Getaway Musashi Sakai and Nakano

This trip was planned to visit some friends who live in Japan. I had not been there for twenty years, and the only previous visit was for work reasons. On that occasion, I did not have time to explore the country or the city of Tokyo, but I was fascinated. You can imagine how excited I was! This time, I was "guided" by a couple of friends who live there, which is certainly a great privilege.

The first thing we step on, obviously, is the neighborhood where they live: Musashi Sakai.

Right after leaving the station, I noticed that it was a little-known but really authentic neighborhood. You could see the daily life of a normal Japanese person. During the whole stay, I didn't meet a single tourist, which I loved. Although there are no major tourist attractions, it was a pleasure to experience the life of the neighborhood. We strolled along the main shopping street and through more hidden corners, exploring typical restaurants and shops, ending our visit at Musashino Place, followed by Kyonan Fureai Park and the Kannonin Temple with its adjacent cemetery.

Nearby is Nakano, a place where you could spend days exploring its narrow streets filled with small, always-busy restaurants. At first glance, it can be hard to tell them apart, as they all share a similar style: wooden bars, stools instead of chairs, and signs hanging from the ceiling (some even cut from wood) advertising the dishes, with everything cooked to order and delicious aromas escaping and mixing with those of neighbouring restaurants... these are scenes that are repeated on every street. It is a place of unparalleled authenticity. Visiting Nakano Broadway and Renga Zaka is essential; the former is a shopping centre and the latter, a charming street. Both are must-sees.

In both Musashi Sakai and Nakano I saw things that sparked my curiosity:

• This is an individualistic society where people eat facing the wall or the kitchen, without interacting with each other. They just go to eat and that's it. This is why most restaurants prefer to have counters instead of tables.
• I was surprised by the cleanliness of the bathrooms. All the toilets are spotless, even those in public places.
• I love the endless number of features that a washbasin can have. You can choose the temperature of the bowl, the aromas, the type of water spout, among others. It's strange to think that all this hasn't arrived in Spain yet!
• There are signs on the ground outside indicating that smoking is not allowed. Curious, isn't it?
• There are vending machines that offer soups and hot cooked dishes.
• All restaurants have a small counter at the entrance where they display resin plates as a sample of the menu. It is a very practical way to display the dishes.
• Gaming venues are found everywhere and are frequented by adults and children alike.
• Security is complete both during the day and at night. Public transport can be used at night without any worries.

In short, the visit to both towns was an insight into the life of any person in Japan. Thanks P&F!

If you need and/or want help organizing your getaway, don't hesitate to send me an mail!

If you want to go to Japan with the eSIM card already purchased, you can request it from Holafly and you will get a 5% discount if in the "Discount Code" you introduce "Raconets"!

You can stay there as long as you want, but you will need at least a couple of days.

No problem.

No problem.