I travelled to Japan in 2016 with my sister. We loved it. We stayed for two weeks during Cherry Blossom season, which is the prettiest time of year to visit. If you are thinking of going in the future, do it. There is plenty to see and it is a very easy country to travel via their great train network.

Just because we can’t travel right now doesn’t mean we can’t plan ahead for one day…

Find my top planning tips and things to consider in Japan below;

What’s different: People don’t eat out on the street. You will never see someone walking and eating food. They have cat and bunny cafes where you can sit and have a coffee while having a cat or bunny on your lap.

Must: Line up in lines to get on the train. You will see the arrows and markings on the ground.

Search For: Geishas in the Gion district and discreetly take a photo

Don’t Miss: Shibuyu Crossing. Check out a café, do some people watching and see the view from above. Visit an Onsen if you dare to brave it in the nude. Karaoke. Hire a room by the half an hour for some good fun. Make sure to know your songs you want to sing before going in so you don’t waste time searching.

Forget: Going to a Robot Restaurant. Tourist Trap. Also, Disneyland unless you can understand Japanese.

Transport: Trains are super easy. Tickets are easy to buy at the machines. Buy a mono card or passmo card for the bus.

Warning: So many steps. Trains are underground so be prepared to climb many flights of stairs.

Eat: Taiyaki - warm cake in the shape of a fish filled with bean paste. So good.

Explore: Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto

Need to know: Food is expensive. There is a lack of vegetables. There are vending machines to order your meals at in restaurants and it is brought out to you. Chopsticks are often used for eating.

Tips: Pick up a map of the area. Easy to highlight and plan route of what you would like to see that way.

Take: The Bullet Train from Tokyo station. You need to organise your ticket prior to leaving your country.

Must see:

• Asakusa - has a beautiful shrine and temple and cherry blossom trees

• Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden - has so many cherry blossom trees

• Imperial Palace - from the outside. You can’t go in. Free to roam the gardens around.

• Fish markets - go early morning

• Philosopher’s Path - walk by the canal. Not so many cherry blossoms. Cute shops and tea houses along the way.

• Catch the JR Rail to Nijo Castle, Kyoto.

• Arashiyama Bamboo Grove, Kyoto - go early morning to avoid the crowds

• Great view from the top of the Red Temple - not everyone goes to the top as its an exhausting climb up the stairs. - take your time and pace yourself, factor in some rest breaks - we took 4 hours.

• Osaka Castle - museum inside. Catch the lift to level 5 and take the next 2 flights of stairs to the top where they have an observation deck. Lots of reading about the guy who lived in the Castle.

• Roppongi Hills - visit the Mori Art Centre for great views, visit day or night for a spectacular sight over Tokyo.

Some of my travel photographs from Japan in 2016. You can check out more of my travel photos here.

Are you considering a visit to Japan in the future? Or have you already been? What did you love about Japan? We would love if you joined the conversation and left a comment below.