My Amazing Time in Japan – Part I
At the end of October I finally realised one of my biggest dreams
ever: visiting Japan. I wanted to explore this magic, awesome country
since I was a teenager, so the day I boarded the flight bringing me
to Tokyo I almost couldn't believe it!
My expectations were beyond high in regards to what I would have
seen, done and experienced in Japan, and I have to say, I wasn't
disappointed at all! I loved every minute of my (too short!) holiday,
and I would like to share with you all the fabulous places I've seen,
food I tasted and experienced I made.
I visited 5 cities there: Tokyo, Kamakura, Hakone,
Kyoto and Nara, some for a few days, others for a
one-day trip. Before jumping into the detailed description of those
awesome places though, I would like to enlist a few tips and
information that might be useful if you're planning to visit Japan,
and especially if you, like me, are solo travellers.
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| Shinjuku by night |
Money – In Japan, the current value is the yen. One sterling
pound corresponds to roughly 145 yen. Staying there is not too
expensive – just transportation tends to be on the expensive side –
but food and shopping won't let you penniless at the end of the
holiday.
The big cities take cards with no issue, but most of the country is
still based on a cash trade. Many restaurants, especially the small
local ones (which are the best and you absolutely have to try) and
temples, for examples, only took cash payments. I would suggest you
to take some cash before you travel, or you might find yourself in
need of withdraw at a certain point.
Transportation – Japan can count on one of the best
transport organisation in the world. Very rarely their trains are
delayed (and if they are, its just for a bunch of minutes, not for
hours like it happens in other Countries!). The subway is made of 13
different lines, plus different regional or interregional train
lines, and of course, the amazing Shinkansen, the Bullet Train (other
than buses and trams).
To move freely in a town you can either purchase daily tickets or
travelcards, and we will talk about them in more details in the
following posts. Using a travelcard is very convenient, not only
because you can move freely from a train to another, but also because
you can advantage from some useful discounts in certain museums and
temples.
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| Mount Fuji |
Food – Who thinks that Japanese food is just made of sushi,
is terribly wrong. Japan cuisine can count on such a massive number
of delicious food, including a wide range of meat (mostly grilled,
and its fantastic!), soups, seafood, omelettes, veggies, desserts...
and no, they don't eat everything raw! You can order a massive bowl
of delicious ramen (with omelette, veggies or meat, you can find a
million combination) for as little as 400 yen (something like £2.50),
its very filling and very tasty. Also, majority of restaurants offer
tap water or green tea for free, so I would suggest to not order your
drinks straight away (unless you really want to try something
specific of course).
Visa – People coming from Europe don't need a visa for a
stay up to 90 days. I am not sure about other Countries, but the
embassy website lists them all in much detail.
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| Todaiji Temple, Nara |
Medication – Japan is pretty strict about medicines brought
from abroad. Their medications vary slightly from ours, and for
instance, their painkillers are weaker, so Japan doesn't not allow
the entrance in the Country of medicines from abroad. If you will
need to bring medications with you, ask your doctor to write down a
prescription for you, to show to whom it might concern in case you're
asked.
Wifi – It might be one of the most technologic Countries in
the world, but when it comes to Wifi Japan is still a bit behind. Big
cities can offer Wifi with no issue (I even used wifi in the subway),
but smallest towns are not that advanced yet. You might need to use
your own data, and always check with your phone provider how much it
will cost to use them oversea. Also, in Japan it is possible to buy
local sim cards at the airport (or in other stores), to freely use
their local phone providers, website data and to make phonecalls. All
hotels provide free wifi, and some restaurants too, but definitely
not all of them.
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| Tokyo bay and Hamarikyu Gardens |
Weather – The best time to visit Japan is Spring or Autumn.
Spring though is the very high season, as everybody travels there to
see the cherry blossoms; cities become overcrowded, and prices go up
as well. Autumn is as beautiful, with the reddish foliage covering
the country, but prices stay lower during this period. Winter can be
very cold, and Summer is their rainy season (especially June and
July), so always double check if you'd like to travel during these
times.
I think I gave you all the general information I could possibly do in
this first post. In the following ones we are talking in more detail
of the five cities I visited, the travelcards I used, the places I
recommend. Next we will thus talk about the capital of Japan,
beautiful Tokyo. If you have any more questions feel free to
ask, I will be more than happy to answer them.
Other related links:
My Amazing Time in Japan VI – Nara
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