Welcome to JT & Friends — with your hosts Veronica, Anna and Maria!
Today we’re excited to introduce the two different worlds of Tokyo and Wakayama in Japan — just an hour or so apart when travelling by air.
Tokyo is a favourite destination for many. With districts like Asakusa, Shibuya or Akihabara, there’s something to entice any kind of visitor as they shuffle through the arrivals lounge at Haneda or Narita Airport.
Wakayama offers a spiritual heartland ripe with tradition and adventure. From the mountaintop temple enclave of Koyasan to the focus of Kumano Kodo’s main trails, Wakayama offers a rich experience to complement your Japan trip.
More on Tripadvisor:
https://www.tripadvisor.com/Articles-lvca4vVDDAhc-Discover_tokyo_and_wakayama.html
Hi everyone welcome to jtn friends I’m Veronica I’m Anna and I’m Maria are you looking for an authentic Japanese experience if so you’ve clicked on the Right video because today we’re going to introduce a variety of destinations from Tokyo and wakayama that are guaranteed to enrich your Japanese
Experience let’s go on an adventure together see the beauty of all the we plan in the faces that you never knew we’re waiting for you late night to Sunrise will stay by your side and make a memories Everlasting but before we embark on our journey we’re first going to learn more about wakayama location since has sn’s well known as other places in Japan o yes so what kind of prefecture is located in the southwestern part of the Kanai region are very close to popular
Destinations like Osaka and nada I know a lot of you would love to visit those two cities when you come to Japan so why not add wakayama TOA itinary now there’s uh two ways to get to wakayama either by train or plane so uh when it comes to
Trains it is very easy to get to wakayama from Shin Osaka station as the name suggests it’s located in Osaka and Chin Osaka station is a major station with many shansen or bullet trains um from for example Tokyo Nagoya and as you might know Osaka is very close to kyotto as
Well and from Shin Osaka there are limited Express trains to wakayama city um and you can also take flights for example from Kanai airport also located in the Osaka area and from there it is uh less than an hour actually either by the train or shuttle bus to wakayama
City and there is another option and that is to fly directly into wakayama nanki shirahama airport and the cool thing is from Tokyo to Nama airport it is just over hour actually oh wow yeah so even if you’re not in Kanai it is very easy to get to wakayama from Tokyo
Very doable there are so many ways to get to wakayama right yeah right so given wakayama is close proximity to kyotto and Osaka it serves as a convenient destination to pair with these tourist hotspots together Tokyo and wakayama offer a multitude of destinations that embody the essence of
Japan um Tokyo represents not only the country’s modern side with its vast Skyline but also the past with its historic structures and traditional cultural activities in wakayama Lush nature meets preserved shrines and temples and introduces offers an immersive in introduction to the customs of Japan so let’s first start our journey in Tokyo
Wo so I’m going to start with a famous place in Tokyo that probably a lot of people watching might have heard of or seen pictures of or have even been to guess where uh there’s so many so many places yeah it could be Shibuya oh yeah of
Course great place so Shibuya is one of the most energetic districts I think and one of the most famous spots in Shiva is the Shiva scramble Crossing I think many people have maybe seen videos or photos on SNS yeah the busiest Crossing in the world right yeah definitely so it was
Actually launched in 1973 and represents Tokyo’s Urban buds MH and another cool spot in Shibuya is the um it was opened more recently actually in 2019 is the Shibuya Sky have you guys been there yes it’s it’s really nice so the 223 meter high rooftop Observatory is located on top of the
Shibuya scramble square and the 360° uh um open air observation deck offers amazing panoramic views of Tokyo from all angles right yeah yeah no it’s it’s amazing yeah and there’s uh Sky Edge corner you probably saw in the video that uh provides instagrammable views of
The city below and of course you can see Shia scramble Crossing as well nice and on the uh speaking of observation decks I think Maria yes you might have another cool spot to share with everyone yes exactly so I’m going to talk about one of my alltime favorite buildings in
Tokyo which is the iconic Tokyo Tower course So Co so dressed appropriately yes so um yes I think also just like Shibuya even if you have never been to Tokyo or Japan you have probably seen Tokyo Tower in advertisements or movies music videos or anime and um I
Was wondering do you girls know off the top of your head how high Tokyo Tower is okay U maybe you want to say together okay three two one oh wait okay three oh three two one go 333 me oh meters yes that’s correct yeah it’s very easy to remember
333 yep and uh actually um Tokyo Tower is the world’s largest self-supported steel Tower oh wow yeah and it was actually um Japan’s tallest structure from its construction in 1958 until 2012 when it was surpassed by the Tokyo Sky Tree but nevertheless um toky Tower still serves at a as a broadcast antenna
And is also a popular tourist destination because of the two observation Des as you mentioned and there’s also a shopping area lots of restaurants and an entertainment complex um just recently they opened Japan’s largest ESP Sports Park um yeah it’s basically a blend of the physical and virtual experience wow and they have
Lots of cool collaborations with video games and Anime going on all the time that’s so cool right um so it’s not so high but the cool thing about Tokyo Tower is that it’s really located in the heart of Tokyo and you have a close look at the city um I personally really like
Looking at the football or soccer field um right next to the Tower and there’s also a so-called Skywalk window which is basically yeah a look down window which is on the ground and you can stand right on it and look down I’m always scared to
Walk on it cuz it might break right I think everyone has that fear yeah so definitely not recommended if you’re afraid of heights but otherwise it’s yeah very interesting experience um and then the second on the higher deck is at 250 M and from there you just get a
Better tense of the city on a grand scale and on clear days you can even see Tokyo Sky Tree and Mount Fuji in the distance wow yeah I didn’t know you could see Mount Fuji from yeah Tokyo Tower mhm it’s very pretty um during the
Day of course but also in the evening um when the Sun goes down and all the lights you know the city comes to life at night um yes and uh obviously both observation decks uh can be reached via elev elator but there’s also the possibility to take a 600 step staircase
And I know that you have done it before I did In The Heat Of Summer it wasn’t too bad though okay yeah I guess it’s a good workout yeah I already went down I took the elevator down yeah your choice and uh yeah so close to Tokyo tawa there’s also a shba
Park which is a lush green Park and Oasis in the middle of Tokyo and it’s especially recommended to go in spring because they have cherry blossom trees and also very pretty roses and well obviously it is a good spot to look at Tokyo Tower from a distance and take pictures with it so
Yeah it’s uh highly recommended if you come to Tokyo yeah definitely for sure so let’s move from the city streets to the water with yabun which is a one-of-a-kind dining experience in Tokyo so have you girls done well actually we did Yak together so never mind that question um
So yeah yakatabune are small Japanese entertainment boats that cruise along Eastern Tokyo’s sumita River and they’re characterized by their um traditional design delicious multi-course meals and stunning Riverside views that’s so true yeah so they’re appearance– wise they are known for their traditional exterior they have like Red Lanterns out front
And inside they have tatami floors so it definitely has like a traditional feel there’s like Japanese decor traditional Japanese Decor it’s really fun and the meal the menu often includes well typically includes freshly fried tempura as in the chef fries each piece right before serving it to you so it’s crispy
And warm and it’s just amazing I personally love tempura so I quite enjoy that part of the meal um they also usually have sashimi and other traditional Japanese dishes that you pair with alcohol or non-alcoholic beverage you’re making me hungry right we need to get some Sashimi in
Here so um as it’s cring cruising down the river you get views of the city skyline at night so glittering along the water and and lots of bridges cuz there’s a bunch of illuminated Bridges along sumita river and it stops at iconic landmarks like Rainbow Bridge and
Tokyo Sky Tree and when you get to these places the boat invites you to the roof where you have unobstructed views of the city um and it’s really beautiful when it’s like a nice night and the weather’s nice you have a breeze and you can see all the buildings along the water and
They reflect the lights reflect in the water and you can often see other yakatabune boats along the river so it’s really pretty especially the red globe the lanterns on the water it’s it’s picturesque it’s romantic right it’s very romantic perfect date place or friend date anything um and you can see
To too you can not quite as well as Sky Tree oh Rainbow Bridge but like through the buildings you get a glimpse of pokyo Tower so it’s nice you see a lot of famous landmarks on this Cruise um so yeah from the food to the scenery to the
Ambiance in general it’s a traditional activity that everyone can enjoy and yeah while we’re on the topic of traditional activities I wanted to give a shout out to asakusa which is a region relatively close to Tokyo Sky Tree um it’s one of the city’s most beloved areas it’s um very popular among
Tourists yeah and it’s I guess uh people like to visit for its traditional Vibes there’s a lot to do there um and it’s one of the most popular places to rent kimono so if you’re interested in trying on Japan’s traditional clothing we highly recommend doing so in asakusa yes
Yep so I think we could talk about Tokyo for hours yeah so true so I so many places it’s time we move on to wakayama wakayama with our first destination yes so the first destination is actually a cemetery o scary so um yeah I’m going to talk a bit
About okunoin Cemetery um which is Japan’s largest cemetery at the Ancient Temple complex of Coen I think a lot of you have heard about kyaan I think a lot of tourists would like to go there for temple States we’re going to talk about those later um but basically uh kyaan is
One of Japan’s most important pilgrimage sites and the reason for that is is that okin is the resting place of koboi also known as kukai who was the founder of shingon Buddhism and um you might think like oh a cemetery it sounds so scary and is it okay to walk around right but
Actually it is a really nice walk in nature because we have around 200,000 moss covered tombstones and tons of ancient cedar trees and it is just a has a very spiritual calm um Ambience and it just has a very special energy to it it’s very calm and
Peaceful yeah and um you can even take it further and take a night SW and you can do this with a local guide who speaks English and um on the way they will give you some information about Buddhist Traditions Legends and stories it’s very interesting and it
Looks very pretty too because um all the path uh lit with lanterns sounds so nice I really love moss on like me yeah just stones and general it’s so beautiful yeah like whenever I visit a temple or Shrine that is famous for like moss covered Stones Etc it just has it’s it’s so
Magical right yes yes I agree mhm yeah but uh speaking of coasa I think Anna you also know a cool spot right well actually I had a great opportunity to stay at a temp mention yeah before going there actually I didn’t know that you could stay at a
Temple did you guys know this I’ve never tried it before but I know it’s becoming more and more popular these days yeah yeah yeah I I’ve read about it and when I first read about it it’s something I knew that I wanted to try so I’m kind of jealous that you got to Go so there’s actually 50 temples in kyaan that yeah right a lot that are classified as shubo which means Temple lodging and where I stayed at is one of them so there was a beautiful kesan Dy Rock Garden surrounded by lotus water Leaf sitting next to the Temple’s main
Hall where visitors can actually visit twice daily uh to experience the Buddhist ceremonies including uh meditation in the evenings and prayers and Sutra readings each morning oh that’s so cool right sounds really nice and you can also experience traditional Buddhist Vegetarian Cuisine called Shi and they use seasonal vegetables and
Mountain plants and lots of local flavors it was very delicious I tried the breakfast and dinner wow it sounds very nourishing yeah right very healthy right sounds like satisfying yeah it sounds like such a healthy lifestyle yeah you know yeah it was really cool to experience like the Buddhist life life
MH yeah and as you saw in the videos there are beautiful like gorgeous rooms in the temples but also very simple rooms where training monks usually stay and I stayed in one of those rooms they had really thin walls and like one food ton but it was like a very interesting
And exciting experience because you can like I don’t know meditate and like hear bu chirping and you know just relax so I definitely recommend it yeah I will make sure to go someday yeah yeah me too for sure so another place we recommend is Nai Falls which perfectly represents
Wakayama blend of Nature and culture so with a height of 133 M nachi Falls is W or no is Japan’s tallest waterfall oh 133 yeah 133 M um and it’s long been worshiped by Shinto followers so for up close views of this natural Monument you can visit hos shrine’s observation deck
Which is only 300 Yen super affordable um and you can just bask in the Majestic sites um and For a symbolic view of wakayama like if you Google wakayama this image is what is going to show up everywhere um yeah so you can and should visit um Kumo Nai Grand shrin and naisan
SEI Temple so at this area you can see the temp three storied pagota with the waterfall in the background so pretty so it’s just an absolutely Picture Perfect site yeah um also this area is a great it’s a prime example of Shinto Buddhism Fusion in Japan since the temple and
Shrine are located directly next to each other which is quite rare in Japan true so um this is a we highly recommend visiting this place if you’re in the area and you can get there it’s one of the best views in wakayama I think definitely the most iconic so highly
Recommend going um and yeah let’s continue our spir spiritual journey along a very famous path so the Kumo probably many people have heard of this name yes is an ancient network of pilgrimage roots that connect wakayama regions like kyaan and Kumo with the neighboring Mia prefecture
Yes and in the past they acted as a mean for um people to move between sacred areas H so if you are an adventurer are you guys yes yes that’s us the um multi-day hiking tour is recommended I don’t think I’m an adventurer no if you just want to experience just
Um a little part of one of the roots then the diamon zaka rout is recommended so it’s just a 1 kilometer route oh the N BS which Veronica just talked about yes and it has a cobblestone passs surrounded by ancient trees so it’s very beautiful and there um I rented actually
A Haan era costume yeah at Dion zaka CH tea house they had many different patterns and colors but I chose the red one that you can see in the video yeah and it was a very very hot summer day like really really hot yeah that actually it I felt really
Comfortable wearing it and like it wasn’t like I was sweating or anything it was really good I think it was made for like yeah yeah any yeah and um so I think a lot of people who come to Japan maybe for the first time they try K like
Rental renting kimonos but if you’re looking for a slightly different experience I recommend you rent a h on era costume because it was such a great experience and I recommend it yeah I mean I have tried on both kimono and Yukata before Japan but never do h on period costume yeah you should
Definitely try it it you get a cool hat with a net to cover your face so that like the Flies arec oh perfect that is very perfect yes especially since you’re walking in a forest yeah right and I guess it comes in all different kinds of
Sizes oh nice and for kids as well nice cool yeah so uh to wrap it up um yeah as we mentioned at the beginning wakayama is very easily accessible from Tokyo it’s just a bit over an hour by plane you should definitely include it in your next Japan itinerary or maybe in
Your yeah Japan round trip or even when you’re exploring the cancer region yeah definitely so we hope you enjoyed this video and wrote down some destinations for your next trip to Japan so again I was writing it down yeah I saw out of the corner of my eye um so again a
Combined Tokyo wakayama trip offers the Perfect Blend of um modernity culture history and nature resulting in a trip that really captures the spirit of Japan um and if you’re interested in learning more about wakayama in Tokyo we recommend checking out the trip advisor page in the description yes we will link
It so check it out out yes thank you so much for watching Guys bye bye bye bye bye bye