JAPAN
Just as there are "A" and "B" type personalities there are "A" and "B" type countries - that's not to suggest that the quiet, formal, reserved Japanese have an alternate personality but years of isolation and charting their own path to modernization has created a dominate "A" type culture. Walk into a hotel or restaurant and you're likely to be greeted by Tanuki - a real and mythical creature that's a symbol of good luck and generosity. Everywhere you look the Japanese culture stands out - I always wondered why Japanese tourists in the US took photos of everything...but now I know it's because the Japanese do everything different and seeing something from a new angle in the US turns an otherwise mundane event into something photo worthy. Even something as simple as a book - the Japanese books open left to right and text flows top to bottom on the page. Traveling through Japan you don't only see the sites but also become emerge in the Japanese world around you.
JAPAN DESTINATIONS
HOTEL ACCOMMODATIONS
Japan is an expensive country but there is a wide range of interesting accommodation available for someone on a tight budget. During my thirty days in Japan I stayed in a budget business hotel, various types of hostels (one was a three bedroom apartment; another was a converted hotel conference room), Ryokans, and best of all, Capsule Hotels. Spending the night doesn't simply equate to a place to sleep but also another means to explore the Japanese culture. I've elaborated on the Capsule Hotels in the Japanese Culture section but the summary is that you can receive a very good night's sleep because the capsule insulates you from the noise of people arriving and leaving found in a hostel dormitory.
To enhance the historical, back in time, feel of Kyoto look for a Ryokan in the Gion District.
If you have an early return flight from Haneda before the metro starts operating and don't want to pay the expensive taxi ride it's a great airport to spend the night. The international terminal opened in 2011 and is as nice as a terminal as you'll find anywhere - better than Singapore's Changi Airport. The airport has free wifi and plenty of places to relax and have a nap.
FOOD
Each city seems to have a specialty dish or local meal - even places like Miyajima (oysters) and Takayama (Hida Beef) have meals to be aware of before arrival. As with accommodation, the average meal is more expensive then anywhere else in Asia - you can easily spend $15 on a few skewers of meat and a beer. Adding to the food costs are the fact that if you pass another pack restaurant after dinner you may wind up eating a second or third dinner. Japan has perfected the art of fine dining but a more distinct experience involves eating at a neighborhood bar called an Izakaya. Izakaya's vary in the cuisine offered but most have a selection of either seafood or charcoal grilled skewers.
Eating sushi is an obvious first dining option but you should do some research to find a place that serves fresh, never frozen, seafood. The supermarket sushi is roughly the same quality as the US supermarket sushi. Chef's use their discretion to put the appropriate amount of wasabi on the piece of sushi - you could add more but why not trust the expert? I wouldn't shun the sushi conveyor dining experience - two of the better sushi experiences I had were at this pick what you like restaurants. It makes it much easier to order and you can have a more variety of dishes even if you're not always sure what you're eating.
Don't focus just on sushi - two of my favorite dishes were Okonomiyaki, a cabbage, seafood, and noodle dish, and Omurice, a football sized omelet served with rice. I regret not asking how many eggs are required to make Omurice. There is a pretty decent Cafe Coffee culture throughout Japan without a single dominant chain - but don't mistake coffee shop, which is more of a smoke-filled diner, for a coffee cafe.
The Japan Beer scene is dominated by four national brands: Asahi, Kirin, Sapporo, and Suntory. Through the use of tax legislation these brewers blocked the creation of microbreweries - even though the taxes have been lifted there's still only a few local microbrews available. During the summer beer gardens spring up in parks and mall roofs but the entry fee may be upwards of $30 so be sure to go hungry and thirsty.
Dining in Japan can be a curse. It's likely you will have one of the best meals in your life - unfortunately if that meal is early in the trip you may get exhausted trying to find a similarly amazing restaurant. Izakaya's are everywhere and everyone has their favorite but finding your favorite will be a highlight of the trip.
ATTRACTIONS
Figuring out where to go and what to see can be overwhelming. If you know you want to see castles you still need to narrow down the selection. It may help to think of Japan in "themes" instead of "destinations" so you don't overlook anything the country has to offer.
IN-COUNTRY TRANSIT
Japan is the most train oriented country in the world and riding the Shinkansen counts as an "only in Japan" experience in addition to getting from Point A to Point B. While you may need to take buses to reach a few destinations most simply involve taking train and after arriving at the station walking the rest of the way or taking local metro. Kyoto was the only city where you may need to take a bus to reach the temples and shrines.
Japan Rail Passes are a good value - unless you have the time to take local trains or don't mind night buses - but it's essential that you purchase the pass before you arrive. As of September 2014 you CANNOT purchase a Japan Railpass in Japan. You can purchase prefecture rail passes but this won't be useful if you want to go from Tokyo to Kyoto. I obtained a railpass in Seoul but if you are in the US there are several agencies that can provide assistance. Once you arrive in Japan, visit a JR Office and they will activate your pass for the days you desire. If there's no line the activation takes less than five minutes. You shouldn't be too concerned about reserving train tickets in advance - trains, the Shinkansens in particularly, rarely sell out but the local trains can become very crowded during rush hour.
Figuring out train schedules and routes can be a bit frustrating but fortunately the website Hyperdia helps with searching. For additional info and more detail on rail travel in Japan see The Man in Seat 61.
Japan is an expensive country but there is a wide range of interesting accommodation available for someone on a tight budget. During my thirty days in Japan I stayed in a budget business hotel, various types of hostels (one was a three bedroom apartment; another was a converted hotel conference room), Ryokans, and best of all, Capsule Hotels. Spending the night doesn't simply equate to a place to sleep but also another means to explore the Japanese culture. I've elaborated on the Capsule Hotels in the Japanese Culture section but the summary is that you can receive a very good night's sleep because the capsule insulates you from the noise of people arriving and leaving found in a hostel dormitory.
To enhance the historical, back in time, feel of Kyoto look for a Ryokan in the Gion District.
If you have an early return flight from Haneda before the metro starts operating and don't want to pay the expensive taxi ride it's a great airport to spend the night. The international terminal opened in 2011 and is as nice as a terminal as you'll find anywhere - better than Singapore's Changi Airport. The airport has free wifi and plenty of places to relax and have a nap.
FOOD
Each city seems to have a specialty dish or local meal - even places like Miyajima (oysters) and Takayama (Hida Beef) have meals to be aware of before arrival. As with accommodation, the average meal is more expensive then anywhere else in Asia - you can easily spend $15 on a few skewers of meat and a beer. Adding to the food costs are the fact that if you pass another pack restaurant after dinner you may wind up eating a second or third dinner. Japan has perfected the art of fine dining but a more distinct experience involves eating at a neighborhood bar called an Izakaya. Izakaya's vary in the cuisine offered but most have a selection of either seafood or charcoal grilled skewers.
Eating sushi is an obvious first dining option but you should do some research to find a place that serves fresh, never frozen, seafood. The supermarket sushi is roughly the same quality as the US supermarket sushi. Chef's use their discretion to put the appropriate amount of wasabi on the piece of sushi - you could add more but why not trust the expert? I wouldn't shun the sushi conveyor dining experience - two of the better sushi experiences I had were at this pick what you like restaurants. It makes it much easier to order and you can have a more variety of dishes even if you're not always sure what you're eating.
Don't focus just on sushi - two of my favorite dishes were Okonomiyaki, a cabbage, seafood, and noodle dish, and Omurice, a football sized omelet served with rice. I regret not asking how many eggs are required to make Omurice. There is a pretty decent Cafe Coffee culture throughout Japan without a single dominant chain - but don't mistake coffee shop, which is more of a smoke-filled diner, for a coffee cafe.
The Japan Beer scene is dominated by four national brands: Asahi, Kirin, Sapporo, and Suntory. Through the use of tax legislation these brewers blocked the creation of microbreweries - even though the taxes have been lifted there's still only a few local microbrews available. During the summer beer gardens spring up in parks and mall roofs but the entry fee may be upwards of $30 so be sure to go hungry and thirsty.
Dining in Japan can be a curse. It's likely you will have one of the best meals in your life - unfortunately if that meal is early in the trip you may get exhausted trying to find a similarly amazing restaurant. Izakaya's are everywhere and everyone has their favorite but finding your favorite will be a highlight of the trip.
ATTRACTIONS
Figuring out where to go and what to see can be overwhelming. If you know you want to see castles you still need to narrow down the selection. It may help to think of Japan in "themes" instead of "destinations" so you don't overlook anything the country has to offer.
- Japanese Culture: In many ways you don't simply see Japan, you experience Japan...since the culture is everywhere you don't need to make too much of an effort to see it in action.
- Tokyo: The largest metropolitan area on Earth...the lack of traditional sites gives you more time to explore different neighborhoods
- Kyoto: The "soul" of Japan with hundreds of temples, an historical Geisha district, and natural beauty
- Baseball: Japanese are true fans and chant throughout the game regardless of that night's performance
- Beaches: Even though Japan is an island nation, beaches aren't the first thing that comes to mind when visiting the country
- Castles: Wide variety - best to know whether its an original and what's on the inside then pick the ones that look the coolest
- Hiroshima: The A-Bomb Memorial is a sobering experience but a fantastic local meal - Okonomiyaki - is available afterwards
- Kanazawa: Kyoto "light" but has a Ninja Temple, open Geisha houses, and a Samurai district
- Kobe Beef: Cut of beef, size, and where to eat become serious and time consuming questions
- Kiso Valley: Hike the Edo trail between historical vilalges
- Miyajima: Home of the Floating Torii and peaceful deer
- Mt. Fuji: To climb or not - hopefully it's not overcast and you can see the perfectly shaped volcano
- Ninjas: It may be difficult to separate myth from reality but what's not difficult to understand is how awesome Ninjas were
- Osaka: Japan's "Second City" feels a little less reserved and carefree then Tokyo
- Shimonoseki: Hopefully the first time you eat Fugu isn't your last
- Sumo: The big boys of Japan rumble six times a year - it's worth considering timing your trip to coincide with the event
- Takayama: The rare tri-fecta of good beef, a well preserved historical village, and bathing with old men
IN-COUNTRY TRANSIT
Japan is the most train oriented country in the world and riding the Shinkansen counts as an "only in Japan" experience in addition to getting from Point A to Point B. While you may need to take buses to reach a few destinations most simply involve taking train and after arriving at the station walking the rest of the way or taking local metro. Kyoto was the only city where you may need to take a bus to reach the temples and shrines.
Japan Rail Passes are a good value - unless you have the time to take local trains or don't mind night buses - but it's essential that you purchase the pass before you arrive. As of September 2014 you CANNOT purchase a Japan Railpass in Japan. You can purchase prefecture rail passes but this won't be useful if you want to go from Tokyo to Kyoto. I obtained a railpass in Seoul but if you are in the US there are several agencies that can provide assistance. Once you arrive in Japan, visit a JR Office and they will activate your pass for the days you desire. If there's no line the activation takes less than five minutes. You shouldn't be too concerned about reserving train tickets in advance - trains, the Shinkansens in particularly, rarely sell out but the local trains can become very crowded during rush hour.
Figuring out train schedules and routes can be a bit frustrating but fortunately the website Hyperdia helps with searching. For additional info and more detail on rail travel in Japan see The Man in Seat 61.