Nishiki Market | Kyoto | Japan Travels

Photograph of Nishiki Market off Trip Advisor (my own photo was too blurry!)

It was a wet gloomy day when we stumbled upon this tunnel of light and bright colours. Our local tour guide/Japanese friend with no sense of direction was actually taking us to another part of town when she, out of habit, took us to Shijo Dori – a shopping strip in central Kyoto. Good thing for her, we were the kind of people who would use any kind of excuse to go shopping!

Studio Ghibli's Mysteries | Japan Travels

My advice to people wishing to see Studio Ghibli is simply this: you gotta make it your main gig! Any of those "only if we have time" nonsense does not apply to Studio Ghibli. It's either you do not want to see it at all, or you want to see it so badly you reserve your tickets 2 months prior (seriously)! You do not want to end up at a pity party outside like... some of us.

Viewing Mt. Fuji from Kawaguchiko | Japan Travels

Mt. Fuji seen from the Kachi-kachi ropeway

My over ambitious friends and I thought we could get to Kawaguchiko by 9:00 am but boy did we only learn we were terrible morning people. And cranky at that. One bathroom – three women, you know how that goes. The horror! Crisp and cool temperatures are usually the best conditions to view Mt. Fuji and on a horrible humid summer the prime time for viewing would have been best early in the morning. Thus the 9:00 am goal... which never happened.

The Spectacle of Shibuya | Japan Travels

Shibuya Pedestrian, Tokyo

Shibuya is a popular shopping hub for many young Japanese men and women, and is also home to the famous Japanese Pedestrian Crossing. For anyone wanting the full Tokyo experience I reckon Shibuya is the place to be. Shibuya has a spectacular night life bustling with many things to see and do – basically embodying the ‘Tokyo’ in anyone’s imagination.

Exploring the Otaku Centre in Akihabara | Japan Travels

Multi-levelled buildings of anime and electronics in Akihabara

Akihabara is a popular neighbourhood in Tokyo for gamers, hi-tech gadget fanatics and the otaku. The word ‘otaku’ describes an extremely introverted person who prefers geeking out at home in his/her anime fandom or gaming consoles. While Akihabara depicts a bustling city of rich modern Japanese culture, travellers must also learn to become wary. I know this because I did something incredibly embarrassing... eek!