This post was originally published on A Globe Well Travelled in 2019. The content has been revised and updated with fresh information.
There were loads of experiences that I was beyond excited to have when I arrived in Japan.
The top ones were were definitely photography-related… I just can’t resist a good photo op! Pretty shrines and temples, mountainous scenery, and unique city streets had my camera practically jumping out of my hands to document the country on its own.
During my travels around Japan, I had many more unexpected yet authentic experiences. Some were unable to be properly captured by my camera, as the experience was more about feeling present in the moment than what could be seen through my lens.
Japan is a truly special country that enlightened and engaged me in ways that I hadn’t anticipated. If you’re planning a trip to this colourful Asian destination, here’s a roundup of all my best experiences in Japan!
Quick summary:
This guide covers the 10 best experiences to add to your Japan bucket list, from soaking in a hot spring and riding the Shinkansen to exploring temples, shrines, zen gardens, and more. I’ve also included some recommended tours and tickets to help you make the most of your trip.
Recommended tours & tickets:
♨️ Toyosu Manyo Club Onsen Experience – Relax in one of Tokyo’s best hot spring bathhouses.
🚄 JR Rail Pass for Japan – Travel seamlessly on the high-speed Shinkansen bullet trains.
🍣 Shinjuku night foodie tour – Discover hidden eateries and try a variety of Japanese dishes.
🍵 Matcha tea ceremony in Nara – Learn the rituals of preparing and enjoying traditional matcha.
🍶 Kyoto sake brewery tour – Sample different sake varieties with an expert guide.
⛩️ Fushimi Inari hidden hiking tour – Explore the famous shrine’s quieter trails with a local.
🌿 Arashiyama secrets walking tour – Get off-the-beaten-path to visit bamboo groves and temples.
🛏️ Rakuyu Lakeside Resort Mt Fuji – Stay in a traditional tatami room with Fuji views.
10 best things to do in Japan:
1. Bathe in a Japanese onsen (hot spring)
Bathing in an onsen is one of the most authentic Japan activities. Onsen are geothermal hot spring baths that can be found all over the country, often in hotels or guesthouses. Public onsen are generally split into separate male and female baths, while private onsen can be booked for couples and friends to bathe together.
I had an onsen experience in our hotel in Hiroshima which had a spa on the top floor. Bathing is usually done in the nude, which turns some people off (my husband refused to do it but I had only a slight apprehension about stripping down!). There are also a specific set of rules that are generally used for bathing in an onsen, so be sure to get familiar with onsen etiquette before you go.
👉 If you’re looking for an easy way to try an onsen in Tokyo, you can book tickets for the Toyosu Manyo Club Onsen Experience. This is a new bathhouse in Toyosu that uses hot spring water brought in daily from Hakone and Yugawara, and is open 24 hours a day.
2. Ride the Shinkansen bullet train across Japan
Catching the Shinkansen bullet train is an essential experience for any visitor to Japan! This high-speed rail network stretches all the way from Hokkaido to Kyushu (nearly the entire length of Japan) and has max speeds of 320 km/h (200 mph).
Tickets on the bullet train are far from cheap, but it’s extremely convenient and makes travelling between cities super easy – I caught the Shinkansen between Osaka, Hiroshima, Kyoto, and Mt Fuji. A popular trip like the Tokyo to Kyoto train takes only 2 hrs and 15 mins each way.
👉 You can buy a JR Rail Pass or individual tickets at the train station and reserve your seat for the next departure. Trains leave approximately every half hour.
3. Eat authentic Japanese food
I’m not usually much of a foodie when I travel – probably because being vegetarian makes it somewhat hard to enjoy all the local delicacies. But in Japan, I was totally obsessed with all the Japanese food! It’s simple, flavoursome, and just so incredibly good.
I tried loads of vegetarian foods in Japan, and it’s hard to pick a favourite dish. The okinomiyaki in Hiroshima was definitely a hit, as was the veggie gyoza dumplings in Kyoto and the sushi in Tokyo.
👉 To really dive into Tokyo’s culinary scene, you can also join a Tokyo night foodie tour in Shinjuku, where a local guide takes you through hidden eateries and izakayas to try a variety of Japanese dishes you might otherwise miss.
4. Try matcha: Japan’s famous green tea flavour
Now I love a good cup of tea, but I generally prefer black tea over green tea. In Japan, it seems like absolutely everything is matcha green tea flavoured – the Japanese are totally obsessed with it!
I had matcha ice cream, chocolates, cake snacks, cookies, lattes, and even a green tea rice soup (which was pretty weird, to be honest!). I think the above matcha soft serve that I had in Nara, complete with themed deer biscuit, was the green tea snack that I enjoyed the most.
👉 If you’d like a more traditional experience with Japan’s favourite flavour, you can book a matcha tea ceremony in Nara, where you’ll learn the rituals of preparing and drinking matcha while enjoying a peaceful setting.
5. Drink sake and learn about this Japanese rice wine
I really love sake! This Japanese rice wine is rather strong at around 15-20% alcohol. Sake is usually sipped from a small cup (porcelain or glass) and depending on the product it can be served cold, hot, or at room temperature.
You can visit a sake tasting bar, tour a sake brewery, or just drink sake at any restaurant that you go to for dinner. We decided on a tasting bar in Kyoto to sample sake flights of different grades, and the owner let us borrow a book that explained the process of sake-making in Japan.
👉 For a guided experience, you can also join a Kyoto sake brewery tour, where you’ll learn about the brewing process and sample different varieties with an expert to guide your palate.
6. Visit a Shinto shrine in Japan
Shinto is the traditional religion of Japan. The colourful shrines that you’ve probably seen on Instagram are lovely places to wander through in real life, though be aware that some of the more popular ones can get crazy busy with tourists.
Shinto shrines can be found all over the country, with some areas like Kyoto having a large concentration of the historic religious sites. My favourites were the Itsukushima Shrine and Floating Torii Gate in Miyajima (near Hiroshima, pictured above) and Fushimi Inari Shrine with its path lined with thousands of torii gates in Kyoto.
👉 If you’d like to dive deeper into the history and hidden spots around Fushimi Inari, you can join a Fushimi Inari hidden hiking tour where a local guide will lead you along quieter trails and share stories about the shrine.
7. Step inside a Buddhist temple in Japan
Buddhist temples in Japan offer a different experience from the Shinto shrines. The atmosphere at these temples feels quieter and more reflective, with incense drifting through the air and monks moving calmly between the halls.
In Kyoto, I most loved the stunning Kiyomizu-dera Temple which is perched on a hillside with sweeping city views from its terrace. Nearby in Arashiyama, the Tenryuji Temple features the beautiful Sogenchi zen garden that left me feeling completely at peace. In Nara, Todaiji Temple is an unmissable stop, home to a giant Great Buddha statue inside an enormous wooden hall.
8. Relax in a zen garden in Kyoto or Nara
There’s something incredibly tranquil about a zen garden. I visited a handful throughout Japan, with my favourite being Yoshiki-en in Nara. This garden is free for international tourists if you show your passport, but somehow it’s kept relatively off the radar… there were only a handful of other tourists in the garden while we were there.
I found a stone bench in the moss garden and sat to meditate for 10 minutes to the sounds of birds, trickling water, and footsteps. It was such a lovely place to collect my thoughts away from the crowds of Nara Park. Zen gardens can be found near many temples are shrines across Japan – make sure you take a few moments to sit quietly and relax when you find one.
Another zen garden that I loved was the Sogenchi zen garden at Tenryuji Temple in Arashiyama. This garden had a lovely bamboo grove that was much less touristy than the bamboo forest in Kyoto!
👉 To experience Arashiyama more fully, you can book an Arashiyama secrets walking tour which takes you through the bamboo groves, temples, and hidden corners that most visitors miss.
9. Stay in a traditional Japanese tatami room
Traditional Japanese-style rooms are a little different from what we might expect from a regular hotel. Tatami rooms can be found at many ryokans (Japanese inns) or onsen resorts around the country.
The rooms are generally an open space with tatami straw mats covering the floor. Shoes must be taken off before entering the room. Instead of beds, futon mattresses are laid out on the mats.
This might sound like a strange way to spend the night, but it’s actually quite comfortable! If you want the tatami experience without worrying about logistics of finding a ryokan, some guided small-group tours from solo operators like INTRO may include a tatami stay as part of the tour itinerary.
🛏️ We stayed one night at a Rakuyu Lakeside Resort Mt Fuji for a unique experience in a traditional tatami room (the hotel also had a private onsen and views of Fuji!).
10. Get lost in the streets of Tokyo
Tokyo is truly a huge and mind-blowing city. The streets, which range from the insanely busy Shibuya crossing to tiny hidden alleyways, are lined with neon lights and lanterns that hang outside brightly lit bars and restaurants. The various sights, smells, and sounds trigger a sensory overload.
We stayed in a boutique hotel in Ebisu – just a few stops on the Tokyo metro from the popular Shibuya, Harajuku, and Shinjuku. There were a few tourists in the area, but there were plenty more locals, which made it an authentic area to wander around and get lost in.
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