Our Miyajima visit got hit with unexpected rain and the tide timing meant the torii gate was barely visible through the mist, quite disappointing after looking forward to that one moment the most on the whole trip.

Dotonbori at night is sensory overload in the best way, go hungry and just keep eating.

Miyajima's floating torii gate at high tide, worth building the whole Japan trip around.

Shibuya Crossing is exactly the controlled chaos everyone describes, fun to experience once though it does get overwhelming with the sheer number of people. Finding a small quiet bar afterwards to decompress became our nightly habit in Tokyo.

Eight nights covering Hiroshima, Osaka, Kyoto and Tokyo sounds ambitious but the pacing on this Japan itinerary worked beautifully for us as a couple. Miyajima's floating torii gate at high tide was even more striking in person than in every photo we had seen beforehand. Walking through the endless vermilion gates at Fushimi Inari in Kyoto early morning before the crowds arrived felt almost spiritual. Catching a clear view of Mount Fuji from the fifth station was pure luck with the weather and we knew it. Ending each night with the mad energy of Shibuya Crossing followed by a quiet Tokyo bar became our favourite ritual by the end of the trip.

Dotonbori's neon and endless food stalls after the hush of Kyoto's shrines was a brilliant contrast.