søndag 24. juli 2016, 09:27
One of my top 3 destinations the last decade has been Japan, and this summer I was able to realize my dream with a 2,5 weeks travel throughout the country. I came home from my journey few weeks ago, but as I did not have a blog back then I will share some few experiences with you now. Japan is a country very different from Norway, and that is why it so exciting for me. The more different, the better. We actually spent 1,5 weeks in Tokyo, and 1 week traveling with train visiting Kyoto, Kobe, Osaka, Kaga and Himeji. Traveling by train is really convenient in Japan, as you can get almost everywhere. Thanks to Shinkansen you can also go between the biggest cities in few hours, sometimes minutes, depending on where you are going. If going to Japan I really recommend you to buy a rail pass, which costs the same as a roundtrip Tokyo – Kyoto. This makes you able to travel as much as you like for a certain period. Remember to buy the pass before you leave, it is not possible to buy it in Japan!


Osaka Castle with its beautiful details
My favorite cities in Japan were definitely Tokyo and Kyoto, and I wished we had stayed in Kyoto for some more days. If you have limited time when going to Japan I recommend you to visit these cites as they cover both the new and modern with Tokyo, and the historical and old in Kyoto. If you want to see a real Geisha or Maiko, Kyoto is where you should go. I was lucky to meet a girl dressed up in her Kimono, and wow these costumes are beautiful. You will find Japanese people dressed up in their Kimonos everywhere in Kyoto, but if you are really lucky wandering the streets late in the night you might catch a glimpse of a real Geisha.





Pictures from Kyoto and the Fushimi Inari-taisha. Worth a visit!
As the city girl I am, Tokyo did not disappoint! Ginza, Sushi, Maid-cafe, second-hand treasure hunting, purikura, shopping, dining, manga, cat-cafe, Harajuku, tempura, karaoke… The list never stops, and with good reason; Tokyo has so much to offer. If you want it classy go to Ginza, are you searching for the quirky Shinjuku will do it for you, and if you like it crowded Shibuya is the place to be. I must admit that I did not get the real Tokyo feeling before I visited Akihabara which is the anime center of Tokyo. This is where you find everything in electrics and anime. Even though you are not an anime or electronic fan, Akihabara is a must visit! This is also where you will find the Maid cafés. If not for the food, it is worth it for the entertainment. As I mentioned we actually stayed in Tokyo for 1,5 weeks, and we always had a lot on our daily to-do plans. Thus, a little relaxing in Kaga at the Beniya Mukayu Ryokan was necessary and oh-so-relaxing. It is one of the most relaxing places I have ever been, and a real Japan experience. I am therefor going to dedicate a whole post for it, as it was really worth the trip up there!


Shinjuku Tokyo
Anyone visited Japan? If you have any questions, feel free to ask. I feel like a real Japanese now 😉