First Trip
Many people asked me, “I want to go to Japan for the first time - what do you recommend?”
My first trip to Japan was a family trip when I was a kid. Therefore, I went with the flow rather than planning. The destination was Tokyo, and here are a few things I remember vividly:
Most people didn’t speak English. It was hard for us to navigate because we could not read Japanese signs. People were friendly though so I remembered them pointing us to the direction we need to go, so we could bother the next stranger for the next direction. Honestly, that was also the cool part about it - I didn’t know what the signs say or what people say. It was exciting to figure out the unknowns.
Everything was expensive! Of course, this is relative to what you are used to. I was a kid and didn’t have much pocket money. I remember saving my pocket money and thinking really hard which ones I could afford to buy home. Everything was so different, and cute.
Food was amazing. It still is amazing. I love the freshness of the seafood, the umami flavors in the soups and dishes, the refreshing tastes of the vegetables, kawaii sweets, and of course, mochi! Everything was so yummy and I couldn’t stop eating everything.
As an adult, I have been suggesting a few things to my friends depending on what they want from the first trip.
First, Japan is big in the sense that every prefecture, every city is different. It’s hard to say “oh, i went there for two weeks, and that’s enough”. As I keep going back to Tokyo years after years, it still amazes me and I keep finding new areas to explore.
Japan has a lot to offer: powdery snow, clear beaches, densely populated metropolitan cities, old towns full of history, Mt Fuji, relaxing hot springs/onsens, huge selection of beauty products, abundant produce, delicious wagyu, etc. I am sure you will find something you love to explore.
If you don’t have much time, definitely check out Tokyo. It’s one of a kind. It has the wow-factor that you hear so much about. Let it alone be the robots, anime, maid cafe, pokémon center, shibuya crossing, Mt Fuji, Shinjuku, Imperial Palace, or just Japanese cuisine, I am sure you will learn a lot about Japanese culture by just going to Tokyo. It’s still one of my top destinations even though I have been there so many times. A city that changes all the time.
Kyoto/Osaka will be another destination I highly recommend. They are fairly close to each other, and if you have more than a few days, they are not far from Tokyo either. Tokyo-Kyoto-Osaka is definitely the most common combo for first trip among my friends and it is not without reasons. While Tokyo is super duper modern and futuristic, Kyoto gives you the serenity and zen and history that brings you back in time. Osaka has great food, and is a more personable city. People are so friendly and food are slightly cheaper than Tokyo.
Hokkaido is great for anyone who loves the nature, the snow, and/or the seafood or produce. I still cannot find any other place where I can get a fresher scallop sashimi than Hokkaido. The pure sweetness in the seafood is out of this world. Another place where I can easily feel the friendliness of locals - I feel welcomed.
There are of course a LOT of places in Japan where you can explore. I notice that many of my friends want to go to the “famous” spots of Japan, and these are the first few that come to my mind. In later posts, I will share more about these cities, and others. In the interim, I would highly suggest you looking at the JR Shinkansen map. One great way to explore Japan is by train and Shinkansen (bullet train) can take you across Japan pretty comfortably.