ONE YEAR IN JAPAN: Our Favorite Places and Experiences!

ONE YEAR IN JAPAN: Our Favorite Places and Experiences!

[Music] one year ago this month we published our first video and today we’re going to review our favorites now when we started do we have any experience in doing videos no we did not but one year later here we are so let’s jump right into our favorite large town small town food museums gardens and two different hotels our personal favorite large city is a tossup between Nagoya and Coobe if you have followed us for any time you know that I’m a big fan of Nagoya perhaps the most overlooked large city in Japan it simply has so many things to do yet without the crowds however Coobe is my favorite as it offers something few cities in Japan have and that is a pedestrianfriendly waterfront down along the waterfront you have the Coobe Port Tower which is more than simply a high-rise observation platform there’s the exceptional Coobe Maritime Museum with its historic displays and the adjacent Kavasaki experience that is included in admission of course there’s the waterfront itself with numerous excursion cruise boats small to large and the mosaic mixeduse development full of restaurants and shops sitting right on the edge of the water a few blocks away you’ll find two covered shopping streets or Shotgunai these include the Moto Machi and Sonameia shopping streets together they are more than a mile in length featuring all manner of locally owned shops and dining options and for further cultural exposure paralleling Sonomia Schultton Guy is Coobe’s famous Chinatown where you can sample authentic Chinese street food this area makes for a great outing then just a few minutes away by subway is the base of Mount Roo at its base is the entrance to the Nunobiki Herb Gardens and ropeway take the ropeway to the top for one of the best views in all of Japan after touring the gardens walk 10 minutes to the Kitano Cho neighborhood which is an area populated with late 1800s to early 1900s Maji era houses occupied by early Western settlers these buildings now house museums restaurants and shops in a delightful walking area so with a combination of waterfront mountains and small crowds Coobe is our top choice for large cities in Japan for our favorite small town it’s no question that that is Mojiko we visited Mojiko three times in 2024 and are eager to return again we found this town by accident while simply looking on Google Maps it looked interesting and as we researched it we found it to be more and more appealing ojiko is a small waterfront town on the northwestern tip of Kyushu sitting on the Canmon straight with over 500 ships passing through each day the water is a stunning crystalclear blue and the town features a small inner harbor ideal for strolling there are a dozen fully restored Maji era buildings that once housed custom offices and shipping companies but today are museums restaurants and shops the Canmon Straight Museum is a world-class five-story museum detailing the history of the area and the top floor features a lounge and restaurant from which you can watch the ships go by at the other end of town is the Mojo Retro Tower with its observation room on the 32nd floor and down below is the Mojo Retro Train and Train Museum you can even walk under the straight from the island of Kyushu to Honchu via an 800 meter long pedestrian tunnel which happens to be free on the other side take the ropeway to the top of Mount Hininoyama and then take in the view to the Stoland Sea all the way to the Sea of Japan and while on the Honchu side you might wish to visit the Shimonoseki Aquarium or Kaikokan this is another worldass attraction that is a mustsee then take the short ferry ride back to Mojiko or perhaps you can take out a ride on one of the excursion boats such as the Moji we’ve had a blast today here in Mojiko we happen to time it so that there’s a my dog festival you’ll see hundreds and hundreds of dogs and they go all out but we have fallen in love with Mojiko the history of it the architecture the food the waterfront you just got to put this on your list it’s an amazing place to come to identifying a favorite food is a tough one there are so many options making it difficult to choose but for me it has to be the tonkatu at the M restaurant in Tokyo and going to want to eat lunch and one of our absolute favorite places around Tokyo station is Mysim on the 12th floor of the Daim moder department store this is a tonkatu cork cut this is a fillet and this one I’ve got what I get every time we come they have English instructions for the sauces and how you eat it and it also comes with all you can eat cabbage rice and soup it’s delicious you got to come here the restaurant can be found on the 12th floor of the Daimaru department store at Tokyo Station and an honorable mention has to be the baked curry in Mojiko absolutely now in Japan one of the very popular dishes is curry curry served over rice with beef vegetables things like that but in here in Mojiko they’ve got a unique style of curry it’s baked curry imagine if you would a a lasagna dish a small lasagna dish with the curry the rice on the bottom curry on the top the beef and then they put on top of it a layer of cheese and bacon serve it piping hot it is unique it’s a great flavor a little bit different than everything else you find in most places in Japan now just as with food selecting a museum is a challenge because there’s so many of them thousands and even the smaller towns often have museums that are of outstanding quality but for me the number one is the Otsuka Museum of Art on the island of Shikoku the museum is one of the largest in Japan featuring nearly 7 acres of exhibition space much of it underground the museum houses reproductions of more than 1,000 classical works of art from 190 museums around the world each piece is reproduced in its original size including Leonardo da Vinci’s Last Supper and a full-scale reproduction of the interior of the Cyine Chapel by Michelangelo the works range from early Byzantine to modern Picassos and everything in between including Monaet Renoir Goan and others it is simply an incredible place unlike any we found elsewhere yet very few western visitors know about it as it is on the island of Shikoku and my favorite was the Edeto Tokyo Open Air Architectural Museum Museum about 40 minutes from Tokyo Station great choice this is a park-like setting in which you’ll find around 30 original buildings from the Edeto Maji Taiisho and Shawa eras spanning 400 years of Japanese history and culture there are old farm houses with thatched roofs and early 20th century art deco houses you can walk inside all manner of buildings which you cannot often do elsewhere these include a bath house a variety of shops and several palatial homes overlooking gardens this is the best place to discover all the history in one place and it only costs 300 yen now if you’re enjoying this video please click the like and subscribe buttons it’s very important to the life of our channel as it encourages us to make more of these videos like this one it’s free and you won’t be put on any mailing list so do it now japan is full of gardens and every sizable town will have at least one very formal garden so which is our favorite the short list is actually quite a long one including Kinrokuan Garden in Knazawa considered by most as one of the top three in Japan then there’s the Tokugawa Garden in Nagoya which when illuminated in the fall is stunning a less known yet a garden that has been voted most beautiful by the journal of Japanese gardening several years running is the Adachi Garden outside Matsui being more of a contemplative garden with a Zen Buddhist feel to it but our favorite is the Sanank Garden in Yokohama you’ve likely never heard of it and that means you can visit it without the hordes of tourists you’ll find in Kanazawa at Kinrokuan Garden sankain is the 43 acre former home of a wealthy silk merchant who designed the garden around a large pond surrounded by hills in the middle of the city after building his personal home he then acquired other historic buildings from all over Japan and relocated them in the garden today you’ll find homes temples tea houses gosho houses and even a three-story pagota perched on top of the hill many of these buildings date back to the late 1500s and most are more recent than the early 1700s the combination of pathways creeks bridges gardens and buildings makes this our favorite garden in all of Japan now as with so many things on this list it’s hard to make one choice for a hotel right yes it really is because there’s so many different types of hotels you have business hotels and luxury hotels roy and such that’s right so in this case we’re going to select two accommodations for the hotel we named the hotel Las Coobe Harborland as our favorite hotel in all of Japan we have stayed in many very nice places such as the Hungu International in Osaka the Ria Royal in Hiroshima and the Oakwood Suites overlooking Yokohama but the Las Coobe Harborland offers the epitome of luxury services and amenities the hotel sits on Coobe’s waterfront just steps from the excursion boats the Coobe Port Tower and Mosaic Shopping Complex every room in the hotel has a water view and the suites are large and sumptuous each one offers a balcony which you do not often find in Japanese hotels and every suite has luxurious seating and bedding the baths in these suites are spacious and feature separate tubs and showers some of them with a view themselves we’ve even stayed in one suite with a separate tatami room the lobby is grand and there are multiple dining options both indoor and outside overlooking the waterfront along with an on-site spa but the piece at resistance for us is the in room breakfast that comes each morning yes breakfast is included in the rate and it is served in your suite you have the option of a Japanese or western style and we always choose the western which features eggs sausage soups salads and a basket of seven different types of bread it’s simply a feast second accommodation is one that is very dear to our hearts and in fact it was the catalyst that helped us launch Uncharted Japan it is not a hotel or Royon but rather a homeay experience in the tiny hamlet of Maryama village located just minutes outside the town of Tomba Sasyama you can view an entire video on Maryama village by clicking the link above and it’s so special that we’ve been hesitant to share it with the world as we want to keep it to ourselves this was once a dying village with many abandoned homes but a few years ago the villages pulled their resources and renovated four homes into two guest houses and opened two restaurants you must envision this place it is at the end of a road in a small valley dotted with rice patties and old Edeto period buildings it is simply like stepping back in time the interiors feature traditional Japanese architecture with tatami rooms and wood floors as well as a traditional deep soaking Japanese uo or tub along with a more updated bathing room each morning the ladies in the village provide food items for breakfast which are delivered to you and prepared by the hostess Chidorisan this in itself is a feast for the eye and pallet but one of our favorite dinner experiences in all of Japan is also found here at the Hijano Kura Japanese French fusion restaurant next door this is an intimate open air kitchen restaurant with seating of no more than 20 persons the 9 course meal is simply incredible featuring freshly grown vegetables meats and harvested seafoods one would never expect to find such an incredible dining experience in such a seemingly remote village tomba Sasayyama is located a little more than an hour northwest of Osaka so that’s it for our top picks for our one-year anniversary video and what have we got our favorite large town is Coobe small town Mojiko food Tonkatsu and Baker uh-huh museum the Osuka Museum of Art and mine is Edeto open Air Museum Tokyo and then gardens the Sanka Garden and hotels too we have the Lassuite Harborland in Coobe and Maryama Village so that’s it for our first year in Japan and we hope you’ve enjoyed these videos and I hope you’ll continue to watch more as we continue the journey so until next time sign and help us keep the channel alive by enjoying some of our other videos such as this one about surviving Japan seven things you should know before visiting everyone should see this video that covers everything from taxis to tickets to toilets and send your questions or comments and we will always respond and thanks for watching [Music]

Dream of visiting Japan? We’ve condensed our YEAR IN JAPAN into one unforgettable video showcasing our favorite city, town, food, museum, garden and hotels. What to do in Tokyo? What to do in Osaka? What to do in Kyoto? Been there, done that and so have millions of others. But Japan is so much more. After one year in Japan, we take you off the Golden Route to the less known, off the beaten path towns and attractions so that you experience the top places in Japan that are less crowded and not overrun with tourists. Want to find the undiscovered Japan? Then join us in this special edition video as we celebrate one year on Youtube!

First time going to Japan? You’re at the right place. Japan is so much more than finding the best things to do in Tokyo or the best things to do in Kyoto. We are John and Josephine, and we have 164 years of continuous family history in Japan going back to 1861. We love Japan and love sharing our experience and knowledge with others. But we don’t focus on the big cities of Tokyo, Osaka and Kyoto because there is so much more to Japan than these three cities. Over tourism in Japan is becoming a serious problem in these three areas, so come with us and allow us to show you the other parts of Japan. You’ll be glad to you did!

Links:

Uncharted Japan: www.unchartedjapan.net
Kobe Port Tower: https://www.kobe-port-tower.com/
Kobe Maritime Museum: https://kobe-maritime-museum.com/
Kobe Nunobiki Herb Garden: https://www.kobeherb.com/
Mosaic: https://umie.jp/
Hotel La Suite Kobe Harborland: https://www.l-s.jp/?utm_source=mybusiness
Mojiko Retro Tower : https://mojiko-retoro9.jp/spot/mojiko_retro_observation_room/
Kanmon Straits Museum : https://mojiko-retoro9.jp/spot/kanmon_kaikyo_museum/
Shimonoseki Aquarium : https://www.kaikyokan.com/
Mojiko Railway Museum : http://www.k-rhm.jp/
Otsuka Museum of Art : https://o-museum.or.jp/
Edo Tokyo Open Air Architectural Museum: https://www.tatemonoen.jp/
Sankeien Garden: https://www.sankeien.or.jp/
Kenrokuen Garden: https://www.pref.ishikawa.jp/siro-niwa/kenrokuen/
Tokugawa Garden: https://www.tokugawaen.aichi.jp/
Maruyama Village: https://maruyama-v.jp/

Credits:

Soundtrack: Epidemic Sound
Maps: Google

#japan #travel #japantraveltips #japantravel #tokyo #osakajapan #kyoto #kyotosightseeing #offthebeatenpath #japanesefood #oneyearanniversary #japanesehotel #unknownjapan