Japan Vacation

THE FIRST-TIME TRAVEL TO THE LAND OF THE RISING SUN – JAPAN

Japan, one of the most prosperous and beautiful countries in the world, is considered to be the planet’s most unique country. Japan is a highly developed nation with cutting edge technology. But with the rise of the technological aspect, Japan has not forgotten its popular customs and old traditional beliefs.

Japan is full of busy cities, fresh parks, and sky-touching skyscrapers. From cherry blossom trees to beautiful beaches, Japan has everything that one could imagine in their wildest dreams. Japan is home to some of the finest architectural work done to date and is known as the hub of great food. Apart from that, Japan has one of the most well-mannered, kind, and cooperative population in the entire world.

 Here, you find the people to be extremely friendly and kind-hearted. In addition to this, Japan has many marvelous tourist destinations. So, naturally, any passionate tourist like me would be always very eager to visit Japan.

So, it started something like this. It was a busy Monday morning and I started my day by checking my emails. I woke up early in order to attend an important meeting in my office. Some foreign clients had visited the office and I had to address them. I reached the office by 10 and anchored the meeting.

One of the clients who had visited my office was Japanese. He was very impressed with my presentation skills and excellent communication. He offered me the tickets to visit Japan. It was a dream come true for me. I had already felt in love with Japan by listening about its beauty and highly advanced technology. I thanked the client from the bottom of my heart as I  was eagerly waiting for this opportunity.

On Saturday, I packed all the necessary things that were required for the trip to Japan. I reached the San Francisco International Airport and took a flight from there to Tokyo, the capital city of the marvelous country of Japan. The journey of the flight was about 16 hours.

I just listened to my favorite Japanese music on the airplane. Although I could not understand its lyrics I enjoyed its tune and the way it was sung. I completely turned into the Japanese mode. I dreamt of everything amazing that I could do in Japan. I landed in Tokyo on Sunday night. When I came out of the flight, I could feel the air of Japan full of energy and passion. I could see the magic spark of brightness in the eyes of the Japanese people.

I checked in at my hotel and I was a little tired after the long flight journey. Hence I took a full night rest and was absolutely ready to explore the beautiful country of Japan the next day. I had to start my journey from somewhere and what could be better than Tokyo, which is also known as the beautiful melange of the old and the new.

1. TOKYO

Tokyo, the pride of Japan, is an absolutely fantabulous destination. It has all sorts of things that a frenetic traveler could even imagine.  Tokyo is filled with modern technological marvels and at the same time with traditional customs. In addition to this, Tokyo also has fresh forests and beautiful cherry blossoms.

 

I was under the bright sunshine of Japan and so I wanted to start with something pious. I visited the Meiji Shrine located on the outskirts of the Tokyo city. This was a very peaceful place. I got to feel the positive vibes of Japan’s serene tradition.

 Then it was the time to go to the Tokyo Royal Palace where the emperor and empress of Japan reside. The inside of the palace and the imperial garden were filled with various kinds of trees, which somehow gave a sense of positivity and calmness.

 I enjoyed the phenomenal sight there and then made my way to my most desired place in entire Japan – the Tokyo Disneyland. Ahh! What an amazing place it was ! Tokyo Disneyland is 176 acres of magical land fully loaded with attractions and beautiful Disney characters. It seemed to be like a dream. The energetic and amazing people made me feel stupendous. I enjoyed the eclectic variety of food here and was overjoyed by the many attractions in Tokyo Disneyland.

I was loving Tokyo Disneyland and did not feel like leaving. I wanted to stay there all my life. Oh! But it was only a dream. It was already night and I decided to see the most glorifying construction of Tokyo, the Tokyo Skytree. In the night, the Tokyo Skytree was more beautiful with all the sparkling and dazzling lights. I had no words to describe the Tokyo skytree. It was simply amazing.

Then it was time to do some shopping. There are various kinds of shopping malls and supermarkets in Tokyo. I went into one of them called Odaiba ( which is recommended for newbies visiting Japan ). I bought all types of fascinating items such as extravagant clothes, sunglasses, shoes, some games and much more and that too at a very low price. I also didn’t forget the Japanese reminiscences that I would carry with me to my home.

  Now it was my dinner time and I knew that Tokyo had something very delicious to offer. Tokyo has many kinds of local cuisines that would leave you astonished. I tried the traditional Japanese Sushi. It felt like heaven. Japan has its own kind of wine which is called sake. I tried out the delicious variety of Japanese noodles called Ramen. Other dishes included Yakitori ( grilled chicken topped with spices ) and Tempura ( fried vegetables and seafood batter ).

I enjoyed a lot in Tokyo. I was feeling very emotional while leaving Tokyo. It felt like my own home. But I knew I had to go forward in life. Now, it was time to go to the second most important city in Japan called Osaka.

2. OSAKA

Osaka, the center of Japan’s economy, is the confluence of large concrete buildings, professionalism, beautiful arcades,  cultural remnants, and incredible riversides. Apart from this, Osaka also has beautiful nightlife and some of the best foods in the world. Osaka waited for me and I was all set to explore this beautiful city.

I started out with the Osaka Castle. It was the symbol of Japanese history and war glory. Locals say that this castle survived millions of attacks against it and stood on its feet to date. I was enchanted by this terrifying castle. Apart from this, there was something that filled my heart with extreme joy. I was extremely delighted by the pinkish cherry blossoms.  

Charged with the glimpses of history, I visited the Universal Studios in Osaka which was home to all kinds of fancy creatures and is loved madly by pop culture frenetics. There were plenty of mascots roaming around Universal Studios. I clicked selfies with some of them such as Optimus Prime and Megatron. I also shook hands with them. They were very funny beings.

 Now, the time had arrived to go to my most favorite destination in Osaka, Tennoji. The Tennoji is a hustling district of Osaka. It is home to the tallest skyscraper in Japan – The Abeno Harukas. The Tennoji has some of the tallest buildings in entire Japan and gives a spectacular view of the entire city of Osaka.

I visited the art museum and the largest departmental store in Japan, which is located in the Tennoji. I bought some Japanese artifacts from the departmental store. I also visited the traditional Shitennoji shrine which made me spiritually sound.

Now it was the time to enjoy the extravagant food of Osaka. I had researched a little about the food before visiting Osaka. Hence I knew that the perfect place for enjoying food in Osaka was the Datobori area. This area was amazing to look at and was lit by bright colors. It seemed like  Datobori was going to give me a once-in-a-lifetime type of treat. 

I simply loved the local cuisines here. First, I started with the largest okonomiyaki ( mouth-watering pancakes which are a combination of vegetables, meat, and some noodles) in Japan, udon (thick noodles topped with fried tofu), and the yummy teppanyaki (grilled Japanese meat ).

Osaka had given me exactly what I wanted. Now it was the time to bid goodbye to Osaka and go to another beautiful and fantastic city of Japan, Kyoto.

3. KYOTO

While most of the cities of Japan are highly modernized, Kyoto is the one which is a perfect and tranquil place for cultural people. It exhibits some of the oldest and ancient traditions and cultures of Japan. There is no such hustle-bustle in Kyoto unlike the modern cities of Japan. I was looking for a calm state of mind and that is why I chose Kyoto.

Kyoto is not just a city, it is a symbol of peace and tranquility. Moreover, it has some of the best Japanese foods to offer. As it is a natural spot with many mountains and forests surrounding it, Kyoto always remains an absolutely amazing destination for nature-lovers and hikers.

I started out with the Gion district of Kyoto. It is traditionally the most supreme place in Kyoto. Its streets and shops have been built in accordance with the old Japanese culture mentioned in traditional Japanese books.

 Kyoto organizes many traditional Japanese tea ceremonies. I went into one of the tea ceremonies and enjoyed the most expensive and wonderful tea in the entire world. Then I continued my journey and visited Maruyama Park, which was a  very picturesque location.

After that, I went to a traditional clothes shop in Kyoto and bought some classical “Kimonos”,  the most aesthetic cloth wore by the Japanese. Then I visited the beautiful Arashiyama district which was filled with cultural heritage sites. I came across the Togetsu-Kyo bridge which is its most fabulous destination. I was also fascinated by the high rising bamboo trees all around it.

Now it the time for the most awaited part of my journey. I traveled in the Sagano romantic train. It was an adventurous and fantastic rail journey. I got to see some of the most breathtaking landscapes of Kyoto while traveling on the train. My experience in the Sagano Romantic train would always remain the best one.

My adventure in Kyoto had come to an end and now it was the time to go to another marvelous city of Japan called Nagoya. So, without any further delay, I left for the Detroit of Japan, Nagoya.

4. NAGOYA

Nagoya, the city of Japan which had a rich cultural heritage of the Samurais and Ninjas, has grown to be the automobile and aircraft manufacturing hub in modern times. This city was so beautiful that I was instantly filled with energy after the long tiring journey from Kyoto to Nagoya. I took a city bus to explore the whole city of Nagoya.

From my childhood, I was very fond of technology and particularly railways. I always liked to see the super-fast trains moving at a massive speed. So first I visited the SCMaglev and Railway Park. This is home to some of the best high-speed trains that Japan has ever produced. I couldn’t believe seeing these dream trains in front of my eyes.

 Next,  I visited the Toyota automobile museum. Toyota produces some of the best cars in the world and certainly has a very high reputation in the global market. All the historical, as well as the modern cars, were placed in the showroom. I explored them one by one. These cars were symbols of high-class quality. Now, by seeing the legendary Toyota cars, I was aware that how Toyota is one of the world’s best car producers.

Now, it was time to fill my stomach with the amazing foods of Nagoya. Nagoya Meshi is the local cuisine of Nagoya. I fell in love with the dish after eating it.  Here, I also ate chicken and seafood. Finally, I had some traditional Ramen along with rice.

Nagoya is a highly advanced city and so it’s shopping. I went to some of the best shopping places which fervent tourists like me would never miss – Sakae underground mall, Osu Street & Kamimaezu. I saw some of the best international brands here. I bought some clothes and some of the best pieces of denims.

My next destination was the Tokugawa Art Museum. This museum was built during the reign of the royal family of Tokugawa. It houses the historical paintings and artifacts made during that time.

After that, I went straight to Nagoya Castle. A fun fact for you: Nagoya Castle is the place where popular films like Godzilla are often shooted. The cherry blossom trees served as a beautiful backdrop, thus enlightening the place with wonder.

Finally, I visited the Osu Kannon Temple which is a popular Buddhist shrine in Nagoya. It symbolizes the marvelous historical architecture of ancient Japan. It was a very peaceful place filled with spiritual enlightenment. I felt the calmness in my mind. It is a must-visit place if you want to take a break from your busy life and enjoy a peaceful climate. 

My tour to Japan was one of the best in my life. Japan made me feel like a home away from my home. I didn’t feel like leaving Japan. But I had to go since I had some important work back home. But certainly, I would visit Japan many more times in the upcoming years. I took a flight from Nagoya to Tokyo and then to San Francisco from there.

On reaching home, I remembered beautiful Japan and recalled the memories that I made in Japan. I would recommend everyone reading this to visit Japan at least once in your lifetime. If you have not visited Japan yet, hurry up and go to Japan today!