Autumn in Japan

I have always been fascinated by Japan and its culture and looked forward to our Japanese adventure. I was not disappointed. Many people visit Japan during the cherry blossom season but Autumn is just as magical.

Tokyo was everything you would imagine it to be, fast, full of people and many outstanding modern buildings. Our guide for the day was also able to show us beautiful gardens, traditional shrines and explain the celebrations that take place, as well as show us some of the many narrow alleyways with interesting bars and restaurants. Every step showed an exciting vibrant city but one filled with warmth, politeness and kindness. One of many highlights was a visit to the viewing platform at the Skytree as the sun was setting over Mount Fuji.

Japanese food is wonderful and our guides encouraged us to try many different dishes as well as sake (rice wine). Every dish is beautifully presented and each mouth full is delicious. There are many different types of sake – take your time to sample as many as possible before deciding on your favourite!

Our adventure included a visit to Takayama in the Japanese Alps to stay in a traditional Ryokan that included a Japanese evening meal with the famous Hida beef.

We were able to visit the World Heritage site of Shirakawago a village of traditionally built farmhouses.

Kanazawa was a hidden gem and the Kenroku-en gardens were our favourite.

Our adventure continued onto Kyoto which was just as we had hoped for if not more. We had a glimpse of the life of a Geisha when we attended a tea ceremony and were also lucky to be in Kyoto at the same time as the seasonal geisha dances were being performed. We visited Nijo Castle and Kinkaku-ji, the stunning Golden Temple. After a fascinating lunch where we cooked our own okonomiyaki (omelettes) we visited Ryoan-ji Temple and its famous rock garden before visiting the bamboo grove in the Arashiyama district.

The following day we had a tour of the sake distilleries where we tried to discover which one was our favourite tipple! We had planned in an extra day in Kyoto which was fortunate as there really is too much to do! We were able to visit the railway museum and enjoyed a Hozugawa River Boat Ride.

On our way to Hiroshima we were able to visit the “White Heron” castle at Himeji which is an interesting contrast with the modern city which surrounds it.

The gardens were also delightful. In Hiroshima we visited the Peace Park and the Peace Memorial Museum which where both very moving.

Near the Peace Park we were able to take a fast ferry to Miyajima and then a cable car to the top of Mount Misen to see the amazing view back towards Hiroshima.

Our final destination was the outstanding Hakone National Park. The autumn colours where vibrant as we reached our hotel and the perfect way to enjoy them was in the bath on the balcony which was filled with hot spring water! The circular sightseeing loop allows you to stop and enjoy the scenery as well as take all the different forms of transport from cable car, to pirate ship to bus to train and finally a funicular railway. The views are outstanding and seeing Mount Fuji near the Owakudani cable car station is a memory to treasure.

Our final night in Japan was close to Shiba Park and was surprisingly quiet. We walked to Ginza area and the many amazing shops to window shop and visit the famous Itoya stationary shop. Sadly all too soon it was time to leave but taking with us so many memories and experiences, making it a perfect holiday.

Top Tips

• Pack as lightly as possible as there’s lots of travelling. When possible take advantage of the luggage forwarding service available from the hotels. Using a smaller bag for a couple nights makes it easier to navigate the public transport systems. All the hotels were generous with the toiletries that they provide for free.
• Google Maps works exceptionally well when you arrive at a new destination and want to find your hotel. Finding the correct railway or metro at Tokyo station can be tricky but the signage is in English and the Japanese are willing to help.
• Our guides really knew the cities well so if there is something that you particularly want to see don’t be too shy to ask.
• Japanese toilets deserve a mention! Public toilets are clean and readily available. You may need to take a small towel with you as paper towels or hand dryers are scarce. There are many functions available on a Toto toilet but finding the flush button can be tricky – check the back of the loo if all else fails! You will miss the warm toilet seat!
• Many of the indoor attractions require you to remove your shoes. So warm socks and not too many laces help.