Q. What are your plans for crossing Japan?

We plan to arrive in Japan at the end of July and spend a month touring Tokyo, Nagoya, Osaka, Nara, Himeji, Hiroshima, Fukuoka, Kumamoto, Kagoshima, and Kyoto. We are university students and don’t have a lot of money, so we are taking a local train across Japan.

The “Seishun 18 Kippu*” sounds cool, doesn’t it? Traveling on local trains takes longer, but we love the view of the sea and countryside that we might miss on the Shinkansen. The peaceful scenery is so relaxing.

*Seishun 18 Kippu…. A ticket for unlimited rides on regular and rapid JR trains. Seishun means Youthful in japanese. Initially, the ticket was designed for youths around 18 years old who are graduating from high school, but it can be used by any age.

I (Emma) am majoring in art history, so we plan to stop by art museums and historical centers along the way.

Some people say, “We came all this way to visit famouse places,” but for us, understanding the roots of a place and its art is the point of the trip.

In Hiroshima, we are planning to visit the Atomic Bomb Dome, and in Kagoshima, Museum of the Meiji Restoration.

Q. What brings you to Japan? What impressed you about Himeji?

We both have always loved Ghibli and were drawn to the Japanese buildings, scenery, and food in the films. It was very happy to visit the Ghibli Park in Nagoya, which we had longed to do!

Unlike France, where stone buildings are more common, Japan has many wooden buildings with a sense of history, which is very interesting. Himeji Castle is also very majestic and impressive. It is, without a doubt, one of the masterpieces of wooden architecture.

Himeji Station is quite large, and when you step outside, you may get the feeling of a city with many buildings, but in front of you is the historical Himeji Castle, which makes for a beautiful contrast. The streets are wide and uncrowded, making Himeji one of my favorite cities.

Mt. Shoshazan was so quiet and serene that it felt like I was in another world. I was surprised to see such a big temple. In Osaka, we stopped by Katsuo-ji Temple, which is full of Daruma dolls.

Shoshazan Engyoji Temple – Location of Movie “The Last Samurai” ｜View of autumn leaves from Ropeway and experience Japanese calligraphy, sitting meditation, etc

Q. Taste the local gourmet food of Himeji! How do you like it?

This morning for breakfast, we tried Himeji’s local gourmet food called “almond toast” that the owner of the guesthouse told us about. Well…how can toast not taste good with almond butter!? We eat an almond croissant in France, and we are sure people in Himeji would love it!

Japanese guesthouses are inexpensive but safe to sleep in and provide excellent service, so even student travelers can enjoy themselves.

We enjoy traveling freely, asking locals for recommendations, changing destinations, and sometimes just lying in bed all day.

Q. Any last comments please!

Our trip made us love Japan even more and more. I have made up our mind that we will definitely come back to Japan in the next few years! Meeting you guys was definitely one of the highlights of our trip!

Next time we would like to visit during the cherry blossom or fall foliage season, but we are sure that wherever we go, we would definitely find the best view!