Everyone who has gone to Japan will agree with me that it’s a place like no other with the most colourful streets you’ll ever see and some of the best food you’ll ever try in your life. I’d compare it to being lost in wonderland with the friendliest of faces amongst an infinite amount of sushi, ramen and Japanese crepes. Safe to say, I did a lot of eating while I was there. Pictured above is Shinjuku district – a perfect example of how colourful Japan really is. On this particular night, I decided to wear my off-the-shoulder top to mix in with the busy street vibes of the city – the street fashion was literally insane. Although we were only there for nine days, we managed to visit the major cities of Tokyo, Osaka and Kyoto all in one go. I wish I could say all nine days went by smoothly but what fun would that be? However, even with all the hurdles in our way, I must say we did way too much to be included in this post. Here are some of the highlights of my trip to Japan this past summer!

 

I was excited to be starting off the trip in Tokyo. It had been four years since I visited for the first time so it was like revisiting an old friend again. Tokyo, Japan also happens to be one of my favourite cities and I always feel a sense of nostalgia when thinking about the memories I’ve made in this stunning city. One cool thing about Tokyo is the amount of narrow back streets you can find while exploring each district – there’s a never-ending amount of shops and one-of-a kind finds tucked away in every corner that makes getting lost easy. Not to mention, all street signs are in Japanese so it’s best to have your GPS handy or else you’ll most likely never find your way back 🙂

 

Most people come to Japan and come back raving about the food. We spent most of our trip trying different bowls of ramen but my favourite meal happened to be at Tsukiji Fish Market in Tokyo. The market is infamous for serving the freshest fish straight from their wholesale market, located right across from the outer market. Many will say the sushi here is just as good if not better than ones found in Michelin-starred restaurants all over Japan. After trying this assorted fish bowl over white rice (pictured bottom left) from a sushi restaurant we found in the market, I understood how true that was. The fish was so unbelievably flavourful that it just melted right in my mouth – I enjoyed every bite of it. For those coming to Tokyo, I’d highly recommend coming to Tsujiki as a cheaper alternative for mouthwatering sushi!

 

There are many colourful districts of Tokyo and one is none like the other. There’s a lively red light district, a district for manga lovers, one for maid cafes, a fashion district for hipsters and a nightlife district where foreigners love to party (like myself). However, amidst all of the crazy bustle of Tokyo, there lies many breathtaking gardens and majestic shrines that makes Japan like no other. I visited Yoyogi Park this time where Meiji Shrine (pictured above) is closely located. Once you enter into any garden in Tokyo, you’re surrounded by an oasis of trees as tall as the sky – it feels very secluded and private from the city, I loved it. Imagining the entire garden covered with cherry blossoms as the colder months roll in is enough to make me want to book another flight back to Japan! Having been to Meiji Shrine twice now, I always feel so at peace when visiting the various temples of Japan; they have a special refined style about them that makes them unique to all the different temples I’ve visited throughout Asia.

 

As a last minute decision, my sister and I decided to make a day trip to the highest mountain in Japan: Mount Fuji. Arrangements for a sightseeing boat cruise were all booked via TripAdvisor and after spending a full day recovering from the stomach flu (thanks to the street food in Bangkok), we were excited to embark on our tour – or so we thought. Note to self: always, always plan ahead! Our booking ended up not going through and we weren’t able to get on any last minute bookings. However, when one comes to Tokyo, one must see Mount Fuji – who knows when we’d be back again? So we decided to get there by ourselves without bus tour and all (I’d advise to never do this). After seeing many jaw-dropping photos of the snow-covered mountain, we were on a mission to see it ourselves. And after three excruciating train rides, we did.

 

After what felt like forever (approximately 2 and half hours), we arrived at Fuji. We got off at Lake Kawaguchi, which is located not too far from the mountain where we took a bus ride to the lookout point. We first saw Fuji from up-close and I’m not going to lie, it looks completely different when looking right up at it compared to from afar. It was barely recognizable through the fog and wasn’t the Fuji we had hoped for. The second view we got to see, which was just on top of the lake (pictured above) was the one that stole our hearts. After a very stressful day of traveling around, the quiet streets of Kawaguchi leading up to the lookout point were just what we needed. We made it up just in time to witness the sunset and it was glorious.

 

Tokyo is a perfect mix of eccentric while being conservative all at the same time. You will find arcades in every corner filled with salarymen and otakus alike. The streets are filled with people in work uniform while others walk around in ridiculous costume-like attire. One of my favourite things to do while in Tokyo is people-watch because well, how could you not? The everyday fashion and unique style of the Japanese always gets heads turning. You will find people in cosplay all year round – every day is Halloween in Tokyo. The infamous Shibuya Crossing, which you may remember from an iconic scene in Fast & Furious, is where you will get the perfect mix of entertainment, shopping and stylings in Tokyo. I could literally sit there for hours (and yes, I have twice now) watching the hundreds of people crossing the five-way crosswalk over and over again.

 

Tokyo is hands down the most colourful city I’ve ever been. From the infamous red light district of Shinjuku (pictured top left and bottom right) to the cute crepe trucks in the nerd district of Akihabara (pictured bottom left) and endless vending machines (pictured top right), the bright storefronts will leave you in awe. Like many, what I’ll remember most about Japan is the incomparable energy of their people and the eclectic street style found within their streets. Like I said earlier, every district feels different from the next – there’s something here for everyone. Whether you’re a nerd, fashionista or hardcore foodie, the entertainment is truly never ending in this sleepless city. Speaking of which, my sister and I also got to visit a maid cafe while in Tokyo. If you’ve never been, it’s a must while in Japan! See the photo gallery below to see our souvenir photo with one of the “maids”.

 

As my must-see for Tokyo this time around, I made sure to stop by the Park Hyatt Tokyo while in town. I’m not going to deny my undying love for picturesque sky-high views but the main reason why I had to go was because it’s the same exact hotel where Lost in Translation was filmed in. After falling in love with the movie many years ago, I finally got a chance to have a drink in the iconic bar where Scarlett Johansson and Bill Murray’s characters met. The New York Bar, situated on the 52nd floor of the Park Hyatt in Shinjuku had a jazz club feel with the most stunning view of Tokyo I could ever ask for. It came at a high price though (around $90 for a drink and an app with entrance fee) so I’d only recommend going if you’re a huge fan of the movie. For me, it was worth it because it epitomized everything the bar stood for – an opulent sanctuary embodying the city that never sleeps.

 

After taking a two and a half hour train ride on the Nozomi, we arrived in Kyoto. Kyoto is known to be much more traditional in culture where classical Japanese architecture takes the forefront. Being a city girl myself, it surprised me how much I fell in love with this city with their multitude of fanciful temples and shrines. Pictured above is the very famous Fushimi Inari shrine, which you may recognize from the ever so popular Memoirs of Geisha. You may also notice from all the outfits I’ve worn on this trip, I paired them with my super comfy white Keds. The term hot took on a whole new level once I reached Japan, with temperatures reaching as high at 40 degrees Celsius. Ergo, the main goal of this whole trip was to keep my outfits as comfortable as possible to survive the heat wave. Although I did finish this outfit off with a pair of my favourite leather shorts (because they go with everything), they’re actually really breathable and non-sweaty, I swear.

 

Visiting Fushimi Shrine has been a long-time goal of mine. The winding pathways with their continuous bright orange pillars showcase the beautiful style of Japanese architecture perfectly. The entire arch of pillars span a good hour’s walk with the orange pillars growing in size along the way – there was definitely a photo opportunity in every corner. However, even though Fushimi Shrine seems like a secluded place in pictures, in actuality, it was swarmed with tourists wherever you turned. This made getting a decent solo shot like the one pictured above extremely difficult! I’d highly recommend coming early in the morning if you want to enjoy more of the Shrine instead of desperately waiting for people to clear for a good shot.

 

Walking around the temples of Kyoto was a nice change from the busy streets of Tokyo. However, what I loved most about the small city of Kyoto was their ancient style traditional streets. It’s said that geishas can be spotted in the most famous district of Gion in Kyoto so naturally, we were constantly on the lookout for them. It didn’t help that Kyoto is filled with women dressed in kimonos, which made finding a real-life geisha all the more difficult. Nonetheless, it was really nice exploring Gion district (pictured above) by foot as we came upon the Hokan-ji Temple – a five-story pagoda that is widely recognized to symbolize the city of Kyoto. We discovered the Hokan-ji (pictured top left) also known as the Yasaka Pagoda, purely by chance as it was en route to another temple we were heading to and so glad that we did.

 

The great thing about Kyoto is that it’s literally filled with beautiful architecture everywhere you turn. The Yasaka Pagoda (pictured above) felt more like a hidden gem to me, which was nice compared to ones constantly being flocked by tourists. When we arrived, midday, there weren’t many people around and the pagoda was found perched on top of a hill through an unsuspecting alley lined with small shops. The gate was closed for the day but just looking up at it was enough for me to marvel at its understated beauty for a bit before being on our way to the next destination. I must also mention – thank God for this flowy cream tube top that allowed me to walk the entire day in the burning sun without compromising my style. I’ll make sure to come back in the fall months to try on a kimono while walking through Gion next time!

 

When in Kyoto, the thing to do is to visit as many temples as possible. Although this city is generally known for their more traditional attributes, Kyoto surprised me with their mix of old and new design. I would say it has the same exciting atmosphere of Tokyo but with the old school charm of historical Japan. Pictured above is another famous temple we visited called the Kiyomizu-dera. This one was especially nice because it sits on top of a large hill, giving you a lovely view of Kyoto down below. I loved the beautiful structures of Kyoto but with the relaxed vibe within the city, the absolute best thing to do while in town is to visit a nearby Onsen – known as Japanese hot springs. We ended up traveling just outside of the city to recharge at Kurama Onsen. Once inside, we were welcomed to a peaceful view of the majestic sky high trees in the distance while we soaked our bodies in the soothing natural hot spring water. Make sure you’re comfortable being nude because unlike western spas, there are no bathing suits allowed here!

 

Kyoto definitely exceeded my expectations so when we arrived in Osaka, I was more than ready to take on what is known as the party city of Japan, boasting some of the best street foods. Pictured above is the Dotonbori canal – the prime tourist spot in Osaka, located in Namba district. Not only did Osaka look completely different from Tokyo with their street food scene, but it also felt completely different. All the nightlife, shopping and food were clustered all in one place – right in the lively and highly-spirited district of Dotonbori. As well, everyone who comes to Osaka usually takes a food tour through Kuromon Market, which is where we tried some of the tastiest seafood in Japan. Kuromon is definitely for the more adventurous foodie with a variety of seafood being blowtorched and grilled right in front of you. Once you enter into Kuromon, be prepared to eat your heart out!

 

Besides Dotonbori, we also visited the Osaka Castle (pictured above), which is a 5-story historical castle with a panoramic view of Osaka at the top. I’ll always remember this day very clearly because not only was it one of the hottest days of my life but these photos were taken right before my sister and I got soaked from head to toe in the pouring rain. The castle is also located in a secluded location, tucked away in surrounding greenery, which made finding shelter impossible. Luck really didn’t seem to be on our own side during our Japan trip but quite honestly, we still managed to hit up so many spots in spite of our many mishaps. As a result, getting to see the Osaka Castle – one of Japan’s most famous landmarks for bringing unity within the country – will now always be a very memorable accomplishment for us.

 

There’s really nothing that compares to sushi in Japan – it’s super fresh and buttery smooth with the fish just dissolving right in your mouth. I really wish I could’ve eaten more sushi while in Japan to know this firsthand but unfortunately, I was only able to indulge in this plate of assorted sushi one time. Having been plagued with the stomach flu in the land of the most delicious foods, I ate mostly ramen and donburi during my time there. However, after making a full recovery, I was finally able to enjoy some sushi while in Osaka. Although this particular meal wasn’t mind-blowing, I noticed how large the sashimi pieces were compared to back at home. This unassuming sushi restaurant called Sushi Hayata was owned by two brothers, who were also our sushi chefs for the night. Besides the delicious food, Japan is exceptionally hospitable – making every dining experience above and beyond.

 

Osaka was definitely not what I expected at all. The amount of endless shopping available and people swarming central Dotonbori district was enough to make my head spin. We would walk through the longest stretch of stores, filling up on beauty products and maximizing on the tax-free shopping for a good few hours. Osaka is just as colourful as Tokyo but the vibe was definitely more of a casual one. I didn’t see as many salarymen as Tokyo; people were definitely less conservative and just out having a good time. Pictured above are various shots taken in the prime tourist spot of Dotonbori with the bottom left being our last feast in Japan. We decided to ball out and dined at Yakiniku M by the Dotonbori River, devouring four different kinds of Matsusaka beef. If you come to Japan, make sure to not leave without trying their wagyu beef – it’s mouthwateringly delicious!

 

Japan is nothing short of amazing – from the nightlife, the food, and the fashion scene. There’s always something new to see in this one of a kind wonderous place. Pictured above, I’m standing in the centre of Dotonbori, right in front of the massive shopping arcade, wearing my summer travel uniform: short shorts and a cropped top. My white Keds were soaked from the rain so I opted for my Steve Madden heeled sandals, which made my super casual outfit a bit dressier for our last night in Japan. I should also mention I brought a total of FIVE bikinis with me on my month-long trip to Asia but I ended up wearing none of them! There was definitely a lack of beach time in Asia but duly noted not to pack in excess next time.

From Tokyo to Kyoto to Osaka, it was quite an adventure with every city offering something different. Out of the three, Kyoto definitely stole my heart this time around but I’ll always come back for Tokyo again and again.

 

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Japan Photo Gallery