Japan Fakecation: Experience Japan without leaving the Philippines

Miss traveling to the Land of the Rising Sun? Well, you can experience Japan without leaving the Philippines by having a fakecation at Japan Town in Makati and Mirador Hill Peace Memorial and Bamboo Eco Park in Baguio City.

Susan Enriquez lists places in the Philippines where you can have a Japan fakecation / Source: iJuander

Even though COVID-19 vaccines have been developed, the world has yet to return to the “old normal,” where people could travel worry-free both locally and internationally.

So, while there are still travel restrictions in place and the threat of COVID-19 persists, it's best to travel to safe domestic destinations in the meantime.

Japan is one of the favorite tourist destinations in Asia. For sure, after almost a year in quarantine, many Filipino travelers are already missing the cherry blossoms, colorful neon lights, and mouthwatering food in Japan.

But did you know that there are places here in the country that can let you experience Japan without needing to actually fly there?

In a recent episode of iJuander, attractions inspired by popular tourist spots in Japan were featured, including Japan Town in Makati and Mirador Hill Peace Memorial and Bamboo Eco park in Baguio City.

Japan Town

The Japan Town at Glorietta mall has restaurants and Instagram worthy-installations that'll make you feel like you're walking in Tokyo's Shibuya Crossing, taking photos at the Tokyo Tower, enjoying the nightlife amid neon lights in Dotonbori, Osaka, or enjoying the serenity of the bamboo forest in Kyoto.

Mirador Hill Peace Memorial

The Mirador Hill Peace Memorial in Baguio City was built to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the end of World War II. Its bell is made of neutralized bombs unearthed in Mirador Hill. The memorial greatly resembles the iconic torii gates in Japan, which are traditional arcs found in entrances of temples. So, if you want to feel like you're at the Fushimi Inari-taisha in Kyoto, then you should definitely pay this memorial a visit.

Bamboo Eco Park

If you miss Kyoto's bamboo forest, then Baguio's mini-Kyoto is your next best bet. You can have a Japan fakecation at the Bamboo Eco Park at the St. Francis Xavier Seminary. It's conveniently located near Burnham Park, which is only 15 minutes away. And the best part is there's actually no entrance fee. You get to experience Japan without leaving the country and save a lot on travel expenses.

Isn't it great to know that you can have a Japan fakecation to tide you over until it's finally safe to travel to other parts of the world? So, go ahead and enjoy these places inspired by popular tourist destinations in Japan and stay safe, mga Kapuso.

Watch the full feature on Baguio City's Mirador Hill Peace Memorial and Bamboo Eco Park in the iJuander video below.

For more features like this, watch iJuander every Sunday at 7:00 p.m. on GMA News TV.

And for more lifestyle content, head out to GMA's Lifestyle page.

If you're planning to check out the Mirador Hill Peace Memorial and Bamboo Eco Park in Baguio City, you might want to consider checking in in these lovely accommodations.