Photography and travel: Sawako Muraoka
(Featured image: Kiyomisu-Dera Temple in autumn)
Flights: JAL from Heathrow, around £600 return London-Tokyo/Haneda airport (Arriving at Haneda Airport is very useful as it’s only a 15 min train ride into Tokyo, it takes a lot longer from Narita. There is also a little shopping village inside the airport – useful for last minute gift buying and your final noodle fix)
Bag: The Rena bag in Moss Green
Stayed at:
- Self catering apartment which was fully equipped with a little kitchen and washing machine. Would especially recommend if you’re staying for a few nights as it’s a lot cheaper than most hotels and you have your own kitchen. Most hotel rooms are also very small so apartments can be more comfortable.
- Highland Shimabara Guest House Approx. £65/night – but this varies a lot depending on season
Dine out: Traditional meal served at a Kyoto’Ryokan’ (including the prettiest plate of pickles you’ve ever seen )
Arashiyama Bamboo Grove, so beautiful and the trees are so tall!
“Ojizo San” is what these little statues are called , you see them a lot round shrines, they are there to protect people.
Fushimi inari – Shinto shrine with thousands of “tor-ii” gates lining pathways up a mountain. We didn’t make it all the way!
Travelling around Japan – with JR Pass: this is a train pass only available to people who are not resident in Japan. You can use it as often as you like and go anywhere as long as it’s on a JR train and you reserve a seat. (It doesn’t include the fastest Shinkansen called Nozomi fyi. The second fastest is fast enough though!) It costs from around £180/week. Definitely recommend getting this if you’re going to multiple places.
Travel Japan.. part 2 to follow!
