Last year I decided to have some time for myself in Japan. I had wanted to visit this country since I was a little girl but money, schedules and other interests always got in the way. But when a friend decided to move there last year, I knew it would be the perfect excuse to visit the country. Continue reading to see what I got to explore while in Japan! I know I’m a bit late…but work and other blog priorities all got on the way.

Firstly, let me warn you that you won’t see any glamorous and stylish outfits. Temperatures are extremely cold in Japan in late December and since I often get sick due to temperature changes, I decided to wear comfortable and warm clothes. You’ve been warned! 

Kyoto

Definitely my favourite place in Japan. If you are an history nerd and love the aesthetics of traditional Japan, Kyoto is the right place for you. Kyoto used to be Japan’s capital during the Edo Period and besides the Tea Ceremony, it’s also popular because of the Geishas that live and work there.

I highly recommend taking a free Kyoto tour to visit the Gion district (where Geishas and Maikos work and live) as well as learn more about Japanese culture.

Nara

Nara was probably one of the places I wanted to see first in Japan. And it absolutely blew my mind. It’s a small city with a big old area with shrines and sacred places where wild deer live. Yes, deer!

These animals are worshipped as holy by people from Nara and they just walk around free. You can buy some biscuits and feed them, and any type of violence against them will be punished by law, meaning you could go to jail. I mean, who could hurt these lovely and friendly animals?

Osaka

I didn’t do much in Osaka besides visiting Universal Studios Japan and The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. The theme park really resembles the one in California (the only one I had already visited) but has a Beverly Hills inspired area as well. We wanted to visit the park because of the Harry Potter area, where we spent most of the time.

If you ever visit Osaka, I’d highly recommend trying Okonomiyaki. I’m not afraid to say that this absolutely blew my mind.

Tokyo

Definitely the biggest city I’ve ever visited and, surprisingly, one of the quietest in the world. There’s a lot to explore there, either traditional areas such as Asakusa or neighbourhoods where all type of subcultures live together: Shibuya, Shinjuku and Harajuku. 

I used to love Manga and Anime when I was a teenager so coming to Japan was some sort of childhood dream come true: I even got to visit the Sailor Moon and Pokemon stores.

Asakusa is another area in the city you cannot miss. It’s like going back in time and there are many shrines there. We visited the area just before New Year’s, so it was really busy.

Although it was a short stay in Japan this helped me detox my body and soul. Not only because of the delicious and super healthy food and drinks they have there, but also because I decided I wanted to worry less about social media. At least for a week!

There’s a lot to see and do in Japan, and we also visited Kamakura by train. It’s only 40 minutes from Tokyo and a lovely town to discover.

Japan is so different from Europe and Spain and I really hope I can get to visit the country again soon. 

Hope you liked today’s post! Have you ever been to Japan? Comment below your favourite places to visit in the country!

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