Visiting monuments, entering museums, getting to know the architecture of the place, visiting squares … Traveling is much more than all that. To really know a city or country, you have to go a little further. If you don’t know what to do in Japan to really get to know it and you are planning a trip to this beautiful Asian country, take note.
What to do in Japan?
Gastronomy
Although it is not forbidden to go through one of those fast food restaurants that are found anywhere in the world, it is mandatory to try at least some of the most typical dishes of the country , eat in its restaurants and let yourself be carried away by the most typical flavors. authentic from Japan.
The 10 essential dishes are:
- Tempura : it is a quick fry that is made of seafood or vegetables. It is usually an ideal size to eat in one bite, although it is not uncommon to find it in slightly larger sizes.
- Gyoza : it is a kind of fried dough whose dough is prepared with flour and filled with pork and cabbage.
- Ramen : this dish is prepared with noodles that are boiled in a broth made from fish, miso, and soy sauce. Pork and chives are also added.
- Miso soup: This soup is found in restaurants as an individual dish or as an accompaniment on menus. It is prepared with soy dissolved in dashi or with fish broth and tofu and wakame seaweed are added.
- Yakisoba : they are thin noodles cooked with vegetables, meat or seafood.
- Okonomiyaki : also known as Japanese pizza although it looks more like an omelette to which several ingredients are added. This dish is cooked in various ways depending on the area, the most famous places are Hiroshima and Osaka.
- Takoyaki : although it can be found anywhere in Japan, the most recommended place to eat them is in Osaka, specifically in the Dōtonbori area. They are fried flour balls, similar to a donut, stuffed with octopus.
- Katsudon : It is a rice dish with a battered pork chop on top.
- Edamame : it is a kind of appetizer. They are immature soybean pods boiled in salted water.
- Onigiri : these are the typical triangles of rice wrapped in nori seaweed and filled with different foods, such as fish, meat or vegetables.
In addition to these 10 dishes, which we consider essential, there are a number of specialties that we also highly recommend, such as kobe beef and wagyu beef . Nor can you miss a sweet like dorayaki or mochi and a good glass of sake .
Typical Japanese breakfast
In some traditional hostels, such as ryōkan or minshuku , they serve authentic Japanese breakfasts . These always include miso soup, white rice, grilled fish, and some pickles. You can also find restaurants where they serve them.
The ōnsen
If for a Japanese it is a unique experience to enjoy a bath in natural hot springs , for a tourist it can be a trip to paradise itself.
Do not confuse an onsen with an Sentō because ultimately this current and non – thermal heated water is used. To be considered a ōnsen, the water must have at least one of the nineteen chemical elements designated by the government and have a temperature greater than 25ºC. Thanks to the great volcanic activity in the country, it is not difficult to find this type of bath. In fact, many traditional hotels, the ryōkan , have hot spring baths . They are normally separated by sex, although there is the possibility of reserving a private one for a certain time so that couples or families can relax together.
The ōnsen can be indoors or outdoors, these are known as rotenburō and are usually surrounded by gardens, mountains or forest. There are also the ashiyu , which are small pools of thermal water that can be found in the middle of a city or town and are used to put your feet in.
Bath instructions
There are a number of basic rules that apply to all bathrooms:
- In an ōnsen he goes totally naked . Although at first it may be a bit embarrassing, once inside all the complexes disappear.
- People with tattoos are not accepted.
- The large towel is only for drying off when you go out , not for covering yourself on the way to the bathroom area.
- Before entering the water, you must shower and wash thoroughly in the shower area. To do it correctly you have to sit on the stool and use the small towel as a sponge. Usually there is shampoo and gel and you do not need to carry it with you.
- After the shower, it is time to relax and get into the water .
The water in the ōnsen is usually very hot, so we recommend going outside or getting up from time to time to avoid dizziness. Another option is to sit on one of the stones that are usually in the water so that part of the body is outside and can rest from the heat.
Matsuri or Japanese festival
The word matsuri means festival or holiday in Japanese. The festivals in this country are quite an event. Although there are many throughout the year, the most important are:
- Cherry blossoms : in spring the hanami or cherry blossoming takes place. For the Japanese it is a long awaited, appreciated and admired moment. During this period there are several festivals to celebrate this event. The most important takes place at Hirosaki Castle, which hosts the Sakura Matsuri festival. In addition, you can visit Mount Yoshino, which has more than 30,000 cherry trees; the Japan Mint Museum, where the gardens are open to the public every April; or Ueno Park, which has about 1,200 cherry trees that each year dress the park in pink.
- Fireworks in Sumida : During the summer months, the most beautiful fireworks festival in the country takes place in Tokyo, along the Sumida River. It is one of the oldest and largest shows in Japan .
- Gion Matsuri : Held in July in Kyoto, it is one of the three largest festivals in Japan . Floats and altars parade down the street, children wear traditional makeup and musicians fill the streets with joy.
- Hana Touro : It is also celebrated in Kyoto , specifically in Arashiyama, but in winter. Locals line the river with 2,600 lanterns and displays of ikebana flowers. It is a festival full of tradition and one of the most beautiful .
- Snow Festival : During the winter months in Sapporo hundreds of sculptures made of snow are erected representing castles, structures and other icons of Japan.
- Takayama Festival : Held in spring and fall, it is another of the three biggest and most beautiful festivals in Japan . Numerous dazzling and magnificent floats roam the city during the party. In spring the Hie-jinja shrine is the main one and in autumn it is the Sakura-yama Hachiman-gu.
- Nebuta Festival : This festival is held in Aomori and Hirosaki. In Aomori, the three-dimensional nebutases stand out , which are designed based on warrior dolls such as Ushiwakamaru and Benkei, and parade accompanied by the sound of drums and music. In Hirosaki, however, there are 60 small and large fan-shaped nebutas with images of heroic legends.
Performing arts
Geishas and maikos are not the only ones who offer shows loaded with art and tradition. Although seeing them perform can be a unique and beautiful experience, in Japan there are more artistic options, such as kabuki theater.
Kabuki theater is one of Japan’s most prominent traditional theatrical forms within the performing arts. The genus was born during the Edo period and its creator was a priestess. In these works drama, action and love are mixed, usually they deal with historical events, legends of Japanese folklore and love relationships. The most remarkable thing about this genre is the makeup used by the actors, the dances, the music and the changing scenes.
It is very easy to find places where they do kabuki plays. Even if we do not understand the Japanese language, seeing a work of this type live can be a very enriching experience.
There is another type of theater, noh , which is also a form of ancient traditional theater, but as it uses aristocratic language and the play progresses more slowly, it is not recommended as much for tourists because it can be heavy or difficult to follow . Noh also deals with historical events and legends, but in this case demons and divinities are part of the plot. The actors wear masks instead of makeup to represent various characters.
Other experiences
The four experiences above are just a small part of everything to do in Japan. You can also attend a tea ceremony , watch a live sumo match or some training, go to a baseball game , do an origami workshop , dress up as geisha and samurai in Kyoto, visit one of the amusement parks that there are for Japan …
After this explanation about what to do in Japan, it’s time to enjoy the trip to the fullest. The experiences that you want to live in this Asian country also depend a lot on the tastes and interests of each one, in addition there is the economic factor. We believe that on a trip you should at least indulge yourself and that you should not leave the country with the feeling of “I would have done that and in the end …”. So among all the experiences listed, we believe that we must choose the one that in addition to adjusting to the budget, makes us excited to live it to return home without regrets.
