While it appears that 2026 is the year that literally EVERYONE is going to Japan, if social media is to be believed, I hope you are not so ‘done’ with Japan that this post bores you. As per my last trip, I will be selecting a photo from each day (or more if the muse strikes me!) to help me remember my holiday. (As you can tell from the title, I, in fact, could NOT limit myself to one photo per day!)
The travel to and from seem to take longer now, or perhaps it just feels longer. Hopefully I will have company on my next trip and the tortuous 36 hour door-to-door journey will not seem so bad, You’ll note that the terrible travel time has not in any way dissuaded me from going back!
So as not to make this a vanity post of me showing off my holiday, I also want to add some interesting information about places which you may find useful if you are planning a trip to Japan anytime soon.
Day 1 – The journey begins
This could have potentially been a picture of me crying, as I started off badly by leaving my phone in my friends car when they dropped me off at the coach station, I had to jump into a taxi, race them back to their house and retrieve my phone, which contained my coach tickets, boarding passes, my rail passes as well as my only means of communicating with Yumi and Fumio once I got to Japan.
My first tip to anyone travelling to Japan? Print out your boarding passes etc. I know our phones are convenient, but they are also small and easy to lose, Second tip, do not use a black phone cover; it is so easy to put it down and for it to disappear into the car seats or bottom of your bag. Get a brighter case for you holiday, or a strap and wear it or secure it safely. The stress of constantly worrying where the thing was took up far too much of my day, everyday.
But, due to tip 3, I was dropped back at the coach station with plenty of time to spare. Because tip 3 is get there early. I had intended to be at the coach station an hour early, so I would have time to grab a coffee, or use the loo, or in my case make an additional 6 mile round trip to collect my phone. I have never understood those films where people are running for their planes. The only thing I run is a bath. I like to get to places with plenty of time, sit, recalibrate and read some of my book.
With that in mind, this is the photo of day one. I ended the day, in my window seat, having lovely food and looking forward to landing in Hong Kong to start the next leg of my journey
Day 2 – Still journeying, really
When I got to my friends house and retrieved my phone we had a little laugh about how ‘at least you’ve got the stressful bit out of the way’ – we laughed too soon!
The flight from Hong Kong was delayed by an hour, which meant I was really cutting it fine to catch a train to Osaka, from where I would catch another local train to Nara, where Yumi would come pick me up.
To enter Japan you need to complete a form – you can do it online in advance, and they provide you with a QR code that you can show at immigration, and then then let you in. I got in the queue of people that didn’t know this. Everyone in front of me was sent back to fill in the form after a few minutes of arguing, and by the time I got through and grabbed my case, I was 3 minutes late for my train.
My options were: sit with my case and bags in the airport, or eat into my very tight budget and get a hotel for the night. I went with the hotel option. Well, I say hotel, it was a bed with a pull down curtain. But, it offered a chance to charge my phone (the charger on the airplane from Hong Kong hadn’t worked), take a shower, get dressed and have a rest. While it was now almost midnight in Japan, my body thought it was lunchtime, so I didn’t really sleep. The £40 it cost me was worth it though, as I did not relish sitting up for 8 hours on an airport bench.
Here is what my ‘room’ looked like. I have been reliably informed that it is NOT a capsule hotel, because I could actually sit up in the bed. Either way, I was able to reset for the final leg of my journey to Yumi’s house.
Always be ready to be flexible with your plans and bring your bank card. You never know what unexpected expenses may pop up, so it’s best to be prepared.
Day 3 – Pretty much just loitering with intent at this point
Yumi is an adult and has a job. So when I visit, I generally go out for the day and meet her after work. I was now in Osaka, at about 8.30 am, and I had to fill my time before meeting up with her at 4,30pm. So my tip for this part of my trip? Utilise the lockers.
This was the first – and will be the last- time I had taken a suitcase with me to Japan. The first time, we bought so much we had to buy one while we were there. Last time, I had to convert my backpack into luggage to bring home the kimono I had been gifted. This time I bought a case with me from the offset, and regretted it the whole trip. Particularly during the times when I was entering and leaving the country.
In Namba parks – and pretty much every station – there are lockers of varying sizes where you can leave your suitcases and cabin bags, freeing you up for your days exploring. Just remember where you left it, and don’t lose the ticket!
I was then able to have a wander through Namba Parks, where I remembered that barely any shops open until 10am, so I hid myself in a Starbucks and availed myself of the free wi-fi to let everyone know that I was now in Osaka.
Osaka is massive, and rather than explore, I stuck with what I knew in the local area as I wanted to be back in plenty of time to meet Yumi, and didn’t have the luxury of getting lost somewhere. So I did the customary Dontonbori walk, and then moseyed down to Shinsekai. I had been hoping to get another purse, like the one I had bought on the previous visit, but sadly the shop was no longer there.
Then I returned to Namba. I may have bought a few things in Daiso, to get my gift buying out of the way early. (Daiso was the reason for needing to buy a suitcase on my first trip!)
I finally met up with Yumi at 4.30. We returned to her house, and I was taken for my first real Japanese meal of the holiday – Okonomiyaki.
Day 4 – Nara
For those who are familiar with my previous Japan trip, you may remember Yayoi-Sensei, of Nara Tea Ceremony fame. Prior to my trip I had messaged her, to check if she was free for a meet up on my ‘Nara’ day. She was indeed, so we were able to catch up and have lunch together. Once again, we had pizza; a coincidence I’m sure!
As a general rule. on these trips, I leave the house when Yumi goes to work, then meet her after work to either go somewhere for dinner, or to go home. However, on this day, she had a prior engagement, so I had to loiter until at least 9pm.
After doing all of the things I wanted to do in Nara – including taking a third picture of myself at the Sumiyoshi Shrine, this time with a new addition. A Nara deer! – I needed to find somewhere to loiter.
Once all of the shops closed, and I could not, realistically, visit another cafe and drink a coffee, I headed back to the Nara Visitor Center*. Here I was able to charge my phone and chill for a few hours until it was time to get the train back to my station,
It really increased my appreciation of 3rd spaces, but also my sadness that the visitor centre won’t be there when I return to Nara on my next visit to Japan. The centre was due to close on March 31st, along with its entire online presence. There was no real explanation for it, and it seems fairly short-sighted to close such a popular spot as Japan’s tourism increases, but this trip would be my last opportunity to visit. I was sure to get lot’s of internal and external photos of the place.
So another Japan trip tip – don’t assume something will be there when you visit next time. If you want to see something, see it. There is a Japanese concept called Ichi-go ichi-e which essentially means that an experience can not be repeated, even if it is the same place, with the same people. While you cannot fit everything into one holiday, you should certainly make the most of your time and try to do all of the things you want to do while you can.
*This is how the place is officially named, but I can’t bring myself to spell it like that for the rest of the paragraph. I am well aware that I have spelt it 2 different ways. 😉
Day 5 – Nara revisited
Friday started with an impromptu visit to The Museum Yamaoto Bunkakan. Yumi had advised me the previous evening that a cherry blossom tree was in bloom there, and that I should go and get some photos. After racing some OAP’s up a small hill for the best shots of the famous tree, I took a walk around the museum and the grounds and absorbed the beautiful spring scents & sounds.
Once finished, it was still quite early and I took a train into Nara. The plan had been to collect my 5 day rail pass from the Nara JR station and then head to Wakayama for the day. I, however, received an invitation to the last Tea ceremony that would ever be held in the Nara Visitor Center, and I could not turn down the opportunity.
The rest of the morning was spent in Nara Machi – the old town- wandering around the merchants house and enjoying the peace and stillness of their beautifully curated gardens. Many of these museum houses are free to look at and offer a fascinating insight into the historic lives of local people.
At 3pm , I was ready to attend the last tea ceremony. Lee – of Facebook video and Jaffa cake fame- was there to film and snap the event too.
Despite being in her seventies (shhh it’s a secret ) Yayoi-Sensei makes for a very sprightly figure when she directs the participants around the tearoom. I can only hope to be as agile when I reach that age. Once the participants had left, I was able to get a few photos with everyone, including a final few shots of me and the famous ‘panda’ scroll.
The previous day, Yayoi and I had visited a kimono shop where I had bought myself a new green kimono to use in my talks. Today, she had bought me a beautiful pink kimono from her vast collection. I would eventually go home with 4 kimonos – It was just as well I bought that suitcase, I suppose!
Day 6 – Hiroshima
I’ve briefly mentioned my trip to Hiroshima in my updated 1000 cranes post , but now I have an excuse to expand and share an extra picture.
Having now collected my 5 day Japan Rail Pass, Yumi and I were able to board our shinkansen to Hiroshima. (We’ll ignore the very busy 3 trains we needed to catch to get to the Osaka-Shin station). We would then go on to visit the World renowned Peace Park, where the remains of the atomic dome can still be seen.
My pro-tip for this leg of the journey is time your visit to the museum, which can get very busy, and definitely avail yourself of the free guided tour. Our tour guide took us on an extensive tour of the park, explaining the deep meaning behind each of the monuments and stopping to allow us to look at the strings of paper cranes that are left by many people throughout the year. (If you haven’t seen the crane post yet, I am redirecting you there again rather than repeating my ‘crane story’ )
After our day in Hiroshima, we caught our train to the hotel we were staying at near the docks. It was a hotel that had no staff, and required an app to enter with QR codes. I was slightly worried we wouldn’t be able to get in, but we managed in the end, and then got to bed in preparation for an early morning, the next day.
Day 7- Miyajima
We had purposely picked a hotel close to the port, so we could walk to our ferry. All of our bags were deposited in the handy lockers at the train station, and we followed the crowds that were all ready heading towards the ferry.
The Japan Rail Pass includes a free ferry ticket as part of its cost, which was moot really, as I was unable to find it in my bag. I decided to believe it was definitely in the locker rather than lost forever, as there was nothing I could do at this stage, so I paid the small fee required and we set sail.
The walk towards Itsukushima Jinja takes you along the Miyajima Omotesando shopping street, and there are plenty of chances to take arty beach pictures. Perfect for anyone who has – for example- something like “Visit 50 coasts” on their Kettle list.
While we were on the island, the tide remained in, so we were not able to walk out to the famous Otori gate, but we were able to take some great photos. We also booked a spot on the cable car to take us up Mount Misen. This may sound like a fun activity, but once at the end of the Ropeway, in the station, we discovered that to visit the Mount Misen Observatory we would need to hike up the mountain. Never have I felt so unfit! We, obviously, got to the top (as there was no way that the mountain was defeating me!) and I was able to get a special stamp in my notebook. The subsequent walk down did not feel any easier, as my legs had forgotten how stairs worked at this point.
Once back from the island and in the train station, it was time to discover the truth – had I lost my rail pass? After unpacking everything, I eventually discovered it in the pocket of the clothes I had worn the previous day. Relieved, Yumi and I were able to catch our train to Okayama for our next night at a new hotel.
We got to Kurashiki station and decided to walk to the Ivy, where we would be staying. Initially I thought we had got lost, but we actually came upon a light festival in the historical quarter, that happened to lead to our hotel. The hotel itself was an old factory, and had beautiful original features. Considering it was actually cheaper than the ‘staffless’ place we had stayed in the night before, it was many times better. The staff were amazing, the facilities were fantastic, and I have every intention of returning one day.
After dropping off our bags to our room, we went back outside to view the lantern festival, as we had arrived on the final night, so this would be our only chance to see it. My home town often holds light festivals, so to experience one in Japan was really quite interesting, particularly in terms of how people interacted with the lanterns. Sad to say that such a display in Bristol would inevitably end up with stolen and broken parasols, and a river full of broken light equipment.
I ended the day with a first – Yumi, on my 3rd trip to Japan – was able to finally convince me to try the public bath that the hotel had. Us Brits aren’t particularly known for our willingness to strip naked in front of total strangers and have a bath with them in public, but once I had taken my glasses off, I couldn’t actually see if anyone was looking at me (I’m assuming not) and my only complaint was that the baths were a lot hotter than I was comfortable with. I wasn’t able to stay in for too long, but I am glad I have now tried it.
Now, I would very much like to try an outside onsen, perhaps in a mountain somewhere. Maybe for my next visit…
Day 8 – Kurashiki
We went for an early morning breakfast at the coolest cafe, which I am totally gatekeeping due to it’s only having 3 tables and one staff member. After a great meal, we continued our wander around the Historic District, as the shops were now open. I was also impressed at how swiftly the light festival had been dismantled and removed from the river, as if it had never been there.
On this particular trip to Japan, I had arrived earlier than my previous ones, and so blossoms were still a new and exciting thing, and people queued patiently near trees to get their photos. This one also had the benefit of starring one of the swans that lived on the river.
The hotel was in a very creative district, which contained museums, galleries and craft shops, one of the museums told of the history of the area, which was once famous for textiles, particularly denim. I bought myself a cute, green card wallet to put both my bank cards and my railcard in, to prevent anymore stressful losses or ‘misplacing’.
Before catching our Shinkansen home, we popped to the restored 18th century gardens of Okayama Korakuen. I was able to take a large amount of photos here, many of which I will use in my talk about Japanese Gardens. (The local WI has already booked me for a talk next year; I really need to start promoting my talks more).
Day 9 – Uji
As I was back in Kansai, and still had a day left of my rail pass, I decided to make a trip to Uji. It is an area famous for matcha and for its connections to the ‘Tale of Genji’. The story is purported to be one of the worlds oldest novels, so I decided to visit to see if I could bring the story to life by exploring the places where the characters would have walked.
Once I left the train station I continued on towards the river, bypassing the busy shopping streets. My first stop was to the statue of Murasaki Shikibu that sits on the corner near the Uji Bridge. It is quite an inconspuiocious spot considering the cultural sinificance of the authour.
I then walked along the river, finding a perfect stop to sit and contemplate. There was even time to sit and read – until the rain came. But that is why Yumi has 10 umbrellas by her front door, and I had had the good sense to borrow one that morning. I sat a read while balancing the umbrella, and it was the most relaxed I had been for a long time.
Despite having all the time in the world, I still find it hard to just sit and ‘be’. There is always some underlying guilt that I should be doing something else, or making the most of my time. If you get the chance to go on a dream trip, be sure to factor in ‘chill time’. I have seen so many Japan itineraries on the internet lately that seem to suggest you can get 2 temples, a garden, 3 meals and a boat trip into a one day trip to Kyoto. They make holidays look exhausting; the whole point is to take a break from your real life, not to run yourself ragged trying to tick off everything on your list in one day.
After my river side rest, I visited the Byōdo-in Temple. The gardens were beautiful, and it was a very peaceful place, despite the large number of tourists. There is a museum that gives an insight in to the history of the temple, and I was able to buy a few gifts.
There was more heavy rain, but it soon passed, and I made my way to ‘The Tale of Genji’ museum. The walk itself was very nice, along a pedestrian path that passed a few temples. The museum itself was quite small, and as all of the descriptions were in Japanese I am sure I missed lots of the information. I even sat through the animated show – I was able to grasp the main bits!
Soon it was time to use my rail pass for the last time and return to Nara, before jumping on the now very familiar Kintetsu line train back to Yumi’s station. I needed an early night, as day 10 saw me heading east.
Day 10 – Tokyo bound
Today was the day that I got the train to Kyoto station, so I could jump on the Bullet Train to meet up with Fumio in Tokyo.
We started with a visit to Jimbocho. I had recently read the Satoshi Yagisawa ‘Days at the Morisaki Bookshop’ series,and while discussing it I discovered that far from a fictional place, Tokyo indeed had a book district called Jimbocho. Fumio had frequented it regularly as a child and was happy to show me around. After coffee in a book shop – or may it was a cafe that sold books- we got the train to Kamakura. After a quick pop to the local Konbini, we settled in for the night. I relayed my adventures on the trip so far, and we then went over the spots in the local tour guide that we hoped to visit over the next few days
Day 11- Kamakura
Not only am I clocking up the prefectures on this trip, but today I got to see another coast. We headed by train to Enoshima station,where we passed the famous spot where hundreds of people stand to take photos of the train as it passes the beach. They are trying to replicate a scene from a famous anime, I believe. We thought it was quite funny that we will now appear in some of these photos.
Another train trip, this time to Kamakura station, from where we walked to the Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Complex . It consists of a number of temples, shines, museums and lakes. Fumio mentioned that when he had been there the previous summer, the lake had been covered in water lilies. One of the best features of Japanese gardens, is that they are curated in such a way as to embrace the seasons; you could visit the same place throughout the year, and it would always look different,
We stayed with the Buddhism theme and headed to Kotoku-in , where we not only got to see the giant Buddha (and his giant sandals), but we also got to go inside him to see how he was constructed with overlapping metal pieces. I imagine it gets very hot in there in the summer!
The day was not yet over though; We still had time for a walk along the pacific coast line… and walk we did! We alighted the train at Enoshima station and as I was keen to see the beach (and tick off a coast for my kettle list) we made our way to the Katase Nishihama beach. The sun was shining, the sea was full of surfers, and I was told that our apartment was only a short walk along the beach…
Do you see the cranes in the distance? Perhaps you may have to zoom in, just above the head of the lone figure stood by the shore. I joked ‘is the apartment as far away as those cranes?’ and was assured it wasn’t… it in fact was, but as a long walk along a Japanese beach is hardly any kind of hardship, I wasn’t too bothered.
Day 12 -Finding Zen
Another day, another temple. Today we ventured to the Hase-Dera complex, which contains a large temple from the 8th century that houses a giant wooden Kannon. Kannon – which literally translates to ‘one who perceives the sounds of the world’ is a goddess of mercy and compassion within Japanese Buddhism.
There is a legend that sculptors carved 2 Kannon statues from a scared tree 1,300 years ago. One was placed in the Hasedera temple in modern day Nara, while the second was sent out into the sea, with the hope that it would arrive where it was needed. The statue eventually washed up in Kamakura and a temple, also called Hasedera was established to house it.
As well as the temple, the modern day complex boasts, among other things, beautiful gardens, a Kannon museum, and the Prospect Path, which takes you up a small hill to offer a view of the Kanagawa coastline.
After an impromptu ride on a monorail we continued our cultural tour with a trip to the Engaku-ji, home to some of the earliest Zen Buddhist monks in Japan. It is a sprawling temple complex, where worship and prayer is still carried out daily. We were lucky enough to catch the sound of the monks chanting as we walked up the hill towards the gardens. It was an incredibly peaceful place. We even got to spend time just sat looking out towards the lake; a perfectly calming way to spend an afternoon.
On our way back to the train station, we came across a cute little cafe, where we cooled off with some matcha ice cream. Another train ride, a stop in the local conbini for our dinner, and then it was a slow walk back to the apartment to end my last night in Kamakura.
Day 13 – Ramen Day
Before catching the Shinkansen back to Kyoto we decided to pop into Yokohama. With hindsight, I could have probably got the bullet train back to Kyoto from there rather than going back into Tokyo, but we’ll know for next time.
After visiting a few shops to pick up a few presents for the kids, (and one of the kids partners, which kind of highlights that they are, in fact, not kids anymore!) we decided to visit the Ramen museum. We had read all of the reviews about it being an overpriced tourist trap – and it indeed was. There is a museum about the history of ramen, and the controversy about who invented it. Also, there is a lab in which you can create your own cup noodle to take home with you, which we decided against.
There isn’t particularly a great deal to see, so we ventured down to look at the ramen restaurants in the basement area of the building. Apparently there are a few different restaurants down there, each offering a different kind of regional ramen – which explained the huge queues. While we didn’t plan on eating there, we enjoyed looking at the recreation of the Tokyo of 1958.
As well as the city scape, little alleys have been recreated to give visitors the feel of being in Showa period Japan. After a burger lunch, we made our way to the Shinkansen station where I had to wave goodbye to both Fumio and Tokyo.
My holiday was drawing to a close, but there were still 2 full days to go. What cultural wonders did Yumi have in plan for me once I got back to her house?
14 – Ninja show!
Today’s trip was somewhere I had previously seen and thought about going to, but Yumi decided it would be perfect for our last full day out together.
We visited Uzamasa Kyoto Village; a recreated Edo village that has been used in film for a number of years. It offers lots of cultural activities, shows and attractions. One of the best ones was the ninja escape room that required us to discover the various moving walls and doors to work out how to get out of the room. Despite the fact that the entire explanation was in Japanese, the costumed guide was so animated that it was clear what he was trying to say. We were very stealthy – almost ninja-like, and soon escaped.
There were other activities which would be perfect to do with younger visitors, making this a great place to take a family for the day. While we didn’t attempt the Uzumasa Demon Crush, or the 3D Ninja Fort maze, we did watch the action packed Ninja Mission show, as well as join the guided tour and visit the themed shops .
There were costumed characters playing classic Japanese instruments, and a room with traditional toys to play with, as well as a place for great photos. Most importantly, they sell fantastic candy floss, which I had to, of course, try out.
Day 15 – Ikoma Day
I had a morning in Osaka, as I was meeting Yumi at lunchtime. This meant getting a few last items from Daiso, and taking a slow walk up through Dontonbori. We then had lunch in a Yakiniku – where I discovered that tongue is very chewy and definitely not for me!
When heading back to Yumi’s place, we made a stop at Ikoma. One day I plan on visiting the theme park at the top of the mountain, but for today I was happy just to get a glimpse of the famous cable cars. There is a cat and dog, but on this day I got to see the cat.
We had rushed to catch the car, so had not had time to buy a ticket. The conductor suggested we pay when we get off. We left the train at the next stop, and as there was nowhere to buy a ticket we posted the money into the ticket collection box. Rather that getting onto another car, we decided to walk into the local village, where we found a fantastic coffee shop and I had an amazing cheese cake.
We paused on the walk back down to take photos of the blossoms trees. much like my holiday the season was coming to an end, and the breeze was making the petals fall like snow upon us. I know we have cherry trees in England, but they are so much more culturally significant in Japan, that their importance rubs off on you.
16 – Homeward Bound
After the trouble with the flight in, I assumed this one would be a lot better. Sadly, this was not the case. The flight arrived so late to Hong Kong that our connecting flight had gone. We were then put up in a very nice hotel, given a free meal and put on a later flight with another company. This meant I lost my pre-booked aisle seat and ended up sat between two strangers in the centre aisle. Not ideal for a 12 hour flight, but at least I was able to get a seat!
It was a bit stressful, as I was travelling alone, but I made sure to fully appreciate the access to a hotel room, by drinking all the free coffee, having a lovely shower before attending the complimentary buffet to eat a few plates of food. Hong Kong airport certainly has one of the nicest hotels, as well as the most helpful staff I have encountered. Perhaps Hong Kong needs to go on whatever list comes after the Kettle list ends next year?
This giant fluffy cat is a high-light of the airport, with many people getting their photo taken with him. I was lucky to sneak in at the front to get this shot.
After the lengthy and fairly uncomfortable flight, I landed in Heathrow. Considering it is an international airport, the signage is not particularly clear, I dread to think how tourists who have little English manage. Eventually, I found the coach station, and it was all aboard for the trip back to Bristol. it is amazing how quickly the memories of holidays fade away. Soon it feels as if you were never away…
A return trip?
There are so many parts of Japan I still want to see. In fact, I have decided to add a ‘visit every prefecture’ task to the new list that will start from next year. ( It won’t be a 60 x 60, as I would just be making more work for myself, so I will be focusing on five main areas . More on that in future posts)
I certainly intend returning to Japan, but first I am going to have to concentrate on working on my house and building my savings back up, so it may not be for a while. Instead, I will live vicariously through other people visiting, by working on my Japanese themed talks, haiku writing, and cultural workshops, as well as my continuing study of the language.
As I will be having another ‘Carol King’ summer, I am hoping to use the time to work on a few more Kettle List tasks, so you will have those posts to look forward to. It is entirely possible that many of the posts are going to be heavily ‘Japan’ coded, so I hope you readers are down for that!