10 Must do things in Japan
Tuesday, July 18, 2017
To be fair, everything in Japan is a must! I can't mention any other country that impressed us this much with all that it has to offer, from the amazing and friendly people, to the delicious food and incredible culture! Below are a few of the things that you cannot miss if you want to have the complete Japan experience!
1. The food (especially the sushi)
It’s an understatement to
say that the sushi in Japan is the best in the entire world! But besides sushi
there are so many interesting dishes or street food to try, that you might feel
like eating the whole time!
My personal favorite (besides sushi):
gyozas!
2. Attend a sumo match
We were lucky enough that during our trip, there was a sumo tournament held in
Himeji, a small town close to Osaka. We decide to go giving us also the opportunity to visit the Himeji
castle.
We bought the tickets from here.The site is very reliable and we received the tickets via post mail a
few days later.
It was a very interesting
experience attending a sumo match, mostly due to all the rituals they have
before every match. I most definitely recommend it!
3. Play an arcade game. Or 2.
Or 3…
Beware…they are addictive!
Japanese people love playing arcade games, therefore you will find an arcade
place at every corner in Japan. Taito station I believe is the most famous in Tokyo.
We had our share of fun
playing some games, not to mention I put Chris to shame at Dance Dance Revolution.
Pachinko is their most
famous game, however we had a hard time figuring it out.
4. Win a souvenir at an
arcade game
They make it look so easy,
but after some tries and team effort we managed to win Angelina here. Isn’t she
pretty?
5. The Ryokan experience
A ryokan is a type of
traditional Japanese inn that features tatami-matted rooms, futon beds,
communal baths and other public areas where visitors may wear yukatas (which we
did :D).
We chose a ryokan in the
heart of the mountains in Takayama. Our main criteria was the possibility to
have private onsen (to be detailed at number 6).
We had breakfast and
dinner included, and the dinner was the traditional kaiseki type (where you
have many small dishes along with one main dish).
The price for a ryokan
stay can vary a lot, but a good one that offers the complete experience will
cost you around 200 euros/night.
Our spacious room
Kaiseki dinner
Kaiseki breakfast
6. The Onsen experience
An onsen is a Japanese hot
spring and the bathing facilities and inns frequently situated around them, aka
the ryokan earlier.
The ritual before taking
an onsen is a long and interesting one and it sets it apart from a simple bath.
You can read more about it here (click me, I don't bite) .
One important thing to
know is that the onsens are usually public baths, separated for male and
female, which can be a bit uncomfortable to expose yourself completely to
strangers. Also tattoos are a big no no when it comes to public onsens, this is why
we opted for a ryokan that offered the possibility of a private one, this was ideal as it combined both privacy
and the great onsen experience.
The private outdoor onsen
The private indoor onsen
The shower area for the public onsen
The public outdoor onsen
7. The Geisha experience
The best place to rent a
kimono is in Kyoto, this way you get to have the whole experience of a Geisha
walking the streets of Gion.
There are a lot of shops renting kimonos and they offer the whole experience, the entire Geisha
outfit plus the hair and make up if you feel like paying extra.
The prices vary based on
the quality of the kimono. You will see a lot of advertising with kimono rental
for 30 euros/day, but that applies to the simple and monochromatic ones.
A geisha will be perceived
as more beautiful based on how colorful her kimono is. The very colorful ones
are worn by young geishas, while the older a geisha is she will choose simpler
patterns and not that flashy. They also have men kimono’s which are simpler and
in darker colors, so if you travel as a couple you can opt for the couple
package. This is somewhere at around 100 euros.
For us it was an amazing
experience to walk the streets of Gion dressed in kimonos. Japanese people kept
smiling at us and wanted to take pictures. You don’t see a blonde geisha every
day, do you?
8. Take a ride on the
Shinkansen
Traveling by train at 300
km/h. Do I need to say more? Try not to look through the window, it always made me
dizzy.
If you plan on visiting
more of Japan, I would recommend the Japan Rail Pass, it will save you a lot of
money.
The USS Enterprise
9. Take a purikura photo
Purikura was trending big
while we went to Japan. It is more popular with girls, but it can also be fun
for couples. It’s basically a photo sticker booth with a little extra ;).
10. Feed a deer in Nara
One of the most amazing
experiences in Japan was to feed the deer in Nara city. The deer are roaming
free around the park and they are extremely polite! They will bow to you for
food, also if you bow to them they will bow back!
You can buy special deer
crackers at every corner that are very cheap and the deer love them!
Arigatou gozaimasu!
xoxo,
O
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