Japan

Japan has such an undercurrent of confidence that I have not seen in any place I have visited.

My trip here was brief, lasting only 7 days, so I still have so much I need to explore in this undeniably beautiful country. I started out in Osaka which I found had such a quirky and stylish vibe. There was an array of coffee shops with new and interesting ways of making coffee, much to my partners delight, and we enjoyed exploring the streets as every corner had something to be in awe of.

After our time here we caught the train, after getting lost and some extremely kind Japanese locals tried to help us, to Kyoto. We arrived at night time which at first I was apprehensive about as it is always daunting to arrive at a new place at night however Kyoto at night was absolutely stunning. The colours in Japan were so different there were deep inky blues with fire reds and delicious oranges, and as the floor was wet from melting snow, what was above reflected below, it was just mesmerising. We wondered around the little narrow streets in Kyoto and up through the residential areas which was so interesting to see how the locals lived. One day we were crossing over the river and felt a WHOOSHH! close to our heads, we looked up to suddenly see around 50 eagles arrive to try and catch the meet a local was throwing up for them. It was such an incredible scene to watch these powerful birds dip and dive so elegantly. We just had to make sure their claws didn’t get too close to our heads!

I loved Kyoto and after this we caught the bullet train which is a must do when you visit Japan. We passed the famous Mount Fuji and arrived in Tokyo, which was very different from the relaxed and calming feel in Kyoto! However although this city is bustling it is also strangely calm and quiet. It was nothing how I expected and again I loved it! We ate in many lovely restaurants here as the food in Japan is beautiful and explored the streets by foot (the taxis are very expensive!!)

Interiors wise one thing the Japanese do so well is the space saving solutions they come up with for small rooms. All of the hotels we stayed in had tiny bedrooms however the ideas they came u with meant they did not feel claustrophobic at all and we had everything we needed. Even the houses that were lived in were small but so efficiently thought out.

One things for sure, I cannot wait to get back there!