Day 1: landed in the evening at Narita, and took the train to our hotel in Asakusa. Grabbed 7-11 sandwiches & snacks, and called it a night.

Day 2: went to Senso-ji Temple in the early AM, then walked down by Sumida River and inside Sumida Park. Had Gion Duck Noodles for brunch, and in the afternoon attended the JERA Climax Series between the Giants and BayStars in the Tokyo Dome. Got some Family Mart for dinner and called it an early night due to jet lag.

Day 3: woke up at 5am to stand in line for Benizuru Pancakes - got the first reservation of the morning for the earliest time slot. Walked around Ueno Park in the late morning/early afternoon. At night, went to Taito Station in Akihabara to play video arcade games. Grabbed some McDonald’s for dinner.

Day 4: walked around Asakusa in the morning, and ate some famous fried sandwiches at Age.3 in Asakusa. Went to the Tokyo Skytree in the late afternoon, and in the evening ate a delicious Wagyu burger at The Wagyu Brothers restaurant. Walked around Asakusa, and went to another video arcade as well as a Gashapon toy store.

Day 5: Took a 6am express bus to Lake Kawaguchiko/Fujikawaguchiko. Ate some delicious pupusas for lunch at Cafe DINA, and then walked around Lake Kawaguchi. Went to Mt. Fuji Station and the Fujiyoshida Retro Shopping Street, then visited the Lawson store in Fujiyoshida for lunch. Took another bus to Fuji Matsuzono Hotel, and walked around Lake Yamanaka until check-in. Grabbed early dinner at a nearby 7-11. Most of the day was cloudy, and Mt. Fuji was barely visible, but by sunset most of the clouds had dissipated leaving Fuji mostly visible.

Day 6: Early in the morning, before and at sunrise, Mt. Fuji was clearly visible. Got dressed for golf and took a taxi to Fuji Golf Course for an early AM tee time. Ate early lunch on the course, and finished in the early afternoon. Mt. Fuji was mostly covered by clouds throughout my entire round of golf. Took a late afternoon bus back to Tokyo, and returned to the hotel in Asakusa. Called it an early night.

Day 7: Woke up early and went to Shibuya Parco mall for some shopping. Hit up Nintendo Tokyo, Capcom, SEGA, and Pokemon until we all got a massive earthquake emergency alarm from the Japan Meteorological Agency. Ran over to a nearby pub for my final beer, and received a message that it was all just a false alarm. Went back to shopping around the Shibuya area, and grabbed a burger at a nearby restaurant. Later that evening, had some Ramen in the Kanda neighborhood.

Day 8: Woke up super early to again visit Seno-ji Temple, and I purchased some Omamori as gifts for family. Later that afternoon, went to Ajinomoto stadium to watch football between Tokyo FC and Tokyo Verdy. Later that night, partied at S Nightclub in Shibuya until the early AM.

Day 9: Checked out of the hotel in the AM, and went to Tokyo Station for an early afternoon Shinkansen trip. Visited the Dragon Ball, Pokemon, and Kamen Rider stores in the station. Took the Shinkansen to Kyoto in the reserved Green Car seats on the Mt. Fuji side, which was clearly visible during this trip. Checked into my hotel in Kyoto in the late afternoon, and grabbed a Wagyu burger at Olu Burger. Later that evening, went to watch Street Fighter movie.

Day 10: Woke up in the early AM, and took a train to Osaka. Toured Osaka Castle Park and the Osaka Castle. Then walked around Osaka and had the famous fluffy egg and Wagyu beef sandwiches at Dekasan restaurant. Visited Nintendo Osaka for some shopping before catching a train to Kobe. Had an early dinner reservation at Mouriya Royal Restaurant where I ordered premium Kobe beef and Wagyu steaks. Took the train back to my hotel in Kyoto, and called it an early night.

Day 11: attended an international business conference at the Kyoto International Conference Center. Later that evening had some Wagyu burgers for dinner with colleagues, and for dessert went to a nearby spot for some Taiyaki.

Day 12: attended my international conference all day. In the evening, grabbed grilled chicken skewers with a different colleague at a local restaurant.

Day 13: woke up early AM and visited the Heian-Jingu shrine on a whim. Stumbled upon the procession of a major festival, Jidai Matsuri. Afterwards, walked to the Center for IPS Cell Research and Application (CiRA) at Kyoto university and toured the facilities. Then walked around the Kamo River and Kyoto National Garden before heading back to the closing afternoon of my business conference. That evening went to an all-you-can-eat grilled meat restaurant with colleagues.

Day 14: woke up early AM, and took the first train to Fushimi Inari shrine with colleagues. Hiked all the way to the summit, before the crowds became unbearable, and then went to Team Lab Kyoto in the late morning. Grabbed lunch at a nearby hotel restaurant before returning to my hotel for a quick afternoon nap. Went to the Gion Geisha district in the evening, and ate some Japanese curry at a nearby restaurant.

Day 15: checked out of the hotel, and went to Kyoto station to take the Shinkansen back to Tokyo (same Green car reserved seats). Did some more shopping at Tokyo Station, before checking into my hotel in Shibuya. Went to the Muscle Girls bar that evening for their infamous show, and then had some fried rice & beef at a nearby restaurant for dinner.

Day 16: checked out of the hotel and traveled to Narita airport on the Skyliner. Spent several hours in the airport doing some more shopping, before catching my flight back to the U.S.

How did I do for a first time visitor?

Day 1: landed in the evening at Narita, and took the train to our hotel in Asakusa. Grabbed 7-11 sandwiches & snacks, and called it a night.

Day 2: went to Senso-ji Temple in the early AM, then walked down by Sumida River and inside Sumida Park. Had Gion Duck Noodles for brunch, and in the afternoon attended the JERA Climax Series between the Giants and BayStars in the Tokyo Dome. Got some Family Mart for dinner and called it an early night due to jet lag.

Day 3: woke up at 5am to stand in line for Benizuru Pancakes - got the first reservation of the morning for the earliest time slot. Walked around Ueno Park in the late morning/early afternoon. At night, went to Taito Station in Akihabara to play video arcade games. Grabbed some McDonald’s for dinner.

Day 4: walked around Asakusa in the morning, and ate some famous fried sandwiches at Age.3 in Asakusa. Went to the Tokyo Skytree in the late afternoon, and in the evening ate a delicious Wagyu burger at The Wagyu Brothers restaurant. Walked around Asakusa, and went to another video arcade as well as a Gashapon toy store.

Day 5: Took a 6am express bus to Lake Kawaguchiko/Fujikawaguchiko. Ate some delicious pupusas for lunch at Cafe DINA, and then walked around Lake Kawaguchi. Went to Mt. Fuji Station and the Fujiyoshida Retro Shopping Street, then visited the Lawson store in Fujiyoshida for lunch. Took another bus to Fuji Matsuzono Hotel, and walked around Lake Yamanaka until check-in. Grabbed early dinner at a nearby 7-11. Most of the day was cloudy, and Mt. Fuji was barely visible, but by sunset most of the clouds had dissipated leaving Fuji mostly visible.

Day 6: Early in the morning, before and at sunrise, Mt. Fuji was clearly visible. Got dressed for golf and took a taxi to Fuji Golf Course for an early AM tee time. Ate early lunch on the course, and finished in the early afternoon. Mt. Fuji was mostly covered by clouds throughout my entire round of golf. Took a late afternoon bus back to Tokyo, and returned to the hotel in Asakusa. Called it an early night.

Day 7: Woke up early and went to Shibuya Parco mall for some shopping. Hit up Nintendo Tokyo, Capcom, SEGA, and Pokemon until we all got a massive earthquake emergency alarm from the Japan Meteorological Agency. Ran over to a nearby pub for my final beer, and received a message that it was all just a false alarm. Went back to shopping around the Shibuya area, and grabbed a burger at a nearby restaurant. Later that evening, had some Ramen in the Kanda neighborhood.

Day 8: Woke up super early to again visit Seno-ji Temple, and I purchased some Omamori as gifts for family. Later that afternoon, went to Ajinomoto stadium to watch football between Tokyo FC and Tokyo Verdy. Later that night, partied at S Nightclub in Shibuya until the early AM.

Day 9: Checked out of the hotel in the AM, and went to Tokyo Station for an early afternoon Shinkansen trip. Visited the Dragon Ball, Pokemon, and Kamen Rider stores in the station. Took the Shinkansen to Kyoto in the reserved Green Car seats on the Mt. Fuji side, which was clearly visible during this trip. Checked into my hotel in Kyoto in the late afternoon, and grabbed a Wagyu burger at Olu Burger. Later that evening, went to watch Street Fighter movie.

Day 10: Woke up in the early AM, and took a train to Osaka. Toured Osaka Castle Park and the Osaka Castle. Then walked around Osaka and had the famous fluffy egg and Wagyu beef sandwiches at Dekasan restaurant. Visited Nintendo Osaka for some shopping before catching a train to Kobe. Had an early dinner reservation at Mouriya Royal Restaurant where I ordered premium Kobe beef and Wagyu steaks. Took the train back to my hotel in Kyoto, and called it an early night.

Day 11: attended an international business conference at the Kyoto International Conference Center. Later that evening had some Wagyu burgers for dinner with colleagues, and for dessert went to a nearby spot for some Taiyaki.

Day 12: attended my international conference all day. In the evening, grabbed grilled chicken skewers with a different colleague at a local restaurant.

Day 13: woke up early AM and visited the Heian-Jingu shrine on a whim. Stumbled upon the procession of a major festival, Jidai Matsuri. Afterwards, walked to the Center for IPS Cell Research and Application (CiRA) at Kyoto university and toured the facilities. Then walked around the Kamo River and Kyoto National Garden before heading back to the closing afternoon of my business conference. That evening went to an all-you-can-eat grilled meat restaurant with colleagues.

Day 14: woke up early AM, and took the first train to Fushimi Inari shrine with colleagues. Hiked all the way to the summit, before the crowds became unbearable, and then went to Team Lab Kyoto in the late morning. Grabbed lunch at a nearby hotel restaurant before returning to my hotel for a quick afternoon nap. Went to the Gion Geisha district in the evening, and ate some Japanese curry at a nearby restaurant.

Day 15: checked out of the hotel, and went to Kyoto station to take the Shinkansen back to Tokyo (same Green car reserved seats). Did some more shopping at Tokyo Station, before checking into my hotel in Shibuya. Went to the Muscle Girls bar that evening for their infamous show, and then had some fried rice & beef at a nearby restaurant for dinner.

Day 16: checked out of the hotel and traveled to Narita airport on the Skyliner. Spent several hours in the airport doing some more shopping, before catching my flight back to the U.S.

Japan experience - first timer and vegetarian

Feeling so emotional right now because I am back home after a wonderful 3 weeks trips from Japan

I would like to give back to the community because this group has been my source on planning my iterneary and vegetarian restaurants source

Also the group have been extremely support while I lost my bag at Shinjuku bus terminal and I was able to find it the next day with none of the items missing (Germany could never😭)

There are many threads on recommendations and suggestions and I would like to add my few cents

I started my trip at Osaka

Landed in Tokyo and stayed overnight at villa fontaine since it was midnight ( highly recommend their onsen)

Osaka

1. took Shinkansen from Tokyo to Osaka
   2 .we stayed at Candeo Hirakata( it was bit away from main areas but the stay was wonderful with gorgeous views and rooftop onsen with amazing views as well )
   
2. struggled hard with food the first few days because I did not put much effort planning food being vegetarian
   
3. lived off with Hashbrowns and pancakes and smoothie from konbini
   
4. pivot vegan restaurant is a must try
   
5. for katsuoji temple and mino waterfalls it’s better to go by car from Minoh Kayano station since it’s outside the city and do the 1 hour hike down since it’s easier . Must try maple leave tempura from street vendors
   
6. oko Dotombori is a must try for vegetarian people. The cute girls does an amazing job and portion wise it’s huge so I would just order for one person
   
7. I did not have time to go to namba round 1 which is where you have this giant tennis ball( I went to Nara round 1 it was empty and I had amazing time )
   
8. did other touristy stuff like dottonbori , kuramono market and strolled around

Kyoto

1. we stayed at blossom Kyoto and it was almost connected to all main areas . Potoncho alley in walkable distance , kiyamezu dera was 15 mins by bus
   
2. their onsen was great and room was very spacious compared to Tokyo standard
   
3. arashiyama is overrated . Go to nenbutsu instead if you want to see a bamboo forest
   
4. we searched for Shojin ryori ( Buddhist temple food) and highly recommend shigetsu
   
5. other vegan food was vegan Izakaya nijjiya and tomona
   
6. hatoya matcha and arabica was a just for vibes
   
7. had our best coffee and matcha at Walden woods . Must try their parfait with matcha jelly and crumble cookie
   
8. fushimi inari before 7am was great idea since there was no place to walk while we returned at 9am
   
9. Uji trip for matcha (I can do a separate post for it if you want)
   
10. moss temple, yasui tei gallery ( book in advance )
    and komyo in temple was absolutely stunning and serene
    
11. we did day trip to Nara from kyoto . Although it was a wonderful experience keep on mind that they are wild animals and give ticks . And there are poop everywhere and your shoes need a complete wash after this trip. We hiked through another route instead of going to Temple and there were no crowds and had all the deers to ourselves and they were not aggressive like the ones below
    
12. there is vegan place run by Japanese called Onwa
    
13. skip uno ramen Kyoto - it’s a tourist trap (personal preference )

Tokyo

1. I kept Tokyo last since I thought it would be overwhelming soon after arrival and it was exactly what I thought ( I like Kyoto better - sorry if I am triggering many )
   
2. Shibuya was overcrowded and not that great to see in person ( views from 12th floor is highly sufficient instead of booking Shibuya sky)
   
3. Shibuya sky rooftop will be closed if it’s raining
   
4. shinjuku cat was such a cute spot although it’s crowded
   
5. Meiji jingu shrine early in the morning is so beautiful
   
6. gotukoji temple main temple is under construction until 2027 may . There are just 2small areas of cute cats that you see in social media . Don’t expect the whole temple to be flooded with cat dolls
   
7. did a day trip to kamakura and it was sufficient (anime photo spot is crowded after 10 am)
   
8. there is a hidden gorgeous bamboo forest near kamakura station (10 mins walk) 500 yen entry. I forgot the name but search for 4 temples and bamboo forest near kamakura
   
9. we had our breakfast at kamakura in a cafe called bread espresso &
   10.senso ji temple is absolutely beautiful at night . In the morning there is no place to walk ( we just went in the morning to have a traditional dango which was in inside street leading to the temple - no crowds here . only the locals were there - must try )
   
10. we stayed at kawaguchiko for 2 days to see mt Fuji and it was not visible both days ( typhoon spoiled this trip 😭 )
    
11. Takeshita is heavily crowded and no place to walk .instead Go to ginza togoshi market . We were the only foreigners there . Had an amazing matcha with sweet potato milk called yunomi matcha . Although I liked omotisande. There are many shops for fashion lovers .
    12.lots of amazing vegan foods in Tokyo - vegan gyoza, vegan sushi Tokyo , izakaya masaka (try the karage for sure),marugoto vegan ,jangara bistro , 2f
    
12. must try matchas - savor the matcha , cloud club matcha.,Sachya ( ground floor in Shibuya scramble ),
    
13. vegetarian foods at Konbini - Dangos , hashbrowns with maple and margarine pancakes , smoothie , coffee with coolish , inari sushi, kelp , edamame and picked plum onigiri
    
14. special mention for ohayo pudding . I could not get enough 😭
    
15. we stayed at yuen bettai ryokan the last two days to rest and recover . Their onsen was the absolute highlight of our trip . Room was minimal . Sink is too small and I did not like the bathroom .

Feel free to write me a dm or have any questions and thank you all for your support

Hi everyone,

I'm planning my second trip to Japan with my partner, from 18 November to 2 December 2026, and would appreciate feedback on our itinerary.

A bit about us

This is our second trip to Japan. We enjoy walking around traditional neighbourhoods, good food, temples, scenery and onsen/ryokan stays. We prefer exploring at our own pace rather than organised tours, and would like to avoid overly crowded, touristy areas where possible.

On our previous trip, we visited Tokyo, Fuji, Kamakura, Kyoto and Kinosaki Onsen. We loved the scenery around Fuji and the onsen experience, but weren't keen on the crowds at places such as Arashiyama. We're deliberately trying somewhere different this time.

Our accommodation and route

• 18–22 November: Tokyo (4 nights) – Hotel Metropolitan Edmont
• 22–26 November: Takayama (4 nights) – Hotel Wood
• 26–27 November: Okuhida Onsen (1 night) – Yumoto Choza ryokan, including dinner
• 27 November–1 December: Kanazawa (4 nights) – ANA Crowne Plaza
• 1–2 December: Tokyo (1 night) – The Edo Sakura
• 2 December: Fly home from Haneda

Proposed itinerary

Tokyo – 18–22 November

• Arrival day: settle in and explore Iidabashi/Kagurazaka.
• Explore Yanaka, Nezu and Yanaka Ginza.
• Spend a day around Kichijoji and Inokashira Park, browsing shops and enjoying the neighbourhood.
• Keep the final day flexible for places such as Jimbocho, Marunouchi or other neighbourhoods we discover.

Takayama – 22–26 November

• Travel from Tokyo to Takayama via Nagoya by train.
• Explore the old town, Sanmachi Suji, Miyagawa Morning Market, sake breweries and traditional merchant houses.
• Visit Hida Folk Village and have a relaxed day exploring Takayama before picking up the hire car.

Japanese Alps self-drive – 25–28 November
We're hiring a small car in Takayama and returning it at Kanazawa Station.

• 25 November: Drive to Shirakawa-go, then potentially continue to Ainokura in Gokayama, before returning to Takayama.
• 26 November: Drive from Takayama to Okuhida Onsen. Potentially visit the Shinhotaka Ropeway if the weather is good (although think this may be closed), then check into Yumoto Choza for an onsen and a traditional dinner.
• 27 November: Drive from Okuhida to Kanazawa, potentially stopping to explore Higashi Chaya District on arrival. Keep the car overnight and return it the following morning.

Kanazawa – 28 November–1 December

• Return the car first thing, then visit Kenroku-en Garden and Kanazawa Castle.
• Explore the Nagamachi Samurai District and Omicho Market.
• Visit the D.T. Suzuki Museum, browse shops and cafés, and leave time to explore at a relaxed pace.

Tokyo – 1–2 December

• Take the Hokuriku Shinkansen back to Tokyo.
• Spend the afternoon/evening exploring locally and enjoy a final dinner before flying home the following day.

We're trying to strike a balance between seeing worthwhile places and having enough time to enjoy them without constantly rushing around.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions!

Japan trip, 11 nights in late November, 5 people, first time

TOKYO — Nights 1-4 (Asakusa)
Day 1: Land Narita, Senso-ji in the evening
Day 2: Kamakura + Enoshima day trip
Day 3: Fuji day trip — Fuji Excursion from Shinjuku, Chureito Pagoda, Kawaguchiko
Day 4: Harajuku → Shibuya Sky for sunset → Roppongi → Shinjuku
Day 5: Ueno Park + Akihabara, bags in lockers, evening Shinkansen to Kyoto

KYOTO — Nights 5-7 (central)
Day 5: Reach Kyoto around 9pm — Eikando illumination if we can make it
Day 6: Arashiyama (bamboo grove 8am, Tenryu-ji, Sagano walk) + Kinkaku-ji,
Toji illumination in the evening
Day 7: Eizan railway — Kurama, hike to Kibune, Momiji Tunnel lit up on the way back

HIROSHIMA + MIYAJIMA — Day 8 (overnight in Onomichi)
Check out of Kyoto, train to Hiroshima
Peace Memorial, then Miyajima
Evening train to Onomichi

SHIMANAMI KAIDO — Day 9
E-bikes from Onomichi, ride ~30 km to Setoda, drop bikes, bus back
Evening train to Osaka

OSAKA — Nights 9-10 (Ebisucho)
Day 10: Shopping (Shinsaibashi, Amerikamura, Den Den Town), Dotonbori, Kuromon
Day 11: Osaka → Tokyo, stay near Haneda

Day 12: Fly out mid-morning from Haneda

Passes: Kansai-Hiroshima Area Pass activated Day 7.
Shinkansen Tokyo-Kyoto and Osaka-Tokyo bought separately.

Questions:
1. Is Day 8 too much? Kyoto checkout + Hiroshima + Miyajima + onward to Onomichi. And next say we are cycling from onomichi
2. Is 30 km the right call on Shimanami for people who've never done a long ride?

Please help before we finalize hotel bookings!

Travel interests - We're a couple in our late 20s. Big foodies, enjoy nightlife (not every night, but we'll definitely be out on weekends), interested in the major historical/sightseeing spots, and would like to do some vintage/designer shopping. We also have our anniversary on Feb 13 (middle of the trip). Hoping for a mix of early starts with some 10am/11am starts so we don't get exhausted.

I'm mostly wondering if our days are over-packed or doable! Also, opinions on staying in a ryokan for a night in kyoto? Any other unique experiences we're missing?

Hello People! Leaving for my (and my wife's) first trip to Japan soon (after an unfortunate cancellation earlier this year), and want to ask for some last minute inputs. The layout of the trip is locked in by now due to reservations, but a lot of the day to day can be adjusted, so any inputs are welcome. So here it goes:

• November 5, reaching Narita late afternoon, staying at an airport hotel
• November 6, getting a car rental and driving up to Nikko. Morning and afternoon on the shrine and temple complex, night illuminations, then drive up to lake chuzenji after dark to second night hotel
• November 7, early lake walk, kegon falls visit, drive down irohazaka towards omiya, leave the car rental, take a train to Kanazawa by 15:00. Easy afternoon at Kanazawa or straight up sleep at the hotel depending on energy levels. Ideally kenroku-en night illuminations.
• November 8, morning/afternoon Kanazawa, second car rental pickup, Ryokan stay by 16:00 (Matsusaki Ryokan)
• November 9, starting from the Ryokan, drive up to shirakawa-go (ideally from Hakusan white road, but will check state on the day). Depending on the time either Takayama (unlikely), Gokayama or straight back to Kanazawa, leave the car rental and catch a late evening train to kyoto
• November 10 to 16 kyoto. Starting at 10, lazy morning, maybe a walk around gion, gion odori at 16:00, early night
• November 11, dawn Fushimi inari visit, probably a trip to Uji, then back to Fushimi for a Jikkokubune canal boat by 15:00 and "kyoto insider sake experience" afterwards
• November 12, Arashiyama early morning and walking the surrounding area, taxi up to Otagi nenbutsuji temple (for some reason I really want to see it, seems very eerie), walk down to adashino nenbutsuji. Then taxi to kinkaku-ji.
• November 13, if I haven't managed to go to kiyomizu-dera up to now, dawn kiyomizu dera, walk the philosophers path, then teamlabs biovortex by 17:30
• November 14 lazy-ish wakeup, train to nara, visit naramachi and the temple complex, stay for the night lantern illuminations at kasuga taisha
• November 15, azuchi nobunaga festival morning/noon, omi-hachiman or hikone evening. Send my luggage to kyoto via takyubin (delivery November 18)
• November 16 early train to Himeji (will be there for opening, backpacks only). Leave backpacks at a station locker. Visit Himeji and koko-en Afternoon train to Hiroshima. Early to bed.
• November 17, miyajima Daytrip. Back to Hiroshima for the night
• November 18, visit Hiroshima peace memorial museum and walk around the center(pass by castle and shukkeien garden. Do a stop by Ebisu festival. Train to Tokyo by 18:00
• November 19, lazy wakeup, visit asakusa area (where hotel is) finish by tori-no-ichi festival at senso-ji
• November 20, lake kawaguchi visit with hotel pickup to preserve what little energy we will have left by now. If weather seems abysmal I can cancel the whole thing by November 18 and just take the day easy
• November 21, Meiji jingu, and a general walkabout of Shibuya and Shinjuku I guess? Not really planed well here
• November 22, early checkout, ueno park, Tokyo National Museum, a walk around at Yanaka and back to the hotel to leave for Narita (airplane flies out at 22:30)

we will be flying business (star alliance miles go a long way on this) so hopefully we will arrive in relatively ok shape.

hotels are either reached by car or by the train station, and generally business hotel outside of the one ryokan.

Generally no restaurant reservations done.

Trains are all booked on non-discounted rate so we can adjust on the day if need be.

Plan is to generally wake up early, sleep early, travel after dark (since night falls early now)

We are budget conscious but not budget constrained. overall trip cost is about 5000-6000 euro for both of us accounting for flights, hotels, shinkansen, car rentals, prebooked experiences, projected tolls and fuel cost, and projected 50 euro (9000 yen) expense per person per day for food

Hi everyone!

My travel buddy and I are visiting Japan for the first time from Dec 20 to Jan 7 (16D15N). Neither of us has experienced a real snowy winter before, so we're super excited but also want to be realistic about our logistics. We're generally fast-paced and love thrill rides (doing both USJ and Fuji-Q), but we don't want to burn ourselves out by day 5.

All international flights and major transit legs are set, and we're sending our main suitcases from Kyoto to Tokyo via Yamato so we can travel light (backpacks only) through the snowy mountain regions.

I'd really appreciate a sanity check on our pacing, winter routes, and New Year holiday closures!

Overview & Route:

• Dec 21–24: Osaka (3 nights, staying near Shin-Imamiya)
• Dec 24–26: Kyoto (2 nights, staying near Kyoto Station)
• Dec 26–28: Kanazawa (2 nights, staying near Kanazawa Station)
• Dec 28–29: Takayama (1 night, staying near Takayama Bus Terminal)
• Dec 29–31: Kawaguchiko (2 nights, staying near the lake/station)
• Dec 31–Jan 5: Tokyo (5 nights, staying near Bakurocho)
• Jan 5: Haneda departure

Daily Breakdown:

Dec 20 – Travel Day

• International flight with a daytime layover.

Dec 21 – Arrival in Osaka

• Land at KIX in the evening.
• Airport Express straight to Shin-Imamiya. Check-in, grab dinner and street food in Dotonbori, then crash early.

Dec 22 – Osaka (Universal Studios Japan)

• Full day at USJ. Planning to be at the gates early for rope drop.
• Priorities: Flying Dinosaur, Super Nintendo World (snagging a timed entry via the app right at the gate), and Harry Potter Forbidden Journey. Single rider lines where available. Evening at Universal CityWalk.

Dec 23 – Osaka & Minoo

• Osaka Castle in the morning.
• Katsuoji Temple in Minoo (taking Midosuji line to Minoh-kayano, then local bus up to the temple for the Daruma dolls).
• Back to Umeda Sky Building for sunset/city views, then Uniqlo at LINKS Umeda/Shinsaibashi to gear up on extra Heattech.

Dec 24 – Osaka → Nara → Kyoto (Christmas Eve)

• Check out, morning view from Abeno Harukas 300 & quick stroll in Shinsekai.
• Kintetsu Line to Nara for the deer park and Todaiji.
• Afternoon Kintetsu express up to Kyoto. Evening walk around Gion, Yasaka Shrine, and Pontocho for Christmas Eve dinner.

Dec 25 – Kyoto (Christmas Day)

• Early morning – Fushimi Inari before the crowds.
• Morning – Transit loop: Nara line back to Kyoto Sta → Sagano line straight to Saga-Arashiyama to catch morning light through the Bamboo Grove and Togetsukyo Bridge.
• Midday – Hankyu Line (transfer at Katsura) to Kyoto-Kawaramachi for lunch street food at Nishiki Market.
• Afternoon – Walk towards Ninenzaka/Sannenzaka, tatami-style coffee shop break, and Kiyomizudera for sunset.
• Evening – Back to Gion/Pontocho.

Dec 26 – Kyoto → Kanazawa

• Morning: Forward large suitcases from our Kyoto hotel directly to our Tokyo hotel via Yamato takkyubin (traveling with daypacks only until Jan 1).
• Kinkakuji at opening. Midday trip up to Kifune Shrine (hoping for snowy lanterns!).
• Late afternoon – Express to Tsuruga, transfer to Hokuriku high-speed bullet line to Kanazawa. Check in.

Dec 27 – Kanazawa

• Early morning seafood breakfast at Omicho Market.
• Kenrokuen Garden (seeing the winter yukizuri rope cones) and Kanazawa Castle park.
• Afternoon at Higashi Chaya preserved geisha district.

Dec 28 – Kanazawa → Shirakawa-go → Takayama

• Morning – Nohi bus from Kanazawa to Shirakawa-go (exploring the snow-covered gassho houses until early afternoon).
• Afternoon – Nohi bus from Shirakawa-go to Takayama.
• Check-in, evening stroll through Sanmachi Suji historic streets, Hida beef dinner.

Dec 29 – Takayama → Kawaguchiko (Alps Crossing Day)

• Morning – Miyagawa Morning Market.
• Morning – Nohi bus from Takayama to Matsumoto Bus Terminal.
• Limited Express Azusa to Otsuki Station, then transfer to local Fujikyu line to Kawaguchiko (arrive afternoon).
• Sunset at Oishi Park overlooking Mt. Fuji, hot pot hoto noodles, and local ryokan onsen.

Dec 30 – Kawaguchiko (Fuji-Q Day)

• Quick sunrise photo stop at Chureito Pagoda.
• Fuji-Q Highland all day (we both love extreme roller coasters: Eejanaika, Fujiyama, Takabisha, Zokkon). 1-Day Free Pass already booked.

Dec 31 – Kawaguchiko → Gotemba → Tokyo (New Year's Eve)

• Morning – Local bus to Gotemba Premium Outlets (shopping with Fuji views).
• Late afternoon – Highway bus from Gotemba to Shinjuku/Tokyo. Check into our hotel near Bakurocho (main luggage is already there).
• Night – Experience the New Year's Eve atmosphere in Tokyo. We know Shibuya Crossing officially canceled the street countdown in recent years, so we might just soak in the vibe around Shibuya/Shinjuku before heading to a shrine (Meiji Jingu or Sensoji) for midnight Hatsumode.

Jan 1 – Tokyo (New Year's Day)

• Sleep in after the late night.
• Afternoon: Harajuku Takeshita Street and Omotesando.
• Late afternoon – Shibuya Sky booked for the sunset slot over Mt. Fuji.

Jan 2 – Tokyo (Fukubukuro & Digital Art)

• Morning: Experience early Fukubukuro / lucky bag sales in Ginza and Akihabara.
• Afternoon – teamLab Planets in Toyosu.
• Late afternoon – Yurikamome monorail across to Odaiba for sunset at the Rainbow Bridge and Giant Gundam.

Jan 3 – Tokyo

• Tsukiji Outer Market for morning food stalls (or alternative if mostly closed).
• Shinjuku Gyoen stroll, mega Don Quijote haul in Shibuya.
• Evening: City skyline at Roppongi Hills.

Jan 4 – Tokyo

• Morning: Imperial Palace outer grounds and Nijubashi bridge.
• Afternoon: Pop-culture and anime shopping in Ikebukuro and Nakano Broadway.
• Evening: Final packing.

Jan 5 – Flight Home

• Check out, leave luggage at hotel front desk. Last-minute errands in Shinjuku.
• Evening – Pick up bags, take direct Toei Asakusa Line to Haneda Airport (HND).
• Late night flight back home.

Questions I'd love your insight on:

1. Dec 25 (Kyoto): Is the route loop (Fushimi Inari → local rail to Arashiyama → Hankyu to Nishiki → East Kyoto) realistic for Christmas Day, or does moving across the city like that still feel too rushed?
2. Dec 26 (Kyoto to Kanazawa): Does doing Kinkakuji morning + Kifune Shrine midday leave enough breathing room before our late afternoon departure? Also, is arriving in Kanazawa late at night too late to find a decent dinner near the station?
3. Dec 29 (Alps Transit): For the Takayama → Matsumoto bus + Express to Kawaguchiko route, how vulnerable is this corridor to winter snow delays in late December?
4. New Year Closures (Jan 1–3): We know retail/museums can be hit or miss during Shogatsu. Is Tsukiji Outer Market on Jan 3 worth checking out, or are almost all the food stalls shuttered? Any better food streets for that morning (e.g. Ueno Ameyoko or Asakusa)?
5. NYE Night (Dec 31): With street countdowns clamped down in Shibuya, what's the actual street vibe like late at night? Is it better to stick purely to major shrines like Meiji Jingu or Sensoji for the festival food stands (yatai)?
6. Winter Gear: For late December in Shirakawa-go, Takayama, and Kawaguchiko, are normal waterproof hiking boots + Heattech + winter coat sufficient, or should we invest in crampons / ice spikes for our boots?

I will be leaving for Japan very soon. I will be spending 19 days in Japan but I'd rather go for slow trail instead of packing my days with tourist attractions. I would appreciate any feedback!

Tokyo

• Day 1: Haneda Airport, hotel check-in, Traveler's Factory (stationery).
• Day 2: Shopping (glasses, skincare).
• Day 3: Asakusa, Senso-ji, Nakamise Street, Sumida River, Imado Shrine, Jimbocho.
• Day 4: Optional Kamakura day trip (Great Buddha, Hase-dera, Komachi-dori).
• Day 5: Team Lab Planets, Toyosu Market,  Don Quijote.
• Day 6: Meiji Jingu, Harajuku, Takeshita Street, Hachiko, Shibuya Crossing, Shibuya Sky (3:20 p.m.).

Kanazawa

• Day 7: Travel to Kanazawa, Higashi Chaya District.
• Day 8: Kenroku-en, Kanazawa Castle, Omicho Market.
• Day 9: Nagamachi Samurai District (optional), travel to Kyoto.

Kyoto

• Day 10: Arashiyama Bamboo Grove, Tenryu-ji, Togetsukyo Bridge.
• Day 11: Yasaka Shrine, Maruyama Park, Chion-in, Gion.
• Day 12: Nijo Castle, Kinkaku-ji (Golden Pavilion).
• Day 13: Fushimi Inari Taisha (morning), teamLab Biovortex Kyoto.
• Day 14: Osaka day trip: Osaka Castle, Dotonbori, Shinsaibashi.
• Day 15: Travel to Tokyo, hotel check-in, shopping.

Tokyo and Mount Fuji

• Day 16: Lake Kawaguchiko, Mount Fuji viewpoints, lakeside walk.
• Day 17: Rest, Tokyo shopping, Tokyo National Museum 
• Day 18: Tokyo DisneySea.
• Day 19: Final shopping, souvenirs, packing.
• Day 20: Haneda Airport, departure.

Hi all,

In a couple weeks, I'm leaving for my first trip to Japan! I've booked my flights in January so have been looking forward to it for a long time. I've practiced Japanese through Duolingo, am currently taking an actual Japanese language course and feel I've seen about 50% of the Japan travel vlogs on YouTube. I would highly appreciate any feedback and ideas based on my itinerary;

Some basics;

31 M traveling solo with a backpack. Preference for train travel, especially in Japan!

I've planned a combination of nature + city life.

Likes coffee, Japanese craftsmanship, Japanese food, architecture/urbanism, cooking, vintage/secondhand.

Also both niche Japanese activities that I wouldn't find back in Europe, as well as more mundane day-to-day Japanese experiences. E.g. big fan of JapanEats youtube-channel going to all these 'regular' restaurants. Also looking forward to spend some time in grimey izakayas.

I've booked my hotels/lodgings, so not too flexible there. Mainly looking for tips for activities, do's, don'ts, should I prebook or not, etc.

General route is:

Tokyo (Asakusa) > Kamakura > Hakone > Osaka > Kiso Valley > Nagano > Kanazawa > Tokyo (Shinjuku).

Day 1 Tokyo: Arrival in Tokyo. Stroll around Asakusa, maybe towards Ueno.

Day 2 Tokyo: D1 Grand Prix, professional drifting contest.

Day 3 Tokyo: Tokyo City flea market and/or vintage shopping at Furugi festival. Jazz café in the evening.

Day 4 Tokyo: Booked a coffee omakase at Koffee Mameya in the afternoon. Maybe Tsukiji market + exploring Ginza in the morning.

Day 5 Kamakura: Travel to Kamakura in the morning. No concrete plans yet. I've read it's nice to get off at Kita-Kamakura and walk to downtown Kamakura past some shrines. Also want to check out the beach area.

Day 6 Hakone: Travel to Hakone through the Hakone-Tozan Railway. Taking the ropeway down from Gora to Lake Ashi, Togendai port. Maybe hiking towards southern part of Lake Ashi, where my accommodation is.

Day 7 Hakone: No plans yet. Maybe going up to Komagatake Summit to spot Mount Fuji and enjoy the view, hike surroundings.

Day 8 Osaka: My birthday! Traveling to Osaka, Michelin star Kaiseki dinner booked for the evening. Maybe exploring Shinsekai area.

Day 9 Osaka: Day trip to Kojima jeans town. Maybe Dotonbori area in Osaka in the evening?

Day 10 Osaka: Potentially Cup Noodle Museum, first time I ever heard of one :) Combined with exploring Umeda and Nakazakicho?

Day 11 Magome: Morning in Osaka, maybe a museum. National Museum of Art? Travelling from Osaka to Magome, to start hiking next morning.

Day 12 Nagiso: Hike from Magome to Nagiso. Sleeping in Nagiso in the evening.

Day 13 Nagiso: No plans. Hiking surroundings?

Day 14 Nagano: Travel to Nagano, staying in the city for one night. Booked a ryokan with kaiseki dinner. Maybe Mizuno museum and Zenko-ji temple?

Day 15 Nagano (Shibu onsen town): Travelling to the onsen town in the morning. 'Onsen hopping' in the afternoon.

Day 16 Nagano (Shibu onsen town): Seeing the snow monkeys. Maybe visiting a local sake brewery.

Day 17 Kanazawa: Travelling to Kanazawa. No plans yet, maybe Omicho market.

Day 18 Kanazawa: Kenroku-en garden, some shops, geisha district. Jazz bar in the evening.

Day 19 Tokyo: Traveling to Tokyo. Exploring Shinjuku, area around hotel. Maybe a stroll around Jimbocho.

Day 20 Tokyo: Edo-Tokyo open air architectural museum. Kichijoji neighbourhood, checking out Harmonica yokocho in the evening.

Day 21 Tokyo: Shopping around Ebisu + Naka Meguro + Daikanyama. Evening in Golden Gai? Or jazz bar around Shinjuku area.

Day 22 Tokyo: Shopping day around Shibuya, or quiet day around Nezu / Yanaka Ginza.

Day 23 Tokyo: Going to airport in the morning, traveling home.

Thanks in advance for any ideas, insights, tips, activities, food recommendations, etc.!

Oct 18 - 21: Kyoto

Stay: Hotel Resol Kawaramachi. The hotel itself is extremely conveniently located, right next to Pontocho and tons of shopping. However, our first room was abysmally small even for Japan. We upgraded the last two nights to a bigger room which was a much better experience.

Did:
- Oct 18: we took the Shinkansen and arrived around 10:30 AM. From the hotel, we ubered to Ginkaku-ji (beautiful), walked some of the Philosopher’s Path, bussed over to Nishiki (there are other non-food markets adjacent as well, and did a kimono tea ceremony at Maikoya Karasuma location (so fun and informative). We spent the night exploring Gion, Yasaka Shrine, and Pontocho!
- Oct 19: We hit Kiyomizu-dera at 6 AM. There were a only a handful of people, and it was gorgeous and peaceful. By the time we walked down to Sannenzaka/Ninenzaka around 730 am, it was quite crowded. We then hit Fushimi Inari (change of plans from doing it at night since we had time before things opened), and we accidentally took the side path up. The crowds at the bottom completely disappeared. At one point it was just us and an 80 yo woman who said she makes the climb every morning! We walked down the main path and I have to say, the side path was way better. Followed this with some shopping and then an incredible Samurai class at the samurai ninja museum (recommend!!). Our favorite experience of the day was lunch at Menya Totaro. We spent a few hours here chatting with Chef Hiro and our lunch mates. He shared so much knowledge about Kyoto and Hokkaido!
- Oct 20: We initially decided to skip Arashiyama bamboo forest and go to Otagi Nenbutsuji/Adashino instead. Otagi was very cool but crowded, Adashino was uncrowded and we got great pictures! We decided to walk to Tenryu-ji and ended up walking through Arashiyama Bamboo. Having seen both, Arashiyama is more impressive but very crowded. We were happy with how things worked out! We trained from Tenryu-ji to Hozugawa River Boat Ride which was very fun. Got dropped at Arashiyama where we just walked around and ate.

October 21: Nara/Osaka

Stay: Hotel Resol Trinity. My favorite stay of the trip. Spacious modern rooms and onsite onsen.

Did:
- We departed Kyoto early morning and trained to Nara. We arrived at 730 AM to an empty park. Just us and the deer. Learned the hard way that the male deer are aggressive so avoid them! We walked through the park’s various temples to the Great Buddha Hall (huge and impressive!). By the time we left around 10, crowds had arrived.
- We then trained to Osaka, where I honestly don’t remember much. We hopped around to different neighborhoods shopping and eating, but it wasn’t our favorite. Maybe we did it wrong?

October 22: Back to Tokyo
Stay: Sheraton Grand Tokyo Bay. This was a great hotel for experiencing Disney. Took us less than 10 minutes to get to DisneySea and the room/breakfast was great. We stayed the night before our Disney day and I wish I’d booked the night of as well.

Did: this was our chill pre-Disney day. We had breakfast at Flipper’s (pretty good) and then took the Shinkansen to Tokyo. We spent the rest of the afternoon exploring the area near Tokyo Station before our reservation at Gen Yamamoto for a cocktail tasting. We are rare social drinkers, but Gen came highly recommended by a friend. Gen is a master of flavor combinations (even ones I didn’t like, I admired) and I could barely taste the alcohol across seven drinks. However, it is a very serious atmosphere and we’re just goofy people. Our seatmates were not up for conversation (totally fine) so we ended up whispering the entire time. Didn’t love that! We then trained to Tokyo Bay which is FAR via train.

October 22: DisneySea
This is the last day I’ll recap because we honestly spent the last two days haphazardly bopping around to places we didn’t hit before (stayed in Asukusa, explored Ueno/Shibuya/Kappabashi). Can answer qs about those.

A note here - we heavily used Disney Premier Access (DPA) which is $$. Worth it for us but YMMV. With DPA, you have an hour window to ride, after which your next DPA opens up. Tower of Terror and Indiana Jones were both down.

- We got to the park entrance by 630 AM where there was already a small crowd seated. There was a huge crowd behind us by the time we went through security at 830 AM. Gorgeous weather so we didn’t mind the wait!
- We were in the park by 845ish and immediately booked Soarin with DPA (Frozen was already sold out!) while we walked to Journey to the Center of the Earth (10/10 wow!). Journey had a 20 minute line. We then made our way to Soarin.
- Upon exiting Soarin, Frozen became available for DPA so we grabbed it. In the interim, we rode Raging, Peter Pan, and Sinbad.
- We then rode Frozen (10/10 incredible) and got a DPA for Rapunzel that night (I had been told this ride is fun at night).
- We spent the rest of the day leading up to Rapunzel without DPAs - 20k leagues, sea rider (surprisingly fun for adults), electric railway, dreams take flight, just exploring, sea of dreams show.
- After Rapunzel, a DPA for frozen popped up again for 830 PM and we had to take it. We loved it that much!

Overall, it was a successful magical day. Beautiful weather, manageable crowds, and we felt like we got to do everything we wanted!

Hi all! I’m (27M) planning roughly 30 days in Japan, arriving around 8 November to Osaka and finishing in Tokyo around 8 December. I’m thinking of flying into Osaka and travelling east, ending in Tokyo.

I’m travelling solo, staying in a mix of hotels, where I can afford it, and hostels, where I can find social ones (any recommendations appreciated) and enjoy food, hiking, scenery and fun activities/experiences. I’m really into gaming and films which I know Japan has some really cool experiences for, so any more recommendations would be great (Nintendo museum tickets sold out already 😢)

I’ve been travelling for most of the year and have done a lot of “exploring” so I’m not wanting to spend a lot of time simply wandering cities, so keen to include some more hands-on and adventurous activities

My current rough itinerary is:

Osaka (Days 1–3)
Day 1 – Arrive in Osaka, Dotonbori and street food
Day 2 – Osaka Castle and Shinsekai
Day 3 – Osaka Aquarium or another food/activity experience

Himeji & Hiroshima (Days 4–6)
Day 4 – Himeji Castle, then travel to Hiroshima
Day 5 – Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park, Atomic Bomb Dome and Peace Memorial Museum
Day 6 – Miyajima, Itsukushima Shrine and Mount Misen hike

Kyoto (Days 7–11)
Day 7 – Travel to Kyoto and explore locally
Day 8 – Fushimi Inari, Kiyomizu-dera and Gion
Day 9 – Arashiyama Bamboo Grove and Monkey Park
Day 10 – Toei Kyoto Studio Park, film sets and ninja activities
Day 11 – Nara day trip, deer park and Todai-ji

Kanazawa (Days 12–13)
Day 12 – Travel to Kanazawa, Omicho Market and local food
Day 13 – Kenrokuen Garden, Nagamachi samurai district and Higashi Chaya

Takayama (Days 14–15)
Day 14 – Travel to Takayama and explore the old town
Day 15 – Hida Folk Village and Hida beef

Matsumoto (Day 16)
Day 16 – Travel to Matsumoto and visit Matsumoto Castle

Kiso Valley (Days 17–18)
Day 17 – Travel to Kiso Valley and explore Magome or Tsumago
Day 18 – Hike the Nakasendo trail between Magome and Tsumago

Hakone (Days 19–20)
Day 19 – Travel to Hakone and relax in an onsen
Day 20 – Hakone ropeway, Owakudani and Lake Ashi

Tokyo (Days 21–30)
Day 21 – Travel from Hakone to Tokyo and settle in
Day 22 – Asakusa, Senso-ji and Akihabara gaming/anime district
Day 23 – Ghibli Museum (subject to getting tickets)
Day 24 – Warner Bros. Harry Potter Studio Tour
Day 25 – KOJIMA PRODUCTIONS 10th anniversary exhibition and sumo experience
Day 26 – Mount Takao hike
Day 27 – Kamakura day trip
Day 28 – Flexible Mount Fuji day trip to Kawaguchiko (could be swapped with most other Tokyo days depending on the weather forecast)
Day 29 – teamLab Planets, Tsukiji Outer Market and any remaining Tokyo sights
Day 30 – Extra Tokyo day for food, gaming, neighbourhoods or a weather/ticket backup

A few questions:

Am I spending too long or too little time anywhere - am I missing out on other experiences by spending so much time in Tokyo?

Would you replace any of these destinations with somewhere else?

Are there any major places or experiences I’m missing, or any experiences included that aren’t worth doing?

Are there any more niche experiences related to film or gaming I could include?

Does my route make sense logistically?

Is the Kanazawa–Takayama–Matsumoto–Kiso Valley section worth doing, or am I trying to squeeze too much in?

Given the time of year, are there any seasonal or weather considerations I should factor in?

Is there anything that needs organising well in advance (already aware of studio ghibli museum)?

Are there any activities that would be best organised as part of a group tour?

Any advice and recommendations would be much appreciated, thanks!

Just came home from one month in Japan. Active US senior traveler, Non japanese speaker, solo.

I decided to rent a car. I've never flip sides of the road before I learned to play follow the leader pretty quickly. Google maps mostly and the cars GPS map helped a litttle

The local train system's pretty easy once you figure out that you need to know the big cities that are in the direction you are going. They will be listed on the signs in English. That's really the only directional indicator you will have. It's very similar to New York. Subways. Trains will hide in the direction you're going and your stop will be in the middle someplace , The only exception is trains marked Rapid Transit (they are Express trains going from point a to point b) If you happen to miss your stop or go in the wrong direction (which happened to me) it's a simple fix. Just get off at the next stop and wait for a train going in the direction you want to go (usually the opposite track straight ahead of you as you exit) You don't have to get a new ticket or even talk to anybody. You just get off and wait. There will be one along some time, they run every 15 minutes, half hour or hour. (Btw everything is in military time)

Warning, I do not think this applies to the shinkansen or bullet train (just local), it would be more complicated in that case. I carried a large single backpack along with a small day pack clipped to the shoulder strap on moving days until the last few days of my trip when I added a small rolling suitcase carry-on size to pack gifts in. I thought it was going to be a problem on the train but it was not. Carry-on size fits above your seat on many trains. I only had all three when I was doing big moves. So I did not have my backpack day pack and rolling local trains but once and even that it wasn't terrible. That allowed me to not have to pay for extra luggage space on the shinkansen.

I drove about a thousand miles over three separate car rentals. The rental process was easy (had to get an international driver's license before I left ) the rental companies are very efficient and I found usually at least one person was reasonably fluent in English. I rented Toyota in Mito, Toyama and Himeji. My longest drive was from Himeji to Hiroshima and returned the car in Kyoto. I used Google maps 98% of the time and the car GPS just as reassurance. I didn't bother with map codes. I just entered in the physical address of the places and Google did just fine. (Car vent clip) Also helped keep me stay in the correct lane at very complicated intersections. My hairiest moment was Hiroshima at night in the rain with my GPS glitching out. At night in Hiroshima and probably most big cities, the taxi cabs take over. Japanese cordial driving disappears with the Sun, I've driven in New York City times square area and it's that level. During the daytime it was perfect. I had no issues. So my personal survival rule was no night driving unless I absolutely had to. Getting fuel was easy and complicated. Japan has full service stations and self-service. Full service was a no-brainer, self-service he had to work a little bit but it wasn't too difficult to figure out.

Google AI was indispensable, it helped avoid a lot of issues, but just know that in multi-level situations it cannot tell what floor you're on, even if you tell it may still send you on a wild goose chase. Allow yourself a lot of time. If I had an important thing like train departure time that I had to keep, I made sure that I went and verified before hand. I will bet Google had me walk 3 mi out of the way in total during my whole month. Speaking of which, I walked almost 175 mi during that time. So 2 or3 mi isn't that big of a deal it was just a part of the adventure. (Suggestion. Do a little prep walking before you get to Japan)

Not speaking Japanese wasn't that big of a deal most of the time, again, most of the time. I was in some pretty rural areas and that was when it became a bit of an issue and of course Google translator was glitching out on me at the same time. Really not that big of a deal but it did happen.

In the area surrounding most of the big cities everybody just about can speak and understand a little English. I learned from Japanese friends that they learned English in school but it was to test not to fluency. Many of the general customer service people had much better English skills. I do know some Japanese not even enough to survive but a few words and few rehearsed phrases?. They were very, very helpful. Do not underestimate their value. The Japanese people also really appreciate any effort that you can make to speak their language, I thought it was kind of fluff when people said that, but it is really true you can see it in their faces.

It's kind of like any big city, people are busy and don't really have much time unless they're relaxing at a restaurant or park even so, they're still very cordial and helpful. I met and got to know a ton of very, very nice people, from Japan and many countries. Hung out ate together and even reconnected and explored with a couple people. I will say though that if I heard English spoken I would usually speak to those people just lite conversation, but some of those turned into some pretty good friendships. Recommend putting yourself out there 💯 worth it.

Stayed in Grandvia's and Jr Hotels at the train stations mostly. Very convenient affordable but not necessarily cheap.(Location dictates price). Depends on your personal budget. I would say 100% see if they have washing machines. I stayed in one hotel a Grandvia that only had laundry service and what I paid to have 3 days worth of laundry done would have bought me two. Really nice meals. I was kind of shocked until I received the laundry back. It was packaged like it was brand new in plastic wrap hangers. I had the idea that I was going to be able to re-wear clothing. Maybe at least 2 days but that was not possible, almost everyday I was head to toe sweat. Even on cooler days it seemed very humid and it was last week of September till the third week of October.

As far as clothes go, I wore mostly t-shirts and light travel type pants also a couple really packable dress shirts (I wore a couple times) and a fleece and base layer but I never used them. I did the Tatiyama Alpine route and expected cold temps at altitude but it was warm enough that a packable raincoat was more than enough.

I didn't buy any clothes there. I am a us extra large and the only thing I needed was a raincoat and I was able to find a roomy one. I did buy shoes normally I'm a size 91/2 to 10 and I was able to find them fairly easily. I'm not so sure I would have been able to find clothes that fit. JP sizes run really small and when I was looking at raincoats the largest size they had in many brands would have been like a small in the US. I also bought my daughter some jeans. She's only 5'6 The problem I had was her legs are longer and it was really hard to find jeans that fit her. I did find some at a store called Zara. So I guess don't expect to be buying a lot of clothes for yourself if you are extra large or tall. But in all fairness I was trying to Japan exclusive so that limited me.

I did a couple hikes while there and checked their difficulty. I don't know that the rating should be trusted using US information. Much harder than I expected. I had walking sticks (had to pack in checked luggage on the way home) and AI recommended that I didn't need them. Completely false, One example was Mount Shoshu, lots of ankle, rolling rocks and roots even on the main trail. (which I chose not to use, ) It was completely worth the hike though. If you are that type of traveler, 100% plan a couple at least. I think the rating is based on a baseline of the surrounding area or something like that. I have hiked in Hawaii and Western United States and I will say that they were some of the toughest trails I have hiked. Much more technical than advertised and seriously rapid altitude gains. I am far from hardcore hiker but I do enjoy hiking a lot. I wore a pair of OnClouds as the only shoes I took and bought a pair of Skechers slip-ons. With all the walking I got hot spots and I needed to change out shoes every couple days so that I wouldn't get blisters. They were far from optimum for climbing but I couldn't fit hiking boots in my luggage. I made it work.

They have extremely streamlined customs and declaration process. Everything's linked to your passport. (When I was there only a few places use the old system)

The only apps I really relied on were NHK n

Works for weather, earthquake and events. Google AI, Google maps (make sure you download the area you are going ) Google translator, yen to dollar.

This post is already too long. I hope this is helpful to somebody (and coherent). If you are thinking about it I would encourage you to go. I am already planning on going back and this was my first time. Only thing I will change, is fewer cities, now that I have an idea of what I liked.

Happy trials

We are back from our 10/12-10/25 trip and it was AMAZING! The sub was super helpful during planning so thank you! This is turning out to be a long post so I will try to post a Part 2 later today covering Kyoto, Osaka, and return Tokyo segment/DisneySea.

Itinerary Notes
Flight: Nonstop from IAD to HND via ANA/United. Took melatonin to get some sleep during the flight. Ubered to our hotel. We completed Japan Web forms ahead of time, so processing was simple! Lines were long though.

Weather: We were also blessed by AMAZING weather until this past Sat/Sun. I used my light jacket at nights, but days were pleasant enough to get by with short sleeved tops and skirts. I also wore my walking sandals the entire time. The extra pairs of shoes I brought? Never wore them.

Most Used Apps: Wanderlog (for itinerary), Google Maps, Apple Wallet for Suica, iPhone calculator for currency conversion, Google Translate, SmartEx for Shinkansen, Whereing (app for planning outfits so I could easily see outfit combos to avoid overpacking!)

Things I Worried About for Naught: Suica was truly seamless to use, local transport (we used both subway and bus) got easier to navigate over the days, and we didn’t need reservations to have truly great food!

Things I Didn’t Need to Pack: Soap sheets, pajamas (often provided), laundry detergent (ended up wearing most items but not needing laundry!), multiple pairs of shoes.

Made Our Lives Easier:
- luggage forwarding for every segment. It took planning to make sure we allowed 1-2 days for delivery, but it really saved us. Especially because I unexpectedly dealt with gnarly back problems. It was super easy - when we arrived at our hotel, we would just tell them during check in that we wanted to send our luggage to XYZ hotel and they would let us know when to have our stuff ready to ship by. I think it cost us $40ish each time?
- we also packed a lightweight, foldable duffel that we used for a day bag.
- Also, if you have any back pain/cramps/etc, go get EVE three shot premium (gold box). Best pain reliever ever.
- We saved most of our shopping for the return Tokyo segment! I kept a running note of any shops I wanted to return to.

Transit: Google Maps is your friend. It will give you precise information down to which station exits to use and which train car is optimal. We also had some confusion about our Shinkansen tickets, but you have to tap in/out with your Suica card even if you have a QR code (but someone correct me if wrong - this is what I remember).

10/12-10/15: Tokyo
Stay: Courtyard by Marriott Ginza. Spacious rooms and conveniently walkable to things to do/eat/transit. Would stay again!

Did:
- We arrived 10/12 around 5 PM at the hotel. We took that time to just walk around Ginza and keep ourselves awake.
- 10/13: Tsukiji Fish Market (there’s a Wagyu skewer vendor towards the entrance that was my best bite of the trip, also enjoyed Tsukiji Peppers Cafe), Imperial Palace (this was a miss for us), Senso-Ji, Nakamise St, explored the surrounding area, TeamLabs Borderless (I enjoyed this, my husband was meh on it), Roppongi, Mori Tower, BAR21 for magic show+ cocktails (HIGHLY recommend!).
- 10/14: Meiji Jingu at 7 AM, Harajuku shopping, Shinjuku, Golden Gai, dinner at Gyukatsu Motomura (delicious!)

10/15-10/18: Hakone
Stay: Ryokan Plum in Odawara. This was my husband’s favorite stay. It has a shared bathroom which is not for everyone, but we never ran into anyone. Rooms were HUGE and beautiful. We rented a car the second day so transit wasn’t an issue.

Did:

- 10/15: Took the Shinkansen from Tokyo (had Fuji views!) and took the local bus to the Hakone Ropeway. Lines were long by the time we got there but we just played line games lol. We took the ropeway to Owakudani and Lake Ashi, where we boarded the pirate ship. Highly recommend upgrading the pirate ship ticket - the interior is beautiful and amazing views! Also the on board cheesecake was delicious. We then walked to coffee and pastries at Bakery & Table with lots of stops along the way. We decided to be corny and take the swan boats but we ended up getting great views of the Tori gate from the water! We last minute decided to wait in line for pics at the gate. Sun was setting so we waited about 30 minutes and it was so worth it for me! Used Hakone Freepass for the ropeway, pirate ship, and return bus home (it was standing room only for half the ride which was uncomfy).

- 10/16: Got our rental car (best. Decision. Ever.) and drove to Kawaguchiko. We were BLESSED with stunning views of Fuji along the way. We took a while to get there because we kept stopping to take pictures. Kawaguchiko was crowded by the time we got there but still enjoyable with great views! Quick stop at the Wind Cave and then Fuji-Q amusement park! It was AWESOME. If you love crazy rides and good food, this is for you.

- 10/17: Trip to Jogosaki Coast and Mt. Omuro. Wow. We loved this day so much. Stunning ocean views and the most incredible onsen overlooking the water!

Hello

Me and two friends are traveling to Japan in a few weeks, staying from the 16th to the 27th of November.

We are staying in Kyoto and Tokyo. For this post, I was looking for suggestions for my Kyoto itinerary (11/16-11/21).

11/16 - By the time we get to Kyoto and settle in, it may be 6-7 pm, so I don't know how much time/energy we'll have. Explore Nishiki Market. Get dinner. Early bedtime

11/17 - Early start. Fushimi Inari Shrine 7 AM. Trip to Nara. Nara Park. Todai-ji Temple. Kasuga Tasaih Shrine. Isuein Garden

11/18 - Early start. Kiyomizu-dera Temple 7 AM. Walk through Ninenzaka and Sannenzaka. Sanjusangendo Temple. Higashiyama Ward

11/19 - Early start. Kinkakuji Temple 7 AM. Ryoanji Temple. Nijo Castle. Shinkyogoku Shopping Street Union. Pontocho Alley

11/20 - Early Start. Trip to Arashiyama. Togetsukyō Bridge. Arashiyama Monkey Park. Tenryuji Temple. Jōjakkōji Temple. Giōji Temple. Otagi Nenbutsuji

11/21 - Travel to Tokyo in the morning.

Does this seem doable? Is there anything you think we might be missing? Or anything we should exclude? This is our first time to Japan ever.

Thanks for your help!

Feedback wanted: 12-day Japan itinerary (Tokyo / Hakone / Kyoto), April 20 - May 1, 2027

2 adults. Fly into Haneda on Apr 20, out of Kansai on May 1. Tokyo 4 nights, Hakone 2 nights, Kyoto 5 nights (Osaka and Nara as day trips). Golden Week starts Apr 29, so the last 3 days overlap with it.

Day 1 (Tue Apr 20) - Tokyo
Arrive at Haneda, check in (Asakusa), easy evening.

Day 2 (Wed Apr 21) - Tokyo
teamLab Borderless, Tokyo Tower around sunset, dinner and a wander in Roppongi.

Day 3 (Thu Apr 22) - Tokyo
Tsukiji / Akihabara / Asakusa walking tour (9:30 start).

Day 4 (Fri Apr 23) - Tokyo
Capybara cafe, then Shibuya: Pokemon Center, Nintendo Tokyo, Scramble Crossing, maybe Shibuya Sky.

Day 5 (Sat Apr 24) - Tokyo to Hakone
Check out, drop bags near Tokyo Station, Edo Castle / Imperial Palace East Gardens (10:00 guided tour), lunch, then Shinkansen to Odawara around 1:00-1:30 and the Tozan Line to Hakone-Yumoto. Still deciding between staying in a ryokan in Hakone-Yumoto or Gora.

Day 6 (Sun Apr 25) - Hakone loop
Hakone-Yumoto to Gora, cable car, ropeway via Owakudani, pirate ship, bus back. Plan to start around 8:00.

Day 7 (Mon Apr 26) - Hakone to Kyoto
Tozan Line to Odawara, Shinkansen to Kyoto, check in, evening in Gion if we have energy.

Day 8 (Tue Apr 27) - Kyoto
Arashiyama (bamboo grove, Togetsukyo Bridge, Tenryuji), then Nijo Castle.

Day 9 (Wed Apr 28) - Kyoto
Higashiyama (Kiyomizudera to Yasaka), tea ceremony, Fushimi Inari late afternoon.

Day 10 (Thu Apr 29, Showa Day) - Osaka day trip
Osaka Castle early, Osaka food tour later in the day.

Day 11 (Fri Apr 30) - Nara day trip
Nara Park, Todaiji, Kasuga Taisha.

Day 12 (Sat May 1) - Fly home
Haruka express from Kyoto to Kansai Airport.

Questions:
1. Is a Sunday start for the Hakone loop realistic, or should we do the loop in reverse (ship first, then ropeway from Togendai)?
2. Will Osaka and Nara on Apr 29-30 be miserable with Golden Week crowds?
3. Hakone-Yumoto or Gora as a base, given we'll have luggage on arrival?
4. Anything you'd cut, add, or swap?

Thanks!

Im planning on taiking the earliest train from Shinjuku to reach hakone yumoto at 9:22am. Will i have enough time to do the loop (clockwise) if i plan on taking the return train at 16:51pm or 17:46pm? Do you recommend any activities on the way after owakudani/gora to hakone yumoto station if i have leftover time?

Itinerary plan is

• hakone yumoto to motohakone by bus
• hakone shrine
• stroll around the lake
• old cedar avenue
• pirate ship to togendai
• maybe coffee at togendai
• ropeway to owakudani and explore the area
• ropeway to souzan
• souzan to gora
• maybe gora park if we have time
• train to hakone yumoto

My husband and I will visit Okinawa for the first time in March 2027, and will be visiting Ishigaki and Naha over a course of 7 days/6 nights. What we are in doubt of is whether our current itinerary will be too stressful? 

• 3/3 - Ishigaki: Arrive in Ishigaki around 3pm. Spend the afternoon and evening in Ishigaki city and nearby beaches
• 4/3 - Ishigaki: Day trip to Takitomi, and chill in Ishigaki city in the evening
• 5/3 - Ishigaki: Diving and Kobira Bay
• 6/3 - Ishigaki: Day trip to Iriomote
• 7/3 - Ishigaki to Naha: Spend the day at nearby beaches before flying off to Naha around 7pm, arrive in Naha at 8pm and eat dinner and have drinks in Naha
• 8/3 - Naha: Naminoue shrine, Shuri Castle, Kokusai Dori, maybe American village
• 9/3 - Naha and departure: Potential last things we missed on Kokusai dori before departing 1:10 pm

What we wish from our stay is to chill on the beaches and see some nature on Ishigaki, the last thing we want on Ishigaki is to feel stressed! Whereas for Naha we mostly want to shop a bit and see the shrine and castle (American Village is more of a bonus if we would have time for it) and maybe try the nightlife a bit one evening.

Do you think this itinerary would fulfil those wishes, or is it too crammed?
What we mainly are in doubt of is:

• Will our time at Ishigaki be too busy? Will we not have enough time for being impulse and if we want to, sit for an hour and chill on the beach?
• Where would it be best to spend the evening of the 7th March, Ishigaki or Naha? Should we consider instead flying to Naha in the morning of the 8th March?
• Is our plan for our 1 full day in Naha too ambitious?

We will not be getting a car and solely do this trip through public transport, bicycle or taxi. We are generally routined travellers in Japan and can both speak intermediate Japanese. We already have our flight booked away from Naha, so we cannot change our departure date from Okinawa.

Thank you so much in advance for your help! <3

Hello! I just did solo trip for 1 week mostly in Tokyo but also did 1 day trip to Nagoya (from October 8-16). I am korean (and have been to korea many times) and from nyc area in the US. My experience is going to be based off that so it may be different from other people's experience and / or what future travelers (who haven't been there yet) may experience.

• Stayed in a hotel right outside of Akihabara and this was an excellent choice. Like 4 subways stations near me (under 10 min walk) that gave me access to any line I wanted. The location of the hotel was really quiet and only 2 min walk to the core of Akihabara.
• My hotel room was bigger than my apartment room which I found pretty funny. The bathroom was tiny though for sure.
• Finding the entrances to almost anything and everything was extremely challenging.
• I read about advice to avoid doing currency exchange at the airport, but it actually gave me the best rate. There were no good currency exchange rates near Akihabara. I had to accept the lower rate because I was not going to go further out for that. The rates and where to exchange is probably going to depend on where your hotel is. Better option would be to just not do that to begin with but yea.
• People kept talking to me in Japanese (and at like 4x speed). In the streets, stores, restaurants...everywhere. I was not treated like a foreigner at all, and some have even told me they thought I was Japanese. Very different experience from what I've read from people.
• The food overall was good but kind of overrated. I was certainly expecting better but the fact that there was no bad food was a plus.
• Why the hell are the restaurants so damn crowded. Every single one had like 30 minutes wait minimum and that was outside of peak hours.
• Shinjuku on a Friday night was certainly an experience. I'm not sure I've been in a place with that many people before.
• Shinjuku station is not as hard as people were making it seem. Just get off google maps because it doesn't work at all in there (it's completely wrong) and look at the signs and map.
• I was expecting the subways to be packed but it was rarely packed honestly. Even during morning rush, I never saw it get packed like you see in those videos.
• Weather there was like 70ish degrees Fahrenheit but it's the hottest 70s I've ever felt. Wasn't humidity either, just felt like the sun was really strong or something.
• Not as cash heavy as I was expecting but also way less places available to use IC than I was expecting. I had to use card more than I was planning to.
• Too many damn stairs.
• Definitely a money-focused city but you certainly get what you pay for and more (unlike a certain country). Customer service was S tier.
• Where the hell are the benches? My old ass couldn't do anything more than 2 hours and then going back to my hotel to rest.
• Don't just avoid taxis because everyone says to avoid it. Check to see if the rate is good because it might be. I used Go Taxi.
• The Fibemini was my best friend.
• The famichiki was actually pretty good but the egg sandwich was....yea I don't get the hype.
• The observation decks were pretty disappointing NGL but then again, the ones in Manhattan are amazing so yea. I didn't go to Shibuya Sky on this trip though, if that changes anything.
• Natto is gross
• Subways were rarely ever quiet and there were people talking. It was mostly tourists. The people standing in line thing was not really followed outside of peak hours and there was always ojiisans cutting in front of me.
• I saw people say you don't need any Japanese but Idk if I agree. It was really hard for me and barely anyone spoke English.
• I saw people praising the cleanliness of Tokyo. Idk...it wasn't really that clean lol. It didn't smell though so there's that.
• Nagashima Spa Land was amazing. Definitely worth going to. I'm not a fan of how the coasters are operated though. I bought express tickets and it was relatively empty and they still wouldn't let me pick my seat. Without the express, it was about 20-30 minutes long for the lines, so not too bad.
• Not very friendly for gluten free options. I'm not celiac but eating gluten food all day is not good for my digestive system as I am sensitive to it. I will have to do more research for this next time I go.
• Speaking of...I am already planning my next Tokyo trip :)

The places I visited:

Akihabara, Ueno, Roppongi, Shinjuku, Nakano, Asasuka, Odaiba, Nagoya

TL;DR: Is it worth skipping some Naoshima museums to visit Teshima Art Museum? And is it worth the logistical hassle of getting between both islands on the same day?

Looking for some advice from those who have been to both Naoshima and Teshima islands. My current itinerary has me with three days to see both islands where Day 1 and Day 3 are both half days to account for travel to and from Port Uno where I'll be staying. Here was my original plan:

• Day 1, Saturday: arrive after lunch time, visit Lee Ufan and Chichu (already booked), generally explore
• Day 2, Sunday: remainder of Naoshima e.g. Art Houses, New Museum of Art, Benesse
• Day 3, Monday: head to Teshima for Teshima Art Museum, other exhibits, mid-afternoon ferry back to Uno for onward travel

Here is my predicament, Teshima Art Museum has no availability on the Monday but there is some availability on Sunday. But, swapping these two days sees all the Naoshima museums closed on Mondays (except Benesse). Alternative plan:

• Day 1, Saturday: unchanged
• Day 2, Sunday: Teshima in the morning, 13:40 ferry to Naoshima, try and fit Art Houses and New Museum of Art into two hours before they close
• Day 3, Monday: Naoshima for Benesse Museum which remains open, outdoor exhibits e.g. pumpkins

Now this sees me viewing all the museums but I fear that Day 2 becomes a watch-checking exercise and not a slow relaxed place that seems more appropriate for the islands. Essentially, alternative plan vs. original plan with Day 3 subbed for something else.

Thank you!

Hello, I’m back! Thank you again to the community for all the helpful tips and advice on my last post. I took the information and redid the itinerary. Posting the updated one below for review! Thank you in advance for taking the time to read this, and any feedback or advice you might offer.

Background: early 30s, traveling from the US, first visit

Route:
Tokyo (2 nights) → Nagoya (3 nights) → Hakone ryokan (3 nights) → Tokyo (2 nights)

Day 1: Arrive Tokyo
Arrive mid-afternoon at HND, check in to lodging in Shinjuku, store extra empty suit case in luggage storage (for bringing back gifts and goodies!) stop by 7-11 to buy snacks for the following day, exlpore the surrounding area, dinner close to lodging

*note: we are returning to the same area for our second Tokyo leg, so picking up the bag will be easy/convenient

Day 2: Tokyo
Meiji Jingu Shrine, Meiji Jingu museum, Yoyogi Park (if time allows), omakase (near Gaiemmae), The National Art Center, Omotesando winter illuminations (if energy), dinner/drinks

Day 3: Tokyo → Nagoya
Check out, store luggage near Nezu Museum, Nezu Museum, Shinkansen to Nagoya, store bags in lockers (if check in not available, otherwise move check in to this step), Atsuta Shrine, Osu Kannon, pick up bags from lockers, check in to lodging, Oasis 21, hitsumabushi for dinner (if possible!), drinks if we have the energy

Day 4: Ghibli Park
Full day at Ghibli Park. Premium O-Sanpo pass (acquired), Grand Warehouse timed entry at noon, check out the Nabano no Sato illuminations if we have energy.

Day 5: Free Day (Inuyama)
Train from Nagoya → Inuyama, check out the castle, Kiso river bluffs, urakuen garden, sanko inari shrine, haritsuna shrine, Nanak no Sato if we didn’t the previous day (& have energy), train back to Nagoya, dinner and/or drinks

Day 6: Nagoya → Hakone
Check out, Shinkansen to Odawara, train or bus to Hakone-Yamato, forward luggage to ryokan, taxi to Pola Museum of Art, taxi to ryokan, check in , kaiseki dinner, onsen/relax, drinks if we feel up to it.

Day 7: Hakone
Kaiseki breakfast, Old Tokaido Road, Amazake Chaya teahouse stop, Hakone Open Air Museum, dinner, onsen/chill (potentially take this as a full or half rest day)

Day 8: Hakone
Kaiseki breakfast, Tozan Railway, cable car, Owakudani, ropeway, Lake Ashi cruise, Hakone Shrine torii gate, taxi or train to lodging, kaiseki dinner, last onsen/chill night.

Day 9: Hakone → Tokyo
Kaiseki breakfast, Romance Car back to Shinjuku (booked the same lodging as the first leg for convenience, but open to changing), Takeshita Street, gifts/ shopping in shinjuku (torch torch, pokemon center, etc), dinner & drinks

Day 10: Tokyo
Sensoji Temple, Nakamise Street for gifts, sky tree, lunch at sky tree, free afternoon, pick up stored luggage, back to hotel to freshen up, pack for departure, dinner/drinks in Azabu-Juban

Day 11: Depart
Check out, last minute shopping near by if time allows, train to HND for flight home.

Hi all, long time reader and first time poster here! Super excited to finally be planning my (31M) first ever trip to Japan for around this time next year. I've done some traveling in my life, so I'm used to the running around, but I've never gone solo and I've never been to Asia, so this will definitely be a change for me. Nonetheless, I've done a ton of research, and hopefully the kind folks here can provide a bit of feedback to help my next draft of my itinerary. And, of course, naturally things will change on arrival. Looking forward to that most of all! Also, packing pretty light and planning to do most of my shopping in Tokyo and get a new case there, so accommodation hopping won't be too hectic...I hope. Anyway, this is what I've got so far.

Arrival Day

Arrive at KIX mid afternoon and go through customs & immigration. Collect the Kansai-Hiroshima pass and take the Haruka express to Shin-Osaka. Take the Shinkansen to Hiroshima. Get to accommodations and crash for the night.

Day 1 (Hiroshima)

Head over to the Peace Park and view the memorial and museum. Maybe see Hiroshima castle. Have some Hiroshima okonomiyaki for dinner.

Day 2 (Miyajima)

Take the ferry to Miyajima. Check out the various sights and snack on some good street food. Looking forward to those oysters.

Day 3 (Himeji/Kobe?)

Check out of Hiroshima accommodations and take the bullet train to Himeji to visit the castle. If early start provides enough time, stop in Kobe and check out the Nunobiki ropeway and garden. Maybe splurge on Kobe beef (might aim for it as a lunch rather than dinner). Finish up the trip to Osaka and check into accommodations.

Day 4 (Osaka)

Head to Osaka Castle and check out the grounds. Then head over to Umeda area and possibly go up the Umeda Sky. Do some shopping/browsing. Finish up with some Dotonbori exploration.

Day 5 (Osaka)

Visit Osaka Bay and then head over to Nipponbashi to check out the anime and electronics shops. Visit Shinsekai and maybe check out Tsutenkaku.

Day 6 (Nara/Uji)

Check out of Osaka accommodations. Head over to Nara and check out Nara Park. I'm a big animal lover and will likely enjoy the deer chaos! Once finished, take the train to Uji and explore around there a bit. Then finish the journey to Kyoto and check in to accommodations.

Day 7 (Arashiyama)

Early morning visit to the bamboo grove. Visit the monkey park. Exploration if energy and time allow.

Day 8 (Higashiyama)

Early morning visit to Fushimi Inari. Visit Kiyomizu-dera. Exploration if energy and time allow.

Day 9 (Final Kyoto Sights)

Check out of accommodations. Head to Kinkaku-ji Check out Nishiki Market. Visit Nijo Castle if time allows. Shinkansen to Odawara. Purchase Hakone 2 day Freepass and head into Hakone, find accommodations and rest up.

Note: This may be my craziest day and probably needs some re-working, but maybe some of you have some tips.

Day 10 (Hakone Loop)

Do the Hakone loop. Looking forward to Lake Ashi and those Owakudani eggs. Finish up and take the train back to Odawara and then head to Kamakura and check in to accommodations there.

Day 11 (Kamakura/Yokohama)

Morning and early afternoon checking out the Tsurugaoka Hachimangu shrine and Hase-dera Temple and then head to Yokohama. Enjoy the late afternoon and evening in Yokohama. Head into Tokyo and check in to accommodations there.

Note: Tokyo days not necessarily in this order. Probably going to do whatever area I feel like on whatever day. Kawaguchiko would likely be weather/energy dependent.

Day 12 (Nakano Broadway)

Easy first day in Tokyo. Just do some browsing for some anime stuff in Nakano Broadway.

Day 13 (Asakusa)

Senso-ji and Nakamise-dori. Probably try to stroll through Nakamise-dori before it opens up, get some breakfast and then head back when it's open. Visit the Tokyo Skytree and the Pokemon Center.

Day 14 (Kawaguchiko)

Take the train to Kawaguchiko and visit the Chureito Pagoda as first stop. Check out the various sites on the "red line" such as Oishi Park, Music Forest, Appare Boat.

Day 15 (Ueno/Akihabara)

Visit Ueno Park in the morning and have a leisurely stroll around. Good place for breakfast? Then head to Akihabara for the afternoon and evening and geek out. I know it's supposedly pretty tourist trappy at this point but it still sounds pretty cool to me, haha.

Day 16 (Ikebukuro)

Have a slow morning near accommodations and then head to Ikebukuro for Sunshine City for opening. Head to Pokemon Center, do some shopping. Maybe visit Namjatown? Is it any good? Finish up by heading to the flagship Animate store.

Day 17(Harajuku/Shibuya)

Pretty sure this is a typical outing for most people. Meiji Jingu in the morning, Takeshita Street, Hachiko statue, Shibuya Scramble, shopping. Maybe Shibuya Sky.

Day 18 (Tsukiji Market/Odaiba)

Morning visit to Tsukiji Market for some food. Then head over to Odaiba for some shopping. Kind of curious about the Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation, too. Anyone been there?

Day 19 (Shinjuku)

Peaceful morning in Shinjuku Gyoen. Explore and shop around the hit spots in Shinjuku. Find an interesting spot for some dinner.

Day 20 (Chiyoda)

Check out the Imperial Palace grounds and then explore Tokyo Station. Maybe hit an unexplored area or a favourite spot from previous day.

Departure Day

Enjoy one last breakfast and head to airport and say goodbye to Japan until my inevitable next trip.

Thanks for checking it out! Looking forward to hearing what advice any of you have to offer.

Just after an itinerary check, it’s taken a while to get to this narrowed down version, I’ve also got a small list of optional things should we have the time / energy in certain areas. I’ve swapped out a few city days for nature days as we love hiking & nature.

So hard to see it all in just 10 days! Any feedback or must sees / dos that would fit in nicely to existing itinerary are welcome!

Day 1
4pm arrival @ hotel
Dinner & drink
Early bed

Day 2
Early morning run to meiji shrine & the little bakery for coffee
Shopping day - harajuku & shinjuku
Dinner booked @1830

Day 3
Bus booked to Mt Fuji
Hire E-bikes to cycle lake
Ropeway if conditions are good

Day 4
Explore Nakameguro & daikanyama, visit cafes & little shops.
Shibuya for shopping if feeling it
Dinner booked @ 5pm

Day 5
Travel to Kyoto via Shinkansen
Nishiki market
Good morning record bar
Evening stroll on Pontocho alley

Day 6
Train to Arashiyama
Sagano scenic train booked @ 10am, standard train back
Walk along river, chill @ get lunch
Temples: Okochi Sanso garden & Gioji temple

Day 7
Early start & hike Kibune to Kurama
Onsen in Kurama post
Easy dinner somewhere
Teamlabs Kyoto 1830

Day 8
? Sunrise & Kiyomizu Dera (optional)
Return to Tokyo
Asakusa - Nakamise Dori St
Kappabashi St
Sensoji @ night

Day 9
Hike the Rock Garden Loop @ Mount Mitake
OR
Hike from Kori Station > Hatonusu > Okutama

If not up for hiking > Yanaka Ginza
Evening @ Christmas Market in Shin Toyosu

Day 10
Disney sea
No other plans this day

Day 11
? Tsukiji market in morning
Leave for airport ~12:30pm

Thankyou! So excited for this trip!