14 Days in Japan

As is expected, Japan was an absolute dream of a travel destination! The culture, the history, the architecture, the natural beauty, THE FOOD, it was the perfect intersection of many of the best parts of traveling.

It was an eventful two weeks where I changed locations either once every one or two days.

Starting in Tokyo, there was an instant shock once getting off my plane and out into the streets. I don’t know who has heard that saying that Japan is both in 1980 and 2080, or if it’s just me, but Tokyo is the embodiment of that. The best way I can describe Tokyo is that it doesn’t feel real. There is something going on everywhere, and it is beyond massive. Tokyo is just as awake at two in the morning as it is two in the afternoon and is both a great introduction to the country in how much it offers to do and experience and an overwhelming one for that very same reason.

Next on the itinerary was the town Fujiyoshida in the Yamanashi prefecture, and this is where everything slowed down and was easier to take everything in. Considering I was only in the country for two days before leaving Tokyo, I’m sure that feeling was coming, but leaving the high energy of Tokyo for the smaller town feel of Fujiyoshida was exactly what I needed. Time felt slowed down here, and it was very relaxing to walk around the town and its surrounding scenic attractions, which Mt. Fuji looms over beautifully as you do. There are multiple lakes nearby, the most famous being Lake Kawaguchiko, where you can experience the stunning scenery of Mt. Fuji from more of the base of the earth. However, there is also Mt. Akarura nearby with the famed Chureito Pagoda, which you can walk up 400 steps to get to and see overlooking Mt. Fuji. Additionally, you could trek all the way up the mountain to get a more straight-on view of Mt. Fuji, which while is not pictured, was worth every step. Fujiyoshida was my favorite town on the trip.

My next destination was Kyoto, the former capital known for its history and preservation of old temples, shrines, and castles. It is a beyond gorgeous city that for me was the best way to experience the history of the country. There aren’t enough pictures allowed in a post to do justice the amount of amazing buildings there are that are all jaw dropping in their attention to detail and scale. I was able to fit in a picture of the popular red torii gates at Mt. Inari, which I decided to traverse at night instead of the morning. Climbing to Fushimi Inari Taisha was a peaceful experience for me with how few people were around, while I took in the night sounds and scenic views of Kyoto.

Up next was the completely different Osaka. Why is Osaka completely different? The culture, to me, felt a lot more laid back in the way that the locals acted. The vibes in Osaka are for more laid back and casual, while also still retaining the other beauties and attractions that a trip to Japan brings. It is an entirely different experience that for me was a welcome change because I am just more of a casual person. This is not to make the rest of the country sound uptight; that is far from the truth. It is, however, a different culture to what I experienced from the rest of the country. Both are important to experience, both are great to experience.

The most surprising part of the trip was Hiroshima. The reason that the majority of non-Japanese people know of Hiroshima’s existence is because arguably the most heinous single act mankind has ever committed happened there. It’s not like you go to Hiroshima expecting Chernobyl, but I couldn’t help but be more unsure of what the experience would be. Here’s the thing, Hiroshima is stunning. The parks and the gardens are absolutely gorgeous, but the best experience was the Hiroshima Peace Museum. As the name suggests, it is a museum memorializing those lost in the atomic bombing in 1945, and if this trip did have a life changing moment, it was going through the Peace Museum. The whole experience is very heavy, very emotional, but the way the victims are honored is beautiful, and the message of peace is undeniable. If I go back one day, I will be going back to Hiroshima and give myself more than just one day to experience it.

My next spot was Onomichi, where I spent two days. Onomichi is a port town about an hour train ride east of Hiroshima, and it is a quiet, peaceful destination to experience, while still not feeling very remote. Onomichi is known for the stray cats that roam the mountains of the city, and they are as adorable as you imagine. The reason I scheduled a second day here was to go to the nearby Setoda, only accessible by ferry, where I could go through Kosanji, where you can experience the art installations of the Hill of Hope and Cave of 1,000 Buddhas.

The most unique place I stopped at on the trip was Sakaiminato in the Tottori prefecture. Admittedly, there is not much going on here. The main attraction is the Mizuki Shigeru Road, honoring the native Shigeru Maru, manga artist and illustrator that is most famous for the series GeGeGe no Kitarō, which was adapted into other forms of visual media. What is most interesting about Sakaiminato is just how proud the town is to be the home of Shigeru. His dedicated road is lined with dozens of sculptures of various characters from his manga, pictured above is protagonist Kitarō. Even the trains to the town are adorned with decorations of the manga and have voices from the shows announcing the upcoming stations. Like I said, there is not much going on here. It is extremely out of the way to the point where many Japanese people will never go. I only went because my brother will be moving to this town, but it was still very interesting to see.

I made my way far back east for the next stop, Nara. Famous for the deer that roam through the town, Nara is a popular spot for day trips from Kyoto. I decided to make it an overnight stop along my way back east to get to Tokyo, and I could not be happier with the decision. Yes, the deer are great, but the real fun of Nara is Kasugataisha, a Shinto shrine deep within the forest, and Todai-ji, a Buddhist temple within the city known for its Great Buddha statue. Both are must sees, especially Todai-ji, and are UNESCO World Heritage Sights that are absolutely stunning and deserving of that title. One of the trip highlights for me was standing in the Great Buddha Hall, looking up at the bronze Buddha shown in my final picture in amazement at the detail used in constructing a monument so massive.

Not pictured is where I spent my final day before going back to Tokyo for my departing flight, Nagoya. Sadly, I don’t have much to say about Nagoya. I stopped here to see an NPB (Nippon Professional Baseball) game because my chosen team happened to be the away team at their stadium, the Vantelin Dome Nagoya, while I would be crossing through that area. The only things I did in Nagoya other than the game was wander around at night for some food and relax since I had gone two weeks straight of a lot of activity. As an aside though, if anybody has even slight interest in attending an NPB game, I highly recommend it. The experience was very different from what I have had with MLB games in America, and it was just, simply put, a ton of fun.

Overall, Japan was as amazing a trip as you would expect it to be. There’s a reason that it is on so many people’s bucket lists, and it completely lives up to the hype. It was the trip of my life (so far), and I look forward to hopefully going back one day.