Flying from Australia to Tokyo, Japan is an easy destination to get to. Flying directly into Tokyo’s Haneda International Airport enabled a very quick 40 minute ride into Tokyo city direct to our hotel using the Skybus. Haneda International Airport is newer and preferable compared with Narita. It’s closer to Tokyo city and more streamlined.
Our Japan Rail Pass (JRP), which we purchased before we left Australia, enabled us to move around Japan with ease utilising the Shinkansen (Bullet Train). Travelling at some 240kmh and more, distances and time between destinations was never too far away. Now if only Australia had the same notion for rail travel like the Japanese.
As we only had 10 days in Japan, we managed to pack in day trips to Nikko and Gala from Tokyo and Hiroshima from Kyoto. In fact, Kyoto is a great base if you want to also take a day trip to Osaka (and Disneyland), around 2 hours away.
Hiroshima
Now a greatly transformed city from the time of dropping of an atom bomb during the throes of World War 2, Hiroshima’s culinary delights (Okonomiyaki Pancake) and trams are a sight to behold. We visited the famed Hiroshima memorial and museum, dedicated to the victims of that horrible day. This was a sobering reminder to us all about the devastating effect that war has on such a grand scale.
Being mid March, we were blessed with warm weather and the famous cherry blossoms which had started to bloom around Kyoto. By the time we headed back to Tokyo, the cherry blossoms were in full bloom there as well.
Following the devastating 2011 earthquake, Tokyo wanted to entice tourists to return. As a result, all the street maps leading to the exits of each subway are marked up in both Japanese and English so getting lost was never an option.
Onwards and upwards!
Trevor
Insights
- When people are polite to you, which is most of the time in Japan, you tend to reciprocate
- Dispose of your rubbish as the streets are always clean
- Japan is not representative of your typical Asia. Rather, it has its own culture and is so steeped in history – equal to Europe
- Try and fly into Haneda International Airport. It’s only a 20 minute train ride into central Tokyo, compared to Narita which takes around 75 minutes
- A trip to the famed Tsukiji Fish Markets is a must. Every conceivable shape and size of fish is displayed and cut up before your very eyes. Plan to get there early and be extra careful of those crazy forklift drivers
- Shinjuku, is the world’s busiest railway station, with some 1.2 billion passengers a year passing through its turnstiles
- Look out for the train guards on the Shinkansen – they all wear white gloves
- Hire a bicycle to get around Kyoto – it’s very flat and easy to navigate around
- Places that are central to stay in Tokyo are Akasaka, Roppongi (very upmarket) or Shimbashi
- From the above locations, it’s a close walk to both TOEI and Metro line stations as well as Shimbashi station. You can also easily walk to the Imperial Palace gardens or Grand Central station – only 20-30min walk
- You can only purchase your Japan Rail Pass in your country of origin before you arrive in Japan. After a few journeys, you would have well and truly received your money’s worth
- Eat like the locals do
- In Tokyo (Shinjuku), ensure you check out the not to be missed robot show