl Museum, and about 15 minutes on the train to Ise, for the Wedded Rocks.
The Royal Park Hotel, Terminal 3 Haneda Airport - Overnight for morning flight. Perfectly situated inside Terminal 3 departure lobby, and even better it was right next to the British Airways desk we needed.
Japan Tips
1). We prebooked hotels with free cancellation so that if the price dropped, or we changed our itinerary, we were able to cancel and rebook.
2). One of the best pieces of advise a friend gave me was to use a luggage delivery company to transfer luggage from hotel to hotel. It saves dragging it through the huge and busy train stations. I wish I had used it for the Tokyo to Hiroshima journey but I was nervous of it getting lost. I needn’t have been as I kept my Apple Air Tag in the case so I could monitor its location.
The only negative of this service is that there is a day delay. The first transfer I booked was on the morning we travelled from Hiroshima to Kyoto - my luggage arrived the following day at around 3pm. So for the transfers between Kyoto to Osaka; Osaka to Toba; and Toba to Haneda Airport, I kept clothing and my washbag for the following day and transferred my luggage the day before we left the hotel. This worked much better.
The cost per item depends on its size. My large suitcase cost ¥2,500 approximately £12-13 and was worth every penny. You need cash to pay for the service.
3). Self-service laundry rooms. Having discovered the one in our Osaka hotel, I would definitely recommend looking for this service when choosing a hotel.
Japan research
There is so much information about Japan that it’s easy to feel overwhelmed and confused by it all. Here are some websites that I narrowed my search down to, as well as looking at various travel agency sites for inspiration.
Please note none of these are sponsored or paid, they are simply sites I found useful.
www.japan.go.jp The Japanese Government website
www.japan.travel The official Japan guide site
japanrailpass.net I believe this is the official JR Pass website as it is linked by the above website. Be aware that there are many fake and dubious websites that will charge you more.
www.japan-guide.com
https://www.timeout.com/japan
I also purchased a book called ‘Abroad in Japan’ written by a UK YouTuber Chris Broad, who at the time of writing had lived in Japan for ten years. It is a brilliant, witty and honest account and insight of his life as a foreigner in this country, which I strongly recommend. My brother and sister-in-law both read and enjoyed it too.
Earthquakes
I would have no hesitation of going back to see more of Japan, especially the northern island of Hokkaido where the snow monkeys live, or during the stunning cherry blossom season. There is just so much more to see.
Unfortunately, I have a terrible fear of earthquakes, and Japan is situated on highly active tectonic plates so the country and surrounding seas endure earthquakes every day, most of which are minor.
My logical brain reminded me that the Japanese live with these all year round, and modern buildings are constructed to withstand strong tremors. However, my irrational brain was in turmoil, and no amount of people reassuring me could ease it. My fear almost stopped me booking the trip in both 2020 and 2024.
A screenshot of the website page showing the tremor in Tokyo on 13 October 2024
As if my usual level of dread wasn’t enough, on 8 August 2024, exactly two months before our departure date, the Japanese Government issued the first ever megaquake warning. No joke, I was straight on the phone to British Airways to discuss the implications of cancelling my ticket. It did not make financial sense to cancel so the only way I could calm my anxiety was taking some degree of control. This came in the unusual form of daily checking the Japan Meteorological website that monitors and reports all tremors in and around the country. An odd method, but rather than ignoring the possibility of it happening, it gave me more understanding of how many there actually are, which did ease my mind.
Whilst asleep on our last night in Tokyo there was a 4.3 magnitude earthquake which strongly shook the furniture and my body. I guess it lasted around ten seconds, and what surprised me was that, although unnerved, I wasn’t terrified as I thought I might be, but I definitely don’t want to feel one any stronger than that.
All I can say is that you will almost surely experience an earthquake whilst in Japan but it will be so mild you won’t know.
I’m so glad I didn’t let my inner demons win. I’d like to think Mum had something to do with that, egging me on and not letting it stop me - she was very persuasive.
Good luck and Bon Voyage
According to Google this translates into Japanese as ‘Kōun o inorimasu, soshite bonboyāju o’.
I’d love to hear if you found my post helpful with your research and travels around this beautiful and friendly country.