6 small tips to make any trip to Japan memorable

It seems like every week, different sets of social media friends are posting about their Japan trips; flooding either my Facebook news feed or Instagram home page with images of Tokyo, Osaka and Kyoto.

Easing the issuance of tourist visas to Filipinos and low-cost air fares have made the Land of the Rising Sun one of the items on every Pinoy’s travel bucket list. Take your pick: Sakura (Cherry Blossom) during spring or leaves turning red in autumn; great Japanese food on the street or Michelin-star restaurants; manga comics, gadgets and cultural heritage sites; Japan has it all.

Having been fortunate to visit this East Asian country last February, here are some tips that can make the trip even more memorable.

1. Take pictures, lots of pictures

The most obvious tip is also the simplest thing to do. Whether you prefer to use the camera from your smartphone or from a digital camera, the sights and people of Japan are naturally photogenic.

High-tech bidets, cool vendo machines, UNESCO World Heritage sites, the shinkansen and a whole lot of things Filipinos are not accustomed to are sure to be snapped one way or another (how about a selfie with a traditional toilet bowl?).

2. Buy made-in-Japan souvenirs

The Japanese are proud of their products. Asakusa in Tokyo is home to a 200-meter long shopping alley (Nakamise) full of modern souvenirs and snacks, while traditional shops line the path towards Kiyomizu-dera in Kyoto.

For green tea or wasabi flavored Kit Kat snacks and basically everything under the sun, there’s Don Quijote (more popularly known as DonKi), a discount chain store with more than 160 locations throughout Japan.

3. Take home the free maps and guides

In almost all major train stations, one is sure to find a tourist information office. Aside from having the staff assist tourists with suggested itineraries, free maps are also available in a number of languages.

These maps not only show the topography of the area, but some also show the transport information such as bus schedules, bus stops and train stations within the vicinity.

4. Carry a journal or diary wherever you go

If you are not the shutterbug type, carrying a journal or diary maybe the next best thing to record your Japan trip. The contents can be as simple as the planned itinerary for the day, dining, transportation and shopping expenses or feelings and thoughts after visiting a certain site or area.

5. Get stamped at train stations

Another cool entry in one’s journal in lieu of words are train station designs made from rubber stamps.

There are stamping areas from major trains stations like Tokyo station to smaller ones like Asakusa; even the observation deck of the Tokyo Government Metropolitan Building has one right across the entrance/exit elevator.

6. Get lost

The least obvious tip but certainly high on the remembrance factor, getting lost in a foreign place forces one to interact with the locals for directions and help. Getting lost for two hours in the Gion district of Kyoto was equally an adventure and misadventure for someone new to the area. Despite wasting precious time and thousands of steps walking, nothing compares to that satisfying feeling of finding your way back after being seemingly stuck in a different planet.

Every Japan trip is unique in itself. Whether you take a short four-day Osaka and Kyoto trip or a two-week voyage from Osaka to Tokyo, make every journey in the Land of the Rising sun more personal and meaningful with the use of a few simple tips mentioned above. — BM, GMA News