Traveling to a foreign country, heck, any place you’ve never been to before can be intimidating. It can be even more overwhelming if you don’t know the language or where anything is. So if this is your first time, or even your 10th time going to Japan, be sure to check out these Japan Travel apps and tools that will help you while you’re in “the Land of the Rising Sun”:
Japan has opened up! And Tokyo will forever be one of the most amazing places you can go in your lifetime. But if you find yourself to be in a bit more of an adventurous mood and are desiring to go beyond the bounds of the main Tokyo railways, you might find one of these amazing side trips from this awesome city to be worth your while during your next trip to Japan.
You’ve likely heard of Harajuku through songs or perhaps via a grape vine of travelers who have been to Tokyo (東京). Or maybe you’ve heard of the “Harajuku Girls” in a fashion magazine somewhere. But none of that really elaborates on just what Harajuku is, what you can do there or what you should make SURE to do there on your epic trip to Japan. So allow me to divulge all you need to know for your day in this fashion forward mecca of the Tokyo Metropolis. 😉
Today I wanted to share with you a bit about one of my favorite places in Japan. And also some parts of an experience I had there about… oh wow, eight years ago! Why? Just because it’s such a good memory! AND because if you get the chance to go to Tokyo, you have to stop by this gem!
If you ever visit Japan, you’ll often see prints and recreations of old Ukiyo-e, such as “The Great Wave off Kanagawa”, or “Kanagawa-oki Nami Ura” (神奈川沖浪裏), that were originally made via Mokuhanga. But it’s possible to get an even more enriching experience when it comes to Ukiyo-e instead of just buying a modern print reproduction of one. That’s what I want to tell you about today in recounting a super unique experience I had while in Japan – and one that you can have too!
Throughout my time living in Japan, I tried to do things that I had never done before. My first Kabuki experience though, was a no joke, INTENSE experience steeped in rich Japanese history and culture.
My first time going to a Kabuki (歌舞伎) show and the significant reunion was in 2015. I stood in a striped black and white shirt and a black vest finished with a black skirt in the Ginza (銀座) district in Tokyo (東京) in front of the theater, Kabuki-za (歌舞伎座), holding onto the strap of my purse and my phone waiting nervously, hoping I’d be easy to spot. My eyes darted around, trying to find someone I knew in a sea of faces.
Today, I’m sharing with you all my experience at Itsukushima (厳島), more popularly referred to as “Miyajima” (宮島) or “Shrine Island”, located southwest of the city of Hiroshima (広島). As one of the “Nihon Sankei” (日本三景), or “Three Views of Japan” coined by the scholar Hayashi Gaho (1618-1688), scholars consider it one of the most scenic and beautiful sites in all of Japan… and that’s an understatement!
Today is indeed a unique day in the history of the world, more specifically in the country of Japan. Yesterday marked the end of a literal era, the Heisei Era (meaning “peace everywhere”), of Japan. Now with the Crown Prince’s ascension comes the beginning of a new era, known to the world as the Reiwa Era (令和) with a translated meaning of most closely the phrase “beautiful harmony”.