We have been looking forward to our holiday in Japan for so long…
12 hours 20 minutes of flight time sounds long, but it actually went by relatively quickly. On the landing approach we even saw Mount Fuji rising out of the clouds. How surreal to be finally here…
Our two week long trip will lead us to Tokyo, Fujiyoshida, Takayama, Shirakawago, Kanazawa, Kyoto and finally Osaka.
Arriving in Tokyo
We start our venture into Tokyo with an evening stroll through Ikebukuro. The lights are slowly coming on and the streets are crowded. Before we go to dinner, we walk to Zoshigaya Kishimojin Temple. The red torii arches stand protectively around the 400-year-old gingko. The residential area is quiet and smaller houses are lined up close together. What a contrast to the busy and illuminated streets a little further.
We can hardly believe we only arrived this morning. We are soaking up all the sights, the noises, the smells. Today, everything is still filtered through the haze of jet lag, but we are so happy to be here.
After a small breakfast at the hotel we set off for Ningyocho. It is Sunday morning and the metro is pretty empty. The streets are also still a bit sleepy at this time of day.
We pass a temple and walk through small streets with small houses. It is warm and we are enjoying the sun. A neighborhood group is armed with brooms and dustpans and keeps the neighborhood clean. I love Japan.
We walk along the river to Akihabara, into the anime district. Neon signs with colorful anime characters look down on us from almost every building facade. We walk a little further to a nice café and take a break with a matcha latte and iced tea.
A ceremony takes place at the Kando shrine. Men and women dressed in traditional clothing dance in a circle to the rhythmic beat of the drum. We watch for a while and then walk further into the Kando district. There are many bookstores and used bookstores, stationery and craft shops. It is nice to just stroll along and have a look into a few of the shops. After our lunch it is early afternoon and we head back for a siesta. The jet lag is still noticeable.
Exploring Shinjuku & Shibuya
On Monday we go to Shinjuku. The packed trains are definitely part of the cultural experience. We walk through the colorful district dotted with high-rise buildings. A large Godzilla statue looks down on passers-by from a high-rise building. We want to come here again in the evening, then it will certainly be even more impressive.
We continue on to Meiji Shrine. Stepping into the park, we feel like the green swallows us. The large trees form a green canopy through which not a single drop of rain falls. A former emperor and his wife found their final resting place in the shrine. We enjoy the green contrast to the crowded city, as Tokyo stretches to the horizon. By the time we emerge from the green jungle, it has stopped raining.
We continue walking to Shibuya. Our lunch spot hunt leads us to an inconspicuous Japanese izakaya. You have to get used to the loud greetings and farewells from all the employees. We translate the Japanese menu cards using Google Picture Translate and select two set menus with fish. After only two days it is safe to say that we love the culinary experiences so far. Everything is so delicious.
Shibuya Crossing is a famous intersection that thousands of people cross every day. When the light is green, pedestrians walk across the intersecting zebra crossings. It is impressive, so many people are taking photos and walking across, or just stopping on the sidewalk for a better view.
We go back to Shinjuku in the evening. Now the lights are on and it looks impressive here too when the pedestrian lights turn green. Omoide Yokocho Street is now lit up, restaurants are open and people are pushing their way through the narrow alley. Colorful lanterns dangle in the wind and create a beautiful atmosphere. We eat a little further in a delicious restaurant and then walk a bit through the colorful, illuminated district. There is so much to see and marvel at.
Tokyo is full of people, full of high-rise buildings, full of colorful advertisements… and then there are districts with smaller houses, but always densely populated. We really enjoyed the three days here, but we are also looking forward to leaving the city and discovering other corners of Japan.
A View of Mount Fuji
The predicted rain is here. Our next stop is Fujiyoshida at the foot of Mount Fuji and known for its good views of the mountain.
Even though we only arrive at the bus terminal five minutes before departure, we still manage to catch the 9am bus. Everything is so wonderfully efficient in Japan. The two hour bus ride goes by relatively quickly. It rains every now and then, green mountains rise around us as cities and rice fields alternate.
Our hostel in Fujiyoshida is very nice and so is our lunch spot. In the small restaurant, we take off our shoes and sit on tatami mats for our set meal with grilled mackerel and chicken, miso soup, rice and some coleslaw.
Since it still looks friendly, I make my way to Arakurayama-Sengen Park and the Chureito Pagoda. The steps up to the pagoda are steep and there are warnings about monkeys and a bear in the area. In this weather they probably stay hidden. Even without a view of the mountain, it is a beautiful place and I sit here for a while.
It rains all through the night and so our surprise is even greater when we wake up the next morning to blue skies and sunshine. It is still early so we walk again to the pagoda with the beautiful view of Fuji. We enjoy the peace and quiet, marvel at the picturesque mountain and the pretty pagoda, let the sun shine on us… what a gift… we really didn’t expect that. Mount Fuji looks so majestic…
Into the mountains – Takayama
The journey from Fujiyoshida is incredibly easy. In total we are on the road for almost six hours. But it does not feel like that at all. We only have about ten minutes of transfer time and sometimes we even have to buy tickets. In Japan this is not a problem. Google Maps even tells you which compartment you should use for optimal transfers.
Our journey takes us past rice fields, cherry trees, towns… At the end we take the bus into the Japanese Alps. A number of reservoirs run along the road. Monkeys cross the path, narrow tunnels require careful circling past each other.
We reach Takayama in the early afternoon. The sun is shining and after leaving our backpacks at the hotel, we make our way to the old town. Dark wooden houses are lining up one after the other, small canals flow along the streets. There are a lot of tourists here and a lot of cute shops. We stop at a nice café and enjoy incredibly good chocolate cake and iced matcha latte. The Japanese really take their kitchen art very seriously.
Hida beef is famous in the mountains and tonight we are having a really good dinner. After our delicious meal, we walk a bit through the dark alleys. The bats are flying above us.
We sleep in a traditional Japanese room. We exchange our shoes for slippers at the entrance to the hotel. And then we leave the slippers outside our room and walk barefoot on our tatami mats. Only the toilet here isn’t really Japanese. No music, no spray and dry functions, only the seat is heated.
The Miyagawa morning market takes place by the river and we stroll along between the stalls and shops. We buy a croissant filled with red bean paste and continue walking through the town. The modern houses are also cute, small trees grow in towel-sized front gardens, cute cars park in front of them.
We drink tea in a small, hidden café. It is tiny and decorated with various objects. As the other two guests leave, the owner comes over to us. Her name is Mamiko, she is a geisha and teaches music. We speak in broken English and with the help of Google Translate. She paints us and we have a lot of fun. What an encounter. We have met so many wonderful people along the way.
We then follow the Higashiyama Trail past temples and shrines. It is very idyllic here in the morning, with few people around. The afternoon passes quickly as we stroll past the sake brewery and visit some of the many nice souvenir shops.
I was in Takayama and Shirakawago ten years ago. My first flight to Nagoya was extended by a day due to a strike and we went on a little road trip to the Japanese Alps with five colleagues. I remembered Takayama as a nice place in the mountains and it has not changed much.
Further into the mountains – Shirakawago
From Takayama we drive an hour deeper into the mountains to Shirakawago. Wisps of clouds hang between the mountains. The dense green forest looks so amazing and the air is wonderfully fresh as we get off the bus.
The old houses are part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site and are very impressive. The houses have very steep thatched roofs because of the heavy winter snow. Rice fields are laid out between the houses and water canals run along the paths. Swallows love the traditional houses and have built their nests in the roofs. There is chirping everywhere.
It starts to drizzle again and we look at one of the houses from the inside. On the ground floor there are photos of the thatching of the roofs. It’s a large group activity with ladders and ropes. The roof has another three levels where tools etc. are displayed. In the past, the villagers bred silkworms and spun silk.
There is a viewpoint just above the village. Shirakawago is really picturesque with its beautiful houses and gardens, rice fields, forest stretching up the mountains and even some snow is visible in the distance. The place is popular with tourists and we meet a few groups, but there is still enough space for everyone.
In the afternoon it rains again and we enjoy our cozy guesthouse. The frogs give a loud concert, clouds drift through the mountains… It is so beautiful up here. We love it.
We had such a lovely time in Takayama and Shirakawago. After Tokyo it was really nice to dive into quieter places and the mountains.
Continuing on to Kanazawa
We continue to Kanazawa and the coast. The bus ride only takes a little over an hour. The city has us again.
Since we cannot get into our Airbnb until 2pm, we walk with our backpacks towards the Higashiyama District. The old houses are part of the Tea District. First, we treat ourselves to some ice cream in the warmth. There are many tourist groups here. A few have rented kimonos for the day and are walking through the former geisha district. You can also be pulled in a rickshaw. There is a lot on offer.
Today is Hyakumangoku Festival. It is the city’s most important festival and there is a big parade from the train station to the Kanazawa Castle ruins in the afternoon. 2000 people take part in the procession. Some are dressed as geisha or samurai. Acrobats demonstrate their skills. Taiko drummers make music. We walk slowly along the parade. The crowning glory is the king on horseback. It is a famous Japanese actor and the crowds go wild to catch a glimpse of him. The parade commemorates Maeda Toshiie (1537-1599), the first king of the Kaga Dynasty, and his arrival at Kanazawa Castle on 14th June 1583.
We fight our way through the crowd and sit down in a small craft beer bar and drink dark beer from Kanazawa. We really enjoy our vacation in Japan. Every day is filled with beautiful experiences.
It rains heavily at night, but in the morning it is dry again. We always enjoy waking up early and walking through the empty streets. In an inconspicuous residential area we find a small espresso bar. Almond croissant and cheesecake with espresso and matcha latte, what a breakfast…
Then we walk to the castle. The hill is very green and we enjoy walking through the forest. Events related to the festival are taking place around the castle today. We walk a bit through the park and then continue into the Kazuemachi district. The historic districts often only cover a few streets and the old wooden houses are closely packed together. In between the wooden buildings, there are “No Smoking” signs and fire extinguishers everywhere.
The residential areas are equally interesting. The electricity poles and the many cables take some getting used to at the beginning. For an orderly country like Japan, things look a bit messy. Due to the earthquakes, it makes sense to have things above ground, though.
At lunchtime we walk to the Omigachi market. A lot of fish is sold here, but also vegetables. People are standing everywhere eating sushi or grilled fish or queuing for a restaurant. We do that too. It takes longer than we thought, but the food is very good. Green tea and water are included with our fish. The fact that you often take your shoes off in restaurants and then sit at a low table on the floor is actually quite comfortable.
The next morning, before we set off for Kyoto, the earth shakes again. A warning from Ishikawa Province pops up on my phone. Luckily, after a few seconds it is over again.
Exploring Kyoto
Today is already Monday and the last days in Japan are beginning. We had such a wonderful time until now and cannot wait to explore Kyoto and Osaka.
We travel to Kyoto in two and a half hours by Shinkansen and express train. Travelling in Japan has really been so smooth. We cannot stress this enough.
It is pretty warm here and we walk from our accommodation towards the Gion district. There are a lot of tourists here, just as we expected. We let ourselves drift and follow beautiful streets with cute houses and shops. This is how we come to the Ninenzaka and Sannenzaka area. We buy some ice cream and join the crowd up the hill.
Many tourists are dressed in rented kimonos and taking photos. Sometimes it is just the woman and the partner follows behind in western clothing and with a camera. Sometimes the men or entire families are also dressed traditionally and a photographer accompanies them. Renting kimonos seems to be a lucrative business here. We enjoy the area despite the dense crowds. There is so much to see.
On Tuesday we rent a bike and cycle through the city. We pass the former imperial palace and continue on to the Philosopher’s Path. The cherry trees hang low over the canal. A small coati runs past us on the other side. We cycle slowly along, take in the views and then stop at the large Nanzen-ji Temple. We leave the bikes behind and look at the different buildings.
Cycling is very relaxed here. Driving on the left is not a problem for us because of Malta, it is just that the low bikes take some getting used to. I cycled in Kyoto many years ago and remember it as very nice.
In the afternoon, we follow along the river. The headwind is strong and we take a break along the bank. Someone is feeding pigeons. Crows and herons also come by looking for bread. And then the kites come. It’s a wild spectacle. Kamigamo Shrine appears in the distance and from there back the wind pushes us back towards the city.
Because we liked the greenery, the restaurants, the lights on the river so much and we’re not that hungry, we sit down by the river for a simple dinner of onigiri, beer and chocolate. It is so beautiful with the sun sinking and then the lights slowly turning on. A busy muskrat swims by and many other people sit on the shore enjoying the wonderful evening just like we do.
Wednesday morning we get up early because we want to go to the Arashiyama bamboo forest. This is one of the attractions in Kyoto that is very crowded during the day and is best visited in the morning or evening. The sun is shining and when we get off the bus there are not too many people around. We immerse ourselves in the beautiful green of the bamboo forest. It is really pretty here and quite serene.
Our next stop is Kinkaku-ji, the golden temple. This opens at 9am and is immediately full. Many school groups are out and about and we walk through the park around the golden temple in a dense crowd of people. It takes getting used to. The park itself is very beautiful, but the selfie sticks and constant group photos disturb the atmosphere.
For our lunch we go to Nishiki Market. The street is full of food stalls and restaurants. Lots of people are meeting here for lunch and we love the busy atmosphere. As an appetizer we buy grilled crab meat and a tempura shrimp from a small stand. And then we eat udon noodle soup with fish. The food has been really great the last two weeks. We will definitely miss it when we get home.
We discovered the Namura Tailor fabric shop as soon as we arrived in Kyoto and today we buy our fabric. As a Japanese souvenir I will sew us a dress and t-shirts. We are very happy with our purchases.
Now all that is missing is ice cream for dessert. In a side street we find a nice shop with a croissant as an ice cream cone. We particularly like the pictures on the wall. Lots of iconic figures, the Beatles at the zebra crossing, Michael Jackson dancing, Pulp Fiction and Freddy Mercury with the ice cream in the croissant cone.
After so many treats, we are not very hungry in the evening and drink a beer in a small bar before sitting down by the river again. What a lovely last evening in Kyoto. We really enjoyed the city. The mix of touristy and quiet places was perfect for us.
The next morning we get up early again because we want to go to the Fushimi Inari Shrine before checking out of our hotel. The orange torii arches stretch up the mountain and we enjoy climbing up the stairs. The sun filters through the forest and the very close arches. We continue uphill to a viewpoint. Kyoto is not a beautiful city when viewed from above, but there are many beautiful corners to discover.
And finally Osaka
The train ride to Osaka goes by quickly and after we drop off our backpacks at the hotel, we dive into the Dotonbori district. It is very crowded, very colorful, very loud… lots of figures on the facades, lights. There are a lot of people along the canal and we follow the covered shopping street. We walk along, talk, reminisce about our trip, look, are happy that we do not want to buy anything and ask ourselves who is going to buy it all.
In the evening we go out for okonomiyaki, Japanese pancakes with various toppings. Afterwards we take an evening walk through Dotonbori. The lights are on now, lots of people are queuing in front of restaurants, it is crowded and loud. Our last night in Osaka was an experience. The Dotonbori district looks like a big entertainment district, a great contrast to the shrines and greenery in and around Kyoto.
In the morning we take the train to the airport. The sun is shining and we set off on the long journey back to Germany. 13h35min to Munich and then another short hop to Frankfurt.
What a wonderful holiday. We enjoyed the two weeks immensely. So many impressions and experiences. We said for a long time “how nice would it be to go to Japan for a holiday” and now, that we have been, we can safely say that it far exceeded our expectations.