What a country and what a trip!
Been lurking here for a couple of years, so I reckon its time to give back.
Almost every aspect of our trip was amazing.
Spent the first five days in Tokyo. Really cool to see the many different areas. We had a rough plan about which area we would visit each day – but other than that, we left things pretty open. We had reservations for Teamlab Planets, but other than that – we played it by ear.
Teamlab planets is cool – the staff is great keeping a steady flow. If you are in Tokyo, then you should see it.
When you go, brace yourself for the other guests who insists on taking pictures everywhere all.the.time. Most rooms at teamlabs are awe-inspiring, but you can get snapped out of the dream-like exhibitions pretty fast when people all around you are doing 10 minute photo-sessions everywhere around you. It prohibits immersion – at least to me – when people enter every room with their cameras out, and sees most of it through the camera lens on their iPhones. Much of the exhibition is about the unique experience – but a lot of people seem to be focused on their posts on instagram they’ll update later.
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I guess this might be the way people have experiences these days – but damn that’s unfortunate..
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Moving on – we saw, played, heard and ate so many incredible things. If you have specific questions regarding the following, I’ll happily expand upon our experiences:
Shimokitazawa, Tsukiji Market, Daikanyama, Kinshico, Ueno, Akihabara, Ginza, Golden Gai, Shinjuku, Shibuya.
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Next up: Ichigaki Island
We flew 3 hours from Narita to this little tropical pearl. We lodged at an airbnb who also had bicycles we could borrow and a car we could rent. A very cool change of scenery from Tokyo, and such a special place. Max speed on the roads are 40 km/h, buses can be unpredictable, but the beaches and forests are so nice. We saw the crested serpent eagle in the wild (!), enjoyed the local island cuisine and just had a great time. Apparently japanese tourist go here in May – so we had much of it to ourselves. We got temperatures just south of 30 degrees. We also had the best ramen of our entire trip here.
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Then: Osaka
After three days on Ichigaki we flew to Osaka. We thought it seemed a little more young and hip compared to Tokyo; we saw people cross empty streets despite it being a red light, we saw people smoke and drink out in the open and genererally people seemed a little more relaxed here. But the infrastructure is just as accurate as it is in Tokyo. And the food is amazing. We also went USJ which was fun. Super Nintendo World is worth a visit.
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Next up: Kumano Kodo in Wakayama
We headed south by train to Kii-Tanabe and started our five day hike on the Nakahechi trail.We shipped our luggage directly to Kyoto, so we wouldnt need to drag it around in the mountains. We had booked accomodation on the trail in advance so we could walk from town to town without having to scout for places to pitch a tent. The entire trip through is fantastic. I cannot recommend it enough. Delicious meals coupled with pristine nature and history-rich shrines. And then you reach the Grand Shrines and your jaw drops. The trail is probably my favourite main-part of our trip.
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Lastly: Kyoto
Back in the city – but so different from Tokyo and Osaka. Kyoto is very uniqe. The big-city vibe from Tokyo and Osaka is traded off for a much more quaint and aesthetic feel. The city is naturally restricted from growing too much as it is located in a valley. After seeing so much out-of-this-world nature and shrines in the other parts of our journey, the Bamboo Forest and the Fushimi Inari Shrine just could not compete. It was fine to see, but When I return to Tokyo I might go halfway up Fushimi and I’ll skip Bamboo Forest for sure. We had been walking so much for the entire trip – so we decided to rent bikes in Kyoto. This was a game changer – we were able to see so much and the bikes we’re great. Kinkakuji and Ginkakuji are really worth the visit – unlike teamlab Planets people here we’re generally here to enjoy the shrines and beautiful scenery. Of course photos were taken – but people here seemed to understand, that this is a place of zen. Especially at Ginkakuji.
I could go on, but all in all – It’s and amazing country with some truly special places. We are coming back.
1 comment
Ooh can you elaborate more about biking in Kyoto. Is it bike-friendly and easy to get around and park? What areas did you visit on the bike? I would have expected the narrow streets and crowds of people to be difficult to navigate through.