Where to visit and what to do in Japan, the new top reasons list
If you are looking for reasons to travel to Japan, then look no further then this highly refined article from a foreigner who has holidayed in Japan and now lives in Japan. When I first started this blog, the very first post was about reasons to visit Japan. Since then, I have discovered more of its hidden culture and surprises. A revision to the original list was needed, so here is the new Why go to Japan post.
The thing I have come to find most interesting about Japan, is how the country can be so ultra-modern technologically, while juxtaposed with tradition and culture. This is the thing Japan does best of all and tops this revised list of reasons in this Why go to Japan post.
Why go to Japan? Reason #1: Japanese culture
As a tourist, it’s all about Japanese culture. From the castles, temples and shrines, the authentic restaurants and festivals, experiencing Japanese culture is the number 1 reason for coming to Japan.
- A visit to Kyoto is a must. If you don’t go to Kyoto, and for example, only visit Osaka then do check out Osaka Castle, or whatever the major castle of the area or city is.
- Temples and shrines are everywhere and are never far off the main tourist track.
- If you travel to Japan in their spring (around April) then you must see the cherry blossoms, or go to a cherry blossom festival. If you do not travel to Japan in spring, then find out what festivals are on and go see them, you will experience great local Japanese food and culture.
I just have to mention Kyoto again… one summer (see all the articles from my summer holiday in Japan) I went there 4 times, and there is still so much that I HAVE TO go back and see!
- How the Japanese celebrate New Year’s Eve – the free booze and hot soup makes up for the cold.
- Cherry blossom festival and samurai parade – celebrating one of the most famous samurai in Japan’s history.
- The largest dancing festival in Japan – Awa Odori is an ancient Japanese dance and this festival attracts over 1 million people every year.
Why go to Japan? Reason #2: Technology
Along with a rich tradition, Japan is the birthplace of many technologies, from the Toyota Prius (check out the interactive 3D experience of the new Toyota Prius Alpha, just press the CLICK HERE button when you are on the site) to the famous electronic “washlet toilet“, to perhaps the even more famous bullet train (Shinkansen, the newest E5 Hayabusa started service in March 2011, the E6 Hayabusa bullet train is about 1-2 years away).
The best, cheapest and easiest way to experience the bullet train is to buy a Japan Rail Pass. The pass gives you access to travel on most shinkansen services and are available for 7, 14 or 21 days.
Japan also has, on average, the fastest internet speed in the world. I guess this is because it is geographically a small country, and the penetration of fiber optic is very high.
For the traveller, everyday you will experience this technology. It could be a ride on the bullet train, it could be the fancy touch screen pad or “dumb waiter” used to order your sushi (which arrives at your table on a mini-bullet train), the automatic bath (which fills itself and keeps warm) or any other number of hidden technologies that just make travelling so convenient!
- See a photo heavy article inside the very fancy, new and tricked-out-tech of the capsule hotel, 9hours in Kyoto.
- VIDEO and PHOTOS: Japan’s bullet trains – the insides and outs of the shinkansen.
- Japanese electronic toilet – which has many surprising buttons.
Why go to Japan? Reason #3: Food and drink
Japan’s unique cuisine is world famous, especially sushi. Some of my favourite Japanese’s foods (which are extremely difficult to find outside the country) are Okonomiyaki (often referred to as Japanese pizza), Hiyashi Chuka (a cold noodle dish that is great summer) and Miso Ramen (Japan’s version of the famous chinese noodle).
To accompany your meal, try a Chu-Hai (fruit flavoured carbonated drink) or Umeshu (fruit liquer) or one of the good nama (draft) beers such as Asahi Super Dry or Yebisu Premium Gold.
This is one of the reasons that has been identified since living in Japan. I’m pretty sure that the concept of all you can drink would be illegal in Australia. Best experienced at either an Izakaya (traditional Japanese drinking establishment, which serves food and drink) or at a Yakiniku (which means grilled beef in Japanese). Here you can have all you can eat, called tabehodai (Kanji = 食べ放題, hiragana = たべほうだい, romaji = tabehōdai) and all you can drink, called nomihodai (Kanji = 飲み放題, hiragana = のみほうだい, romaji = nomihōdai).
After getting a table, order some nice beef. It will be served raw at your table, and it’s over to you to do the grilling. It isn’t just limited to beef though, there is some amazing chicken, pork, seafood and vegetables.
In no time at all you will have a table full of delicious food and drink. Make sure you keep the orders coming, as the servings are small.
- Sushi Train Restaurants in Japan – one of my favourite and cheapest dinners.
- PHOTO: Fresh Japanese prawn and avocado sushi – pronounced as “ebi abokado” in Japanese – at the sushi train.
- Premium Yebisu beer – my vote for best Japanese beer.
- Japanese Beers – The Good and the Bad – the fake beer is worth staying away from…
- PHOTO: Mochi (Japanese sticky rice ball) – A delicious dessert, traditionally made during new year celebrations, also available and popular all year round.
The revised list of Why go to Japan wouldn’t be complete…
…without adding that Japan needs tourism now more than ever. In my opinion, some of the mainstream media has been overly sensationalist when reporting on the nuclear disaster. However the radiation risks are limited to a 20-30km radius around Fukushima in the north of Japan. A long way south of that is Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto and many of the best places to visit.
So come visit Japan, and decide for yourself the best things about this wonderful country!
A great post and some really good reasons for visiting Japan. Japan was hit hard by the recent disaster, but only 0.1 per cent of Japan was affected by the tsunami and the area that was affected is not a popular destination for tourists to Japan. Japan needs tourists to help it heal, so why not visit Japan and experience its fantastic culture, food and technology today.
Japan is the paradise for vegetarians.
There is Shoujin-ryouri, originated from Buddhism and made from plants only.
Some of dishes in it is made from soy bean and so including ample protein.
It is also delicious unlike western vegetarian food and you will not be bored with it because there are so many kinds such as toufu-hamburg.
Really? I thought it would be very hard for vegetarians, as almost every dish has a sauce added and all those sauces usually contain fish…
Really. Authentic Shoujin-ryouri is strictly excluding meat or meat-origin stuff from religious reason.
Try once and you will not be able to distinguish some of them are made from plants because those are imitating elaborately.
If you mean broth by ‘sauce’, there are 4 kinds made from kelp seaweed, sardine, bonito and mushroom.
Addition; There are 2 sorts of soy sauce, one is including broth and the other is not.
That is very interesting, thanks Ken. My father is actually an extremely strict vegan, so that is good news for him when he visits!
Thank you for your visitng Japan. And I am very happy to hear your good impression. I read an article on the net and come to this site.
I hope you to try and study our whale-eating culture.
We Japanese know that all creature must not live without eating other creature. On the basis of this fact, we Japanese do not want kill other creature, of course including whales, without purpose.
We eat whales, but we also use their bone, fat, mustachios, and so on. After finishing use of whales, there remains almost nothing. There are no waste from whale body. We Japanese USE UP whole body of whale.
I hope you understand that whale-hunting and whale-eating is our important culture.
Thank you for your patient reading my poor-English-sentenses…
Hoping Australian people and Japanese people understand each other deeper…
Sincerely yours
Doctor T
Osaka, Jaapan
Some very interesting points there Doctor T. You have good English, very understandable.
From a foreigners point of view, all we see in the media is that “killing whales is bad” and that “Japan killing whales even in the name of science is wrong” and of course, we do not see any other side to the story. There of course has been issues between Australia and Japan, with Australia taking Japan to court.
I am not educated enough on the matter to argue either way.
Can I just say that your pictures of yakiniku rock? Mmm…getting hungry even though I had lunch relatively recently.
Great article, now it’s more important to promote Japan than ever.
Yes you can say! Haha thanks very much. I got a little snap-happy from the nomihodai!
Thank you for the lovely insight. I can’t wait to visit Japan and discover its wonders!
Japan has something for everybody. It has history, culture, fun places, great landscapes (both urban and rural). It really is a waiting to be discovered. See Japan and you`ll what it really has to offer!
Can you recommend any of this all you can eat places in the major cities ?
How much will a meal cost roughly ?
I will like to try it in my coming visit.
Hi Stanley. I’m not really aware of any chain restaurants. If you just search for something like “yakiniku tabehodai tokyo” you should find a restaurant. Generally it costs about 3000 yen, with food and drink for 60 minutes, but prices vary.
Maybe if you tell me what city, I could help you find a restaurant to visit.
Thank you for the reply. I will be visiting Japan for 4 weeks and most likely with a 21 days JP Pass. I will try to visit most of the popular/nice places/cities. Any recommendation from any places you know will be appreciated. If possible, where there are other attraction or place to visit very nearby so I do not have to go all out of my way just for a meal. Time in Japan is so precious 🙂