The Top 5 Things To Do On Your Relaxing Trip To Japan

Your Relaxing Trip To Japan

Japan is home to amazing sights, sounds, experiences and people – and that’s without considering the culinary delights that can be found when sampling Japanese cuisine.

When you start to plan your trip, you will likely start to find yourself quickly overwhelmed with just what is available to you. Whether you are planning your trip about one of the seasonal festivals such as the Cherry Blossom festivals or Winter festivals, or you are trying to narrow your trip to one area that you will have time to explore thoroughly, using an experienced tour company like AllJapanTours.com can make your life easier, and ensure that you don’t miss the things that you really want to enjoy.

If you are planning on sidestepping the chaos that is modern Japan and travelling back in time to experience the slower pace and more traditional aspects that Japan has on offer, there are some things that you will want to add to your bucket list.

A Japanese Tea Ceremony

This traditional, and highly choreographed ceremony is not simply sitting down to drink of cup of English Breakfast. Some tea ceremonies may take an hour or longer to perform. It is the ultimate experience of “living in the moment”, with the whole focus of both the host who is preparing the green tea, and the guests, having full attention on what is happening, expanding their awareness to the tea and their immediate surroundings.

If you are lucky, you will be able to experience the tea ceremony in a traditional purpose-built tatami-floored room called a chashitsu, but generally the experience will include a host and maximum of five guests.

At Least One Buddhist Temple

There are hundreds of Buddhist temples and Shinto shines throughout Japan, generally in excellent condition being well maintained, despite being hundreds, if not over a thousand, years old. So, wherever you will be based in Japan, you will be able to find a magnificent temple to visit.

However, two of the most remarkable, and most popular, are the Kiyomizu-dera Temple or the Kinkakuji Temple, both of which can be found in Kyoto. In 1994, the Kiyomizu-dera was acknowledged by UNESCO and listed as a World Heritage Site.

Breathe In The Wisteria Tunnels

Unless you are a serious hay fever sufferer, the private Kawachi Fuji Gardens in Kitakyushu are glorious experience, with two 100m tunnels formed from blooming Wisteria trees in differing colors. This was once one of those exciting discoveries that you might stumble across if you happened to be in the area at the right time of year, unfortunately word has got out, so if you haven’t booked your time to enter the gardens well beforehand then you will absolutely not gain entry, they have become that popular.

Get Naked In Natural Hot Springs

Throughout Japan there are numerous natural hot springs ready to relax and sooth you after a hard day of admiring the Japanese sights. With options for indoor baths as well as truly spectacular outdoor hot springs, you will likely find something suitable near where you are. However, it often comes as a surprise to westerners that these public pools are enjoyed naked – and in most places swimwear or underwear is completely forbidden. Generally, the large public pools are separated by gender, but you may find some of the outdoor springs are mixed gender. Before you hop in you will rinse off with water provided, or a shower in some places. In a few places you may be able to enquire about a private bath, or a family bath, but these are not common (and not really part of the Japanese experience). Click here to learn the etiquette.

Pat Cats At A Neko Café

A relatively new phenomenon in Japan is the Neko Café, or cat café. Where you sit and drink your tea of coffee surrounded by cats. As patting animals has been shown reduce the stress levels of humans doing the patting, this is a very Japanese experience that will hopefully take off around the world. Generally, you will pay to be in the café for a set period of time, then cat treats are purchased additionally, as we as any drinks you wish. Most cafes encourage patting and playing with the cats, but actually forbid you to pick the cats up – unless you are honored by a cat wishing to grace your lap. –Travel Feeder