Japan Tourist Page
Well after living here for a couple of years I do have a few useful pieces of information.
Naomi's Best of Japan |
Michael Favorite Photos of Japan |
A top 10 list of things to do and see in Japan. The list inspired me to visit a number of places and I highly recommend a read.
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My favorite photos from my time in Japan. Not a list of things to do, more some ideas of things we have enjoyed.
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Places visited in Kyoto |
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It sometimes gets hard to keep track of all the temples we have visited. I have put the complete list here.
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My Best of Japan (inspired by Naomi's list)
I have tried to exclude the most obvious places to visit. Not always the prettiest places, but more focused on interesting or emotional.
Kyoto
Crowded tourist shopping around Kiyomizu-dera. The busiest and best tourist shopping in Japan.
Walking under the gates at Fushimi Inari, no matter the time of year, always a mystical experience
Two moments in different temples are touristy but great, the sun reflecting off Kinkaku-ji and the spectacular 1001 statues at Sanjusangendo are both over very quickly, but leave a lasting impression
Food tasting at the Teramachi market, sampling the pickles, trying the desserts makes a great break from the temple run
Outside Kyoto
Going to a baseball game is a great family experience, using the clappers, cheering with the crowd, watching the beers being poured are all fun regardless of what is happening in the game. Sumo is truly expensive, soccer is great, but baseball pushes all the buttons.
Going to a festival, any festival is an experience, from the chocolate bananas in the food stands, to the colours of the parade I always have fun. The smaller ones can be more intimate and you can often see more than at one of the big spectacular festivals.
The village of Shirakawa-Go and the grasso huts take you back to another world, but the spectacular drive through the mountains to get there is just as amazing.
Touring the museum at the infamous Yasakuni shrine. The most politically charged place in Japan. The museum proudly featuring a train engine from the Burma railway and extolling its good deeds gives a different perspective on the country
Taking the subway in Tokyo. For me the subway gives you an idea of the size and scale of Tokyo, the winding efficiency puts it in another league.
The Toyota plant tour may not be to everyone’s taste, but Japan is truly an industrial giant and this shows you why in an impressively powerful way.
The view from the top of the mountain on Miyajima Island. The island, the temple, the cable car all add to the experience but the view from the top stopped me like few others.
Gift shopping in the basement of a major department store in Tokyo, Osaka or Nagoya. The chocolate, the expensive fruit, the wrapping and the service are all on show.
Glimpsing Mt Fuji from the Shinkansen. Though not spectacular close up (unless you climb all the way up) this is the way to do it/ Remember to buy your bento box at the station to eat through the trip.
Shop in a convenience store (Konbini) – Buy an umbrella, use the toilet, buy a drink, get something to eat. Explore why we love them
Tourist Related Hyperlinks
Kyoto Travel Guide
Japan Meteorological Agency
Weather reports, but also tracking the colour change in Autumn, or when the cherry blossoms will be out
5 Day weather report from Japan Meteorological Agency
Japan Travel Wiki - useful general travel page on from the wikipedia. The Wikipedia also has a
Nagoya page.
Yokoso Japan - Aimed at US tourists but has useful information such as locations for tea ceremonies.
Japan National Tourist Organisation- Good National information
JNTO's Independent Traveler Maps
Also See my
Useful links page for Public Transport et al.
