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The original was posted on /r/japantravel by /u/VanceMkk on 2025-01-23 16:06:25+00:00.
I spent my fall of junior year living with a family in Kanagawa and attending school in Tokyo. I have been meaning to do a write up of my experiences as I used this subreddit for help on occasion and enjoyed reading others' posts. My experience was somewhat unique but I was able to travel extensively and hope that my experiences might be beneficial for those looking to travel to Japan or at the very least spend some time reminiscing with me! This is a long post, hopefully not a boring one.
Admittedly, I would like to learn more Japanese before I return (and I have every intention of returning, Japan was a magical formative experience for me). I had taught myself hirigana, a little ketekana and some basic words and phrases. I spent more time trying to learn customs as I was unsure of my homestay assignment until pretty close to my departure. Should I have been assigned an older couple I expected a more strict traditional experience and I hoped to be ready. Some things I learned were helpful, some not. I had an open mind and committed many faux paus while I was there. The funny part was, most Japanese people were far too kind and polite to ever correct me. I think most of all they appreciated the effort. If there is anything I hope to impart from this it is the smallest efforts are met with great appreciation and endearment. Respect Begets Respect.
Photos:
August:
I arrived late August and the heat and humidity were rather miserable. In spite of the weather, I did a few notable things:
- Spent a day in Yokohama. Yokahama is a large city just south of Tokyo. Yokohama has an immigrant past exemplified by its bustling Chinatown. Later in my stay I would return to see Sankeian Garden, the estate of what was the wealthiest man of Yokohama that is now a lovely garden displaying Japanese maples and great examples of traditional architecture. Yokohama has many green spaces, some of which were built during the Tokyo Olympics where Yokohama was a venue. Shin-Yokohama station was the nearest Shinkansen station to where I was living and presented a quieter experience relative to Shinagawa or Tokyo stations in Tokyo. Yokohama is a lovely city but by no means a must see on a more packed itinerary.
- Kamakura. Kamakura is a lovely area and I wish I had spent more time exploring the myriad of temples nestled throughout the region. When I visited in the summer the beaches were packed with people escaping the heat. the beaches of Kamakura actually represent some of the few sand beaches in the area. On this trip I visited the daibutsu, a giant bronze buddha statue second only to the Todaiji in Nara, another place I would visit. I would also later visit the island of Enoshima, famed for its views of Mt. Fuji, such views are usually elusive in the summer months when the clouds cling to the mountain. Kamakura lovely area and I'd recommend those staying in Tokyo to visit as a day trip to escape the hustle and bustle.
- Explored Senso-ji and Tokyo skytree. Senso-ji is quite busy and touristy. It's a nice area but I only returned once or twice (I needed to collect a goshuin from the temple once I discovered the tradition). The temple grounds are spacious, especially for being in a busy part of Tokyo, but not unique enough to warrant the crowds. There are numerous better priced less crowded shopping streets that Japan has to offer. The skytree presents cool panoramic views but its busy and expensive and in my opinion not worth the time if one only has a limited number of days.
September:
Still hot. Spent my weekends further exploring areas of Tokyo. In early September a classmate and I hiked Mt. Fuji. I walked around Ginza and the Hamarikyu gardens, both nice for different reasons. Ultimately, I think it good to do a bit of wandering, especially when it comes to restaurants. I went to this amazing tempura place that was down a flight of stairs in a nondescript building outside of the busy area of Ginza. I sat at the bar and watched as the young chef expertly prepared my tempuradon.
Mt Fuji: We took a bus from Shinjuku to kawaguchiko where we took a train to fujiyoshida and stayed in a hostel for the night. We got up the next morning ~5am and took a bus to the 5th station, the common starting point. We began hiking around ~7am and took the most common path to the top. For reference, I'm a college athlete and my classmate is from a mountainous region of America so we ascending at a quite rapid pace. I would not recommend someone less fit or more sane to go as fast as we did. From the fifth station to the top we hiked for roughly 2 hours and 15 minutes. When we started, it was cloudy and raining. By the time we had reached the top we were above the clouds. I had applied a little sunscreen but evidently not enough. We hiked to the true high point of fuji, around the rim of the volcano and then descended. The descent was more difficult. The trail is loose and sandy and it is difficult to hold your footing with the momentum. At this point we were tired and ready to be done with our adventure but the trail kept going and going. Because of the early start we were done mid afternoon. I ended up sustaining second degree sun burns and thankfully our hostel owner knew a local nurse and I was able to get treatment the next morning. Thank goodness for Japanese health insurance! My friend hearing I was being attended fulfilled their dream of riding the tallest rollercoaster at Fuji-Q amusement park. They waited in line for 2 hours!
October:
My first "big" trip happened in October. The school I was attending put together some field trips that were partially subsidized by the school for study abroad students. It was first come first served so I was only able to get into one, however I think it was probably the best trip anyway. For a long weekend we went to Wakayama prefecture to visit holy sites related to Buddhism. Specifically, Shingon Buddhism's holy temples are housed on Koyasan (Mount Koya).
Nachi: We took an overnight bus to Wakayama prefecture that was chartered by the school. To get to Mt. Koya using trains is an arduous and convoluted process so I don't think I would have been able to replicate this trip on my own. From Tokyo the busride took about 9 hours. We first visited a part of the Kumano Nakahechi, a sacred pilgrimage path for followers of Buddhism that is a protected World Heritage Site. We saw the Nachi-taisha, a temple nestled on the side of a valley overlooking nachi falls, a site also sacred in Shintoism. I think there are few more beautiful places I have been. We explored the grounds of the falls and temple for a few hours before getting lunch and checking in at our hotel. The hotel had onsen, my first experience, and we were treated to a buffet dinner and breakfast. Of course, one of the students I was assigned to room with was a snorer... I woke up early but that was okay because I got to watch some of the Jets game before breakfast.
Koyasan: After breakfast we got back on the bus and drove to Koyasan where we were staying overnight in a Buddhist monastery. Mt. Koya is one of the few places in Japan where tourists can book such an experience so I was very happy. When we arrived we dropped our bags and got to exploring, we had several hours before dinnertime. A friend and I decided to go on a hike on one of the pilgrimage routes from the town. It was rainy but we hiked for probably two hours. I'm not a particularly religious person but I felt the spirituality of those woods viscerally; the green-ridged mountains and tall conifers were beautiful. We returned and freshened up for dinner where we were served traditional vegetarian Buddhist cuisine. The attention to detail was remarkable, the vegetables were cut and crafted into various shapes. They served us Udon that was simmered into individual pots next to us. It was delicious. When we had all had our fill, we assembled outside the monastery for our night tour of the famous Okonuin cemetary. It was raining but we were accompanied by a lovely temple monk who spoke perfect english. He guided us along telling us the history and lore of the cemetary, as well as some "spooky" trivia. "They say that if you look in to that well and don't see your reflection, it means you will die within the year!" Halloween comes early there I supposed... The most famous person enshrined in the cemetary is Kobo-Daishi the founder of Japan's Shingon sect of Buddhism. I can't remember his story well enough to recount here but for those interested it's worth researching. After the tour we went back to the Monastery to sleep. Why are traditional Japanese pillows so hard? In the morning we attended the morning Buddhist prayers and then were on our way back on the bus.
Hakone: I went for a day trip with a friend at the end of the month. Its a mountainous region close to Tokyo and popular vacation and onsen location for those who live in the city. I would say it was underwhelming, especially as we were limited to public transportation. There's several things to see and do but they're not walkable and require getting on and off busses. For those who are staying in one of the areas many wonderful Ryokan or with a rental car a better experience might be had but for me there would be better places for a day trip. I think most of Hakone's popularity comes from its convenience for those living in Tokyo.
November:
November was a big ...
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