For a couple of months, I thought I was going to China this September. This was, in fact, the plan that my friends and I came up with. We had the basic itinerary laid out and were pretty close to buying a plane ticket. This trip to China was going to be something new and exciting. I was looking forward to trying all the different foods I have seen online, going to the top of Shanghai Tower (the 3rd tallest building in the world), chatting with the locals, visiting a wife market (yes, this is a thing in China), and so much more. Tons of things to explore and discover…
But life is unpredictable. And this time, it had other plans.
One of my friends got a new job — his dream job, actually. And because of that, the trip was cancelled. Suddenly, I was left with a choice: either go to China with just one of my other buddies, or do something completely different. I gave the idea of a duo trip a lot of thought. After all, I traveled like that last year with my cousin, and it was a good experience overall. But the more I reflected on it, the more I realized that a whole month might be a bit too much for me in that kind of setup. Even last year, I had to carve out a few solo days just to recharge.
It’s not that I dislike my friends — far from it — but I’ve come to understand that I need time alone. Especially after a summer packed with social stuff, the idea of spending an entire month constantly around someone started to feel draining. What I really wanted was the freedom to move at my own pace again.
So I made the decision: this time, again, I would go solo. But then came the big question — where?
Frankly, I’ve thought about a lot of destinations before: China, Thailand, (North) Africa, Svalbard, India, Vietnam, or honestly just any Asian country — or really, any country that feels vastly different from what I’m used to. China, of course, is a night-and-day contrast to Slovenia. It has a population of 1.4 billion, some of the largest cities in the world, the most extensive high-speed rail network, and insanely exotic food… You name it.
Similar kinds of differences come to mind when thinking about other Asian countries. Africa? A whole different world again — hot weather, deserts, completely different people, culture, food. Then there’s Svalbard — the northernmost city in the world that’s still relatively easy to visit. Home to the famous Seed Vault, and a place where you might actually see penguins, polar bears, and other arctic wildlife just existing in their natural habitat.
And so on and so forth. I could go on and list another dozen countries. So many amazing destinations.
But…
Another familiar place came to mind: Japan. The second the thought entered my head, I was set — I knew I was going, no matter what. Just two days later, I stumbled upon a great deal on a plane ticket and took it. It’s a flight from Ljubljana to Nagoya for only 785 EUR, which is cheaper than most (if not all) options from nearby airports.
Flying directly from Ljubljana is a huge bonus. No need to deal with getting to Vienna, no overnight stays, no extra transport stress. Just pack my stuff and go. Plus, I’ll be flying into a new airport this time, so that’s a small extra layer of novelty.
There’s also a 12-hour layover in Helsinki. Normally, I’d avoid long layovers like the plague, but this one might actually work in my favour. I checked Google Maps and apparently there’s a train that takes you to the centre of Helsinki in about 30 minutes. So yeah, might as well visit the city for a few hours.
I’ve never been that far north, never visited a Nordic country. So even the layover might turn into a mini-adventure.
So yeah, Japan it is again.
As of now, I don’t have a specific itinerary in mind — just a growing list of things I really want to see or do this time around. What I end up visiting will largely depend on where I decide to base myself and how things play out along the way. This time, though, I want to take it a bit more slowly. More hiking, more countryside, more breathing room. Less rushing between cities just to tick boxes off a list.
TODO List
That said, here’s a rough list of some of the things I want to visit or try. Some are a definite no, some are a solid maybe, and a few are absolute musts:
- Chuo Shinkansen test track:
- For those unfamiliar, the Chuo Shinkansen test track is an HSR maglev test track (that will later become an actual track) between Tokyo and Nagoya. The track is not fully built yet, but it serves as a test track for the L0 Series maglev test train that will, perhaps in the next decade, transport people between Tokyo and Nagoya at speeds of up to 500 km/h. It promises to reduce travel time down to 40 minutes, which is much faster than using an aeroplane, when you consider the fact that flying requires you to go to the airport, go to security, etc. The test track performs tests almost daily, so you can go there and see the train pass you at insane speeds. The L0 also holds the world record for the fastest train, reaching a speed of 603 km/h on the mentioned test track. As such, this is a destination that I definitely do not want to miss.
- Pon de Ring:
- Pon de Ring is basically the Japanese version of a donut. It’s like the American donut, but instead of being a perfect circle, it is like a small necklace made of ball-shaped beads.
- JAXA Space Center:
- This is pretty self-explanatory. JAXA stands for Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency. And the JAXA space center is home to several aerospace-related exhibits, among them, even a mockup of the Japanese H3 rocket.
- Actual proper ryokan (maybe the one on Izu Oshima):
- This is something I have always wanted to do: visit a proper ryokan. There was an amazing one on Izu Oshima, but I did not stay there due to a lack of private baths (not something I mind, I love onsens, but my travel companion did). So this time, I will not pass on this idea.
- Okinawa:
- This is a well-known island off the south of Japan. One of the most popular islands for tourism. But not an island, I am going to visit this time around.
- Sapporo in winter:
- There will be no winter in September, so Sapporo will come another time.
- Living and studying in a city for a month:
- While I really adore this idea, it is something I plan to do in the future. Perhaps next year, when I plan to spend at least 2 months in Japan, if not even more. Studying (Japanese) in Tokyo for a month sounds like such an awesome idea. And experiencing, for a month, what living there feels like. But alas, this year I only have a month, so I will be travelling across Japan,
- Kobe Beef Gallery:
- If I stop in Kobe, I will definitely also stop in the Kobe Beef Gallery to learn more about the famous Kobe beef. I have had the chance to try it, and it was awesome. So, I want to try it again!
- Tea Ceremony:
- I saw the tea ceremony while watching the series Shogun (and I recommend it, it was really good). And it is something I want to try as well. Preferably somewhere in the countryside.
- YOASOBI, Creepy Nuts, Hololive, etc., concert/live, any similar music festival:
- These are just some of the bands/music producers that I often listen to. And going to one of their concerts is definitely one of the must-do things. Though I doubt I will be able to catch any such concert this time around. The dates are rather specific, and getting tickets isn’t an easy task either. You more or less have to plan these bigger concerts quite a lot in advance, and I am already going to Japan in just over a month. But some day… For starters, though, I will be attending a Hanabie concert in Ljubljana this August. Looking forward to it!
- Comiket:
- Or frankly, any other anime convention. The ones in Slovenia are already quite amazing for how “small” they are. With over 3000 visitors (NMN and Mofucon), I really would not call them small, given what a small country Slovenia is. But compared to the globally known ones, they are small. Comiket and other such cons have thousands, and often hundreds of thousands of attendees, and I want to be one of them someday.
- Busan – South Korea trip via Japan:
- Perhaps, if I stay in Fukuoka, I could also take the boat to Busan, South Korea. But I will say that it is unlikely that I will do so…
- Osaka -> Namaze:
- This is where I found a really cool hiking trail that follows an abandoned rail line. Instead of describing it, you can read about the trail here: Japan Osaka Namaze Hiking Trail. It looks like an awesome hike, and I will probably go there now that I think about it.
- The rudest cafe in Japan, YouTube short:
- This is a funny and interesting one. A cafe where the waiters are really rude, on purpose. It’s all a game. It is a contrast to the otherwise excellent and polite service that you get in all restaurants and cafes across Japan.
- Yamato Museum:
- This is a museum dedicated to the largest battleship in history – Yamato. It was built during WWII, and it is one of the most famous battleships due to its enormous size and weaponry. The museum has a 1:10 scale replica of it. If I am indeed very likely to visit this museum if I travel through Hiroshima.
- Mt. Nabewari:
- Another really nice hiking trail, and when you reach the top, a pot of udon noodles awaits you! Here is a post about this trail that I found: Mt. Nabewari.
- The forbidden Mazesoba:
- This is an interesting dish in restaurant that I found while scrolling YouTube. You can watch the short above to see what I am talking about. Why am I calling it “the forbidden mazesoba”? Mazesoba is the name of the dish being served, but I am calling it forbidden because of the cheese! You won’t often find cheese in Japanese cuisine, and that is for a good reason. Because it is forbidden – just kidding. But it seriously does feel forbidden. That goey, rich flavor that you get when combining it with umami-flavored noodles? Heavenly combination.
- Exploring Tokyo, Things to do in Tokyo:
- A nice website to discover new places to explore, recommended by a friend. I will use this while making an itinerary for Japan this time around.
- And here are 2 interesting train stations that I discovered while watching train otakus (nerds):
- Saitama railway museum: The Railway Museum, Saitama, Japan.
So this is a list of just some of the things I potentially want to do, visit, or try. The real itinerary isn’t set yet, but right now I’m eyeing the area between Tokyo and Osaka, since most of what I want to see is located there. That region also happens to include the Japanese Alps — one of the best areas in Japan for hiking. Staying around here would not only give me access to beautiful nature and trails, but also let me avoid long-distance travel.
By keeping things local, I wouldn’t need to buy a JR Pass, which saves a lot of money. That alone would free up quite a bit of the budget, and with the 200 EUR I already saved on the plane ticket compared to last year, I’ll probably be able to splurge more on food and accommodations this time around. Which was honestly the goal from the start.
Traveling through more rural areas would also give me the chance to stay at traditional inns where onsens are the norm. That mix of great food, hot springs, and mountain scenery sounds exactly like the kind of trip I need right now.
In the end, whether I climb a mountain or just spend a quiet evening in the countryside, that freedom to go wherever the day takes me is what I am after.
Until then, sayonara!
