I have been lucky enough to travel a fair bit, yet nothing, not even years of mild obsession with its culture, could have prepared me for Japan. It is a place of beautiful contradictions: futuristic yet deeply traditional, impeccably polite yet quietly rebellious. You don’t visit Japan but get absorbed by it, whether you meant to or not.

Here, even the most ordinary moments (ordinary to the locals, that is) have a way of feeling like once-in-a-lifetime experiences to outsiders. And while there is no wrong way to explore the country, some encounters reveal Japan at its most unforgettable — a few of which I have rounded up for you below.

I am not pretending to have unearthed a hidden secret here, but if you really want to get under Japan’s skin, doing something hands-on is hard to beat — whether you are cooking a local dish, folding origami, or attempting calligraphy. It is partly about what you learn and remember, but it is just as much about speaking to locals and seeing the world from a different angle.

One thing you simply can’t miss in Japan is how seriously heritage is taken. There are 232 officially recognised traditional crafts, and plenty of them welcome curious beginners. Pick something that speaks to you, stay open-minded, and do try to avoid the workshops that clearly exist only to separate tourists from their yen.

If tranquillity is what you are after — and let’s admit it, after a spin around Tokyo it probably is — spending a night at a shukubo might be exactly what you need. Once reserved for travelling monks, many temples now welcome visitors keen to sample monastic life, even if their spiritual journey doesn’t extend beyond breakfast (and yes, you can book some in English).

Expect ascetic rooms with tatami mats and futons, and meals rooted in shojin ryori — plant-based Buddhist cuisine that somehow manages to be both humble and exquisite. Each temple has its own set of rules, so it is worth a glance beforehand. But the real magic is in the routine: joining morning devotionals, meditating, and wandering through perfectly kept gardens to slow down without feeling like you should be doing something else.

It might not sound as poetic as calligraphy or temple gardens, but learning how to survive an earthquake in a country built on fault lines is practically cultural education.

Tokyo Rinkai Disaster Prevention Park actually functions as an official disaster management hub — in the event of a major earthquake, this is one of the centres from which the government coordinates emergency response. When it isn't on standby for the real thing, it offers simulation-based training where you can learn what to do when everything starts falling off the shelves.

You are guided through a realistic earthquake scenario with shaking floors, sudden darkness, and emergency decision-making — all in a controlled and oddly entertaining environment. Think escape room meets survival drill.

It isn't your typical cultural activity, but in a place this seismically lively, it might be the most sensible one.

Plenty of people go to Nara for the temples, but let’s be honest — most of us are there for the deer. Nara Park is home to over a thousand of them, roaming about like they own the place (which, historically, they more or less did). They were once considered sacred messengers of the gods, and while their divine status has since been downgraded, no one has told the deer.

You can buy special crackers to feed them, and in return some of them will bow — an unexpectedly civilised exchange, until one decides you aren't handing over the goods quickly enough and gives you a gentle but assertive nudge. They are charming (provided they aren't trying to eat your coat), chaotic, and super photogenic.

Pro tips? Bring a sense of humour and zipped pockets!