While we stayed in Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka, we also made day trips to a few places.
We reached Kyoto via Hakone. Hakone’s claim to fame is the Mt.Fuji view, and yes, it delivers. On paper the ‘Hakone Round Course’ looks like a sprint, but with the Hakone Day Pass and some planning, it’s quite a breeze. We started early and the Kodama 703 was our very first Shinkansen ride, to Odawara.
Hakone
Arashiyama
We took a day trip from Kyoto to Arashiyama. It takes about 45 minutes and you can finish in half a day. We skipped the Iwatayama Monkey Park – a decision based on the payment, the climb and our visit to the Snow Monkey park.
Nara
Nara is just less than an hour away from Kyoto and went in the afternoon after we got back from Arashiyama.
And that’s that. Before we end, two things that are uniquely Japan.
Japan is quite a trip, and I doubt if any other place can be as unique as this. Shy people, but who will go to extreme lengths to help you, and are absolutely fine going nude in public, when it’s an onsen. The place is generally costly but also worth the price in terms of quality. Everything runs on time, and even a minute’s delay (or earliness) will get the driver/org to issue an apology for inconveniencing passengers. English is still not spoken by many but Google Translate (and Lens) solves it. I highly recommend making a trip – watch sakura, drink sake and Suntory, experience the madness of the Shibuya crossing, enjoy the bizarre Shinjuku, ride the Shinkansen and finally say, sayonara.