When I told my co-worker I was going to Japan for two weeks over Thanksgiving break (late November) specifically to see the fall foliage, she responded that she had never thought of Japan as an autumn destination. Is there fall foliage in Japan? Oh yes, and it is stunning. When it comes to seasonal travel …
If you’re like me, you were bombarded with photos and videos of things to do in Kyoto on social media. Ideally, I wanted to visit all 9 temples on my list. In reality, I saw only 5. Ideally, I wanted to wake up early and get to all the popular places before the crowds. In …
When I took a day trip to Nara from Kyoto I didn’t intentionally try to avoid the crowded places. I actually had most of the crowded, popular places on my list of things to do. But as I explored Nara, I found that I didn’t enjoy the crowded places as much as I hoped. In …
So you’ve heard about the bamboo grove in Arashiyama, but you also heard about the crowds. Luckily, there are some less-crowded bamboo grove alternatives in Arashiyama. But I recommend not coming just for bamboo (and then leaving). Make a full day trip to Arashiyama to explore beyond the bamboo as there is much more to …
If, like me, you have two things on your bucket list in Kyoto — attend a tea ceremony and rent a kimono to wear — be efficient and do both at the same time. Where can you do both a tea ceremony and kimono rental in Kyoto? What is it like? I booked a kimono …
Visiting the Arashiyama Monkey Park Iwatayama in Kyoto is an amazing experience to get close to cute Japanese snow monkeys (well, close from at least six feet away). The snow monkeys are wild and free roaming, and I was honestly terrified before visiting the monkey park, thinking of all those wild monkeys running amok. So …
I set out to visit Nara just to see the free-roaming, bowing deer. And yes, feeding the deer near Nara Park was the first thing I did. However, once you get enough of the cute deer (they are very pushy for those crackers), what else is there to do in Nara? I wandered around on …
One of the best souvenirs I brought home from Japan was a manga portrait of myself drawn by a manga artist at the Kyoto International Manga Museum. How cool it was to watch the artist at work, capturing little details and turning me into my very own manga character. If you love manga or anime, …
Himeji Castle is absolutely stunning and filled with historical significance. It’s a must see while visiting Japan, especially if you’re staying nearby in Kyoto or Osaka. I learned so much on my day trip to Himeji Castle — it’s not just a tourist attraction or a photo spot! The history here is incredible, and walking …
