Cherry blossom festivals are one of Japan’s most beloved cultural traditions. Every year, during the Spring festival season, visitors come from all over the world to see the beautiful cherry blossoms. Within days of the flowers opening, Instagram overflows with stunning pictures and videos of the many cherry trees in Japan.

Best time to see cherry blossoms in Japan

Because cherry blooms are dependent on the weather, the exact time the cherry blossoms emerge varies from year to year. Every Spring, travelers wait for the sakura (cherry) trees to burst into bloom, and descend on the country to see this unforgettable sight.

Most festivals take place between March and May, and they’re a wonderful place to take in more than just cherry blossoms. Most festivals feature live music, food, craft stalls and tea ceremonies beneath the blossoms.

To get a rough estimate of when the cherry blossoms start, take a look at the last five year’s festival dates, and find an average of that to estimate the time of the cherry trees blossoms.

Best Places to See Cherry Blossoms in Japan

Cherry blossoms are a symbol of renewal and hope, and the coming of spring. Once you have your visa for Japan in hand, follow our tips for the best cities to see cherry blossoms.

While you can see pretty blossoms at many parks and even along boulevards, several cities and small towns are especially well known for their cherry blossoms. For the most part, these cities have festivals that coincide when the cherry trees come into bloom.

Wanting to join in the festivities? Here are our picks for the top places to see cherry blossoms in Japan, along with the top cherry blossom festivals and viewing spots in Sakura season.

Yoshino, Kansai

Yoshino is known as the Cherry Blossom Capital of Japan. Small town Yoshino gets quite busy during cherry blossom season. Because it draws thousands of visitors, and there are a limited number of places to stay, accommodation is generally booked out well in advance.

Luckily, it’s possible to visit the Yoshino blossoms on a day trip from Nara or even Osaka.

The best time to visit Yoshino is usually from mid-April until early May each year. Check a cherry blossom forecast for more exact dates.

Hirosaki Castle, Tohoku

If you want to avoid the crowds, Hirosaki is a great choice. While it’s hugely popular, the park also covers a large area of over 50 hectares, which keeps it from feeling crowded.

The castle here, Hirosaki Castle, is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Japan however all that’s left of the castle these days is the 200-year-old keep.

The park itself is crisscrossed with moats from the historic castle with cherry trees flanking the moats, alongside lovely, arching bridges. Walkways are often lined with a variety of flowers, including tulips and irises making the walk even more memorable.

There are over 2,500 cherry trees in Hirosaki, making for a fully immersive cherry blossom experience.

Fuji Five Lakes, Chubu

The Arakurayama Sengen-kōen park is in Fuji-Yoshida, a city at the base of Mt Fuji, with almost 700 sakura trees.

As you can imagine the photos in Fuji Five Lakes are gorgeous, with Mt Fuji in the background, and the Chureitō Pagoda in the front of the frame. It’s likely a photo that you’ve seen often and incorporates 3 things that Japan is known for in one picture.

The best time to see cherry blossoms in Fuji Five Lakes is generally from late March to early May.

Kyoto

Kyoto is a city with a long history that dates back to the 700s. Once the Imperial city of Japan, the architecture and general vibe of this culture-rich city reflect its origins.

Kyoto has many wonderful places to see cherry blossoms, making it hard to pick just one.

Maruyama-kōen (Maruyama Park) may just be the best place to see cherry blossoms in Kyoto.

You will find the wonderful Gion Shidare-zakura (in English, the “Weeping Cherry of Gion) in the middle of the park. The tree is over 10 meters tall (32 feet), and lit up at night. The nearby Shirakawa canal is lined with cherry trees and lit up at night as well.

While the Weeping Cherry of Gion is stunning, there are almost 700 other cherry trees in full bloom in the park and it makes a great place to see in person.

Tokyo

Tokyo is home to thousands of cherry trees that draw in thousands of tourists. Blooms usually last a couple of weeks.

Tokyo’s Yoyogi-kōen (Yoyogi Park in English) is a vibrant, fun place to take in the cherry blossoms. It’s a huge, sprawling area in the heart of downtown Tokyo. During cherry blossom season, it’s packed with people picnicking under the blossoms.

If photos and video are your priority, visit the stunningly picturesque Shinjuku-gyoen.

Nakameguro is Tokyo’s best neighborhood for seeing cherry blossoms, with numerous streets lined with cherry trees.

Osaka

Osaka is one of Japan’s most beautiful cities, and that’s saying a lot in a country known for its charm.

It’s an excellent choice to visit if you can’t visit Japan until later in the cherry blossom season, as cherry trees bloom later here than in other parts of Japan.

For the most part, the best time to view cherry blossoms in Osaka is the third week of March. The blossoms hit full bloom (known as mankai in Japanese) around April 1st.

Osaka Castle and its surrounding garden is a wonderful place to see cherry blossoms. The castle itself is a striking piece of medieval Japanese architecture that photographs well against the light pink or white cherry blossoms. the area is known for.

Himeji Castle, Kansai

Himeji Castle is only four hours west of Tokyo by train, making it easy to access for most visitors.

The castle only reopened to visitors in 2015, but it has quickly become popular with tourists and locals alike.

There are free areas at Senhimebotanen Garden (Sannomaru grounds) and paid areas at Nishnomaru grounds.

Matsumae Park, Hokkaido

Hokkaido is Japan’s most northern island, and home to Japan’s northernmost castle in Matsumae Park. There are over 10,000 trees here, with 250 varieties of blossoms. Because of the many varieties, which bloom at different times, Matsumae Park has a long viewing season until late April.

The castle is illuminated at night, making for a magical sight.

Matsumae Park is just a short walk from the city center, making it easy to access.

Articles you’ll enjoy

• 10 Insanely Helpful Tips For Visiting Japan With Kids
• Sakuraco Box Review – Is This Japanese Sweets and Snack Box Worth It?
• Our Tokyo Treat Review: Is This Japanese Subscription Box Worth It?
• 10 Tips for Traveling Japan by Train

Do you have any places you love to see cherry blossoms in Japan? Tell us in the comments below!

Finding authentic Japanese snacks and sweet treats outside of Japan can be really difficult, especially in our area of Canada. That’s a huge shame, since food gives us a unique insight into the culture of a country, and snacks are an easy, fun, and accessible treat.

We tried the Sakuraco Japanese subscription box, and here’s what we thought.

Our Sakuraco Box Review

Our Sakuraco box came securely wrapped in a thick layer of bubble wrap. All the contents inside were in perfect shape.

I really loved the muted earth tone of the box, accented with gold. The elegant packaging really fits with the upscale snacks inside as well.

See Sakuraco box pricing here.

What’s inside the Sukuraco box?

The Sakuraco box is filled with locally sourced Japanese teas, sweets and snacks. There are 20 new, seasonal snack treats in each box and each box often includes treats from different Japanese prefectures.

Each box includes traditional Japanese teas such as matcha, hojicha or other seasonal teas, as well as Japanese home goods like ceramics, chopsticks or furoshiki. You’ll also find traditional Japanese cakes, and sweets like mochi, manju and yokan. There are also seasonal treats like momiji, and sakura, along with senbei and konpeito from local makers.

Each box comes with a gorgeously detailed snack and culture discovery guide. The guide describes each snack in English, along with its origin and often information about the area the snack derived from. Boxes also come with complete allergen information for each item.

We reviewed the December Hokkaido Winter Festival box.

With three vegetarians out of the four of us, we were thrilled to see that Sakuraco notes in the guide whether or not each treat is vegetarian.

While most of the treats in our box were vegetarian friendly, there were a few that weren’t exactly to our tastes however that’s to be expected when given an assortment and why these types of boxes are great for families or groups of people. Being able to share an experience, good or bad, is always a great bonding experience.

That said, there were definitely a few that stood out for each of us.

Our Favorite Sakuraco treats

My daughter’s favorite snack was the Hokkaido milk karinto. It’s a lightly fried wheat batter made with Hokkaido milk, and coated with a sweet, sugary coating.

One of Charles’ top picks was the Yubari melon chocolate sandwich cookie. It’s made with Yubari melon, which is a classic Hokkaido flavor, coupled with white chocolate and two layers of crisp butter cookies.

Our son really liked the banana baumkuchen. It has thin layers of sweet egg batter with a light, banana flavor. It’s meant to be enjoyed with tea or coffee, but we ate them plain.

My two favorites were the Kobukoro mochi and the walnut mochi.

I’m usually not a fan of seaweed, but I absolutely loved the Kobukoro mochi, which are flavored with the umami Hokkaido kobu, which is type of seaweed. Delicious!

The walnut mochi is made with red sweet bean and mochi rice, with chunks of roasted walnut. The guide said it has a hint of soy sauce flavor (which I couldn’t pick up on, honestly). It comes wrapped in a thin layer of edible rice paper.

Just don’t make our initial mistake, and assume the outer white cardboard is the edible rice paper. (Hint: It’s not!)

The edible rice paper is, of course, the thin, translucent wrapping around the sticky walnut mochi and dissolves quickly in your mouth.

How much does Sakuraco cost?

The cost for Sakuraco is $37.50 for a one month box.

That cost drops to $35.50 per month if you get a three month subscription, and drops again to $33.50 for a six month subscription.

The most affordable option is $32.50 per month for a 12 month subscription. You’re charged the full amount of each subscription when you sign up.

Sakuraco delivery

You can get your Sakuraco box delivered worldwide.

Boxes are sent by trackable or express delivery. If your country doesn’t support express shipping, Sakuraco will deliver your box with Japan Post Priority Shipping and Tracking.

Sakuraco vs Tokyo Treat

We tried the Tokyo Treat box earlier this year (see our Tokyo Treat review here).

Overall, the Sakuraco box is smaller than Tokyo Treat however they do include different things in them which will appeal to different groups.

Once you look inside, the Sakuraco snacks are much more adult focused than Tokyo Treat. They’re both fantastic boxes, but I’d say that Sakuraco would be a better box for adults and older children, while Tokyo Treat’s larger box with more brightly colored popular snacks is a great fit for young families, especially those with younger children.

Is Sakuraco Box worth getting?

Both the box, the English guide and the snacks within, while not all to our taste, are well presented and a fun way to explore both the culture and flavor of a distant land for a fraction of what the airfare alone would cost.

Whether you’ve already been to Japan and have a fondness for the snacks or have never been and are curious what kinds of things they call tasty, these subscription boxes offer us a glimpse of travel without ever having to leave our home and for that they get a thumbs up.

We look forward to trying out more of these services in the future.

As any seasoned traveler can tell you, local food and cuisine often plays an integral role in experiencing a new area. While an authentic and delicious full course meal has made us fall in love with a country more often than we’d admit, we find it’s the snacks that often define a people and their culture.

So what happens when the world is a little more shut down and you can’t just jump on a plane and fly somewhere to sample things? Well, sometimes the easiest answer is to just get food shipped to you.

Unfortunately, it can be really hard to find authentic Japanese snacks and candy outside of Japan. That’s where Tokyo Treat come in.

Japanese snacks and candy are thought to be some of the most unusual and fun treats in the world.

Right now, travel’s still a bit expensive and difficult, so a trip to Japan, though solidly on our bucket list, isn’t in our immediate future. As much as I want to visit Japan as a family, and travel Japan by train, we’re going to wait until travel is less complicated for us.

Luckily, trying Japan’s fun snacks is a nice way to experience a bit of the culture, even if we can’t be there in person right now.

So, we were really excited to try the Tokyo Treat box.

What is Tokyo Treat?

Tokyo Treat is a monthly subscription box that’s shipped directly from Japan.

A typical Tokyo Treat box includes:

• a drink exclusive to Japan
• a rare KitKat Party Pack
• assorted Japanese snacks (2.7 plus pounds / 1.2 kg)
• a full sized Japanese crazy candy, crunchy chips, and more
• an illustrated English guide describing each snack in the box
• a special contest or rewards for Tokyo Treat members

Our Tokyo Treat Review

Let’s start with the question that almost everyone asks first: How much does Tokyo Treat cost?

The cost is $35/month for a monthly subscription.

If you get a 12 month subscription, the cost drops to $31.50/month. It’s $32.00/month for a six month subscription, or $33.50/month for a three month subscription.

The cost for Tokyo Treat is in USD, and you can cancel anytime.

What’s inside the Tokyo Treat candy box?

Our October 2021 Tokyo Treat box was Halloween themed. So much fun!

Throughout the year, Tokyo Treat offers several themed boxes, including Halloween and Christmas.

Our Halloween box came with:

• Grape Calpis Soda
• Cinnamon Apple KitKats
• Red and Black Magic Gum
• Pokemon Halloween Choco Corn
• Umaibo cheese
• Tongari Corn Halloween Butter Toast
• Pocky Crushed Strawberry
• Mini Monster Fruit Candy
• Spooky Water DIY Kit
• Halloween New Mochi Taro
• Happy Halloween Fugachi
• Holland Senbai
• Maple Butter Beer Ramune Candy
• Mini Strawberry Milk Coco Balls
• Umaiwa Mentai flavour
• Full Moon Pon
• Halloween Pizza snacks
• A snack guide with photos of each snack, and an English explanation of each snack
• A member only contest for a chance to win Japanese KitKats

I was impressed by the number of snacks in the Tokyo Treat box. There were 17 different treats and snacks for us to try.

Luckily, there was a really helpful snack guide, with photos of each snack, and a short description.

The Umaibo cheese was one of my personal favorites. It’s about a four inch long hollow tube that tastes a lot like a fluffy, sweeter cheese Cheeto. So good!

The Pocky Crushed Strawberry was probably my son’s favorite. It’s a thin, sweet stick that’s a lot like a chocolate wafer, dipped in a sweet strawberry glaze (like a strawberry chocolate flavor).

My husband’s favorite was the mini monster fruit candy. It’s a lot like a fruit rollup, but he loved how each color was a different, distinct flavor.

The Mini Strawberry Milk Coco Balls were a hit with everyone. They had a nice white chocolate and strawberry flavor inside of a crunchy candy coating. Yum!

My daughter was especially excited to try the drink, which was a refreshing Calpis soda with a unique sweet grape fizzy and milky goodness.

The anime style cartoon on the front of the snack guide was really beautifully drawn. It was a custom cartoon designed for this specific box, with details about what was inside the box in the cartoon. Very cool!

Where does Tokyo Treat come from?

The Tokyo Treat box ships worldwide from Tokyo every month.

Want to try some tasty Japanese candy and savory snacks?

Get your own TokyoTreat box and try Japanese snacks at home for yourself!

Japan is undoubtedly one of the best kid-friendly destinations in the world! There is a magnitude of things to do in Japan with kids and the number is constantly growing.

City streets may be narrow and crowded, but it’s well worth the adventure thanks to its interesting destinations, rich culture and unending attractions that would be rewarding both for you and the young ones.

Editors tip! Planning a visit to Japan? Whether you’re on a girlfriend’s trip, or visiting Japan solo, visiting Japan by train is a rite of passage!

Get a JR pass before you leave, though! You can’t buy a JR Pass once you’re in Japan, so you’ll need to plan ahead and buy one before you arrive! When you arrive in Japan, simply exchange the voucher for the actual pass at a JR office.

See JR Pass prices and more info here!

10 Tips For Visiting Japan With Kids

Here are 10 helpful tips for travel to Japan with kids, including a list of fun things to do in Japan with kids.

What to Expect

While Japan is an extremely safe and busy country where everyone seems to mind his/her own business, it is still important to understand that it is a hierarchical society. In other words, everyone and everything has its place in the society.

Traditionally, children are expected to stay at home in care of their mothers. That is why strollers are very rare to spot on the streets. This doesn’t mean that kids do not go out with their parents. You will see parents out with their kids, but they’re expected to keep them in check always. Letting your kid yell or run around in restaurants or trains is unacceptable and will earn you lots of cold glares.

Flying In

It is often advisable to consider Japanese airlines such as All Nippon Airways (ANA) and Japan Airline when flying to Japan with kids. Why? Well, you may have to pay a little extra, but they’re astonishingly kid-friendly. Some of the services include special infant meals and cosy bassinets. These airlines also offer child seat rental service as well.

It will cost you a little extra for the seat, but it is well worth it. They also offer a special check-in counter for families, as well as free kids’ play areas at the Narita Airport in Tokyo where you’ll typically be let to cut in the security line.

Travel Light

It is strongly advisable for parents traveling with kids to any Japanese destination to always consider traveling light. You do not want to find yourself in a situation where you are pushing a giant stroller with your kid on it while pulling a large suitcase behind you whilst trying to master stairs.

That said, traveling to and around Japan with a stroller is a nightmare you would not wish to go through. Strollers are a rarity in Japanese cities and will have many pedestrians and travellers sneering at you because they’re an inconvenience not just to you, but also to others.

Trains are always overcrowded especially during rush hours, paths to shrines and temples are customarily made of gravel and to make it even worse, city sidewalks are narrow and ever busy. That is why we recommend for you to just leave your giant stroller at home.

You should instead, consider using baby carriers or umbrella strollers, which are fold-able and lightweight. You can also consider traveling with backpack diaper bag instead of a giant suitcase, which we use constantly. These backpacks have plenty of space for everything your little one will need, but also comes with heaps of space for your camera, water bottle and perhaps change of clothes. These are items that you can one-handedly or easily carry down or up the stairs, let alone the fact that they can fit just about anywhere in the trains or through normal ticket gates.

Using Public Transport

Japan has one of the best and safest transport systems in the world. Kids under 6 years old travel for free on all buses and trains. Children who are over the age of 6, but under the age of 12 are required to pay half the price. You can therefore, consider acquiring a kids’ version of JR (Japan Rail) Pass Suica Smart Card, which can be used just about anywhere.  We found that it was so much more affordable to use the Japan Rail Pass for the entire family, rather than purchasing the tickets separately.  You can read more about the benefits of the JR Rail Pass here.

Some of the public transport modes to consider include:

Local Trains

Local city train systems are very punctual, reasonably priced and very quick. Even when travelling from one side of the city to the other, it is fairly easy to navigate to your connecting trains. Once you get used to the sign system and following the coloured lines, you will be OK even in the largest of train stations. Your little ones might have a few stairs to go up and down on, but it is not a big issue here. It is our recommendation that you avoid the hectic rush hours. On weekdays, it peaks between 8-9am towards the city centres and again at 5 pm from the city centres.

Long-Distance Trains

Children aren’t entitled to their own seats in long-distance trains and can use any free seat if there’s any. It is strongly recommended to book your seats in advance, in order to avoid scenarios, when there are no more free seats available. Standing with your kids whilst on the train, is not the most fun adventure.

Super modern Shinkansen bullet trains are very much kid friendly! They are fitted with modern change tables and breastfeeding booths. On the other hand, bullet trains can be unsuitable for your kids as the high-speed vibrations can make some kids nauseous. Therefore, kt’s important to feed them lightly or wait for the modern bullet trains such as the N700, which plies the Tokyo-Osaka route. You can also consider using the Super View Odoriko express if you’re traveling to the Izu Peninsula since it has a wonderful kids’ play area.

Taxi

It is a requirement that kids below the age of 6 have a child car seat when traveling in cars. Taxis are, however, exempted from this law and are not required to have kid’s car seats. If that feels a bit uncomfortable for parents, then hiring a car or choosing public transport is a safer option.

Accommodation

As expected, the majority of the accommodation in Japan is pretty compact and most of the time you will be sleeping on a traditional Japanese futon. We recommend looking for a larger family size hotel rooms and (our favourite), Airbnb options. This way you can stay as close to the main areas of the cities for a fraction of the hotel-room price.

Looking for a great deal on your next Airbnb? Click here to get a $35 USD credit!

Bring Your Own Baby Supplies

Japan is one of the most developed countries in the world and you will have no problem finding anything for you little one. However, you need to be aware that the quality of diapers may vary from your country and the baby food can be slightly different to what your little one is used to. Saying that, you will have no problem finding baby supplies, should you run out.

Things to Do when Visiting Japan with Kids

As an utterly kid-friendly country, there are a lot of things to do and places to visit with kids in Japan. Some of them include:

Nara Park, Nara

Nara Deer Park is one place that your kids cannot miss out on. Nara is home to over 1500 wild deer that are very much accustomed to visitors hand-feeding them. So, make sure to grab a bag of local deer delicacies sold at any vendor and feed them till the heart is content.

Himeji Castle, Himeji

Dating back to the 17th century, Himeji Castle is the biggest castle in Japan and will surely intrigue both you and your kids with its winding maze-like alleys, gigantic towers and numerous secret rooms.

Tokyo Disneyland, Chiba

Perhaps the biggest American culture symbol in Japan, Tokyo Disneyland is inspired by Disneyland in the United States and is very popular particularly when celebrating western holidays such as Halloween and Christmas.

Miraikan, Tokyo

This is a futuristic national science museum, which showcases several scientific trends from around the world. Both you and your kids will get educated on matters such as deep sea, environment, biology, space, robotics and many more. Your kids will also be involved in several hands-on activities.

Other places include: Todaiji Temple in Nara, Skytree in Tokyo, Hitachi Seaside Park in Hitachinaka and Matsumoto Castle in Matsumoto.

It’s pretty much easy to see that Japan is a modern and bustling country with cities that look almost like super-charged New York City. Whether you’re old or young, Japan is beautiful and has everything for everybody. It is also one of the safest, cleanest and most advanced countries in the world. Better still, it is one of the most kid-friendly nations in the world. Japanese people are very hospitable and English is widely and commonly used. With the above tips, a trip to Japan, “the Land of the Rising Sun” with kids is destined to be enjoyable and utterly memorable.

Author Bio:

This guest post is brought to you by Andrzej & Jolene from Wanderlust Storytellers, a widely successful family travel blog. They love sharing their passion for travel with people all around the globe.

Visiting Japan has been on our family bucket list for as long as I can remember.  At the top of that list is Tokyo, one of the world’s most interesting cities. But what many people don’t consider is that Tokyo itself is made of many diverse neighborhoods, each worth visiting in its own right.

A Guide to Tokyo’s Best Neighborhoods

Let’s look at some of Tokyo’s most interesting neighborhoods, and the things not to miss while visiting them.

Shibuya

One of the fastest-moving and most exhilarating city districts in the world, Shibuya is exactly how we would imagine the center of the world’s largest metropolis to be: full of bright lights, attractions and an enormous crowd of people, locals and tourists alike.

Shibuya Crossing is the world’s busiest and largest pedestrian crossing – the perfect meeting point for those planning to dive headfirst into the Tokyo nightlife as well as for sampling local food at its best or for embarking on a shopping spree in the district’s legendary mall, Shibuya 109.

One of the most colorful spots in the district is Harajuku, a meeting place for young people dressed in the most colorful modern clothes and a pop-culture hub like nowhere else in the world.

Ueno

Ueno is Tokyo’s cultural center, home to dozens of concert halls, art exhibitions, temples and museums. Ueno is also home to the Tokyo National Museum and Ueno Zoo and many say the district is busy yet peaceful at the same time.

When you are tired of visiting cultural venues, the best way to relax is by taking a walk in Ueno Park, a huge garden of cherry trees that blossom from March to May, attracting lots of people to admire the beautiful blossoming trees that are so iconic in Japanese art and culture.

Marunouchi

Wedged between the Imperial Palace and Tokyo Station, Marunouchi is among the city’s oldest districts and also a busy commercial center with designer boutiques and elegant restaurants.

Shimokitazawa

If you’re looking for a more bohemian, less crowded district and want to see a different face of Tokyo, Shimokitazawa fits the bill. The dominant style here is vintage and the entire district is beautifully disorderly. There are art exhibitions, live music venues, tiny vintage shops and cozy cafes everywhere.

Sumida District

This neighborhood is a must-see for those interested in Japanese culture. There are bathhouses and traditional wooden buildings, plus wonderful opportunities to explore Japanese sumo traditions. As well, there are beautiful parks and gardens that combine to provide an artsy and comforting experience.

The district is also home to the Edo-Tokyo Museum, a history museum that shows what Tokyo was like in the Edo period that spanned the 17th-19th century.

Tsukiji

Seafood is just as much part of the Japanese culture as sumo wrestling, kimonos or ikebana, and there is no better way to check out Japan’s fresh seafood scene than in Tsukiji, the world’s largest seafood market.

The wholesale area is home to hundreds of small stands that sell all sorts of local delicacies and the marketplace is also famous for the tuna auction held early in the morning every day. The market is also said to have the best sashimi (thinly sliced raw meat or seafood) in the world.

Have you been to Tokyo? Do you have a favorite neighborhood that’s worth visiting? Let us know in the comments!

We’ve been obsessing over modern Japanese culture as of late and Michael’s foray into the famous world of themed Tokyo cafés gives us one more reason to visit the land of the rising sun.

Ever wanted to pet an owl while sipping on chai tea? How about cuddle with a kitten before having a slice of cake? Ever imagined eating in a restaurant while a robot battle plays out before you? Yup, he talks about all of them. Enjoy!

This past month I had the chance to visit three very cool themed cafes in Tokyo: an Owl Café, a Robot Café, and a Cat Café. If you are visiting Tokyo, I highly recommend a visit to these three themed cafés. I guarantee it will definitely make for a fun, alternative tour!

Fukuro No Mise Owl Café

Let’s start with my first recommendation, visiting an owl café. There is a great owl café you can visit called Fukuro No Mise. You’ll be able to pet the owls as well as have some coffee or tea.

I recommend checking their website to see when an English speaker will be there. Luckily, the day I went there was an English speaker who was able to explain how to handle the owls. She knew quite a bit about them and how to treat them properly.

First, you will learn how to handle them then you will be given time to pet and hold them. It’s important to pet the owls softly and not try to grab them, as you wouldn’t want to provoke them.

The owls in the café range from small, medium to large. Having the large owls on your shoulder is quite the experience.

Our appointment time was a total of about one hour. The cost per person was 2,000 yen ($20 USD) and I recommend going to the owl café earlier to get a ticket. Fukuro No Mise is on the Yurakucho line at Tsukishima Station. You can check out the TripAdvisor reviews of Fukuro No Mise here.

Robot Restaurant Shinjuku

The next café I had the opportunity to visit was the famous Robot Restaurant in Shinjuku. I highly recommend visiting the GoVoyagin website before going to see if you can get a 15% discount.

I was able to get one and set up an appointment time for the Robot Restaurant (TripAdvisor reviews here). The time you get on your reservation is actually not the time that your show will begin so when I arrived I happened to find myself waiting in line. I was then taken to another waiting area where I was able to get a free drink before the show. Finally, I was admitted to the show.

The show, overall, was quite an experience. The choreographed performances as well as the costume design were great. I do recommend bringing your own food and drinks during the performance because they try to upsell it during the four 15 minute breaks during the show. The price with the discount was around 6,800 yen ($68 USD) and the show lasted around 2.5 hours.

To get to this show, you can head over to Shinjuku Station on the Seibu Shinjuku line or the JR line. It is located in the Kabukicho area of Shinjuku.

For more info check out their site.

Cat Cafe Nekorobi

The final café I was able to visit during my tour was the Cat Cafe Nekorobi.

Since living in Tokyo, I haven’t had the opportunity to see many cats, so this was a wonderful experience. There are many cat cafes in Tokyo but I visited the one near Sunshine City in Ikebukuro. The name of the café is Cat Café Nekrobi.

Inside, there are many cats that you can play with of different colors and sizes. There are also toys available, but I didn’t have much luck engaging the cats with the toys however, the kitten was adorable and did play with the toys so that was my highlight.

You can also take pictures with the cats although that was a bit of a challenge, since they were either sleeping or running around the area. While I was there, there were many couples so I think it’s a couples thing to do in Tokyo.

The cost of entering the cafe is 1300 yen ($13 USD) which will allow you to spend one hour with the cats. In addition, there are free drinks, WiFi available, and lockers.

This café is located about 10-15 minutes from Ikebukuro Station. It’s close to Sunshine City Shopping Mall. For more info check out their site.

That wraps up our Tokyo themed café tour. I highly recommend visiting these cafés when you make it to Tokyo on your next trip!

About NomadLifestyle

Nomad Lifestyle is a Tokyo based food and travel blog. Its aim is to find delicious food in Tokyo as well as discover fun places to visit!

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This is hugely important, so make note. You need to buy a JR pass BEFORE you arrive in Japan. You can’t buy a JR Pass once you’re in Japan, so you’ll need to plan ahead and buy one before you arrive! When you get to Japan, simply trade out the voucher for the actual pass at a JR office.

See JR Pass prices and more info here!

Extra tip! If you’re traveling Japan, you may want to get a WiFi Hotspot that travels with you whenever you go. We use and love the GlocalMe Wireless WiFi Hotspot, which offers WiFi for up to twelve devices.

Check GlocalMe prices here.

Read our review of GolocalMe hotspot here.

See our review of the Skyroam Solis mobile wifi hotspot.

Luckily for everyone, Japan is well connected via an extensive train service and, more often than not, you’ll be traveling there in both style and comfort. Home to the first bullet trains, you’ll be pleased to know you can also travel the length of the country on some of the fastest trains in the world.

Get a rail pass

Planning on seeing a lot of Japan’s famous sights in a relatively short time? Japan’s famous train lines are some of the best ways to see the country on a budget. While individual trains aren’t overly expensive, think about getting a rail pass that allows unlimited travel to maximize your savings.

If you want to see more than Tokyo and Kyoto, look into the Japan Rail Pass. The six companies comprising the Japan Railways Group (JR Group) together operate train lines all around the country and are a great way to save money if you’re hopping all over Japan.

Note! Since you can’t purchase a Japan Rail Pass inside of Japan, you need to make sure you bought it outside of Japan and then when you arrive, you need to turn in your Exchange Order to receive your Japan Rail Pass. It’s simple to do and you can do it at the exchange office in any of the major JR stations.

Avoid rush hour

Ever try to drive your car in rush hour? Trains are no different and if you’re taking a short commuter metro train try to avoid doing so during rush hour (7:30-9:30 and 17:00-20:00).

Everybody is tired from a long day of working and the lines can be huge depending on which city you’re in. If you’re just sight seeing, try to leave a little earlier or a little later so you don’t have to compete with all the people going to work or coming home.

Use your pass for other modes of transport

Don’t be late!

It’s no secret that Japan’s train lines are some of the most punctual in the world. With the shortest train delays around the globe, chances are pretty high that when the train is supposed to leave, it does. With passengers complaining the minute a train is a few minutes behind and hour long delays often making the evening news, the Japanese pride themselves on their efficiency. Bottom line, if you’re counting on the train running behind to make it to the station on time, the only thing left behind will be you.

Choose your train car carefully

When you’re standing in line getting ready to board the train and you don’t have reserved seating, escape the crowd and get yourself in front of the first or last train car. With the middle cars typically the closest to the entry or exit, they’re always the busiest and fill up first. Want to guarantee a spot for you and your friends or family? Save yourself the aggravation and get yourself to one of the end cars.

Bring food or snacks

While nearly every long distance train has some sort of food service and most offer an airplane style tray to eat on, you’ll often spend a lot more than if you bought the food off the street or even in the station.

Ekiben, essentially train station food in a box, is a staple in Japan and some stations are famous for their delicious meals in a Bento Box. However, not all trains or stations offer the same level of service so you might want to pick up your box outside the station before you get on board.

For a bigger selection of Ekiben, large retailers often have deli sections where you can pick and choose what goes into your Bento box and there’s often a few such retailers close to the train station.

For shorter trains such as commuter trains, it’s not a bad idea to bring along a bottled beverage and light snack since there are no facilities on board to purchase anything. Just make sure you take your trash with you when you leave since it’s considered very rude to leave anything behind.

Get the app!

Now available in English, Navitime for Japan Travel is a great app available on both Android and Apple devices. Not only does it list every train route in Japan, it lists every station, provides an offline list of free Wi-Fi zones adjacent to all the train stations, gives alternative routes in case your train is delayed and even provides a list of sight seeing places you shouldn’t miss.

Check out Navitime for Japan Travel on iTunes here.

Use your pass for extra discounts

Some passes, like the Japan Rail Pass, qualify you for additional discounts on accommodation and even tours. A lot of the passes have hotels close to the train stations so after crossing the country you don’t have very far to go to get a good nights sleep at a discount before exploring the city you’re in the next morning. Discounts vary with every pass so make sure to check what your pass offers you besides for a spot on the train before purchasing one.

Choose your train carefully

Not sure of the difference between a green car carriage and a regular one? Green Car class seats are equivalent to business class seating on planes and offer more legroom, extra facilities, are quieter and generally cost more. They also all need to be reserved in advance while regular class are usually based on a first come, first served basis.

In terms of trains, Japan’s famed Bullet Trains or Shinkansen as they’re known locally, lead the pack in both speed and services. The Shinkansen lines generally work off separate tracks than the regular lines and, as a result, the Shinkansen stations tend to be a little farther out of town. Like the regular lines, the Shinkansen lines offer both express services which stop at a reduced amount of stations or ones that stop at most stations.

The fastest regular trains (non-Shinkansen) offer limited-express services and are known locally as tokkyu or shin-kaisoku. Then there’s the kaisoku lines which offer rapid service followed by the ordinary express trains called kyuko. The slowest trains pretty much stop at every station and are known locally as futsu or kakueki teisha.

Final words of advice

Whether you’re heading to the Tokyo Olympics in 2020 or wanting to see the amazing cherry blossoms next April, you’ll find that Japan’s train services are indeed some of the best in the world. With all train signs in both Japanese and English, they’re also some of the easiest to navigate and once you get on one, you might never want to stop.

Watching people finding their way through a chaotic and sometimes incomprehensible experience is both entertaining and mesmerizing. It also happens to be one of my favorite reasons for traveling.

Visiting Japan by train is a rite of passage!

To save time, money, and hassle buy a JR pass before you visit.

Remember, though you need to buy your JR Pass BEFORE you visit Japan! You can’t buy one in Japan. When you arrive in Japan, just trade the voucher for the actual pass at a JR office.

Start planning and see the JR Pass prices and details here!

It also seems to go hand in hand with Japan’s colorful and often quirky reputation. So take a look at the Sagemon Girls video below and let us know what you think.

The video features 3 colorful Sagemon Girls dancing to the sights and sounds of Yanagawa City during their lively Gemon Festival that takes place from mid-February until the beginning of April.

The video was also made with the help of more than a thousand residents of Yanagawa City, in Kyshuu Japan, with the help of famous choreographer air:man.

The festival includes Hinamatsuri on March 2nd though it’s more widely known as Doll’s Day or Girls’ Day throughout Japan and features events such as the Hajime-sai, the Water Parade and the Memorial Service.

If you’ve never been, Yanagawa City is famous for its miles and miles of canals and the riverboats they call donkobune.

It’s also equally famous for its display of finely crafted Heian era styled dolls that are displayed in shops, businesses and private homes throughout the city during the festival.

As well as dolls, in the video you see sagemon ornaments everywhere. These small hanging ornaments are famous in Yanagawa and the gorgeous handmade balls are hung as a good luck charm for girls on their first birthday.

Thinking of checking it out yourself? We don’t blame you. The city and the festival both look amazing.

Where is Yanagawa City?

From Tokyo, Yanagawa City is an hour and 45 minutes from Haneda Airport to Fukuoka Airport, then five minutes from the airport to Hakata Station by subway. You can take the train from Tokyo as well. It’s almost a five hour ride from Tokyo to Hakata Station by the JR Tokaido-Sanyo Shinkansen Line.

From Osaka, Yanagawa City is about an hour and 15 minutes from Itami to Fukuoka Airport. It’s about a two hour train ride from Shin-Osaka to Hakata Station by Shinkansen.

This post is sponsored by Yanagawa City, but that doesn’t change our love of quirky videos, and our burning desire to go to Japan.

I’m Jacob Laukaitis, a 21-year-old digital nomad who’s already been to more than 35 countries in the last almost 3 years. I enjoy making travel videos and sharing them with the world. Here’s my newest one from my hike in Nikko, Japan.

Planning a visit to Japan? Whether you’re a solo traveler, or visiting Japan with kids, visiting by train is a rite of passage! To save money visiting by train, grab a JR pass. This is important – you need to buy your JR Pass BEFORE you visit Japan! You can’t buy one in the country. When you arrive in Japan, simply exchange the voucher for the actual pass at a JR office.

See JR Pass prices and more info here!

Nikko is located a few hundred kilometers north of Tokyo. It’s a town next to a national park that’s also called Nikko National Park. The national park is settled on a range of mountains, some of which reach higher than 2,000 m above sea level. The entrance to the national park is free, but some of the most famous temples and shrines do require you to pay entrance fee. There are many visitor centers where they will assist you on any questions you might have. As everywhere in Japan, they’re incredibly hospitable and helpful.

As most really nice places in Japan, the park is quite crowded especially during the season. The logistics of the park are really nice – there are walkways for people to enjoy the wonderful Nikko trekking trails and they’re extremely beautiful and clean. Like so many other places in the country, it’s one of the best things to do when visiting Japan with kids.

The cultural significance of the historic buildings is major. Apparently Nikko has the most lavishly decorated shrine in all of Japan and the mausoleum of the Tokugawa Ieyasu, the founder of the Tokugawa shogunate.

When I visit sacred places I try to learn about the rituals and practices involved there. I remember when I started traveling around Asia 3 years ago, I would go to dozens of temples and sacred places and I’d learn everything I could about them. However, now I feel like I’ve seen so many temples that it doesn’t look so interesting to learn more about each one’s history or sacred rituals involved.

My trip to Nikko lasted 3 days. I chose to stay at a hostel. It is actually a funny story, since I could only get a bed at my hostel for 2 days and the last day there were literally no hotel rooms available in the town and in the surrounding area (because it was a national holiday in Japan). So I ended up taking the train in Japan for 50 kilometers to a bigger city, slept there and woke up 5 am the next morning to continue my daily treks.

I visited Nikko in November. The weather was getting colder day by day as the winter was approaching, but it was still decent during the day time and especially after trekking. At times it was rather hot!

If you’d like to see more of my travels, I post 2 videos a month. You can follow me on my personal website JacobLaukaitis.com or on my Instagram where I post the best moments from my trips.

I’ve wanted to visit Okinawa for a few years now.

There’s a lot about these Japanese islands that has captured my imagination. Not only is Okinawa home to one of the world’s largest group of people over 100 years of age, the islands are known for their laid-back vibe. Okinawa was even featured in The Karate Kid II, and it has some of the most abundant coral reefs found in the world. We’ve wanted to visit Japan as a family for a long time, so this really appeals!

So when Be Okinawa reached out to us to introduce their new The Secret is Out video series I was happy to take a look. The video series focuses on how Okinawa is believed to make people feel open and true to themselves.

As someone who’s interested in visiting the islands, I spent a lot of time checking out the destinations in the different videos. You can find each of these destinations in The Secret is Out video series. (More videos can be found at the end of this post.)

Ishigaki Island

Ishigaki Island is a fantastic place to check out the unique local Yaeyama island cuisine at food stalls in local markets. The nearby Tamatorizaki Observatory is worth a stop and is well known for its beautiful displays of hibiscus flowers.

Kabira Bay

Kabira Bay is one of the best-known spots on Ishigaki island. Unfortunately, strong currents mean that you can’t swim here, but you can view coral and marine life from the comfort of a glass-bottomed boat.

Zanpa Cape

Located in the middle of Okinawa Island, Zanpa Cape is home to a tall white lighthouse. Nearby, you’ll find thickets of Adan (screw pine) trees. It’s a popular fishing spot. Close by, a Shisa lion-dog guards the entrance to the Zanpa Misaki Recreation Plaza where you can find bikes, restaurants, shops, and even a place to BBQ.

Taketomi Island

Taketomi Island is about six kilometers southwest of Ishigaki. It’s a tiny island, and totally flat. The island’s town is designated a National Traditional Architecture Preservation District, and it’s a pleasant stroll among the rows of charming houses with red tiled roofs and garden walls of coral stone.

The Secret is Out Okinawa Video Series

Okinawa Tourism invited six people from all around the world to visit Okinawa (US, Singapore, France, Thailand, China and Germany). Each person had a secret they were keeping from their loved ones. The videos in the The Secret is Out series share how these people confess their secret to their loved ones. The videos tell the story of how Okinawa is believed to make people feel open and true to themselves.

Pop and Fern

Pop and Fern are a young couple from Bangkok, Thailand. They visit Okinawa to relax and enjoy some time together before their wedding, but Pop is about to reveal a secret he’s hidden from Fern. This video tells Pop’s secret.

Lonnie and Julie

At 65, Lonnie has never left the USA. Julie, his daughter, flies him to Okinawa to introduce him to travel outside the US, and to tell him a very sensitive personal secret. Here’s the story of Julie’s secret.

Want to learn more?

You can see more on the Be Okinawa YouTube channel.

Photos provided by Be Okinawa.