Buying something using the retail links below may help the blog with a small commission at no additional cost to you.
Guys. Guys. It’s almost time…I’ll be on a 14-hour flight to Japan in 5 short days! Where will I go? What will I see? How did I plan everything out? This week I’m going to write about the plan, how I set everything up, and what you can expect to see once I return!
Why Japan?
My fascination with Japanese culture started around the time that I was in 6th grade. I’d rush home after school every day to watch the anime block on Toonami (remember that?), excited to catch up on the latest episodes of what would become staples of my childhood. Dragon Ball Z, Yu Yu Hakusho, and Outlaw Star were just SO good to young Dave, and they were the start of a lifelong passion for the culture.
Curiosity for the history of Japan
In junior high I found Rurouni Kenshin, my absolute favorite anime and manga, and my love for the historical culture of the country took off. I couldn’t wait to take East Asian history in high school and learn more about life in the time of samurai and the Shogunate. I even convinced my teacher to let me write a report on The Last Samurai (one of my top 3 movies) as extra credit, just so I could convince my parents to take me to see it in the theater.
Living in Japan was a dream come true
Fast forward to when I joined the Air Force and, much to my surprise, my job had Kadena Air Base in Okinawa as a possible duty station once I concluded my technical training. Imagine my surprise when I get my duty station package and…holy shit, I GET TO LIVE IN JAPAN FOR TWO YEARS?! Yeah, I was giddy. And while those two years were some of the best years of my life, I never got to make it to Japan proper. I also worked hard and played hard – I fully admit that I squandered way too much time wasting time with friends instead of appreciating the opportunity I was given and exploring the country to the fullest.
I’ve been learning to read and speak Japanese
Since sometime around October of 2022, I’ve been learning Japanese with anywhere between 1-3 hours of study per day. I’ve made a lot of progress and will be excited to share how that’s helped in this trip! I document this in a bit more detail, along with why I’m actively learning to read and speak Japanese, in this article.
How do you plan for a trip like that?
Planning the trip was a lot of fun, but it was a lot of work as well. I read countless pages of recommendations for sight seeing and watched so many videos of people enjoying the country on YouTube. I used the Notes app on my computer and plotted everything out, which then syncs to my phone as well.
The fun stuff
I used Booking.com to book all of my hotels (and the amazing ryokan), which made the entire process very easy with reviews, maps, and nearby activities. I linked to the Booking.com hotel site in my note for quick reference, along with the address, dates I’ll be staying, and check-in and out times.
I took down a list of all the things I want to see personally, combined with recommendations from websites and YouTube videos, to give myself options each day. I also changed around my destination list – instead of seeing different cities for a day or two, I removed Osaka and Nara in favor of more time in Tokyo and Kyoto. Now I can wake up each morning, look at my list, and decide where my adventure will take me without being stressed for time.
The less-fun stuff
Entry
It turns out that Japan only reopened for general entry in October – the country has been very cautious about tourism and people bringing illness with them. To accompany this, either a full 3-dose vaccination certificate or negative covid test (72 hours from departure or sooner) is required to even board the plane to Japan along with specific Japanese forms. Good to know!
Getting around Japan
Was I going to rent a car? Ride the trains everywhere? Grab a taxi? This was a big question mark as well – thankfully, Japan has a special tourist package for those wanting to travel the country: the JR Pass, or Japan Rail Pass. For a reasonable fee that amounted to around $250 with today’s exchange rate, you can ride any of the Shinkansen trains for a full 7-day period. Nice.
What about luggage?
Japan doesn’t really accommodate people traveling with tons of huge bags, so thankfully I read some recommendations on how to travel light while still allowing for souvenirs. I opted to buy a 45L backpack made for traveling, compression packing cubes to minimize the space my clothes take up, a foldable 65L duffel bag, and a 10,000mAh MagSafe battery pack for my phone. This way I can depart with just a backpack and return with a bunch of fun stuff for family and friends!
What’s the plan, man?
Let’s get into what you’re probably here for: the actual plan for my trip! I’ll keep it pretty high-level here, the detail will come when I get back and write about each visit – with many, many photos.
Tokyo
I’m planning on starting off in Tokyo and spending 3 days there, each day in a different area of the city. I’ll be spending time in Akihabara, Ueno, Shinjuku, Shibuya, and Harajuku. I even plan on going to the official Pokemon Center to grab a very important Pokemon stuffed animal for my youngest. I’ll be staying in hotels that are pretty central to most locations, letting me either get to a destination with a 15-minute walk (Akiba) or a short train ride (Shibuya).
Kyoto
Next on the itinerary is Kyoto, where I’ll be spending 3 days in one of the most impressive historical locations in Japan. Kyoto was the capital of Japan for over 1,000 years, from 794 to 1868. There are temples galore, and I can’t express enough how excited I am to be able to walk through the exact same buildings that the multiple Shogun did so long ago. I’m getting chills just thinking about it. The architecture is just so stunning, inside and out, as are the views of the countryside.
I’ll also be participating in a traditional tea ceremony here, hopefully seeing traditional kabuki theater at Kamishichiken Kaburenjo, and hiking up the mountainside at the stunning Fushimi Inari-Taisha.
Hakone
Ah, Hakone. This is, truth be told, probably the most exciting place I’ll visit. I’ve reserved a private suite at a ryokan, a traditional Japanese inn, that will provide me with a traditional Japanese dinner and breakfast. These provide a whole experience on their own. I’ll be wearing the traditional yukata that is provided for my stay and will explore the grounds. Beyond that, though, I made sure to get a suite that has a private onsen, a volcanic hot spring, on the balcony. I requested that this have a view of the mountains and gardens, so fingers crossed that it’s everything I’m hoping it will be! The location’s website certainly sells the experience.
Back to Tokyo
After my night in Hakone, I’ll be back to Tokyo for one last morning before departing that afternoon.
And that’s it!
Yeah, I’m pumped. I’ll be updating my Instagram (that’s been dormant for a long time) with pictures to help document the experience. Make sure to give that a look if you want to keep tabs on the adventure!
I won’t be writing an article next week, since I’ll obviously be focused on making the most of my visit. So until next time…
