Eight days spent among the largest and most futuristic cities in the world, ancient gardens and millenary rituals. The beauty of Japan is exactly this point, being this country able to combine an impressive economic expansion while keeping the customs, ideals and traditional culture intact. As the first time I went to the Land of the Rising Sun, I promised myself to make as many experiences as possible.
My trip to Japan
The chosen route includes the classic destinations, but above all others lesser- known places. Arrival in Kyoto, the old capital, with the great imperial castles and monumental gardens. From here I move to the island-museum of Naoshima and the Ritsurin garden on the island of Shikoku and then visit the surroundings of the city of Okayama. In the area there is the white castle of Himeji, the ancient merchant city of Kurashiki. I finally arrive in Tokyo, the nerve center of Japan, one of the largest cities in the world.
One of the most important experiences that have marked me is the Temple of Ryoanji. A building dated back 1450 AD that houses a karesansui garden, or mistakenly known as Zen gardens, one of the most famous in Japan. Conceived to appear radically different every time you change your point of view, it is a place of peace and meditation that is attended by many Japanese people. I stayed an hour and a half with the guide in that mystical place to contemplate the richness of meanings of a garden so simple in appearance.
Another important experience is certainly represented by the Ritsurin garden, a very large area of plants, moss, waterfalls and wooden bridges. The care of plants is a perfect metaphor for ancestral Japanese culture, made of attention, precise gestures and not wanting to leave anything to chance. I get lost for hours, walking along the ponds that are teeming with koi fish, to remain enchanted in front of the buildings.
It seems obvious, but one of the tops of my trip was definitely the food, wherever it was served was a pleasure for the eyes and for the palate. From sushi in restaurants to fresh meal kits provided on Shinkansen, the fastest trains, the dishes presented themselves in elaborate and sometimes childish shapes, but always had a unique and particular taste. In Kyoto I also had the experience of dining with a Maiko, an aspiring Geisha, with whom I lived an evening full of culture, art and even fun alcohol games.
Getting on an airplane is always a crucial part of each trip, whether you're leaving or you're coming back. For me it was easy to take the outward flight for the high expectations that I had of Japan, and that have never been betrayed. On the other hand, it was very difficult to take the return flight: once you fall in love with a place, with its culture and its history, you no longer want to get away from it!
