Japan is where the old meets modern. A country that does its best to preserve its history and culture. It’s also a magical food wonderland that will awaken your taste buds. Despite the western influences from Paris and the US, each restaurant specializes on one dish whether it be ramen, izakaya, or gyoza; it will only serve that dish. You won’t need to travel anywhere else. They even have their version of the Eiffel Tower. Below are links to my recommendations for the following cities:
How to Travel Across Japan
The fastest and most comfortable way to travel across Japan is riding the shinkasen, Japan’s infamous bullet train. Foreigners can purchase a Japan Rail Pass (JR Pass) in advance for unlimited travel for 7, 14, or 21 days. Once you purchase the pass, it is FedEx’ed to you and arrives in two days. The unlimited travel doesn’t start until the pass is activated at the customer service counter. The pass also works for travel on the Narita Express (N’EX) from Narita Airport to Tokyo.
To travel from Tokyo to Osaka (or vice versa), take the Tokaido line. There are three different trains at different speeds on the Tokaido line: Nozomi, Hikari, and Kodama. The Nozomi is fastest but costs extra as it is not included as part of the JR Pass. I took the Hikari and it only took about 2 hours and 45 mins. The Kodama is the slowest train and takes about four hours.
Pocket Wifi
I highly suggest getting a pocket wifi device. They can be as small as an external battery pack but allows you wifi access everywhere you go. The Airbnb’s I stayed at offered a pocket wifi, which made it convenient when lost or looking for the next place to eat. We rarely got lost since we had wifi where ever we went. If the place you stay doesn’t offer wifi, Japan Rail offers a pocket wifi for rent for about $10/day.
Places to Stay
In Tokyo and Osaka, I stayed in Airbnb’s and chose places that were located near transit stations. Keep in mind, Japanese apartments are small. The bathrooms can only fit one person. I am petite but at times I felt claustrophobic just being in the bathroom.
-Tokyo Neighborhoods
- Ginza is the rich and flashy district of Tokyo. It’s like the Beverly Hills of Japan.
- Shinjuku is upbeat but quiet neighborhood. Lots of shopping and food.
- Shibuya is super crowded and loud. However, everything does quiet down by 9 pm since shops close at 9 pm. I found it strange that Japan closes down by 9 pm. It’s also home to the infamous Shibuya crossing.
- Roppongi is where the party goers go have fun.
-Osaka Neighborhoods
- Namba is super touristy because Dotonbori and Shinsaibashi are close by.
- Shinsaibashi is shopping galore. The row of stores never ends.
When you’re done shopping, stop by Dotonbori’s restaurant row to satiate your hunger.
Vending Machines
You will never go thirsty in Japan. On every block, even in the residential neighborhoods, there are vending machines. Below is an extinct species of a beer vending machine. These are now very rare in Japan.
Lawsons and 7-11
In Japan, convenience stores are just as common as vending machines, which made it one of my favorite breakfast spots. I looooved the crab croquette from 7-11 and picking up onigiri as an afternoon snack. Lawsons is another competing convenience store; it is a little bit pricier than 7-11.
Smoking Rooms
Japan is a very clean country. You will rarely find trash on the ground despite the fact there aren’t trash cans on the street. Therefore it follows suit to have smoking rooms for smokers. No need to worry about inhaling second hand smoke.
Souvenirs
Looking for souvenirs to bring home? Check out what to buy in this post.
YUMTRAVELS 