Japan
Last updated: 8/6/24
If you’ve ever wanted to visit Asia, but felt intimidated by not knowing the language, there’s probably no better country in which to start than Japan. Known as the “land of the rising sun”, Japan offers visitors vibrant cities, a rich cultural heritage, delicious food, and breathtaking scenery. What’s more, the combination of its national rail system, efficient public transport system, and abundant English signage make moving around the country relatively easy for the foreigner.
The country re-opened to tourism in October 2022 after being closed for two and a half years. So if you're looking for an exotic, safe and affordable adventure, Japan may be just the place for you.
Interesting Facts about Japan:
Japan is an archipelago of over 14,000 islands, 260 of which are inhabited.
Municipalities are divided into districts called "prefectures"
The currency is the Japanese Yen.
The population is homogenous, with ethnic groups as follows: Japanese (97.9%), Chinese (0.6%), Korean (0.4%) and other (1.1%).
English is not widely spoken, so you'll need Google translate and a lot of patience!
The Japanese language has 3 character sets: Hiragana, Katakana and Kanji. The first two are phonetic symbols which tell you how to pronounce a word, but what it means. Kanji are characters taken from the Chinese language and mean an entire word or idea.
Helpful Words for Navigation:
Japanese --> English
sumimasen --> means excuse me, I'm sorry (learn this one first, 'cause you will need it!)
arigato gozaimas --> thank you (unfortunately, there is no easy word for "please".)
jinja --> shrine (Shinto)
dera or ji --> denotes Buddhist temple
Shima, jima --> island
hai --> yes
chikatetsu, densha, Shinkansen --> subway/metro, regional, & high speed trains
ryokan --> a traditional Japanese inn
onsen --> a hot spring or resort developed around a natural hot spring.
What's the difference between a temple and a shrine?
The sanmon gate of Senso-ji Temple
Temples are associated with Buddhism and are recognizable for their sanmon (main) gate at the entrance.
Shrines are part of the Shinto religion and are noted for their torii gates at the entrances.
A torii gate at Fushimi Inari Taisha Shrine
I’ve put together two itineraries for 15-day trips to Japan and suggest doing the Highlights itinerary before the Treks and Temples one. This allows you to visit more tourist sites on the first and get a feel for using the public transportation. The Treks and Temples itinerary involves stepping off the beaten path and will use some of the skills and knowledge you acquired during the Highlights trip.
With that, click on the buttons below to go on two very different virtual blog tours of Japan.