Emma’s Travel Story: Three weeks in Japan

Meet Emma, one of our resident Japan experts (and travel writer extraordinaire!) She’s not long returned from her three-week adventure around the country and she has some tales to share. You’re in for a treat.

Of course, she visited the must-sees. She walked the bamboo forests of Kyoto, soaked up the crazy in Osaka, and wandered the neon-lit streets in Tokyo. But, she explored the unexpected, too. Teasing out a side to Japan that might just surprise you.

Join Emma as she takes you beyond the guidebooks, uncovering the stories, sights, and experiences that make Japan a destination unlike any other…

Tokyo

Before ever visiting Tokyo I had my reservations – as a country bumpkin, I thought it would all be a bit too much! That all changed the first time I went on the subway and walked around the busy Shinjuku area. Yes, there are bright lights everywhere you turn, and a lot of information in a completely foreign language, but somehow there’s order to the chaos. 

The Japanese culture puts respect at the forefront, and it really shows when you’re wandering around. Tokyo feels like the safest city I’ve ever travelled in; no such thing as pickpocketing here, and every local will do their best to make you feel warmly welcomed. If you need help, any Japanese person will try to assist, even if they can’t speak much or any English. All of this makes exploring the neon neighbourhoods and packed alleyways so much fun, and much calmer than you’d think!

Another thing I love about Tokyo is that it’s really a series of small places packed into one sprawling city, so there are plenty of neighbourhoods to explore that feel quiet and relaxed despite the fact you’re in a metropolis. Yes, many of the main sights and temples will be packed, but scratch under the surface (and head out on a tour with one of our amazing guides) and there is so much more to see that will surprise you.

Kanazawa

I loved spending time in Kanazawa – this small city on the northern side of the island of Honshu is also known as Little Kyoto, mainly down to the Edo-era streets you’ll find in the centre and the geisha culture that’s still very much alive today. You really feel like you’re in Japan of yesteryear when you’re surrounded by these beautiful typical houses with wooden slat fronts and sliding paper doors. There are also some old samurai houses there that are worth exploring, preserved to show you the typical way in which these iconic Japanese figures used to live. Don’t miss the magnificent castle too, it boasts some mind-boggling engineering that’s well worth a look. Kanazawa is definitely one for the history buffs!

It’s one for nature lovers too. Immediately next to the castle, you’ll also find Kenrokuen Garden, which is described as one of the top three landscape gardens in Japan, and it’s not hard to see why! The perfectly manicured grounds are filled with cherry blossom trees in spring and come alive with rich reds and oranges in autumn. The gardens are big enough to spend a good couple of hours wandering along its magical walkways and soaking up the peace away from the hustle and bustle. See if you can spot some of the gardeners meticulously working on the moss that covers some of the beds, it’s crazy how precise and thorough these professionals are!

Kyoto

Kyoto is just as hectic as expected, but I still managed to find little pockets of calm all over the city. I spent four nights here and could happily spend another 4,000 as there seemed like so much to see and do. Kyoto had a period of being Japan’s capital until the late 19th century and it wasn’t obliterated in WWII (like Tokyo) – so it’s still got a lot of that charm and tradition; that magic of ancient old-world Japan I always picture. But with that has come a lot of over-tourism in recent years, and sadly a lot of visitors overstep boundaries for locals (showing disrespect of geisha culture and the geishas themselves for example) and this has made things very difficult. Not to mention seriously over-crowded! So while I still say a visit to Kyoto is a must, it’s well worth remembering that there are thousands of temples and shrines across town – not just the big ones like Fushimi Inari and Yasaka Pagoda – so worth doing your research and venturing to the quieter corners of the city – I can help with that. It’s also worth travelling here at different times of year (cherry blossom season is completely overrun!) if possible, and visiting places in the evening/outside of peak hours. There’s definitely ways around it. 

There are a couple of brilliant excursions here that will help you along the way too – whether you want to explore the backroads by bike or visit some must-see attractions from a different perspective and with a local, we can use our expertise and first-hand experience of the city to help you see the very best of Kyoto.

Okayama, Kurashiki & Naoshima

So many people won’t make it further down from Kyoto and Osaka on the islands of Japan, but there are a couple of really special bits just 60-90 minutes away by Shinkansen (the bullet train). Okayama is a major city along this line and it’s well worth adding two or so nights here on your Japan holiday as it’ll give you time to visit a couple of beautiful little places.

The first is Kurashiki, which is a 30-minute local train from Okayama Station and is home to a very charming historical quarter with a canal running through it – seriously picture-perfect. You can take little boat rides with guides along the canal, and the streets are lined with cafes, restaurants and artisan shops. This is also the home of Japanese denim so a lot of quality denim apparel can be found here too! I just love Kurashiki, such a calm vibe and it was so quiet when I visited – a hidden gem for sure.

The other perhaps more famous highlight in this area is Naoshima, which is Japan’s art island. What a unique place! This is a 15-20 minute ferry from a town just south of Okayama, and you’ll find beautiful little beaches here, as well as a scattering of art galleries across the shores. There are outdoor art installations all over the place too, and if you’re really into your art there are some hotels here as well so you can maximise your time on the island. If you’re just here for the day (which is certainly enough time if you don’t have much more to spare), rent e-bikes for the days and pootle your way between galleries.

Hiroshima

Most people will of course know of Hiroshima because of the awful events of August 6th 1945, when the atomic bomb exploded here and changed Hiroshima forever. While this is undeniably still a big part of the city’s fabric and shouldn’t be ignored while you are here (the Peace Memorial Museum is well worth a visit even though it is difficult), there is so much more to Hiroshima. There is an energetic and fun feel to the city, bolstered by a lively downtown area where you can wander for a spot of shopping and in the evenings sample from one (or more!) of its many craft breweries. There is one speciality you definitely need to try here and that’s okonomiyaki – a delicious savoury pancake and here in Hiroshima they fill them with noodles. So tasty and there is a particular food hall with dozens of okonomiyaki vendors for you to choose from, such a fun experience!

While I was in the city I also took the 45-minute quick ferry out to Miyajima, a beautiful island nearby that has a lovely little shopping area, a handful of gorgeous shrines  (one with a torii gate in the sea, a picture of Japan you may have seen before), deer roaming the streets and when the weather’s right there are some nice hiking trails here that offer beautiful views out to the water. You can spend anything from a couple of hours here or a full day, and the ferry journey is also lovely!

Nagasaki

Right down on the edge of Japan’s main larger island, you’ll find Nagasaki, a charming small city that feels really tucked away from Japan’s other more over-run places. My main highlight here was definitely the observatory on Mount Inasa, which you can get a cable car up to in just five minutes and be treated to an epic view across both the city and the islands of the Kyushu prefecture. I went up there just as the sun was going down, which meant everything was being kissed with golden sunshine – a truly beautiful sight! The city is on one side and then all you can see is the sea dotted with lush green hills and islands. However, the view is very famous after dark too – in fact it’s heralded as one of the very best night views in Japan, with twinkling lights reflected in the water as far as the eye can see. 

Fukuoka

Fukuoka is the sixth largest city in Japan and still manages to be such a hidden gem! It definitely feels like it gets overshadowed by the other cities in the country but it’s definitely worthy of some of your time on your Japan holiday. I loved the feel of Fukuoka; it felt fresh and exciting, and of course the biggest highlight for me here was the Taste of Fukuoka tour. The city is known for its yatai food stalls, of which there are around 100 – more than any other city in the country! And they each have their own specialty; I went to a hot plate one with my guide Norry, which is a family-run stall that’s been there for 30 years. I had the most delicious garlic pork and mushrooms here, all whipped up on the hot plate right in front of me and served with a crisp, cold beer to wash it down. Lovely. On the tour we also visited a couple of markets, as well as a local department store where Norry could guide me through all sorts of traditional Japanese ingredients. Here’s where we came across a pyramid-shaped watermelon that cost £1,000! 

Osaka & Nara

There is one word that sums up Osaka perfectly and that is F-U-N! I loved all of the bright lights of Dontonburi (the central entertainment district), where you can see giant dumplings, crabs and octopus stuck to the sides of buildings – it is all completely bonkers and so loveable! Close to this district are also a couple of little lanes packed with restaurants, which make for a lovely evening out. Other treasures in the city include the beautiful castle (surrounded by cherry blossoms in spring) and Shitennoji Temple, one of the oldest in the entire country. There’s also more madness to be found at Shinsekai neighbourhood; home to nostalgic arcade games, bright lights, cheap street eats and dive bars. Lots of fun at night and seriously retro.

While I was in Osaka I did a half-day trip to Nara, which is only 30 minutes’ train from Namba Station. The main attraction here are the hundreds of deer that roam freely through the park, and you can feed them with little crackers sold by local vendors – very cute! A lovely place to take the children if you’re travelling as a family and want to get out the city. The deer will also bow their heads in response to a bow from you which is pretty magical…  Only in Japan! There are a couple of beautiful temples to explore here as well, I definitely recommend going inside Tōdai-ji to take a look at the giant Buddha in there, it’s incredible!

Here at HA, we love nothing more than a natter about travel. If Japan intrigues you, get in touch for a chat with our Emma. She’ll share first-hand stories from her Japan adventure, get to know you and what’s important to you, before designing the perfect Japan holiday itinerary to match. You’ll find no one-size-fits-all offerings here. Every single holiday we design is as unique as you are. Let’s get started.