It’s worth pointing out that if you just fancy some good old fashioned British delicacies like bangers and mash with some classic ales to match, then right at the heart of the city there is a pub called the Full Monty. As an extra bonus, it will be showing a whole host of the games from the Rugby World Cup 2019, so you can keep up to date with what’s happening around the tournament (when you’re not too busy cheering on the Red Roses of course!). If you’d like a bit of downtime and tranquillity, then Marcus, our Senior Event Operations Manager, recommends the Sankeien Gardens. For a small entry fee, you can saunter along an array of ponds, small rivers, flowers and wonderful scrolling trails, while absorbing all of the beautiful surroundings. There are also houses on display as museum pieces showing traditional Japanese living. You can even take part in a Japanese tea ceremony if you join in on one of our excursions.

Another place Sarah said was definitely worth visiting is the Nagoya City Science Museum. It is home to one of the largest planetariums in the world and is very unique due to it's globe shape. The planetarium regularly offers shows that are extremely interesting, even if it is only to look at the stars and other elements of nature being projected on the huge spherical screen. The food in Nagoya is a special treat! “Nagoya-Meshi” is the term used for their local cuisine, which are dishes inspired by foreign cultures that have a local twist on them. Our team found that it had some of the most unique flavours they’d ever tasted. This kind of food cannot be found in either Tokyo or in Kyoto, so make sure you make the most of it while you are there.

Emma, one of our Events Co-ordinators, said that the obvious choice for something to do in Odawara is the Odawara Castle. Esteemed in history, the castle keep is four stories high on the inside. The interior of the structure features amazing exhibits on the history of the castle as well as displays of items such as armour and swords used by the Hojo Clan back in the 15th Century. Once Emma had looked around at all the artefacts and historical items, they ventured to the top floor which offered magnificent views of the park and surrounding city.

Her next trip took her on the boat to Hashima island, where Mitsubishi mining company’s main site used to be. This intriguing location is now a world heritage site as it is completely abandoned with no habitants on the island. Her final stop took her to the Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Museum. When she arrived at the museum, she was able to hear from a survivor of the nuclear bomb, who is over eighty years old. Sarah loved learning about her experiences and hearing the tales she had to tell. She thought the museum was extremely interesting and provided all sorts of information about the area and how it was affected as a result of the disaster.