Japan offers plenty of activities for people to take part in whether in group or alone and, since I became passionate about Japanese culture, my list of things I'd like to do once I'm there has been growing a lot, to the point that I decided to share some of the items in my list with you. Obviously there is so much one can think of while being in another country, and I am 100% sure once I am there I will discover a whole new list of things that I want to do.
I've recommended books about Japanese culture, I've talked about some Japanese cities I'd like to visit, and now I'll share 5 things I want to experience when I am in Japan.
Visit Fushimi Inari Shrine
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| Photo by Jezael Melgoza on Unsplash |
I absolutely make no mystery—when talking about Japan—that one of the things I want to experience is to visit the Fushimi Inari Shrine. Besides being enamoured with Kyoto as a whole, shrines are one of the things I love most about Japan, so how can I miss one of the most famous?
I also have this kind of personal goal that I would love to go through ALL the gates. It may not mean a lot to others but, since I am not a sporty person and therefore not very good with physical activity, I feel like this would be a big accomplishment for me.
Izakaya Hopping
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| Photo by natsuki on Unsplash |
Now, I have to admit that I am not a massive drinker, so perhaps this may sound a bit strange to you. However, it doesn't mean that I don't enjoy drinking. I also have to admit that it's because of the Ryu Ga Gotoku (known in the West as Yakuza) video games that I've gotten quite interested in Izakayas.
I also feel they give a nice atmosphere of people bonding and enjoying themselves over drinks, so it's something that I would love to experience at least once. One way or another, I will have my Yamazaki 12!!
See a Kabuki Play
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| Photo by Susann Schuster on Unsplash |
Seeing a Kabuki play is one of the 5 things I want to experience when I am in Japan. I've always low-key been interested in theatrical shows and, since this historical type of Japanese dance-drama dates all the way back to the Edo period—my favourite—it's something that is definitely high on my list.
Attend a Japanese Wagashi Class
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| Photo by Vicky Ng on Unsplash |
To embrace every aspect of Japanese culture, one other thing that I would like to do is to attend a Wagashi class. I've always wanted to attend a cooking class in general, but when it comes to Japan, one of those I'd be interested in trying the most is the Wagashi class. Don't they look great? It'd be lovely to learn how to make them!
For those who aren't familiar with this, Wagashi—otherwise known as 和菓子—are traditional Japanese confections that are served with green tea. You will likely see these being served during a Japanese tea ceremony.
Go Hiking
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| Photo by Tony Everitt |
Like I've stated before, I am not a very sporty—nor outdoorsy—person, and due to some personal health issues I kind of struggle a little with physical activity (as in I'm limited and have to be very careful with what I can do). However, since I've gotten an interest in Japan, I've made no mystery that I would be very open to trying new things, especially when it comes to being out and about.
Japan has so many wonderful nature spots, so much so that one of the things I'm keeping high on my list is that I'd like to go hiking. And it makes me ever more excited to give it a go knowing that I can combine physical activity with a little bit of Japanese history. How, you ask? By joining a guided heritage hiking tour of the Old Tokaido Highway, of course! Renowned travel expert Tony Everitt founded HIKE Hakone Hachiri in 2020, providing hiking tours to international visitors along the old Tokaido. Hakone Hachiri is a 32-km section of the old highway from Odawara through the mountainous Hakone Pass to Mishima.
If this sounds familiar to you, it's because it's a setting in the well-acclaimed novel by James Clavell, Shōgun—which I've mentioned in my last post. This makes me extremely happy, because there are different tours one can join (from single-day to five-day trips) and I genuinely can't wait to do them all!
Have you taken part in any of the activities I mentioned today? If so, let me know your experience in the comments, or tell me which one of these you would like to try!
次回まで。♥
9 comments
Hiking in Japan is truly rewarding with its breathtaking views. A lot of hiking trails are free and some have easy courses for those with limited physical activity.
ReplyDeleteThat's what prompted me to want to try this, for the breathtaking views. And thank you for mentioning that, I had no idea there could be trails at different levels.
DeleteI don't think there is a single thing you listed here that I wouldn't want to try myself, including the Yamazaki 12 because of your same reason :P However, if you ask me which of these activities I'd put at the top of my list, then it would probably be the Fushimi Inari Shrine and hiking, because I would truly love to lose myself in the beautiful scenery surrounding me! 💚
ReplyDeleteI know, right?? I'd probably want to do as many outdoor activities as I possibly can! 😁
DeleteGreat blog
ReplyDeleteThank you! These are only a fraction of what I'd like to do, the actual list would be too long to share here, hehe
DeleteThe shrine would be fabulous. I didn't even know about it until I saw it in a walking tour video. And the less traveled, wilder areas also appeal to me- would love to do some exploring!
ReplyDeleteOh I thought I commented! Anyway these sound fantastic. Especially the shrine. I saw one in a walking tour video from one of my favortite vloggers and it got me realizing how many amazing shriesn there are.
ReplyDeleteYes, I'm very enamoured with Shrines, so I hope I'll be able to visit as many as possible, that would be a wonderful experience for me!
DeleteWhich vlogger did you watch?