Relish the best of Japan
Explore Japan in the company of a top chef and an expat Kiwi who’s become a local rugby legend, writes Trupti Biradar.
I’m waiting in line in the rain. It’s moving efficiently, but I’m cold and a bit miserable. I’m determined, though. I’ve read Ichiran ramen is worth the queue, and if there’s one thing I’m willing to spend hours in line for, it’s good food. Forbes’ travel writer Geoffrey Morrison called it ‘‘the best ramen in the world’’, surely that’s worth being a little damp for.
It’s finally my turn. I step up to the machine, put my coins in, and choose a bowl of ramen. The machine spits out my ticket and I go to wait in another line.
I’m handed a clipboard with a form and a pen – this is where I can customise my ramen right down to the texture of noodles, richness of broth, level of spice and amount of pork, garlic and green onions.
Unsure what I’m doing I just go with ‘‘medium’’ on everything.
A board on the wall in front of me shows how many seats are available and when a light finally flashes blue I’m ushered to my booth. It’s enclosed on either side and in front of me is a blind, a bell, and a water fountain. I slide my form across the booth and ring the bell. The blind slides up momentarily and a hand grabs the form and disappears again. I sit there. Waiting.
A few minutes later, the blind goes up again and a hand slides a bowl of piping hot ramen in front of me.
The tonkotsu pork-bone broth is rich and flavourful. The spice level is just right. The noodles have a bit more bite to them than I’d like. But the pork is the star, I wish I’d ordered extra. An egg too. I make a mental note of my preferred customisation, for next time.
The ramen takes the edge of the chill I’ve been feeling. For someone with mild social anxiety this was such an anti-social experience that I feel reenergised. I slip back out into the rain, ready for my date at the robot restaurant. An experience I’m told is unlike anything else in the world.
Japan is already a firm favourite with Kiwi travellers but with the rise of skiing holidays and culinary travel, and next year’s Rugby World Cup, there’s renewed interest in the country.
With that, it’s with great pleasure that I invite Stuff readers on an exclusive tour of Japan. In partnership with travel experts Wendy Wu, we’ve created the itinerary of a lifetime, accompanied by our guest experts – Nic Watt, a top chef, rugby expert Andrew McCormick, and Bernadette Courtney, Stuff’s Editor-inChief Newsrooms.
Days 1-2: New Zealand to Tokyo
Fly overnight to Tokyo. Experience a capital hurtling into the future while maintaining its links with ancient traditions. It’s a city of contrasts, famous for its neon-lit landscape, shrines, and lovingly tended gardens.
Day 3: Explore Tokyo
On the former site of Edo castle, the Imperial Palace is surrounded by moats and massive stone walls in the heart of Tokyo. Home to Japan’s Imperial Family, the inner grounds are only open on December 23, the Emperor’s birthday.
Visit the 634-metre Tokyo Skytree, a new broadcasting tower, Japan’s tallest building.
Then head to Asakusa, Tokyo’s old town. Visit Sensoji, also known as Asakusa Kannon and Tokyo’s oldest temple.
Tonight you will board a Tokyo Bay Dinner Cruise to enjoy delicious dishes while cruising around Tokyo Bay.
Day 4: Tokyo’s sights
Explore Tokyo on a sightseeing tour by private coach. Head to the Tsukiji Market – Japan’s ‘‘Food Town,’’ to see all kinds of traditional foods. Next, take part in a Sushi Making Class. After lunch, visit the famous Shibuya district, Tokyo’s main centre for youth fashion and culture. It is also home to the five-way ‘‘scramble crossing’’.
Your last stop will be the Meiji Shrine, dedicated to the deified spirit of Emperor Meiji.
Day 5: Tokyo to Hakone
Depart for Hakone by private coach. Throughout the day you will have a chance to get a glimpse of Mt Fuji, as long as it’s a clear day.
First stop is the Hakone shinto shrine. It was very popular among Samurai during the
12th century and is hidden away in a dense forest.
Next stop is Hakonemachi where you will board a Pirate Boat to take you to Togendai. Both are ports on the shores of Lake Ashi, which is, in fact, a huge volcanic crater created 3000 years ago.
After arriving in Togendai, continue via Rope Way towards Owakudani, where the first thing you will notice is the smell of sulfur coming from the active volcano. Walking trails around Owakudani lead to steam vents and bubbling pools.
Tonight, you will stay in a Japanese-style room with delicious meals and access to onsen – heated mineral springs baths.
Day 6: Hakone to Kyoto
Board the famous Shinkansen bullet train, which reaches speeds of up to 300kmh, to Kyoto. Visit Fushimi Inari Shrine, used in the movie Memoirs of a Geisha. It is home to more than 10,000
red torii gates, which form a path up the mountain behind the temple.
Visit a sake brewery, to learn about the traditional brewing process, then sample the sake.
Enjoy a special Maiko Dinner at a local restaurant. A Maiko is an apprentice geisha in Kyoto and Western Japan. Their jobs consist of performing songs, dances, and playing the shamisen or other traditional instruments.
Day 7: Kyoto’s gems
Visit Nijo Castle, built by the founder of the Tokugawa Shogunate as the Kyoto residence of the Shogun. The ornamental building was completed in 1603 and is known for its Momoyama architecture, decorated sliding doors, and ‘‘chirping’’ nightingale floors.
Kinkakuji, or the Golden Pavilion, was built as a retirement villa for the Shogun. It is now one of Kyoto’s most famous Buddhist temples, with its top two floors completely covered in gold-leaf.
The first stop in Arashiyama is Tenryuji temple. Ranked among Kyoto’s five great Zen temples Tenryuji is the largest and most impressive temple in Arashiyama.
On the way to Nonomiya shrine, your path will lead you through Arashiyama’s famous bamboo groves, which are unlike any other place in Japan. In ancient times, the Nonomiya shinto shrine was where unmarried imperial princesses stayed for a year or more to purify themselves.
Day 8: Explore Kyoto
Kodaiji temple in Kyoto’s Higashiyama District was built in 1606 in memory of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, one of Japan’s greatest historical figures.
Take part in a traditional Japanese tea ceremony, learn how to conduct as a host and how to make a bowl of green tea. Then visit Gion, the famous geisha district, you may see them as they hurry to the first appointments of the evening.
Day 9: Kyoto to Hiroshima
Board a bullet train to Hiroshima.
In the centre of the city, Hiroshima’s Peace Memorial Park takes is more than 120,000 square metres, and is dedicated to the legacy of Hiroshima as the first city to suffer a nuclear attack.
The park’s main attraction is the Peace Memorial Museum, providing an opportunity to hear eyewitness testimonies and learn about the devastating effects the A-bomb had .
Day 10: Hiroshima to Osaka
Miyajima is a small sacred island in the Inland Sea, a holy place of Shintoism. Here you will find perhaps the most photographed site in Japan: The Floating Torii Gate, designated a Unesco World Heritage Site and one of Japan’s ‘‘three most beautiful views’’. Then later today, head to Osaka.
Day 11: Explore Osaka
Your day is free at leisure.
Day 12: Osaka departure
Depart Kansai Airport for New Zealand.