By far, one of the loveliest & craziest countries I’ve ever visited. Granted, it’s my only foray into Asia (so far), but it’s still one of my favourite places to visit and also one of the most accessible too! History, natural beauty, and tradition, meet the excitement of ‘bright lights/big city’. And while most Japanese cities tend to be lit up like Christmas, all year round, they’re still very careful to respect AND preserve their green and heritage spaces. So don’t be surprised if you find temples or shrines popping up in some of the most unlikely urban settings!
Japanese people are friendly, respectful and embody the ‘work hard, play hard’ adage. That’s why you’ll see so many people out in their work clothes, until the wee hours – sometimes crashed out on a bench, as they sleep off their extracurricular activities. Alcohol isn’t expensive and ‘nomihodai’ (all-you-can-drink, for a specified time period) is often available at karaoke establishments, restaurants, and sometimes izakayas (after-work pubs, which usually have cheap drinks anyway). Just make sure you know when your last train is leaving the station (usually around 12:30am), so you’re not shelling out for a taxi, or looking for a bench of your own! 😉 HyperDia is an invaluable resource for train times and planning the best route to locations and places of interest – throughout the entire country! There’s even an option for ‘shinkansen’ (bullet trains), if you’re planning to travel between cities.
Another fantastic resource for planning your trip and figuring out where to go/what to see is japan-guide.com. This site provides a detailed description for every attraction and place of interest in the country, including admission prices and opening hours (where applicable), and even ranks them by popularity! There’s also an interactive map at the bottom of each page that allows you to click on and research other potential points of interest in the area, so you can build your itinerary. In fact, several of the attractions that I’ve listed will link to this site, as many of them don’t have English websites.
I’ve had the pleasure of visiting Japan during all 4 of its distinct seasons. Spring and autumn are definitely the best times to go, temperature wise, as their summers are VERY humid and their winter nights can get down to the freezing mark (which is still much milder than Canada and snow accumulation is rare in their largest cities). Cherry blossom (sakura) season is a great time to visit, but the window of opportunity is short and ‘hanami’ (i.e. viewing and/or having a picnic under the trees) is a VERY popular facet of Japanese culture. So, accommodation can be expensive and tough to find – especially in picturesque places like Kyoto. The blossoms normally bloom in late March/early April (differing geographically and also depending on how cold or mild their winter was) and they only last for about 2 weeks. During this time and also in autumn, when the leaves change colour, many temples and shrines remain open at night, so visitors can enjoy the nighttime illuminations of the foliage, in a centuries-old setting. It’s fantastic to see and I highly recommend it! Japan Guide and other online resources offer a ‘cherry blossom forecast’, so you can plan accordingly. And don’t be scared or worried, if you see many of the residents donning medical masks. I’m told that nearly half of the population is allergic to sakura pollen, so they’re just trying to keep their sneezing to a minimum and their germs to themselves (same applies when they have a cold). How’s that for being respectful and polite? 🙂
Lastly, there’s a popular misconception that Japan is an expensive place to visit. Well, I can tell you that nothing could be further from the truth…providing you’re not dining on delicacies like Kobe beef, or purchasing imported food/items, on a daily basis! As I mentioned before, izakayas have drink specials (often cheaper than soft drinks alone!) and carry an assortment of small things to nibble on, like meat skewers & sashimi. There’s also an abundance of ramen shops, sushi places, and affordable Japanese chain restaurants (e.g. Sukiya, Yoshinoya) that offer things like donburi, dumplings, or other mains, with tea & miso soup often included. Equally important: There’s no tipping in Japan! So, the price you see, is the price you pay (and yes, they will chase you down to give you back your money, if you try)! And accommodation doesn’t have to break the bank either. There are plenty of choices to meet any budget! Modest business hotels (e.g. Toyoko-Inn) usually start in the 7000-8000 yen range and capsule hotels are even cheaper, though I don’t imagine they’d be very wheelchair friendly. Ryokan also vary in price and accessibility, depending on location and whether or not you’re in a large city, but do offer a traditional experience and usually include one or two meals.
Tip: As much as I appreciate the large number of accessible, public washrooms, there’s rarely any soap to be found (unless it’s located inside a store or mall). Always try to carry some with you and bring hand sanitizer, for those times when you can’t fit into a smaller establishment’s washroom. If you can’t find a small container of liquid soap at a store, or 100 yen shop (their equivalent of a dollar store), then grab a bar of soap from your hotel and wrap it up in a plastic bag or a shower cap, if you see one amongst your hotel’s bathroom amenities. 😉
Here are the cities that I’ve been fortunate enough to visit, with nearby day trips in parentheses: