Last year, around this time, did I ever think I would be taking a spontaneous trip to Asia? No! I don’t necessarily enjoy spontaneous decisions or planning extensive trips in a short period of time. Now, it wasn’t exactly a spontaneous vacation in that we just picked up and left, but it wasn’t something I had been planning to do or saving up for specifically. My boyfriend and I just happened to stumble across a deal on a flight to Japan in mid-January that we just couldn’t pass up and as soon as we got the okay on our vacation days, we booked it. That left us with two and a half months to save up as much as possible and plan for our two week vacation. It wasn’t exactly spontaneous, but it felt spontaneous to me.
We spent only six days in Tokyo and twelve in Taiwan but I wish we had stayed in Tokyo the whole time. The time I spent in Tokyo was so relaxing and enjoyable that I fell in love with Japan, the culture, and the people there. That being said, there’s so much to do and see in Tokyo, there was no way we could’ve seen it all in only six days. What little time we had, we wanted to make sure every moment in Japan counted. Andrew and I were so lucky in that we have friends in Japan who were excited to see us and had planned to take us along to do some of their favorite things in Tokyo and the surrounding areas.
Keep reading to find out what my three most recommended activities in and around Tokyo are.
TENZAN ONSEN HOT SPRING
I learned on this trip one of the reasons why Japanese people love onsen so much: onsen can heal aches, pains and stiffness while also imparting an incredible sense of peace during even one visit. Visiting the onsen turned out to be the most unexpected and enjoyable thing that Andrew and I did in Japan.
Our Japanese friend wanted to make sure we tried some traditional Japanese activities and what is more traditional than the onsen hotspring? I had never heard of the Japanese tradition of onsen before and I was surprised to know that our friend had so much trouble finding an onsen which would accept patrons with tattoos so that Andrew would be able to go. I was nervous because, as in a traditional Japanese onsen, we would be separated by gender, meaning I wouldn’t be able to have Andrew there to talk to. We would also have to be totally naked around plenty of strangers.
Our friend, K, took us to Hakone, outside of Tokyo, famous for its onsen; it was one of the most breathtaking place I had ever seen. The bustle of Tokyo had fallen away and the streets narrowed until two cars could barely pass each other as we drove up to the onsen. It reminded me of the quintessential small Japanese villages in Studio Ghibli films. Different onsen hotels dot the hillside – most allow you to either come just for the onsen or rent a room and spend several days enjoying the hot springs.
The onsen K took us to was called Tenzan Onsen and was incredulously inexpensive – Andrew and I could pay each of our admissions and buy two little towels for about seven dollars Canadian. I was also delighted to find out that there was a tatami room dedicated solely to napping or quietly relaxing. The whole onsen was a designated quiet zone – any conversation was conducted in hushed tones. After washing thoroughly, there were a variety of different pools at different temperatures set into a rocky hillside with trees bending over them. I don’t have any photos of the onsen on account of the aforementioned nudity with strangers but if you check out their website or tripadvisor you can find tons of gorgeous shots of Tenzan Onsen Hot Spring (or just google it). If there were onsen in Canada of the same caliber of those in Japan, I would be there every weekend without a doubt. If you ever find yourself in Japan, make it a priority to try out an onsen, even just for an afternoon.
ODAWARA CASTLE
I’m going to preface this one by saying that I’m a huge history geek and that my degree is actually in history, so Odawara Castle was right up my alley. It wasn’t a planned stop but on our way to Hakone, we noticed Odawara Castle sitting up above the city and just had to go investigate. It was a gorgeously sunny, but windy, day to visit the picturesque castle. There was so much to do including learning how to use throwing stars – which was super difficult – and dressing up in period appropriate samurai costumes. Our visit to Japan was a little late to see the sakura in full bloom, but at Odawara there were plenty of sakura blossoms left which meant it was a little busier than it may be at other times of the year. From the observatory at the top floor of the castle there are stunning views of the landscape on one side and of the sea on the other. The castle was imposing, but we soon found out that it’s not even the biggest reconstructed castle in Japan. We also found out that there are essentially no original Edo era castles left in Japan after the Meiji government ordered the destruction of all former feudal castles. I’ll skip the rest of the history lesson and just say that I cannot recommend going to Odawara Castle enough – or any reconstructed Japanese castle – if you are interested in history or just a stunning view.
Odawara is on the list of Japan’s Top 100 Castles which indicates its significance in Japanese culture and history. If you’re not able to make it to Odawara Castle, there are, of course, 99 other castles to check out across the country.
MEIJI SHRINE
Another of my favorite things that we did while in Japan was visiting Meiji Shrine. This time, it was something we had planned to do from the very beginning. It’s in the city very close to Takeshita street in Harajuku – it’s actually within walking distance. After a busy afternoon shopping in Harajuku we waited out a brief shower of rain before making our way to Meiji Shrine. Huge wooden gates frame the path to the shrine, towering overhead and melding perfectly with the natural surroundings. The walk to the shrine itself is a wide gravel road lined with enormous trees which block out the sounds of the city. This walk is best enjoyed slowly in order to admire the rows of sake casks along the way and to take a minute out from the bustling city.
The shrine itself was under restoration during our visit so some of the shrine was covered or closed, but there’s so much to explore including a museum and restaurant services. If you’re looking to take a break from the city, I can’t recommend a better place to go.
Stay tuned for another post coming soon (hopefully) about all the amazing things I got to do in Taiwan!