From Sushi to Origami, Manga to Bento, Japan has made such a huge contribution to global culture. Having rebuilt itself from the ashes of WW11, Japan went on to become an economic superpower that sold its high-quality consumer technologies and ultra-reliable cars to the rest of the world. Japan is very much back in the frame now as it hosts this year’s Rugby World Cup which will be followed by next year’s Olympics. You may be surprised to find that this mountainous country of 126 million people comprises over 6,000 islands which include over 18,000 miles of coastline. Its capital, Tokyo was, for many years, the most populous city in the world but has been relegated in recent years to sixth place with a population of over 13 million (Chongqing in China now occupies the top spot with a population of nearly 31M!)
Indeed, it is that very isolation that has helped to accentuate the very uniqueness of Japan and Japanese culture that has fascinated ‘Westerners’ including myself for so long. I’ve been interested in Japan and its culture from the time I read James Clavell’s ‘Shogun’ back in the 70’s and watched my very first Kira Kurosawa film, Seven Samurai. Japanese culture sits at the other end of the global spectrum as far as westerners are concerned and this only adds to the allure and sense of mystery of the country and its people.
Japan enjoys some of the best public transport infrastructure on the planet and its bullet trains are justifiably famous for both departing and arriving on time. Japan drives on the left so hiring a car is feasible but perhaps best to wait until you get yourself away from the Tokyo-Yokohama urban sprawl! The focus is on Japan in 2019 but if you’re not a huge rugby fan then I would avoid going there when the World Cup competition is in full swing as prices are likely to be through the roof as Japan is not a cheap destination to begin with. Having said that, air fares are surprisingly competitive now and can be had for under €700 with carriers like Finnair who boast that they feature the fastest routes to Japan via their hub in Helsinki.
Japan being Japan though, it’s more than likely that you’ll want to book yourself a place on an escorted tour as many don’t speak English and even though many place names are shown in both English script and Kanji characters, getting around can be challenging. Wendy Wu feature a lot of escorted tour itineraries of varying durations and covering the main islands. Weather-wise, shoulder season months of May/June and September are good, unless you want to experience the natural wonder that is the cherry blossom season (typically around April) but be warned that it is an extremely popular time of the year and prices can be high and availability limited. I say April typically, but it really depends on where in Japan you’ll be as the trees bloom as early as January on the southern, semi-tropical island of Okinawa and as late as May on the northern island of Hokkaido!
A visit to Japan qualifies as the trip of a lifetime so perhaps this year will be the year that you tick this box!
