A long awaited return to Japan! With borders finally open and promise of smaller crowds, couldn’t have got on that plane soon enough!
It is still as easy as it was pre-pandemic to get around Japan. Not surprisingly, there’s been a bit of development over the last 3 years with most places taking advantage of the slow-down in tourism to renovate / upgrade. Travelling with a growing family saw us migrate towards mostly Airbnb options this trip which actually worked out great! Plenty of space and quiet vs. being stuck in a large hotel in the middle of the city 🙂
No suprises though, Kyoto / Osaka are as busy as ever with no noticeable drop in visitors vs. pre-pandemic levels, if at all very so slightly at the usual tourist spots. Shikoku was brilliant – felt like you were the only visitors in town at times! Definitely worth the visit for those who are returning to Japan and prefer an off-the-beaten-track experience.
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Itinerary
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Hiroshima – Miyajima – Matsuyama – Takamatsu – Okayama – Kyoto – Osaka
Total travel duration: 18 days / 17 nights
Travel period: Late November 2022 into mid-December 2022
Internal travel: Combination of trains + rental car (Toyota)
On a technical note, first travel video ever! Feedback welcome as always 🙂
Shot on Leica SL + Voigtlander 50mm APO, handheld.
Music by Bensound.com