There are few places in the world like Japan to get your head spinning.  Incredible, breathtaking, amazing and inspiring, it has it all from the tranquility and beauty of a zen garden in Kyoto to the fashion extravaganza of the Harajuku girls and the vibrant atmosphere of Shibuya in Tokyo.

Japan will assault your senses like few other places on earth and we enjoyed every moment of it.
In many ways it feels familiar, in a society that loves all things French and Italian restaurants abound.  Their department stores will have you open mouthed at the choice and quality not just of what they sell but the style in which they do it.  The food halls are to die for.  The Japanese are extremely courteous and eager to please, so language issues are often overcome with a smile and a bow.  Getting around proved much easier than anticipated, by obtaining a rail pass for the Shinkansen (the inter city train) before leaving and subway/bus passes on arrival.  Wherever you go, you will find everything is in English so we just tried to ignore the Japanese script that can overwhelm you at times.
No matter how long you stay in Tokyo you will never run out of things to see and do.  We chose to stay in Shinjuku and our hotel room on the 34th floor had panoramic view and reminded us we were in the world’s largest city.  Our location also gave us easy access to the very beautiful Gyoen Park with it’s English, French and Japanese gardens, as well as the fantastic subway system which is cheap and easy to use.  The weather in November is perfect too.  The hot, humid and wet days of summer give way to endless clear skies and cooler days, ideal for sightseeing.
Strolling around in the evenings, be it Shinjinku or Shibuya allowed us to soak up the vibrant atmosphere that is Tokyo. Serious shoppers will love the Ginza and the tree lined boulevard of Omotesando but you could spend days just in the huge Takashimaya store in Shinjuku!  A visit to the Senso-ji temple combined with the Nakamise shopping street proved ideal for cheap kimonos, geisha bags, paper products and Hello Kitty nonsense.
After the frenetic pace of Tokyo, Kyoto and Nara seem a world away.  The history of the temples and shrines will amaze you and just when you think you’ve seen it all, you will come across yet another whose garden will astound you, particularly Ginkaku-ji.  But there are so many of sheer beauty and you will never have time to see them all no matter how hard you try!
It’s a big country so we didn’t try to see a lot of it, just a lot of the bits we visited and which we found so rewarding. Everyone in Tokyo seems to be permanently on the move but it will cause you no angst, just leave you wondering in admiration at the elegance, the style and staggering courtesy of the people.

Travelscene Samford would like to thank Colin again for another lovely travel article.  Don’t forget that only Travelscene American Express lets you travel anywhere, any time and pay with your membership rewards points.  So contact us on 3289 3700 and let us help you turn your American Express membership rewards points into your next trip.