HOLIDAYS TO JAPAN

Tokyo is a city where historic customs mingle with cutting-edge technology, a juxtaposition that means you’ll find a delicately small Shinto shrine plotted amidst a cluster of space-age skyscrapers, where stunningly peaceful gardens line up alongside the neon flashes of crowded stores and where a bolshie bout of sumo-wrestling dominates the sports headlines in Japan.

In short, visiting Tokyo is as much about stumbling across something unexpected as it is about knowing what to do and where to go. Indeed, without a doubt, every corner in Tokyo has the potential to unravel a new surprise…

Tokyo is merely the first step on a thrilling journey across Japan, however, and a ride on the pioneering Shinkansen – or Bullet Train – has the potential to take you to many of the country’s foremost destinations. Head south to visit the thriving city of Osaka, in many ways a more condensed version of Tokyo and an excellent place to immerse yourself in a city noticeably more relaxed than its counterpart.

It’s also a superb base from which to explore nearby Kyoto, a splendid city firmly rooted in Japanese history and an imperative stop on any Japan holiday. Walk for hours amidst the hundreds of exquisite Buddhist temples – including the iconic Golden Temple – and Shinto shrines, immersing oneself in the peaceful ambience of your sublime surroundings. If you’ve ever envisaged Japan to be tranquil temples, idyllic gardens and peaceful ponds, Kyoto is the fulfilment of your fantasy.

Japan is replete with experiences every traveller must savour at one point in their life, not least admiring the views across towards the iconic Mt. Fuji, the snow-capped peak pressed against the deep blue of the sky behind it as rolling green landscapes unfurl in the foreground. The city of Hiroshima also represents an important stop on a Japan holiday, its reinvention following the atomic bomb that destroyed it – and signalled the end of World War II – underlined by its poignant and moving Peace Memorial Park.

Wherever you go in Japan, however, there are countless opportunities to try something new, whether that involves residing in a traditional Ryokan guestroom, feasting on delicious local delicacies, from sushi to gyoza to okonomiyaki, sinking into a relaxing mountainside onsen, or having a go at the nation’s favourite partying past-time, karaoke.

Still got that itinerary? Best discard it, because Japan is not a country you can always plan day-by-day. You must experience it. Minute-by-unexpected minute…