If you are a bit apprehensive about going to Japan, like we were, there is no reason to be we found out. If you like order and cleanliness, you will love it. We found that there were no problems finding reasonably priced hotels, cheap meals and getting to the right destination on the trains and underground. Everything is clearly marked; we had no troubles at all in Tokyo. Language barrier is a small issue, not many Japanese speak English, but with smiles and positive attitude, no worries. If you stand for more than 60 seconds at a street or by an underground map, you will have a new friend who will not only tell you which way to go, but who will gladly follow you to your correct exit. In short, we loved Japan more than we thought we would, and we need to go back and explore more. This is our “Japan in 9 days” trip – we got to see amazing things in our short visit, and it was enough days to experience and savor a small taste of Japan. Oh, and did we mention the food? It’s just amazeballs!

Our arrival coincided with the Sakura (March-April approx.), the blooming of the cherry blossoms all over Japan. It’s a big thing, maybe the biggest thing on the Japanese calendar. They have forecasts from January predicting when the Sakura will begin. We got lucky and had some spectacular Sakura moments, in Tokyo and Himeji especially. In Kyoto the Sakura was more or less over, so the blooming varies according to climate in the different parts of Japan.

Head over to our Japan in 9 Days page to continue reading.