In May, I spent eight days in Japan with my little sister. And truly, it was one of the best trips, if not the best trip, of my life. Japan is a magical place and I fell completely in love with it.

I’ve never met nicer people, seen more adorable objects/foods, or felt more confused but in kind of an enjoyable way. Japan is unlike anywhere else, and I am already planning a trip back.

Here are my favorite pictures from my eight days in Tokyo, Kyoto, and Osaka:

On our first day in Tokyo we tried purikura, a photo session in a Japanese photo booth. It’s like a pretty filter x1000. Soaking up all of the lights at teamLab Borderless, a digital art museum made for Instagram. The art moves from room to room – so cool! Totoro pastries at Shirohige’s Cream Puff Factory. They’re based on the character Totoro from Miyazaki’s My Neighbor Totoro. The hat and flower denote the flavor. They were as delicious as they were adorable. A torii (gate) in Tokyo’s sprawling Yoyogi Park. Yoyogi was probably the most beautiful park I’ve ever visited, though honestly, it felt more like a forest than a park. A traditional Japanese home in Yoyogi. Whiskey barrels in Yoyogi. Crossing the street in Shinjuku. Can you spot Godzilla? Blue hour in chaotic Shinjuku. Samurais fighting with katanas at the Samurai Museum. An open door in Golden Gai, tiny bar area with bars that only seat 6-10 people. My sister walking the streets of Golden Gai. A parade we came across one morning. I still have no idea what it was for. The world’s cutest latte art at Reissue Cafe in Harajuku. As you can see, we got a seal and a Shiba Inu. My sister literally cried tears of joy when she saw hers. Also worth a stop – The Zoo ice cream shop in Harajuku. These ice cream cones were called “chicken families.” A geisha Pikachu at the Pokemon Center in Kyoto. A real geisha crossing the street in Kyoto. A street stall selling crab in Osaka. A gyoza stand in Osaka. The famous red torii at Fushimi Inari Shrine in Kyoto. The last day of a wonderful trip.

Have you ever been to Japan?

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Ashley

Ashley is a travel and lifestyle blogger who lives in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Since college she has au paired in Paris, backpacked the world solo, and lived in Uganda. Her work has been featured by Buzzfeed, Forbes, TripAdvisor, and Glamour Magazine.

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