Trip Report — 9 Days in Late December

Hi, everyone! I am at the airport with a long layover and just coming down from the post-Japan high, so I thought I'd put together a trip report to help gather my thoughts. This was my first trip to Japan, and I was traveling solo.

Overview

• 10 days/9 nights: Nara -> Kyoto -> Kanazawa -> Oshino — I'm a history buff who's not really a fan of big cities, so I decided to mostly focus on Kyoto.
• Kyoto was surprisingly empty. I was bracing myself for crazy crowds, but most of the places I went had only a few people. There was never more than one person in front of me in line for tickets, and I was often the only customer in restaurants (though I tend to eat earlier around 5:30). It was so calm and peaceful that I really regret not staying for a few extra nights.
• I didn't plan my route very well and traveling from Kanazawa to Oshino ended up being slow and convoluted. However, riding the train was a great experience in itself. The views are interesting, and watching the Shinkansen roar into the station was an unexpected highlight. I hated the expressway bus–it was significantly delayed by traffic and very cramped. There was so much condensation from people breathing that it was impossible to see the view. If price is not a concern, definitely take the train instead of the bus, even if the bus route looks shorter on Google Maps.
• Beginner tip: I found that Google Maps frequently underestimated the time needed to transfer, especially with luggage. Something to keep in mind if you're trying to connect to a train that doesn't run that frequently.

Nara (1 Night)

Hotel: New Wakasa — I highly, highly recommend this ryokan. It's a short walk to Nara park, and there is a gorgeous open-air private bath on the roof that you can book. I snagged the 5PM slot, and watching the sun set over Nara from a tub was magical. Sleeping on a futon on tatami was way more comfortable and fun than I anticipated. The food was tasty but not exceptional.

Overall impression: Maybe it was because it was my first stop, but I loved Nara so, so much. A lot of people recommend Nara as a day trip, but I'm glad that I stayed the night (and even wish that I could have stayed an extra day) as it gave me a lot more time to explore different corners of the park.

Favorite sight: Todai-ji Temple — This was my favorite temple in Japan. The scale is grandiose, and the stark coloring combined with intricate wood architecture and sheer size makes it feel like it bears down on you with the weight of history.

Hot take: The deer are overrated. Honestly, it was weird seeing animals that are not entirely wild yet not domesticated. They did not look that healthy, and it was a bit smelly where they congregated.

Kyoto (4 nights)

Hotel: The Thousand Kyoto — This is a beautiful new hotel right next to Kyoto station. It's very artsy with an exquisitely designed aesthetic, but the sound and light insulation were not great, and the bathroom smelled of mold. It was very convenient to be next to the train station, though.

Overall impression: I absolutely fell in love with Kyoto. The temples, shrines, and gardens are so peaceful and beautiful, and the fact that it was much emptier than expected made things perfect.

Favorite sights:

• Shorenin Temple: This was my favorite temple in Kyoto. There are several tatami rooms, where you can sit and look at the garden. I just sat there and basked in the sunlight for an hour and a half. It was so peaceful that it felt like time was flowing differently there.
• Ginkaku-ji: I went about 45 minutes before closing, and it was mostly empty. This felt like the most aesthetically balanced temple to me, with a beautiful mix of green gardens, raked sand, and simple wooden architecture.
• Goei-do Hall: The scale of this place is really grand. Also, I'm a simple person, and it just makes me happy to be able to take off my shoes and walk on tatami.
• Nijo Castle: This was more crowded than the other places, but it was quite interesting to visit something that wasn't a temple and see how architectural elements translated and changed. This might be a good place to get a guide, if you're inclined. I eavesdropped on some of the tours, and the stories about different shoguns were quite spicy!
• It was lovely to see all the tourists wearing kimono–really adds to the atmosphere!

Day trip: Himeji — Wow! Himeji castle is one of the most breathtaking buildings I have ever seen. It was also surprisingly empty when I arrived around 9 AM on a Monday. There's not much on the inside, but I enjoyed learning about Princess Sen from the exhibits in the long hall.

Hot take: Biovortex is overrated. Well, maybe not overrated, but definitely not for me. I found it too crowded and disorienting. You spend several hours walking through dimly lit spaces with constantly changing projected colors, flashing lights, the press and heat of people, and mirrors on every surface. I do appreciate how much effort went into conceptualizing the exhibits–the analogy between soap bubbles and an inverted lipid membrane in the soap sculpture exhibit was interesting. I can definitely see why some people love this, but for me, it was too much.

Kanazawa (2 nights)

Hotel: Hyatt Centric Kanazawa — nothing to complain of, nice western chain hotel, convenient location near the train station

Overall impression: I was a little underwhelmed by Kanazawa. In hindsight, I should have stayed a few extra days in Kyoto instead of going there. The sights seemed small and simplistic, and the samurai houses felt very touristy. However, my impression was strongly shaped by the fact that there was a big snowstorm while I was there and being outside was miserable. The city does not shovel the sidewalks at all. Of all the places I went, only Higashi Chaya had any snow removal, and this was done by spraying water to melt the snow, resulting in an icy, slushy mess. I'm sure I would have liked Kanazawa better if I had packed waterproof boots. Lesson learned.

Media: I did enjoy staying in my hotel room watching Dousuru, Ieyasu during the worst of the storm. It's a cheesy, surprisingly funny and moving, if historically dubious, biopic of Tokugawa Ieyasu.

Restaurant Rec: Haku Kanazawa Cuisine — This was one of the best meals I had in Japan. It's a newly opened omakase restaurant rather unexpectedly located in a mall food court. The menu is amazing, and the price is very reasonable for omakase (~3,600 JPY). The restaurant only opened two weeks ago, and the chefs are very friendly and chatty.

Oshino Hakkai (2 nights)

Hotel: Konohanakan — This is a new, modern-style ryokan with only ~5 guest rooms, and I highly, highly recommend it. The suites are huge (larger than most apartments in New York) and elegantly furnished, and every room has a private open-air onsen. My room also had a fantastic view of Mt. Fuji. The kaiseki is delicious, and the staff are super warm and kind.

Overall impressions: I've seen so many pictures of Mt. Fuji that I was worried it might be a bit of a let down in person. It's not. The mountain feels gigantic and incredibly close. It visually dominates the entire skyline and is just awe-inspiring.

The old town of Oshino Hakkai itself is an embarrassing tourist trap. It's the only place in Japan where I went and literally thought, "What? This is it?" It's tiny, consisting of a few old building and tiny spring-fed ponds. Kawaguchiko was beautiful, but it was a weird mix of very crowded (with a long line for the ropeway and other popular viewing sites) and shut down. The weather was good when I was there, so there were amazing views of Mt. Fuji, but in December, the sun is coming from the direction of the mountain, so photos are backlit and I wished that I had brought sunglasses.

Thanks for indulging me in this bit of retrospective navel-gazing. Hopefully it doesn't break any rules. I can't wait until I can go back!