Why everyone needs to visit Japan at least once

It’s so much more than just Tokyo


Ah, Japan. The land of the rising sun. So beautiful, so serene, and simultaneously so overstimulating. It’s the perfect place is to go if you want everything you could possibly ever have in a cool destination. This little cluster of islands is home to dramatic landscapes, culture and ancient civilizations, and so much influential pop culture that you won’t know where to look first.

The most beautiful landscapes under the sun

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From mountains to hot springs to beaches, Japan’s landscapes are unparalleled.  The islands aren’t even that big so it’s not like you have to travel huge distances to experience this country’s incredible natural beauty. When you go to Japan,  it’s like you’re getting multiple holidays.

Every season makes the country look even more beautiful 

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So Japan is famous for its Spring sakura (and really it’s worth going just to see them) but the uppermost islands are crisp and snowy year round while the bottom most are sun drenched. The leaves change in Autumn, and if you’re particularly outdoorsy, you won’t want to be inside ever again.

You have every opportunity to learn about  this country’s incredible culture

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It seems like vague understandings of “Eastern” religions and philosophies are perpetually in vogue in the West, which is why it’s so important to go to Japan and see how religions like Buddhism and Shinto work into people’s everyday lives. We need to see how they are ingrained into the everyday so we don’t take the influence of these ideas for granted. And there’s no shortage of incredible sites: Kyoto, Tokyo and many more host places of worship that you simply would not be able to see elsewhere.

It’s the only country where you can go from serenity to complete sensory overload in a flash

Japan’s one of the loudest countries in the world, which you definitely wouldn’t think from the calm of all of those beautiful temples. Osaka and Tokyo are a cocktail of light, sound, smell, and so much more. To travel between them, you have to take trains, each one of which has its own arrival music. You’d never feel like you were alone, because there’s simply too much going on all the time. It’s an experience like no other.

Speaking of Tokyo…

OK so I know we said there’s more to Japan than Tokyo, (and there is), but the capital’s pretty cool. It may seem touristy, but Harajuku literally exists as its own sub-culture and inspired a global phenomenon, so to see the district in its origin is unmissable. Be prepared for a lot of pastel, and a lot of crepes and waffles. Akihabara hosts anime and manga central, and Pokemon and Tamagotchi reign true. If ever there were a place to catch more Pokemon, this would be it. If nothing else, you could completely visit to get to grips with some of the country’s interesting hostessing customs and go to a maid cafe.

You will see the best sunrise/sunsets you’ve ever seen in your life

Japan’s really good at those changing phases of the day. Enough said.
If you take one trip in your lifetime, let it be Japan. For a country that’s influenced Western culture so much, people seem to know shockingly little about its own place in history and culture, and that should completely change. Japan is a place of beauty, incredible depth, and customs that we in the UK could learn from, and we think it’s so worth it to experience it for yourself.  Go and have the most amazing trip you’ve ever had.