02/11/2018
It's hard to pick a favourite season or favourite place in Japan... but when there are blue skies, fresh air, and a view that soothes the eyes and soul, there isn't much to complain about.
And a little tip for those taken the 'well-trodden path'; just because some sightseeing spots are well known, doesn't make them any less impressive. Take for example kinkaku-ji temple pictured here. There is definitely a kind of growing snobbery about getting to 'unknown' locations and finding the 'real' Japan (I'll admit that I too am guilty of that way of thinking; ...because lesser known places are truly great to visit too!) but don't let that kind of thinking take away from visiting somewhere more 'standard'. Because there is absolutely nothing standard about a majestic temple (that has been burnt down on numerous occasions as told in the heart wrenching tale of The Temple of The Golden Pavilion by Yukio Mishima) coated in gold reflected beautifully in its immaculate garden's water's surface. So don't let others convince you that visiting well known spots are any less worthy of our attention and appreciation in this day an age where we seem to be on a constant search for something new to consume.
Now, that being said, there are some keys to enjoying the more well known spots, such as choosing times of days that groups may be less likely to be there, or times of the year that are quieter, or contacting a great local guide so that you can squeeze even inch of juicy goodness out of the spot and soak it all in like a sponge!
That's my two-cents on the subject.
What do you think???
