Japan

Lots of ramen. Lots of castles. Lots of festivals. Japan is full of great people, delicious food and amazing history. I’ve taken the last 9 months to get a taste of all three.

Stay: If you’re thinking of visiting Japan, I recommend staying in or around the Kansai region - specifically, the city of Kobe. Hyogo prefecture is known as the heart of Japan, and I couldn’t agree more. Here you’ll find easy access to other parts of Japan. The Shinkansen runs East to West, and with a rail pass, you can travel from Nagasaki to Kyoto with plenty of amazing stops in between. I recommend staying with a host family. For a small fee, there are families that will house you. You can find a hostel to crash at, or for about the same price, you can also find a cheap hotel ¥3000-¥5000 ($30-$50 USD). But staying with a family is the best way to get to know the people of Japan.

See: Hyogo has the oldest castle (Himeji Castle), one of the oldest onsen towns (Arima in Kobe), and amazing food. Staying in Kobe gives you access to great nightlife, decent shopping and a ride on a Ferris wheel (although you can find a Ferris wheels almost anywhere in Japan). But staying in Kobe puts you close enough to Osaka for an even better nightlife and shopping experience. Kobe is about an hour away from Kyoto (giving you an opportunity to use that Akira lens), 35 minutes from Osaka, and 45 minutes from Himeji - all on the Japan Rail line. Visit Kyoto’s Gion, and if you’re lucky, maybe you’ll see a geisha or maiko. And if Tokyo is your reason for coming to Japan, Tokyo is easily accessible by domestic air or Shinkansen. Plan to stay more than a week if you really want to get a taste.

Hipstophipstop

Eat: Try the okonomiyaki. It’s a dish with history. Hiroshima and Kansai make different versions. Each region thinks theirs is the best. I think both are quite tasty and both worth a try. Izakaya’s are easy to find, and with tapas-like foods and all you can drink, for a certain amount of time (for about ¥1300 ($13 USD)), they are great to experience with friends. Head to Kyushu for the best bowl of ramen. Seriously, it’s a delicious bowl. And the sushi here is truly fresh. Even the worst sushi places are still superior to most places you’ll find outside of Japan. A sushi-ro (or conveyor belt sushi) is pretty cheap. At about ¥105/plate, you may end up burying yourself in empty sushi plates.

Experience: Japan is a very seasonal country. I think for a person to get the most out of Japan, they should experience all of the seasons. Spring has been my favorite so far. The cherry blossoms are like a dream. But if you blink you’ll miss them. They only last about a week. Fall is my second favorite season in Japan. The colors of nature burst with beautiful reds, yellows and oranges. In Japan you will always find a festival. Whether they are fighting with portable shrines or setting lanterns on fire, the festivals are fun and full of energy. Japan really celebrates lights during the winter season. Kyoto and Osaka are great places to view various light displays. The Kansai region in general, won’t disappoint.

Japan is a beautiful country with a very unique culture and long history. Hiroshima was the most emotional, yet thought provoking trip I’ve had. It took lessons I learned from a history book and brought them to life. I dare you to visit the Hiroshima Peace Museum and not shed a tear. Unwind from the museum by heading to Miyajima Island. There you’ll find free roaming deer and the shrine in the water. You can take a hike up the mountain to a temple, or hop on a ropeway. Either way, the views are amazing. Delve deeper into the culture by viewing a sumo match. And an onsen experience is a must. They are very relaxing and not as uncomfortable as it may seem. But not all will allow you in with tattoos.

I’m glad to have had the opportunity to experience so much.