Japan Travel 2026 | Part 1: Ramen, Sushi, Bullet Train & Hakodate

Japan Travel 2026 | Part 1: Ramen, Sushi, Bullet Train & Hakodate

This is the start of our 35-day trip through Japan — from South Africa all the way north to Hokkaido and eventually down to Yakushima.

In this first episode, we travel from South Africa to Tokyo (via Ethiopia and South Korea), and then continue on to Hakodate by bullet train. Along the way, we settle into Japan with some of the simple things that make travelling here so special — good food, easy transport, and small unexpected moments.

This isn’t a polished “top 10 things to do” video — it’s a real look at what our first few days in Japan actually felt like.

In this video:
– Flying from South Africa to Tokyo (via Addis Ababa & Seoul)
– First impressions of Tokyo
– Eating ramen, sushi, onigiri, natto, and gyoza
– Visiting an artisanal hot chocolate café and a vegan café
– Exploring a Japanese whisky museum
– Taking the Shinkansen (bullet train) to Hakodate
– Hiking up and down Mt Hakodate
– Night views from the Hakodate ropeway
– Hakodate Morning Market
– Trying convenience store snacks (including an unexpected new favourite)
– A quick look at Hakodate’s coastal park

This is part of a longer series documenting our full journey across Japan — including places both popular and a bit more off the beaten track.

#japantravel #japanfood #traveljapan #roughingitwithruth

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