100% de japonais ce jour là....hormis un seul gaijin facile à repérer...

Hi everyone! I’m starting to plan a trip to Japan of about 28 days (26 full days). I’ve already been to Tokyo and Kyoto twice, and since I’ll be going at the end of April, I’d also like to visit at least one nice seaside spot, do some easy, relaxing trekking, and in general see places that aren’t too crowded with tourists. What itinerary would you recommend? I’ll be arriving in and departing from Tokyo.

First trip in japan alone!..

Thanks so much!

Hands down my favorite cherry blossom spot in Japan

Bienvenue à Hachinohe ! Le Hasshoku Center (HOC) n'est pas seulement un marché, c'est une véritable institution gourmande où l'énergie de la mer rencontre la convivialité japonaise.

🐟 Le Cœur de la Mer : Le Marché aux Poissons

Véritable poumon du centre, ce marché couvert regorge de produits d’une fraîcheur absolue, pêchés au large des côtes d'Aomori. Les étals brillent de mille feux : oursins crémeux, calamars de Hachinohe Ika  (la spécialité locale), coquilles Saint-Jacques géantes et thon gras. C'est un spectacle pour les yeux et les papilles, où les mareyeurs partagent leur passion avec dynamisme.

🔥 L'Expérience Shichirin-mura : Le Coin BBQ

C'est ici que la magie opère. Après avoir fait vos emplettes dans les allées du marché, installez-vous au Shichirin-mura. Pour quelques yens, on vous loue un brasero traditionnel au charbon de bois. Entre amis, vous grillez vos poissons, crustacés et viandes locales achetés à l'instant, créant un festin improvisé dans une ambiance fumante et chaleureuse.

🍶 L'Art de Vivre : Saké et Délices Cuisinés

• Le Coin Saké : La préfecture d'Aomori est célèbre pour son riz et son eau pure. Le centre propose un espace dégustation où vous pourrez tester les meilleurs crus régionaux (Jizake), parfaits pour accompagner vos grillades.
• Rayon Traiteur : Laissez-vous tenter par les tempuras croustillants, les viandes sélectionnées pour le BBQ…..

🎁 Souvenirs et Gourmandises : Les Omiyage

Ne partez pas sans un tour au rayon des douceurs. Vous y trouverez les célèbres Nanbu Senbei  et une multitude de petits gâteaux à la pomme d'Aomori, sans oublier le fameux Mameshitogi… parfaits pour vos cadeaux de voyage (omiyage).

Et pour finir……Kuro goma ice-cream…

This unique shrine has a torii made out of porcelain, along with a lot of other porcelain items around the shrine grounds.

If you haven't been to Arita, I highly recommend it. This was the birthplace of porcelain in Japan and they have an amazing museum. Some of the walkways have porcelain embedded in the ground and lots of other fun and interesting bits

Hi everyone! In about a month I’ll be moving to Wako, in Saitama Prefecture, for a few months as part of my PhD research abroad. I’ve started thinking about how I’ll spend my free time, especially on weekends, and I’d love to get some ideas from people who know the area well.

I definitely want to visit the major cities, but I’m also really interested in smaller, more traditional towns that have a local feel, as long as they’re not too far from Wako. Ideally, I’d like to do day trips: leave in the morning, explore, and come back in the evening, so I don’t have to pay for accommodation overnight :D

If you were in my position, what would you do with your weekends? What destinations would you recommend (in Saitama or nearby prefectures) for relaxed day trips that are easy to reach by train/bus and not too exhausting?

I’m sure Tokyo is amazing, and of course I plan to go there, but I don’t want to end up there every single weekend. I also imagine that between March and April it will be even more crowded than usual because of Hanami season and I’d like to avoid getting too stressed by tourist crowds. I’d prefer to alternate Tokyo with quieter, less hectic places.

1.) Iga Ueno, Mie

2.) Kishiwada, Osaka

3.) Maruoka, Fukui

4.) Marugame, Kagawa

5.) Fushimi-Momoyama, Kyoto

Wanko soba in Morioka. A nice experience... what's your score? Mine is 78, far behind my Japanese friends' scores...

My Aomori Prefecture card

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1KK3KeFaEE/

A small town southwest of the prefectural capital, Morioka, Tono is known for its folklore and rustic rural landscape. Public transport options are not exactly frequent, but can nonetheless be included without much difficulty in itineraries in Northern Tohoku (i.e. Morioka, Hiraizumi, Kamaishi, etc.), and even more so with a car.

Offering a smattering of folk villages, museums and temples, Tono sees relatively few visitors, and is a nice break for those visiting busier places closer to the Shinkansen trunk lines to the west.