preamble
each year around this time I get many, many inquiries along the line lines of “we’re coming &/or thinking about coming in Japan, ummm where do you live and what should we do?”
there’s no *short answer* yet, for starters, 2 big obvious things:
1. we live in Okayama between Osaka and Hiroshima & near Kyoto & inland sea
2. this website has *so many* videos and diaries and primers about Japan travel
Homework
Especially handy (I think) are [I’d better check these links to make sure they go to the right page but you’re smart you’ll figure it out]:
“how to Japan good“ a short video with a list of handy tips some of which are repeated here
“renegade Japan travel“ a long video with buddy Ted talking about all the Japan that isn’t in Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka (lots of resources exist for those places already)
Plus a few narrative guides like:
“Japan travel primer about geography, etiquette and transportation and accommodation something something” made before our wedding in 2019 so a little out of date but the basics are intact
“handy Okayama and area map pins“ includes most of the basics that I always talk about
“inland sea art islands overview” some handy handy Okayama, Naoshima, Setouchi map locations/resources to get you started to this incredibly an occasionally very popular area
Norm-core city
Okayama is a “super normal” minor provincial city with a fantastic garden, jazz, craft beer and the adorable nearby arts/mercantile city of Kurashiki ~ makes a great base for day trips to Kyoto, Hiroshima, Himeji… Plus is the gateway to the art islands in the inland sea
[I made a video for “Japan remotely” to talk about our super-normal just-right Goldilocks city / on Instagram but publicly available]
The Japans
Japan is small but not ‘small small’ (imagine latitude from Vancouver Island to Baja California, Maine to Florida Florida Keys). Four main islands: Hokkaido (north & rugged-ish), Honshu (most of the big cities are here), Kyushu (south and friendly), and Shikoku (pilgrims path etc.)
we are in “West Japan” of which Osaka is the major city, Kyoto is old capital. Tokyo is east (although it looks north) and means “East capital”. anyhooooo
KIX is the best gateway airport for West/our area (a couple embedded airports, embedded high-speed train station and a cluster of hotels at the end of the causeway because the airport is built on an island in the middle of the bay… These give you options to settle in after your flight instead of jumping right onto the train and into the stations and all of it even though you’re super tough]
OKJ is our cute little local airport and a great travel hack with international flights (via Taipei or Soeul).
Otherwise, Haneda is the smaller of the two Tokyo-area airports but still huge and has multiple terminals connected by buses. Narita is nowhere near Tokyo and in my opinion a colossal headache (but i’m delicate, that said getting off a transoceanic flight and going into a gauntlet of mega-airport and trains into a massive city is like wow such much)
don’t call em ‘travel hacks‘
traveling here is splendidly easy if you do a few things smartly, like:
* Ship your bags ahead (hooray black cat!)
* Learn 10+ words (so many ways to do this)
* Plan your cash/payment systems in advance (i <3 @wise) cash rules but you ought to have one of the Japan tap cards (suica)
* Dress sharp, pack light (you can probably shop here for anything and everything)
*** most important ***
don’t try to see “everything” ~ pick a theme or a circuit that gives you ‘one or two of everything’ plan lots of space for serendipity and spacing out down random lane ways or saying yes to invitations
variety pack
since you can’t see everything, you can still see a good variety, ex.: you can see the biggest city in the world with every possible subcultural represented to sparsely populated islands / region with exquisite art of all sorts and elders farming sweet potatoes (and thwarting wild boar) and gently directing respectful tourists with your 10 words which you’ve diligently learned
so many people (like you)
with awesome food, stellar culture, so much interestingness and yes, a relatively weak yen, Japan is setting records on the regular for the most tourists ever so… if you go to the places you’ve *heard of* or seen on IG or travel blogs, you will see lots of tour buses – do these things strategically if you insist but really instead realize there are so many other fantastic places without the buses and the throngs.
“Minor provincial cities” especially are super eager to welcome you (compared to that famous place where everyone goes), plus accommodations especially cost way less – after all, everywhere has a castle, a shrine, a temple, and something that they are particularly famous for (including specialty food and specialty crafts and specialty history)
[semi-awkward sidenote]
keep in mind there is significant “obnoxious tourist burnout” in some areas, especially due to some high profile troublemakers or people throwing money around disrespectfully. Don’t be one of these jerks
my favorite things
Would you like to know my favorite things about Japan? Sure, if you want, in no particular order:
* Stellar postal & courier services
* Fantastic stationery and paper craft as well as many others crafts
* Bath culture from nightly at home to rejuvenating hot springs
* Medium speed trains with green car upgrades)
* Small places: cafés, coffee shops, restos, bars
transportation rulez
sure the fast trains are neat and famous and awesome (and no doubt you will ride them at some point) but imo the “limited express” (Tokyū class) still super fast but wider and more comfortable and a notch slower and travel at grade so you can actually see the scenery are so much better.
speaking of scenery, there are more and more “scenic circuit” trains rather than trying to move people rapidly from one big city to another, these are designed for a great lunch, nice scenes and mellow times
Pro tip: spend extra for the green car (sort of like business class) service
Basic tip: don’t risk “non-reserve” seats on the Shinkansen
rookie tip: don’t take big suitcases on the Shink unless you’ve done the whole planning thing for that with reserved space
Oh, JR passes can be overly complicated and encourage you to move swiftly, yet might be used strategically for regional pass to explore a specific area
other modes
don’t forget about night/ highway buses (very pleasant, nothing like that greyhound you rode in 1994) and very inexpensive, (rare) sleeper trains, ferry boats (of all kinds),and domestic flights (from regional airports, inexpensive and efficient) even gondolas and rickshaws sometimes. Try everything + taxis that are clean and not scammers (not cheap but lovely in a pinch)
accommodations all sorts
so many kinds of accommodations too… Our favorite are “minshuku” kind of like a guest house, not exactly a B&B, somewhere between a pension (which also exist) but can be a little bit opaque and complicated as not necessarily designed for foreign travelers from a marketing and logistics standpoint & ryokan (rad, traditional memorable experience but ¥¥) – great for a splurge like so great
also “business hotels” “love hotels” and yes, “capsule hotels” & standard *western* style hotels if you’re boring ;) – each type has benefits and you might find yourself staying at several different kinds
you might find a chain of sorts which suits you and makes shipping your gear from one to the other very quick and easy (a suitcase will cost you about ¥1500 and show up probably before you do)
ex:
Candeo is a well designed mid range chain that Ichiro really loves, rooftop baths
Dormy is family friendly with free noodles, communal baths and handy locations
Toyoko is light on the frills, good on the location
There are many others / Some chains like Granvia are right connected to the station which doubles up the price. You’ll only find the “big western international whatever” brands in the major cities and not sure why you would choose that but whatever
Koraku is one we recommend in Okayama
“Short term rentals” like AirBB are using an exercise and disappointment and complicated rules and uncomfortableness
take some time
if you’re crossing the Pacific (or Atlantic for that matter or whatever), plan for two weeks, preferably longer+++ keep in mind it’s gonna take you a couple days to get adjusted and into a rhythm
then pick two hubs, maybe 3, and explore from there. Japan is better explored slowly IMO and unencumbered with hustling through stations with that wheelie suitcase I suggested that you don’t bring.
life note: job doesn’t give you enough time off? Time to talk about your job – many people come to Japan and think “oh my gosh I wanna live here” visas are tricky, but property is cheap and their eyes always a pathway but don’t get too excited because it’s complicated
talk about your hobbies
Japan loves hobbies and hobbyists. if you’re really planning to come, think about “what is it i am really into that I wanna see?” Is it deep dive into buddhist Temples and Shinto Shrines? Castles (originals, recreations, ruins? Anime & manga (shrug)? Record shopping (heaven)? Tea ceremony? Flower arranging? Ceramics? Fishing? Eating, like seriously eating? Are you big city type or small island vibe type? Variety is fine but a bit of a focus will add significant meaning and give you a way to introduce yourself to a whole new circle of people
“case studies”
i’ve had friends who came on quests for rare bottles of Japanese whiskey, vintage Seiko watches, and obscure video games and turned each day into a quest with great pleasure – yay!
others who have tried to go from Hokkaido to Okinawa in a week – ugh
yet others have a few checkpoints but leave time in between to “see what happens” or arrange with a group (like our karate friend) to meet/study/train with before they come. cultural workshops are awesome
in case you missed it above
keep in mind, Tokyo is a whole other beast and I know almost nothing about it. [Disclaimer: remember i operate slowly and don’t manage subways and crowds]. As many people in the megalopolis as California or Canada, and all the world’s imaginable everything and possibilities squeezed in – every subculture from rockabilly to Geisha, robots to Blade Runner, to “yes those dodgy areas you’ve seen them in the movies” and yet another super famous shrine, and endless alleys filled with tiny bars or shops selling only vintage Nintendo cartridges – but most of it is just a big normal city with an incredible subway system that you might have fun figuring out if you like puzzles
Kyoto is a beauty queen. And knows it (and millions of people visiting to prove it) More temples, shrines, palaces, graves, monuments and history then can be processed by anyone’s brain in a short period (no I don’t hate Kyoto, I just love other places more because they want to love me more) so: You might enjoy visiting another city also has temples, shrines & historical places yet is a bit easier to process, hint hint
Osaka is like Chicago, the friendly second child of a family. Loves food, humor, nightlife and shopping shopping shopping especially kitchen goods, and did I mention food? A lot of big square gray buildings but a great city to start and end your trip with as you can buy that custom kitchen knife with your name stamped on it that you’ve always wanted Donne don’t take on carry-on ha ha)
pro guide is useful
if you go to Kyoto, or Hiroshima for that matter, I’d really advise getting a guide to help you color your experience with backstory, nuance, hidden gems and a bit of grace, e.g.:
- JJ Walsh in Hiroshima (sparkly sustainability focused inbound tourism ~ dig her fantastic YouTube interview, here’s one with me :)
- Phillip Jackson in Kyoto (he wrote hidden Kyoto, buy the book and/or hire services) incidentally also shreds guitar
- Joshua Breakstone (also Kyoto and/or Osaka but this time jazz tours, a renowned guitar player who knows all the hidden places and secret handshakes, also hilarious – hire for jazz tours )
- Tokyo Record Style (not a guide for hire yet Brian’s dispatches are solid gold for art and music fans)
meanwhile, back at the cottage
right, you’re coming to visit after all, right? if, you come to Okayama, we will take you on the similar circuit we visit with so many other wonderful guests:
* Goat farm with records and lunch
* Craft beer bar fits only eight people
* Best Ramen ever in Michelin guide
* Spectacular garden top three in Japan
* Tiny jazz club sometimes Ryoko sings
* Coffffeeeees with postcard writing of course
Importantly, our house with my barn studio/records/library and Dr. Ryoko’s Permaculture land
Oh a handy post with just these above Okayama/Kurashiki/Setouchi places and others around the region on Ggle Maps without my usual chitchat
life versus travel
Of course living in Japan and travel in Japan are very different, we get out and about a little bit and when we do I sometimes make field notes, often semi-poetic diaries or collections of snapshots and stash on this website to hide them in plain sight.
look at the “Japan life/travel” category for all kinds of field notes and diaries. it’s fun to explore (as stated elsewhere, no cookies, stats, tracking pixels or sales funnels)
we do our best
by the way, since the borders reopened, we’ve helped/hosted/coordinate over 35 groups of friends – from rookie solo travelers, to cagey vets ramblers, to intrepid couples, to families with disparate desires… We also have a regular life of hospitals, preschool and work but always do our best
through all of this, we’ve helped dozens of people plan unique itineraries, often places that we’ve never visited but know about from friends, also assigned quests, side quest, checklist and the like.
we’ve also arranged tickets for various things (sumo, concerts, transportation, hotels and “that famous restaurant that I saw in the movie or on that Anthony Bourdain show”) but honestly that’s a lot of hassle because we are purely Okayama people and much of the rest of Japan is mostly a mystery to us aside from Nagasaki, the Noto Peninsula and nearby Kurashiki (oh my gosh, I didn’t even talk about my favorite adorable area with the canals and gondolas and so many museums that would have lineups in New York or Paris and coffee shops and adorable boutiques and more cute coffee shops… Oh and even shrines you can climb up a whole bunch of stairs, and it’s like a 20 minute local train ride from us)
pass along your story
one small request: after your trip, please provide some kind of documentation that we can keep in a folio to hand down the line to other guests. [Truth is: I don’t get out much so your experience helps us help other people]
also we love cards as a way of saying thanks and remembering your visit
nuanced pro tips
1. prepare some kind of “friendship card” with your deets (folks in Japan love presenting their business card, hand it with both hands and then examined as though it was the Rosetta Stone)
2. bring small portable gift whether it be fridge magnets, keychains, postcards from your hometown, craft or small souvenir to present to people who lend you a hand along the way. Gifting is very much Japanese culture and just kind and fun in general
3. be sure you always have a handkerchief or two, a small trash bag, tissues & a collapsible shopping bag in your daily satchel. Seems silly but you’ll thank me later
4. for goodness sake, bring shoes that are easy on and off – you’re constantly be playing the “slipper game” and you’ll never get it right and the slippers will never fit but this is not optional
5. and curb your unnecessary opinions while here
reminder (not a plug)
please explore some of my resources so I can help you best on your trip (this site has no tracking pixels, no analytics, no cookies, nothing, there is no sales funnel, nothing to buy except maybe my poetry chap books).
as mentioned there are hundreds of folks making videos on YouTube with various degrees of usefulness – please don’t get too worked up into someone’s own in Japan, my subset of knowledge is well specific as is everyone else’s
you ain’t coming to change it
ps before anyone gets worked up about “and curb your unnecessary opinions while here” i’m not advising to curtail your critical thinking rather what I mean is: don’t roll into Japan constantly saying “you know what Japan ought to do to improve/what’s so weird about Japan is why doesn’t Japan/” rather just observe for a while (reminding yourself that somehow the country has existed for 1000s of years and ‘still’ exists as a significant world economy and paragon of culture, health and safety despite all the stuff about declining populations, strict immigration, bear attacks etc.)
more to add
PPS note to self to add a few links to YT channels to teach you things about Japan travel rather than just “hype” especially that nice lady Hansen who talks about Onsen & Ryokan, JJ Walsh who talks about sustainable travel, etc. etc. & @PaprikaGirl_JP‘s recent thread of tips with groovy desktop publishing illustrations
Outbound
Japan is magical, overwhelming, satisfying, bewildering and perfect all at once… You might wanna stay or at least you’ll definitely wanna come back
{and as always, pardon typographical and dictation errors in the thread above in the rare circumstance that you’re reading this}
bonus checklist
{This list was made for a young solo traveler heading towards our area but you might find this as a nice inspiration prompt for your own checklist}
Checklist for fun
To make it fun, here’s a little Japan Bingo / Checklist:
- Visit a castle or 3
- Visit one or two of the great gardens of Japan
- Eat the best bowl of ramen of your life
- Eat sushi or sashimi at a proper counter (doesn’t have to be fancy)
- Send several postcards
- Buy something useful at a convenience store (snack, socks, underpants :)!)
- Ride the shinkansen (bullet train) get green car
- Ride a local train
- Take a domestic flight
- Ride a streetcar / tram
- Ride a subway (good luck!)
- Visit legit old samurai residences
- Visit a Buddhist temple and/or a Shinto shrine
- Write a wish on a wooden prayer tile (ema) at a shrine and drop a coin in the box
- Visit a listening café (where the master puts on a record, you order a drink, and sit quietly to enjoy it)
- See live jazz (if possible)
- Visit a museum filled with European art (that would be a 3-hour line in New York or Paris)
- Visit a museum with stellar Japanese artists
- Experience a hot spring bath (onsen) at a private ryokan bath
- Walk through a covered shopping arcade (shōtengai)
- Experience a tea ceremony
- Drink a Japanese craft beer in a tiny hidden bar that barely fits eight people
- See Dave’s barn studio, listen to a record, write a postcard or make a scrap
- See Ryoko’s permaculture land, maybe harvest a zucchini or squash to eat
- Visit a goat farm, listen to records have awesome lunch
- Get lost and somehow find your way back
- Ride in a taxi where you don’t open your own door
- Get money out of a post office ATM while buying stamps and mailing postcards
You won’t hit every single checkbox, but you’ll tick most of them — which makes for a pretty killer 10 days in Japan.
