Japan

If you haven't been to Japan already, I highly recommend visiting this fascinating place.

There is a lot to do in Japan, shopping, visiting the famous temples and shrines. Last tme I went, I flew to Tokyo, Japan where I met my sister. We stayed in Shinjuku, in a hotel called City Hotel LornStar. It was right in the centre of Shinjuku, 1 minute on foot from Shinjuku-sanchome Station which is the busiest station in the world. Shinjuku is a major commercial and administrative centre, home to multinational corporations.

April is a great time to visit Japan, the cherry blossom known as "sakura" (桜) is out in bloom and it can be quite warm, up to mid 20s on a sunny day. There is not much rain at this time but the evenings are still cold.

There are not that many foreigners in Japan and not many people speak English so you do really need to learn some Japanese before you go, otherwise navigating your way around the subway system can be a nightmare. I recommend going to the Japan Centre to purchase some books about Tokyo and Japan before your trip.


My sister and I had not been back to Japan since we were young and a lot had changed. We went to Omotesando (表参道) in the Minato and Shibuya wards of Tokyo which has a modern new shopping area. Here you can find all the international stores such as Gap, Louis Vuitton, Ralph Lauren and Next. The famous Japanese store called KiddyLand which has 6 floors of Japanese toys such as Hello Kitty is also here. Omotesando Hills, a shopping centre opened in 2006 has the world's fashion brands such as Jimmy Choo, Dolce & Gabbana and YSL.

Another place to visit is Yokohama, (横浜), a short train ride from Tokyo. Yokohama opened its ports to foreigners in 1859 and many Westerners settled in an area of Yokohama called Yamate. Motomachi is a shopping area in Yamate built for these Westerners and there are still a lot of international shops down this street. One of the supermarkets, Union stocks a range of Western food but it is very expensive. Yokohama is also home to Negishi Park, built on a former race track. Next to the park is an Equine Museum and Pony Centre where you can ride horses. Outside the park there is a street vendor selling Octopus on a stick, a bit different to hot dog vendors. If you are feeling adventurous, purchase one and a drink from a nearby vending machine. There are hundreds of vending machines in Japan dotted around on street corners.

I really liked Japan, I lived here as a child and still have very fond memories of the place. The people are very friendly and it is not that difficult to learn some Japanese to help you get by.