Made in Japan

27th June 2011

Made in Japan
The best of Japan

From fascinating, perplexing and hilarious, to natural highs, beautiful aesthetics and just plain weird – what guys and girls love about the Japan experiences.

The summer is a great time to visit Japan – it’s when the country enters into matsuri (festival) madness, not least in the northern Tohoku region with its sense-assaulting Aomori Nebuta, Akita Kanto and Sendai Tanabata festivals in August. The girls dress in colourful kimonos, the guys carry ‘mikoshi’ (portable shrines) on their shoulders through the crowds, the big skies explode with amazing fireworks, the food stalls are full of takoyaki (fried octopus) and yakitori (meat on skewers) whilst taiko drummers and flute players glide by on lantern-lit floats.
These stunning celebrations paint a vivid and kaleidoscopic picture of Japanese culture – but festivals may not be everyone’s cup of green tea. InsideJapan Tours has put together a list of additional ‘made in Japan’ experiences, accompanied by personal favourite cultural quirks, to entice travellers back to Japan.

Onsen (hot spring baths) and onsen-meguri
The fundamental rule of onsen bathing is to wash outside the bath using the showers and only when the body is clean to get into the bath for a glorious soak. There are thousands of onsen across Japan. For example, Takaragawa onsen is located deep in a mountain forest in a flowing river, Yakushima onsen’s position allows bathers to relax in rock pools overlooking the ocean and Kusatsu onsen, at 1,200 metres, affords views of steaming volcanoes. In the Japanese Alps in winter, it’s skiing by day and, by night, relaxing in an outdoors hot spring pool, surrounded by snow-covered rocks and with the stars twinkling overhead. Head for an onsen town, such as Kinosaki, put on a yukata (dressing gown) and join the locals for ‘onsen meguri’, an onsen-crawl, stopping off for a beer or a snack as you go from onsen to onsen.

InsideJapan Tours’ personal favourites: Liam recommends the free ashi (feet)-onsen, pools of knee-deep hot spring water found at roadsides or in the alps – perfect for a quick soak for tired legs. Or, for an alternative hot spring experience, Mark loves the black sand baths at Ibuzuki – lie down and be covered to the neck in sand, which is heated by hot springs close to the ground surface.

Stay in a ryokan (traditional Japanese inn)
Rooms in a ryokan have tatami straw mat floors, sliding doors, minimalist décor, and slippers worn elsewhere in the ryokan are not allowed in the room. A kimono-wearing waitress will normally bring the evening meal to the room, a colourful array of small dishes called a ‘kaiseki’ dinner - tempura, sushi, grilled meats, noodles, miso soup, rice, pickles, a small dessert and more - set out neatly on a low table. Later on, relax in a hot spring bath, change into the yukata that’s provided and, when it’s time for sleep, find thick futons already laid-out on the tatami floor.

InsideJapan Tours’ personal favourites: for alternative accommodation experiences, David likes the capsule hotel, whilst Liam recommends love hotels with themed rooms and unusual additions such as vibrating beds.

Mingle with the locals at an izakaya
Contrary to what many people think, the Japanese people are generally a very friendly and curious bunch. Head to one of the ubiquitous izakaya (pub/restaurant) for good quality tapas-style food, washed down with lager or shochu (rice spirit cocktails).You will more than likely attract the attention of some jovial locals keen to practise their English and who want you to enjoy Japan.

InsideJapan Tours’ personal favourite: Alastair recommends the tachinomi (literal translation: stand and drink) bars in Tokyo’s Ueno with no seating, conducive to a swift, informal after-work drink.

Quirky dining experiences
Enjoy sushi served to you by model bullet train; be waited on by ninjas in a dark, labyrinthine restaurant with trap doors and a drawbridge; fish for your own sushi in a restaurant designed as a boat; go to a cat café and play with cats whilst having a coffee; be treated like a master or mistress at a French maid café or catch noodles in your mouth as they slide down a bamboo tube (nagashi soumen).

InsideJapan Tours ’ personal favourites: for quirky flavours, Tyler recommends wasabi and black sesame ice cream, whilst Natasha recommends keeping an eye out for tabehodai (eat as much as you like) and nomihodai (drink as much as you like) deals for a cheap night out.

Climbing the Land of the Rising Sun
Mountains cover 70% of Japan. Climb the highest, the sacred Mt Fuji, at 3,776 metres tall, and for the ultimate spiritual experience, watch the sun rise from the top of the Land of the Rising Sun. Climbs are available during July and August and take place through the night.

InsideJapan Tours’ personal favourites: Alastair says climbing Mt Fuji is a ‘true lifetime highlight’; for a different mountain experience, he also recommends a visit at dusk to the okunoin cemetery on Mt Koya (800 metres) considered to be the spiritual home of Shingon Esoteric Buddhism. Mark recommends a helicopter trip over Mt Aso, an active volcano on the southern island of Kyushu.

Seasons in Japan
The Japanese love to celebrate the seasons. Eat, drink and be merry under cherry blossom trees in spring then, in the summer, be captivated by flickering green fireflies on riversides and in the trees; enjoy ‘koyo’ - autumn leaf viewing - in Kyoto and head to Hokkaido in winter for sparkling powder heaven and the Yuki Matsuri (Snow Festival) in February.

InsideJapan Tours’ personal favourite: Matt is a fan of summer fireworks on the beaches and in the countryside across Japan.

Yoyogi Park, Tokyo, on a Sunday
Head to Yoyogi Park on a Sunday to see amateur stand-up comedy, impromptu performances by aspiring new bands, taiko drumming and martial arts. Watch the dancing Rockabillies – from kids to old-timers - wearing winkle-pickers, blue jeans and black leather jackets, with their immaculate quiffs, as they twist and spin all day at the entrance to the park.

InsideJapan Tours’ personal favourites: for a slightly more peaceful park experience, Tom likes Inokashira Park in Tokyo’s Kichijoji, with its long winding paths, large lake, cherry and maple trees; the park is popular during hanami (cherry blossom-viewing) and koyo (autumn leaf-viewing).

Karaoke
Born in Japan, karaoke (comes from kara, meaning empty and oke, short for orchestra) is a favourite with all generations at any time of the day. Karaoke is a cultural experience that takes many westerners by surprise and more often than not leaves them wanting to sing more. From huge karaoke complexes with multiple floors of private rooms, to small bars with a karaoke machine at one end, karaoke can be enjoyed anywhere in Japan. Karaoke boxes (private rooms) will often have special lighting and ‘all you can eat and drink’ deals; most are open until the early hours of the morning, when you can head to Tsukiji fish market for a sushi breakfast.

InsideJapan Tours’ personal favourites: for a big night out, Ruth loves the Golden Gai district in Shinjuku, a microcosm of old-Japan, with around 200 tiny drinking holes, restaurants, jazz bars and karaoke rooms, all around 10m2 and located along neon and lantern-lit narrow streets

Convenience and safety
Japanese cultural beliefs are largely based on peace and group harmony, resulting in one of the lowest crime rates in the developed world, hence making Japan a safe place to visit. The Japanese are also hugely welcoming – and, as InsideJapan Tours’ Harry points out, the welcome is genuine rather than being financially motivated. The language can be confusing - Tom is perplexed that he has learnt two new alphabets yet he is still not literate, but he realises that actions – knowing to take your shoes off when entering a home, how to use chopsticks, how low to bow – can often be more appreciated than being able to speak the language. And, after all, with the automated convenience of vending machines selling hot coffee, beer, toothbrushes and rice, almost anyone can survive in Japan without being a master of the language!

Sample itineraries
Nine night Golden Route self-guided adventure – costs from £1,520 pp (two sharing) including nine nights’ accommodation, breakfast every day, two evenings meals, all transport between destinations, a private guide in Kyoto and Tokyo, plus more.