Destination: Japan
Land of the Rising Sun
Japan, the first country we visited outside of Australia, and a quirky country with some of the most polite people you will ever meet. It’s no wonder that we quickly fell in love with the remarkable Land of the Rising Sun.
Japan Travel Guide
Japan is a country of fascinating juxtapositions. Experience the ultra-modern mega-city, Tokyo that has risen from the shogun foundations of old Edo, to the ancient capital of Kyoto filled with cultural and spiritually significant sites. Visit castles and learn about the proud, samurai history or take in Hiroshima and the horrific devestation caused by the atomic bomb. Alternatively, escape to the north to visit country towns like Furano and meet the indiginous Ainu people of Hokkaido.
As a tourist, you can access rail passes that give you the ability to utilise Japan’s extensive rail network for cheap, including the iconic shinkansen bullet trains, or take a different route and try a road trip. See the natural beauty of Japan, juxtaposed against city skylines that stretch beyond what the eye can see.
What will you do first in the Land of the Rising Sun?
Inspiration:
City Stays
Experience Japans most popular cities with our self-guided city stay itineraries.
Roadtripping
Inspiration
While driving in a mega-city like Tokyo might not be your cup of tea, heading out of the busy centres and into rural Japan by car affords you an experience like no other.
Bihoro Pass I Abashiri, Hokkaido I Japan
Inspiration:
Cultural Experiences
Discover Zen in Kyoto
Discover Kabuki In Tokyo
Kabuki is a form of Japanese theatre that originated in the Edo period and is listed as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage. These unrivalled performances feature elaborate make-up and exquisite costumes that draw the watcher into the story unlike any western performance.
“I regard the theatre as the greatest of all art forms, the most immediate way in which a human being can share with another the sense of what it is to be a human being.”
– Oscar Wilde
Inspiration:
Historical Experiences
Hiroshima Memorial
Peace Park
On August 6, 1945, the city of Hiroshima was changed forever. Visit the Memorial Peace Park and A-Dome, and you will come away changed forever too.