i travelled to tokyo a while back, tried to save money by staying @ a business district instead of the cool places like shibuya and shinjuku.
before i left i walked into a bar @ 4pm - empty - and had free drinks with the owner. He used to be a kawasaki bike repairer. I tried speaking to him in his broken english - was so cool he tried with me! He then opened up this bar for businessmen.
i also recommend looking at google earth in aerial view. Looking for interesting looking places - and just giving them a go! i found an incredible spot in Kauai, Hawaii near Lihue...wild coast on one side, a shrine on the other, airplanes taking off on the other. I had to drive past a military satelite installation kinda off road to get to it....zero tourists...was pure magic. I stayed there for 3+ hours all alone :)
Koya-san is one of the most memorable places in Japan. I can recommend visiting in the deep winter when it's very cold with lots of snow and the atmosphere is otherworldly.
Not GP but I highly recommend visiting the east coast of the island. The population density is much lower and it's really beautiful. You have to visit Taroko Gorge, which is a canyon with marble walls. It's amazing!
When you visit somewhere what do you enjoy seeing or doing? Nature? History? Culture? People (as in people-watching)? Local cuisines? Unique activities? I wouldn't recommend Yoyogi Park on a Sunday afternoon for people who aren't that into people watching and don't care to see the Rockabillies dancing. I equally wouldn't recommend any particular temple or shrine to a person who's attitude towards them is "Seen one, seen them all." I have a particular soft spot for Inari shrines and go out quite of my way to visit many of the smaller/local ones.
I also second Jack's recommendation of Nikko. It was one of my favorite places I visited. Lake Chuzenji was beautiful in the spring when I went.
Awesome story! I'm actually going to Koya-san this weekend to shoot footage for a video I'm making on Kansai. Any suggestions on where to go on the mountain and surrounding area?
For me, it was simply how it was incredibly alien and incredibly familiar at the same time. Everything was different, but if you’re at all a nerd (and you’re on HN so…) you’ve been exposed to Japanese culture.
That and it was all so friendly, easy to get around, beautiful, etc. It’s a wonderful vacation for people that just like to walk around and explore.
You can get two really good day trips out of Matsumoto: one for Matsumoto Castle and the inner city in general, and one for Kamikochi (https://www.kamikochi.org/). It's also easy to go from there to Kofun or Nagano.
For other advice I would recommend that at least one of your group speaks enough Japanese to ask directions, order food, use a laundromat, shop at a supermarket, describe what you want at a barber's, tell a doctor what you're ailing, ask a staff member where the lost and found is, that kind of stuff. Also note that New Year's and Golden Week are really awkward times to go and summer is hot and humid. Make sure to talk to your GP to make sure you have whatever vaccinations you need, I'm thinking of Japanese Encephalitis (JE) in particular. Also make sure you take enough cash to get the most basic necessities if the airline manages to bungle your luggage. In short, just keep all the basic travel advice in mind and you'll be fine.
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