Japan Travel Guide - How to travel Japan

So Japan is in most people's top 10

travel

destinations, not surprising as the number of activities in the country is almost unmatched. I was lucky enough to be able to spend a good two weeks

travel

ing the country with my brother. It was an incredible experience from above. From tech megacities to quiet small towns in the countryside, Japan is truly a country of contrasts, but figuring out where to spend your precious time can be a little tricky, so I wanted to share my own experiences by creating this travel

guide

based on my recent trip. . I think this is the ideal way to experience this amazing country for the first time.

The country is huge, consisting of over 6,800 islands, larger than Germany, and with its 127 million inhabitants, Japan is effectively the 10th largest country by population. The country is mainly made up of four main islands Honshu is the largest and is home to major cities such as Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto and Kobe Hokkaido. The second largest island is home to the city of Sapporo and is famous for its unspoilt nature and outdoor activities. Shikoku, the smallest, known for its pilgrimage route. of 88 temples and finally Kyushu, home to Fukuoka and known for its mountainous regions and active volcanoes. Japan is a highly developed country, but that does not mean it is not economical.

The country is filled with many affordable accommodation and dining options. around a thousand yen, so you won't go hungry here unless you choose to get around Japan is quite easy thanks to the country's highly developed transportation network. I would stay away from taxis though as a trip from the airport to the city center can easily get too expensive instead, get an ic card that works with any major public transport. Any of the seven cards will work in major cities in Japan, so you won't have to worry about getting a specific one or planning how to get there.

From A to B I pretty much only use Google Maps, that also applies to which subway lines I should take and what connections I should make during my trip. With all that said, all of that would be useless without you being connected for my trip. I bought a prepaid SIM card. key sim card for light browsing and group planning, works efficiently for me so you might want to check them out. We arrived in Japan by plane and landed at Naruto International Airport. From there we boarded the Skyliner train that took us to the city center. Tokyo If you're wondering which is the best area to stay when in Tokyo, I generally recommend Shinjuku or Harajuku Shinjuku if you're more into nightlife and drinking, as well as Shinjuku Station, which serves as one of the main transportation hubs.

In the city, alternatively, Harajuku is most famous for its quirky Japanese fashion scene, but it's also much more relaxed compared to Shinjuku and is close to some famous landmarks like Yoyogi Park and Meshi Shrine. As for activities, it would be impossible to cover everything except here. are some of my highlights during the trip: Akihabara, known as the Electric City, famous for anime manga and cosplays, is practically a geek's paradise. While in Akihabara, visit the huge Don Quixote store. I think it's the place to buy souvenir gifts. Don't miss it either. there are several arcades in akihabara and who knows, if you try your luck you could win a prize for reviewing the iconic tokyo tower, check out the view of tokyo city at roppongi hills and while you're there, You can also go see the mori. art museum which is right next to the Tokyo city view, speaking of views you can't miss the Shibuya crossing, if you want a decent view of the crossing visit Starbucks or locate the Max Park building to find a better one for some.

This world experience visits the digital art museum at Team Lab Planets even though internal markets have moved. Tsujiki is still worth visiting for its outdoor market, where there is still plenty of food to try. If you like temples then Sen sushi temple should be on your list and that also includes the famous mechi shrine in yoyogi park to visit more temples visit sochoti temple, yasukuni shrine and tenoji temple in terms of food, there are too many good options here in Tokyo so here's just a few I enjoyed the famous ichiran ramen a furi for yusuf flavored ramens and for more Michelin star flavors then check out nakuyu if the sushi, then try the quirky conveyor belt sushi at obedient sushi or genki sushi if you want to take a step up.

If you want more affordable options, try these kyubey sushi no midori and zanmaizuji. If you're really on a budget, don't be afraid to try some of the convenience store foods you'll find at convenience stores. They are surprisingly good and there are a ton of options. After spending a few days in Tokyo, we packed our bags and boarded the Shinkansen bullet train that took us to the ancient capital of Kyoto. The trip cost us about 13,000 yen, which is equivalent to about 114 US dollars, you may want to check out the Japanese train pass if you intend to use the shinkansen multiple times during your trip.

Kyoto is very different from the neon skylines of Tokyo. It is still a great city, but it has a much steeper history. and traditions, although the city is known for its many temples, Kyoto still has a vibrant nightlife and much to offer wandering tourists, as for where to stay, I recommend staying anywhere near or around the old June area, where most of the tourist activities are located. Start your exploration. Head to the old June district, walk the old side streets, visit the many old shops and just explore at your own pace, while in June there are a few things worth visiting Ponton Joe is an atmospheric food street packed with different restaurants and bars of all prices.

The ancient streets of Hanami Koji. Here you will find old wood shops. If you're lucky, you might even be able to get some geisha photos between dates. Nishiki Market is also a great place to explore. You will find hundreds of different small shops and you can also try some delicious local foods. One thing I recommend trying is visiting Kagizen yoshifuza for some traditional Japanese sweets. Don't miss their kuzukiri noodles while you're at it. In Yeon, you can also visit the main shrine of this area, Yasaka Shrine, for more temple-hopping experiences, visiting Nan Sanji Temple and its famous garden, Kyo Mizudera Temple and its incredible view of the city and finally the fushimi inari shrine, famous for its thousands of torii gates, if you fancy a more natural landscape, visit the arashiyama area here you will find the famous arashiyama bamboo forest, offer a short walk to the stairs and some monkeys and visit the iwatayama monkey park if you have If you haven't had enough of temples, then visit the famous tenruji temple and explore its beautiful garden.

When you're done exploring, I recommend taking a scenic train ride on the Sacano Scenic Train. It is best during the fall seasons as you can experiment. The amazing chains of leaves, however, remains an enjoyable trip even during other seasons. For food, you want to try the kryo kaiseki dinner. The region's own touch of the traditional kaiseki dinner, which is equivalent to a multi-course dinner. Here in the west, you can reserve kaiseki. dinners in a ryokan or traditional restaurants, some places I recommend are kyoto kicho and arishiyama yon kario and takuba, as well as kaiseki's, there is always sushi and one place I recommend is sushi tatsu, very affordable and very good sushi for its price, alternatively if you like.

Try something different and then try the tempura at kome fuku. Oh, and don't forget lots of sauce. However, if you fancy some proper meat, try some barbecue and yaki niku hero. Here you can find some delicious slices of meat at a fairly affordable price and finally end the night hanging out by the Kamogawa River listening to local artists and maybe with a drink in hand. After Kyoto we hopped on the local train and headed towards Osaka, compared to Tokyo which is often considered As Osaka, cold and reserved, is often considered more relaxed, the locals are known to be friendlier, calmer and always ready to have fun, while the city certainly has a more relaxed atmosphere, like Kyoto, which Kyoto adds to the historical importance of Osaka.

Learn more about eating and drinking all night and where to stay during your stay in Osaka. I recommend staying in the Minami region, also known as Namba. Here you will be close to most of the city's attractions, such as Dotonbori and Glico Man. Ask about things to do besides gorging on delicious food here is a short list explore the famous dotonbori area take a ride on the tembuzan ferris wheel be amazed with the osaka aquarium explore the upcoming fashion trends at american mura and stroll the streets of shinsekai as well as for other activities to occupy your time, check out the sky of omida, the construction of osaka castle as well as the studios Universally, if you like amusement parks, as I mentioned above, Osaka is basically a food paradise so there are many good places to visit, but if you are still looking for recommendations here are some places that I would recommend Fukutaro for okonomiyaki if you offer a bit of yakitori then visit yakitonya daiyudayou probably killed it for some cheesecake delights look pablo you're in osaka you need to try some takoyaki so get some decent ones at cuckoo.

We can't end this without some miyaki niku so check out yakiniku m tomato sakakyo beef after gaining a few quid in osaka it was time to get out of the city and get some fresh air so hop on the local train and head towards Nara. Nara is a small city located east of Osaka. You may know Nara primarily for its charming deer population, but the city is also home to some of the most impressive temples and shrines in the entire country. To stay, I recommend staying near Nara Park located on the east side of the city.

This is also where most of the activities will be found, so if you are looking for affordable accommodation options, try the Nara Visitor Center and this is also where we decided to stay. During our time in Nara, it is centrally located right next to the park, making it the perfect starting point for exploring the city. Most activities can be found in Nara Park. Here are a couple of our highlights: Isuan Garden Temple, one of the main temples in the city. and obviously you can't come to Nara without meeting the deer. Enjoy the mochi show and the amazing mochi right after during the evening hours.

There is no better place to hang out and chat with the locals than the world famous Land Bar. I have to mention the kuzu mochi balls at yoshi no kuzu sakura if that wasn't enough, here are a few more things, take a walk around the mount wakakuza, visit the nara national museum and finally explore the hika shimuki shopping gallery, after nara, we returned to tokyo to spend our last remaining days in

japan

, which we managed to do in our initial first few days in tokyo, we made sure to do it here and that marks the end of this video on how to travel to Japan for beginners.

Yes, you can easily include Hiroshima Kirby and There are many more cities on the list, there are so many things to do here and it's almost impossible to cover everything in one video, but I hope that at least it gave you some good inspiration and useful information for your next Trip to Japan. It was by far. One of my all-time favorite trips so far and there are still so many things I want to explore in Japan and I can't wait for my next trip. As always guys, if you enjoyed this video, please like, comment. it really makes a difference on my channel and you want more travel related content or just want to follow me on my journey hit the subscribe button so yeah that's it for me until next time.