Visiting Japan

Thursday 15th July 2021

Sitting in the Northwest Pacific Ocean in East Asia is the beautiful island of Japan. This country, full of culture and vibrant colours is protected by the East China Sea and Taiwan into the south. It is also closely part of what some people call the Ring of Fire which is a region just outside of the Pacific Ocean. The reason this name is given is from the many volcanic eruptions and earthquakes that occur! According to World Facebook, ‘Japan has a coastline of 29,751 kilometers, and it has the third-largest economy in the world. The land is mostly rugged and mountainous with, 66% forest. Japan is a cluster of 6852 islands that covers approximately 145,937 square miles. The five main islands in Japan are Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku, Kyushu, and Okinawa. Japan has a population of 126.3 million from January 2021 which makes it the eleventh most populated country, as well as being the most urbanized.’

Tokyo, the capital of Japan and the largest city, had around ‘5.2 million tourists visiting in 2019’ - Statista.  If you are familiar with The Fast and The Furious saga: Tokyo drift, then you will know about Tokyo’s bustling city centers and that it is a hotspot for nightlife. Tokyo is famous for Harajuku which, refers to extreme fashion and youth culture. Tokyo’s most famous live attractions are the Sensoji Temple, Tsukiji Fish Market, Akihabara which, translates to shopping and the mass availability for Anime cartoons, electronics, manga, and video games. Meiji Shrine and Shibuya Crossing are also historical landmarks in Tokyo. 

Senjoi Temple

My favorite thing about Japan is the beautifully captivating cherry blossoms which are, considered Japan’s national flower. They bloom in the springtime and can be seen all over the cities as large areas of them turn completely pink. You can also visit the cherry blossom festival which, is held all over Japan. There are hundreds of fun things to do in the thrilling cities of this glorious Japanese island: You can attend a sumo show or watch one of Japan’s famous dances shows such as Geisha or Kabuki or why not take a trip to Nijo Castle or Ninja Museum, you could also visit the Oirase National Park or Kiyomizu-Dera Temple. 

Japan is a magnificent country full of wild adventures, history, art, spiritualism, and traditionally tasty sushi and noodles.