Japan is known as the land of the rising sun. It is a unique place to visit for its culture, landscapes, people, and food. If you could travel to any country in the world to experience something new, this would be the place to go. I wouldn’t even hesitate to go if I had the means to.
In this article, we will share two amazing cities that you should visit if you are interested in touring Japan. Trust me, you won’t want to miss this!
Osaka: A City Of Japan Full Of Activities And Life
Osaka is a wonderful location full of life and activity. It is known as the kitchen of Japan with many of the nation’s dishes originating from the city. The city is fairly modern and the focus of the area is on having a good time. People like to eat, drink, and chat in the city with friends and tourists.
Historic Locations
In the downtown area of the city, you can see Dotonbori, the city’s main attraction. It attracts many tourists and is full of bright lights and people.
Another interesting place to visit would be the Osaka Castle. It is one of the most famous castles in Japan. It is also a historic landmark since the castle played an essential part in the unification of Japan during the 16th century.
If you’d rather do something else, you can also visit the Namba Yasaka Shrine. It is a small historic shrine that is famous for its lime green head stage.
If you plan on visiting a lot of temples and shrines like these while you’re in Japan, it is important to learn how to pay your respect.
To show your respect, you should first ring the bell (if there is one), bow twice, clap twice and finally bow once. This is the proper way to show your respect in these sacred temples and at these shrines.
History is interesting but even more interesting is fashion. Fashion is no stranger to Japan. Amerikamura is the center of fashion and youth in Osaka. Here, you can find the latest fashion and trends in Japan. Thrift shopping is also an option in Amerikamura if you don’t want to spend too much money on clothes during your trip.
Food
After exploring this area you can head on over to some of the best restaurants the city has to offer. For example, Ichiran Ramen is a famous ramen chain known for its good food. If ramen isn’t so much your thing, you can visit one well-established okonomiyaki restaurant, Okaru. The restaurant is known for serving Okonomiyaki, a savory Japanese pancake made with flour, eggs, cabbage, and a protein that you can choose.
Attractions
After you’ve seen some important places and have gotten some food, you can check out the Don Quixote Ferris Wheel. Don Quixote is one of the biggest discount chains in Japan. You can buy many products here from plush toys to other character-based items. What makes this Don Quixote location the best though is that it actually has a Ferris wheel in it you can ride. It provides a nice view of the city and a fun time.
A more modern attraction in Osaka that’s certainly a jaw-dropper is the Umeda Sky Building. This building is famous for its floating garden observatory. While here, you can access the famous observation deck and get a great look at the entire city of Osaka.
If you still have some time on your hands, you can always visit the nearby aquarium or Universal Studios as well.
Kyoto: A City Known For Its Beauty And Culture
Kyoto is the ancient capital of Japan. It is home to numerous temples, shrines, palaces, and gardens. This city receives a fair amount of tourism for its beauty and ancient culture. If you are looking for things to do and places to explore, there is an endless list.
Parks, Groves, and Temples
Grove
A great place to begin touring around this city is Arashiyama, an area known for its natural scenery. Here, you can visit the Arashiyama Bamboo Grove. As you may expect, this location features beautifully gardened bamboo trees clustered around walking paths. The bamboo is almost so thick and dense that it is hard to see anything through the trees.
Bamboo is native to the country and is a symbol of prosperity in the country, so you can expect to see a lot more in other gardens and areas of the city.
It is also important to note that while the climate can seem very warm during some seasons, it’s nowhere near-desert temperatures. If you are looking for desert locations though, you can check out 4 amazing deserts you can travel to in an article on our website.
Temples
Another soothing place you can visit is Tenryu-Ji, one of the most important Zen Buddhism temples in Kyoto and probably Japan. Here you can take in the relaxing nearby pond, the colorful trees, and other fine gardens. I would advise entering the temple to see some beautifully yet simplistically designed areas that the temple has to offer.
The next scenic location you can visit is the Katsura River. The Katsura River is the man river that runs through Arashiyama. From there, all you have to do is take a short walk up to Senko-Ji temple. Some would consider this temple a hidden gem of the temple as iti provides a great view of everything below it. Not to mention, there’s a temple dog. Yes! A temple dog! It’s super adorable and lives at the temple where people can visit it and pet it.
Park
If you’re looking for more animals to love and pet, you’ll be excited to visit the Iwatayama Monkey Park. Most of the monkeys are super friendly and love visitors who feed them the monkey food sold by vendors in the park. You can see a range of monkeys from babies to older monkeys, small ones to big ones, they have so many at the park for tourists to see.
Another special temple for tourists to visit is the Kinkaku-Ji temple. It was actually known as a tournament villa for shogun. This temple also features amazing views and an interesting interior.
There are other temples, parks, and gardens not listed here. These are just a few you should know.
Food
If you start to get hungry, you can head over to Ramen Sen No Kaze. It is arguably the best ramen shop in the city. Ramen is a prevalent meal in Japan, so you can expect to eat a lot of it. Since Sen No Kaze is so well known though, you can also expect a lot of people during dining hours, but it’s well worth it.
If you want more variety, you head on down to the Nishiki Market. It offers a lot of seafood options in the form of street food. Some well-known Japanese street food options are Takoyaki and Yakitori. Takoyaki are basically fried balls of batter with octopus, tempura, pickled ginger, and onion. This is a common snack that many people enjoy. Yakitori is just grilled chicken skewers with seasoning.
Pack Your Luggage And Get Ready To Go!
This is a perfect time to visit Japan. The weather is becoming warmer and the flights are cheap. If you are wondering where to go next in the world, you should definitely visit these two cities. You can learn so much from the culture and people while having a great time and trying new foods that it would be a crime not to go!
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