31 Reasons why you should go to Japan!

We spent two weeks during spring 2018 travelling the effortlessly beautiful Japan, we crammed as much as possible in to our time, we navigated our way from Tokyo to Mt Fuji, Kyoto, Hiroshima, Himeji, Nara and Osaka. Honestly, Japan is such a beautiful country and I thought I would jot down all the reasons that I can currently think of as to why I think you should go immediately (or specifically at the end of March/early April because Sakura season makes blossom in the UK look entirely pitiful).

Anyway, I could babble on all day about how in love with this incredible country I am, but if you weren’t already considering booking a seat on the next flight, then you should be after reading this:

1. CHERRY BLOSSOM – it is impossible to think of spring time in Japan without thinking of a country adorned in pink. Sakura season quite honestly puts springtime in the UK to shame, I cannot tell you how beautiful it is to see every spare centimetre covered in blossom trees in every shade of pink to white and I don’t think there is a more perfect time of year to visit. The cherry blossom season can be tracked here and no one can tell you precisely when it will bloom in 2019, but late March/Early April should be your best bet. Luckily, we arrived at exactly the right time thanks to the school Easter holidays.
2. THE PEOPLE – reserved, humble, crazy-polite, gracious and entirely welcoming.
3. Uniting the two previous points: Spring is a big deal in Japan! The appreciation and adoration that the Japanese have for this fleeting natural beauty is absolutely wonderful and so admirable. Sure, we have blossom in the UK that frequently pop up on Instagram, but the appreciation is on another level. I mean we can’t guarantee over here that there wouldn’t be some horrendous little brat *who we will call*, ‘Alfie’ shaking every glorious petal to the ground.
4. TOILETS – heated toilet seats, seats that open/close at the touch of a button, privacy noise settings, automatic flushing and if you fancy it – three bidet/washing options with speed settings.
5. Oh yes and these super techy public toilets – ALL FREE.
6. Sport – who knew that the Japanese were so in to baseball? (well not me anyway). In the next few years Japan are hosting three major sporting events with the 2019 Rugby World Cup (Josh has already been checking out ticket prices) and the 2020 Olympic & Paralympic games.  
7. HANAMI – the celebration of the splendid cherry blossom season and the welcoming of Spring with a boozy picnic. Join in and enjoy this season the right way – Hanami brings together friends, families and colleagues for a picnic party underneath the dazzling evanescent blossoms, so, grab all the food and drink – alcohol included – and tape together your cardboard boxes into a big enough banquet table for a small country (observed in Ueno Park Tokyo) or just grab some tarpaulin from the nearest 7/11 and have a flippin’ wonderful afternoon. To clarify, Hanami is worlds away from an afternoon at V fest, Jack from Stoke won’t be showering you in piss out of a Strongbow can.
8. Japan is so rich in HISTORY and CULTURE especially in the beautiful ancient Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines. I mean Kyoto has in excess of 1500! That should be enough to keep you busy for a while.
9. Pancakes – and not just any pancakes – stacks of soufflé pancakes with all the maple syrup.  
10. MOUNT FUJI – what a sight – this was a big bucket list item for all of us and we were so lucky that it was visible in the glorious sunshine on our day in Kawaguchiko. Apparently, this remarkable mountain is only visible for 79 days a year – its super handy that you can check live visibility here if you’re planning a day trip from Tokyo.
11. ICE CREAM – black sesame, macha, miso, white peach, sweet potato, grape, blueberry – you name it.
12. BULLET TRAINS – could anything make the British rail network look any more of a joke?! Always on time and twice as fast.
13. Big city lights – like no city you’ll ever visit, Tokyo’s streets are dripping in Neon and it is a sight to behold.
14. All the flavoured Kit Kats – although I’d give the red bean a miss – unless you have a burning desire to try this – it’s an acquired taste  that pops up in a lot of Japanese food – sweet or savoury.  
15. Everything TOKYO – it’s huge, mesmerizing and impressive at every level, on the ground, in the sky and from the water.
16. Grape flavoured everything: Fanta, ice cream, tea, beer, sweets, croissants.
17. Sake– Japanese rice wine, to be enjoyed hot or cold, sweet or sour but definitely not to be missed.
    
18. Contrasts– In a couple of hours you can go from wrestling your way through a busy metro station in a bustling city to standing in a sleepy little town overlooking leafy green mountains or basking in the sun on a beach!
19. Less pollution than London – despite a much larger population, Tokyo’s ‘air quality’ is far superior to the British capital.
20. Department store food halls – getting lost in vast underground food halls boasting some of the finest Japanese sushi, patisserie that rivals the French and sandwiches stuffed with the obscurest of fillings.
21. Hiroshima – marvel at how this stunning city has recovered and thrived – so underrated and we all wish we had planned to spend more time there.
22. Okonomiyaki – speaking of Hiroshima – it is home to this fabulous dish which translates loosely as ‘what you like: grilled’, a dish crammed full of cabbage, beansprouts, cheese, seafood, meat – pretty much any item on the menu that you fancy – and also a great option for vegetarians!
23. CLEAN – You won’t see any litter, chewing gum or discarded cigarette butts, Japan is super, super clean, like drop your food on the floor and have a ‘3 minute’ rule kind of clean.
24. Fine dining – Tokyo has more Michelin stars per square mile than anywhere in the world.
25. So many food related  points but,  baked goods – so many bakeries full of amazing breads, croissants, french toast, hot dogs etc. which make lunch on the go super easy. 
26. RAMEN
27. Back to the clean point – you are not allowed to smoke on the street – HURRAH if you’re a non-smoker like myself. If you do smoke though, there are designated smoking areas on so many streets.
28. Deer – roaming free – Nara and Miyujima Island are probably the best places to go see them. The deer are held in high esteem by the locals and have been for years. Calm and friendly, though signs will warn you, don’t tease these docile animals with food, as they have been known to nip the odd irritating tourist.
    
29. Sunshine – as with the cherry blossom forecast, one can also not guarantee the weather but the last two weeks were complimented with warm sunshine, blue skies and temperatures of 24 degrees +.
30. Vending machines on every street corner! 
31. Finally, Japan is not as expensive as everyone would have you believe, yes it is more expensive than other Asian countries but I would say it is on par with other European capitals.

Thankyou or ありがとうございます or ‘Arigatou gozaimasu’ for reading,  If you would like to read more about our trip to Japan, take a look at this Japan – Travel Hacks! and if your itinerary includes Kyoto (which it should!) check out Best of Kyoto, Japan.