
The best moments of my trip to Japan
From Fushimi Inari at sunrise to an almost empty night in Miyajima: the moments from my trip to Japan that stuck with me most.
Choosing just a few moments out of 17 days is genuinely hard, but if I had to keep the ones that truly stuck with me, these would be them.

Fushimi Inari at 7 in the morning, practically alone. Climbing among the red torii gates with nobody around, in total silence, just the crunch of gravel underfoot.
The first bite of wagyu at Tsukiji. It'll sound over the top to say it this way, but it was literally the best piece of meat I've ever had in my life.
Seeing Mount Fuji reflected in Lake Kawaguchi. It's not always clear, so when we saw it whole, without a single cloud, it was a stroke of luck we were hugely grateful for in the moment.
The night in Miyajima, once the tourists left, was one of the most special moments of the entire trip, no question.
Getting lost around Shirakawa-go with no fixed plan. An entire village of thatched-roof houses, surrounded by mountains, that looks like it's straight out of an animated film.
The omakase in Tokyo. Sitting at the counter and letting the chef decide everything, dish by dish, without asking anything.
The chaos of Dotonbori in Osaka at night. After so many days of temples and calm, a brutal change of pace — and a necessary one, honestly.
The day before Fuji: the one we enjoyed most
Curiously, the best day in the Fuji area wasn't when we saw the mountain, but the day before. It was cloudy and we couldn't see Fuji, so we spent the day strolling around Fujikawaguchiko. We took a ramen class, did a sake tasting, went to the hotel's onsen and rested a lot. It was the first calm day after Tokyo's chaos, and we could wander with no destination around that very quiet village. We loved it.
A walk along the river in Kyoto
We also loved walking around Kyoto along the river and having a few drinks at a bar with a terrace facing it, watching the people.
What moved us most
More than a specific place, it was the change from city to city: being able to experience several phases of Japan in a single trip.
Our favorite activities in Japan



This section contains affiliate links. If you book through them, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Learn more.
More guides to Japan

14 or 17 days in Japan? How to choose your trip's length
Japan has enough to fill far more than two weeks, but not everyone has 17 free days. Here's how we decided what to cut and what not to, and how we built two complete routes from the same base.

What to see in Kyoto: our 5 must-sees
Kyoto isn't a city you visit, it's a city you feel. Here are the five spots we wouldn't skip under any circumstance — plus a trick or two for seeing them without the crowds.

How much does a trip to Japan cost? Real budget
Japan has a reputation as an expensive destination, but the reality depends a lot on how you want to travel. Here's how the budget breaks down between flights, lodging, transport, food and activities.