It’s been three months and I still can’t stop thinking about my trip to Japan! There are so many things I can talk about so let’s start off this series with all the beautiful places I visited during this trip.
Kyoto
Walking through Arashiyama to find the bamboo forest wasn’t as easy as Instagram and TikTok make it seem! After our 15-minute commute on the subway, I got off the train and started the 45-minute walk to the forest. Little did I know that the 45 minutes would turn into an hour and a half of walking. Following Google Maps directions was the first mistake. Japan is full of hidden pathways like an intricate maze of beautiful views. The forest is difficult to pinpoint on a map. Such a challenge in fact that I found a sign that informed tourists that I was going the wrong way! That was only after I realized we had walked too far from being distracted by the magical scenery in front of me: mountains covered in greenery, with the summits fading into the sky, traditional houses and boats that I’ve only seen on a screen were all around the river with water like emeralds glistening under the sunlight. I was speechless. It was a sight a small Montrealer wasn’t ready for.
After finally finding my way to the famous bamboo forest, I felt a wave of calm take over. With the wind blowing through the bamboo, seeing the stems swaying and the sunlight peeking through, it was so serene. That is, until a wave of other tourists found their way there.
After a couple of days in Kyoto, it was time to head to the next city: Osaka. Of course, I made sure to see the Kyoto Tower before I left!
Osaka
The train ride to Osaka was a breeze. The trip on the shinkansen (bullet train) was only 15 minutes! Canada could never. The hotel I booked was a short walk away from Namba station, which I quickly found out was a popular and very busy station. The neighboring subway station, Shinsaibashi, was near what I could only call “designer central”. A row of designer stores lined the boulevard: Gucci, Fendi, Prada, Dolce & Gabana, Louis Vuitton, you name it! Not too far from there was Americamura, a shopping arcade of second hand clothing. It was interesting to see how “American” style was labelled and set apart as the “exotic” style for once. There were also plenty of local shops that you could only find there.
A little further, we found Dotonbori. During the day, it’s a beautiful, bustling district filled with shops and restaurants. At night, it’s bright neon signs, and extravagant billboards lining the Dotonbori canal. There’s performances and street food, and it’s where we found some of our favourite snacks! Definitely something to visit if ever you’re in Osaka.
Tokyo
Tokyo was the last city on the list. Here there was a lot of spending involved. Since it was my last few days in Japan, I had to make sure I checked off all the souvenirs on my list! Being in Japan, I obviously had to make a stop at the flagship Muji store. Standing right at the front entrance, my 5’1″ self staring at the 8-floor building, it felt like the adult version of visiting a Toys R Us. The other must-see’s on my list were Tokyo Tower, which was a very healthy uphill walk. And if you know me, you can already hear me saying “are we almost there?” After seeing the tower, I made sure to get to Shibuya to see the famous crossing. I had found a less popular viewing balcony off of TikTok and it definitely was worth getting lost for 20 minutes. The Nike store in Harajuku was the next stop, where I had some custom printed sweaters made as souvenirs. The designs were made by local artists so I couldn’t resist getting a few things.
The last stop of the day was the teamLab Planets art museum. Now I know what you’re thinking: “Alisa, why would you want to go to a museum where you need to be barefoot?” And the simple answer to that is “for Instagram”. Fortunately for my (and my travelling partner’s) shy toes, I forgot to buy tickets ahead of time. The exhibit is a away from the city, out of the way, so I felt guilty about the subway ride and walk that ended up being a waste of time. And to make matters worse, I got on the wrong train to head back to the hotel! This train was special. There was no conductor at the front nor at the back of the train. Sitting at the very end of the train, I had a front row seat to the view of the city. I got to see the entire city on a single train ride and just as we neared the terminal, the sun had set. I might have gotten on the wrong train, but it was a mistake I’m happy I made.
Japan is not only a wonderful place to travel to, but it was also really easy to find your way around as a tourist. From Kyoto to Osaka and finally ending up in Tokyo, there were so many places and things to do. And although I didn’t get to see and do everything, I know I’ll be visiting again soon. Maybe I’ll finally get to see the famous bowing deer…
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