Trip Review

I just got back from 1 month in Japan doing the following:

Tokyo -> Fujikawaguchiko -> Kyoto -> Osaka -> Hiroshima -> Fukuoka -> Kyoto -> Tokyo

and have enjoyed hiking and shopping so a lot of our trip was based around it.

Now, from favourite to least favourite:

1) Kyoto – We stayed at Prince Smart Inn Kyoto Sanjo for $64 per night (nice room imo) and loved it. Its location was directly on some amazing shopping streets filled with/ vintage clothing and antique stores and was maybe 3 minutes from Nikishi market. It was surprisingly not very busy (which we like) when we were there and the vibes walking around at night were amazing. We did the typical Bamboo Forrest and Monkey Park which we loved (I tapered expectations cause I've seen a lot of people bashing them) and also spent time in Uji. Loved Kyoto so much, much more than the average folks but it was just wow. We were supposed to go to Nagasaki but went back to Kyoto instead. Nagasaki is amazing I am sure, and I'll have to go one day, but I have 0 regrets. 10/10

2) Hiroshima – Stayed at En Hotel Hiroshima. Good location and we were within walking distance of most things we wanted to do in the city. We went to Miyajima island and hiked Mt. Misen which was probably our favourite hike of the trip and the views were amazing. We went to Okunoshima Island fed all the little bunnies and explored the island's dark history. We went to the Peace Memorial Museum and walked around peace park at night which was a great but hard-hitting experience. Plenty of shopping as well of course. Went to a baseball game which was such a sick experience. The crowd involvement is next level. So much fun. We lucked into being there during the start of the summer festival and there were hundreds of food cards, so many people, cheap beer and plenty of performances. And just way less crowded throughout the great day. We walked around Hiroshima garden and met a local who was 88 years old and ended up eating breakfast with him. 10/10

3) Fujikawaguchiko – Stayed in a hostel so it wasn't anything special but it got the job done lol. We walked to Asama shrine from the city lol, so beautiful and you get to see a lot of cool things along the way. Saw lake Kawaguchiko. Woke up bright and early to go up Chureito Pagoda for some other fantastic views. We went to Oshino Hakkai which was unique and a good time. Ate hotou noodles, delicious. The town shuts down pretty early so hitting the pavement bright and early is the way to go. 9.5/10

4) Fukuoka – Stayed at Hotel Oriental Express? or something. Was a nice room, pretty spacious. We went to Nokonoshima Island and the flower park which had tons of beautiful flowers and paths to walk around. Went shopping at Canal City, but spent more time shopping in the used/vintage/antique stores which is in an area I'm blanking on the name. We went to Dafaizu and explored the town and shrines/temples. We also went to Nanzoin and saw the big lying down Buddha. I'll admit, my girlfriend and I didn't know about the clothing restrictions before going so cover your knees and shoulders (they have clothing you can use to cover if needed). Overall, not very crowded, with great sights, and great food. Sadly couldn't get baseball tickets. 9/10

5) Tokyo – Tokyo was fun, just so extremely dense. So many people everywhere it felt like no matter where I was. Big city vibes. Transportation is so easy and convenient though. We did plenty of Tokyo, including the general Shibuya/Shinjuku/Ginza/etc. so I'll just focus on some of the things I liked. The shopping in Harajuku was great and I liked Takeshita Street. Walking around Meiji Jingu was a highlight of the whole trip. I could walk around forever under those trees. We went to the Harry Potter Studio Tour which was an experience and a half as a HP nerd. TeamLab Planets was cool. Went to Oi Racecourse flea market which was super cool. Did tons of other stuff but there's stuff to do for everyone no matter who so I won't ramble. So crowded. So so crowded. 8.5/10

6) Osaka – We stayed at an APA hotel 30 seconds away from Dotonbori so the location was great. APA hotels are APA hotels…. the same everywhere so they're not amazing and I've read all the negatives but the employees were nice. We went to Nara Park and fed the deer which was fun. Other things included Team lab botanical garden which was vibey to just walk around at talk. Went to Osaka castle, yasaka shrine, and Shin Sekai New World. Tons of shopping on Orange Street and in Amerika Mura. Ate lots of good food in Dotonbori. Went to an onsen. (I recommend it for sure) As I write this, idk why it was our least favourite. Each thing was a lot of fun. But as a whole, we just didn't like it as much as the rest. (it's like when ppl ask which parent/kid you love more lol) It was so crowded around Dotonbori and everywhere else. For me, when you're always walking on someone's heels and someone on yours it's a big factor for me. 8.5/10

Other notes:

• We planned itineraries but left them loose in case we wanted to change things. We used wanderlog which I think helped us group things into days and visualize where everything was that we wanted to do.

• The people were nice and friendly. Whenever I wore my baseball jersey I bought at a carp game it was a magnet for conversation lol.

• In many restaurants, you just order off a nice tablet and then pay at the register on your way out.

• Rules/stuff: Tbh after getting back I feel like all the "rules" and "norms" were a little exaggerated. If you're going and nervous, just read the room, don't be stupid, and be aware of your surroundings and you'll be perfectly fine.

• Transportation: Google Maps made everything easy to understand and there is signage everywhere. I can't believe how well-developed their transportation infrastructure is. Everything is on time to the minute.

$: I spent $5600 on the trip all in. ($700 in shopping) It's very affordable to go with the yen being so weak. We're not luxurious but I wouldn't say we were low-budget either. I hard recommend japan, such a blast and so much fun. I'm home now and depressed lol. Enjoy it.