To Israel, one of the world’s leading tourist destinations I am Akira Fukasawa, a photographer who has participated in a press tour organized by the Israeli Ministry of Tourism. This is my first visit to Israel. For Japanese people, Israel may not have the image of a tourist destination. Some may even feel that Israel is an unknown country with a complicated historical and religious background. There are many holy places for Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, and there are many historical sites that are worth seeing.
Israel’s land area is about the size of Japan’s Shikoku Island, making it easy to get around, and it is long from north to south, with a wide variety of landscapes in different climates.
- relatively English-speaking, so there is less worry about language barriers
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a wide variety of gourmet foods
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good security. I stayed in Israel for 6 days, so I would like to share my stay with you with plenty of photos to show you how great Israel is. I hope you will enjoy my stay in Israel. You can fly directly from Japan to Israel by El Al Israel Airlines. Currently, El Al Israel Airlines operates two flights a week from Narita Airport in Japan on Thursdays and Sundays, and from Tel Aviv in Israel on Wednesdays and Saturdays, making the flight from Narita Airport to Tel Aviv (Ben Gurion International Airport) in Israel about 12.5 hours. A code-share agreement with ANA is scheduled to begin in the spring of 2024. After checking in at the Shalom Hotel in Tel Aviv, the clock struck 4:00 a.m. local time. I was to meet my press tour guide at the hotel reception desk at 11:00 a.m. I needed to get some sleep, so I went to bed. I lay down on my bed to get some sleep. I woke up before 7:00 a.m., finished breakfast, and looked at the map app on my smartphone to see where I was! The Mediterranean Sea was just around the corner. I rushed out of the hotel with my camera in hand. The sky was pleasantly clear, and the sound of the waves on the Mediterranean Sea was pleasant to my ears. The breeze is refreshing. Many people were running, playing on the beach, and enjoying conversation. I couldn’t help but say to myself, “What a beautiful location! The tiredness of the late-night arrival was gone. I heard that Tel Aviv’s beaches have been selected as one of the 10 best beaches in the world by National Geographic magazine. No wonder they are so beautiful. The summer in Tel Aviv is long, and you can swim in the sea from mid-April to mid-October. The “White City of Tel Aviv” is registered as a World Heritage Site.
A fashionable spot! Walking around the Old City of Yafo Well, this is where we started our tour: we walked around the port city of Yafo (Yafo: Hebrew), which faces the Mediterranean Sea and has a history dating back to an ancient city over 4000 years ago. It is the oldest neighborhood in Tel Aviv. Walking through the old city, the contrast between the brilliant sunlight and the shadows of the buildings was stunning and eye-catching. Walking through the maze of cobblestone streets, I felt as if I were in a foreign land, and the illusion that I had stepped back in time made me feel excited right from the start. When we went out into the open space, we found a large bent spoon monument named after Uri Geller (born in Tel Aviv), who is famous in Japan for his spoon bending. It is 16 meters long, weighs 11 tons, and is located in front of the Uri Geller Museum. Walking further, we found a grand staircase. The clock tower of St. Peter’s Church can be seen in the back. Stores and restaurants are lined up in the vicinity, but the uniform coloring and textures of the building exteriors make it a picturesque place no matter where you turn. St. Peter’s Church was built in 1654 to commemorate the missionary work of Peter, a disciple of Jesus, who started his missionary work here in Jaffo. After leaving St. Peter’s Church, a photo frame with the words “TEL AVIV – YAFO ♥ YOU” can be found at a vantage point, overlooking the city of Tel Aviv and its beautiful beaches. The clock tower, the symbol of the city of Yaffo, is said to be the first clock built in Israel. The building with stores facing the street used to be a hotel where Christian pilgrims stayed. Yaffo is also famous for its “market of the flesh,” which is crowded with people on Fridays (Arab vacation) and Saturdays (Jewish vacation).
Walking in beautiful Tel Aviv Tel Aviv is a city that has developed rapidly since it was settled in 1909. Before that, it was a desert. It is the center of Israel’s economy, combining a modern European atmosphere with an exotic Middle Eastern feel.
Sneaking into the Carmel Market, which has flourished since the 1920s. The Carmel Market was developed to sell food to the Jews who left the Old City of Yaffo, which we visited earlier, when the Jews began to build the city. It is still an irreplaceable place for Tel Aviv residents and a tourist attraction. Entering the Carmel Market from the south entrance, one first enters a zone where vegetables and fruits are sold. Fresh fruits were abundantly lined up. Around the middle of the Carmel Market is the food stall zone, where people are swirling with activity. You can enjoy not only Israeli and Mediterranean food, but also Thai, Mexican, and many other cuisines. Beyond that, the north side of the market is filled with clothing, knick-knacks, and souvenirs.
Walking on the beach at dusk The pedometer has easily exceeded 10,000 steps since the first day, but the interesting cityscape knows no fatigue. I came to the beach again. The atmosphere was different from that of the morning, and I could see that each person was enjoying his or her own time in a relaxed manner.
© Source travel watch
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