Japan has so much to offer, and each and every traveller will have a different experience when they’re over there – but if you’re planning a trip, here are my rankings for the big three
I’ve ranked the top three places to visit in Japan, sharing where I’d prioritise
When I was lucky enough to go to Japan, I had very high expectations for every place we visited.
From big cities to mountain towns with tiny populations of fewer than 5,000 people, our trip had so much variety, and we were so lucky to really make the most of our first time there. However, I know that some people’s trips look wildly different because they don’t have as much time, so they will focus predominantly on the ‘big three’ – Tokyo, Osaka, and Kyoto.
I’m going to share my honest rankings and whether each place is worth a visit or whether it’s overhyped.
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1. Tokyo
I feel like you could visit Tokyo for a year and never run out of things to do(Danielle Kate Wroe)
Tokyo really comes alive at night, and when it’s dark outside, the neon lights take over while people queue to see famous billboards. It’s perhaps a little dystopian standing on a busy street corner waiting for an advertisement, but when everything is so overstimulating and adorable, it weirdly just feels right.
In Tokyo, there are things to do whatever the weather. If it rains, you can spend hours and hours playing games in the arcade, desperately trying to grab a plushie on a claw machine as seasoned pros walk around with carrier bags full of their winnings.
There are also so many unique cafes to visit, and we opted for the MiPig one in Harajuku, which was honestly a dream come true. All the pigs were so happy and excited, and I ended up with many, many pigs on my lap (big and small!).
If the weather is good, there are temples and shrines aplenty (my personal favourite was Gōtokuji Temple, where all the lucky cats are!) and each one offers something slightly different, so you’ll never get bored.
We visited Ueno Park, which was right next to our hotel, and while the cherry blossoms hadn’t fully opened, we were lucky enough to see the first blooms of the season – and we were still in Japan to see the last, too.
And of course, you can’t visit Tokyo without seeing the iconic Shibuya crossing. People run across it all day and night to try and get the most iconic photograph possible, and when we went to Shibuya Sky, everyone looked like ants from so far up!
An absolutely phenomenal place that will hold a place in my heart forever, and we hope to return one day.
My rating: 10
2. Osaka
Osaka was amazing and the nightlife is top tier(Danielle Kate Wroe)
Osaka is often branded as a ‘mini Tokyo,’ and while it definitely isn’t as big (obviously), it certainly packs its own little impressive neon-lit punch!
I absolutely loved it here. It felt manageable, like you could see everything you wanted to see, the food was amazing – make sure you get all the viral street food – and the atmosphere was incredible. Again, there’s a lot of billboard watching like in Tokyo (think the Running Man), and you can even go on a mini-cruise to see everything in its entirety, which we did.
The aquarium was so exciting – and we even saw a whale shark! The nightlife here is also super exciting. We did karaoke until the small hours of the morning and were given one too many free drinks, so we felt a little worse for wear the morning after.
There’s something really special about Osaka, and I need to go back because the Don Quijote Ferris wheel and the Ebisu Tower weren’t working when we went! Apparently it opens later this year…
My rating: 9
3. Kyoto
Kyoto was stunning, just very busy(Danielle Kate Wroe)
Kyoto definitely felt the busiest of the three, but I think it’s because there’s less space for tourists to spread out. Everyone is trying to do the same things, so you notice the busyness more.
When we arrived, we’d been travelling for 10 hours, and we couldn’t find anywhere to eat because it was so busy, so I feel like we got off to a bad start there.
However, after getting up super early the day after, it definitely redeemed itself. Again, there’s so much to do, including gorgeous bamboo forests and shrines, and day trips you can take, such as visiting Nara Deer Park and Uji, which we loved.
There’s something really naturally beautiful and charming about Kyoto, and it’s impressive in a different way compared to Tokyo and Osaka. But I would recommend 6am starts at the latest!
We made chopsticks, did a tea ceremony, made the deer bow to us for crackers, went on a river cruise, and soaked in the amazing atmosphere Kyoto has to offer.
My rating: 8.5
Final thoughts…
Overall, each place we visited was absolutely incredible, and I’d highly recommend you visit them all if you get the chance. But if you have to choose one, I’d say go to Tokyo. I’ve never been anywhere like it before, and it’s absolutely phenomenal. You won’t regret it…
AloJapan.com