{"id":360,"date":"2015-01-20T02:36:57","date_gmt":"2015-01-20T02:36:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.expedia.co.nz\/stories\/listopedia-japan-bucket-list\/"},"modified":"2022-04-21T00:52:40","modified_gmt":"2022-04-21T00:52:40","slug":"listopedia-japan-bucket-list","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.expedia.co.nz\/stories\/listopedia-japan-bucket-list\/","title":{"rendered":"Listopedia: the Essential Japan Bucket List"},"content":{"rendered":"

Heading to\u00a0Japan<\/a>? Chances are you already have a good idea of the places you want to visit, but wherever you\u2019re headed, there are a few quintessentially Japanese moments to take in along that way.\u00a0Here’s our Listopedia of essential Japan experiences you need to tick off your bucket list.<\/p>\n

1. Order vending machine ramen<\/h2>\n

From the pork bone-based broth of the tonkotsu-style ramen served throughout Ky\u016bsh\u016b (Japan\u2019s third largest island) to the miso ramen that\u2019s peculiar to the northernmost island of Hokkaid\u014d, you\u2019ll find hundreds of variations on the country\u2019s beloved noodle soup depending on where you place your order. And on that subject \u2013 let\u2019s talk vending machines. Commonly spotted outside ramen shops, simply insert cash into the machine, make your selection by pressing one of the buttons to receive a card and give this to a chef behind the counter \u2013 it\u2019s customary to hold it face up with both hands \u2013 and in a few minutes you\u2019ll be sipping and slurping from a steaming bowl of brilliance. And, as most vending machines feature pictures, you can order your ramen topped with a hard-boiled egg, black fungus or seaweed without revealing the limits of your Japanese vocabulary.<\/p>\n

2. See the changing of the seasons<\/h2>\n

Japan\u2019s sakura cherry blossom season (April-May) gets a lot of attention \u2013 and rightly so \u2013 it\u2019s a beautiful time of year when a walk through one of the country\u2019s parks or public spaces means wandering beneath a veil of delicate pink-white petals. The viewing phenomenon \u2013 known as \u2018hanami\u2019 \u2013 is a decades-old tradition, but it\u2019s wroth remembering that the red, orange and yellow leaves of autumn (November) are equally attractive, especially at night when many places illuminate the trees to make the canopies glow. And while Tokyo\u2019s\u00a0Ueno<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Yoyogi<\/a>\u00a0parks make for popular cherry blossom spots, it is\u00a0Kyoto\u2019s<\/a>\u00a0Arashiyama district \u2013 filled with temples and a towering bamboo grove \u2013 that attracts thousands of visitors come November.<\/p>\n

3. Uncover Japan\u2019s historic buildings by bike<\/h2>\n

We\u2019re all familiar with the storeys-high video screens, neon lights and larger-than-life road crossing of Shibuya, Tokyo \u2013 and it\u2019s often the frenetic and fast-paced face of Japan that we see depicted in films. But slow down and you\u2019ll find the bustling modernity is tempered with historic shrines, temples and palaces at every turn. Hire a bike and join the locals as they make their way through neighbourhoods on two wheels \u2013 it\u2019s the perfect way to navigate the narrow alleys of Kyoto\u2019s atmospheric Gion district, or follow the moat that winds its way around the recently restored castle in\u00a0Himeji<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Heading to\u00a0Japan? Chances are you already have a good idea of the places you want to visit, but wherever you\u2019re headed, there are a few quintessentially Japanese moments to take in along that way.\u00a0Here’s our Listopedia of essential Japan experiences you need to tick off your bucket list. 1. Order vending machine ramen From the… Continue reading Listopedia: the Essential Japan Bucket List<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":1460,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[23,5,2,4,30],"tags":[73,51],"authors":[],"class_list":["post-360","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-asia","category-destination","category-experiences","category-explore","category-food","tag-japan","tag-listopedia","entry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nListopedia: the Essential Japan Bucket List | Expedia<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.expedia.co.nz\/stories\/listopedia-japan-bucket-list\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Listopedia: the Essential Japan Bucket List | Expedia\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Heading to\u00a0Japan? 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