20 Things I Love About Japan


If you asked me 6 months ago ‘So, do you have a favourite country?’ I wouldn’t have been able to answer the question. That is until, I visited Japan. We explored Japan for 3 weeks, which in my opinion wasn’t enough time. We literally missed the cherry blossom season when we arrived, and due to our busy itinerary we didn’t get to experience an onsen. But despite this, we were blown away by Japan’s immense beauty and culture.

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Reflecting on One Year of Travel


N’aaw, look how cute we looked It’s that time again, or should I say ‘occasion’ where we’ve reached another milestone. It has been one year since we waved goodbye to England in return for a years’ long Asian adventure. Only one problem…that ‘year’ practically flew by! I find it very surreal to believe we have been away from home for 12 months. I remember how I felt when I left the UK, all those fears and nerves about the unknown.

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Sailing to South Korea


Aand by sailing, I mean catching the ferry from Fukuoka to Busan. Stocking up on essentials So. Here we are. It is now that time to bid another farewell to this country in exchange for another. However unlike my usual excited nerves at the thought of moving on, I can’t help but feel absolutely gutted to be leaving Japan. Three awesome weeks have flown by, much to my disappointment. There just didn’t seem to be enough hours in the day to do what we wanted; we saw as much as we could but I still feel like we didn’t even scrape Japan’s surface.

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Final Days In Fukuoka


After a scenic 4 hour bus ride from Hiroshima we arrived at Fukuoka. We didn’t really know much about Fukuoka apart from the fact that it had a port which we are intending to use to get to South Korea. However rest assured thereis plenty to do – if you go out in search for it! What I liked most about Fukuoka was the laid back vibe. Unlike Tokyo or Osaka, you get a great feel of city life without the mass crowds.

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Hiroshima – A Sombre Lesson In The Pursuit Of Peace


Our travels in Japan wouldn’t have been complete visiting Hiroshima. Infamously known as the city destroyed by an atomic bomb in WW2, Hiroshima rose from its ruins and rebuilt itself to now become a proclaimed ‘City of Peace’. Our stay in Japan was nearly coming to an end so we only stayed in Hiroshima for one night. We arrived early morning by night bus – about 7am. By the time we stored our bags in lockers and ate breakfast the Sightseeing bus began its service for the day.

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Tasting Kobe Beef and Sake For The First Time


Japan doesn’t fall short when it comes to quality, and the city of Kobe is a prime example of this. There is no better place than Kobe to indulge in two of Japan’s finest delights – Kobe beef and sake. We took a day trip from Osaka to visit Kobe which took a little over 1 hour to reach by train. Conveniently reaching before noon, we made our way to Kobe Ishidayarestaurant where we had reserved seats for the lunch special.

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Why One Night in Osaka Isn’t Enough


I wish we didn’t listen to other travelers saying Osaka wasn’t worth spending more than 1 night, because I left Osaka feeling like I hadn’t seen enough. We arrived in Osaka late afternoon (after our mini excursion to Nara). After dropping our bags off we headed straight to Dotonbori which is the main entertainment district. We timed it just right as it approached evening; the atmosphere was electric with plenty going on.

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Nippin’ into Nara


On our way to Osaka we popped into Nara for one reason only – to see some deer! It took over 1 hour from Kyoto to arrive by local train. We threw our bags into a locker at the train station and spent a couple of hours sightseeing. According to Shinto legend the deer are considered to be messengers of god and have since been considered a national treasure. It didn’t take long till we met a bunch of deers, freely roaming around.

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Exploring Kyoto’s Beautiful Past


Kyoto was once the Imperial Capital of Japan for more than 1000 years and is known as the ‘City of Ten Thousand Shrines’. Kyoto is as traditional as it gets; here you will find ancient temples, majestic gardens, traditional ceremonies and geisha. There is plenty to see here and depending on which season you visit you’re guaranteed to see some wonderful scenery. At first I didn’t want to leave Tokyo, but after we arrived in Kyoto I welcomed the laid back atmosphere.

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Breakfast at Tsukiji Fish Market


What is easily the most visited attraction in Tokyo, the Tsukiji Fish market draws a huge number of visitors each day to do two of the following things: 1. Be up ridiculously early to see the famous tuna auctions 2. Queue up for a delicious sushi breakfast Reading recent articles about the tuna auctions, most were suggesting that a 2am arrival is the earliest you’d need to be there as there are a limited number of people allowed at the auctions.

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My 25th Birthday in Tokyo


Never did I think that I’d spend my quarter-of-a-century birthday in one of the coolest countries in this world. But I did, and it was awesome! I didn’t do anything glamorous or expensive, but that just made my day all the more enjoyable. Normally on mine or Kyle’s birthdays we’d usually shell out a large amount on a spa weekend, which admittedly we had great times but were nothing out the ordinary,

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6 Popular Districts To Visit In Tokyo


We stayed in Tokyo for a little over one week and mainly covered the popular districts. Although we didn’t stray too far from the tourist path, I found that each district had its own personality and flair. Tokyo is a densely populated city which can take some getting used to. If you enjoy city life (like me) then you’re in for a great time. That being said there is a calmer side to Tokyo; there are many well maintained parks to spend an afternoon at, and districts like Kita (where we stayed) are much more laid back and local.

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When Tokyo Dreams Become A Reality


‘One day I’m going to go Japan, and I want it to be as crazy, weird and wonderful as I ever imagined it to be’ Landing in Tokyo Japan is one of those countries that has always fascinated me. Like so many others, there’s just something intriguing about this country. Tokyo in particular had always stood for to me; the desire to stand amidst the chaos of moving bodies, absorbing the cityscape in all its neon glory.

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