{"id":1476,"date":"2016-08-02T12:38:45","date_gmt":"2016-08-02T11:38:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.mercuryholidays.co.uk\/oyster\/?p=1476"},"modified":"2019-10-15T09:28:39","modified_gmt":"2019-10-15T08:28:39","slug":"a-journey-through-japan","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mercuryholidays.ie\/inspire\/features\/a-journey-through-japan\/","title":{"rendered":"Travellers\u2019 tales: A journey through Japan"},"content":{"rendered":"<span itemprop=\"reviewBody\">\n<!-- TrustBox script -->\n<p><script type=\"text\/javascript\" src=\"\/\/widget.trustpilot.com\/bootstrap\/v5\/tp.widget.bootstrap.min.js\" async=\"\"><\/script><\/p>\n<!-- End TrustBox script -->\n<h2 style=\"text-align: center;\">Discovering Japan<\/h2>\n<p>Mercury Holidays&#8217; traveller Emma talks to us about her recent trip to <span style=\"color: #ff00ff;\"><a style=\"color: #ff00ff;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mercuryholidays.co.uk\/escorted-tours\/south-east-asia\/japan\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Japan<\/a><\/span>, why she found it such a fascinating destination and how it\u2019s captured her imagination. We\u2019re talking everything from<strong> what to wear, food to try, essential phrases, what not to miss<\/strong> and how to make the very best of your time.<\/p>\n<h4>What made you want to go there?<\/h4>\n<p>I\u2019d always imagined Japan to be a place where I could go and experience a culture that is the most far-removed from those I had ever known before.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft wp-image-1487 \" src=\"https:\/\/www.mercuryholidays.co.uk\/oyster\/wp-content\/uploads\/Emma-and-her-boyfriend-300x300.jpg\" alt=\"Emma and her boyfriend - A journey through Japan\" width=\"329\" height=\"329\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.mercuryholidays.ie\/inspire\/wp-content\/uploads\/Emma-and-her-boyfriend-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.mercuryholidays.ie\/inspire\/wp-content\/uploads\/Emma-and-her-boyfriend-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.mercuryholidays.ie\/inspire\/wp-content\/uploads\/Emma-and-her-boyfriend-768x768.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.mercuryholidays.ie\/inspire\/wp-content\/uploads\/Emma-and-her-boyfriend-1024x1024.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.mercuryholidays.ie\/inspire\/wp-content\/uploads\/Emma-and-her-boyfriend-125x125.jpg 125w, https:\/\/www.mercuryholidays.ie\/inspire\/wp-content\/uploads\/Emma-and-her-boyfriend.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 329px) 100vw, 329px\" \/><\/p>\n<h4>What should we pack?<\/h4>\n<p>The usual really \u2013 comfortable walking shoes, a small day bag for trips and a lightweight jacket \u2013 I took one of Uniqlo\u2019s Ultra Light Down jackets which folds easily into a compact pouch which was perfect for the varying weather conditions.<\/p>\n<h4>Were there any culture shocks you wished you\u2019d been prepared for?<\/h4>\n<p>Not quite a culture shock but I found it strange that the Japanese do not \u201cjay-walk\u201d on any streets, even small ones and they laugh at you if you do!<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.mercuryholidays.co.uk\/escorted-tours\/south-east-asia\/japan\/highlights\/tokyo\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright wp-image-1486\" src=\"https:\/\/www.mercuryholidays.co.uk\/oyster\/wp-content\/uploads\/bride-in-toyko-300x300.jpg\" alt=\"Bride in Toyko - A journey through Japan - Mercury Holidays\" width=\"322\" height=\"322\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.mercuryholidays.ie\/inspire\/wp-content\/uploads\/bride-in-toyko-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.mercuryholidays.ie\/inspire\/wp-content\/uploads\/bride-in-toyko-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.mercuryholidays.ie\/inspire\/wp-content\/uploads\/bride-in-toyko-768x768.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.mercuryholidays.ie\/inspire\/wp-content\/uploads\/bride-in-toyko-1024x1024.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.mercuryholidays.ie\/inspire\/wp-content\/uploads\/bride-in-toyko-125x125.jpg 125w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 322px) 100vw, 322px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<h4>Which food do you think every visitor should try &amp; what was the strangest thing you could eat there?<\/h4>\n<p>There are too many to mention! Okonomiyake (a kind of savoury pancake often filled with octopus, pork or shrimp) is delicious, a bowl of ramen is a must \u2013 my favourite being the creamy noodle broth known as Tonkotsu ramen, I ate the breaded pork cutlet dish known as Tonkatsu probably too frequently whilst my partner sampled Mochi (a small, sweet glutinous rice cake) wherever he could find it.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft wp-image-1485\" src=\"https:\/\/www.mercuryholidays.co.uk\/oyster\/wp-content\/uploads\/food-300x300.jpg\" alt=\"Asian Ramen - A journey through Japan _ Mercury Holidays\" width=\"323\" height=\"323\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.mercuryholidays.ie\/inspire\/wp-content\/uploads\/food-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.mercuryholidays.ie\/inspire\/wp-content\/uploads\/food-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.mercuryholidays.ie\/inspire\/wp-content\/uploads\/food-768x768.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.mercuryholidays.ie\/inspire\/wp-content\/uploads\/food-1024x1024.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.mercuryholidays.ie\/inspire\/wp-content\/uploads\/food-125x125.jpg 125w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 323px) 100vw, 323px\" \/><\/p>\n<h4>What was the weather like?<\/h4>\n<p>I travelled from mid-March through to mid-April, starting in Tokyo then continuing to the far south and back again. We had a cold spell in early March and the evenings were often quite chilly so I\u2019d advise taking layers including a hat, gloves and scarf if you are travelling in the winter months.\u00a0<\/p>\n<h4>What was the best moment of your trip?<\/h4>\n<p>Walking through the thousands of red shrine gates at <span style=\"color: #ff00ff;\"><a style=\"color: #ff00ff;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.japan-guide.com\/e\/e3915.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Fushimi Inari-Taisha<\/a><\/span> in Kyoto \u2013 their vibrant colours made for the perfect photo opportunities, (this was included in our itinerary).<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.japan-guide.com\/e\/e3915.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright wp-image-1484\" src=\"https:\/\/www.mercuryholidays.co.uk\/oyster\/wp-content\/uploads\/red-gates-1-225x300.jpg\" alt=\"Fushimi Ingaris - Kyoto - A journey through Japan - Mercury Holidays\" width=\"261\" height=\"350\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<h4>Did you buy any souvenirs?<\/h4>\n<p>I bought a few cotton Yukatas \u2013 a bathing robe used whilst visiting Onsen (hot spring baths) for family along with some edible treats such as wasabi flavoured Kitkats and even a Tonkotsu ramen set.<\/p>\n<h4>What was the transport like?<\/h4>\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.jrailpass.com\/shinkansen-bullet-trains\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"color: #ff00ff;\">shinkansen<\/span><\/a> (bullet trains) are a dream, thy&#8217;re fast, comfortable and run like clockwork. The subway system can be quite confusing but easy enough once you get the hang of it and locals are always friendly and willing to help. I\u2019d advise picking up a paper map from one of the stations as this will be handy too.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\">What do our customer&#8217;s say&#8230;.<\/h3>\n<!-- TrustBox widget - Slider -->\n<div class=\"trustpilot-widget\" data-locale=\"en-GB\" data-template-id=\"54ad5defc6454f065c28af8b\" data-businessunit-id=\"58f277630000ff0005a08bbe\" data-style-height=\"240px\" data-style-width=\"100%\" data-theme=\"light\" data-stars=\"4,5\"><a href=\"https:\/\/uk.trustpilot.com\/review\/mercuryholidays.co.uk\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Trustpilot<\/a><\/div>\n<div data-locale=\"en-GB\" data-template-id=\"54ad5defc6454f065c28af8b\" data-businessunit-id=\"58f277630000ff0005a08bbe\" data-style-height=\"240px\" data-style-width=\"100%\" data-theme=\"light\" data-stars=\"4,5\">\u00a0<\/div>\n<div data-locale=\"en-GB\" data-template-id=\"54ad5defc6454f065c28af8b\" data-businessunit-id=\"58f277630000ff0005a08bbe\" data-style-height=\"240px\" data-style-width=\"100%\" data-theme=\"light\" data-stars=\"4,5\">\n<h4>What was your favourite landmark or tourist sight?<\/h4>\n<p>The Golden<span style=\"color: #ff00ff;\"><a style=\"color: #ff00ff;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.japan-guide.com\/e\/e3908.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"> Pavillion (Kinkakuji)<\/a><\/span> in Kyoto is just stunning and incredibly beautiful, it&#8217;s best seen early in the morning before the crowds arrive.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<!-- End TrustBox widget -->\n<h4>\u00a0<\/h4>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.japan-guide.com\/e\/e3908.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright wp-image-1481 size-large\" src=\"https:\/\/www.mercuryholidays.co.uk\/oyster\/wp-content\/uploads\/golden-pavilion-1024x1024.jpg\" alt=\"Kinkakuji (Golden Pavilion) - A journey through Japan - Mercury Holidays\" width=\"1024\" height=\"1024\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.mercuryholidays.ie\/inspire\/wp-content\/uploads\/golden-pavilion-1024x1024.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.mercuryholidays.ie\/inspire\/wp-content\/uploads\/golden-pavilion-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.mercuryholidays.ie\/inspire\/wp-content\/uploads\/golden-pavilion-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.mercuryholidays.ie\/inspire\/wp-content\/uploads\/golden-pavilion-768x768.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.mercuryholidays.ie\/inspire\/wp-content\/uploads\/golden-pavilion-125x125.jpg 125w, https:\/\/www.mercuryholidays.ie\/inspire\/wp-content\/uploads\/golden-pavilion.jpg 1800w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<h4>What\u2019s the best piece of advice you could give someone thinking about visiting Japan?<\/h4>\n<p>The bullet trains are so unbelievably fast that it makes it easy to visit a lot of places in a short time, for example day trips can easily be taken from <span style=\"color: #ff00ff;\"><a style=\"color: #ff00ff;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mercuryholidays.co.uk\/escorted-tours\/south-east-asia\/japan\/highlights\/kyoto\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Kyoto<\/a><\/span> to Kobe, Osaka and Nara, whilst <span style=\"color: #ff00ff;\"><a style=\"color: #ff00ff;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mercuryholidays.co.uk\/escorted-tours\/south-east-asia\/japan\/highlights\/hiroshima\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Hiroshima<\/a><\/span> is only few hours from Kyoto and can be done in a day as well. If you are not travelling as part of a group, or if you decide to extend your stay in Japan after a group tour it is essential to buy a Japan Rail Pass. The pass gives you hugely discounted fares on the trains and can be bought to cover a 7, 14 or 21 day duration. It must be bought in advance and then validated at the airport terminal on arrival.<\/p>\n<h4>Which was the best photo you took?<\/h4>\n<p>A photo that I took from the New York Bar on the 52nd Floor of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hyatt.com\/en-US\/hotel\/japan\/park-hyatt-tokyo\/tyoph\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span style=\"color: #ff00ff;\">Park Hyatt Hotel in Tokyo<\/span><\/a> received over 50 likes on Instagram, so that might be it! The bar is famous for featuring in Sophia Coppola\u2019s <em>Lost in Translation<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/restaurants.tokyo.park.hyatt.co.jp\/en\/nyb.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft wp-image-1480 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/www.mercuryholidays.co.uk\/oyster\/wp-content\/uploads\/new-york-bar-300x300.jpg\" alt=\"New York Bar - Park Hyatt Tokyo - A journey through Japan - Mercury Holidays\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.mercuryholidays.ie\/inspire\/wp-content\/uploads\/new-york-bar-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.mercuryholidays.ie\/inspire\/wp-content\/uploads\/new-york-bar-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.mercuryholidays.ie\/inspire\/wp-content\/uploads\/new-york-bar-768x768.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.mercuryholidays.ie\/inspire\/wp-content\/uploads\/new-york-bar-1024x1024.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.mercuryholidays.ie\/inspire\/wp-content\/uploads\/new-york-bar-125x125.jpg 125w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<h4>Did you make any amazing off the beaten track discoveries?<\/h4>\n<p>An owl caf\u00e9 in Tokyo\u2019s electronics district Akihabara was a hilarious introduction to the city. For a small fee you can hold and stroke a different variety of owls whilst enjoying a tea of coffee. Pet caf\u00e9s are a popular pastime in Japan and others include cat caf\u00e9s, dog caf\u00e9s and also a recently opened hedgehog caf\u00e9 &#8211; warning, the hedgehogs do bite! You can find it here &#8211; <em>Owl no Mori\u2019s, 4 Chome-5-8 Sotokanda, Chiyoda-ku, T\u014dky\u014d-to 101-0021 5th floor<\/em><\/p>\n<h4>Did you pick up any useful phrases?<\/h4>\n<p>Japanese is a tough language to learn despite being phonetic, however <em>arigatou gozaimasu, <\/em>meaning \u201cthank you very much\u201d is a very helpful one to learn.<\/p>\n<h4>Do you have any advice on etiquette\/dos and don\u2019ts? How to greet a person, tipping, ask for the bill for e.g.<\/h4>\n<p>It is not customary to tip in restaurants or bars in Japan, so make sure you don\u2019t as you may find the waiter running after you to give you back your change. The Japanese don\u2019t like to say \u201cno\u201d, so if it seems like they are saying no and yes at the same time, this is why!<\/p>\n<h4>Was it any different to how you expected it to be?<\/h4>\n<p>It was even better than I had expected, a trip of a lifetime.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.mercuryholidays.co.uk\/escorted-tours\/south-east-asia\/china\/china-and-japans-rail-odyssey\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright wp-image-1492 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/www.mercuryholidays.co.uk\/oyster\/wp-content\/uploads\/cherry-blossom-300x300.jpg\" alt=\"cherry blossom - A Journey through Japan\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.mercuryholidays.ie\/inspire\/wp-content\/uploads\/cherry-blossom-300x300.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.mercuryholidays.ie\/inspire\/wp-content\/uploads\/cherry-blossom-150x150.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.mercuryholidays.ie\/inspire\/wp-content\/uploads\/cherry-blossom-768x768.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.mercuryholidays.ie\/inspire\/wp-content\/uploads\/cherry-blossom-1024x1024.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.mercuryholidays.ie\/inspire\/wp-content\/uploads\/cherry-blossom-125x125.jpg 125w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<h4>Is there anything you would change about your trip?<\/h4>\n<p>I wouldn\u2019t pack as much as I did, I ended up posting half of my bulging suitcase home half way through.<\/p>\n<h4>Has it changed you?<\/h4>\n<p>It certainly opened up my taste palette to a wide variety of foods which I hadn\u2019t tried before and made me realise that there is far more to Japanese food than just sushi!<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><div class=\"cb-divider clearfix\"><span class=\"cb-title\">GETTING HERE<\/span><\/div><\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\">Book your journey through Japan!<\/h3>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><em>Choose our popular Escorted Tour of Japan which includes all flights, accommodation, transfers and entry fees, English speaking guides and full ABTA and ATOL protection.<\/em><\/p>\n<table>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>Treasures of Japan Tour<\/strong><\/td>\n<td style=\"text-align: center;\">11 days<\/td>\n<td style=\"text-align: center;\">from \u00a33399pp<\/td>\n<td style=\"text-align: center;\"><span class=\"cb-button cb-pink cb-normal cb-none\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.mercuryholidays.co.uk\/escorted-tours\/south-east-asia\/japan\/treasures-of-japan\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"follow\">VIEW TOUR<\/a><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<h4 style=\"text-align: center;\">Want to take a look at more of Mercury Holidays&#8217; escorted tours?\u00a0<\/h4>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span class=\"cb-button cb-pink cb-big cb-center\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.mercuryholidays.co.uk\/holiday-types\/escorted-tours\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"follow\">Whisk me away&#8230;<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<\/span>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Discovering Japan Mercury Holidays&#8217; traveller Emma talks to us about her recent trip to Japan, why she found it such a fascinating destination and how it\u2019s captured her imagination. We\u2019re talking everything from what to wear, food to try, essential phrases, what not to miss and how to make the very best of your time. [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1493,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9,22,8,4],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v24.5 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Travellers\u2019 tales: A journey through Japan - Inspire | Mercury Holidays<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"One of Mercury Holidays&#039; own team discovered the Far East when she travelled to Japan. 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