🇯🇵

Trips 4 & 5 · My favourite country

Japan

I loved Japan so much we went twice in one year. Bullet trains, Tokyo Disney, cherry blossoms, ramen for breakfast, and the world's politest people.

30 Jun – 10 Jul 2024

Age 4

Summer · 11 days · Tokyo Disney, Tokyo, Osaka, Kobe

23 Dec 2024 – 4 Jan 2025

Age 5

Winter · 13 days · Tokyo Disney, Nagoya, Kyoto, Osaka

Cities I visited

Capital · twice

Tokyo

The biggest city in the world. Neon, vending machines, and Shibuya — the busiest street crossing on the planet.

Kansai · twice

Osaka

Famous for street food and a giant black-and-gold castle. The locals are warm and joke a lot.

Hyogo · summer

Kobe

A port city wedged between sea and mountain — and the home of the world's most famous beef.

Aichi · winter

Nagoya

Where Toyota cars are built. Has a beautiful castle with a golden dolphin on the roof.

Kansai · winter

Kyoto

The old capital. Wooden temples, tiny streets, and women in kimono walking past golden pavilions.

Things I did

🏰

Tokyo Disneyland (×2!)

Cinderella's castle, Big Thunder Mountain, popcorn buckets shaped like Mickey. Best place ever.

🚄

Bullet train (Shinkansen)

Goes 320 km/h — the world flashes past the window. So smooth you can't feel the speed.

⛩️

Fushimi Inari Shrine

Thousands of bright orange gates climbing up a mountain in Kyoto. Like a tunnel made of doorways.

🏯

Osaka Castle

A giant black-and-gold tower in the middle of the city, surrounded by a moat full of fish.

🐉

Shibuya Crossing

When the lights turn green, hundreds of people cross from every direction at once. Magical chaos.

🦌

Bowing deer

In Nara and Kyoto, wild deer bow to people for crackers. They actually bow back!

♨️

Onsen (hot springs)

Steaming pools of natural hot water you sit in to relax. Some are outside, in the snow!

🎌

Kinkaku-ji

The "Golden Pavilion" — a Buddhist temple covered in real gold leaf, reflected in a still pond.

🗼

Tokyo Tower & Skytree

Two giant towers — one orange and white, one silver. We went up and could see the whole city.

Food I tried

🍣

Sushi

Fish on rice

🍜

Ramen

Noodles in rich broth

🥟

Gyoza

Crispy dumplings

🍡

Mochi

Squishy rice balls

🍱

Bento Box

A whole meal in a tray

🐟

Takoyaki

Octopus balls (Osaka special)

🍵

Matcha Ice Cream

Bright green and tasty

🐄

Kobe Beef

The most famous beef in the world

Fun facts about Japan

Japan is made of more than 14,000 islands! Most are tiny — but four big ones (Honshu, Hokkaido, Kyushu, Shikoku) hold almost everyone.
The bullet train has been running since 1964 — and in over 60 years it's never had a single passenger fatality.
In Japan, people bow instead of shaking hands — a small bow for hello, a deep one to say sorry or thank you.
Cherry blossoms (sakura) bloom for only 1 to 2 weeks a year. Whole festivals happen just to watch them.
Japan is home to ninjas, samurai, and emperors — and still has a real emperor today!
Mario, Pokémon, Hello Kitty, Doraemon, Pikachu — all from Japan.
Mount Fuji is the tallest mountain — 3,776 m. It's a sleeping volcano.
It's polite to slurp your noodles — it shows the chef you're enjoying them!