Japan: First Discovery! (page 3 of 5)

we’re taking a taxi back: this one is decorated with doilies on every seat!

And the white gloves, and the door that opens all by itself... Nothing like ours.

Yeah, a whole different world! 😮

Today we're taking the shinkansen back to Tokyo. The end of the trip is approaching, and we're wondering where we're going to put all our purchases...

View from the shinkansen:

Tokyo Station: the dome

The exterior

We grab a quick bite before heading to the hotel where we're staying for our last night in Japan (Belken Hotel Kanda, 95 €, very well located near Tokyo Station). We finish our shopping by going to Ameyoko Shopping Street in the evening.

Then it's time to finish packing everything for our return to France the next day (departure at 10 PM from Narita).

That’s it—we’re heading back to France tonight at 10 PM... We still have a little time left, so we decide to leave our luggage in the lockers at Tokyo Station. Once again, even though our bags are medium-sized, it’s tough to find an available locker. Thanks to a locker repairman who dropped everything to help us, we finally found one

We decide to visit the East Gardens of the Imperial Palace, which is nearby. The grounds are large, but part of it is off-limits since it’s reserved for the emperor. It’s located where the old Edo Castle once stood, which burned down around 1870.











It’s not the most beautiful garden we’ve seen in Japan, but it’s still very peaceful.

We grab a bite to eat, then head back to the station to catch the Narita Express to the airport—with a little regret. A layover in Doha, and a flight that felt shorter than the trip out, and our journey is over...😕



Thanks to everyone who followed my story to the end! The point of this post is just to show that it’s totally possible to visit Japan on your own. I really recommend this country for its variety of religious monuments—their refinement and elegance—as well as its stunning gardens full of surprises and its spectacular castles. I also loved the zen atmosphere, the kindness, and the eagerness of the Japanese to help. If you have any questions (within the limits of my knowledge[;]), don’t hesitate to ask!

Happy holidays to the whole VoyageForum community!

Hi Chris, I’ve been following your journey through this country I’d love to visit with great pleasure (and in silence)—what a culture shock! Thanks so much for your fascinating update, and happy holidays to you!

Thanks for sharing! It’s really interesting and inspiring for my next trip. Happy holidays to you!

Thanks to Montagnard74 and Capucine33 for your kind encouraging messages!

Have a great day.

This is just to show that it’s entirely possible to go to Japan on your own.

I can confirm that this kind of topic is really interesting from that perspective. I pulled off a similar project before this forum reopened—I gathered info from another travel forum. I started researching in early 2020 but had to stop everything because of the pandemic. I dove back in at the beginning of September 2023 for a trip in April 2024. There are tons of sites packed with tips for skipping agencies and organized tours. Since I haven’t written up my own trip report (it feels a little late for that now 😅), I’m happy to dive into everyone else’s instead.

I had also planned to go in 2020 and had to cancel all my reservations! 🤪

I was just in the research phase, thankfully.

A huge thank you for this detailed review—I just devoured it in one go, and it might help some people take the plunge! We’re not really "city" people in general. How did you feel about the nature side of the destination? Aside from some botanical gardens (which we love, by the way), I’m worried that a classic 2–3 week first trip might feel too "urban," to the point of feeling a bit suffocating. Maybe I’m wrong...

Hi Chris, First of all, THANK YOU! for this complete and detailed account. This trip has been on my list for a few years, and I was hesitant because of the high cost quoted by agencies. I’ve always organized my trips myself. Your story inspired me to finally make my dream of visiting these magnificent temples, experiencing Japanese culture, and seeing the parks with cherry and wisteria blossoms in spring a reality. I’ll probably get back to you with some questions a bit later in January. Happy Holidays!

That was one of my worries too, since I often feel overwhelmed in big cities. In Japan, I didn’t feel anything like that at all. The cities are calm, clean, with little traffic and no honking. It was the first time I felt truly comfortable in a city! Also, if you love gardens and nature, here they’re refined and impeccably clean! However, it’s best to locate them on a map because cities are large, and you might walk right past them without noticing.

Go to Japan—you won’t be disappointed! So glad my trip inspired you, and if I can help with any tips, I’d be happy to!

Hi there, Just a little anecdote to show how kind the Japanese are for those who might still be hesitant about taking such a trip. While visiting a garden in Tokyo, as closing time approached, loudspeakers played "It's only a goodbye" (I can't remember in which language, but we definitely recognized the tune) to let us know it was time to leave. Hard to be more considerate than that.

Hi Torpan. Is it more expensive and harder to do the same route during cherry blossom season?

Hi Torpan. Is it more expensive and harder to do the same trip during cherry blossom season?

Yeah, I think so, and it’s way more crowded for the cherry blossoms. Plus, seeing them isn’t always easy—this year, they bloomed in March instead of the usual April...

Hi Torpan. Is it more expensive and harder to do the same route during cherry blossom season?

Yeah, I think so, and it’s super crowded for the cherry blossoms. Plus, seeing them isn’t always easy—this year, they bloomed in March instead of the usual April...

Thanks.

Another anecdote that shows how kind the Japanese are. We’d bought postcards with and without envelopes from two different places, plus some stamps. We had 100-yen and 140-yen stamps and stuck them on as we went, not really knowing what each was for... We went to a small post office where they didn’t speak English, but the two clerks made it clear that the 140-yen stamps were for the envelopes. Turns out we’d mixed up one: no problem—with a smile, the ladies peeled off the stamps and re-glued them where they belonged!

We were there in mid-April, and the cherry trees were in full bloom (Osaka and Tokyo).

Really nice photo! How was the crowd like?