Ava's Armchair Adventures
Japan is one of my favorite destinations in Asia! It has something for all types of travelers. From bustling Tokyo to zen-like Kyoto, Japan is a high-tech world mixed with rich history. The people are so friendly and it’s easy to get around the country on the bullet train. I would not have wanted to spend my honeymoon anywhere else!
Where to Stay: Citadines Shinjuku in Tokyo. This is a modern, affordable accommodation located close to the JR Shinjuku Station so it’s easy to connect to the central and western parts of Japan by rail and subway. The hotel is within walking distance to Shinjuku’s main entertainment area along with many restaurants, department stores and mega-shopping complexes. It also has complimentary wifi and breakfast!
What to Eat: Just thinking about the sushi, soba, and ramen makes my mouth water, but the food I crave the most from Japan would be Takoyaki or “octopus balls”. This is a Japanese snack or appetizer made of flour-based batter and filled with octopus, tempura, pickled ginger, and green onion. The best part of the dish is the takoyaki and mayonnaise sauce drizzled over the top and garnished with dried bonito. Delish!
A visit to the Tsukiji Market in Tokyo is a must for food lovers. It houses dozens of food stalls and restaurants that offer some of the freshest seafood in the city (often caught the same day) and is the go-to destination for Japanese cuisine and local specialties. You can have a quick fix of ramen, savor conveyor belt sushi, enjoy grilled seafood skewers, and indulge in matcha green tea ice cream. I’m getting hungry!
Our ryokan offered breathtaking views of Mount Fuji from our room.
We enjoyed local cuisine that was meticulously prepared and beautifully presented.
What to See: Mount Fuji. We decided to stay overnight at Lake Kawaguchiko to see the majestic mountain up-close and personal. Lake Kawaguchiko is the most popular lake among the Fuji Five Lakes because it has a more developed infrastructure and buses run year-round. It takes about an hour train ride from Tokyo to reach Lake Kawaguchiko. I highly recommend staying at a ryokan (rather than a hotel) where you have the opportunity to experience traditional Japanese lifestyle sleeping on tatami floors, taking a dip in the hot springs (onsen), and dining on local cuisine.
Temples and shrines. No visit to Japan would be complete without at least one visit to a Japanese temple or shrine. We decided to make our way to Kyoto which is estimated to have well over 2000 of these symbolic structures. It is a six-hour ride on the bullet train from Tokyo to Japan that costs around $180 CAD. Fushimi Inari Shrine was at the top of our list, known for its thousands of torii gates along the mountain trails of Kyoto. The torii gates are donations by individuals and companies, and you will find the donor’s name and date of the donation on each gate. The gates symbolize the transition from the mundane to the sacred as you pass through them.
Japan offers so many unique experiences with a culture that blends Eastern traditions and Western modernity. Each time I visit there is always something new to discover and taste, I can’t wait to return. You must make a trip to visit this amazing country at least once in your lifetime!
~ Ava
