Isn't man but a blossom taken by wind, and only the mountains and the sea and the stars and this land of the gods everlasting? This land of the gods. Japan. I was a senior in college the first time I read Shogun by James Clavell, my soul leaving my San Diego apartment and flying…
Introduction Japan is a truly incredible place, but between the long flight, language barrier, and eastern culture, it can seem a bit daunting for Americans who might want to travel there. Here is a guide to help make that just a bit easier! Itinerary Planning Most first trips to Japan center on Tokyo, the modern…
As I mentioned earlier, I didn't love Kyoto. However, it does make an excellent base for some awesome day trips! As with Tokyo, here are some of my personal suggestions, with one addition from my companion from this trip, Dan, as we did our own things some of the time. 1. See a beautiful castle…
Going into this trip, Kyoto was the place I was most looking forward to seeing. After all, for a history and culture buff like me, this was supposed to be the Japanese version of nirvana. It was not. Don't get me wrong; there are some incredible sights in Kyoto, and those are worth seeing. However,…
Tokyo is an amazing city, and worth spending time. From exploring its varied neighborhoods, eating its incredible food, to even learning to be a samurai, the experiences you can have there are diverse. However, Tokyo also makes a perfect home base for seeing other places in the region, and the marvelous Japan Rail system (more…
I've shared my thoughts on how to be a samurai while in Tokyo, and tips on how to eat really well, but what about the city as a whole? I will admit, I didn't expect to like Tokyo, and was not really excited to visit, with the exception of some restaurant reservations I was able to…
Ok, I'm going to say this right now: Tokyo is easily one of the best food cities in the world. In the several days I spent there, I did not eat anything that wasn't really good, from Japanese food to other cuisines. You really can't go wrong, but here is a brief guide to how…
Samurai are one of the most famous cultural exports from Japan. For me, I have been fascinated with samurai culture ever since reading Shogun by James Clavell nearly twenty years ago. (It remains my favorite book to this day.) The samurai period ended with the fall of the Tokugawa Shogunate in 1867, but the concept of…
Last year, one of my best friends went through a pretty rough divorce. To give him something to look forward to, I offered to take him anywhere in the world he wanted to go. "Japan," he said, "but I want to see the Great Wall first." So here we go! Below is our general itinerary,…