What should be on your bucket list for Japan?
1. Kyoto - for culture Situated on the island of Honshu, Kyoto, Japan’s former capital is a must-see for its imperial palaces, Shinto shrines, classical Buddhist temples, old wooden houses and gardens. Geisha are often to be found in the Gion district, while another local tradition is kaiseki – formal meals of several courses of precise dishes.
2. Hokkaido – for skiing This is the most northerly of Japan’s main islands, home to Mount Yotei and to the popular ski resorts of Rusutsu, Furano and Niseko. The landscape is simply sublime: a mix of volcanoes, onsen geothermal hot springs and caldera lakes.
3. Osaka - for street food Also on Honshu, this port city is known for its 16th-century castle, its modern architecture, its Sumiyoshi-taisha Shinto shrine (among Japan’s oldest) and its nightlife, but most of all for its hearty street food including grilled octopus and pancake-like okonomiyaki – especially in the Dotonbori district.
4. Hiroshima – for history The tragedy-laden city of Honshu is now a place for reflection and remembrance, in the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park, where you can see the ruined Genbaku Dome, one of the rare buildings left standing after the atomic bomb. Hiroshima Castle and Shukkei-en Japanese garden are worth a visit too.
If these sound interesting, give me a call and we can get planning.