Japan travel guides
There are things that I absolutely adore about this country, like the speedy bullet trains, exquisitely-manicured gardens and the fact that women can walk around solo at all hours of the day and night, with minimal concern for their safety. Throw in the konbini culture, karaoke bars and layers of history to uncover, and I thought it’d quickly leapfrog to the very top of my ‘favourite places’ list.
But though it’s undeniably captivating, it can also be incredibly overwhelming. Sprawling cities that would take literal years to see properly, strict social etiquette that can be tricky to navigate with the language barrier, and so. many. people. queueing for everything from photo spots to ramen booths to Onitsuka Tigers.
Planning a trip here takes solid research, and you’re in the perfect place to start.
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My favourites in Japan
Places
- Kanazawa
- Takayama
- Koyasan
- Kyoto
- Hiroshima
Experiences
- Seeing the Snow Monkeys!
- Doing a kendo class with the descendent of an actual samurai
- Sushi class at Tsukiji Market in Tokyo
- Staying in a working Buddhist temple
- The Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route
Food & drink
- Rabbit Bagels, Kyoto
- Obenkei Sushi, Kyoto
- Bar Base, Kyoto
- Gora Brewery & Grill, Hakone (omfg the truffle yuzu salmon, DIVINE 🤌🏼)
- Italian Bar Shokudo, Osaka
- Italian Bar Charuda, Tokyo
- Any and all A5 Wagyu skewers at food markets
- Yu’s Bar, Takayama
Stays
- Resol Poshtel, Tokyo
- Ryokan Hostel Gion, Kyoto
- The OneFive, Kyoto
- Ninja & Geisha Capsule Hotel, Osaka
- AIBIYA, Yudanaka Onsen
- Temple Hotel Zenkoji, Takayama
Watch: Japan on TikTok
Prefer watching over reading? I’m currently sharing my recent Japan trip over on TikTok, you can watch the videos below.