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Patrick91230

Globetrotter4,073 posts

2024-12-02

Hi there, These cities aren’t in the guidebooks much, but they’re absolutely worth a detour—just 180 km from Osaka and perfect for a stop on your way back from the south or heading down from Osaka. I’ve been here for five days, and the autumn colors are simply stunning: bright reds, vibrant yellows, deep maroons, and lush greens against a crystal-blue sky. Fall here is magical. Plus, the canal in central Okayama (Nishigawa) is all lit up. Hardly any Western tourists stop here, but there are plenty of Japanese visitors.

Cordialement, Patrick.

SI Sissi57 Globetrotter ·2024-12-03

Hi there, You all had mentioned the sometimes noticeable anti-tourist attitude in Japan these days. How is it in areas like Okayama and Kurashiki (which I visited in 2018), that aren’t on the main tourist "highway"?

Je n'aurai pas le temps...

Patrick91230 Globetrotter ·2024-12-04

Hi there,

Totally different from the big cities, the people are really friendly. In shops, it's "hello" and a smile, and they try to help you if needed—unlike Osaka, for example. A simple example: at our hotel in Osaka, there wasn’t even a hello or a glance—it felt cold. But at the one in Okayama, every time we passed the lobby, it was a smile or a "hello," with offers to help. The breakfast server was always attentive and warm. I’ve been coming to Japan for ages, but now I prefer staying longer in smaller, human-scale cities where you run into fewer tourists.

Cordialement, Patrick.

Fairytitania Regular ·2024-12-04

For Osaka, my experience was different. It was our first trip to Japan, a total discovery. We had booked a hotel in Umeda. So we left the (very) big station and tried to find our way among those buildings. With the travel fatigue and jet lag, it wasn’t easy in the middle of the crowd. I ended up asking a security guard at a store for directions, and he left his post to walk us all the way to the hotel—along the way, he asked us questions and gave us sightseeing tips. We also met kind people in Tokyo who helped or guided us every time we needed it. Maybe we were just lucky.

For autumn colors, from what I’ve seen everywhere, it’s usually late November. We’re thinking of going back in the future, but since I’m a teacher, I can only travel during the mid-October break. Is there any chance of seeing those beautiful colors then?

Juillet 2010 : La Dolce Vita / Costa Concordia Février 2018 : Perle des Caraïbes / Costa Pacifica

SI Sissi57 Globetrotter ·2024-12-04

I have to say that we passed through Tokyo briefly last year on our way to Kyushu, and we didn’t notice any difference compared to a stay in 2018, when we spent a week there. And the welcome in Kyushu in 2023 was very pleasant. I don’t know when we’ll return to Japan—next, we’d like to visit Tohoku and Hokkaido. I hope these issues won’t reach those regions, as Japan is so enjoyable.

Je n'aurai pas le temps...

Patrick91230 Globetrotter ·2024-12-05

Hi, With climate change, it's getting later and later—the peak of autumn is expected on December 5th in Tokyo and December 9th in Osaka, which is really late. We're currently in the Kansai region, and the leaves haven't all fallen yet. There's still a lot of yellow and red everywhere. It snowed on Mount Fuji only at the end of October, something that hasn’t been seen in 130 years. Here in Osaka yesterday, it was 14°C. So mid-October is too early to see all these colors.

Cordialement, Patrick.

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