Japan fully opens to all travellers again on October 11. Photo / Clement Souchet, Unsplash
Japan fully opens to all travellers again on October 11. Photo / Clement Souchet, Unsplash
After some of the world's strictest lockdowns and Covid restrictions, Japan has announced it is finally reopening its borders to all travellers from October 11. (Until now, you had to apply for a special visa and book a package tour through a travel agent.)
Reopening is likely to see Japan return to the top of must-visit destinations for Kiwi travellers, with direct flights available from Auckland to Tokyo.
Japan is a fascinating country where the impossibly ancient collides with the ultra-modern - with a good sprinkling of the unusual to make sure it's never predictable. Here are five destinations you should add to your wish list:
Tokyo
A trip to Japan's largest city is a must - dizzyingly sprawling, it's a true metropolis. Tokyo has a special energy - with all the bright-lights-big-city neon vibes you'd expect, but also plenty of small alleyways that look like they haven't changed in a century.
Gleaming skyscrapers exist metres from dimly lit back streets with tiny bars, yakitori joints, glowing lanterns and wooden shopfronts.
The shopping is magnificent, as is the art and culture scene - and it's hard not to feel like there's something for absolutely anyone in this city. Whether it's the ancient temples of Asakusa, every type of food from cheap plates of noodles to multi-course Michelin-starred dining, the latest electronics and gadgets at Akihabara, cat cafes and quirky youth culture in Harajuku, cutting-edge fashion or the beautiful green parks and views of the Sumida river, this city really has it all.
Osaka-Jo is a five-storey castle in Japan with a history that dates back almost 450 years. Photo / Fahrul Asmi, Unsplash
Osaka
While still a big city, there's something a little more laid back about Osaka - the locals will happily tell you they are much less stressed out than "those Tokyo people". To be fair, when you get there you'll find it pretty hard to deny their lust for life, a good yarn and great food.
Of course, you'll find plenty of shopping and modern attractions but there's also so much fascinating history, perhaps most famously Osaka-Jo, a five-storey castle with a history that dates back almost 450 years. When you've had your fill of culture, a trip to the neon lights of Dotombori Bridge and the Minami area will show you Osaka at its jovial good-time best.
For an authentic stay in Japan, book a few nights at a ryokan (traditional guesthouse). Photo / Getty Images
Kyoto
Kyoto is the Japan of your dreams. There's a traditional temple or shrine on every corner, the sound of chanting monks is not uncommon, and you can't help but feel like you've stepped back in time as you wander the traditional streets filled with wooden shopfronts, tea houses and ryokans (traditional accommodation).
It's also home to the famous Kinkaku-ji in all its golden splendour, and this - and the other surrounding temples - draw visitors from all over the world. In Kyoto you can eat the best in Japanese fine dining, discover ancient Geisha culture but also just as easily head north a couple of hours to soak in an onsen, enjoy rural life or walk the sands of the much-loved Amanohashidate beach area.
Sapporo
Japan's fifth-largest city, Sapporo is often seen as a place to transit to skiing and hot spring destinations. But there's plenty to see in this city itself - a thriving food scene well known for its exceptional beef, seafood and fresh produce; great nightlife; excellent shopping - and of course the beer. There's even a museum devoted to this beloved drink.
It's definitely worth planning your trip for the Snow Festival, a winter wonderland of elaborate life-sized buildings and sculptures made of snow and ice - some up to 15 metres high.
There's plenty of green space in Sapporo - and lots of opportunities for fun in its party central, Susukino, the biggest entertainment and nightlife district north of Tokyo.
Fukuoka
If visiting sunny Kyūshū, make sure you spend some time in its biggest city - Fukuoka, especially if you like ramen (the local Hakata version is a huge favourite of locals and tourists alike).
There's great art, architecture and shopping and you'll always be greeted with a lively smile in this young, vibrant city, characterised in part by its proximity to Seoul and Shanghai.
Stroll through the amazing grounds of Ōhori-kōen, next to the remains of Fukuoka's once-grand castle or step back in time at Hakata Machiya Furusato-kan (a folk museum that will take you back to the late Meiji era) before hitting up the lively food stalls selling local favourites.
Fukuoka is the perfect stepping-off point for nearby shrines and temples and the charming beaches and fishing towns along the Kyūshū coast. Seafood lovers will be in paradise with the fresh oysters and shellfish.
CHECKLIST: JAPAN
GETTING THERE Air New Zealand flies from Auckland to Tokyo Narita three times a week. airnz.co.nz DETAILS For more things to see and do in Japan, see japan.travel/en/au
