Japan

Japan was a wonderful place to visit, especially during Cherry Blossom season! We got exceptionally lucky visiting at the exact right time to see the blossoms since we didn't plan for that at all. We saw every stage of their cycle from just beginning to bloom in Tokyo, to fully bloomed in Osaka/Kyoto, and petals falling off in Fukuoka. It would be tricky to hit it even if you plan for it since the prime season only lasts about 10 days and it could be earlier or later than usual depending on the season. But I'd say it's definitely worth it to try, even though it's probably more crowded than other times. There have been multiple occasions when I thought that it would have been such a different experience without the blossoms and all the festivals that went along with it. It was just such a beautiful and fun time to visit!

Even without the blossoms, Japan has a ton to offer. It's steeped in culture and tradition. You can find beautiful historical temples almost everywhere you go. The unique souvenirs and trinkets are always worth a look at the local street vendors and shops. Simply walking around and seeing so many women wearing the traditional colorful kimonos is a unique experience all by itself. Also, keep your eyes peeled for a real geisha (or geiko, as they are known in Kyoto)!

Also, the food in Japan is amazing. Every meal we had was great, even if I was apprehensive at first. We tried ramen (you got me- I had a ton of ramen. It's so good!), shabu shabu (where you cook it in a hot pot in front of you and it's all you can eat for a certain amount of time), yakitori (chicken skewers), sushi on a conveyor belt, fried skewers of almost anything, shoba (buckwheat noodles) in Nagano, matcha (green tea) ice cream, umeshu (plum wine), and a whole ton of different desserts. Plus, as a bonus, there are vending machines at almost every corner. It's amazing! Most of them contain drinks, hot or cold beverages, so you should never be thirsty for long. There are also some food and ice cream vending machines as well.

Another cool thing about Japan is that they are big on recycling. It's really important to keep your trash separate: plastics, cans and bottles, combustibles, or none of the above. I think this is great. The tough part is that there really aren't a lot of trash cans around so it's a good idea to have some sort of bag with you so that you can hold on to your trash until you find a place to dispose of it. You can often find can/bottle receptacles near the vending machines but there is rarely a general rubbish can there.

Language was often a struggle, which is to be expected (and part of the experience). Not everyone spoke English so a couple of times we resorted to very rudimentary hand signals and miming to communicate. We were generally able to get around places okay since most of the train and subway stations display things both in Japanese and in English. I think the times we struggled most was when we were trying to pick a restaurant to eat; we could rarely decipher what type of food a particular place was serving, and then how to actually order something. It was super helpful when places had plastic molds of their food or at least pictures of particular dishes in their windows (both are surprisingly common). Then we could point to what we wanted. Also some places advertised that they had English menus so that was helpful. But we also sometimes had the opposite experience when they would advertise that they did not speak English, and that they didn't welcome foreigners. 

Last but not least, the toilets. They are amazing! I have definitely gotten spoiled since I sat on an un-heated toilet seat earlier today and was thoroughly dismayed that it was cold. But the heated seats are only the beginning. They will do everything for you (if you can understand the buttons). They'll play musical sounds to cover any noises, release a nice-smelling perfume, wash any part of your delicate areas that you command, flush automatically, and lift and raise the toilet seat for you. I really can't fathom why the USA has not caught on to this but I definitely plan to install one of these magical toilets in our house when we get back.

Link to all Japan pictures

Unique Social Customs

There are some unique social norms in Japan that are good to know before you go. First are the eating related ones. It's not polite to eat while you're walking or on the train. This was difficult for us to get used to, especially since there is so much great street food! But typically you should find a place to sit and eat. Next, it's not rude (it's actually encouraged) to slurp your noodles/soup. You almost never touch your food with your hands, but if you need to definitely not your left hand! Restaurant servers typically don't come to your table unless you call them over so it's normal to shout "sumemasen!" There is no tipping at all in Japan (this is true across other services and not just food) and it's usually considered offensive. The surprising thing about this though is that you still get great service! Last thing, it's not uncommon to need to take your shoes off when entering a restaurant or cafe. If there's a rack of shoes when you enter it's safe to assume you need to take them off. Also, you definitely need to remove your shoes when you enter someone's home.

Other transportation things to note is that they drive on the left, so make sure you check both ways before crossing the street. We were pretty used to the left-side driving at this point. When riding the trains/subways it's rude to be on your phone or to be loud in general; silence your phone if you're doing stuff on it. It was kind of amazing to ride the train in Tokyo at rush hour with hardly room to breathe but it was still almost silent. 

When walking through Japan you'll notice strange walking tiles- some with raised straight lines and others with raised dots. I puzzled over this for a long time before researching it and discovering the reason for these tiles. They were put in to help the visually impaired navigate the streets. The raised straight lines means it is safe to continue walking forward and the raised dots means caution. The caution ones are placed where you either can't walk forward anymore and need to turn and also before intersections so they know they need to wait until it's safe to cross (which is indicated with a noise). We found these tiles everywhere in Japan including the smaller towns we visited. I find it so interesting that they invested so many resources in order to help improve the lives of their visually impaired population.

Other random things: we read it was rude to blow your nose in public but we never tested this theory. We would just go to the bathroom to blow it if we were sniffly. Also, a surprising number of people use umbrellas to shade themselves from the sun. I just found that interesting. Last thing is not really a social custom but it's important to have cash (yen) on you in Japan because almost nowhere takes a credit card.

A ton of people wear the face masks like they are either about to go into surgery or they have a deadly disease. It threw us off a bit at first, especially in Tokyo where it's most prevalent, but we got used to it. We believe they wear them if they are really trying not to get sick or if they are feeling a bit under the weather themselves and don't want to spread it. But it was so common in Tokyo I almost wondered if it had also become a fashion statement.

The other thing that threw us off was the walking. They drive on the left but they walk on all sides of the sidewalk; it's chaos. It was most apparent in Tokyo with all of the people. I ran into and shoulder-checked more people there than probably the rest of my life combined. It was amusing at first but then it got pretty annoying, especially after long walking days. I'm not sure of the reason behind this phenomenon.

Overview of our trip

We spent a total of three weeks in Japan. We flew into Tokyo and spent 5 nights there, 3 nights in Nagano, 6 nights in Osaka, 2 nights in Kyoto, 1 night in Hiroshima, and our last 2 nights in Fukuoka before flying out of there. We took the Shinkansen trains between each location. 

Tokyo

Tokyo is a wonderful city. There are so many great things to love about it. One of my favorite things and probably one of the most unique things for a city is how safe and trusting it is. It was very common to see unchained bikes leaning against the racks or buildings. People often leave phones or wallets unattended on restaurant tables to hold their spot while they go to the bathroom. It was a relief to not feel like I have to be super careful about all of my belongings at all times, which is how I felt in Barcelona several years ago. And if you ever do drop or forget something there's almost always someone running after you to return it to you. Someone had left something at a restaurant table that we sat at and when we tried to leave 3 different people tried to chase me down to give it to me even though it wasn't mine! People were also super friendly. A couple of times we weren't able to find a place we were looking for and we just asked someone near us and they were always happy to point us in the right direction. One time we didn't even have to ask- Matt and I were standing in the train station trying to figure out where to go and a really nice gentleman approached us to ask if we needed any help. He was able to point us in the right direction within 30 seconds. Just great people. 

Another great thing is the public transportation. There are a ton of options. We got the Japan Rail (JR) Pass so we mostly used the JR trains (more about that in the budget section), which is very easy since there are a ton of accessible stations. Japan trains are (almost) always exactly on time.  Also, Tokyo is a huge city (obviously) so there's always a ton to do and see. Even simply walking around feels like an adventure as you swivel your head all around trying to soak it all in. 

So what did we do in Tokyo? We ate ramen, tracked down the just-barely-blooming cherry blossoms, and checked out the famous Shibuya Crossing, all in the first day. We tried street food at Ueno Park and checked out Asakusa which was a neat area with shops and snacks but don't look for a meal there. We visited temples in Kamakura and played with bunnies in a Tokyo cafe. We also wandered some of the ritzy shopping areas and then won some money playing pachinko. On our last day we visited the Imperial Palace, but we went on a day when the grounds were closed to it pays to look into that prior to making the trek there.

Nagano

We didn't spent a ton of time in Nagano itself since we mostly used that location as a jumping off point to other day-trips. But our first night there we checked out one of the local onsens which was really cool. The onsens are hot springs and often have public bath houses and inns around it. They generally have multiple hot tubs full of the hot spring water and sometimes with different types like mineral water or mud. They are almost always separated by gender and to enjoy them you must be nude and bathe before entering the water. You bathe at the sitting showers which is unique. It's definitely a must-do experience in my opinion and a great way to relax after a long day of sight-seeing. A heads up though- most onsens don't allow people with tattoos but many of them will still let you to enter if it's small and you cover it up. I have a small tattoo but I covered it up with a bandage and never had a problem at the two onsens I visited.

I wish we had spent a bit more time in Nagano itself as it seems like a pretty cool city; it is where the 1998 Winter Olympics were held. We did briefly visit the Zenkoji Temple which was neat; it houses the first Buddha statue to ever be brought in Japan (although it's rarely on public display). Also, supposedly you can find the "key to salvation" in the basement of the temple, but we didn't do that.

From Nagano we made a day trip to Jigokudani Valley to visit the snow monkeys which was really neat to spend time with the wild monkeys hanging out by their own onsen. We also spent a day in Kanazawa touring the castle and the Kenroku-en Gardens. We also visited a samurai house while there and tried to tour the "Ninja House" but you need to pre-book tours for that.

On our way out of Nagano we also stopped in Matsumoto to check out the castle. In my experience Japanese castles are very different from European castles so it's super interesting to see one, but they are pretty similar to each other so maybe not necessary to see more than a couple.

Osaka

We spent 6 nights total in Osaka and our first night was spent at a ryoken, which is a traditional Japanese inn with the tatami mats and they usually include at least one meal. Ours served a huge breakfast and also had a small onsen. I think it's definitely something to experience for at least one night, but it was a bit expensive so that's all we stayed.

While in Osaka we did lots of things. Our first Friday night we went to a comedy club called "Ror" for open mic night- it was all in English and only 500 yen, so it was a fun way to spend the evening. We spent a magical day at Universal Studios since it was literally right outside the door of our hotel. I absolutely loved "The Wizarding World of Harry Potter". We also checked out the Osaka aquarium which was really cool. We got to see a ton of things including huge whale sharks, spider crabs, and one well-loved sun fish. At the end got to pet a shark and a sting ray! Also while you're in Osaka you have to try the kushikatsu (fried skewers) since they are well-known for them there. We also took a day trip to Kobe (famous for Kobe beef) where we hiked up to Nunobiki Falls which was gorgeous and we also spent time in the Nunobiki Herb Garden before having dinner in the Kobe harbour area.

Kyoto

We only spent two nights in Kyoto since lodging there was a bit expensive by the time we got around to booking it. But we did spend an extra day there when we were staying in Osaka as the two are really close. Our first day in Kyoto we walked through the Arashiyama area, which was particularly beautiful with all of the cherry blossoms. There are a ton of temples in that area to explore, as well as a bamboo forest which was unique and a monkey park. The Golden Pavilion was also really cool to see, although I was disappointed that we weren't able to go inside. There's also a Silver Pavilion but we didn't get to that one. The Imperial Palace was definitely worth seeing, especially taking a free tour through the grounds. The Higashiyama district and the Kiyomizu temple there are also must sees. And then you definitely should stroll down Hanamikoji street either after 5 or at dusk and try to spot a real geisha (geiko as they are known there). We never saw one. The Pantocho area is a great area to find dinner. 

Hiroshima

We only spent one day in Hiroshima and we spent most of our time at the Hiroshima Peace Park which was moving and obviously very sad. The museum there was interesting and informative but also pretty graphic so I'd be hesitant to take young kids there. You should also stop and see the A-bomb dome, which was preserved to look like it did right after the bombing.

Fukuoka

We spent two nights in Fukuoka and it's where we flew out. The Maizura Park is pretty to explore with the castle ruins and cherry blossoms. The Umimonakamichi Park is a huge family-oriented park with tons of activities including bike riding, a water park, arcade, flower gardens, and a zoo. It was a fun way to spend a few hours on a nice day. The Momochi Seaside Park was also cool to hang out on the beach. Fukuoka is also well-known for their 

yatais which are street food vendors that are pretty unique because they also set up their own little seating areas and serve real food like ramen and meat skewers. We found some at Nakasu Island but note that they only set up after 6pm.

Budget

I spent $2,010 total while in Japan. This doesn't include any flights since all of our international flights were bought together. This is per person and in US dollars. There were three of us traveling together most of the time so most things were split equally three ways. Here is the breakdown:

Ground Transportation: $552. Most of this expense was for our Japan Rail (JR) Pass. We spent $516/person for a three week pass which covered all of Japan (you can also buy region-specific ones but when we bought the pass we weren't sure where all we were going). I think this was well worth the investment for us because we always traveled via the Shinkansen train between our locations, and some of those train rides can be pretty expensive (over $100) individually. If you weren't going to so many different areas I don't think it would be worth it though, because it often doesn't cover most of the subways and buses inside the cities. So that's where the other part of this expense comes from. Kyoto was the most difficult for us to get around with the JR Pass and we spent the most there on other types of transportation.

Lodging: $752. We stayed at several Airbnbs and hotels while in Japan. Our most expensive night of the trip so far was spent at the ryoken in Osaka at $67/person. This did include a huge breakfast as well though. Overall lodging in Japan was more expensive than other countries we've visited on this trip; the least we ever spent per night was $24.50 and that was at a capsule hostel/airbnb.

Activities: $187.  This is where we really saved money in Japan. Most of the activities we did were free, or if they were temple entrance fees they were usually under $3. Our most expensive activity was going to Universal Studios which accounts for a third of this total spending.

Food: $410. We definitely spent more money here than in other countries since we rarely bought groceries to eat at home, other than the one time I made packet ramen for 40 yen (under 40 cents). The food was just so good it was almost a shame to try to make our own food.

Miscellaneous: $109. We actually bought some souvenirs in Japan and shipped them home with some other stuff that we decided we didn't need the rest of the trip, so this covers both of those expenses.

Summary

Japan has a very different culture and it was rewarding to learn and experience it. It's the type of place when you visit you want to just be on the go all of the time since there is so much to see and do, so not the place if you just want to relax the entire time. I think we both enjoyed it more than we thought we would and it's become one of my favorite places I've ever been.