Why You Need To Plan A Trip To Japan During Cherry Blossom! 

Japan is a country where beauty reigns in every corner. Looking at our pictures from Japan never fails to lift my spirits. This place floored me. It's ridiculously crowded yet amazingly organized. It’s really minimal yet equally extravagant. It’s incredibly modern yet rooted in it’s tradition. It’s fragile and wild at the same time.

No matter where you are, you will never be too far from amazing food, sake, and pure zen. It was nothing short of incredible. The entire experience is hard to sum up in words but if I were to try I would say that it is truly an out-of-this-world, fascinating, mind-bogglingly unique and inspiring country in every sense of the word.

Here is a day-wise itinerary of our trip.

Day 1 - Tokyo City. Part 1.

Day 2 - Day trip to Mount Fuji

Day 3 - Tokyo City. Part 2.

Day 4 - Kyoto - Part 1/2

Day 5 - Kyoto - Part 1

Day 6 - Kyoto - Part 2

Day 7 - Day Trip From Kyoto to Osaka-Nara.

Day 8 - Kyoto to Tokyo

Day 9 - Tokyo to Home

Best time to visit

Japan is beautiful. Period. For a truly otherworldly experience, I recommend visiting during the cherry blossom season* (subject to change every year) but it is mostly from mid to end of March, sometimes running into the first week of April.

Flights and Visa

We flew directly into Tokyo with Emirates.

Getting a Japanese visa is pretty straightforward - simple paper work and we got the visa in all of 3 days (in Dubai).

Language

Japanese. It helps to know a few words since small store owners don't speak English BUT despite all this, you will never be short of people wanting to help. We actually had one seriously old person going out of his way to walk us to a temple we couldn't find (unasked, he just volunteered - nowhere else have I seen this happen - ever). This place is something else.

Travel and Medical Insurance, Currency

Travel Insurance is always recommended.

Japanese YEN is the official currency. Most places accepted card but I would recommend carrying cash for the metro and buses.

Where we stayed (Tokyo and Kyoto)

In Tokyo, we stayed at the Hotel Monterey Akasaka. The service and the rooms were amazing. It was a short 10 minute walking from the metro station. The best part? All rooms have a cell phone with data that you can take with you during your day out. You won't need to buy a data plan. Now THAT is what I call a great hotel.

In Kyoto, we stayed at a Ryokan for one night and then moved to Sakura Terrace for the remainder of our stay. The Ryokan was cozy and in the middle of the city. The hotel was on the other side of the city but closer to the metro - big rooms and great (but over crowded) breakfast.

Cost and getting around

Japan is not cheap by any means. When we were not walking, we mostly took the metro and the bus to get around in cities. They were on time (duh) and super efficient - just be sure to carry enough loose change.

Safety

Hands down one of the safest countries (after Iceland) in the world.

Guide to Finding Vegetarian Food

We decided not to carry any food on this trip since I knew we were mostly going to be in cities and would be in a position to pick up grocery. That being said, there was no shortage of brilliant vegan cafes in Tokyo and Kyoto. Using happycow, we found the most amazing places - small but seriously GOOD. I recommend these must-try places:

Tokyo - T's Tan Tan in Tokyo Metro Station (best vegan ramen in town)

Kyoto - Veggie Cafe (owned by an old man, who was single-handedly rocking it in the kitchen), Falafel Garden, Mominoki House

Osaka - Sangam

Final thoughts

Japan was so easy to fall in love with. Astounding pink blooms, quirky innovations including but not limited to toilet seats that warm your butt, intriguing culture and some of the kindest people in the world to boot. You can soak in the hustle bustle of Tokyo or jump on the bullet train and hop over to Kyoto. Whatever you choose to do, you will not be disappointed.

We chose the third week of March in the hopes that it would be peak cherry blossom season. Keep in mind that the season is fleeting it's a gamble unless you are going to spend the entire month in the country. Luckily, our timing paid off. This season obviously makes for some of the most strikingly beautiful sights you will ever witness.. so it’s worth braving the crazy seasonal crowd for.

I love so many things about Japan but most of all, I love that this a country of extreme contradictions. From the ancient history to zen temples to mad, mind-boggling quirky cities with insane tech - the country is beyond fascinating.

Want to learn how to earn respect without just taking it for granted? Learn from the Japanese. Probably the only bunch of people I have been absolutely blown away by. Nothing but massive respect. I am literally counting down days until we get to visit this place again. The way everyone and everything is hyper-organized, the people, the delicious food, the tech and of course, their humility... but what I love most is their spirituality. I am not religious and don’t believe in the idea of one superior being. Japan’s unique belief system resonated with me like no other country. I recently read that in Japan no one preaches their belief - it’s simply a way of life. The emphasis is on personal practice and believing in moral principles free of judgement. The best and most important aspect of “Buddhism” is not what you know but about how you practice.

Since this post was all about the blossoms, here are a few fun facts before I end the post. When people think of cherry blossoms in Japan, they assume that there is just one type of spring blossoms.. BUT there are actually over 20 different subspecies. For instance, the most common type of Sakura in Japan is the Somei yoshino or the Yoshino cherry. These five-petaled cherry blossoms are almost white, having only the vaguest hint of pink to them.

For more fun facts and information on our itinerary - head to the blog or follow along on instagram