Japan
Who amongst us has not wanted to plan a trip to Japan? Probably no one, let's be honest. It can be a bit overwhelming so if I can offer you any guidance with the below, I'm happy. We went for our honeymoon, which was a dream. Having a mix of cities and countryside was ideal for us. a mixture of easy public transport, incredibly friendly people, some of the best galleries i've ever experienced and the best food made for an unforgettable trip.
Tokyo is a pretty wild city, not only in terms of visuals but in both size and variety. There is a lovely juxtaposition of the old and the new throughout, which can be fun to balance in your planning. We focused on mixing in art galleries, gardens, a lot of food and some shopping.
View all Tokyo recomendationsHakone
Quite easily the highlight of the trip for us, and a massive treat. We stayed at Benesse House which is an art gallery that allows guests to wander around the artworks at any time of day. Even if you don’t stay, the site-specific pieces of artwork, galleries and installations dotted around this tiny island make it a dream come true for any art lover.
View all Naoshima recomendationsOaska has a much livelier energy to it than elsewhere we visited on our trip. There is also great shopping to be done here, with Orange Street amongst others, as well as beautiful gardens and art installations.
View all Osaka recomendationsAfter crazy Tokyo, Hakone was the perfect next destination. Only xx hours by train from Tokyo, it’s where people often go to escape the heat of Tokyo in the summer months. Nestled in the xx mountains, Hakone has some stunning galleries, lake Ashi and hot spring baths. I’ve never felt like I was living through a studio Ghibli film more.
View all hakone RECOMMENDATIONSNaoshima
Kyoto
With a more historic feel to it than Tokyo, Kyoto is a much more relaxed city despite being a tourist hotspot. There are more temples than you’d be able to visit in one trip, as well as beautiful gardens, houses and streets to wander.
View all Kyoto RECOMMENDATIONSOsaka
Tokyo
Thank you! Arigatō!
Yes please! Hai, onegaishimasu!
No, thanks. Kekkōdesu.
Delicious! Oishī!
Download google translate! We had full conversations with people this way. a lifesaver!Transport: The trains in Japan are a dream. You can get the sucia card on your phone to use across the Tokyo (and Kyoto) metro. This way you’re able to top up on the go rather than at machines.
JR Railpass: You can do the calculations on their website as to whether it makes sense for you to but a railpass, or separate journeys. Either way, the trains are as you’d expect: amazing. Give yourself extra time at the train station to pick up snacks from the amazing bento supermarkets. You can activate your pass for a certain day in the near future, it doesn’t have to be the day you travel if you’re worried about making a certain train first thing in the morning.
Top tips for Japan
Mobile data / roaming
You can order ahead and pick up sims cards from the airport to start using straight away. This is cheaper and easier than carrying around the router that JR Pass tries to sell you.
Safety
Cash
Japan is a safe country to travel in, there's little violent crime, but like any city, pickpocketing does occur in Tokyo, Kyoto or Osaka. People in general are incredibly helpful and friendly if you need anything at all.
A lot of places accept cards, but you'd be sensible to get some cash out for market stalls, smaller shops and buses. Also found our cards didn’t always work for some card readers, so good to have back up.
