Striving towards Excellence

-Karthik Gurumurthy

We just got back from an incredible 2 week  trip to Japan  and thought I'd share my takeaways and recommendations based on what we experienced. Would love to go back there if possible. 

As a country with a rich cultural heritage and unique customs, visiting Japan can be an exciting and memorable experience.The country offers a unique blend of ancient traditions and modern innovations, beautiful natural landscapes, delicious cuisine, and a rich cultural heritage.To enjoy your visit to Japan, show respect for local traditions, immerse yourself in the local lifestyle, and embrace the beauty and diversity of this incredible destination.

Japanese culture places great importance on politeness and respect.Familiarize yourself with some basic customs, such as bowing when greeting, removing shoes in certain establishments, and using chopsticks correctly. Learning a few common phrases in Japanese, such as greetings and thank you, can also go a long way; or at least make your new friends giggle.  Shobana and Ashwin spent last couple of months learning Japanese and practicing them every days.  When Ashwin spoke to locals in Japanese, they were pleasantly surprised and felt more connected too. I used this link to go through the basics.

Japan has an efficient and extensive transportation system. The Shinkansen (bullet train) is an iconic way to travel between major cities quickly.Local trains, buses, and subways are convenient within cities. Consider purchasing a Japan Rail Pass if you plan to travel extensively by train. Alternatively, local transportation cards like Suica or Pasmo are useful for shorter trips.

Some popular places to visit include Tokyo (the vibrant capital city), Kyoto (renowned for its temples and traditional culture), Osaka (known for its food and nightlife), Hiroshima (historically significant), Nara (home to friendly deer and ancient temples), and Hokkaido (famous for its scenic landscapes and winter sports).

We didn't follow the usual pattern of trying to hit 4+ cities in Japan. Changing hotels every couple of days is exhausting . We're more relaxed travelers who like to strike a balance between activities and taking it easy. We focused our vacation in Tokyo and Kyoto which we loved and stayed one day in Osaka. We also visited Hiroshima and Nara while staying in Kyoto.

• For JR pass, i used https://www.japanstation.com/japan-rail-pass-value.../ to see if it was worth it for us. We ended up with the 14 day pass because we took a lot of shinkansen
• Download the JapanTravel and JapanOfficialTravelApp apps. They allow for you to search using JR pass so you know which route to go. Jr is not always the fastest to get you to your destination. Google maps was great at navigating short walking distances but for long train rides, it didn’t have the feature to select JR rail pass (to my knowledge anyway). But I always had my partner use google maps so we could kind of bounce back and forth between the apps and we really didn’t get lost much, considering.
• Rails are used by multiple types of trains, make sure you look at what time your train should be departing/if it’s on the top of the announcement board, that means that’s the next train departing. That lets you know if you’re on the right train. (I’m from LA and never use the train. Maybe this is common knowledge lol) if the time shown on your google maps/japan travel app does not matching exactly what is on the sign board, you’re probably in the wrong place lol
• Make sure you also read all information on google maps, ie. What entrance to use for the station, what platform, what car to get onto for fastest exit. The information is critical. We felt like navigating Kyoto was so much more difficult because that information wasn’t given to us, but the information booths and even the locals are very helpful.
• Get to the JR ticketing station 10 minutes early to their opening to activate your pass. Don’t know if we just got lucky or what, but we came 10 min before opening and nobody was there. By the time they opened there was a crazy line that we did not expect. So account for that.
• Most JR Shinkansens don’t sell food, nor do the stations you’re boarding from. Always safe to grab an item or two at the combini before leaving. We went until 3 pm with no food one day because we assumed we could buy food at the station, but the station we were leaving was so small there was nothing, and we were constantly rushing to catch the next train.
• Jr pass covers some buses too, so check that. We used it very often in Tokyo- mostly used Yamanote
• Google was sometimes inconsistent between mine and my wife's phone. We had to work as a team sometimes to get to our destination
• PLEASE BE RESPECTFUL OF THE CULTURE AND BE QUIET ON PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION.. and pretty much everywhere else. We noticed groups of foreigners just being so loud, even loud enough that we had to move seats on our 2.5 hr Shinkansen because a group was practically yelling their entire conversation. If it bothered us that much, I can’t imagine what the Japanese were thinking.
• Wear comfortable shoes. Columbia walking shoes which we all got was awesome. The first few days of walking 20k+ steps really killed me but your body gets used to it and it gets better, I promise!
• Umbrellas are super cheap and quite a few of our hotels let guests borrow them for no charge. I wouldn’t pack one unless really indicated.
• Don't worry too much about what youre wearing. Most people dress fairly modest here, but they also don't really care what you're wearing.
• Traveling around Tokyo: Foreigners are easily intimidated by the sheer expanse of Japan's capital city and its 17 million inhabitants (5 million are commuters); however, due to this volume alone Tokyo has developed an unmatched public transportation system and an intricate network of visitor friendly information resources. The best way to travel Tokyo's frantic bustle is to allow the subway to lead the way. A loose itinerary will draw you into true Japanese life through unexpected encounters and more intimate experiences. For a dose of New York in Tokyo, visit  Shibuya  which is rife with higher-end shops, shrines, King-Kong-sized plasma TV screens and the busiest pedestrian street crossing in the world. Meiji-jingu is the most impressive of Tokyo's Shinto shrines; built with Japanese cypress and copper plates for the roof. Even though the shrine was destroyed during World War II, the reconstruction has not lost any of the grandeur. Spent today in Asakusa at Sensoji temple, souvenir shopping then Kappabashi Dougu Street (kitchen street) . Sensoji is beautiful and busy, but we found plenty of quiet spaces. Asakusa is definitely the place for Japanese souvenirs. There are lovely shops in the side streets too away from the main street.
• Directly in the centre of Tokyo, the Imperial Palace (Kokyo) is an inner-city sanctuary that is home to the Imperial Family. The public can visit the surrounding East Gardens and walk along the double bridge over the tranquil moats of the palace grounds, but the palace buildings and inner courtyard are closed to visitors.
• Kyoto  has over 1,600 Buddhist temples and 400 Shinto shrines. My favorite place Kyoto, the city where the ancient capital of Japan once stood, is home to countless cultural attractions and historic sites. It is also the perfect base for your visit to the Kansai region, which also includes Osaka, Kobe, Nara and Himeji. 
• Kyoto Transportation: What a place! It took us a while to get our heads around it - the city seems to rely more on the bus system than the train system, which took some getting used to for us, as we loved the trains in Tokyo. However, they’re easy to navigate with google maps, they’re frequent..they’re just very busy at this time of year, so be prepared! We chose to walk rather than take the bus often because of this. But they work brilliantly.

• Must see places in Kyoto
  • Kinkakuji Temple (the famous Golden Pavilion temple):Kinkaku-ji also known as the the Golden Pavilion, in Kyoto. Kinkaku-ji is one of Kyoto's most famous and iconic temples, renowned for its stunning golden exterior and serene surroundings.Originally built in the 14th century as a retirement villa for a shogun,  Kinkakuji was later converted into a Zen Buddhist temple.The top two floors of the pavilion are completely covered in gold leaf, creating a breathtaking sight that reflects off the pond in front of the temple. Kinkaku-ji is situated in northern Kyoto, amidst beautifully landscaped gardens, and is designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
  • Nijo Castle (the former Kyoto residence of the shogun with spacious Japanese gardens) 10:00am 8/10 very big takes 1 hour to walk around! 400 yen Entry Fee
  • Fushimi Inari Shrine unending path of vibrant orange torii gates) amazing!! Totally worth it!
  • Arashiyama Bamboo Forest scenic natural area with magnificent bamboo grove). You have got to be there!
  • For food- a few people recommended Engine Ramen - and YES, what a place! A little different from traditional ramen as the soup is more creamy - almost Thai or Vietnamese style I’d say - it was absolutely gorgeous and Ashwin loved it too. You take a ticket and wait in line, so be prepared to wait. Totally worth it. 
  • Afterwards, head to Nishiki Market, a market with a difference. Known as Kyoto's Kitchen, Nishiki Market is filled with more than 100 restaurants and food stands selling everything from seafood to pickles – a truly local experience! Us being vegetarian just watched everything but still great experience.
    In conclusion, Kyoto boasts a rich cultural heritage and a long history, and is a great place to experience Japan's traditional life. If you do visit this beautiful city, I hope it will be a great experience for you!