Are you heading to the Land of the Rising Sun and curious about what the best places to visit in Japan would be?
Everything in Japan is unfamiliar: the enigmatic typeset on signposts, billboards and menus; the lyrical dialect; the bullet trains rushing towards their final destination. Despite this, it is a safe and easily-navigable destination thanks to an abiding culture of efficiency, deference and omotenashi (hospitality).
Whether you’re a curious first-timer or a certified Japanophile, here are the best places to visit in Japan right now, and hot tips on when to go and the most unique things to eat and drink.
And with the news that Qantas is opening up a new seasonal travel route between Sydney and Sapparo, there’s no better time to start looking at flights. It will provide Australian travellers with the only non-stop connection between the two cities and open up the snowfields to more here Down Under.
So tuck a cherry blossom behind your ear and lose yourself to the charms of this beguiling country as we dive into the best places to visit in Japan.
What is the best time to travel to Japan?
Usually, spring is considered one of the best times to visit Japan. This is thanks to the Insta-famous cherry blossoms (or sakura) clouding the skylines. Autumn, which blankets the countryside with amber leaves, is also a good time to visit Japan. Winter is also a popular time, thanks to its popular and great quality snow conditions.
But such beauty and comfort carry a hefty price. Save your pennies and avoid the crowds by visiting from early January to mid-March and between September and October.
However, no matter what the season, you’ll be see to see plenty of natural splendour in Japan.
Replenish your soul while meandering through the country’s “most celebrated landscape garden”, Kenroku-en in Kanazawa. Here, the country’s veneration of old age is embodied in the wooden poles upholding an ancient and much-loved Karasaki pine as it droops over Kasumigaike Pond.
The best things to do in Japan
Japan is home to some of the most moving spiritual places, from iconic pilgrimage routes to tranquil temples.
Retrace the 1,000-year-old footsteps of pilgrims as you weave a path between Shinto shrines on the Kumano Kodo, a network of trails braiding the Kii Peninsula.
Pass through the tunnel of red torii gates at Kyoto’s Fushimi Inari Shrine. While there, pay your respects to the Kami (Shinto deities, who inhabit all things) and pray for good fortune.
Bathe in the tender glow of Kinkakuji, Kyoto’s gold-leafed Zen Buddhist temple. On still days, the gilded reflection of this UNESCO World Heritage Site is stamped with precision onto Kyoko-chi Pond.
Tokyo is of course the biggest city in Japan, being the capital, and a must-visit. Once you’ve had your fill, offset any city-buzz with a tropical getaway in the nearby “Tokyo Islands”. Izu Archipelago is lapped by turquoise bays, plugged with hot springs and laced with hiking trails. Visit in the warmer seasons for snorkelling, boating and camping adventures. Don’t forget to keep your eyes peeled for dolphins as you journey there by high-speed ferry from Tokyo.
And of course, skiing! Japan has always been a popular snow destination for Australians. Hokkaido, Japan’s most northern island, is an ideal destination for Australians looking for a Japanese winter escape. Be sure to check out Noboribetsu and Jozankei which both boast natural hot springs, perfect for Après-ski.
Experience the ancient and modern at once
Japan’s uniqueness lies in how seamlessly it straddles the ancient with the ultra-modern. Some of the latest new attractions in Japan include robot hotels and (more) futuristic trains.
The Shiki-Shima cruises like a space-age beluga across Tohoku, a mountainous region peppered with temples, castles and historic villages. Furnished with home-grown crafts, this sleeper train stops along its route for guided explorations. Keen? Seats are limited; you’ll need to submit an application and hope your name is drawn.
For the inhuman touch, check into one of twenty Henn Na hotels staffed by humanoid robots. If the idea leaves you cold, fear not: you’ll be warmed by futons with adjustable temperatures, and delighted by cupboards that refresh your clothing as you sleep.
What to eat in Japan
If you can believe it, Japanese food tastes better when savoured in its birthplace. Try the nigiri draped with glazed ocean eel and sea bream. Remember to eat it as the locals do, with fingers instead of chopsticks. Eel, or unagi, is the “must-taste item” in Hamamatsu, where the brackish Lake Hamana seethes with these meaty creatures. They make a regular appearance in biscuit-like pies, which Japanese men are said to eat as a Viagra alternative; women, meanwhile, cherish unagi’s skin-enhancing properties.
In Kanazawa, where almost 100 per cent of Japan’s gold leaf is produced, ice-creameries encase soft-serves in the edible, tissue-thin filaments, cafes fleck tea with gold dust, and restaurants swaddle ochazuke rice balls in the precious metal.
The secret behind the perfect udon noodle is resolved at a noodle-making class in Japan’s “udon kingdom”, Shikoku. The ingredients appear simple: medium-density wheat flour and saltwater; but the salt-to-water ratio must be judiciously calculated, and the bagged dough trampled underfoot before it is stretched, sliced, boiled, steeped in broth and eaten.
What to drink in Japan
Matcha tea may be ubiquitous in Australia now, but it’s something else in Japan. Seek out a traditional tea ceremony if you can. This ceremony is an age-old custom initiated by a Buddhist monk in the ninth century. It dictates how to hold the bamboo whisk, when to purify the utensils with silk cloth, to how many stitches of the tatami mat to leave between each delicate object. This harmony flows from the chashitsu (teahouse), across Shizuoka’s rolling tea plantations and to cloud-veiled Mt Fuji.
The convention is to clap, turn the bowl clockwise, drain it in three gulps and slurp on the final sip in a customary sign of gratitude. This is not afternoon tea, but a meditation on the importance of awareness and the value of simplicity.
