So last year I ended up farting around for Golden Week for some reason. I think I went out a couple nights, and made a half-assed trip to Ueno zoo because it was free on children’s day. I went to see the pandas, but I didn’t get to see the pandas because the wait was something ridiculous like four hours. So I had to make due with the other, less pandarific animals like monkeys and tigers and that, the ones I coulda seen in a box of animal crackers
I digress.
This year I refuse to be so lame. I’ve planned and booked a stupendous Golden Week Extravaganza to Hiroshima and Kyoto — two of the places I’ve really wanted to go since moving here. I’ll finally get to knock number two off my list of the 7 things I wanted to do in Japan.
See the Maiko-san!
And from Hiroshima I plan to go to Miyajjima, and see the big red floating Torii.
This Guy
And I want to do a whole bunch of other stuff too, but I don’t know what yet. Any suggestions???
You should go see a J-Pop or J-Rock concert around Tokyo
I never could get fully into j-pop, besides I’m getting out of Tokyo this Golden Week!
Should be a lot of fun. My top 5 things to do in Kyoto are:
Kinkaku-ji (Temple of the Golden Pavilion)
Kiyomizu-dera
Nijo Castle
Heian Shrine
Gion
In Hiroshima check out
Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park
Peace Memorial Museum
Genbaku Dome (Atomic Bomb Dome)
Hiroshima-jo Castle
Miyajima
Japan Australia
Thanks for all the suggestions!
Buy, eat, indulge in lots of yatsuhashi (??)!! If you like mochi, you will love this stuff.
Great! I’ll try it thanks so much for the suggestion!
I know it’s a downer but I hope you get to visit the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum and maybe drop off some crane in the peace park. It’s one of the museums that sticks out really clearly in my memory (this one and the Holocaust Museum in D.C. Super downer, I know).
or go see Osaka Castle~
Also, in Miyajima, there’s a mountain hiking trail that will take you all the way to the top of the mountain and back down, which is really fun. There are lots of little water falls along the way too
In Kyoto…it just full of temples and such, mostly within walking distance of Kyoto Station. Kyoto is really nice to explore on foot since it’s pretty flat (until you get to the Gion District. That’s all stairs and slopes).
From Kyoto, you can easily get to Nara, Osaka or Kobe, so if you have time, you could catch the train to Nara City and feed some deer roaming along the temple grounds and parks
Sorry for the wall of text~~ Lol
I don’t think it’s a downer — I was planning to go there
. I think I’ll try that hiking trail. Thanks!
That’s awesome!
Wow, so you already made plans for Golden Week?
Actually it’s my first time EVER that I’ll have a few days off around Golden Week (as I change jobs soon). So far I always had to work.
Too bad I won’t be around anymore (as I’m moving in 2 weeks), otherwise I would have loved to show your around in Miyajima! ^-^
I’ve been there many times as it’s not too far away.
I’m sure you’ll have a great time!
Aw yeah that is a shame
. It would have been nice to meet you.
Hi Amanda. Miyajima is great! You’ll really enjoy it. I went there in Golden Week 2008, just before I left Japan to come back to the UK. Make sure you take a cable car to the top as you’ll have the most fantastic view. Here’s a link to my old site if it helps:
http://emskaroonie.blogspot.com/2008/05/miyajima.html
Enjoy yourself!!! Will you be travelling there by shinkansen?
Thanks for the tip about the cable car
The line in front of the cable car might be super long, esp. during Golden Week!
It might be faster to walk up the trail to the top instead.
Ah yeah maybe lol. Well I could probably use the exercise