After a very successful trip with Flash Pack to South Africa last September, I was so excited to head with them to one of the other countries that’s been at the top of my bucket list: Japan. I have always been intrigued by the juxtaposition of such beautiful ancient traditions and futuristic weird and wonderful innovations within the same small footprint of islands, amongst notoriously kind citizens in one of the safest (and cleanest!) countries in the world.
Even though I knew it’d likely be very crowded, I wanted to visit in season for one of the most gorgeous nature displays – either spring’s cherry blossoms (sakura season) or the vibrant maple leaves of fall. Spring worked better for my calendar, so when Flash Pack announced a new Japan trip back in August, I made a reservation for April. And I’m glad I did, because this departure date was fully booked within 48 hours of being listed!
The trip is called “Japan: Another World,” and now having been there, I can’t think of a more appropriate description. Even though there are a lot of commonalities to life in America (especially comparing Tokyo to New York City), I was struck every day of the trip by just how different a world from mine it is, from the specific etiquette to the culinary traditions to the general vibe and way of life. I loved that the Flash Pack itinerary brought us not only to the typical must-hit “golden triangle” of Tokyo, Kyoto, and Osaka, but to Hiroshima, Koyasan, and Hakone, so we could explore a real variety of experiences across the country.
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As always, photos are mine unless otherwise noted. Click any to view it larger or scroll through a gallery. And enjoy a trip through Japan!
