12 Days In Japan

woman&home’s Fiona McKim always dreamed of visiting the Land of the Rising Sun – and she wasn’t disappointed

When it comes to dreaming trips, Japan has always been the top of my list. The danger with having a fantasy destination is putting it on such a pedestal you never actually go, but with the 2019 Rugby World Cup coming up – not to mention the 2020 Tokyo Olympics – I realized the world was about to pip me to the post.

DAYS 1-4: The beauty and bustle of Tokyo

Before setting off with my partner Stephen, another Japan first-timer, we polled Facebook friends for tips. They warned us to take it easy at first as the time difference is a killer at nine hours ahead. Landing at 8 am Tokyo time, too early to check in to our hotel, we headed straight to the Imperial Palace Gardens. It was the perfect Zen-like spot for a pair of foggy-brained westerners – we strolled around manicured gardens, where koi carp shimmered in ponds, and local ladies shaded under their parasols were admiring brightly colored flowers.

Fuelled by fresh air, we strolled between skyscrapers to Tokyo Station’s famed food hall, Ramen Street, for bowls of tasty, filling noodle broth. We ordered through an automated machine for about £8 and slurped shoulder-to-shoulder with the city’s suited ‘salary men’ until hotel check-in time.

For a 17-story hotel in the middle of the world’s largest megapolis, the Hoshinoya Tokyo feels surprisingly intimate. Traditional tatami mat flooring means shoes come off and every floor has a lounge offering Japanese nibbles.

The residents-only restaurant serves French-Japanese fusion dinners in secluded private rooms, and breakfast, a box of delicious Japanese titbits including salmon and the silkiest scrambled eggs, is served in your room.

After a Shiki herbal poultice massage pummelled the long-haul tension from my shoulders, we slipped on the casual kimono sets in our quiet, moodily lit bedroom, flopped into bed and let our body clocks win.