What Have You Got To Lose? – and 4 other reasons why you should book that long trip to Japan

Some destinations make for a fantastic quick getaway. You get there, everything is easy, you whip around on a few tours and then you’re done. You feel like you’ve seen everything there is to see and you’ve done everything there is to do. You’ve tried the local cuisine, met some local people, and now you feel like you know the place. It was a nice little holiday and a good experience but ‘been there, done that’ – you don’t need to go back again.

Other destinations require a bit more time. Time to soak up the history and the culture, to experience the behind-closed-doors, more authentic, more complex and complete version that you might not see if you only did a short trip. Like a song that requires multiple listens- the more you listen to it, the more layers are revealed, the more it resonates with you, the more you love it.

Japan is one of these destinations.

I lived in Japan from March 2006 – January 2007, and January 2010 – April 2011, and I’ve been back for holidays six times since then. I try to travel to a new part of Japan each trip, but even so, there is is still so much that I am yet to uncover about this fascinating country.

Here are my reasons why you should just book that trip and stay for a while.

1. Visas

Australians who enter Japan as tourists may stay for up to 90 days as long as they hold an Australian passport which remains valid during their stay and is still valid when departing Japan. 

90 days! Need I say more?

But if you feel like 90 days just isn’t going to cut it, and you are aged between 18 – 30 years old, then you might want to consider applying for a working holiday visa. These are free of charge and relatively easy to obtain, provided that you are healthy, have some $$ in your bank, and that you are adept at filling out paperwork. This visa is initially granted for a stay of 6 months, but may be extended at the discretion of immigration authorities in Japan. For more information, go here: http://www.au.emb-japan.go.jp/itpr_en/visa_workingholiday_en.html

*Note: This information is current as at 12/8/2018. For foreign passport holders, make sure to check for updated information from the Japanese embassy in your relevant country.

2. Japan is cheap

I’ve come across so many people complaining that Japan is an expensive country to visit, however this is the complete opposite of my experience (this is why I have managed to travel there so many times on my minimum wage). Avoid the tourist traps and travel like a local and you will find that Japan is such an affordable destination.

This is actually something that I am passionate about because I am a tightarse, no wait, frugal, savvy with money. Read about my top tips here: (Insert link to an as yet unwritten blog about travelling Japan on a budget)    

3. Japan Has 47 Prefectures

Each prefecture in Japan has its own unique personality. The scenery is vastly different from one to the next (think powder snow in Hokkaido, dramatic mountains in Nagano, bustling city and neon signs in Tokyo, sand dunes in Tottori, coral reef and pristine beaches in Okinawa). The local dialect differs in each prefecture. The local arts, crafts, history and culture differs in each prefecture. The local produce and cuisine differs in each prefecture. This means that there is something for everyone to enjoy in Japan. There is an almost infinite list of new things to experience, and you will definitely need a lot of time to explore them all! Start saving up your annual leave.

4. The Four Seasons

Japan has four seasons. I mean, it really has FOUR SEASONS. In Australia, our seasons range from ‘blazing inferno’ to ‘bit chilly’. But Japan has a Summer, Autumn, Winter and a Spring. Cool. Japanese people are really in tune with the subtleties that come with the change of the seasons, so the feel of each is quite different, and there are many seasonal festivals and events on to celebrate all throughout the year. Not to mention, the seasonal food changes and the scenery obviously changes dramatically, too. The bright green rice paddies and chirping cicadas of Summer, the golden and red hues of the momiji in Autumn, the tranquility of the snowy mountains in Winter, and the breathtaking but bittersweet beauty of the cherry blossoms in the Spring. You really need to experience Japan in each season to reach a deeper appreciation of the sheer natural beauty of the country.

So that’s it- what have you got to lose? Why not stretch your holiday just that little bit longer? You can visit Japan for 90 days as a tourist, or 6+ months if you want to take on a working holiday. You can travel, eat, and stay in Japan relatively cheap if you are savvy and do what the locals do. You will never run out of places to explore, as each of the 47 prefectures and their unique personalities change through the four seasons. This is definitely one country that you want to take your time to get to know, one layer at a time. Enjoy.