Japan. Too many places to go with so many things to see & do! Tokyo is a must on its own, however if you have extra time I would highly suggest visiting:
Kamakura – a seaside village that is known for The Big Buddha. He sits at over 13 meters tall!
Only an hour and a half by train from Tokyo, this is a great day trip as trains run every 10-20 minutes!
Kamakura’s Buddha is well known because a tsunami destroyed the town & temple in 1498, but Buddha survived.
You can also visit Tsurugaoka, a famous Shinto shrine in Kamakura.
If you like surfing, be sure to visit Kamakura in the summer as it is also a beach town.
Gotokuji – technically within Tokyo, this suburb is most known for the ‘Cat Temple.’
The tradition is to buy a cat, make your wish, and if your wish comes true you will return to the temple and leave your cat!
Depending on where you are in the city, this can be a 45-60 minute journey.
I’m not a cat person, but this town has cats everywhere because of the temple. The town itself is a cute place to explore, with cafes and shops to stumble upon.
Osaka – A foodie’s paradise, show up hungry to Kuromon Ichiba Market, the cities main food hall.
Known as ‘Osaka’s Kitchen,’ you will be spoiled for choice from seafood, beef, desserts of all kinds and even fruit & veggie stalls.
Rikuro’s Cheesecake is an Osaka staple. It’s a well oiled machine with a long but quick moving line. Ours was stamped with a witch & pumpkin as we were there for Halloween! Best served hot, it is a full size cake so can be enjoyed for days. Add this as a stop to your first day on visiting so you can finish it all over the coming days. Alternately, book a table at the cafe and eat it all in one sitting.
The main shopping area with bars and restaurants along the river is Dotonbori. Expect to wander & even get lost to find hidden gems and stores that are just ‘so Japan.’
No trip to Osaka is complete without seeing the castle. We didn’t have time to go inside, but it was a beautiful park to walk around. You can even take a boat ride on the moat.
Kyoto – Ideally a weekend trip if not longer, the easiest way to get to Kyoto is by taking the Shinkansen bullet train.
The original high speed train, it takes just over 2 hours on the rails and is an experience in its own right.
Kyoto seems just as large & spread out as Tokyo – be prepared to do a lot of walking or get a ‘Tourist Bus Pass.’ The bus pass works out to be cheaper than paying for single fares if you will be using it more than 3 times in a day. When we first arrived, we dropped our bags and went to Okazaki Shrine.
This is the ‘Bunny Temple,’ known for fertility, pregnancy & childbirth.
Adashino Nenbutsuji Temple is on the other side of town, but has a bamboo forest that is way less crowded than the Arashiyama Bamboo Forest.
A 15 minute walk up a hill brings you to Otagi Nenbutsuji Temple. Slowly becoming a large tourist attraction, there are hundreds of handmade buddhas made by locals that look like everyday people. They are stunning and covered in moss.
One of the main sites in Kyoto is the Golden Temple, Kinkaku-ji. If you don’t arrive first thing in the morning, expect large crowds including huge tour groups.
For food, you will be spoiled for choice! Looking for cheap eats? Check out Nishiki Fish Market.
Chao Chao Gyoza has been rated the best gyoza’s in the country! No reservations are taken, so expect to wait outside – it is worth it!
There are also ample places on the ultra tourist strip of Sannenzaka. Start at the bottom of the street and end at Kiyomizu-dera.
You really can’t go wrong no matter where you go in Japan! Just be sure to book your accommodation ahead of time and leave some time to sort trains if you don’t have reservations at least a week in advance.
Where is you favorite place in Japan?
