Would I go back to Japan? What I think now

Months have passed since we got back, and the question I ask myself most isn't whether I'd go back to Japan — that one's crystal clear, of course — but exactly when.

With some distance, certain parts of the trip have settled differently than how I felt them in the exact moment. The most chaotic days, like the one at Fushimi Inari with over 25,000 steps, I now remember more fondly than tiredly, oddly enough.

What I'm completely sure of is that I wouldn't do exactly the same route again. Not because it was poorly designed, but because Japan has so much to offer that a second time almost by definition calls for a completely different approach.

What I would repeat exactly the same way: the rural detour to Kanazawa, Shirakawa-go and Takayama, staying overnight in Miyajima, and at least one high-level food experience like the omakase we had in Tokyo.

If you ask me whether Japan is a "once in a lifetime" destination or one you come back to, my answer after this trip is clear, without any doubt: it's the second kind.

My second trip to Japan

I'd like to see Hokkaido, Nikko, Matsumoto and Okinawa. Nikko and Matsumoto are day trips you can do from Tokyo: here's a day trip to Nikko and a visit to Matsumoto Castle with a samurai experience (affiliate links).

But more than the places, I want to see Japan in other seasons of the year. It's so beautiful that I want to see it in every way possible, and each season changes the trip, as we explain in the best time to visit Japan.

The dream

Since I went, I dream of living there for a year: getting to know the country better, having my favorite restaurants and feeling part of Tokyo. When would I go back? Always.