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| Reviews and photos of Japan attractions posted by real travelers and locals. The best tips for Japan sightseeing. Map |
 | Japan Things To Do | Tips 1 - 10 of 786 |  |
Nikko is situated about 120 kilometres north of Tokyo. It is possible to make a day excursion from Toyko and cover the main Nikko sights, but I suggest you start really early in the morning.
In Nikko there are several sights to see. First and foremost is the Toshogu shrine, mausoleum of Tokugawa Ieasu, the shogun who started the Tokugawa era. Among other sights you will find the three monkeys here, the ones who "hear no evil, see no evil and speak no evil".
Other sights at Nikko include the Rinno-ji temple, the Taiyuin mausoleum of Tokugawa Iemitsu, and the Futarasan shrine (which we didn't sadly have time for).
Nikko is one of the places in Japan that have been put on the World Heritage list. The mausoleum and temple area, which is close to the town itself is totally beautiful, set in a forest of high rising cedar trees. When we visited it waas raining, wich was a downer (!) but lent the area enev more of a mystic atmosphere.
The famous red bridge just before the entrance to the temple area is unfortunately under reconstruction and covered (with WHITE plastic - why not red?) thus cannot be seen.
You definitely shouldnt miss out on Nikko, and if you plan to make just a one day excursion, be sure to go really early in the morning. The attrections close in the afternoon, and after it gets dark, there is not so much to see anymore. Plus, there is quite a walk from the train station(s) to the temple area itself.
If you have time for a longer visit there are supposedly very scenic surrounding hiking trails, views over the Nikko sacred mountains, a famous waterfall and even more temples to visit.
The once famous Nikko monkeys (I encountered them back in 1992 when I also visited Nikko) have successfully been driven out of the temple premises back into the woods. Supposedly they became a bit too aggressive with the tourists who didnt want to share their portion of ice cream or something. Leave a Comment Directions: Either take the Tobu line from Asakusa to Nikko or take the Shinkansen from Tokyo or Ueno stations and change in Utsunomiya. Tobu is advisseable unless you hold a valid JR Rail Pass in which case the Shinkansen route will be cheaper (but longer).
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The capital of Japan, so much to see in Tokyo, you could spend more than a lifetime exploring it.
Tokyo has a population larger than the whole country of Sweden. Roughly the equivalence of the entire population of Sweden travels with the trains and subways here each day. You don't have to spell it out; Tokyo is pretty crowded.
As is often the case with larger cities (and here we are talking megacity) there are several downtowns rather than one special. Depending on what you are looking for, you may want to choose different destinations within Tokyo.
For a starter I would recommend Shibuya or Shinjuku. These places fulfill the foreigner's Tokyo fantasy of color, people and the likes. If you are a skyscraper junkie Shinjuku is also the place to go.
Other places of interest include Ueno (museums and quaint streets, also pachinko heaven), Yoyogi park and the Meiji shrine( the city“s lung and place of stillness), the Harajuku area (shopping mecca where all the foreigners hang out apparently), Roppongi (entertainment and embassys), Akihabara (electric town - but maybe not that many bargains if you are from another country), Kanda (bookstores and sports stores) Yśrakuchó and Ginza (expensive shopping and the international tourist office“s location).
Of course there is also much much more to see. For a great way of so to speak seeing it all at once, take the elevator up to the 45th floor of the Tokyo government Metropolitan Building in Shinjuku. On a clear day, you can even spot Mt Fuji.
Hmm, there are often clear days in megacities huh?
Anyway, the ascent and descent are free of charge and a good way to get a little perspective and an overview of the city. Leave a Comment Address: Tokyo is on the east coast of JapanDirections: Take the flight to Narita, then follow the crowd.Website: www-japan-guide.com
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(-;Copy and Paste
Hy`dran“ge`a
peop. n. 1. (Bot.) A genus of shrubby plants bearing opposite leaves and large heads of showy flowers, white, or of various colors. Hydrangea hortensis, the common garden species, is a native of China or Japan.
But, but... what you didn't know is that besides beauty, the ajisai provides the sticky matter that made possible to produce washi, the japanese eagle!!! (-; Ha! The kanjis are requiered...The japanese paper... Leave a Comment Address: all around... in less extention in Hokkaido
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Day 1 - Land at Narita Airport and take the train to Tokyo. Rest and recover from your flight.
Day 2 - Visit Nikko and explore its complex of temples and shrines at Toshogu.
Transportation: at Tokyo train station, take the JR Shinkansen on the Yamabiko Line to Utsunomiya train station. At this station, change to the Nikko Line and go to Nikko train station.
Day 3 & 4 - Visit Hakone in Japan's famous Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park.
Transportation: Return to Tokyo train station and take the JR Shinkansen (Bullet Train) to Odawara train station. At Odawara, you can buy the Hakone Free Pass (3 days for 4,130 yen) which gives you access to Odakyu railways, cable cars, buses, and boats. Hakone
Day 5 & 6 - Visit TAKAYAMA, a culturally rich and historic scenic mountain town.
Also, Shirakawago which contains thatched-roofed houses and is one of the most picturesque villages in Japan.
Transportation: take the JR Shinkansen train to Nagoya, and then at Nagoya take the Express train to Takayama.
From Takayama, it is a 2 hour bus ride to Ogimachi with a bus change in Makido. (If you have a JR Rail Pass, you can use it between Makido and Ogimachi and only buy the ticket between Takayama and Makido)
Day 7, 8, 9 - Visit KYOTO, the ancient capital of Japan. This city contains hundreds and hundreds of temples, shrines, gardens, as well as the old Imperial Palace.
time permitting, a one day trip to Nara is also recommended.
Transportation: take the Express train from Takayama to Nagoya, and change to the JR Shinkansen at Nagoya and take it to JR Kyoto train station.
Day 10- Take the JR Shinkansen back to Tokyo train station and take the Express train to Narita Airport.
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Most people climb Fujisan at night to witness the sunrise from the summit. Experiancing goraiko is a very big thing and a great experiance. Also, the chances of the mounatin being free of clouds, are highest during the early morning hours.
There are two ways of doing this. Some people climb it to a mountain hut around the 7th or 8th station on the first day, sleep there and go to the top early the next day to experiance the sunrise there at around 5 or 5.30 am. Another popular way is to start climbing the mountain around 10pm from the 5th station and hike through the night to reach the summit around sunrise. Obviously, this is a more tiring way of climbing the mountain.
We climbed from around 8pm and experianced goraiko at the 9th station from a place called Fuji Hotel (I don`t know how they could call that place a hotel, they must wash their sheets once a century lol), where we had a 3 hours rest, and it was great. It turnes out that it was a very good decision. Not only we got some sleep, but also the view was amazing. From a lady who I met on the way up and who chose to climb it without any rest I know, that not only they didn`t get much of a view on the top but they literally froze up there waiting 2 hours for it. But no matter which way you choose, the sunrise at Mt. Fuji experianced with a lot of people, both foreign and Japanese is something wonderful and unforettable.... Leave a Comment
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Old capital of Japan, and the emperor's hometown for a thousand years, Kyoto rates up there with Tokyo on the must-see list.
In the picture, the view of Kyoto from the temple Kiyomizu, in my humble opinion one of the absolute must-sees of Kyoto! ( the temple was originally erected as early as 798, whereas Heian-kyo - today's Kyoto - dates back to 794) Leave a Comment Directions: Kyoto is a four hour train ride south-west from Tokyo. It is close to the economic and commercial hub of Osaka/Kobe in the Kansai region.
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Pictured in many famous woodprints and modern postcards, the real deal is a must see.
Try the five lakes district or lake Ashino in Hakone area for Fuji sights. If you go to Ashinoko, like we did, be sure to take the "rope-way" either there of on your way back. It's a little scary, but offers the best sights. (Rope way photo in the travelogue.)
Mount Fuji, or "Fuji-san" in Japanese is actually a dormant volcanoe, that hasn't erupted for 200 years (knock on wood). It's 3776 metres high and not only the most beautiful mountain in Japan but also the highest. It is also considered a sacred mountain, like many other mountains in Japan.
You can climb Fuji, but the climbing season is quite short, only during summer. However, if you are ON the mountain, then you don't really SEE it, so I think unless you are a climber, you are just as well off just looking at the mountain from a distance.
Supposedly you can spot Fuji from Tokyo (we vaguely saw something of it's shape from a skyscraper), however as I mentioned before, the Five lakes district or Hakone area are the best places for Fuji sights. You can also see it from the Shinkansen if you are going south from Tokyo. Leave a Comment
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Karaoke is a National hobby in Japan. Everyone seems to do it; young or old. That being the case, as a visitor to Japan, so should you.
The good thing about karaoke in Japan is that you get your own rooms/booths and so you can sing your little heart out in privacy (great if you're a terrible singer like me!!).
Karaoke booths are everywhere and you will have no problem finding one. You'll usually have to decide how long you want to sing for and what sort of plan you want. We always have to extend our time, because we always take an all-you-can-drink plan and get too wasted to stop singing!
Do it once... you'll be so glad you did. Leave a Comment Address: Everywhere
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For most people the view from the bay is not enough and they choose to go on a boat ride. There is a variety of choices, so you will find something for yourself for sure!!! There are cruise boats, on which you can cruise for an hour or so and even have a dinner or a drink, or typical tourist boats, that take you around the bay and the most beauitiful islands just so you can take some pictures. I heard you can even rent your own boat and avoid the crowds and the rush by boating by yourself or with family and friends. Leave a Comment
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I would really suggest you go on one of the boat rides. At first I was like "what for?" because the view from the coast was amazing, but believe me, the view from the boat will be even more amazing!!! The boat ride we took was a typical tourist boat ride. It was over Y1000, lasted about half an hour and went around the whole bay, so we could take a look at the islands and take pictures. It was truly wonderful- they gave the kids bread to feed the seals, had information about Matsushima for the adults (in Japanese, so don`t ask me what it was lol) and stopped at the best viewing spots so everyone could take pictures. I would higly recommend the boat ride, you will love it! Leave a Comment
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