So I’ve finally got around to writing a report about my October 2011 holiday to Japan, inspired in no small part by Jetstar’s Cairns-Tokyo sale.
Arriving in Narita Airport at 8pm, my girlfriend and I encountered no problems navigating the train network to reach our accommodation in central Tokyo – the stations are generally well-signposted and logically laid out. Sakura Hotel Jimbocho was perfect for our needs – cheap, clean and 200 metres from Jimbocho Station. More importantly, there was a Family Mart around the corner for late night snacks!
On our first morning, we caught the train to Ginza and then wandered to the Imperial Palace for the 10am tour (this must be pre-booked, see here). I liked it, though that probably had more to do with the knowledge that this was the Emperor’s residence than with the beauty of the place – I found Nijo Castle in Kyoto distinctly more impressive. We bit off a bit more than we could chew that afternoon, using a combination of trains and walking to see Koishikawa Garden, Yasukuni Shrine and Akihabara. By the end of the day, we were both pretty hot and tired. Koishikawa Garden was a sanctuary of tranquillity, very welcome! Yasukuni Shrine was impressive, though it was quite far from any train station and not, in my opinion, as striking as Meiji Shrine or several shrines in Kyoto. We went to a maid café in Akihabara, a very weird experience. It ended up being quite expensive, though it was worth it to get a glimpse of this side of Tokyo.
We started the following day at the top of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Offices in Shinjuku. There was a trash ’n treasure market in the park across the road, an exciting discovery! Aside from that, I wasn’t a fan of that part of Shinjuku – from what I saw, it didn’t have a lot to offer in the way of sights, shopping or food. Next stop was Shibuya. After a couple of hours eating and browsing the shops, we walked to Harajuku. Despite it being Saturday, we saw a couple of cosplay costumes in Takeshita-dori. We finished of the day at the lovely Meiji Shrine, where a wedding was in process.
Day three saw us on the bullet train. We activated our 7-day pass in Tokyo Station that morning, then jumped on the next Shinkansen to Kyoto. Our accommodation was a few blocks from Kyoto Station, which, as it turned out, was not a particularly attractive area of town. Methinks I’ll stay around Gion or Nijo Castle next time. After getting settled, we bussed it to Kiyomizu Temple. A traffic jam in southern Higashiyama saw this ride take an hour (perhaps because it was a Sunday). However, it was worth the wait – the area covering Kiyomizu Temple and Gion is full of traditional houses and the occasional soothing watercourse. That night we dined in Pontocho, a charming alley across the river from Gion.
The following day and a half included Fushimi Inari Taisha, Nijo Castle, Arashiyama’s bamboo forest and monkey park, the Golden Pavilion and Ryoan Temple – all fantastic. On the afternoon of the fifth day we caught the Shinkansen to Hiroshima Station, and got from there to downtown Hiroshima by tram. Our hotel, the Crowne Plaza, was perfectly located next to the Peace Park.
We spent a good couple of hours at the Peace Park on the morning of day six. It was very well done. We then caught a tram to Hiroshima Station, from where we took the train to Miyajima-guchi Station. A short ferry ride later, we were on Miyajima! We only spent around 3 hours there, which was a shame – I could easily have passed a full day strolling Miyajima’s peaceful streets and doing the hike up Mt Misen.
Day 7 began at Hiroshima Castle. Although everyone stresses that the castle’s a reconstruction, it looked authentic to me – certainly more so than Osaka Castle. The museum within has information on the early history of Hiroshima, along with traditional costumes (a couple of which can be tried on), samurai swords and the like. That afternoon, we headed to Osaka and prepared to make the most of our final day and a half in Japan.
We experienced Dotombori at night (a highlight of my trip), went to Osaka Aquarium (as aquariums go, this one was certainly impressive), wandered the grounds of Osaka Castle (huge by Japanese castle standards, though made of concrete) and relived our childhoods at the Poke Centre (a shop selling Pokémon merchandise on one of the top floors of Osaka Station). We also spent considerable time lost in the bowels of that station – be warned.
Our return to Tokyo was stress-free. Because our JR passes were still active, we caught the Narita Express from Tokyo Station to Narita Airport for free (it would have otherwise cost 1660 yen).
So there it is. While short, my trip was long enough to work out that this is a place worth returning to soon. Feel free to send me a PM if you have any questions about my trip.
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Would you revisit Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka and Hiroshima next time or are you 'done' with those places?
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Small correction. Narita Express from Tokyo to NRT is more like 3000 yen. The 1660 yen is the "seat fee" only to which you need to add the fare (1280 yen).
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Thanks , this isn't the first time I've got confused looking at train fares on Hyperdia...
Wateenmooiedag, I'd certainly like to revisit Tokyo and Kyoto when possible - I think they deserve much more than the 2 days each I allocated. Osaka and Hiroshima are lower down on my list - I personally wasn't taken by Osaka, and have already seen the sights that appealed in Hiroshima
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