We’re just under a year away from the second Celebration event taking place in Japan. If you’ve got tickets then I imagine you might be feeling a little like me and you’re just coming down off the high. There’s a long way to go until next year’s event and realistically it won’t be until after Christmas until we start to get an onslaught of announcements.
All that being said, there’s no reason why we shouldn’t be in the early planning and research stage. My partner and I have a got a big notebook and when we find a little free time are watching travel documentaries about Japan, it’s culture and drawing up a wish list.
The reason you may want to keep thoughts on Japan even in these early days is that it really seems a once-in-a-lifetime experience and not as straightforward as hopping over to Spain for a week in the sun. With that in mind, let’s look at what you could be being scribbling down in your planning folder already.
Flights
If you’re still reading this then I’m assuming you have tickets to Celebration secured. You may flights already sorted, if not, don’t stress. Flights for the dates are available now from various companies. The most expensive ones are obviously direct and a budget airline operates a connecting flight – most of them being in Shanghai. After talking to experienced travellers, it turns out that the best time to book a flight to Japan is around 6 – 8 months before your intended departure and apparently on a Tuesday. Also, assuming you’re flying there, be aware that Tokyo has two main airports, an hour apart and one hour from the centre.
Accommodation
Everyone will have a different opinion on this and the best way to do it. Some will want hotels, some may opt for an AirBnb and others will want to have an authentic Japanese experience with their sleeping arrangements. As it stands, this is the one that is taking up the most thinking time. Do we stop in Tokyo for the whole trip and move around after the event? Do we stop near where Celebration takes place? Is it worth booking an extra room in case one falls through? So many questions and my advice here is not to rush anything. Draw up your itinerary first and plan around that.
Saving
If you’re heading to Japan then let’s assume you know you’ll be able to afford it without leaving yourself in masses of debt. I’ve been saving steadily since last summer in the hopes of being able to go. Life gets in the way as it tends to do so it’s important to be realistic. A friend of mine has started to change pounds to yen already so he won’t be temped to spend. Last year, I opened up a fixed-term savings account with a great interest rate. The catch is that if you withdraw from the account then you are penalised and don’t get the interest rate – so in the incentive is there to keep adding to it until this December. What you don’t want to do is leave saving all your spending money for the trip until March and realise it’s too late. Be realistic. Slow and steady wins the race.
Research
Finally, we’re in the fun stages of planning. Next April seems a lifetime away so it’s all fun for now. Here’s a few recommendations; James May: Our Man in Japan. This is available on Prime Video. It’s a brilliant series and really gives you a flavour of the country and culture as whole. From this, you may find a few things you want to do as well. Really worth a watch.
I’m fascinated by the philosophies of Japan and have long been a fan of their term: Ikigai. Roughly translated is means your reason for living or purpose for getting out of bed. If you’re a reader, then I’ve not long finished Wabi Sabi: Japanese Wisdom for a Perfectly Imperfect Life which I got for 99p on Kindle. It really paints a beautiful portrait of the mindset of this culture that we will be entering. I’ve also just started another book which I got for my birthday called Abroad in Japan by Chris Broad. He also has a popular YouTube account which takes you through all aspects of Japanese life and many tips for first time travellers.
Finally, my partner is adamant that we will know some Japanese – for fun, language logistics but mostly out of respect. For these, we’ve been doing little bits each week and using the Learn Japanese with Japanese101 on Spotify. I have no expectations about being fluent or holding a full-blown conversation but at least we’ll have tried and might know the basics. So far, I can introduce myself and say please. It’s a start.
It’s far too early to be predicting about what’s instore for us at Celebration. I’ve heard people say that they might premiere Andor season 2 at the event or offer an exclusive panel on The Mandalorian & Grogu. There’re two anniversaries to be celebrated next year too. The 20th of Revenge of the Sith and the 10th of The Force Awakens.
We’ll leave that to the team at Lucasfilm and we can only start putting together our own itineraries. They’ll be plenty more to come, but for now…this is where the fun begins.
- Hardcover Book
- Kempton, Beth (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
- 256 Pages - Piatkus Books (Publisher)
