This year, I decided to have a solo travel experience in Japan. I spent there about 18 days which proved to be very pleasing. My calendar looked like this: 5 nights in Tokyo,4 nights in Osaka,2 nights in Kyoto,2 nights in Nagoya,2 nights in Matsumoto,3 nights in Tokyo. I bought a 14 days JR Pass before leaving Romania – as you might know, this pass cannot be bought as you arrive in Japan, it needs to be purchased in advance.For my first stay in Tokyo, considering I was alone, I opted for a “budget” choice and went to a capsule hotel (Anshin Oyado Premier Shinjuku).Though I had a similiar experience…

Six years have passed since my last trip to Japan, in the falls of 2017, which I detailed in another post. I wanted to return to Japan but, I admit, I didn’t plan on doing so in 2024. It’s just that, by applying to the Tokyo Marathon, I had the pleasant surprise of being selected this year (basically, I won the right to register in a raffle). So, we mobilized and set off, little by little, on a two-week expedition, February 29-March 13, about 9,000 km east (7 hours ahead of Romanian time, during this period). We went on our own, we arranged our route, flights and all the activities.…

All the way through Japan, I said I would write a few lines to express the experiences I went through. I realize now, post-factum, that my initiative could become quite extensive, given the wealth of impressions, thoughts, and images. I will not venture into a Japanese monograph, although a few references to Japan’s history should be sprinkled in to spice up the text. I hope I can make it both concise and comprehensive. It would be in harmony with the Japanese spirit, after all… I think I could structure my ideas in several ways. I choose to follow the chronological thread as the core, around which I will embroider various…