A week in Japan from Tokyo, to Mount Fuji and Kyoto
Summary
Japan is my favourite country to travel through. A big call I know. Whilst it may get pipped by some of the bigger countries when it comes to natural vistas and cultural pursuits, there are three things that cement it as number one:
- The people and surrounding culture is one of respect, politeness and calm – just travelling through Japan you find your blood pressure dropping, being more considerate and the pleasures that come with this
- Stuff works in Japan – it’s not just the trains being on time to within the second, it’s everything! I know there is something wonderfully memorable about travelling with a few hiccups as part of the adventure., but there is also something rather pleasant about having a country like Japan to explore knowing it’ll be super easy (and safe)
- The food! I know the French think they are the best in the world. They are not
highlights
#1 The magical sunrise views from the summit of Mount Fuji - either over clouds or over Tokyo in the distance. Either way, wonderful
#2 The world famous people crossings of Tokyo
#3 Wandering through the ornate gardens of Ancient Imperial Kyoto
#4 Sampling the world-class whiskies and learning about how they're made with Japanese precision in the superbly-set Suntory Whiskey Distillery just outside of Kyoto
#5 Weird but fun nights out in the world's biggest city of Tokyo
#6 Walking through the super dense and impossibly green Arashiyama Bamboo Grove in Kyoto
#7 The challenging hike up to the top of Mount Fuji – passing cool shrines and oddities along the way as you give yourself 3-4 hours
#8 Staying in one of the capsule hotels – the shared services, like the onsens, are usually superb, and its just a fun very Japan-style experience
#9 The beautiful gardens that seem to be just about everywhere in Japan
#10 Cycling around the temples and downtown Kyoto for a different way of seeing the place
#11 The view of Tokyo from the Tokyo Sky Tree
#12 The Toilets! Fancy some music with your number 2?
The route
Rough itinerary
Travel Tips
A few broader tips on Japan:
- If have more time, I would really recommend 2 further adventures that will show you further variety of the Japanese islands. 1. The snowy wilderness of Hokkaido with some skiing and volcanic lake – see Skiing in Niseko and Staying in a Ryokan by Lake Toya. 2. The idyllic palm fringed Okinawa islands, in particular the nearby Kerama Islands – see A weekend in Okinawa for Naha and the Aquarium and Zamami Jima and Aka Jima, from Okinawa
- English is not widely spoken, but don’t let that stop you trying to chat with the locals. Its Japan, so electronics can and will come to the rescue in the form of google translate. Add in some alcohol, and you’ll be grand
- The food in Japan really is something else. From even the most basic of places, up to the finest in the world (Japan has 30 Michelin 3 star restaurants – roughly a quarter of all those in the world), so don’t waste the opportunity. You’ll have most likely tried types of restaurants dotted all over the world (sushi, sashimi, teppinyaki, ramen dishes), but make sure you also head to an Izakaya (more like a Japanese bar with small, but delicious, snacks)
- Three things to try and experience on your first time in Japan: 1. Bathing in a Onsen (a large, communal bath area which always comes with nearby washing and grooming facilities); 2. Staying in a Ryokan (a traditional Japanese inn, which will include food served in your room); 3. Staying in a pod / capsule hotel – there are heaps of them in Tokyo and surprisingly nice
- Getting around and things like ATMs are super easy, but it may be worth getting a pocket wifi thingy. Although bulkier than a SIM card for your phone, they are way less faff and you can pick them up easily at the major airports
Experiences nearby
The below map shows experiences nearby with a colour that reflect the Overall Score of those experiences
Other Country-wide Itineraries
Score Detail
Background - how many times have you asked someone what a travel experience was like and the response was "amazing" or "awesome"? That response is nice to know, but it makes it hard to differentiate that experience compared to others. That is exactly what these scores are trying to do - differentiate the experience by giving a score out of 10 based on 6 categories and then giving an overall experience score
This overall experience score is calculated by: take the highest of the "Culture" or "Nature" score (1-10) + "Fun factor" (1-10) + "Avoiding the crowds" (1-10) + highest of the "Unique" or "World Famous score" (1-10). Then convert into a score out of 100
Extra detail - the logic being that I find all of the 6 individual scores important, but I don't want to mark an experience down just because it doesn't cover both "Culture" and "Nature", or because it isn't both "World Famous" and "Unique". Take the examples of Safari in The Serengeti and walking through Rome - they both appeal at opposite ends of the nature / culture spectrum, and you can have a fantastic time without needing to appeal to both sides. So, their overall scores aren't penalized for their lack of one or the other, and I've done the same for "World Famous" vs "Unique". But . . . I do think that the "Fun factor" of an experience is important, irrelevant of other factors, and so is "Avoiding the Crowds" (or where there are crowds that add to the experience). So, both of these scores are standalone