Popular destinations in Japan
Dreamy Tokyo
We landed in Tokyo on the 25th of April, 2018. Before arriving to Tokyo we planned and short-listed all the places we wanted to definitely visit and added pin points on a google map. We got around to visiting most of the common landmarks this way, and tried to improvise along the way by asking the locals with smaller attractions. Here’s what we saw.
Ginza, Tokyo
Given the jet-leg the first three days in Tokyo felt like a long dream. By all means, a beautiful one, but sometimes a struggle to be able to visit places with high energy and excitement. What helped us, is following the crowd. The energy and buzz at the temples definitely helped us navigate through the city in a positive way. Even though temples to us are very similar and very popular and the obvious places to go in Tokyo, do not miss a chance to visit them. It is where we most felt the mix of the traditional and futuristic culture.
Senso-Ji from tourist shop
Senso-Ji
Insta shot at Senso-Ji
Senso-Ji
Touristy transport
Another remarkable, yet obvious destination in Tokyo is the ‘Akihabara district’. Night is probably the time to go as you can thoroughly enjoy the lights, the colours and the huge posters everywhere advertising the themed activities you can do in the area. We are not video game lovers but this district really captured our attention. If you were wondering, yes we did end up playing a game or two of ‘Mortal Kombat’ just for old times’ sake (I lost…badly).
Akihabara district
Akihabara district
Akihabara district
Naturally Kyoto
We couldn’t miss the change of going to Kyoto of course. An ancient city with long history, and over 1500 shrines and temples to visit. We chose to see the popular 'Fushimi Inari Shrine’, a 1,300 years old shrine dedicated to the God of bountiful crops and prosperous business (now you know). We walked amongst the 10,000 red torii gates to reach the peak of the mountain overlooking the city. Along the way we met numerous white statue foxes and smaller shrines with stacks of miniature torii gates that were donated by visitors with smaller budgets. This two hours long hike give us a hint of how it must have felt for the people worshipping the Gods and wishing for a prosperous new year to come.
Fushimi Inari Shrine
Wooden wishes tablets at Fushimi Inari Shrine
Fushimi Inari Shrine
Fushimi Inari Shrine
Fushimi Inari Shrine
We also visited the iconic Bamboo Grove in Arashiyama in the Sagano district, around an hour away from Kyoto. We did read many blogs suggesting to leave early in the morning to visit the location due to the popularity. In fact even though we did start off around 6am, and caught the first train out leading us to Arashiyama, we did find large groups of tourist stopping in the middle of the paths just to take that one perfect selfie. Don’t get me wrong, it was a nice and different experience, though not unforgettable. I would say it’s a nice to have on your list, but definitely not a must see.
Local train to Arashiyama
Bamboo Groove
Remembering in Hiroshima
The tragedy of the atomic bomb dropped in Hiroshima in 1945, radically changed the look of the metropolis and generations in Japan. The Peace Memorial Park is by far the most important sight in Hiroshima and the main reason people choose to visit the city. It was very touching and a memorable experience to be near the Memorial Dome and the park, and the strange thing was that we found the general vibe of the city to be young and pleasant. There are many shops and restaurants, and definitely felt more relaxed then the major tourist hubs, like Tokyo and Kyoto.
Hiroshima peace memorial park
Hiroshima Atomic Bomb Dome
Hiroshima Atomic Bomb Dome
Deer oh deer in Nara
We chose to go to Nara mostly for my curiosity in experiencing the deer roaming free around the Nara Park (naïve at first). I later found out that it was once the first capital of Japan, with a lot of importance and influence in the political and historical significance to the country. Though feeding the deer and seeing how they interacted with the tourists, was still something else. We visited the Todai-ji temple and decided to stay until sunset. Was the best decision as most of the tourists (and there were many) had left and we thoroughly enjoyed the relaxing atmosphere of the park in the evening.
We also visited ‘Daibutsu’, Todai-ji's 15m-high bronze Buddha, displayed in a large wooden hall. It is quite a sight, and probably the first time I’ve ever been so close to such a giant statue. The amount of people visiting the temple was quite impressive and takes away slightly from the relaxing experience worshipping in the temple. Though, not something that we regret seeing.
So this ends my first article on popular destinations visited in Japan. I hope the images can inspire your choices when planning your visit and maybe eliminate some doubts you might have regarding these popular destinations.
