Traveling to Japan

I always dreamt of living in Japan and very soon will be getting a huge chance soon when I get a chance to work or study or get to settle there. For me travelling to Japan means not just visiting and enjoying anime or manga its about learning culture, their language and most importantly their way of discipline.

You see Japan, in words to describe is one of the greatest moments a traveler would always want. It beautiful friendly and one of the greatest places to shop. A life long dream with great experience and expectations.Japan is not about anime and cherry blossoms but has mouth-watering food, majestic temples and shrines, zen gardens, lush national parks, and a rich historic culture. Traveling to Japan is somehow a difficult task of traveling. It's quite expensive to get a ticket and you have to plan a lot while coming here die to high costs here. But it may be an expensive trip but it's affordable. Do'nt mind the costs there cause it didn't matter how expensive the food and goods were, it only mattered how peoples culture, their style, their kindness and love for the travelers.

Travelling to the capital of Japan is somehow the first list in your travel plan, so if your planning for a week trip here, i suggest you get to cover most of the travel destinations when travelling in Tokyo. Start your day by having a light breakfast cause when your travelling places you will get to stop to more than 9-10 shops just to taste those mouth watering foods. Always take a train when travelling. The public train, subway, and metro systems in Tokyo are to die for! They take you all over Tokyo in a jiffy, with a net of connected stations all over the city.

so when people think of Harajuku, Takeshita Street is the place you need to visit first. Located on the center of Harajuku and the center of the youth fashion culture in Japan. And it’s right across the street from the Takeshita exit of Harajuku Station. You’ll find this place packed, especially on the weekends, so try not to get lost. There are so many shops on this street. There are shops selling “kawaii” or cute things, clothes, and food. Walking down this street eating or drinking the cute food and taking pictures to put on Instagram is one of the things the local youth enjoy. You can try the rainbow colored cotton candy, or the delicious crepes, or a colorful drink. Takeshita Street Daiso Calbee Plus Kawaii Monster Cafe Kiddy land Laforet Tokyu Plaza

so when people think of Harajuku, Takeshita Street is the place you need to visit first. Located on the center of Harajuku and the center of the youth fashion culture in Japan. And it’s right across the street from the Takeshita exit of Harajuku Station. You’ll find this place packed, especially on the weekends, so try not to get lost. There are so many shops on this street. There are shops selling “kawaii” or cute things, clothes, and food. Walking down this street eating or drinking the cute food and taking pictures to put on Instagram is one of the things the local youth enjoy. You can try the rainbow colored cotton candy, or the delicious crepes, or a colorful drink.

1. Takeshita Street

2. Daiso

3. Calbee Plus

4. Kawaii Monster Cafe

5. Kiddy land

6. Laforet

7. Tokyu Plaza

And while you're there do visit the Meiji Jingu Shrine. Meiji Jingu Shrine is near to Harajuku. The entrance of the shrine is a 1 minute walk from the Omotesando exit of Harajuku station. The shrine is ensconced in the middle of a forest, so after you enter the forest, it becomes so quiet and serene you forget that you’re only minutes away from the crowded and busy Harajuku area.

Meiji Jingu Shrine is now one of the most popular shrines in Japan and thousands of people come to pray for good fortune during the first days of the New Year. It’s also a popular place to hold a traditional Japanese style wedding. If you visit on the weekend, maybe you’ll be lucky and see a couple dressed in traditional kimonos getting married. As long as you are well mannered and don’t get in the way and the couple doesn’t mind, you’re free to take pictures of this very beautiful traditional Japanese scene. 

Meiji Jingu Shrine is now one of the most popular shrines in Japan and thousands of people come to pray for good fortune during the first days of the New Year. It’s also a popular place to hold a traditional Japanese style wedding. If you visit on the weekend, maybe you’ll be lucky and see a couple dressed in traditional kimonos getting married. As long as you are well mannered and don’t get in the way and the couple doesn’t mind, you’re free to take pictures of this very beautiful traditional Japanese scene. 

The nightlife in Shibuya is to die for, with glittering lights and packed cafes. Shibuya is famous for Manga Cafes, Shopping budgeted items and most importantly visiting the famous Hachiko statue, located right in front of the train station. Of course, for those who are aware of Hachiko's sad story, this is a great place to take a photo and commemorate man's best friend.

Ginza is the first area of Tokyo that got modernized, where they welcomed western-style brick buildings and things like streetlights and Tokyo´s first department stores. Go window-shopping or visit one of the many galleries in this area.

Ginza is the first area of Tokyo that got modernized, where they welcomed western-style brick buildings and things like streetlights and Tokyo´s first department stores. Go window-shopping or visit one of the many galleries in this area.

There are plenty of observation decks along the way, and it is fun watching the ships pass beneath the bridge. This is also a popular destination for the city’s many photographers since from here it looks as if the Tokyo Skytree and the Tokyo Tower is the same height.

There are other exciting places other than Tokyo, travellers would love to visit.

what to do in Mt. Fuji ? If you are hiker its easy to go hiking Mt. Fuji. Its like a 3 hour hike to reach, so you better get proper gear and most importantly check your health. For those who love sightseeing, Lake Kawaguchiko is the the best place to go sightseeing. its not only the mountain and the lake but there are plenty of things you can do while spending the day in Lake Kawaguchiko.
1.Ten Shrine
2. Yama Shrine
3. Kawaguchiko Boat Riding

Nachi falls is a place where its not for exploring or sightseeing but also used for getting away from stress and great place to get meditations and medications. There you get places of pagoda, waterfalls and lush greenery on internet. It takes 1 hr 40 minutes from Nozomi shinkansen ride to Nagoya then continue by an express train to Kii-Katsuura station and continue by bus to Nachi Falls. It takes over 6 hours ride to reach Nachi Falls then continue to a little bit of hiking. It’s not a one-day trip to take, so its a overnight trip.

What to do There?

Nothing is better than having a great scenary. The three tiers pagoda and Nachi Falls spot is one of the most photographed spots in Japan for a legit reason. It performs a well scenario when visiting there.

Here you can find Geisha and Maikos. Geikos and Maikos are the words for Geishas and Geishas-in-training in Kyoto. Geiko literally translates into "a woman of art". Geikos are trained in all the different art forms of traditional Japanese art. They will be proficient in playing music, to paintings, flower arranging, singing and dancing.

If you meet them you should respect them properly. They don't mind if you take a picture, but they won't stop and take a picture with you or stop and chat. Let them go on their way and just allow yourself to be an observer in the whole experience.

Travelling in Japan

Getting around Japan is incredibly easy, although not usually cheap. But there are ways to save money.

Metro

Most of the city metro tickets cost 100–200 JPY for a single journey. (The price varies by distance and may often be higher.) Fares were usually around 220 JPY to travel across Tokyo but less for shorter distances. In most major cities, you can buy a day pass, which gives you unlimited travel for 24 hours for around 800 JPY.

Trains

The bullet train is awesome, comfortable, and super fast – but it’s not cheap. Individual tickets can cost hundreds of dollars. In order to reduce your train costs, get a Japan Rail (JR) pass. The pass is indispensable for travel in Japan.

Buses

Buses are a less expensive alternative to the bullet train system in Japan, but they take more time. For example, the two-hour bullet train ride from Tokyo to Osaka becomes a ten-hour bus ride. The price for that seat is 4,500 JPY , but at some point, you need to think about how much your time is worth. There are also bus passes available that offer unlimited travel and begin at 10,000 JPY for three non-consecutive days of travel.

When to travel

Spring

(March to May)

The best time to visit Japan, with mild weather and trees blossoming (most famous being the cherry). Warm days, but a sweater is advisable for chilly evenings. Tthe cherry-blossom time which sweeps up the country from south to north is often followed closely by a showery front. Golden Week, the concentration of national holidays at the end of April and the first week of May is the busiest travel season, and best avoided. (In some years, however, the Golden Week period is rather fragmented. Check the dates) What to wear: Summer clothing in the south, sweaters and jacket further north. Showerproof jacket & umbrella advisable.

Summer

(June to August)

Hot (up to 40°C in many places), with oppressive humidity. The only places which escape this are the mountains, and the northern island of Hokkaido. June is usually the rainy season (tsuyu) for most of the country, but Hokkaido misses out on this as well, so so it’s a good time to visit. What to wear: light, comfortable clothing which dries easily.

Autumn

(September to November)

September is the time of year with the greatest risk of typhoons. After that, the weather is unpredictable but generally mild. October is a good time for travelling: the humidity is less than in summer but it is still pleasantly warm. The trees show beautiful autumn colours, beginning in northern areas and higher altitudes, and spreading to all areas in November. What to wear: layered clothing, sweaters or jacket in the north or in the hills.

Winter

(December to February)

The northern island of Hokkaido, the Japan Alps and much of the Japan Sea coast get a lot of snow. The rest of the mainland gets some snow, and average temparatures around 1-5°C. But the weather is usually clear, crisp and pleasant, not damp. Tokyo gets very little or no snow. What to wear: warm clothing, winter coat/ski jacket or similar. If travelling in the north, make sure your shoes are suitable for snow.

Where To Stay

1. Imano Tokyo Hostel

Address: 5 Chome-12-2 Shinjuku, Shinjuku City, Tokyo 160-0022, Japan

Phone: +81 3-5362-7161

2. Shinjuku Kuyakusho-Mae Capsule Hotel

Address: Japan, 〒160-0021 Tokyo, Shinjuku City, Kabukicho, 1 Chome−2−5 東陽ビル3F

Phone :+81 3-3232-1110

Try staying in budgeted hotels, as you can save more money when travelling. Hostels give you a part to work if you're staying there and provide free access to pools and Wi-fi.