1 Senshūkūkōkita, Izumisano-shi, Osaka 549-0001, Japan

This place is a Testament to Japanese engineering. I am always absolutely astounded when I come here. Very clean, organized...and just...wow. Who would have ever thought of putting an airport on an island?? It's executed perfectly! The entire world should be taking notes about this place. THIS is how you make an airport.

One of the coolest airports in the world. Airport and terminal is super easy to navigate. Train service along with taxis are available just outside the terminal into the city. There is also a hotel and airport aviation museum on the island. The hotel is just outside the terminal past Metro station and the aviation museum has convenient free shuttle service (between hotel and terminal).

Used this airport twice to fly to Sendai.  Great facilities, very friendly and capable staff everywhere here, clean, and well-organized.

Ate at one of the restaurants while we waited for our flight to board.  I never have positive experiences in airports but this place was really nice.

Kansai International Airport

2 Ginkakujichō, Sakyo Ward, Kyoto, 606-8402, Japan

My personal favourite temple in Kyoto.
The perfected nature around the temple itself is the highlight here. There's also the bamboo forest next door.
Word of advice though, once you leave the temple, towards the bamboo forest entrance, you would have to pay again to get back into the temple; otherwise it's a long walk back around the streets to get back to where you were. Not a bad walk though, you'll get to see other shrines and temples.

Beautiful quiet gardens with several paths to walk along, all leading to the final temple before the gift shop. Shop is clean and the items are not overly expensive. I bought a mirror excellent matcha powder, and several other items for a little under $50. My most expensive purchase was the tea, as I studied tea ceremony and wanted to enjoy quality tea and sweets with my friends when they come to my apartment.

This is my absolute favorite place in Kyoto so far .

The entrance fee is not expensive and the garden is huge. You can get really close up to the temple unlike at the Kinkakuji.

In certain season the have luminaries at night for an additional fee.

You can easily spend hours just walking around and admiring the garden.

Ginkaku-ji

1 Chome-13 Higashiyama, Kanazawa, Ishikawa 920-0831, Japan

I highly recommend this place when you visit Kanazawa. Enjoy the breathtaking historic architectures, local Sake and Japanese sweets!! You can find some interesting souvenirs that you can only purchase here at Higashi Chaya District. It took about 1-2 hours to check all the stores there

Classic Japanese view.
Would recommend to everyone who watches Japanese movies for example (studio ghibli), and wants to see a Japanese village in real life. Absolutely a big recommendation of mine.
Have fun visiting and tell your family / friends they should go there. (If they want)

Worth a visit, but probably later in the day. While there was barely anyone there, a lot of the shops & restaurants were closed. Easy access via the Kanazawa Loop Bus

Higashiyama Higashi Chaya District

1 Kenrokumachi, Kanazawa, Ishikawa 920-0936, Japan

It was fascinating to see how beautiful this garden was. It was pretty huge and had a lot of different trees and plants! My favorite would be the small island in the middle of the big pond. The place was well maintained. I would highly recommend that people visit this place when they are in Japan.

Lovely garden for all season, I have visited many times and will visit many more times. It is beautiful place to spent hours. Calm down and Relax, enjoy the nature.

It really depends on in what condition you go. I came here in winter three years ago and I thought it was quite boring compared to other Japanese gardens, but this year it was fantastic with snow and almost zero tourist.
Also, the garden is a lot larger than it appears on map. You can easily spend hours just by strolling, taking photos, and enjoy a short tea break.

Kenroku-en

1 Kinkakujichō, Kita Ward, Kyoto, 603-8361, Japan

This is a really special place. Even though is very touristic and sometimes there's too many people, it manages to remain special and to convey calm and peace.
Beautiful surroundings, stunning temple. You can't get very close to it, but it is easy to take a round and see it from all angles.
Take your camera with you and spend time taking pictures after observing very well the scenery. There are many details and nuances that are wonderful to discover.
It's worthy a visit, don't rush it. Enjoy it.

I came here on a late autumn day, the weather was cold but it was wonderful to experience the beautiful scenery here. The rows of trees with brown, yellow, red colors of maple leaves interspersed with the golden pagoda located in the middle of the lake. calm blue water, you can't believe that the camera and phone can't capture the beauty of the real scenery we see. It's like a movie or an art picture. Walking here Breathing fresh air and sightseeing is an unforgettable experience. If you come here, please wear soft shoes so that when walking, your feet will be less painful and tired. You will enjoy it.

The temple is very beautiful and one of the places that is worth visiting if you are traveling to Kyoto. It's best to arrive early in the morning to avoid the queues. This temple can be reached by taking the Kyoto city bus.  Inside the temple complex we will find beautiful typically Japanese gardens. The area around the temple is also very exotic to explore by walk.

Kinkaku-ji

3 Chome-10 Kitanocho, Chuo Ward, Kobe, Hyogo 650-0002, Japan

Watched a great and interesting street show of rope walking here.

Kitanochō Square

8 Uenokoen, Taito City, Tokyo 110-0007, Japan

I love this park.

It's big, central, easy to get to and an immediate escape from the big city business (if you feel like a break from that of course ^^)

This park houses a number of museums and Ueno Zoo (big and cheap).
There's also the pond with the lotus flowers which is quite impressive (in summer, in spring there are no plants visible) and close by 2 shrines and a temple.

Loads to see when taking a nice stroll through the park. Very much recommend visiting!

A beautiful park with shrines, museums and a zoo (temporarily shut due to Covid 19). For me the best place is the pond area with a shrine on a central island. Very beautiful and sometimes you can get fried food from stands at the front (I recommend the squid). The cherry blossom s in March are stunning, but there are better places to go watch on account of the crowds and stench of stale beer.

Ueno Park

Japan, 〒657-0101 Hyogo, Kobe, Nada Ward, Rokkōsanchō, Nakaichiriyama-1-1

Spacious, good in any season, can be windy. Good for kids, great wooden playground. Fun!

Although the sheep were allowed to roam freely, most if the other animals were in small and/or dirty pens, the cow shed looked like it hadn't been swept in a week and the cows were kept in a small dirt yard.  The horses ribs were showing and it looked like they had no space to roam around.  Even the sheep were overpopulated for the grassland they had and the grass was cropped so short it must have been difficult for them to eat.  It''s supposed to be a working farm, so you have to expect it to be different to an animal sanctuary, but I've been on working farms before and the animals there had so much more space.  I just came away feeling sorry and angry for the animals

Big place
Nice view
Funny animals
We loved this place

Rokkosan Pasture

68 Fukakusa Yabunouchichō, Fushimi Ward, Kyoto, 612-0882, Japan

Simply a magical place... The best place I've been in Japan. I suggest to go early in the morning to avoid crowds and watch the sunrise. The get on top is more than an hour for sure but it's worth it! Such a beautiful place to see in a lifetime. Puts your life in perspective if you can take a time to immerse yourself in this area.... It's must for anyone visiting japan.... Photo ops are everywhere....

Fushimi Inari Taisha is one of the largest and most iconic Shinto shrines in Kyoto Japan.  It is well known for it's thousands of beautiful tall red tori gates, which lead into a scenic wooded forest trail.

Beautiful Fox statues representing messengers can be found all over the shrine grounds.

Many of the visitors veer off the main trail and enjoy the colorful landscape of trees, flowers and water.

It is definitely a place to highlight on your itinerary while in Kyoto.

It lives up to thy hype!
Fushimi Inari Taisha is one of the most iconic spots in Japan and for good reason. This temple and hike is beautiful. Photos don’t do it justice.

The hike took my family about 80 minutes total. We had a 6 year old and a two year old with us and both did well with all the stairs. My two year old did need to be carried from time to time, but mostly going downhill. I would say this is definitely a child friendly activity.

The crowd levels were astonishingly lower than I expected. This lead to more time on the path alone and a more peaceful climb. **

I recommend bringing yen on the climb as there are plenty of places to buy bottle water, tea, and even ice cream at the view point.

This temple is easily assessable by train and is located just outside of the station.

**Disclaimer* My family and I went in spring of 2022 where Japan was still closed to tourist. If you are coming when the county is reopened be prepared for bigger crowds than I experienced

Santuario di Fushimi Inari-taisha

2-chōme-2-1 Dōgenzaka, Shibuya City, Tokyo 150-0043, Japan

It is pretty fun walking here and thinking about how each other person here has their own lives, thoughts and emotions going on in their own heads. So many people living their own little lives and a crossing brings them together. Just for a brief moment of time, their paths cross and intertwine, before they're off on their own journeys again. Really gets you thinking doesn't it?

Great place. Amazing view. Best time is the evening, when the place is lit with its beautiful decorations

Turly amazing to see that many people crossing at once. Its crazy to think of that many people in one around every light change. Its definitely worth your eyes.

Shibuya Scramble Crossing

1-chōme-1-2 Oshiage, Sumida City, Tokyo 131-0045, Japan

Tokyo Skytree is a must go place if you are visiting Tokyo! Really cool area lot of cool stuff to see and do around sky tree lots of gift shops and a mall too. The Skytree itself is awesome usually there is a little bit of a wait 30-60 minutes to go up but it is worth the wait. Maybe if you go on a weekday it might be better I’ve always gone on weekends. Very fun trip and thing to do. Awesome view of Tokyo and on a clear day Yokohama as well. Very awesome pictures and shows how big Tokyo really is which is very impressive, it seems like buildings keep going as far as you can see. Very cool definitely go to the top of you ever get a chance very fun and awesome views of Tokyo.

Both day and night time views are so perfect. Best time to visit in day and wait until to see sunset and night view too. Very excited place for a better experience in highest point in japan. Charges are very reasonable. Enjoy your visit. 🇯🇵

Symbol of Japan although this one is much better than it’s predecessor the Tokyo tower. You can go to the top of the sky tree or go inside and see the enormous mall inside with lots of cool little shops. I really liked that the shops inside weren’t your typical stores you see in a mall, it felt like the stores were much more nuanced and specials. Absolutely a must visit!

Tokyo Skytree

4-chōme-2-8 Shibakōen, Minato City, Tokyo 105-0011, Japan

This was an amazing experience; if you do one thing if you're in Tokyo this should be it. This is iconic; just like the Empire State building is to NYC, the Eiffel Tower is to Paris, and Big Ben to London, Tokyo tower is the same to well... Tokyo. Great gift shop for souvenirs, great place to get a quick bite while taking in the sites, even though it's a bit pricey to go up you gotta go at least once. All in all it was an Amazing experience. No

Well illuminated Tokyo tower basking in the orange and white glow of its hues is a sight to behold in the night time skyline of the city. The guided tour of the tower is designed in an innovative way to give you the taste of the history attached with it. The hospitality of the staff is remarkable. Some of the staff is English speaking as well. There are two types of tickets: one fort he middle deck only and the second for the top deck. If you have bought the top deck ticket you have to change the elevator at the middle deck and you have to do it quick because there is a time slot for doing that.

Get a chance to see the city of Tokyo from one of the most famous observatory towers in the world, the Tokyo Tower. This tower is also known as the ‘Eiffel Tower of Japan.’ Standing on it, you can enjoy a spectacular and a breath-taking view of the city, making your trip to Tokyo an unforgettable one.

Additionally, this tour ticket also enables access to the One Piece Tower. The theme park here is truly amazing, and definitely a place for you if you are an anime love. You can enjoy the comic culture of Tokyo by visiting this park and make the most of your trip.

The tour is valid for one day only and is not a guided one.

Tokyo Tower

Aeroporto Internazionale del Kansai

Parco di Ueno

Japan, 〒657-0101 Hyogo, Kobe, Nada Ward, Rokkōsanchō, Nakaichiriyama−１−１

Dopo quasi 24 ore di volo, con soste a Francoforte e Seul, finalmente l'arrivo all'aeroporto del Kansai.
Piccolo, ordinato, raccolto. C'è silenzio, sono tutti in fila.
Acquisto il mio biglietto dell'autobus per Sannomiya, la stazione centrale di Kobe....

L'Arrivo ad Osaka

Kobe, una città che non si ama appena la si vede. Ci vuole un attimo, qualche passeggiata per il centro, qualche momento fermi in un caffè. Il motivo si capisce d'un tratto: è molto europea e, d'altro canto, è molto nuova. Due identità che non sembrano...

Kobe: fusione di Cina, Giappone ed Europa

Kyoto non ha davvero bisogno di presentazioni. La vista dei suoi templi è in grado di spaccare il cuore.

Kyoto, la storia che si fa eleganza

Il quartiere delle geisha di Kanazawa è sublime. Tutto quello che ci si aspetta da un quartiere antico giapponese, ma senza la folla di Kyoto.
Andateci al tramonto, quando le luci ritoccano di rosso gli edifici in legno. In un instante, è pura magia.

Il quartiere delle geisha ancora intatto a Kanazawa

Fu una semplice notte di passaggio, prima di riprendere l'aereo verso l'Italia. Sfavillante, luminosa e tradizionale. Shibuya svettava nella notte, illuminata da un tripudio di luci.
L'avrei voluta afferrare tutta, quasi bere d'un sorso. Meravigliosa.

Tokyo, la città veloce come il futuro

Un viaggio inaspettato che decisi di fare dopo anni lontano dal Giappone. Dei biglietti abbastanza economici, un'idea di itinerario, ed eccomi pronta con le valigie in mano.
Fu un viaggio assai breve, ma poco era il tempo che avevo a disposizione. Ci...

Giappone 2019

Elisa

Un assaggio di Giappone da Osaka a Tokyo

After almost 24 hours of flight, with stops in Frankfurt and Seoul, finally the arrival at the Kansai airport.
Small, tidy, collected. There is silence, they are all in line.
Buying my bus ticket to Sannomiya, Kobe Central Station....

The Arrival in Osaka

Kobe, a city you don't love as soon as you see it. It takes a moment, a few walks through the centre, a few moments in a café. The reason is suddenly understood: it is very European and, on the other hand, it is very new. Two identities that don't seem...

Kobe: fusion of China, Japan and Europe

Kyoto really needs no introduction. The sight of its temples is capable of breaking the heart.

Kyoto, history that becomes elegance

Kanazawa's geisha district is sublime. Everything you'd expect from an old Japanese neighborhood, but without the crowds of Kyoto.
Go there at sunset, when the lights turn the wooden buildings red. In an instant, it's pure magic.

The geisha district still intact in Kanazawa

It was a simple night in transit, before taking the plane back to Italy. Sparkling, bright and traditional. Shibuya soared into the night, illuminated by a blaze of lights.
I wanted to grab it all, almost drink it in one sip. Wonderful.

Tokyo, the city as fast as the future

An unexpected trip that I decided to take after years away from Japan. Some fairly cheap tickets, an idea of an itinerary, and here I am ready with suitcases in hand.
It was a very short trip, but little was the time I had available. There...