The plan
From the moment I landed back in England after my trip to Japan two years ago, I had a burning desire to revisit Japan as soon as possible.
Never did I imagine that chance would present itself so quickly. But alas, when a friend who had also been said he, too, wanted to return, the dye was cast.
And so our planning for Japan 2025, 2.0, began in earnest.
There is so much to love about this wonderful country: the warmth and friendliness of its people, its rich cultural heritage, unique and high quality cuisine and the co-existence of old and new – from ancient temples and castles to Japan’s world leading transport infrastructure.
So you can see why I took the decision to return. Expensive yes, but I didn’t need asking twice.
And so on 2nd October we rose at daybreak for our coach to Heathrow and then a 16 and a half hour flight with Cathay Pacific to Hong Kong and on to Tokyo’s Haneda airport.
Whereas last time we remained in the confines of the capital, this time, thanks to our excellent travel agent, our trip consisted of four cities. Starting in Tokyo then on to Nagoya, the Peace City of Hiroshima before finishing in Osaka. ‘City hopping’ in this manner ensured we never stayed in one area for long, never got bored and didn’t repeat anything (bar Fuji) from our previous visits.
I won’t go through day-by-day in minute detail as we packed a lot in to our 14-day visit: instead I will pick out the parts I liked best and discuss the highlights.
Toyko
Here I had my first taste of octopus (oishii desu) and posed for a selfie with the enormous giant Buddha of Hase in Kamakura. Weighing in at 121 tonnes and 11.4m high, it’s a tribute to Amitabha and sits a short distance away from the temple of the eleveh headed kannon at Hasedera. The interactive steps at Tokyo Skytree took our breath away and we also went to a J-League match…. Japanese style. Urawa Reds vs Vissel Kobe. A cagey game ends in a 1-0 win for the home side and their two newest fans were impressed with the partisan atmosphere and high standard on display!
The Saitama Stadium (a 2002 World Cup venue) was quite something, too. Other highlights included Sensoji temple at Asakusa, and the village of Oshino Hakkai in the foothills of Fuji (no views this time on an overcast day). I enjoyed a lot of traditional Japanese cuisine during our 14 days out there including katsu curry, ramen, sushi and rice bowls aplenty!!
Nagoya
At the halfway point of the trip we moved on to Nagoya, a city with a very different, far slower place to Tokyo. We missed our planned excursion to Shirakawa-go as we turned up on the wrong day (oops), but went to Gifu Castle (via cable car) overlooking the picturesque cityscape of the same name. Here we learned the demonic deeds of ruthless warlord Oda Nobunaga and went inside his former abode.
Let’s just say he’s not the sort of chap you’d want to go for a beer with! During our three days here we also visited Nagoya castle and the national gardens at Tokugawa. We indulged ourselves with ramen and also watched the Japan national team earn a last minute draw in a friendly with Paraguay (we were unable to get tickets so watched in a sport bar!)
Hiroshima
For me, this was the undoubted zenith of our trip. As a history buff, exploring this city scarred by tragedy was fascinating. Although now a symbol of peace and resilience advocating for a world free of warfare and conflict, the events of 6 August 1945 are with you at every turn.
Nowhere is this portrayed more powerfully than the A-bomb dome, the only original structure left standing in the area where the bomb exploded. A crumbling, burnt out ruin, it stands exactly as it was on that fateful day as a poignant memorial to the 140,000 inhabitants lost at the hands of humankind’s most destructive force. We gazed in silent reflection at the structure, immortalised only in rubble.
Contrasting emotions in city of peace
Upon arrival in Hiroshima, we noticed a posse of people in purple football shirts. A quick check of the fixture list and we realised it was game day! As the stadium was only a short distance away we headed there to see if we could get tickets as Sanfrecce were playing Yokohama in the 2nd leg of their J-League Cup semi final. And thus, 7,000 Yen later (about £12 each) we were in! An unexpected bonus at the EDION Peace Wing as a game played in an excitable atmosphere saw Hiroshima triumph 2-1 against Yokohama… and they went on to win the coveted silverware.
A short distance away, the Peace Memorial Garden offers space for reflection whilst the Memorial Museum was moving and very poignant. The artefacts left behind by survivors and victims, including clothes and children’s toys in particular, brought a tear to even the most hardened eye. We visited here for a change of tempo and emotion after the game and I’m glad we did as it gave us the time to fully grasp the scale of the tragedy. To rush through this must-see attraction would not have done it justice.
Miyajima Island
We also visited Miyajima Island and its famous ‘floating’ torii of Itsukushima. This magnificent Shimto shrine rises like a relic from the sea, keeping our feet firmly on dry land whilst marvelling at the cityscape and the deer roaming freely. Battling both our dwindling energy and Yen on a scorching 31-degree day, we spent about an hour and a half on the island (it was very busy) before visiting Hiroshima Castle and climbing 400 steps up to Kinkoinari offering panoramic views over the city. If you ever get the chance to go to Japan like me, then Hiroshima must be near the top of your list.
Osaka
We were beginning to feel fatigued and our energy was sapping by the time our Shinkansen arrived in Osaka for the final stop of our tour. After finding our hotel, we walked to Osaka’s bustling city centre, the Dotonburi, to have a look at the famous ‘running man’ and the interactive screens.
The highlight here was Kyoto and TeamLabs Biovortex (a new, all singing all dancing 2.0 version of TeamLabs Planets). I had a go at a few of the interactive rooms but decided not to go in the one with the soap suds! Then it was the architectural masterpiece of Kyomizudera temple. On the slops of Mt. Otowa, hundreds of visitors including religious leaders and politicians come to pay their respects to Kannon, the goddess of mercy, and to drink from the Otowa falls in the hope of being granted your deepest wishes.
There was a dragon festival the day we were there so it was very busy but we did get to see a procession of actors with a lifelike replica which was amazing down the narrow streets. Osaka was a perfect example of Japan’s ancient history and traditions existing cheek-by-jowl with 21st-century modernity
And so it was… after one final farewell to Osaka where we visited the TV tower and watched the new DemonSlayer movie (in English subtitles), it was time to say Sayonara once again.
With a heavy heart, we headed for Kansai Airport and the long flight home. Japan 2025… what a trip we had. It sure was a blast! Until next time..