Japan

#MalougoesJapan

While travelling  through Japan, I will have some time to write down my experiences and impressions of my journey. I tried to write down the places I have been, but there were too many or with names I cannot write / speak. So please see below I think my biggest post, but Japan, this wonderful country is amazing and fascinating me since I have been. I am looking forward to go soon again.

A big part of the Japanese culture is, also, one of my favourite parts: Food. Try yourself through the delicacies: Tonkatsu, Okonomiyaki, Ramen, Sushi, Udon Noodles, Gyoza or Omurice.

We went in August / September and had an average temperature between 27° – to 31° degree. Next time, I would like to return for the cherry blossom season.

 It was one of the most wonderful journeys I’ve ever done! I have taken so many fascinating impressions with me, that I will never forget.

Tokyo

Sightseeing

Tokyo is unbelievably huge and there is so much to see. I’ll try to narrow it down. Walking over the famous Shibuya-Crossing, strolling through Shinjuku and Harajuku and being permanently stunned or feeling glamorous in Ginza.

Visit

  • Tokyo Tower – Gives you an amazing view (& cheaper than the Skytree)
  • Tsukiji Fish market – Early in the morning, but Best Sushi I ever had
  • Ginza Quartier – go there for luxury things you can’t afford
  • Shibuya – stand by the crossing at rush hour and be amazed
  • Sensiô-Ji Temple – a typical shrine
  • Imperial Palace –  fancy place but not visit able
  • Harry Hedgehog Café – Cuddle Hedgehogs and Chinchillas and pet otters
  • Akihabara – street full of electronics, go at night to see the lights
  • Odaiba – with the monorail over the rainbow bridge for shopping

Osaka

 After a few days in Tokyo we took the Shinkansen highspeed-train to Osaka. The trains are super comfortable and it’s such an easy way to travel. To Osaka, it’s a little bit smaller than Tokyo but still huge. When I think back to Osaka, the first thing that pops up in my mind are the restaurant-, gambling- and shopping-passages. Osaka-Castle is a gorgeous place to visit. It is also interesting to walk through those knife & pottery passages and see where the Japanese people go shopping. Osaka was something different but still cool.

Hiroshima

On the way to Hiroshima, we stopped for a day at Kobe for eating Kobe-Beef. Hiroshima is impressive, how they rebuilt this city after the bombing. Which brings us to the main attractions the Peace Memorial Park and the Historical Museum. Also, worth going and in walking distance, the Hiroshima Castle. Completely worth spending the time and the money on a trip to the island Miyajima. It’s a 45-minute boat tour to a lovely island of free living deer’s, shrines and beaches. An escape from all the towns, where we also found the cute coffee shop: Itsuki Coffee Hiroshima is a wonderful city and I can highly recommend it. One reason is because you must try the different types of the Okonomiyaki (kind of noodle-pancake). Go to one of the restaurants where you have Nomihodai (All-you-can-drink-Menus) and afterwards for Karaoke. In Hiroshima I also discovered plum wine, which I drank nearly every evening.

Kyoto

Kyoto was the city where we saw the biggest crowd of tourists, mostly Chinese, which I have to say are quite annoying, sorry for that. What I can highly recommend is joining a traditional tea ceremony. – Link –

Kyoto offers I think the most temples and shrines in Japan. The one I liked the most but is also very touristy is the Fushimi-Inari-Taisha Shrine. After visiting about 15 shrines, still everyone is differtent and has it’s own magic. As you see below, a part of the whole shrine park is a way through, maybe around thousand of the known red-black Tori-Shrines. Kyoto is a really beautiful city and was kind of the cultural center of our journey.

Hakone

We’ve searched for a small place between Kyoto and Tokyo and randomly, we found the City of Hakone. There we booked a lovely Ryokan (traditional Japanese guest house). Included in the room rate were traditional Japanese dinner and breakfast. Hakone is a town in the outer part of Toyko and also beneath the highest mountain of Japan, the Mount Fuji. That is another reason why we went there, we already caught a glimpse of the peak from the aeroplane and rushed by it on our way to Osaka. But we wanted to go to a little less crowded place and get a better look at the gigantic mountain. The weather was not that grateful to us, as it was in the past two weeks, it was foggy and strongly clouded. Due to bad weather, it was not worth for us to go to the visiting of the starting point of Mount Fuji. So we took the train to the Open Air Museum. Which was a nice way to spend the afternoon. After coming back to the Ryokan we wrapped ourselves in the given Kimonos and went for a Onsen-visit before dinner-time. Hakone is a quite nice town. We only spent there 1 night, because of our limited time. But we would have stayed longer, especially for going to visit the Fuji.