For Vacations, Smaller (Not Less) Is More
Top photo: Photo by Luke Paris on Unsplash
Vacation travel in Japan is quite different from that in the US. One difference is the length of the trips. In the US, week-long vacation trips are common. In Japan, one or two nights seems to be the norm. But, if you choose your destination wisely and plan well, you can see and do so much in that short time.
Although I have only lived in Japan since last year, my wife is Japanese and I have been visiting Japan since 2001. I have been to a number of big cities like Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto, and Nagoya. I have also visited places beyond the big cities, such as Kamakura, Takayama, and Hakone. I found these trips to be much more memorable.
If you choose places beyond the big cities, you can see much more of your destination because they will likely not be so spread out. While you won’t have these places to yourself, they will not be as crowded as the big cities and can provide a more relaxing experience, allowing you to pay more attention to the details of the area.
Over the abbreviated summer vacation this past year, my family took a short trip to the Hida region of Gifu prefecture, spending one night in Takayama.
We left early in the morning and arrived at the Great Limestone Cave of Hida late in the morning. We toured the caverns and went through the museum. We then headed to Takayama, arriving there in time for a late lunch, followed by shopping, a little sightseeing, and a soak in the hotel’s rooftop outside bath.
After a nice dinner, which included a sampling of delicious Hida beef, we took an evening walking tour of Takayama, getting a much less crowded look at the old city, before bathing again and turning in.
In the morning, another bath and breakfast was followed by more shopping and sightseeing, including visiting the Takayama Jinya, a national historic site.
We left Takayama in mid-morning and headed to Shirakawa-Go, a world heritage site not very far away. We enjoyed a lunch of hand made soba and toured the gasshō-zukuri (steeply pitched, thatched roof houses). Finally, later in the afternoon, we headed home.
By choosing a smaller, less central destination, we completed our trip tired, but not exhausted, and reveling in the memories we had made.
Photo Credits:
Top photo: Luke Paris on Unsplash
Previously cited photo: Aaron Shumaker on flickr
Additional photos provided by Photos by Kiemi Langlois, used with permission
All other content (text) created by the original author and © 2021 MUSUBI by Borderlink
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Henri Langlois
From the USA
Has experienced Japan for 19 years but has only lived here since last year!