日本に行きたい。
nihon ni ikitai
I want to go to Japan!
Japan is the kind of place that travellers return from always vowing to go back, and it’s easy to see why. The East Asian country is endlessly fascinating, home to a sophisticated, complex culture, amazing food, dynamic futuristic cities and some beautiful landscapes. What more could you want out of a travel destination? Here’s our pick of 12 of the best things to see, eat and do in the Land of the Rising Sun.
1. Eat sushi at the Tsukji Fish Market
Tokyo’s fish market is the biggest and busiest in the world, and a great place to eat sushi. Queuing for an hour or two outside one of the tiny sushi counter restaurants on the outer edges of the market is worth it to eat the freshest most delicious sushi you’ve probably ever had.
2. Go skiing or snowboarding in Hokkaido
Japan’s northernmost island is its wildest, and offers some fantastic skiing with lots of powder snow in the winter months.
3. Visit Naoshima Art Island
A small sleepy island in Japan’s inland sea, Naoshima is an unexpected art oasis of galleries full of priceless works and installations by some of Japan’s and the world’s best contemporary artists. Hire a bicycle and cycle around the island for the day, discovering art on piers and galleries tucked away on tiny winding roads.
4. Relax in an onsen
Onsens, or hot springs, can be found all over Japan and are a great way to relax. Some guesthouses are built around onsens, so you only have to walk a few steps from your bedroom to the hot steaming water.
5. Visit some of Kyoto’s thousand temples and shrines
Kyoto, Japan’s old imperial capital, is packed with beautiful old Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines, all of them unique with different highlights such as exquisite gardens or amazing wall paintings.
6. Cross the road at Shibuya
Tokyo’s Shibuya Crossing is one of the busiest pedestrian intersections in the world and it’s a must-do when you’re in the city. Wait for the traffic lights to change and become one of the thousands of people all crossing at once.
7. Hike to the top of Mt Fuji
Japan’s iconic mountain – the highest in the country – can be fairly easily climbed even by beginners. The ascent takes around six hours and can only be done in the summer months.
8. Hike in the Alps
Japan’s Alps are a series of three mountain ranges which allure travellers with their snowy peaks, forested slopes, quaint villages and crystal clear rivers. They offer some of the country’s best hiking – trails range from a few hours to a few days.
9. Cycle through the Arashiyama Bamboo Forest
In Kyoto there’s an atmospheric bamboo forest you can cycle through – the setting for memorable fight scene in House of Flying Daggers.
10. Go scuba diving in Okinawa
A tropical chain of coral-fringed islands in the far south of Japan, Okinawa offers beautiful white-sand beaches and crystal clear water full of ship wrecks, fish, turtles, rays and hammerhead sharks for you to discover on scuba dives.
11. See the Snow Monkeys
During the winter months, hundreds of Japanese macaques warm up from the bitter cold in the hot springs of Jigokudani Yaenkoen Park near Nagano in the Alps. Watch the monkeys have a soak surrounded by steam and snow.
12. Slurp a bowl of ramen noodles
Salty, satisfying and full of umami flavours, a bowl of ramen noodles topped with a boiled egg is one of Japan’s best comfort food dishes. Be sure to slurp loudly as you eat!