Me and my wife are planning a trip to Japan in September and October next year. This will be my first time in Japan, and the first time visiting Asia for my wife. It's a 3 week trip and we'll be traveling from Tokyo to Sapporo. The days on which to do activities will likely not be set in stone (As we like to take things easy and go with whatever feels right at the time) except for some stuff for which I'd need to make a reservation. As such I'll list activities in the category "Want to do" and "would like to do" the latter of which could be cut depending on how we feel at the time

• 25 Sept. Depart from Helsinki
• 16 Sept. Land in Tokyo. Will stay for 8 nights until October 4. Preferably somewhere in the center and/or near a metro station for public transport access
  • Want to do:
    • 1 day Akihabara + soba at Kanda Matsuya
    • 1 day Imperial Palace + Pokemon Center Tokyo DX
    • 1 day Nakamise-dori street + Senso-ji + dinner at Kazunoya Oiwake (with hopefully live music)
    • 1 day TeamLab Bordeless + Zojo-ji
    • 1 day Hachiko square + Shibuya Pokemon Center + Meiji Jingu
  • Would like to do:
    • Ghibli museum
    • 1 day trip to Enoshima
    • Kawagoe
    • Tokyo National Museum
    • Jimbocho Book Town
• 4 Oct. Bullet train + regular train to Hiraizumi. Should be about a 2 to 3 hour trip. Will purchase the JR East + South Hokkaido rail pass for this. It should be valid for 6 days. Will stay for 4 nights until October 8
  • Want to do:
    • 1 day Hiraizumi World Heritage Information Center + temples in walking distance
    • 1 day rent a bike, cycle through the rice field to Takkoku-no-iwaya bishamondō and Genbikei gorge
    • 1 day trip to Geibikei gorge, boat trip through the gorge
• 8 Oct. Regular train + bullet train + regular train to Noboribetsu. Should be about a 6 to 7 hour trip. Thus no other plans on this day. Just travel. Should still be able to use the rail pass. Will stay for 4 nights in a local onsen until October 12. Want to book Dai-ichi Takimotokan
  • Want to do
    • Oct 9, last day for the rail pass to be valid, day trip to Upopoy National Ainu Museum and Park
    • 1 day bus or taxi to Date Jidai Village
    • 1 day walk to Jigokudani Valley. Rest of the day enjoying the onsen
• 12 Oct. Train to Sapporo. Should be about a 1 to 2 hour trip. Checkout is at latest at 10, so that means leaving early, meaning that we can do something in Sapporo the day we arrive. Will stay for 3 nights, preferably somewhere in downtown
  • Want to do
    • 1 day (possibly October 12) Odori park + Sapporo clock tower + Former Hokkaido government office + Sapporo Pokemon Center
    • 1 day Historical village of Hokkaido + Hokkaido village
  • Would like to do
    • 1day trip by train and bus to Mt Yotei, if the weather permits (no point is visibility is bad)
    • Mt Moiwa Observation deck at night, again, if the weather permits
• 15 Oct. Train to New Chitose Airport. Flight to Osaka and connecting flight back to Helsinki
• 16 Oct. Arrive back home in Finland feeling sad our vacation is over

Is there anything glaringly obvious that I'm missing and really should add, or remove because it's not worth the effort? Do the time frames I've given for these activities seem reasonable for people who like to take it slow and have plenty of time to just chill and relax?

I'm travelling to Japan on 13th Dec. Created below itinerary, is this good or should I change something, or something important to keep in mind.

December 12 (Thu) - Hyderabad

• Evening: Fly to Tokyo.

December 13 (Fri) - Tokyo

• Afternoon: Arrive in Tokyo. Visit Mizumoto Park (near Friends home).
• Evening: Shibuya bar hopping for nightlife.

December 14 (Sat) - Tokyo

• Morning: Recover from drinks.
• Afternoon: Meiji Jingu Ice Skating Rink.
• Evening: Explore Odaiba (fireworks festival, futuristic attractions).

December 15 (Sun) - Tokyo

• Morning: Spend the day at Tokyo Disneyland or DisneySea (choose one).
• Evening: Relax.

December 16 (Mon) - Tokyo

• Morning: Explore Akihabara (anime shops, maid cafe).
• Evening: Bouldering with Friend (if physically feasible).

December 17 (Tue) - Tokyo

• Morning: Day trip to Fujiyoshida for electric cycling and Mount Fuji views. Fuji-Q Highland roller coaster ride.
• Evening: Return to Tokyo.

December 18 (Wed) - Tokyo

• Morning: TeamLabs Borderless.
• Afternoon: Free time.
• Evening: Free time.

December 19 (Thu) - Tokyo

• Morning: Day trip to Enoshima and Kamakura (beach, shrine, and Buddha).
• Evening: Return to Tokyo.

December 20 (Fri) - Tokyo

• Morning: Visit Asakusa Shrines and enjoy street food.
• Afternoon: Relax and shop in Harajuku for souvenirs.
• Evening: Karaoke in Shinjuku and explore Kabukicho nightlife.

December 21 (Sat) - Tokyo

• Morning: Day trip to Mt. Takao (trek/ropeway, view Mt. Fuji).
• Evening: Return to Tokyo.

December 22 (Sun) - Tokyo

• Morning: Visit Tokyo Sky Tree.
• Afternoon: Visit Nakano Broadway (figurines).
• Evening: Explore Shibuya (Shibuya Crossing, Shibuya Sky).

December 23 (Mon) - Tokyo

• (Optional Trip): Relax and explore Tokyo food if tired, as Mt. Nokogiri is planned the next day.
• Morning: Day trip to Nikko.
• Evening: Return to Tokyo.

December 24 (Tue) - Tokyo

• Morning: Day trip to Mt. Nokogiri (giant Buddha, trek/ropeway).
• Evening: Return to Tokyo.

December 25 (Wed) - Tokyo

• Morning: Free day for shopping (wooden folding fans, souvenirs).
• Afternoon/Evening: Revisit favorite spots or try any missed activities/food.

December 26 (Thu) - Tokyo → Kyoto

• Morning: Travel to Kyoto via Shinkansen.
• Afternoon: Explore Kinkakuji Temple (Golden Pavilion) or visit Round One (Spo-cha).
• Evening: Free time.

December 27 (Fri) - Kyoto

• Morning: Day trip to Himeji (Himeji Castle) or Mount Koya.
• Evening: Return to Kyoto.

December 28 (Sat) - Kyoto

• Morning: Visit Arashiyama Neighborhood (bamboo forest, monkey park).
• Afternoon: Explore Higashiyama Neighborhood and Kiyomizudera Temple.
• Evening: Enjoy local food at Nishiki Market.

December 29 (Sun) - Kyoto

• Morning: Visit Fushimi Inari Shrine (iconic torii gates).
• Afternoon: See Nijo Castle and Ginkakuji Temple.
• Evening: Visit Kenninji Temple.

December 30 (Mon) - Kyoto → Nara → Kyoto

• Morning: Day trip to Nara (Deer Park, Todai-ji Temple).
• Evening: Return to Kyoto.

December 31 (Tue) - Kyoto → Osaka

• Morning: Travel to Osaka. Explore Minami (Namba) neighborhood.
• Evening: Experience Dotonbori (food, clubs). Celebrate New Year’s Eve.

January 1 (Wed) - Osaka

• Morning: Recover from drinks.
• Afternoon: Explore Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan.
• Evening: Check out Harukas 300 Observatory for views.

January 2 (Thu) - Osaka → Tokyo

• Morning: Visit Osaka Castle.
• Afternoon: Visit Umeda Sky Building.
• Evening: Enjoy the Hep 5 Ferris Wheel. Return to Tokyo.

January 3 (Fri) - Tokyo → Hyderabad

• Morning: Fly back home.

we're planning to spend 2 nights in asahikawa during jan 2025 (winter)

we have these places in mind to visit:
- asahiyama zoo
- biei tree
- shirogane blue pond
- shirahige falls
- ningle terrace

considering we plan to rely on public transport, what would the must-see priority of the above places? or any other recommendations accessible via public transport would be appreciated too! :)

Japan trip november 2024 ( 3 weeks)

Hi all! Just wanted to share my journey that me and my wife have had the past 3 weeks.

I am on my phone, in the lobby of the last hotel waiting for my taxi to take me back to Haneda airport, and won't be able to edit this for some time. Sorry for All the mistakes and miss punctuation..

Before I start I have to tell you a bit about ourselves, we are a couple in our 30s, come from the Netherlands and both of us wanted to go to Japan since ever we were old enough to know what travel is haha. We are both anime and rpg game junkies, love food and could not be more happy then to be inside a 500 year old building.

My wife grew up in a medium income household and I grew up in a pretty poor household. Due to a string of bad things happening and some lucky things happinging ( both my parents passed away last year and my wife's dad passed away a few years ago, but the housing market being the way it is and both our dad's owning small houses.. We suddenly have had a big increase in finances)

So we really wanted to make this a “once In a lifetime” trip and the budget was about 10k in euro. This is life changing amount of money.. But it was worth every penny.

Here we go!

Travel. Friday 8 Nov - Day 0

KYOTO

9 Nov - Sat Day 1: landing in Tokyo at 1:45pm, used Yamato transport to send out luggage to the hotel and then travel to Kyoto, with the shinkansen.

Hotel KABIN Kyoto: Amazing hotel! I highly recommend it! The room we had was fitted with a rain shower and the bed was big and clean.

10 Nov - Sun Day 2: , kiyomizu-dera temple eat in the streets of ninenzaka and sannenzaka yasaka shrine and next to it maruyama park explore gion district, ended the day with a visit to the Kyoto Pokemon Center ( a total let down to be honest and the worst pokecenter we went to) dinner was a high class unagi place that was super tasty!

11 Nov - Mon Day 3: Daytrip to Nara.Visit the Great Buddha at Todai-ji Nigatsu-do and Sangatsu-do (February and March Hall) Nandaimon (Great South Gate) Stroll around Nara Deer Park, Kasuga Taisha Shrine on way back to station go to Naramachi (Nara town) and here is omogi mochi pounding at Nakatanidou!

Thoughts on Nara : one of the highlights of our trip! Nara is great! The deer where sweet and loved the senbei, you do need to handle the deer with care.. We saw a lot of stupid people making huge mistakes and getting attacked, but this was 100 procent there own fault. If you have any basic animal handeling skills you will see that the Nara deer are the sweetest wild animals you wil ever get the pleasure to meet.

The temples and shrines were amazing! There was a little bakery next to the station that sold me the best melon pan I had all holidays.

The day ended with us going to a chicken place in Kyoto near our hotel that served some special kinda chicken.. It was amazing! Best chicken I ever had.

Nov 12 - Tuesday day 4:

early to Arashiyama Bamboo Forest then had an pleasent walk trough a movie stars garden, walking back we took a little boat trip on the river that took about 45 min. After we jumped In a taxi to kinkakuji temple (golden temple).

After the temple we jumped into a taxi to nishiki Market.. And this was not that good.. Certainly not compared to the other markets we went to later in the trip! It's still fun! Just don't expect to much.

That night we met up with a friend who was in Kyoto by pure luck! And had yakitori dinner In a super small local mom and pop shop.

Nov 13 - Wed Day 5:

Bit of an off day, my wife was overwhelmed and we had underestimated the amount of walking we were doing. So we took the morning off.

Around noon we went to the big tori gate shrine at fushimi Inari, and that was a bigger hike than we thought! But it was beautiful! Everything we read about it was true, at the bottom a boatload of people! Going up 30 minutes and you get space. Get to the big lookout point and you are basically with 10 others.

Getting back at the hotel and sending our luggage to Hiroshima trough an 7/11 close to our hotel.

Had some sushi for dinner, that was at the time amazing.. But thinking back on it., actually pretty mid haha ( it would be world class in the Netherlands.. But it turns out we where not ready for the real deal a week later).

Closing thought on Kyoto :

Wow! Just wow! Kyoto is amazing, it's the old capital of Japan and littered with the most beautiful temples and shrines, the people we met where a bit more stiff/rude then the rest of the country. ( my wife was called names for being big a few times by people/teenage girls who thought we could not understand Japanese).

Public transport was a bit confusing at first but Google maps will get you all the way where you need to go. Kyoto was the only city where we felt the “need” to take a taxi, because the stuff we wanted to see and do did not line up with public transport all that well. Taxi was not cheap, but compared to Dutch prices, very well worth it!

Trip to Hiroshima / Osaka

14 Nov - Thu Day 6:

Daytrip Osaka, Den Den Town shopping, Ghibli store, eating okonomiyaki in Dotonbori, and visit the monster hunter Cafe. sleep in osaka hotel Sosetsu Grand Fresa Namba.

hotel was fine, a typical “Asian” hotel. Clean room and nice bed,but small bathroom ( for me not enough room to comfortably shower). Right next to the famous street and 5 mins walk form the big running man sing.

Closing thoughts on Osaka:

40 min away and a completely different vibe from Kyoto! Kyoto was all culture, Osaka is where my gaming and Otaku heart started to bloom.

15Nov - Fri Day 7:

Getting on a train from Osaka to Himeji Castle, and here is the first small letdown of the trip.. Don't get me wrong, the catzke looks amazing, I can totally see why people are proud of it. But.. There is littery nothing inside.

I might be way to European for this.. But I would not go again.

Then a shinkansen to Hiroshima, hotel Kuretakeso Hiroshima Otemachi.

Dinner at an really nice tempura place.

Hotel in Hiroshima was almost a carbon copy of the one from Osaka, although there where 2 major diffrances.

1: the people, I have never met such nice staff in my life,big shout out to the staff of this place!

2: here we booked breakfast, and there was a option for unagi breakfast! On my best Japanese ( which is to say almost none haha) i told the old lady I loved eel and thought his eel was also very good! She now knew I liked eel. And.. Kept bringing me extra pieces! ( there was a limit of 3 pieces per person) bless this old lady's heart!

Hiroshima time:

16 Nov - Sat Day 8: breakfast at hotel, Hiroshima peace monument an museum.

Friend we met in Kyoto was also in Hiroshima to visit her parents. Lucky us! Her parents took us out to an okonomiyaki place to proof Hiroshima okonomiyaki was better then the Osaka one. Wel I can say there right! The dinner was amazing!

Back the hotel the misses was poofed and went to sleep early, I went out to get a drink and found this amazing bar! It was a great night and highly recommend anyone to venture out into Hiroshima and have sole fun with the locals!

17 Nov - Sun Day 9: breakfast at hotel, Hiroshima Day trip to Miyajima. Going to the island was breeze because the hotel staff booked a boat ride for us that started in the peace park ( 10 min walk from the hotel).

This island is not to be missed! It has deer again! ( also friendly, although you can't feed them and I think these deer where a bit more used to being petted then the Nara deer). We had some really good cakes/cookies the island is known for.

After that adventure we went out and got some dinner, sushi this time again and bam! When you don't expect it you run into the best places! Super cheap super fresh and delicious sushi!

Closing thought on Hiroshima: Before the trip my wife was a bit low on this city, it was far and she did jot really know what to do except see the peace museum.

Turns out it was one of the best things we did, the people where great, the food was somehow even better and the peace museum and park where made with such reverence and thought that it made me burst into tears. ( this is the only museum in the world where I have cried..)

18 Nov - Mon Day 10: breakfast at hotel, check out and from Hiroshima to Kanazawa by shinkansen to The Hotel Sanraku ( spoiler alert, best hotel of the trip!)

Dinner at a local izakaya that was again, amazing ( it's a theme.. Japan has great food)

Kanazawa 19 Nov - Tue Day 11: explore Kanazawa, Omochi market for breakfast, and this was by far the best market we have been to! 20 times better then those of Kyoto!

kanazawa castle. And kenrokuen garden, the garden is absolutely stunning! Done some shopping and ended the day with an meat restaurant that was oke. For the price we expected a little bit more.

Closing thoughts on Kanazawa:

Kanazawa is a gem! I wish I could have spend more time here. It's everything you will ever want from an Japanese city, amazing market, castle, gardens, food. I could heva spend my whole 3 weeks here and be happy.

Road trip to Tokyo 20 Nov - Wed Day 12: check out and Rent a car at kanazawa station (Toyota rent a car place behind the station)

Kanazawa to Takayama. In Takayama we visit Mura Folk Village and Sanmachi and eat hida beef for lunch.

Another hour's drive to sleep at hotel Kazeya in Kamikochi. Our first real ryokan!

Ryokan was great! Huge room (could say appartement) and had the full kaizakie dinner and breakfast, it was a lot of high quality food. The onsen where amazing and we really took our time to soak5and bathe.

21 Nov - Thu Day 13: breakfast at hotel and check out at 10am, explore Kamikochi with Shinhotaka Ropeway and then off to Matsumoto castle!

Matsumoto was in my humble opinion a way better experience then Himeji. This cake had all kinda of cool stuff inside! Guns and posters and information.

Then a 45 min drive to eat in Yamanochi at hotel Aburaya Tosen! 2e and most beautiful ryokan of the trip!

Again, ryokans are amazing! This one was the most expansive night of the whole trip but we had a private onsen on the balkony of our room. It was heaven! Food was good and we felt like royalty!

22 Nov - Fri Day 14: breakfast at hotel and check out drive to snow monkey parking lot and walk for half an hour to the monkeys that are there from about 10 to 11am,

Small tip: buy the apple pie at the apple pie stand at the parking lot! Best Damm snack I had all holidays!

Then to Nikko, Gableview Forest Inn

Had dinner there at the hotel, and it was again.. Really good haha. The 2 people run if te hotel are total (chatty) sweethearts and the hotel also had a private onsen we did not know about!

23 Nov - Sat Day 15: exploring Nikko, eating at Nikko Guruman's Wagyu in the evening. If you ever have the change to go to this place I would highly recommend you to go! You need someone to call, and make the reservation ( the friendly people in the hotel did it for us!) but this was the second best steak I ever had in my life. 100 procent worth it!

Closing thoughs on Nikko:

Nikko is a dreamy mountain town that is the barrial place of the man who usherd in the edo period. The temples are grand and in the autumn foliage it was magical. Highly recommend going here for atkeast a day but maybe 2.

Tokyo Dreams:

24 nov - Zo Day 16: driving to Tokyo . Gotokuji temple and Capybara café

Check in ar Shiba Park Hotel ( last hotel of the trip) and bringing the car back to the Toyota rental place (at Tokyo Station).

Exploring Tokyo station ( pokemon centers and character street!) and eating some fine sushi.

Closing thoughs on road trip and renting a car:

This turned out to be the best dicission we made. Getting a car and driving into the country really took this trip to the next level. I would highly recommend renting a car in Japan. It's easy, it's not that expansive compared to Europe and you relaly get to see other stuff!

25 nov - Ma Day 17:

started our day by going to Petit Mura catcafé, this place is AMAZING! The best cat Cafe I ever had the pleasure of walking into.at 13:30 we needed to assemble at the station Kichijoji to go to the Ghibli museum via Willer tour, and this was totally worth it! The museum was awesome, small and certainly not build for the amount of people who want to go.. This is why tickets are so hard to get! But going with this tour was worth every yen! Thinking my day could not get any better.. I was not ready for dinner at Corn Valley. This was one of the best dining experiences I ever had.

The food was oké.. Nothing that stood out. But the whole restaurant was in ghibli style! And we reserved a “secret room” and had no idea what it was. We'll it's a room you acces by going trough a secret passage and it's full with ghibly stuff!

The waiter was amazing! She really loved ghibli like we sis and let us pick the music weiked and even got us out fav Characters as giant plushies and put them on the chairs next to us! (shout out to catbus/nekobusu)

26 nov - Di Day 18: at 11.30 brunch bat Zelkova in Shibuya, special eevee brunch! This was fantastic and we where totally under dressed. A lot of people where in full eevee cosplay, or brought there fav eeveelution plushies with them to the brunch hahaha. I wish I brought my flarion plushie!

After this to Meiji shrine en Yoyogi park, and did some shopping at Shibuya/Harajuku

Dinner at

27 nov - Wo Day 19: , azabudai hills was close to our hotel, did teamlab borderless there and saw the gallery with Pokemon art.

28 nov - Do Dag 20: Disney Sea:

Could write up a whole trip report on just Disney sea. We are big theme park fans, and Disney sea was wonderful! If you like theme parks this one is really high on the list of best theme parks in te world.

29 nov - Vr Day 21: Akihabara shopping and arcade games! We spend so much money on the UFO cathers.. We had to buy an extra suitcase to bring all the winnings back home Hahah.

30 nov - Za Day 22: again to akihabara! So much fun! Now with a big extra suitcase back at the hotel.. We bought a lot of extra stuff to take back home. At night we went to Shibuya to go to Lost bar, it's a bar made by one of our favorite YouTuber and it was really nice up there!

1 dec - Zo Day 23.. End of trip.. Going home. Took a taxi to the airport and that was the best disission of that day. I could not fathom going up and down all the stairs with 4 suitcases.

Closing thoughts on Tokyo:

Tokyo is seriously amazing, I think that if you stayed for 3 months you would still see and do things you never did before. Although I loved Tokyo I would strongly recommend anyone who wants to make the trip to see more then just Tokyo.

Don't get me wrong, Tokyo has everything! But.. If you like tempels you really should see Kyoto, Nikko or Nara.

If you are really into anime or pop culture stuff you really should see Osaka.

Tokyo is the place that has everything, but if you want to dive deeper there is so much stuff around that will kock your socks off!

My partner and I recently returned from a two week trip to Japan in mid to late-November 2024. This was a follow up trip for both of us, having previously visited major sights in Tokyo & Kyoto on our first trips. This time around, we wanted to focus on seeing smaller towns, natural scenery, fall foliage, Buddhist sites, architecture, and enjoying seasonal/local foods.

The first leg of the trip was with a rented car in Shikoku, which we continued using in rural Nara prefecture before dropping off in Osaka and using public transit the rest of the way.

Itinerary:

Day 1, Osaka: Arrived at Kansai Airport in the morning via Tokyo Haneda. Stowed luggage in a locker and visited the Osaka Aquarium. My partner really wanted to see the whale shark. We then just ambled around Shinsekai for a bit browse some shops that we on our list before grabbing some okonomiyaki and retiring to our hotel in Dotonbori for the night. Surprisingly, we experienced minimal jetlag coming from east coast US.

Day 2, Osaka > Takamatsu (Shikoku): Moderately long travel day. Picked up our rental car near Osaka Itami Airport and left Osaka en route to Takamatsu. Made a couple stops at Tadao Ando's Hompuku-ji Water Temple on Awaji Island and Naruto Park in Tokushima. We then made our way to Ryozen-ji, which was the first temple on the Shikoku 88-Temple pilgrimage. Spent some time visting and acquiring stamps at the first few temples (all very close to each other in suburban Tokushima), before continuing on to Takamatsu for the evening. The route was around 10am-7pm with about 3.5h of actual driving time. Walked into a random local sushi restaurant that was affordable and quite good.

Day 3, Takamatsu > Art Islands: Early ferry to Naoshima, picked up reserved e-bike and biked through the town to Benesse House Museum and the grounds. Would have loved to spend more time on Naoshima but we had already scheduled the Teshima Museum for the afternoon, and besides many of the Naoshima spots were closed on the day we were there due to poor planning on our part. Around midday, took ferry from Naoshima > Teshima. No bike rental here so we waited a bit to take the bus to Teshima Art Museum. As an architect I knew I wanted to see it but didn't expect enjoy it as much as I did. It's a space that you really need to experience in person to understand. It's closed on Tuesdays, and make sure to reserve tickets beforehand. After our visit we couldn't board the bus due to it being full and had to wait an hour for the last bus back to the port. Ferry back to Takamatsu and had a double dinner of udon, then another local sushi spot.

Fair warning, we were able to visit Naoshima and Teshima on a single day but I honestly wouldn't recommend it. Between the museums, ferry & bus schedules, it would be better to allot at least a full day for each. If you want to try, research ferry times well in advance.

Day 4, Takamatsu > Matsuyama: Breakfast at a random weird cafe near Ritsurin, then visited Ritsurin Garden. Really lovely garden with lots of photogenic moments. Sanuki-udon for lunch, then left Takamatsu. Arrived at Kotohira-gu which I had not realized would be as popular as it is. 1300+ steps to the top. Quite cool as every time you got to a stopping point there was yet another set of stairs off the side leading up the mountain. Walking path was super moody with great views of the town below. We did around 900 steps before giving up due to time constraints. Drove to temple 66, Unpen-ji, and took the cable car up. There was almost no one here except a group of older Japanese pilgrims decked out in full henro gear. Much cooler on top of the mountain, the hundreds of arhat statues everywhere lending the place an otherworldly atmosphere. Had our first glimpse of red foliage. Back down the mountain, then driving on to Matsuyama for the night. Ended up at a restaurant near the station/castle area serving set meals of local sea bream.

Day 5, Matsuyama > Yusuhara > Iya: The detour to Matsuyama was mainly to place us in a better position to drive out to Yusuhara in the morning. While driving the past few days had mainly been on highways and (sub)urban areas, this was our first foray into the rural mountain roads of Shikoku. Yusuhara was on the map due to it containing a bunch of buildings by Kengo Kuma. Visited the library and bridge museum, had lunch at a local restaurant serving pheasant rice. Continued on to Otoyo town near the Iya Valley for our homestay in the mountains (see Accommodations below).

Day 6, Iya Valley: Less hectic travel day. Drove around to a few of the famous sights in Iya. Two vine bridges, one of which was frequented by tour buses and had a disproportionately gigantic visitor's center, one of which...did not. Having done no research on these, I expected them to be a gimmick, but they were actually historically significant bridges for locals in the past, so quite cool. Stopped at the Nagoro scarecrow village, which was creepy, endearing, and sad all at once. Ate deer curry for lunch, then soba at a random shop run by a 97 year old grandma. Cooked some dinner with ingredients from a local mart at the guesthouse.

Day 7, Iya > Yoshino, Nara: Long driving day. We savored the view of the fog rolling through the mountain from our futons in the morning for the last time, then set off from Iya. Made a quick stop at temple 9, Horin-ji, for a quick rest and pick up one last goshuin for the book. On the way thought, since we're driving through Kobe, why not stop by and have Kobe beef for lunch? So we reserved a yakiniku spot last minute and did that, also visiting a Shin Takamatsu building nearby in Sannomiya. Continued on to our guesthouse a few minutes outside of Yoshino in Nara prefecture. The area we were in was full of slivers of towns tracing streams and valleys making it a bit of hassle to get around but overall it was manageable. Googled a random teishoku spot that was open a couple towns over and enjoyed a tasty, filling and cheap meal.

Day 8, Yoshino: Hadn't done a whole lot of research on Yoshino specifically but figured that we should go visit since the area was quite close to the guesthouse. It is one of the most famous spots in Japan for sakura viewing and is typically packed to the brim in March/April. In November? Not so much, but most of the shops were still open for business. The main drag of Yoshino is a single road on top of the mountain lined with quaint shops and famous temples. First stop was Hyotaro for their kakinohasushi (persimmon leaf sushi), which we had asked our host to help us reserve the night before after reading reviews of long lines. Those must have been from spring, as we only saw a few customers at the stall. Among the handful of kakinohasushi we tried, these were the best. Continuing along the road we came to Kinpusen-ji, part of a UNESCO site along with several other religious sites in this region, with the main hall being Japan's second largest wooden building after Todai-ji. Main hall was impressive but the admission price to see inside was kind of steep for someone not familiar with the worship of Zao-gongen. There was a light drizzle as we continued down past sweets and local cedar craft shops. Down a side road to Yoshimizu Jinja, which is apparently devoted to dogs, a few locals had brought their shibes to take pics by the shrine. Coming to the end of the main path on Mt. Yoshino, other paths led to additional shrines and footpaths to other nearby mountains, we decided to turn back and grab some lunch at Yakko. Their autumn set meals consisted of duck soba, local wild vegetables, kakinohashi, and kudzumochi: a light and refreshing meal.

Back down the mountain and through the rapidly misting mountain roads, we stopped at the nearby Tanzan Jinja. A mildly touristed spot, the red leaves and rain were a super atmospheric backdrop to the small shrine complex sitting atop a short flight of steps. As it was mid-afternoon, we decided to start heading back, stopping by a couple of kofun (earthen burial mounds from the 8th c.) on the outskirts of Nara. These weren't that interesting compared to the much larger keyhole-moat kofuns elsewhere. For early dinner we had the remaining kakinohasushi from Hyoutarou, before going to second dinner at Kameya restaurant - a small obanzai spot in the vicinity of Yoshino. Basically just ordered the daily special vegetable menu as we weren't that hungry. Nice owners with whom we chatted a bit with help from google translate.

Day 9, Wazuka & Nara: As tea nerds, we decided to book the d.matcha tour in Wazuka, the tea farming town outside of Uji & Kyoto where most of the actual tea farms producing Uji-famous tea are located, a 1.5h drive from Yoshino. Town and tour were nice - got a primer on all the types of tea produced in the area, walked through a local shrine, tea fields, and production shed, before sampling a bunch of senchas & matchas, plus tea leaf tempura and lunch as part of the tour. The owners, who are first generation tea farmers, have been accumulating farmland from retiring old timers who have no one to pass on their craft to, and have also been involved with refurbishing several old buildings in town as part of an effort to reinvigorate a rapidly aging town.

Decided to stop in Nara city in the afternoon as it was on the road back to Yoshino. First stop was Heijo Palace Park, a massive site in the center of Nara that was the original site of the imperial palace complex back when Nara was still the capital. It was a large but sparse site, with the three gates being recent reconstructions. There was a train line running through a tall grass field right in the middle of the site, an interesting juxtaposition. Coming up to late afternoon, decided to stop by Nara Park. We had visited Todai-ji on a previous trip so we just took it easy and wandered through the grounds as the sun set and throngs of tourists started to dissipate.

Day 9, Koyasan: There are two driving roads up to Koyasan. Do yourself a favor and take the west road. The east road, although scenic and sparse, is slow moving due to single lane switchbacks for 45 minutes straight. Started off on the 'wrong side' from Oku-no-in, a vast cemetery complex home to illustrious figures from Japanese history, plus a shrine to Kukai/Kobo Daishi. Wandering amongst the monuments was super atmospheric, with the old cedars and moss covered graves seeming to continue on endlessly, with splashes of red and yellow foliage sprinkled in. Walking along the long path back to the main road, we decided to start searching for something to eat, and were trying to puzzle out a sign in front of Shojoshin-in when a worker explained that the head monk was about to start a fire purification ritual. Intrigued, we entered the main building and soon enough the monks, nuns, and religious adherents surrounding us started chanting sutras as the space filled with smoke from burning wood charms. We left after about half an hour, deciding to try to Kadohama's famous goma-tofu (sesame tofu). The tofu was arranged in a box set prepared 6 ways and was quite refreshing and tasty. We rounded out the afternoon at the main Shingon temple of Kongobu-ji, and wandered around the imposing structures of the Danjo Garan before retracing our steps back through a darkening Oku-no-in to the car and descending back down the mountain. Dinner was a satisfying teishoku meal of sushi and tempura at a random restaurant in Gojo city halfway between Koyasan and our accommodation.

Day 10, Travel to Kinosaki Onsen: We checked out of our Yoshino guesthouse, and made the drive through Osaka to ITM airport to drop off the rental car. This took an annoying long time due to morning congestion, but we made it in the end. From there, a series of trains within Osaka before boarding the Kinosaki express out to the onsen town. We had spent a bit extra on a nicer ryokan this evening at Kobayashiya, which was a sleek modern take on the ryokan experience. Wandered around the town's central canal for a bit before checking in and receiving our choice of colored yukata and onsen passes. Kinosaki is a renowned onsen town with seven public bathing facilities fed by the nearby mountains. Visitors can purchase day passes to visit any of them, and those staying in accommodation overnight are usually provided with passes to visit any and all of them at their leisure. We went to Goshonoyu bathhouse before dinner. Back at Kobayashiya, we had selected the seasonal snow crab feast (Kinosaki is known for fresh snow crab in the winter) and were filled to the brim with several courses of crab after crab prepared in varying ways. After recuperating for a bit, we visited Ichinoyu bathhouse and strolled around town at night, watching other guests going about in their yukatas and geta.

Day 11, Kinosaki, Amanohashidate, Kyoto: Had an early prepared breakfast at the hotel before using the private in house onsen one last time. We made our way to the station, transferring to the Tango Railway at Toyooka, and reaching Amanohashidate around noon. Grabbed a surprisingly affordable clam and crab-don set meal at a spot in town, and decided to walk the length of the Amanohashidate sand bar and back, because why not? It's always funny to see how the density of people drops off precipitously as you go further and further along these sorts of sites. We were trying to make a 4pm train back to Kyoto, but did have time to take the 5 minute chairlift up to so-called 'Viewland', a hilltop with the iconic overview of Amanohashidate...plus a bunch of amusement park rides???

After a bit of confusion with the limited express tickets that was swiftly resolved by the station attendants, we boarded the Hashidate train down to Kyoto and our hotel. We had made reservations at Nakashimaya, an obanzai joint near Nishiki Market, finishing off at Apotheca bar nearby.

Day 12, Kyoto: We had sort of planned our itinerary on being in Kyoto on the 21st of the month to visit the market at Toji Temple. Upon first glance it seemed disappointingly small, with a lot of cheap junk filling out the small front courtyard. As you progress further however, it ended up being quite a large market, with a good mix of actually nice looking vendors and food stalls mixed in with the mass produced stuff. We spent the whole morning here before taking a cab out west to catch our timeslot at Saiho-ji. This is a temple and garden complex known for its pristine 'moss garden'. All visitors were asked to copy a short sutra in the entrance hall to get you into the right mindstate before entering the garden. This was one of the most beautiful gardens I've been in - the peaceful atmosphere enhanced by the changing autumn leaves and the relative silence that all were asked to adhere to. We had a couple hours to kill until our scheduled tour at Katsura Imperial Villa, so we stopped by a cafe near Saihoji before taking a hour's walk through the neighborhood down to the vicinity of Katsura.

I had a lot of expectations for this visit, but honestly the experience fell a bit flat. While the grounds were undoubtedly pretty, we liked Saihoji and Ritsurin a lot more. The tour was also mixed Japanese & English, with non-Japanese speakers having to listen to a prerecorded audio device while the Japanese tour guide spoke aloud, very distracting. Afterwards we chilled in a quiet area by the Katsura River before heading to dinner at a spot in the vicinity reserved on Google/Tabelog.

Day 13, Kyoto: Breakfast at the friendly Hirarinto cafe, before proceeding on to Tofuku-ji. Lots of people here to see the fall foliage, especially on the famous Tsutenkyo Bridge. We wandered the main grounds for a bit before entering the Hojo (Abbot's Quarters) to view the gardens. This wasn't too big but the checkerboard moss garden was a highlight. Stopping by a tea store on the way, we continued on walking half an hour to Sanjusangen-do. The thousand Kannon statues were awe-inspiring and left a visual impression that I won't forget.

We then headed into Gion with no prior plans for lunch, and walked in to Gion Duck Rice after a brief foray in line at Gion Duck Noodles. Expectation: super simple and cleanly executed duck over rice. Reality: A more complicated set lunch than we'd bargained for. Enjoyed it thoroughly nevertheless.

After lunch we decided to stroll around the area a bit. Nearing the vicinity of Kiyomizu the streetscape grew undoubtedly more iconic old school Kyoto, and so too did the size of the crowds. Having had a rough plan to do some local pottery shopping while in Kyoto, we ducked into Raku Studio Waraku, which someone had pinned to the map a long time ago for some reason or another. In shaky Japanese, I asked the elderly gentleman running the shop whether he accepted card. Yes, he replied, but sensing our apprehension, went to grab his middle aged son who could speak some English to give us an impromptu tour of their studio and kilns out back. We had been eyeing a red matcha bowl decorated with cranes, which they packaged up carefully while serving some matcha and sweets. Continuing on, we stopped at Gion Kitagawa Hanbee for yet more tea, this time in the form of immaculately presented dessert sets and cocktails. A bit pricey but undoubtedly delicious.

Day 14, Kyoto: Bus to Arashiyama around 9 to climb up Monkey Park. Fun spot to chill with the monkeys with an expansive view of Kyoto from above. Coming back down the mass of tourists had really swelled. I've been to popular tourist spots before, but the main drag off of Togetsukyo Bridge in Arashiyama may have been one of the most packed areas I've ever seen. Had a weird encounter with some undercooked pork at a ramen joint a few blocks north, we looped around towards the rear entrance of the famed Bamboo Grove. Having no desire to push through those crowds, we opted to enter Okochi Sando Garden instead. This garden was a bit more claustrophobic (in a good way) compared to the previous gardens we'd visited, but was undoubtedly beautiful with wide expanses of red colored trees. Spent a while copying poetry and appreciating the tranqulity of the 'adult only' pavilion towards the end. Strolled along the Katsura riverbank and crossed back over Togetsukyo Bridge before calling it due to crowds and rain. The remainder of the day was spent browsing the** Nishiki Market area** and doing a bit of last minute shopping before our final dinner at Komatsu Shokudo.

Day 15, Departure: From Kyoto Station, Limo bus to Osaka ITM Airport, via Haneda, then back home.

Accommodation

Some spots we stayed in that stood out -

• Takamotoya (Iwahara, Otoyo Town, near Iya Valley, Shikoku): An old family farmhouse in the mountains run by (I think) the owners of HappyRaft. I booked this via Instagram dm's of all places which I was super hesitant about up until our arrival. It ended up being a young woman renting out part of an old family home to guests. The old house closest to the street was the guesthouse, with her & her grandpa living in two additional houses immediately adjacent. While it was mostly self catered with only the most basic amenities, the house was spacious (especially for two guests) and full of nostalgic character. Slept on tatami on the upper floor with a sliding doors opening straight out onto a majestic view of the valley ahead. We later learned from the owner that she had forgotten the password to the account, so I'm not sure how one would go about booking this. It is near Tosa-Iwahara Station but you'll need a car to access unless you fancy walking an hour up the mountain.

• Guesthouse-Ku (Kuzu Town, near Yoshino, Nara Prefecture): A renovated traditional house featuring 4-5 guest rooms with shared kitchen and bath facilities. This was booked on AirBNB but they may have presence elsewhere. The owner is an architect, but I'm not sure if it was she who designed the space. Very homey and well-designed space with tatami rooms.

• Kobayashiya (Kinosaki Onsen): After doing some research on the area, we opted to splurge a bit on a nice ryokan. Kobayashiya was centrally located right along the canal opposite Ichi-no-yu. They had a variety of room types - we opted for the smaller ground floor garden view suite, with dinner and breakfast, coming out to just over $500 USD. It has a sort of luxury modern meets traditional vibe with a sleek lounge, 3 private onsen rooms, and thoughtful interior design. Meals were served in their attached restaurant which could be accessed from indoors and not in the rooms as is traditional.

Transportation

Driving: I don't have too much to say about this as driving in Japan wasn't too challenging. Other than some rural mountain roads, which are steep, windy, and turn into single lane roads without warning, the roads were well maintained and easy to drive. On the single lane roads, keep an eye out for oncoming traffic using the concave road mirrors which are abundant around blind turns. On some occasions you will need to edge to the side, or back up into a wider area if two cars come to a narrow lane at the same time. On the whole Japanese drivers seemed pretty patient and non-aggressive, which was a breath of fresh air coming from an area of the US where drivers are ..not.

Gas stations are easy to find, and vary between full-service and self-service.

Highway tolls were significant, especially on Honshu. When leaving Osaka it seemed like we were getting tolled 1100, 1200, 1500 JPY every 20-30 minutes. Get the ETC transponder with your rental. For 9 days of driving, total tolls were a hefty 21,000JPY (~$140 USD).

Trains: We didn't take any Shinkansen on this trip. We had been paranoid about booking some of the regional trains in advance, but probably could've just purchased the tickets at the departure stations the day of without much issue.

That being said, for all of the great things said about Japanese rail, we found it quite a hassle to navigate in advance online.

• Looking up schedules with Navitime felt extremely clunky compared to apps I've used in other countries.
• North of Kyoto many of the rails were run by the non-JR Tango Railway, whose online presence was difficult to find, and online ticketing impossible. This presented an issue when we were trying to book travel to Amanohashidate, where parts of the leg were JR and others were Tan-Tetsu. Not being familiar with the system and not wanting to miss the train we reserved the JR legs (to our knowledge) in advanced, then tried to figure out the Tan-Tetsu portion at the respective stations. In the end we realized we needn't have worried, as you could just purchase tickets and seat reservation that included both railways at the departing station office.

Food

Won't speak too much on this as I'm no great food writer. We didn't make any reservations except for a few nights in Kyoto. Mostly tried to find what the local specialty was and have that if possible. If we came across somewhere while walking we'd do a quick Google & Tabelog check to make sure it wasn't awful. All meals we had were good to great, and all at reasonable prices (obviously the favorable exchange rate helps). The baseline price-to-quality ratio of sushi makes me want to cry.

Budget

For 15 days, two people:

Mostly within expectation, though food came out a bit lower than expected, and everything associated with the car rental was more than expected.

Overall, we had an amazing time, but would have liked a few additional days to better savor the places we visited. Shikoku in particular could have used 3-4 extra days. Autumn was a great time to visit weather wise.

I traveled with my husband and a group of friends over Jan/Feb '24 for four weeks and just thought I'd share my experiences (even if basic and repetitive) just in case it comes in handy for anyone. (Splitting it into cities because it's too long.) We're planning to go again next year so if there's anything glaringly obvious that we didn't do this time around please let me know!

Writing all of this down makes it seem like it was very chaotic and busy but it didn't feel that way at all! We figured this time of year wasn't too busy so we didn't make much of an effort to get to hot spots super early. We didn't feel like our days were crammed and there felt like a lot of downtime.

15th-20th January 2024 Osaka

E-sim: Airalo - had absolutely no problems the whole trip

Train card: ICOCA from train station at KIX

JR Pass: Opted not to get one

Hotel: FL Hotel Dotonbori

Weather: Coming from Australia I have never felt such bone chilling coldness in my life. On our first night even layered up with a thick winter coat I could barely stand it. I think I acclimatized very quickly though as I don't recall feeling that cold ever again even in the snow.

Day 1:

• Flew to KIX from our layover in Singapore (landed around 3:40pm). Even though we didn't sleep on our red eye and it was a long tiring journey, I feel like we made the most of our first evening.
• Explored Dotonbori after checking in and nervously inspected restaurants struggling to find the courage to walk into one.
• Dinner: Yakiniku + Highballs - 10/10
• After dinner we walked along the river ogling the street food
• Snacks:
  • Custard taiyaki from Naruto Taiyaki Hompo - 10/10
  • 10 yen coin from a small vendor along the river - 10/10

Day 2:

• Kuromon market: 10:00am - no lines for anything
  • Strawberry Daifuku - 3/10 not for me. I discovered by the end of the trip I don't like mochi so take this with a grain of salt. This was also the first and last time I tried red bean and I didn't like it. It was cold though so I wonder if I'd prefer it warm perhaps in a taiyaki
  • Grilled unagi - 10/10
  • Grilled wagyu from Manno - 10/10
• Went to Namba parks to stock up on thermals from Uniqlo
  • Noteable purchase: Pokemon uno cards from Toys R Us (unique rules)
• Nambayasaka Shrine: 1:00pm - Only a few people around
• Window shopped at Shinsaibashi and accidentally found the Pokemon store
• Caught the bus to Shinsekai and walked around. Loved the atmosphere!
• Dinner: Kushikatsu Janjan - 6/10
  • We randomly selected this place on the main strip and while it wasn't amazing, we had lots of fun ordering the different types of fried skewers and trying the different highball flavours. The atmosphere was amazing as the sun set and the street came to life.
  • It does have poor reviews online saying it's a tourist trap but we were pretty happy
• We then found a place where you could pay a sum for unlimited play of the market games without the ability to win a prize. We were the only ones there and perhaps it was a tourist trap. But we had so much fun with the throwing stars, archery and the pellet guns.
• Headed to Round 1 which was a lot of fun
• On our way back to the hotel we accidentally stumbled upon Hozenji yokocho which looks so nice at night
• Snack: takoyaki in Dotombori at Hachimaru Takoyaki - 7/10 (I've never been a huge fan)

Day 3: Universal day - bought express passes.

• Arrived at 8:00am and lined up until 9:00am
• Had timed entry for Nintendo with our tickets later in the day but managed to get the free timed entry for just after 9am. We had to line up to get in and it was already packed!
• Yoshi ride: 30min wait - managed to fail the mini game for children. Cute but skippable if you're facing a huge wait time.
• Snack: Yoshi bun thing with spaghetti in it or something? 5/10
• Hogwarts: 11:00am not too busy
• Butterbeer: Not what I expected, very syrupy and sweet 4/10
• Mario Kart ride: 12pm - Express pass 45min wait. Loved it!
• Minions simulated roller coaster: 1:00pm - 40min wait. Not going to lie, I screamed and almost cried. It would be really fun for people who actually like rides.
• Spiderman: 2pm - Express pass 20min wait - way too scary for me
• Parade: 2:30pm
• Water show: 3:00pm - Sit in the splash zone!
• Flying Dinosaur: 4:00pm - Express pass - 20min wait. I sat this one out because I couldn't even handle minions. Friends loved it.
• Snack: turkey leg 10/10
• Forbidden Journey: 4:30pm Express pass - 20min wait - Amazing ride 10/10 only suffered a little bit
• 3 broomsticks: others got some food, I ordered Gillyweed water curiously, felt dumb when I received a normal bottle of water.
• The Hippogriff: 5:00pm - at least 1 hour wait - you betcha I screamed. The line for this weaves through the forest around Hagrids hut and at night time with the lanterns it was so beautiful.
• Dinner: Kura Sushi - 7/10. Fun experience trying all the sushi. Good quality for a sushi train but obviously not the best sushi you could get. Fun minigame with the chance to win a capsule toy by submitting your plates.

Day 4:

• Breakfast: 551 Horai pork buns 12/10! We did not have this enough! I was so sad when we were leaving for Tokyo knowing I could never get it again
• Umeda: Window shopping, ogled the food at Hanshin department store and I regret not buying anything!
• Lunch: Found a restaurant at the train station and ordered a set meal of karaage and tamagoyaki with a raw egg yolk over rice 9/10 struggled to eat it all
• Osaka castle: 2pm - not busy at all. Spent an hour exploring
• Amerikamura: visited on the way home having done no research beside knowing it was a place people go. Saw some cute street art but it didn't look like there were many shops open. It was a bit of a ghost town. Maybe we went too late in the day?
• Bar Nayuta: 5pm - a hidden bar where you have to crawl through a tiny door. No menu - just give the bartender your preferences and they'll whip up a unique cocktail. I didn't warn my husband and he asked for a gin and tonic and was told no by the bartender with a blank stare. Awkward. Our "sweet and fruity" request got us a tasty mango concoction and "creamy and spiced" resulted in something reminiscent of a brandy alexander. We could have stayed here all night but there were no prices so we feared the bill. We checked out after 2 drinks each and the bill was only 7000 yen (roughly $17.50 AUD per drink which is CHEAP for us)
• Dinner: Okonomiyaki at a family run restaurant - 10/10. We loved the whole experience of sitting around the hot plate watching a father daughter team whip up our meal right in front of us. This was the best okonomiyaki we had the whole trip!
• Went to Misono Namba and found a Nintendo bar and played a few old favourites while drinking lemon sours. Went to 1942 bar and made some Japanese friends!
• Late night snack: McDonalds - pepper nuggets 8/10, teriyaki chicken and beef burgers 6/10 but I'm not a teriyaki gal

Day 5: Kobe day trip

• China Town Kobe: 10am ghost town
  • Sokepaotsukan - I think it was closed because we had to settle for pork buns somewhere else and they weren't mind blowing.
  • Tanghulu grapes 4/10 the grapes had no flavour outside the sugar coating
• Walked around the port
• Lunch: Tor Road Steak Aoyama 1:30pm - 12/10 amazing teppanyaki experience with Kobe beef. The chef was a great entertainer and the food was exquisite. Book well in advance!
• Ropeway to Nunobiki Herb Garden 3:00pm - beautiful views, had honey ice cream 10/10, enjoyed the greenhouse and enjoyed the view as we soaked our feet in the foot onsen. We walked through the gardens to the second stop of the ropeway. On the way we enjoyed relaxing in some hammocks. The whole time we saw maybe three family's, it was so peaceful and quiet.
• Dinner: Headed back to Osaka, tired we walked into the first place we came across that didn't have a line. Men'ya Douton (Tsukemen restaurant). 3/10 - The broth just wasn't nice in my opinion, and my husband who has the lowest standards on the planet didn't even like it. I thought maybe we just found a bad place but seeing the glowing reviews online I think it was just us.

Day 6: Checked out of our hotel and headed to Kyoto

Hi All,

This sub really helped me plan and prepare for my trip to Japan, so I wanted to add some of my own tips in order to help others plan as they embark on their own travel adventure. Some items to note: I was in Japan this past October/November 2024. The tips/recommendations are derived from my experience and are just my opinions! To each his own. Now with that out of the way: I'm going to catalog my recommendations so you can skip sections you aren't interested in. Happy Travels!

A Couple Chill Areas to Stay in Tokyo

You are doing your research on where to stay in Tokyo and you are not sure the hustle and bustle of Shinjuku or Shibuya is for you. If you would like to step out of your hotel and stay somewhere a little less crowded, yet still have good train access and great food nearby, I recommend Asakusa. You get fantastic food (and shopping!) and you are still in a good area for accessing the rest of Tokyo, It also has good access from Narita Airport. Another area to check out would be Ebisu. It's the southernmost part of Shibuya Ward and also chill/less touristy. You also get an amazing amount of izakayas, restaurants and bars. You'll eat and drink well.

Get the Suica Card!

Talk about convenience. Before I left for Japan, I downloaded the digital card to the Apple Wallet on my Iphone and loaded 5,000 yen (~$33 USD). The entire trip I paid via Suica for my train/subway rides and anytime I went to a 711/Lawson's (frequent!). If you take a limited express train, you'll need a second ticket to purchase a reserved seat - you can pay for that with Suica as well. I always used the ticket counters to speak with an attendant. Made life easy. Also very easy to top off your digital card anytime.

You don't have to open your phone when you scan your digital Suica!

Going through a turnstyle at the train station? Just point your phone screen-down and it will register!

Lost at a train station? Ask an attendant.

By the turnstyles of almost every train/subway station I went to, there was a small room adjacent to the turnstyles and an attendant present. Be a good world traveler and learn how to say 'excuse me' in Japanese (Sumimasen) and they are more than willing to help you find your way. Also, if you walked into the wrong station (not the train line you thought you needed), that attendant can also help you get a refund and let you out. I know this because it happened to me. Ha.

Don't be afraid to get a cup of coffee at 711.

Scenario: It is 6am and you are wide awake. No one else in your party is. Coffee shops generally don't open until 11am. YOU NEED COFFEE NOW. Go get a cup at 711. It is pretty damn decent! Go up to the cashier and tell them exactly what you want (coffee, latte). Then go use the machine. Pretty easy to figure the machine out, but if you stand there long enough looking confused, someone is going to help you out.

Hiking Recommendation #1 - Choishi Michi Trail (Hike to Koyasan)

Koyasan was a highlight of the trip. Buddhist temple overnight stays, meditating with the monks, being served traditional vegetarian meals - what's not to like?

You can find plenty of info on the town on this sub. My goal is to let you know you can hike there via the Choishi Michi Trail. After debating a few options, we got off the train at Ki-Hosokawa because it allowed us about 4 hours (with stops) to complete the hike to the Daimon Gate at the edge of Koyasan. You can easily find trail maps of the area online. It was fall weather when we completed this hike - please check around online for seasonal/weather considerations.

Hiking Recommendation #2 - Ten-en Hiking Course - Kamakura

Great day trip from Tokyo and a great little hike in the hills down to town. Again, plenty of sites out there to get you aquainted with the area. If you decide to go for it, here's the route we followed:

Starting point: https://maps.app.goo.gl/uqZCUh1867x2RX81A We took the Ten'en Hiking Course trail to Zuisenji. That takes about an hour. If you do that, instead of turning back to come out the way you went in, you can walk through town to Kamakura Station or the beach. On our way to the station once leaving the trail at Zuisenji, we found the most amazing bakery: Mon Peche Mignon. It's about 20 min from Zuisenji. You won't be disappointed if you find it! You've got a 10 min walk from the bakery to the station. From the station, it's a 20 min walk to the beach. Definitely worth checking out and watching the surfers. Again, all seasonal dependent - I was there in early November.

Tennis in Osaka, anyone?

Yep this tip is hyper specific! If you are looking to play some tennis in Osaka, go to the Utsubo Tennis Center. They take reservations for court time and you can rent both racquets and shoes. They are very friendly and there are a lot of courts there.

Final Tip - Explore!

Don't plan all of your meals in advance. Go wander around and see what looks and smells good! You'll probably have one of your best meals/experiences this way. Easter egg if you're still reading: Check out the izakayas near Nakano Station in Tokyo!

My wife and I (31F & 31M) are in the process of finalizing our itinerary for a 21 day trip to Japan. This will be our first time traveling to Japan and we've booked it in the middle of winter (20th of Jan to the 10th of Feb).

I will preface this by saying that Japan has been a life long dream of mine for as long as I can remember. So I've been having difficulty planning this to not overwhelm/spread ourselves too thin, but also to try and make the most of our time, so I would appreciate some scrutiny on this and would be open to any suggestions.

We're not afraid of a lot of walking (25,000+ steps per day) and outside of the usual shrines, temples, castles, parks, deer, general tourist stuff, we each specifically want to visit things like the Ghibli Park in Nagoya, Nintendo Museum in Kyoto, Honda showroom in Motegi, and the Cup Noodle Museum in Osaka.

This is the outline of what we have so far. I'm concerned that we have potentially over invested time in Kyoto/Tokyo here and have not allocated enough time to other places. For example, is spending a night in Hakone worth while? Or is it better spent as a day trip?

Our other consideration is weather. In Australia, it's about to be our summer while in Japan it will be their winter. Given that it will be the cold season and I believe the off peak tourist season, is there any area that we should skip or even look in to based on this?

20/01/2025 (Day 1)

• Land in Narita at approximately 6 PM, JST, from Melbourne, Australia.
• Setup eSIM and Suica card.
• Take public transport to the hotel (in Roppongi, Shinjuku, or Shibuya—TBD).
• Grab easy fast food like Yoshinoya, Ichiran Ramen, or a FamilyMart bento.
• Light exploration nearby (e.g., Roppongi Hills, Shinjuku Omoide Yokocho, or Shibuya Scramble).

21-22/01/2025 (Day 2 & 3) — Tokyo Highlights

1. Meiji Shrine: A tranquil forested shrine near Harajuku.
2. Harajuku: Explore Takeshita Street (fashion and sweets) and Omotesando (high-end shops).
3. Imperial Palace: Visit the East Gardens (closed Mondays and Fridays).
4. Shibuya: Walk the Shibuya Scramble Crossing, visit Shibuya Sky observation deck.
5. Shinjuku: Explore Kabukicho (neon nightlife), Golden Gai (small bars), and Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building (free views).
6. Akihabara: Dive into anime, gaming, and gadgets; check out Mandarake or Super Potato.

23/01/2025 (Day 4) — Day Trip to Nikko

• Take the train to Nikko (departing at 7 AM).
• Visit Toshogu Shrine, Shinkyo Bridge, and Rinnoji Temple.
• Explore Kegon Falls and Lake Chuzenji if time allows.
• Return to Tokyo by 9 PM.

24/01/2025 (Day 5) — Day Trip to Motegi

• Depart at 7 AM.
• Visit the Honda Collection Hall at Twin Ring Motegi.
• Explore the Motegi Town area if time permits.
• Return to Tokyo by 6 PM.

25/01/2025 (Day 6) — Hakone

• Travel to Hakone and check into the hotel.
• Visit Hakone Shrine and Lake Ashi.
• Ride the Hakone Tozan Railway and Hakone Ropeway for views of Mt. Fuji.
• Relax in an onsen (hot spring).

26/01/2025 (Day 7) — Nagoya

• Travel to Nagoya and check into the hotel.
• Spend the day at Studio Ghibli Park (advance tickets required).
• Light exploration in Nagoya Station area or Osu Shopping Street.

27/01/2025 (Day 8) — Kanazawa

• Travel to Kanazawa and check into the hotel.
• Visit Kenrokuen Garden (one of Japan’s top gardens).
• Tour Kanazawa Castle and nearby Nagamachi Samurai District.
• Explore the Higashi Chaya District (traditional teahouses).

28/01 - 04/02/2025 (Day 9-16) — Kyoto Base with Day Trips

• Kyoto Highlights:
  • Fushimi Inari Shrine (thousands of torii gates).
  • Kinkaku-ji (Golden Pavilion) and Ryoanji Temple.
  • Arashiyama Bamboo Grove and Monkey Park Iwatayama.
  • Visit the Nintendo Museum in Uji (pre-book tickets).
• Day Trip to Nara:
  • Visit Todai-ji Temple, Nara Park (deer), and Kasuga Taisha Shrine.
• Day Trip to Osaka:
  • Explore Dotonbori, Osaka Castle, and the Cup Noodle Museum in Ikeda.

05-07/02/2025 (Day 17-18) — Hiroshima and Miyajima

• Hiroshima Highlights:
  • Peace Memorial Park, Atomic Bomb Dome, and Hiroshima Castle.
• Miyajima:
  • Visit the iconic Itsukushima Shrine and Mount Misen (ropeway or hike).

08-10/02/2025 (Day 19-21) — Back to Tokyo

• Return via Shinkansen.
• Explore missed attractions like Asakusa (Senso-ji Temple), Ueno Park, or Odaiba.
• Last-minute shopping at Ginza, Ikebukuro Sunshine City, or Nakamise Street.
• Rest before the flight back home to Australia.

My wife and I travelled to Japan from late October to mid-November. We stayed 9 days in Tokyo, 6 days in Kyoto. We don't drink or club. We enjoy video games and our childhood animes, but are not active weebs today. We like to hike and try new foods and just explore!

Here is my overall advice, suggestions, etc. from our perspective

Pokémon Cafe: Don't pay scalpers for a reservation, you're being part of the problem that ultimatly the pokemon cafe needs to fix. I had alarm set for 3 AM every morning month before my trip fighting bots to get a reservation for 2 solid weeks and never got a thing. However, I was luckily enough to book a reservation the night before.. so while in Japan check nightly (~9-10 PM) to see if any kind people had cancelled their reservation for the following day. I saw this alot monitoring open slots back home and it worked while I was there!

Retro Video game shopping: Its true... the retro game shopping in Japan is too played out to get a solid deal in Tokyo/Osaka/(Kyoto?). You need to be outside Tokyo/big cities for a deal. If this is one of your top to do items in Japan, expect to travel ~2 hours outside of Tokyo to get some good deals. I am not a reseller; I bought for my own collection and had a lot of fun and it was one of my favorite experiences. There were a couple things I couldn't find in the out skirts that I was willing to pay the "Akihabara" price for which was still 20% cheaper than buying on ebay.

Nakano Broadway: this place is kind of dead... it's true that it is all Mandarake stores but its all wiped clean of good stuff. I felt like I was more in a Mandarake distribution warehouse than an actual shopping mall... not worth going IMO.

Nara Park: Was an awesome experience my favorite part of all of Japan. The deer are so gentle and sweet as long as you are not an idiot. only show one biscuit at a time, hide the rest in your pocket or backpack and feed one deer at a time and keep on moving, you will be totally fine. The only people I saw got bit or headbutted were the ones screaming, running, and flailing an entire handful of biscuits.

Kyoto: This might be the most controversial portion.... I highly regret staying in Kyoto. I used Kyoto as my main location to travel to and from Osaka and Nara, I wish I had stayed in Osaka and travelled into Kyoto for a 2 or 3 days max. Kyoto was hell, it didn't feel like Japan, its 95% tourist. Most of the Tourist walk around like they are Kim and Kanye, which makes it easy to see why the locals don't want you there and they make it clear enough that you don't want to be there. Nothing is translated (which is fine, just an FYI), there is really only bussing to get around locally which is overcrowded, slow, and literally painful. many of the restaurants have "no foreigners" signs. Every shrine, temple, castle was just a tourist trap into a shopping mall which really drains the "sacredness" of the place.

TL;DR Kyoto is a tourist trap with a complicated relationship to foreigners.

Osaka: Felt like a grungy Tokyo... was cool to check out the Dotonbori district, Osaka castle. If you spent a lot of time in Tokyo, you wont need a lot of time in Osaka (and probably true in reverse).

Flight home: Why did everyone take their shoes off? Please stop this.. I had to smell the most gnarly feet for my 10 hour flight coming home. I wanted to talk to the person who took their shoes off to please put them back on, but as far as my eyes could see... everyone had their shoes off.. We wanted to vomit the entire flight.

Hotels: We stayed in business hotels (~$60/night) in both Tokyo and Kyoto. We are fairly small people and boy these rooms were small. They are smaller than cruise ship rooms and bathrooms. Only one person could be up doing something at a time while the other had to be on the double sized bed, or in the bathroom. If you are 2 people traveling together and you are larger you will probably feel cramped.

Buy the Welcome Suica: This thing did it all... we even had our high speed train tickets loaded onto it. Please buy it as soon as you land at the airport. I had some buddies of mine that I met up with that did not buy the card and they were having a hard time getting around. It just makes your life easier.

My wife and I will be traveling to Japan for 2 weeks in January 2025, and would appreciate any thoughts on our itinerary so far (4.5 days in Tokyo, 4 days in Kyoto, 3.5 days in Hakuba). We are in our mid 30s, active and our interests are anything culinary related (we are adventurous eaters), nightlife (upscale/dive/karaoke bars, clubs, live music, DJs), art (wife is more into historical, I am is more into modern), shopping, and physical activities. We are trying to find a balance between having open time to wander and explore, and ticketed activities and experiences that we plan ahead of time. We don't like to have a jam packed schedule and we aren't diehard about going to the tourist hot spots. We'd like to mostly take public transport but will pay for a taxi if it makes sense for time/convenience. We're planning on taking the bullet train between the three cities.

Tokyo

- Friday half day - we land in the afternoon, so we were planning to ship luggage, get to our hotel in Shinjuku - Galois Hotel Shinokubo, check in and relax and eat somewhere casual around our hotel and then go out in Golden Gai or Shibuya; any bar recs? We have a few saved on our Google Maps - Studio Mule, INC Cocktails, Bar Trench, New York Bar, 8bit Cafe, ArtBar Shuten-Doji, Ace's Music Salon, Dystopia Bar Karma, Decabar, Bar Flapper, Karaoke Darts Bar.

- Saturday full Day 1 - explore Shibuya; visit Harajuku neighborhood, Cosme, take pics in a photo booth, go to the 3 story Daiso, Tower Records, Meiji Shrine. Our friend did a tea ceremony at Sakurai Tea Shop so we are considering booking a slot in the afternoon. Then head to an observation deck over Shibuya Crossing around sunset, have dinner in Shibuya, and go out that evening - looking for more of a club vs bar; clubasia and Space are on our list.

- Sunday Day 2 - visit the Asakusa neighborhood, eat street food, take a river cruise (we haven't booked one yet, but we are more interested in this than the Skytree), explore the Sensoji Temple and Thunder Gate, a friend recommended Hatsu Ogawa restaurant for dinner.

- Monday Day 3 - sumo day! Schedule a lunch at Yokozuna Tonkatsu and then go to the Sumo Tournament at Ryogoku Kokugikan after. We're debating if doing the lunch before the sumo tournament is too much and if we should just do the tournament. The lunch starts at 1330 and is over at 1500 and from what I've researched, the tournament starts to heat up around 1400 and goes until 1800. So if we hustle over to the stadium (10 min car) we can watch from 1530 - 1800. If this seems like too much then we can axe the lunch and just go to the tournament. After the tournament, go to dinner in Roppongi (some recs we got are Isana Sushi, Toricho, Warayakia, Oak Door).

- Tuesday Day 4 - teamLab Borderless in the morning, lunch at the Savoy Tomato and Cheese, then open afternoon/evening - any recs here for neighborhoods or places to explore that I haven't mentioned?

*If we wake up early enough one day, we were thinking of going to the Toyosu fish market to catch a tuna auction and have sushi for breakfast - we'd want to be there by 5:30AM; we're morning people but this is early on vacation, but we figured if we are jet-lagged and awake we could try (closed on Sunday)

Kyoto

I really wanted to take a day trip to Hiroshima but I wasn't sure if that was trying to squeeze in too much since we only have 3 full days in Kyoto. We don't want to spend the entire time at temples as that is not our thing, but we definitely wanted to see the Arashiyama Bamboo Forest and Fushimi Inari.

- Wednesday Day 1 - take the bullet train to Kyoto, we are staying at the Ace Hotel. We will leave Tokyo in the morning so we have the afternoon to check in and explore around the area. Ramen lunch at the train station at Honke Daiichi Asahi, walk along the Kamo River/Pontocho Park, have a drink on the river at the Ritz Carlton, dinner in the area (we saved Gion Mikaku but there's tons of options and open to recs) and visit the Yasaka Shrine at night.

- Thursday Day 2 – Visit Fushimi Inari in the morning, arrive between 6-7AM and spend ~2 hours then head to breakfast/lunch tour at Nishiki Market, which is a ~3 hour experience; open afternoon to rest or explore near the hotel, open dinner.

- Friday Day 3 – Visit Arashiyama Bamboo Forest between 6-7AM and spend ~2 hours there; we’ve found self-guided walking tours posted online that we will likely follow. We aren’t sure what to do with the rest of this day; there aren’t any more must-see attractions on this side of town, so we are open to recommendations for other things to do in the area. I found a train/river boat tour that looks like it could be interesting, but I am not sure if they will be open and touring in January, and they had a fatal accident occur last year (Hozugawa River Boat Ride).

The only other experience that I want to do is a Geisha performance/tea ceremony at Maikoya in Gion, which is ~1 hour long. They have 1600 or 1730 time slots, so we could do this in the afternoon on Friday after Arashiyama, or we could do this on Saturday.

- Saturday Day 4 – This was the day I was thinking of going to Hiroshima, but am re-thinking if that is too much to fit in and if we’re cutting our time in Kyoto too short. We don’t have any other must see/do items, so this could be an open day to explore our saved Google Map locations.

Hakuba

We are staying at the Hakuba Tokyu Hotel and planning to snowboard Monday/Tuesday/Wednesday. We both have large tattoos that can only be covered with clothing; I checked with our hotel and they require tattoos to be covered at the onsen. I can't find a lot of info on this but we have swimwear/rashguards we could wear to cover them, but it seems like onsens are typically nude/no clothing allowed - so that might not be an option? We're willing to book and pay for a private onsen as we will want to do that after a long day on the mountain - any tattoo friendly/private recommendations would be appreciated.

- Sunday will be a travel day as Kyoto to Hakuba is ~6 hours on the bullet train and buses, check in to hotel and relax.

- Monday/Tuesday/Wednesday - the Hakuba Tokyu hotel is a shuttle stop for transportation to the mountains so we plan to use that to get around. We will be spending the majority of our days on the mountain, so we only need dinner plans each night - many of the restaurants in the area seem to cater to tourists, so if anyone has more local/authentic recommendations, that would be awesome.

Tokyo

- Thursday morning we will bullet train ~ 4hours back to Tokyo for our last night in Japan; we are staying at the Mesm Tokyo near Ginza. We are leaving this afternoon/evening open as we will probably be tired and sore from the mountains.

- Friday our flight departs at 1745 so we have the morning to explore before heading home.

Appreciate if you read all of this and we’re so excited for our trip!

Caveat that this is a long post but I hope it’s useful for folks! My partner and I like to travel with very packed itineraries and I’m very type A so I plan most things down to the hour. It was his first time but I’d been to Japan before, so I have experience in navigation etc. It also helps that I’m Chinese so I can read kanji which helps a ton with menus and signs etc. Also we’re from New York City so we’re used to public transportation and walking everywhere - that being said, my feet were still sore after the first two days. We spent 6 full days in Tokyo, Lake Kawaguchiko & Kyoto. Note that all prices below are for the two of us! —

Day 1/Arrival: Arrived HND at 5:25 and took public transportation to my friend’s apartment - arrived ~7:30. Took a quick shower and nap, and left around 9:30 to explore the area. Quick coffee stop and walked around the Waseda area. Headed to an omakase tempura lunch (shunkeian arakaki, Michelin 1 star) in the Tsukiji area. Lunch was amazing and lasted ~2 hours, easily top 10 meals of my life ($305). Then did harajuku, Meiji shrine, and shibuya crossing. Went back to friend’s apartment and finished the day with an easy 7-11 dinner (plus was still waaay stuffed from lunch).

• Steps: 22k
• Spend: $21 transportation, $325 food

Day 2: Headed to Tsukiji for brunch; it was super crowded and we were there for ~2 hours ($40). Wanted to go to the national museum but it was closed (bad planning on my part). Headed to Asakusa / Sensoji - walked around for ~1hr. Wanted to go to the imperial palace gardens but was also closed! Did the Korakuen instead ($4, which turned out great - they had a little stamp scavenger hunt in the park and you ended up with a beautiful postcard souvenir), then Akihabara, and then Tokyo City View ($22) in Roppongi. Went to Ginza for a little shopping appointment (we got his wedding band!) then finished off the day with a sukiyaki dinner at Kisoji ($87).

• Steps: 27k
• Spend: $17 transportation, $147 food, $26 sightseeing

Day 3: quick taxi ride ($25) to Tokyo station before hopping on the bus ($30) to Lake Kawaguchiko. We took a taxi as I just had zero desire to navigate morning rush hour commute with two carry-on suitcases. Took the sightseeing red line bus directly from the train station to our hotel (Ubuya) and dropped our luggage off. Weather was awful with no Fuji in sight. Did the ropeway ($13, which was silly in hindsight because there was nothing to see), maple corridor, and oishi park. Wanted to go to the kubota itchiku museum but closed (again). Checked into the hotel around 15:00 and spent time in the hot springs / chilled in the hotel lounge for the rest of the afternoon. Dinner was served at 18:50 - it wasn’t bad, but I was expecting slightly better food to be honest. The whole day was a slight bummer due to not being able to see Fuji, but the hot springs really cured my sore body/ feet.

• Steps: 6k
• Spend: $73 transportation, $18 food, $13 sightseeing, $452 hotel (1 night, inclusive of 2 meals for 2 people)

Day 4: woke up at 6:00 and lo and behold, the mountain!! For those of you debating whether Ubuya is worth it or not, it IS. This view from our bedroom was just insane, I easily stared out the window for 30 minutes. Went for a quick morning hot spring dip, then breakfast. Again - wasn’t bad, but expected slightly better. Checked out at 9:30 and the hotel shuttled us to the train station where we stored our suitcases ($6), then hopped on the train to shimoyoshida for arakurayama sengen park. Spent ~1.5 hours there, got amazing pics, then train-ed back to Kawaguchiko. Got on our bus ($30) to Mishima from there, then transferred to the Shinkansen at Mishima ($140). Everything was seamless and easy and before we knew it we were in Kyoto! Quick subway ride to our hotel (the new Four Points Flex - it’s clean and new but beware that it’s TINY! Staff were super nice though). Walked to a conveyer belt sushi place nearby ($27, food was nothing to write home about, but I love the concept), then a 20 min subway ride to Fushimi Inari Tasha. It’s indeed way less crowded at night, but deeper into the temple it started to get a bit creepy. Subwayed home and PTFO’d.

• Steps: 16k
• Spend: $186 transportation, $39 food, $6 luggage storage, $215 hotel (2 nights, no meals)

Day 5: late start today! We left the hotel around 9:30 and took a taxi ($13) to kiyomizu-dera. It was super crowded with a bunch of students on field trips. Spent ~1hr there, then walked around in the small streets of Gion. Waited ~20 min in line for Gyukatsu Katsugyu ($33, good and honestly well priced!), then took a long bus ride to Kinkaku-ji. Again, sooo many people but this temple was beautiful! Totally worth it. Spent ~1hr there ($6), then took a bus to the manga museum. Slightly overpriced tickets ($15) but was pretty cool - we missed out on slots for a manga-style portrait though (sad). 10 min walk back to hotel, then rested for a bit before heading to Nishiki Market and Pontocho. Had dinner at a great little izakaya in the alleys (kokodonemo, $44), then walked back to our hotel.

• Steps: 20k
• Spend: $18 transportation, $85 food, $21 sightseeing

Day 6: checked out of our hotel and left our luggage there, then took a train to arashiyama for the bamboo forest and tenryu-ji. Didn’t end up going into the temple but spent ~1hr in the bamboo forest / surrounding area. Quick stop at the rilakkuma cafe and the miffy cafe (obsessed with both, honestly), and enjoyed a fish cake snack by the river. Took a bus to Nijo Castle ($17) which was super cool to see for those of us who enjoyed watching Shogun on Hulu. Walked 20 min back to our hotel with a family mart fried chicken pit stop on the way. Scored two pairs of adidas sneakers for $50 total on a Black Friday sale, then collected our luggage and made our way back to Kyoto station. Shinkansen-ed to Tokyo ($186), got back to the apartment, and went for a quick dinner at a popular student spot nearby. Re-packed and got ready to depart the next day.

• Steps: 19k
• Spend: $199 transportation, $50 food, $17 sightseeing

Day 7/Departure: that’s all folks! If you’ve made it this far, thanks for reading 😂 public transport back to HND for our morning flight out!

• Steps: 3k
• Spend: $9 transportation

— Spending summary

• Actual shopping (ie things I needed and were cheaper in Japan than in the US): $2165 (95% of this was wedding band which is irrelevant to the trip)
• Food: $664
• Accommodation: $640 (3 nights)
• Distance transportation: $386
• Meals I invited my friend to to thank her for hosting us: $196
• Local transportation: $137
• Sightseeing: $77
• Misc: $26 (e-sim, luggage storage, etc)
• Gifts for family & friends: $28
• Random shopping (ie things I didn’t need): $24
• Not including flight prices here as our tickets included onward flights to china

Overall it was a great trip and I’m super grateful to have had a friend who we could stay with in Tokyo and leave our larger suitcase with. Suica made transportation super easy and 8G of data on Airalo across the two of us was perfectly sufficient for 6 full days of traveling. And the favorable exchange rates definitely helped a ton!

we'll be staying in asahikawa for 2 nights in jan 2025 and we plan to visit the following:
- biei tree
- asahiyama zoo
- shirogane blue pond
- shirahige falls
- ningle terrace

we're no planning to rent a car as we're not used to driving on icy roads (and we only have one driver), and hiring a private hire driver seems really expensive. we are concerned on the feasibility of accessing these different places with public transport as it might be; (1) very time-consuming, (2) not very convenient as we saw that one route requires a 30-min walk

we have tried finding day tours departing from asahikawa but all the day tours we've found departs from sapporo, which is not what we're looking for

would appreciate any help and advice regarding transportation in asahikawa to the above places!

My wife and I took a trip Nov 8-27. Posting rough itinerary and takeaways below.

Nov 9-16 Tokyo

• Biggest thing for Tokyo is prioritize and do what you want to do. I wouldn’t feel pressured to do certain things because even with a full week there was still so much we felt like we missed.

Nov 9

• Arrived around 5 PM and just ordered Uber Eats to the hotel lol

Nov 10

• Teamlab Borderless - very cool, worth the hype
• Harajuku Thrifting - everything here was very expensive. Like even more than you would see in the US but I don’t thrift outside of like Goodwill in the US lol
• Harry’s Animal Cafe - I know there is a lot of hate about the animal cafes on here but if you are going to do one I would suggest doing your research. The Harry’s that we went to had conditions similar to what you would see in a US pet store so didn’t seem too bad

Nov 11

• Pokémon Cafe - really cool if you can get a reservation. Reservations open up 30 days prior but we managed to get one the day before ~10 PM Japan time. You can also lineup at the cafe (was no line when we were there)
• Ginza 6 - very very very bouje mall
• Ginza Art Aquarium - this was a skip for us if we had to do it again. Did the whole thing in maybe 20-30 min and tickets weren’t very cheap
• Ginza Shopping - GU and Uniqlo are GOATed shopping stores for men and women’s. Made us wish we brought another suitcase

Nov 12

• Ueno Zoo - Another pass for us. Cool to see a Panda but took up over half a day to see a lot of animals you can see at US zoos
• Senso-Ji Temple - this one is probably the highest on the list of temples we saw in Tokyo. Ton of food and vendors around the temple as well. We ended up hanging around here for dinner and did a batting cage afterwards

Nov 13

• Food Tour in Kichijoji - one of the best things we did our whole trip. Kichijoji was a great city that had very few tourists but was still upbeat. We did our tour with Culinary Backstreets. It was a little expensive but cool to see restaurants and food we wouldn’t have known existed
• Yebisu Christmas Plaza - from what we have seen, the US seems to do Christmas a lot bigger than Japan. There was a Christmas tree and some lights here 3-4 shops and the mall was pretty but kind of a let down

Nov 14

• Rabbicour Head Spa - my wife loved this so much. It was relaxing and a much needed break after all the walking we had been doing. Worth it for me as 2.5 hours of treatment between us both was ~$200.
• MiPig Cafe - this was the best animal cafe we went to from the animal treatment as well as experience. If you’re doing one animal cafe here, MiPig is good.
• Shibuya Sky - Very cool. Heard you only needed to do one sky tower and this one was worth it. We did it at night.
• Mixology Salon - very thoughtfully made drinks but location is a bit strange in the top floor of Ginza 6

Nov 15

• Imperial Palace - We went at 11 AM and didn’t realize you needed to wait in line for tickets. I would recommend doing research before you go here if you want to actually go in and see the grounds
• Yokohama - we traveled to Yokohama’s China town which was beautiful and had a lot of very cool buildings and architecture (again not many tourists here at all)

Nov 16

• Traveled to Kawaguchiko via Bus
• When I was researching hotels/AirBnBs around Mount Fuji I couldn’t find much but we found the most AMAZING place https://fuji-gen.jp even looking it up after staying it was hard to find but it’s a private single bed villa with a sauna and hot tub with gorgeous Fuji Views. Phenomenal breakfast and dinner included. Very new so can’t find much info.

Nov 17

• Rented car and drove around Kawaguchiko Lake - this was probably my favorite day. Fuji is so beautiful and the drive around the lake all day with fall leaves was incredible. There was some festivals going on with food stalls and vendors. Would recommend staying in Fuji for at least a day in Japan. Gives a change of pace from the cities.

Nov 18

• Traveled to Kyoto via Bus -> Shinkansen
• Autumn Festival at Nijo-Jo Castle- this was something to do but was a little pricey for what it was. Castle was cool to see lit up but was a bit disappointing

Nov 19

• Cooking Classes - Booked through TripAdvisor and had a great class making Gyoza and Ramen
• Sanjusangen-do Temple - this was very cool. The 1001 golden statues were incredible to see but sad you couldn’t take pictures
• Tenjuan Temple - This one was also very pretty. A bunch of temples in this area. Garden was very scenic with beautiful Koi

Nov 20

• Fushimi Inari - Tried to wake up early for this one to avoid crowds. Arrived at 8:30 and there was still a decent amount of people
• Osaka Day Trip - We did the Aquarium (very cool and able to see the animals very close. Exhibits are very wide and deep) and then went to downtown Osaka. Side note: we got Rikuros cheesecake and thought it was mid/below average

Nov 21

• Arashiyama Monkey Park - top three coolest things we did. The hike up to the top is TOUGH but totally worth it once you’re up there. Monkeys are all free roaming and you can feed them through a fence.
• Arashiyama Bamboo Forrest- Very crowded but cool to see bamboo I guess
• Downtown Kyoto - Great shopping in downtown Kyoto. Kyoto t-shirts at the anime Store are very cool as well.

Nov 22

• travel to Kanazawa - Shinkansen
• Just did dinner, grabbed dessert, and headed back to hotel

Nov 23

• Tea Ceremony, Ring Making Class, and Pottery - fun classes all booked through TripAdvisor
• Omicho Market - if you are here you have to find the beef stand that sells A5 beef. The seared steak nigiri was one of the best bites of the trip

Nov 24

• City Tour- this was the only tour tour that we booked and I kind wish we didn’t. No shade to people that like tours but we would have probably found all the spots on our own and the cultural info wasn’t worth what we paid.

Nov 25

• Travel back to Toyko - Shinkansen

Nov 26

• Last minute Donki Shopping
• Shuttle to airport and flight

General Takeaways

• I learned a decent amount of Japanese (Duolingo) and it was helpful. I would try to learn a few phrases.
• We shipped our big bags three times and didn’t have any trouble. The hotels will handle most of it
• walking on the other side of the sidewalk takes some getting used to
• the cities are extremely crowded especially around rush hour. People will cram into the trains
• the fire trucks sound like an apocalypse. I was legit scared the first night when I heard one at like 4 AM. I thought it was an earthquake something
• people are so kind. Definitely ask for help if you need it
• Google/Apple maps is so helpful
• Suica Card on your iPhone is a must for subways soooo much easier (I didn’t understand how to do this when I first arrived but you just scan in when you enter the gate and scan out after and it charges based on where you scan in and out)
• don’t be too worried about societal rules just be respectful of others
• Generally, we didn’t wait in line for restaurants and still had plenty of very delicious food. That being said, make reservations where you can.

Happy to answer any questions anyone has! Overall, we loved Japan so much. Lot of walking and lot of people were the only real downsides but those were anticipated.

Hello! We are planning a trip to Tokyo for May 2025 as first timers. My husband and I are going together with my mom and my 10yr old sister. Can you please check our itinerary if it’s feasible? It’s a DIY plan and we solely based on vlogs that we have seen from Youtube.

Day 1

• Arrive at NRT
• Check in hotel and rest
• Shibuya Sky at night

Day 2

• Tokyo Disneyland

Day 3

• Mt Fuji Tour
• Gotemba Premium Outlets
• Shinjuku

Day 4

• Tokyo DisneySea

Day 5

• Sensoji Temple
• Nakamise Street
• Tokyo Skytree
• Harajuku Takeshita
• Meiji Shrine
• Yoyogi Park
• Ginza

Day 6

• Tsukiji Outer Market
• Teamlab Borderless
• Tokyo Tower
• Shibuya again to end our Japan trip

Day 7

• Flight back to MNL

We are still not yet decided on where we should look for a hotel accommodation because our itinerary is still not final. If you have a recommendation on where we could stay or restaurants that we could try, please let us know.

Thank you so so so much!!! <3

I realize I likely have too much, so advice on which to cut or swap for something else is much appreciated! Some things are for the adults and some for the kids (8, 4, 2). Day 1 Saturday is a wash as we're arriving at 7pm so won't have time to do anything except dinner. We’re staying at New Otani Osaka. I haven't researched as much on restaurants yet, if you know any that allow and have room for 3 children, not expensive, lines are not long, and serve good Japanese food (eg no McD as mommy & daddy may only get to go to Japan once!), also appreciated!

Thank you!

Hi everyone!

Firstly, I would like to say how valuable this community is and how much information I have been able to obtain just by reading your posts. It is with the (indirect) help of this community that I have overcome some of my anxiety and booked our holiday.

Myself (45F) and my daughter (17F) are planning our first-ever trip to Japan in late May - early June 2025. It’s also our first long-haul flight (from Europe), so we’re both excited and somewhat nervous. Our goal is to get a mix of Japan’s culture, shopping, and food without burning ourselves out. We’ll happily grab a taxi if needed to keep the trip enjoyable and avoid over exhaustion.

My daughter loves anime, figurines, and fashion, while I'm generally fine with anything really except for anything too strenuous, and of course will be taking this opportunity to make the most of our time together. My daughter would have just finished sitting for her A-Levels so this break will be very needed :)

Would love your feedback on our itinerary.

The Plan

Day 1: Arrival in Osaka at 5:30pm

• Activate e-Sims/Get IC cards (android phone!) and take Rapi:t train to Namba.
• Check into hotel, then relax or grab a quick bite.

Day 2: Explore Osaka

• Den Den Town
• Stroll Shinsaibashi Shopping Street.
• Selfie with Glico Man, Animate and Dotonbori for food/shopping.
• Americamura
• Stop by Hozenji Temple
• Umeda Sky Building / Hep Five Ferris Wheel

Day 3: Day Trip to Nara

• Nara Deer Park
• Visit Todai-ji Temple (closes at 5pm).

Day 4: Osaka → Kyoto

• Train to Kyoto, check in at hotel.
• Explore Gion District, Maruyama Park, and the Nishiki Market area

Day 5: Kyoto

• Kimono dress-up and photoshoot, visit Kameyama-koen Park.

Day 6: Kyoto Bus Tour (Full Day)

• Arashiyama bamboo grove, Fushimi Inari, Golden Pavilion, and more.

Day 7: Kyoto → Tokyo (Ikebukuro)

• Shinkansen
• Check in at hotel, then explore Sunshine City, Otome Road, Pokemon Center, and the view from Sunshine City’s top floor.

Day 8: Shibuya & Harajuku Day

• Shibuya 109, Laforet Harajuku, Takeshita Street, Omotesando.
• Yoyogi Park, visit Meiji Shrine, and Shibuya Sky at sunset.

Day 9: Ginza & TeamLab Borderless

• Morning at TeamLab Borderless (and walk to Tokyo Tower).
• Afternoon in Ginza: shopping on Chuo-dori Street, Nihonbashi Pokemon Center, Hibiya Park, and maybe the Imperial Palace Gardens.

Day 10: Shinjuku & Nakano

• Luxury second-hand shopping (Ragtag, Komehyo) and Nakano Broadway.
• Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden.
• Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building.

Day 11: Akihabara & Asakusa

• Akihabara: Radio Kaikan, Mandarake, Kanda Myojin Shrine.
• Asakusa: Sensoji Temple, Tokyo Skytree, and Nakamise Shopping Street.

Day 12: Tama Day Trip

• Sanrio Puroland (this one’s for my daughter), Tama Central Park, and Mori Town Mall.

Day 13: Departure

• Ikebukuro for last-minute shopping.
• Check out at 8pm (flight leaves Haneda at 12:05am).

We’re open to cutting back if this feels too packed. Thanks a lot for your feedback and any suggestions you may have for us :D

I'm gonna do a solo trip for the first time in Japan this December. I think my itinerary is alright, but I'm worried if I may be crowding it with a lot of things to do. I plan to do shopping in Tokyo a day before leaving, and some optional shopping here and there if time permits throughout the trip.

It looks like this currently

Day 0:

- Arrive at Haneda airport, hotel is in Ueno

- Visit Tokyo Tower

- Rest

Day 1 (Tokyo):

- Sensoji Temple, walk by the Sumida river for a bit

- Shibuya crossing, walk in the area, check out some places, get some food

- Meiji Shrine or Yokohama gundam

- Evening/night bullet train to Kyoto (7pm)

- Head to hotel in Kyoto, have dinner and rest (or should I head early morning next day?)

Day 2 (Kyoto):

- Fushimi Inari

- Higashiyama

- Get lunch

- Dotonbori at evening/night

- Head back to hotel in Kyoto (Nakagyo-ku, 30 min bus from kiyomizu-dera)

Day 3 (Kyoto)

- Arashiyama

- Hōkan-ji temple/kiyomizu-dera

- Get lunch

- Head to Todaiji temple

- eat some local food

- Head to Hakone (Odawara) via bullet train (or should I head early morning next day to Hakone?)

Day 4 (Hakone)

- Lake Ashinoko

- Pagoda

- Some small hike (if time permits)

- Hotspring

Day 5 (Hakone)

- Hakone ropeway

- Some hike near 5 fuji lakes

- Hotspring

Day 6 (Tokyo)

- Head to Tokyo early morning

- Tokyo shopping

- any side trip/Kabukicho

Day 7 (Tokyo)

- Head to airport

Please let me know if this itinerary is too crowded or reasonable and any other tips.

We (31M and 27F) will be visiting Japan in March next year for 3 weeks total. We’re super excited and our priorities/interests are nature, food and culture. We’re not really into shopping that much and not interested in nightlife. Since we sometimes get overwhelmed by large crowds we tried to switch between cities and smaller (hopefully less crowded) places.

We plan to do a lot of outdoor activities (hiking and cycling). We are aware that this is a bit of a gamble regarding the weather but we’re also used to cycling in the cold and the rain and have the appropriate gear. Of course we have limits but some rain won’t stop us.

My boyfriend is a huge specialty coffee nerd. We already found a few recommendations through this sub but they’re mostly in Tokyo. So if you have more please drop a comment. Same goes for restaurants. Usually we put all the possibilities into Google Maps (we’ll also check out Tabelog) and then decide the day of by proximity and mood.

Day 1: Tokyo, Fri

• Arrival at Narita Airport around 5pm
• Go to hotel, we’re based in Chiyoda
• Get dinner (7-11 etc)
• Maybe walk around a bit depending on time and energy

Day 2: Tokyo, Sat

• Grab breakfast from 7-11/Family Mart etc.
• Meiji Shrine + Meiji Jingu Gyoen
• Have a little picnic in the park
• Maybe do a free walking tour? Starts around 9:30am
• Harajuku
  • Takeshita Street (stores start to open around 11)
  • Cat Street (parallel street, less crowded)
  • People watching, checking out stores
• Go south
• Shibuya
  • Shibuya Scramble, Hachiko Statue
  • Lunch somewhere
  • Look around
  • Shibuya Fureai (small botanical garden with coffee shop as an escape)
  • Shibuya Sky at night/after dark
• Dinner

Day 3: Daytrip to Nikko, Sun (depending on the weather)

• This day is flexible and we’re planning on checking the weather in advance to choose the best day
• Grab a snack
• Start around 7am, arrive around 9:30am
• Shinkyo Bridge
• Nikko Toshogu Shrine
• Senjougahara trail (Ryuzu falls, Yudakai falls)
• Leave around 6pm, back to Tokyo around 9pm

Day 4: Tokyo, Mon

• Check out of hotel, lock luggage at Tokyo Station
• Grab a snack
• TeamLab Borderless (around 9am)
• Tsukiji Market
  • Walk around
  • Maybe another snack, but it’s supposed to be overpriced so maybe just checking it out
• Toyosu Senkyaku Banrai
• Asakusa
  • Sensoji Temple
  • Kaminarimon Gate
  • Nakamise Shopping Street
  • Hang around Asakusa
• Sunset Seto Express => Takamatsu (leaves around 10pm)

Day 5: Takamatsu/Imabari, Tue

• Either forward luggage from Imabari to Takamatsu or lock at station (opinions?)
• Takamatsu
  • Ritsurin Garden
  • Takamatsu Castle
  • Have some Sanuki Udon (recs?)
• Take train to Imabari (3h)
• Check into hotel
• Maybe walk around a bit, depending on time

Day 6: Imabari, Daytrip to Matsuyama, Wed

• Check if it’s possible to take a bike on the train (I read that it depends on the time of year—any experience?)
• Matsuyama
  • Either go by bike (50km) along the coast or take the train (1h) (also depending on the weather)
  • Matsuyama Castle
  • Dogo Onsen private bath
• Take the train back

Day 7: Imabari/Hiroshima, Thu

• Cycle Tobishima Kaido (~30km) to JR Nigata Station
• Take the train to Hiroshima (~1h)
• Hiroshima
  • Go to hotel (we’ll stay checked in Imabari)
  • Peace Memorial + Park in the afternoon/at night

Day 8: Miyajima, Fri

• Miyajima
  • Check out, leave around 7am, arrive around 8
  • Itsukushima Shrine
  • Momijidani Park
  • Maybe Miyajima Ropeway (depends on the time)
• Take the train back to Imabari
• Leave around 5pm, arrive around 8pm

Day 9: Shimanami Kaido, Sat

• Forward luggage to Onimichi
• Breakfast at hotel, get snacks for the day
• Shimanami Kaido Day 1
• Dinner at hostel

Day 10: Shimanami Kaido/Onimichi, Sun

• Breakfast at hostel, get snacks
• Shimanami Kaido Day 2
• Arrive at Onomichi + check into hotel
• Get dinner

Day 11: Onimichi/Himeji/Kyoto, Mon

• Forward luggage to Kyoto
• Take the train to Kyoto via Himeji
  • Leave around 8am, arrive at Himeji around 10
  • Himeji Castle
  • Leave around 4pm, arrive in Kyoto around 6pm
• Check into hotel
• Get dinner and walk around a bit (depending on energy level)

Day 12: Kyoto, Tue

• Maybe rent a bike to get around at some point
• Fushimi Inari Shrine, Shin-ike Pond
• Kiyomizu-dera
• Sannen-zaka, Ninen-zaka, Gion
• Maruyama Park, Yasaka Shrine

Day 13: Kyoto, Wed

• Tenryu-ji Temple
• Arashiyama Bamboo Grove (maybe by bike)
• Rokuon-ji, Golden Pagoda
• Haradani Garden

Day 14: Kyoto, Thu

• Hike Kurama to Kibune
• Explore Kyoto by bike
• Philosopher’s Path
• Kyoto Handicraft Center

Day 15: Kyoto/Osaka, Fri

• Daytrip to Osaka
  • Leave around 7am, arrive around 8am
  • Leave around 8pm, back around 9pm
• Osaka Castle (maybe, depending on how much we liked Himeji Castle)
• Sakura on the riverbank
• Dotonbori, street food
• Feel the vibe of the city

Day 16: Kyoto/Nara/Kanazawa, Sat

• Check out, luggage forward to Kanazawa
• Daytrip to Nara
  • Leave around 8am, arrive around 9am at Nara
  • Nara Park
  • Tōdai-ji Temple
  • Nakatanidou, Mochi Shop
• Leave around 5pm, arrive around 8pm
• Check into hotel
• Get dinner/snack

Day 17: Kanazawa, Sun

• Birthday BF (any recs for something extra special?)
• Kenrokuen Garden + Castle, Seisonkaku Villa
• Omicho Market
• Higashi Chaya District (maybe tea ceremony)
• Explore + chill

Day 18: Kanazawa/Shirakawa-go/Takayama, Mon

• Forward luggage to Takayama or Tokyo (unsure yet)
• Check out, leave for Shirakawa-go around 8am, arrive around 10am
• Shirakawa-go
  • Irori Restaurant for lunch
  • Kyushu Coffee Haus
• Leave for Takayama around 5pm, arrive around 7pm
• Takayama
  • Check into hotel
  • Get dinner somewhere

Day 19: Takayama, Tue

• Miyagawa Morning Market
• Sanmachi Suji
• Hachiman Shrine
• Takayama Jinya
• Higashiyama Walking Course
• Explore + chill
• Dinner: Sakurajaya Restaurant

Day 20: Takayama/Tokyo, Wed

• Leave around 9am, arrive around 2pm
• Check into hotel (probably close to Ueno Station)
• Ueno Park
• Drift south
  • Aki-oka
  • Chabara
  • mAAch
• Maybe Shinjuku (depending on time)
• Shinjuku Gyoen Park (Cherry blossoms by night)
• Tokyo Government Building (Enjoy the view)
• Walking tour at night?

Day 21: Tokyo/Fuji, Thu

• Daytrip to Fuji
  • Leave around 6am, arrive around 8:30am
  • Chureito Pagoda
  • Lake Kawaguchiko, Oishi Park (maybe by bike)
  • Leave around 5pm, back at Tokyo around 7pm
• If anything, Shinjuku again

Day 22: Tokyo, Fri

• Departure flight 10:45am
  • Express train from Ueno Station (~2h)

Organize far in advance

• eSIM
• Suica Card App
• Immigration forms
• TeamLab Borderless Tickets
• Sunset Set Express Tickets

Organize days/1-2 weeks in advance

• Dogo Onsen, private onsen

First Time - Country # 83

Flew from NYC to Eastern Europe for a few days to adjust timezone, then flew to Taiwan, then Korea for a week to further adjust to timezone. Then flew from Korea to Fukuoka. Flew Business/First to help with Timezone Adjustment. Below are each city and my favorite things within.

Fukuoka

- Landed in the evening, took the Airport Bus to Hakata Station, stayed at a 4 star hotel walking distance to the station. Purchased JR Northern Kyushu Pass. Had great Hakata Ramen at 長浜御殿 住吉店 then walked the rivers up to DonQ and Taxi back to Hotel.

- Within the city explored Ohori Park , Fukuoka Tower, The Beach , excellent Dotonburi at マグロとご飯 黒田飯

- Spent the day at Dazaifu , explored some of the temples and food around there, took the 6pm train back and explored at night around the city.

Nagasaki -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

- Activated JR Pass, took Kamome Bullet Train to Nagasaki , Took a day to get a feel for the city, the trams and buses etc ate more seafood :)

- Did the Atomic Bomb Museum, One Legged tori , walked the river and adjacent temples ending at Suwa Shrine

- Did sunset at the mountaintop observatory for an amazing view of the city, used the ropeway.

- Roamed the city at night along the river and discovered an amazing local Sushi spot すし西海 本石灰店 , chef even gave me free sea urchin

- Explored Nagasaki then Fukuoka again.

Hiroshima/Miyajima ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

- Brief walk-around Hiroshima between trains to see Atomic Bomb Dome, then local train to the ferry terminal to Miyajima Island.

- Booked a traditional home AirBnb for a few days Guest House 国－Nara－ (https://maps.app.goo.gl/bkYsGyjFTMeSQvZr9)

- Explored the Island , had great food at Okonomiyaki Kishibe , ate oysters , lots of little hikes and touristy stuff on the island. Used JR Pass so ferry was free.

Himeji Castle --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

- Took the train to Himeji Castle, spent the day there, climbed to the top and did the gates. explored the city a bit, enjoyed the fall colors and numerous parks.

Osaka ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

- Spent day 1-2 hanging around Amerikamura area, my favorite shop was アメリカ村フリーマーケットB.B(American village freemarket B.B), great deals on watches, vintage gaming, and traditional souvenirs.

- Explored the riverwalk Dotonbori and spent all night wandering :)

- Spent a day around Tsūtenkaku , did the tower for sunset, lots of cool arcades, shopping food

- Day trip to Kyoto to see a friend using JR Pass express train, loved the piano and train museum in the station, HATED the volume of tourists at the forest and temple, got a few nice shots and explored the quieter streets, then opted to go back early and hang with my friend who took me food hopping, to tokyo hands for shopping (and got me engraved chopsticks) , and to a few music stores and bars.

- in Osaka again, did Umeda Sky , used the bus since i was coming from Shin Osaka area. Found the bus to be enjoyable crossing the river.

- Ate and Explored in Kita, really enjoyed the Municipal Housing Museum

- Spend the next day exploring Osaka Castle and taking in the peak fall colors, really enjoyed this area. There was a fair as well in the park.

- Explored around the area and tried to use JR lines to maximize the pass value.

Tokyo ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

- Did the bullet train to Tokyo sat on the left and got a great view of Fuji around 10am, crystal clear

- Did the top of the Gov building no 1 for the free observatory, only one was open

- Learned Shinjuki station, explored west and east of it , did shibuya crossing at night and wandered east around the station and walked back to airBNB in Okubo

- Did night batting at an outdoor baseball net at Shinjuku Batting Center

- Spent a shopping and eating day in Harijuku , found a really cool seiko exhibit in the mall

- Got great free views of Shibuya from d47 museum and galleries

- Visited Hie Shrine which was impressive a because its right in the middle of an area that reminded me of Manhattan

- Did Tokyo Tower, opted for the deluxe pass, worth it for the higher view and less crowds

- Went to Sky Cafe in Azubudai area after for great nigh views of the tower

- Explored and shopped in Ginza at night

- Spent the day hunting vintage electronics in Akihabara Radio Kaikan , i would come back here many times over the next 5 days buying more haha , loved Hard-Off and ended up visiting about 6 of them around Tokyo, got AMAZING deals in their Junk floors

- Did Tokyo Skytree, in hindsight i should have bought a ticket earlier as i came for sunset but by the time i got up it was night, insanely crowded, good views , good sushi nearby 鮨 飛躍

- Spent the night wandering around different old school game arcades in Nishi , my fav was Mikado Game Center

- Visited Min-on Music Center, completely free music museum, great place if you are a musician

- Walked to the Yasukuni-jinja shrine explored around the area, war museum was closed

- Took a random train to Koenji , explored around there and Nakano for more vintage hunting and eating in local places

- Went to Sunshine City for the mall and roof top , lots of bargain shopping on the second floor in the connected building

- Visited and played the Ryoguku Station Piano (a must if your a pianist) actually found many street pianos in japan , this was lots of fun and great way to zone out and meet locals

-Went back. to ginza to visit some of my fav brands, enjoyed Yamaha ginza , the iridori piano and music cafe , also went to seiko museum, nissan and more

- did the art aquarium , which was trippy and cool , good for a rainy day

- visited asakusa, full of tourists but managed to get some nice photos

- spent more days back around Akihabara , Shibuya, and around Okubo

- Spent my final day at Toyosu Manyo Club 9 floor Onsen resort

- Final Taxi to Haneda then back to EWR

Overall Positives :

- it was way cheaper than i thought, maybe shoulder season or low yen?

- perfect fall weather, everyone warned me about the summer heat

- clean , timely and comfortable transit , sometimes a little confusing but im used to public transit living in nyc so i figured it out

- JR Northern Kyushu pass saved me nearly 15k Yen, worth it for this route

- carrying a smaller bag with passport, change, jacket was the best idea, saw many people lugging around suitcases, coin lockers are great for this

- food was amazing, didnt have a bad meal maybe one or two bad station meals or fast food

Overall Negatives :

- carry a bag to dump your trash, i bought stuff from lawsons or 7/11s to dump trash

- things close on the dot, i was about to buy a camera for $200 and it was 7:59 , in middle of transaction the guy said were closed now come back tomorrow..

- at 1am with no cars coming, people still wait to cross the street, im from nyc and found this strange.

- had many delays in tokyo due to 'personal injury' on the tracks , but found alternative routes

- prices are higher in DonQ , actually found candy for less in more local areas, drugstores etc

- not very customizable, if a meal comes with something it can be difficult to substitute it or make modifications at some places, for people with allergies this may be an issue

Overall was a great trip, one of the most unique countries ive visited, very glad i went the route i did because i enjoyed the smaller more peaceful cities in the south. Did tons of walking so im glad i brought a good pair of shoes and dressed in layers, learning google maps was essential, i didnt learn much of the language and got around fine, only paid cash a few times, only got lost a few times (osaka shin, and shinjuku station), people were friendly but not as social unless it was at a bar or sushi joint, public employees were very helpful, met alot of foreigners as i got closer to osaka , but hardly any down south, the bikes that ride on the street can come close, esp if you dont hear them. the prices were good because of the yen and no tax, if you plan to repack alot of stuff and its cheap (barely above 5500 yen) pay the tax otherwise they will pack everything into a duty free bag you cant open , for example candy i bought and put into empty water bottles to save space, couldnt have repacked them if they were in a sealed bag.

Imgur Album : https://imgur.com/a/xm4oXho

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Hi all!

I will be travelling to Hokkaido on February with my family for 9 days, Feb 3 onwards. This is the itinerary so far given that we only stay in Sapporo. Thing is I don't really know where to stay and go aside from Sapporo. I'm not sure if some locations are better off as day-trips or if we could stay for a couple of days.

Thanks in advance for all the feedback.

PS: We are not big drinkers so we aren't really keen to visit the beer related spots. :)

Day 1: February 3 (Travel Day)

• Travel to Sapporo via Nagoya: Arrive at New Chitose Airport in the evening.
• Transfer: Take the JR Rapid Airport Train to Sapporo Station (approx. 40 mins), or private transfer by car.
• Hotel Check-in: Stay in Sapporo.

Day 2: February 4 (Odori and Susukino Sites)

• Morning: Visit Odori Park Site
• Afternoon: Explore Odori Park and enjoy food stalls.
• Afternoon/Evening: Visit Susukino Site (2 mins by subway from Odori Station) for illuminated ice sculptures.

Day 3: February 5 (Tsu Dome Site)

• Morning: Take the free shuttle bus from Sapporo Station Bus Terminal to Tsudome Site (approx. 20 mins).
  • Enjoy snow activities like tubing and snow rafting.
• Afternoon: Relax or revisit Odori Park for different exhibits.

Day 4: February 6 (Royce Chocolate Factory)

• Morning: Take the JR Rapid Airport Train from Sapporo Station to New Chitose Airport (approx. 40 mins).
  • Visit Royce Chocolate Factory
• Afternoon: Return to Sapporo for shopping at Tanukikoji Street or visiting Shiroi Koibito Park.

Day 5: February 7 (Free Exploration Day)

• Explore Hokkaido Shrine, Nijo Market, or take an optional trip to Mount Moiwa for a cable car ride with panoramic views of Sapporo.

Day 6: February 8 (Otaru Snow Light Path Festival)

• Morning Travel to Otaru:
  • Take the JR Rapid Airport Train from Sapporo Station to Otaru Station.
  • Trains run every 15–20 minutes.
• Daytime:
  • Explore Otaru Canal and Sakaimachi Street.
  • Visit the Music Box Museum and LeTAO for famous cheesecake​.
• Evening:
  • Attend the Otaru Snow Light Path Festival: Lanterns and snow illuminations begin around 5:00 PM​.
  • Walk through the main venue along Otaru Canal and Temiyasen Kaijo for magical displays.
• Return to Sapporo:
  • Take the train back to Sapporo in the evening.

Day 7: February 9 (Relax and Cultural Exploration)

• Visit Hokkaido Museum or Moerenuma Park.
• Optional: Spend time in a local onsen (hot spring) for relaxation.

Day 8: February 10 (Last Day in Sapporo)

• Last-minute shopping at Sapporo Station or Odori Park area.

Day 9: February 11 (Travel Day)

• Flight back: Transfer from Sapporo to New Chitose Airport for your flight via Nagoya to home country.

I got back from Tateyama in August, If you're still unsure about navigating the traffic routes and scheduling, this guide should be a big help. I’ve also included maps and timetables that were super useful during my entire Tateyama trip.

Tateyama location

From Tokyo, time needed 2hours taking JR train.

Tokyo to Toyama

1. Take JR from Tokyo station to Toyama (We bought a Hokuriku Arch JR pass, and this pass is including Toyama station, if you also have a JR pass, you need to check if Toyama station is included.)

• In my opinion, a JR pass for a week length travel is really helpful, covers the places like airport, city to city transportation, the Pass makes it a lot easier and smoother, cost 200 USD per person.

1. After you arrive to the Toyama station take local rail or taxi to your hotel (the taxi in Toyama is not as expensive as Tokyo, check with your hotel how to get to the hotel from Toyama JR station)

Tateyama Online advance booking

1. Steps: Register account - choose date, ticket (single or round – you need to buy round if you going back to the original city to your hotel) and pay.
2. The ticket I bought is round trip from Tateyama station to Kurobe dam, which covers all the places on Tateyama. This ticket cost around 220 USD per person.
3. Save the QR code page, for you to print out ticket at Tateyama on that day, (you need that ticket for you access all the transport on the mountain.)

How to get Tateyama from Toyama city?

Time needed: takes less than an hour from Dentetsu Toyama station to Tateyama station.

1. Hotel to local rail station – Dentetsu Toyama Station, right next to the JR Toyama station, you can take taxi or walk, depends on your hotel location.
2. Buy one day pass at the ticket office, so you don't have to purchase the ticket again when comeback, cost 2600 yen (18 USD)

• The local train no need any advance booking, the first train to Tateyama @ 7am (I think). You can calculate your time to match the entry time to Tateyama.

1. Take the Tateyama line and get off at the Tateyama station (go on below website they have the map, see the green line)

In Tateyama

Time needed: 5-6 hours visiting time.

Don't let the different cars confuses you, It is actually very simple they have local stuff at each station to help you get on

1. First car is Cable car, takes you to the next station, so you can take the highland bus.

2. Waiting for the highland bus and take 40min to arrive at Murodo (The prettiest place in my opinion, we spend a lot of time to walk around, and it was breath taking)

3. Follow the station and take each transportation to visit the spot and you can spend more time to the spot you like the most, explore the whole area.

4. Just remember not to miss the transportation for your way back. you can find the timetable on the website here below.

Hope this helps!

This is my first time going to Japan and I (34M) am travelling with my parents (70 and 61 yrs old)

Please let me know if my plan looks reasonable. (it isn't complete yet.)

Day 1(12/31): Arrive at Osaka (12/31)

• 11am - arrive at Hotel (Minami-Morimachi area)
• Visit Nakamura street and eat
• Osaka Museum
• Shopping at convenience store/drug store for food for Day 2 in case restaurant does not open.
• Note: Not sure if there is something special to do on New Year's Eve.

Day 2(1/1): USJ

• Arrive at USJ by 7am and get in early. No express pass (since I am with my parents)
• Mainly enjoy Harry Potter and Nintendo World.
• Get out by 6pm.
• Dinner (if restaurants are open)
• Dotonbori (if things are opened)
• Notes: Originally was planning to do Hatsumode and explore Osaka until I found out that pretty much everything is closed on 1/1. So, booked USJ.

Day 3(1/2): Osaka explore and food tour

• Osaka castle in the morning
• Dotonbori (if Day 2 wasn't enough)
• Lunch - Namba for dining in or Kohama for street walk/eat or Tsuruhashi for Yakiniku
• Denden town (shopping goods)
• Umeda Ekimae building (Eatery)
• HEP FIVE Ferris Wheel
• Umeda Sky building
• Note: Really, not sure what to do on this day because I want to explore alot of foods but I see such a long line of waiting for restaurant (1-2 hours) that I can't grasp an idea of how long each will take.

Day 4(1/3): To Kyoto

• Eat breakfast around Minami-Morimachi or Umeda (not sure if restaurant open in the morning)
• Visit Tenmangu Shrine
• Check out and leave to Kyoto.
• Arrive to Kyoto and leave Baggage. (Near Kiyomizu-Gozo station, by 12:00pm)
• Eat (either in dine in or Nishiki market)
• Also, buy traditional Japanese cloth (from Harajuku Chicago, used)
• Check in at hotel and rest a bit.
• Leave to Fushimi Inari station
• Walk and eat at Fushimi Inari market.
• Go to Fushimi Inari (evening)
• Rest early for Day 5

Day 5(1/4): Explore the area

• 20 min walk to Kiyomizudera (arrive by 6:00am)
• Walk Sannenzaka, and ninenzaka.
• Visit Shrine in the area, then eat.
• Nijo Castle
• Eat in the area.
• Rest early for Day 6.
• Not sure if this is enough.

Day 6(1/5): Visiting the essentials.

• Arashiyama Bamboo Forest then seeing monkey.
• Visiting Kinkakuji.
• Note: At this point, I am running out of options. I want to enjoy the unique culture of Kyoto.

Day 7 (1/6): Going back

• Eat breakfast by visiting Nishiki market.
• Visit nearby shrine and take photos.
• Take Haruka directly to KIX. (leave 2pm and arrive by 4pm, 6pm flight)

Would it be better to buy some special pass for my plan (Kansai thru pass) or just use IC card?
I plan to draw about 30000yen from ATM for cash only places. Is 711 the best place or Aeon atm better?

I would like to know if this plan is unreasonable or I am missing a good place.

I feel like Osaka has very good public transit that it may not be necessary to walk a lot, but Kyoto seems different. It is possible my father may decide to just rest at hotel if he is too tired to walk. In that case, my mother and I can explore.

Thank you

This is my first ever Japan trip. Anything I should remove or do instead?

Day 1 Friday (arrival at 4pm Narita, taking Skyliner to Ueno hotel)

1. Tori no Ichi festival at otori shrine << would really like to check this out.

Optional stuff if time permits:

• Ueno park closes at 11
• Jins for glasses closes at 9pm (I have a very high prescription, so wanted to get this started early)
• Ameyoko shopping street closes at 8

Day 2 Saturday

1. Nezu shrine
2. Hachiko 1 and professor statue 9 min walking distance.
3. Kanda shrine free 27 min walk.
4. Akihabara 9 min walk
5. Senso ji temple 18min Ginza line.
6. Gibli store and Pokémon center 22min walk
7. Team labs (planets reservation) 7:30

Night optional

1. Rikugien garden illumination 7pm? (Not sure when this stops)

Day 3 Sunday

Day trip to Mount Fuji (pickup near Tokyo station). Pre-arranged trip and includes an optional onsen (Yamanakako Onsen Benifuji no Yu hot spring).

Day 4 Monday

1. Kabuchiko. ToHo cinemas shinjuko pic of Godzilla
2. Hanazono shrine 7min walk
3. Shinjuku gyoen garden opens at 9 am 500¥ 8min walk
4. Meiji jingu 20min walk
5. Tokyu Plaza Omotesando 6 min walk
6. Shibuya crossing 18 min walk and the other Hachiko statue

Day 5 Tuesday

1. Imperial palace opens at 9am
2. Ginza 21 min walk
3. Tsukiji market
4. Tokyo tower (just to see from the outside)

Day 6 Wednesday

1. Inokashira par 50 min ride
2. Cream puff factory 15min walk
3. Lucky cat shrine 50 min ride
4. Yeabisu garden place 50min ride
5. Topping I hills 20min ride

Day 7 Thursday

1. Shibuya sky reservation 2pm
2. Free time in Tokyo

Day 8 Friday

1. Free time in Tokyo
2. Subway to HND (targeting arrival of 4pm) and fly home.

Hello, I'm planning a trip to Japan next autumn, late Oct - early Nov. For 5 days of the trip I am planning to be solo in Touhoku and want to do some hiking and eating delicious food! Two options for dates: Nov 5-9, or Oct 26-31.

I will be getting the 5-day JR East Touhoku pass, but would be open to instead get the 6-day JR East-South Hokkaido pass if it would be better for timing / going somewhere awesome.

Would love some review of my very rough draft itinerary to get a better idea on what is feasible to accomplish, comments on the things I'm planning to see, as well as get recommendations on additional spots to see / stay at / hike / eat at!

---

Day 1: Shinkansen from Tokyo to Aomori

• Usual Aomori fare: Nokkedon fish market, Nebuta museum, A-factory
• Stay overnight in Aomori

Day 2: Bus early to Sukayu onsen ryokan

• Hike Mt. Hakkoda (Odake loop)
• Check-in, onsen and dinner after hike
• Stay overnight in ryokan

Day 3: Bus to Oirase gorge / lake Towada hike

• 14km Yakeyama -> Nenokuchi
• Bus from Nenokuchi to Hachinohe, then shinkansen to Sendai
• Dinner, stay overnight in Sendai

Day 4: Day trips to Yamagata and Matsushima

• Yamagata interests: Yamadera temple hike & Dewa Sanzan shrine
• Matsushima interests: Shiogama, Oshima island, Oku-Matsushima trail, bay ferry
• Sendai interests: Gyutan, A5 wagyu, Akiu falls
• Stay overnight in Sendai

Day 5: ??? then shinkansen back to Tokyo

• Tashirojima (cat island)??
• Other day trip between Sendai and Tokyo (Nikko? Fukushima?)
• No big hikes, want to rest

---

I want to know if this itinerary is feasible. I think my Day 4 is maybe a little packed and I could spread it out over 2 days. Here are the options I'm considering:

---

Option A. Day 3, instead of heading to Sendai after hike, stay on lake Towada and head to Sendai in the morning. Then, Day 4 is Sendai / Yamagata and day 5 is Matsushima then back to Tokyo.

Option B. Stay in Sendai on night 3, Day 4 I simply do Sendai / Yamagata, Day 5 Matsushima then back to Tokyo

Option C. Keep itinerary as is, do Sendai / Yamagata / Matsushima on Day 4, find something else to do on Day 5 before heading back to Tokyo

---

I would love ideas for Day 5 if it remains open for a daytrip, also really appreciate restaurant and accommodation recommendations.

Things I enjoy are: Nature, food, temples, onsen (but I have tattoos), museums, attractions with shopping (examples would be sake or miso brewery, specialized products like teaware, etc.). Not into nightlife!

Thank you :)

I’m travelling to Japan for 20 days in January. After many iterations, I have created a tentative itinerary which includes all the things I’m most excited about. However, I’m worried that it’s too busy (despite cutting out so many things 😭). I usually prefer to travel more slowly, but there’s so much I want to do!

 What do you think? Would I better of cutting out even more so I can maximise my time at other locations? Thank you.

P.S. I've had to add a lot of extra (unnecessary imo) information because it kept getting rejected for "low effort", so sorry about that.

10-13 Jan: Tokyo (4 days)

Arriving early morning on the 10^(th).

I'll pre-book popular spots (e.g. teamLabs) but keep the rest flexible.

My must sees: teamLabs Borderless and Planets, Sensoji Temple, the Imperial palace and grounds, the Ghibli museum, Meiji Temple, the open air museum, and Ueno park.

If I'm feeling "out-citied", I might do a day trip to Nikko, Kamakura, Kawaguchi-ko or Atami (depending on mood, weather, etc.). I know it’ll be a public holiday, though, and these places might be too busy.

14-17 Jan: Sapporo (4 days)

Fly into Chitose (1.5 hours) and stay in Sapporo.

My must sees: Sapporo White Illumination, the historic village, Hokkaido Jingu, Mt Okura Observatory and natural onsen.

Possible day trips: Otaru, Shiraoi (for Ainu Museum), Lake Shikotsu and/or Jigokudani / Noboribetsu / Lake Toya.

I know a lot of people think you shouldn't do Hokkaido unless you can dedicate a longer period of time – and I don’t disagree – but I’d really like to go. Is this simply unrealistic though?

18-19 Jan: Takayama/Shirakawa-go (2 days)

Fly to Toyama (1.5 hours). Bus/train to Takayama (2 hours).

Must see in Takayama: Old town, Hida folk village...and maybe Higashiyama Walk.

Next day: evening bus tour to Shirakawa-go for the Winter Light Up Festival.

Yes, this is a lot of travel for a single event, but I really want to attend the Winter Light Up Festival in Shirakawa-go, and Takayama looks beautiful as well. Would it be better to cut this though?

20-23 Jan: Kyoto (4 days)

Bus/train to Kyoto (3.5 hours).

My must sees: Arashiyama, Nijo Castle, Kiyomizudera/Higashiyama, Fushimi Inari Shrine, Daigoji Temple, Toji Temple.

Possible daytrips to Uji, Lake Biwa, Kibune, Kurama, Kinosaki and/or Miyama village.

24-25 Jan: Nara for Wakakusa Yamayaki (2 days)

Train to Nara (1 hour). I know people don’t usually recommend staying in Nara, but I thought I might be able to better enjoy the festival if I had a hotel to rest in beforehand. I’m not opposed to just doing a day trip, though, and adding extra days to Takayama, Kyoto and/or Osaka.

My must sees: Todaiji Temple, Horyuji Temple, Kasuga Taisha, Heijo Palace.

26-28 Jan: Osaka (3 days)

My must sees: Osaka Catle, Sumiyoshi Taisha, Shitennoji, and Dotonbori.

Possible day trips to Himeji, Minoo Park, Mt Koya and/or Kobe (for Kobe Luminarie).

29-30: Tokyo.

Shinkansen to Tokyo (2.5 hours). Could possibly stop in Nagoya on the way.

Fly out on the 30^(th).

One persons first time, the second person has been to Japan and visited pretty much all the touristy spot.
My itinerary just feels a bit … bare? If the day seems kindda empty,  we’d just spend the time wandering and walking around and doing shopping

- want a mix of sightseeing, leaving time for shopping and obviously the food

- we're both not really into video games or anime so planning on giving Akihabara a skip

- I'm ok with not visiting every tourist attraction, but just hoping I didn't miss anything major

- there seems to be so many temples, I've picked a few of the more popular ones

Day 0 – Arrive, hotel in Ueno, Ueno park, rest

Day 1

-        Asakusa path (gate, shopping, Sensoji temple, Sumida park) – estimated half day

-        Ginza walk around, shopping

Day 2

-        Shibuya

-        Meiji Jingu

-        Shibuya sky sunset slot?

Day 3

-        Shinjuku

-        Shinjuku national gyeon park

Day 4

-        Teamlabs

-        Ginza again for shopping?

Day 5

-        Day trip to Lake Kawaguichi / Mt Fuji

Day 6

-        Hakone (1 night)

-        Lake Ashi

-        Ropeway & Owakudani

Day 7

-        Kyoto

-        Bamboo forest

-        Tenryu ji

Day 8

-        Kyoto

-        Higashiyama

-        Kiyomizu

-        Fushimi Inari Shrine

-        Philosophers path

Day 9

-        Nara

Day 10

-        Osaka

-        Dontonburi

-        Osaka castle

Day 11

-        Osaka

-        ?? not sure

Day 12

-        Flight home from Osaka

I just returned from a 26-day solo Japan trip focused on Kyushu and thought I should do a write-up for my trip as I did my last trip in 2023. I spent 18 days in Kyushu before heading to Seoul for 6 days and then wrapping it up with 3 days in Tokyo at the end. This is my third trip to Japan and second solo, so I just did what I wanted in my Tokyo days. This write-up will focus on my experiences in Kyushu. The main focus was food and sightseeing, with shopping scattered throughout the trip.

My flight was from YVR to NRT with Japan Airlines and was CAD$1,100. I landed in Narita Terminal 2 from YVR at 4:00pm and cleared immigration in about 20 minutes. I filled out my customs and immigration forms on the plane just before landing. Unfortunately, I shared my flight with two classes of Japanese students who were returning to Japan, and all had checked luggage, which meant waiting for my own luggage took longer than normal. I took my AER Travel Pack 3 with a Bellroy 6L sling onto the plane while I checked in my MUJI 75L suitcase with a smaller 32L carryon inside of it.

I cleared customs shortly after and I bought tickets for the Skyliner at 4:50pm from the machine. I had to travel to my hotel next to Haneda because my flight to Miyazaki was from there and settled in.

Weather

• The weather in Kyushu was spectacular. It was 20-25c everyday and the only day it “rained” was when I landed in Miyazaki. It was sunny and humid and I actually got tanned there. On most days, I wore a t-shirt and had to head back to the hotel to shower and change before heading out in the evenings again.

Expenses

• I took 300,000 yen (around CAD$2,500 when I exchanged it back in July) and ended up using it all for shopping and eating. Being Canadian, the only option for a FX fee free credit card was one from ScotiaBank, but I did not travel frequently enough to open the card just for this trip. There was also a FX withdrawal fee associated with my debit card so I wanted to limit using that as well. I took out an additional 100,000 yen from the 7/11 ATMs throughout my trip as well.

• I had exchanged my cash back when CAD$1 = 116 yen, back in July. Of course I took the risk that it could keep going higher, but it fell back down and was much lower during my trip.

• Cash was still the best form of payment in many areas that I was headed to. Many temples and related shops were cash only, parking lot payment machines were cash only, and many smaller restaurants and souvenirs shops I came across were cash only. Even at the Canal City Ramen Stadium, I watched some tourists get turned away because all the ordering machines were cash only.

• All my accommodations (hotels and ryokan), flights, and rental car fees totaled around CAD$6k. Along with my shopping and eating, I spent around $9k for the entire trip.

• For hotels, I stayed at mostly 3-star hotels which were more than sufficient.

• In Kyushu, I stayed at a few JR Kyushu branches. JR Kyushu Miyazaki, JR Kyushu Kagoshima, and JR Kyushu Blossom Hakata Station. In Kumamoto, I stayed at The Blossom Kumamoto. My average cost was CAD$150 a night as I did value having a bigger room and bed.

Transportation

• I had my Sugoca from my previous trip and used that as my main IC card. I loaded it with 5000 yen every so often to pay for trains and smaller purchases at convenience stores. It was a great way to avoid the dreaded 1 yen coin.

• I purchased a 5-day North Kyushu JR Pass and used it for my days there. With the JR pass, I did not reserve for any train and simply got on the next train available in the unreserved seat cars. For my trips from Miyazaki-Kagoshima and Kagoshima-Kumamoto, I booked tickets at the station the day of my departure for the next available train with no issues.

• Rental car costs averaged around $60~ per day. This was with the basic insurance option selected and the basic car tier.

Food

• As with my previous trip, I did not line up for any food or restaurants. I had ideas of what to eat and would look up options when I felt hungry. I defaulted to the massive food halls common in many larger stations and department stores.

• I had around three meals a day at restaurants, and often a late-night snack. The theme for this trip was food, so I made sure to try as many options as I could. I often ordered side dishes and drinks with my meal as well. Because of this, I averaged around 5000+ yen a day on food.

Driving in Japan

• I had three separate rentals throughout my trip, and they were with Times Rental and Toyota Rental. Both agencies were very easy to work with and had clear guidelines on the rules on renting a car. Both agencies had English versions of their pamphlets available.

• I recommend renting an ETC card to make toll driving easier and not having to pay for tolls individually at every toll gate. The ETC card is returned when the rental is returned and a printout of all the tolls you passed through is provided and you pay it at the rental agency.

• Bring your own car mount and car charger for your phone. I believe some agencies have some for rental, but they are limited and quickly rented out. Best to be prepared and bring your own.

• I used Google Maps exclusively for all my navigations as I didn’t want to mess with the built-in one.

• The biggest difference driving on the left side of the road is remembering to look right for your rear mirror and hitting the turn signals with your right hand instead. It took a few hours to get used to driving on the other side but after repeatedly chanting “to the left” every time I turned, it became second nature.

• Driving in the cities is the same as driving in any other city – I would avoid it in the city centre if possible. Thankfully, most of my driving took part in the more rural areas, where there is less traffic and much less stressful driving. Take it slow, be alert, and don’t be afraid to pull over into one of many roadside stops and convenience stores to organize yourself.

• Getting gas was very easy at the full serve stations. I pulled up and said three words: “mantan – full tank”, “regular – regular gas”, “genkin – cash”. The attendant handled the rest. As I was provided with Hybrid vehicles, fuel efficiency was really good, and I only paid around 9000 yen total in gas for the trip.

• I highly, highly recommend downloading the offline Google Maps for the areas you plan to drive in, especially if you plan to head out to some more rural areas. Sometimes, the cell signal will drop and having no maps either is a big stress.

• I noticed that on expressways and roads, most road signs are accompanied by English as well even in some of the more remote areas.

Miyazaki

Overall, Miyazaki is a very quiet and laidback city and reminded me a bit of home. It was big enough but also not Tokyo or Osaka big. There are not many people, let alone tourists, here and I guess you get that “real Japan” or “off the beaten track” vibe everyone asks for in every other post. When I was shopping at GU and asked for the tax-free process, they had to grab a manager and pull out a manual to help me. I stayed at JR Kyushu Miyazaki which is attached directly to Miyazaki Station in a very convenient location. The hotel itself was very nice, and I believe that it was built or renovated recently as there were USB-C ports in my room. I would 100% stay here again on my next trip.

Day 1

• My flight to Miyazaki arrived around 9:30am and I was out of the airport and off to pick up my rental car. It was ridiculously hot and humid, and the intermittent rain did not help. I picked up my rental at 10:30am and was off to my first stop of my trip.

• I drove down to Aoshima Island (around 30 minutes) and parked in one of the big parking lots. I walked through the city and across the sand bridge/beach. The views were stunning, and I made it to the shrine on the island. I spent some time exploring the shrine before heading back and grabbed some souvenirs and a crepe from Aoshima Crepe.

• The next stop was Sun Messe Nichinan to check out the cool Moai statues. Unfortunately, I only really took some photos as the rain started up and the wind was picking up as well. I wished that the weather was nicer to really take in the area, but it was super interesting seeing the Moai Statues!

• I drove down to Udo Shrine and was directed to an appropriate parking lot by a flagger using my broken Japanese and hand gestures. The shrine ground and the areas around it were stunning. I think this is my top 3 favourite shrine to visit. You walk through the main tori gate, over a small bridge, before descending down the side of the cliff to the actual shrine hidden in the cliffs. The sound of the waves crashing into the cliffs makes everything see so serene.

• Originally I was planning to drive down to Cape Toi, but due to the weather I decided against it. I drove my way back up to Miyazaki and spent the night exploring the station area. I grabbed some tomato broth ramen from a nearby shop and later on some sushi from the supermarket.

Day 2

• I left my hotel at 6:15am and started the drive up to Takachiho Gorge. I had rented a ETC card (recommended) so I did not have to deal with the hassle of stopping and paying tolls at the gates. The Kyushu Expressway, and I suspect many of the other expressways in Japan are similar, is one lane each direction with long distances between passing lanes. While the speed limit is 70, if you get stuck behind someone going slow, you will be stuck for a good amount of distance.

• I stopped at one of the frequent roadside stations available to use the washroom and stretch my legs and arrived at the gorge parking lot around 8:45am. The road up to the actual parking lot is very windy and narrow but go slow and it should be no issue. There are individuals that help direct the flow of traffic at the gate and if one lot is full, they will direct you to an empty lot nearby. Parking was 300 yen and the main lot was mostly full when I arrived.

• The gorge itself was, well, gorgeous. The rain from the previous day had gone and it was super warm and sunny. I did not reserve or intend to ride the river boats, but on the day that I went, all the rides were cancelled due to rising water levels. I spent around 1.5 hours exploring the gorge and taking pictures before I left and headed off to my next destination.

• Kuminiogaoka Observatory is a short drive from the main gorge area, and I highly recommend coming here if you have the time and have a car. I parked in a small lot nearby and walked up a small hill to see stunning views across the whole valley. At the furthest area, there is a nice wooden swing where you can settle down and relax a bit.

• My next stop was Amanoiwato Shrine which was about 25 minutes from the observatory. I opted to take a “scenic route” or so I thought, instead of heading back the way I had come. This route took me down some of the windiest roads down the mountain. The entire road was “two-way” but due to the width of the actual road, only one car could drive on it at once. This means that if someone else comes along from the opposite direction, someone has to pull aside to let the other pass or reverse until such space is available. I considered myself lucky as I managed to get through the whole route without running into anyone.

• Arriving at the shrine grounds, the main parking lot was full and I was directed to some overflow lots a few minutes away. The flagger was very nice and spoke enough English to send me the right way “brick road turn right, bridge turn left”.

• There was some sort of festival as it was the day before a national holiday, so the shrine and surrounding areas were very full. It is a short hike down to the very picturesque shrine.

• I had katsu curry at a shop near the parking lots and headed back to Takachiho Gorge for some wagyu at Nagomi. It was a bit past lunch time so I assumed there would be no line but there was indeed a line. The main parking lot was again full, but I drove a little further and found a small space to park in, another overflow lot I had a 250g set of sirloin wagyu and it was amazing. It is definitely worth checking out if you are in the area. Ordering is easy through the tablet as you pick which cut of wagyu you would like, and it comes with a set meal.

• I drove back down and decided to visit Cape Hyuga. Hyuga is another super small and quiet city on the east coast of Kyushu. I saw photos from the cape and decided that it was a must visit. The drive up and along the coast was stunning and there are several areas where you can park and take photos of the coastline.

• That was the last stop, and I drove back to Miyazaki and arrived back at around 6pm and was thoroughly exhausted. I grabbed some dinner (wagyu sukiyaki) near the station and called it a day

Kagoshima

I noticed the size difference between Kagoshima and Miyazaki instantly. There were a lot more people and while there were not many Western tourists, there was a lot of other Asian tourists here and most appeared to be with tour groups. I didn’t spend too much time exploring actual Kagoshima but there is more to do here than Miyazaki. I would re-visit and perhaps go to Yakushima and Kirishima as well.

I will also note that my Ubigi esim had connectivity issues in Kagoshima, to the point where I just had no internet. I am not sure why as I was in more remote spots in Miyazaki and had no issues. I recommend you download the Google Maps for the areas you are planning to visit in case you run out of internet too.

Day 1

• I bought train tickets and took the Kirishima Limited Express from Miyazaki Station to Kagoshima station in the morning. The trip took around 2 hours and I was treated to the wonderful views of tunnels and trees on the way there. I fell asleep for the last 30 minutes when things actually got interesting as once the train entered into Kagoshima, you could see excellent views of Sakurajima on the left side – oh well.

• I arrived at the station and dropped off my luggage at JR Kyushu Kagoshima and went hunting for my lunch. There was only one dish on my mind and that was Kagohsima black pork tonkatsu. I found a restaurant selling the katsu sets in the station and ate there. Wow – some of the best pork katsu I have ever had!

• I picked up the Kagoshima CUTE pass from the tourist information centre. The pass allows for unlimited tram and bus travel, as well as some discounts on certain tourist attractions around Kagoshima. The pass is available for a one- or two-day duration. There is a city view bus that drives around Kagoshima taking you to all the key tourist sites. I hopped on at the station and made it to my first stop at Shiroyama Observatory. The observatory offered clear views of Sakurajima and was a nice place to relax and take photos.

• I hopped back onto the bus and headed toward Sengan-en Garden. Unfortunately, the CUTE pass doesn’t get you any discount here but only a small gift (postcard). The gardens provide some of the closest views of Sakurajima and was well maintained. There was the option to tour the house, but I didn’t as it was getting late.

• I took the train back to the station and hotel to refresh before I headed back out and caught the tram to Tenmonkan Market. The area had a lot of shops and restaurants (think smaller scale Dotonburi) but since it was a holiday Monday, most of the shops were closed. It was nice walking through the streets. I grabbed the tonkatsu set meal again, albeit I opted for the “mega” size. I think sticking with the smaller portion was the better decision!

Day 2

• I picked up my rental car the next morning at Toyota Rental Car and headed to the Sakurajima Ferry Terminal. Follow the workers and they will direct you onto the ferry and where to park. Payment is made at disembarkation. It is a short ferry ride to the other side and there are announcements as to when to get back to your car. I had a basic Toyota Hybrid Yaris, and the price was 1700 yen total (1000 yen per person and 700 yen for the vehicle). The price of the vehicle changes depending on the size of the vehicle you are bringing over.

• Looking back, I am unsure of the CUTE pass would have covered the entire cost including the vehicle, but I should have tried and bought the two day pass instead (whoops)

• I stopped by the visitor centre and picked up a tour map showing most of the main sites to visit. I spent about 2-3 hours total driving around to the different observatories and following one of the itineraries provided in the brochure.

• I went to look for food on the island near the tourist centre, but because it was a holiday, the popular options were not open. I grabbed some snacks from a Family Mart before heading back to Kagoshima. After, I dropped the car off at one of the car parks near my hotel and went shopping.

• If you are staying at JR Kyushu Kagoshima, they have a special rate for parking at one of the AMU Plaza parking lots. You just have to let reception know, and they will print out a coupon you can scan at the parking machine when you go pay. Unfortunately, I didn’t know this and paid an extra 2000 yen for parking overnight. Whoops!

• I had some Kagoshima style ramen for dinner and called it a night.

Day 3

• Today was the day for Ibusuki so I headed out early and drove down to one of the volcanic sand baths that the area was famous for. The drive along the Ibusuki coast was super smooth and windy, but the views were fantastic. I tracked my way down to one of the popular baths there called Saraku Sand Bath Hall. There is a parking lot nearby and it is a short walk.

• There is a reception building where you can change into the provided Yukata and rent towels. I recommend just picking up the small towel as that is all you really need.

• You have to be completely naked under the yukata and are direct to walk out through the back with your small towel (required) and into the area where the workers bury you in the sand. You lie down with the towel around your neck and face and are buried underneath the sand. The workers will tell you to watch the clock and to get out within 8-10 minutes. If you need to, listen to your body and get out early so you don’t get your skin burned!

• Afterwards, there is an onsen and sauna where you shower and clean up. It is a super cool experience, and you feel super refreshed. Highly recommended

• I drove down towards Cape Nagasakibana and was greeted by stunning views of Mt Kaimon, or “Satsuma Fuji”. There are a few parking lots but again there are workers directing you to park in the correct lots. The weather was super nice, and it was super cool seeing the lighthouse and the backdrop of Mt Kaimon in the photos.

• I drove up towards Lake Ikeda and stopped by one of the famous “flowing noodles of somen noodles” restaurants where you catch your own noodles. You order at the booth and hand the ticket over to the kitchen when you pick a seat. There are “English” instructions, but they are a bit confusing.

• Headed to Lake Ikeda and honestly, it is just a lake – not sure what else I was expecting. It is a nice area to walk around but there is not much else here. I didn’t stay for long and drove back to Kagoshima to return my rental car. I had Kagoshima style ramen again from another location as the previous time wasn’t that great.

Kumamoto

I had visited all the major Kumamoto sites in my last trip, so I did not have much planned here. I decided to stay here one night before heading out to Mt. Aso and Kurokawa Onsen the next day to be not as rushed. Rotating sushi was on the menu as I stopped by Mekkemon Sushi for dinner and grabbed some Aso Milk Soft Serve nearby as well.

Mt. Aso and Kurokawa Onsen

I picked up my rental car from Kumamoto the next morning and started my drive up to Mt. Aso and Kusasenri. While it is a long drive, the views are spectacular. Once I got out of the main urban areas and out of the city, the concrete walls and streets faded away into the valleys surrounding Mt. Aso. It is one of those areas where you must see it to believe it. As I was driving up the volcano, there were often spots where you could pull over and take pictures of the sprawling valleys below. I made it to Kusasenri and took pictures, before driving up to the actual Aso crater. The weather was clear so the road all the way up to the crater was open. The cost was 1000 yen to enter the crater parking lot.

I headed back towards Kusasenri for lunch at one of the small cafes there (horse meat hotdog was an option but I settled with a pulled pork meal) before heading out to Daikanbo Observatory. I highly recommend coming here if you are driving as the views are stunning. I ran into several tour buses and tour groups, so the area was full, but the views and sights across the valley were worth it.

I headed out and drove to my Ryokan in Kurokawa Onsen which was Ryokan Wakaba. The drives all throughout the area were very easy as the roads are well maintained. Some areas the road becomes a bit narrow and windy but drive slowly and stick with Google Maps. I checked-in to my Ryokan and explored some of the town by foot as it was easier. I picked up the popular onsen hopping pass from the tourist information centre and visited 3 onsens in the area.

The kaiseki meal was basashi, or horse sashimi. It was my first time having it and it was served with soy, green onions, radish, and wasabi. The meat itself was very creamy but a tad bit chewy. I would have it again if served, but I wouldn’t go out of my way to have it.

Fukuoka

The next day, I checked out before dropping my car off at the rental shop in Kumamoto. I picked up my 5-day North Kyushu JR pass and headed off to Fukuoka. I spent my next 9 days using Fukuoka as a “base”. This is definitely on the longer side but I fell in love with the city back in my trip last year. I have always seen itineraries posted here where people will base themselves here and then not spend anytime in Fukuoka itself. In addition, you’ll note that I don’t do much on some days as I am a slower traveler and enjoy just “living” in the city.

Day 1

• I headed to Kita-kyushu with the pass and visited Mojiko Retro and Karato Fish market.

• A side note, you cannot take the shinkansen from Hakata to Kokura as that portion of the route is ran by the Sanyo Shinkansen and not Kyushu, so the pass is not valid.

• To get to the fish market, I took a train to Kokura before transferring to the Kagoshima Line to Mojiko. From there, you can buy tickets for the ferry (on site) and take the short ferry over to the fish market. The concept of the market is different from usual fish markets, as all of the vendors prepare fresh nigiri and you shop around and buy a la carte. A must visit spot in my opinion. I had a good selection of nigiris and a kaisendon.

• I headed back to Hakata where I stopped by Ikkousha (Hakata Station branch) which is famous for its tonkotsu ramen. The broth was super thick and rich in pork flavour and honestly, I don’t think I can eat it anywhere else. The noodles were curly egg noodles and not the thin, long ones that I preferred but the flavour in the soup was other-worldly.

• I spent time exploring the nearby areas including the station, Tenjin, and Canal City before eating at the ramen stadium. I tried two different ramen shops here and while they were not as good as Ikkousha, they were still really good.

Day 2

• I headed to Kashima in Saga to visit Yutoku Inari Shrine by taking the Hizen-Kashima Limited Express from Hakata to Hizen-Kashima. The train runs every 3 hours or so from Hakata Station, so I took the early 7:55am one. There is a direct shuttle bus from Hizen-Kashima that takes you to the shrine.

• Another super gorgeous inari shrine and surrounding temple areas. Look up some photos. Because I had gone early, most of the shops in the shopping streets were not open but I enjoyed the quieter atmosphere.

• I left around 11am and decided to head to Nagasaki. As I had the JR pass, this was an easy decision to make as I otherwise would have had to buy tickets for the three transfers required to get there.

• I really enjoyed Nagasaki my last time there, and my main goal was to pick up some more castella and have champon (which I did). The Nishi-Kyushu Shinkansen is also super new and comfy.

• I had some fluffy pancakes in a nearby plaza before heading back to Hakata. I spent the evening exploring the Christmas Market at Hakata Station before having Ikkousha again and heading back to my hotel.

Day 3

• I was kind of tired at this point and had a “rest day” here.

• I popped by the Ikkousha main branch for more ramen and it was much better than the station location. There was a short line before opening and when I left, the line was much longer.

• I spent rest of the morning and afternoon shopping (again) before trying another famous Tonkotsu branch called Shin-Shin Ramen at Hakata Station. I personally liked this more than Ikkousha, as the broth was just as flavourful but not quite as rich, which made it easier to eat more often. I got their standard ramen with a gyoza set.

• I went back out to explore Tenjin and its underground shopping street, before stopping by at Menya Kanetora for tsukemen. I ended up going here four more times before I left Fukuoka.

Day 4

• I decided to visit Arita which is known for their ceramic museum. It is a short train ride from Hakata Station, and you are dropped of in a small, small town. There were a few sights I wanted to see but I was lazy and dropped them. I took the trek up to the Kyushu Ceramic Museum where it details the history of Arita and how they became to be known for its porcelain and ceramic production. A part of the museum was under renovation so be aware.

• I headed back to the station area to decide where to go next. I had originally planned to visit the porcelain tori gate and then head up to Imari, but I was tired and didn’t do that. I eventually decided to head to Saga and explored there for a bit instead, before heading back to Hakata.

• I settled for a McDonalds lunch before heading back to Tenjin and grabbing Motsunabe. There are solo dining portions, but I would recommend against it as the meal is very filling and fatty.

• I grabbed tsukemen afterwards because I wasn’t quite satisfied with the motsunabe from earlier.

Day 5

• Visited Daizaifu before the shops opened and hung around until after the shops opened. The temple was neat, and this was the first spot where I noticed all the tour guides again and school tours. There is a small shopping street leading up to the shrine and here I grabbed a Mentaiko Wagyu set meal which was quite good.

• I headed back to Hakata to shower and clean up before heading out to Lalaport Fukuoka to check out the mega Gundam and do some more shopping.

• Tsukemen was on the menu again tonight and I had that for dinner.

Day 6

• I had sumo tickets booked for this day, so I was off to the tournament centre to watch. I ordered my tickets through Sumo Pia and picked them up at a 7/11 close to the convention centre. I had tried to pick up my tickets at a different 7/11 earlier in the week, but it didn’t seem like they knew what I was talking about.

• Sumo was a full day event, but you can leave and re-enter as much as you want. There are food trucks outside the convention centre and many souvenir shops inside selling cool sumo products as well. I got there early and stayed until the end of the intermediate matches before leaving.

• Overall, it was a unique experience, but I wouldn’t go back again. You were either super into sumo wrestling or were a foreigner like me taking in the experience.

• I walked over to Tenjin and the Daimyo area to do more shopping and eating.

Day 7 and 8

• By this point, it was day 17 and 18 of my trip and I was already satisfied with all I had seen and done in Fukuoka. Could I have explored and went out to places like Itoshima? Yes, but I didn’t have the desire too. I took it easy on both days and spent time exploring the city with no concrete plans. I visited shops and things I wanted to see again, spent time at the claw machines, ate so much food, and just generally relaxed.

• I stumbled upon a Pokemon Go Wild event that was held in Maibaru Park.

• I used luggage forwarding from my hotel and sent one of my suitcases to my final hotel in Tokyo from Fukuoka as I was not going to drag everything to Seoul with me. The concierge helped me fill out the form and call my next hotel to confirm my booking. It cost 2400 yen to ship a 75L suitcase from Fukuoka to Tokyo, and I had them hold delivery until 5 days later (when I was supposed to check in)

• Foods I ate

• Hanamaru Udon for some quick udon

• Tempura Teishouku set meal

• Tsukemen dinner

• Daimyo milk chocolate frap

• Saboten katsu curry

• Dipper Dan Crepe

• Shin Shin Ramen (again)

• Chocolate churros at the Hakata Christmas market

And that’s it! I’m not going to write about my three days in Tokyo as there is more than enough information around. In Tokyo, I was hunting for figurines and one of my stops took me out to an area called Kita-Senju, and while looking for umbrellas I ended up in Jiyougaoka. Both these neighbourhoods were super cool and very few tourists around, if any. Don’t be afraid to venture out in Tokyo! I ended up leaving Japan with two fully packed out 75L suitcases (23kg each) and a packed out backpack. In addition, we also grabbed snacks and other souvenirs at the duty free.

Thanks for reading as I’m off to hunt flight prices again for another trip back to Fukuoka and Kyushu. We might take a trip up to Tohoku too, who knows!

Need help to review and see if my tokyo itinerary is possible and efficient (since it’ll be using trains and my family members are not avid train riders)

Day 1, Thursday

- arrive from Narita afternoon

- customs, baggage pickup

- travel to Ginza (about an hour)

- check in hotel

- explore Ginza and grab dinner

- back to hotel and sleep

Day 2, Friday

- rent a kimono in Asakusa

- Senso-ji temple

- take pictures and walk around, buy souvenirs, etc.

- visit Akihabara at night

Day 3, Saturday

(need help on transport suggestion as renting a car for a day isn’t possible)

- Lake Kawaguchi

- Gotemba Premium Outlet

Day 4, Sunday

Since it’s a sunday please suggest for less crowded areas)

- morning still not determined (maybe harajuku)

- night will probably go to Shinjuku

Day 5, Monday

Early morning

- Shimokitazawa (looking to try the totoro cream puffs and soup curry)

The rest of the day

- Shibuya

-Shibuya 109, Mandarake complex, Loft, Daikanyama T-site)

- Eats -> maybe Mukai

For suggestions please keep in mind it’s a family trip of 5 and we have never used the Tokyo metro or railways, tho we have visited tokyo once (but we don’t really remember).

Also it would be really helpful if you can suggest what train lines we should use :).

We are a family of four with a 4 year old preschooler and 2 year old toddler. We visited Japan in October 2024 for 14 nights. We primarily stayed in Tokyo, but spent a few days in Nikko and took a day trip to Kamakura.

This is our second trip to Japan as a family. We liked it so much the first time that we came back again. I wrote a trip report for the first one as well, look at my post history if you’re interested. Here I’ll try to focus on new info and not reiterate what I mentioned in my last post.

—What’s different this time—

This is our 3rd international trip with our kids. I wish I could tell you that things get easier but the truth is some things get easier and others get harder. Your experience will also vary greatly depending on your specific child. When we visited last time our two year old (now the four year old) behaved much better than our younger one who is now two. Our youngest is a runner, messy AF and has spectacular tantrums. It made for some new challenges. I now believe that toddlerhood is actually the worst age for travel. The 4 year old was perfectly fine, she’s basically an expert traveler at this point.

—Flights—

I still maintain that the flight will likely be the worst part of any trip with kids. It’s just not a normal situation to be stuck in an enclosed area for 10+ hours and it’s going to make any child antsy.

One issue we struggled with before the trip is whether we should take any extra kids gear specifically for the flight. Last time we took JetKids bed box, but we ended up not liking it. We considered taking a car seat for the toddler. It definitely helps, the question is what do you do with it when you arrive at your destination. There is airport storage, but storing it for 14 days isn’t really cost effective. And we definitely didn’t want to lug it around everywhere. We checked out other gear too like inflatable beds (too bulky) and hammocks (lots of airlines appear to not allow these).

So we ended up not taking anything. The kids just slept awkwardly on their seats. Our plane was a 3x3x3 seat configuration and the kids sat in the middle 3 seats with one of us. They slept laid out across the seats, they could barely fit side by side and it probably wasn’t that comfortable for them but we survived.

As far as airline, we chose Singapore this time. We had a bad experience last time with ANA so we wanted to try something different. Singapore was perfectly fine…I don’t know about “Best Airline in the World” but we didn’t have any major problems. The only annoying part I remember is they require you have a bag for your stroller if you want to carry it on. We had to scramble to find a bag that would fit our stroller. I actually have one at home but I never take it because we never needed it on other airlines.

Singapore only flies into Narita airport. That isn’t great when you have kids. Generally I always opt for the most direct mode of transportation when we have our kids in tow, and Haneda airport is the most direct if you’re staying in Tokyo. We had to take a train for an hour plus a taxi to get to our hotel, which isn’t great when you just got off an 11 hour flight. The immigration line at Narita was also rather long. I remember breezing through at Haneda last time.

If you can avoid Narita, I recommend it.

—Stroller—

This was also something we struggled with pre-trip.

Last time we used a carrier + travel stroller combo and that worked great for our kids when they were younger. The problem now is our 2 year old is far too big for a carrier. She’s 90+ percentile weight. A carrier might be ok if you have a smaller toddler but it isn’t good for ours.

Our toddler is not a good walker so she needs some kind of transportation almost all the time. Our preschooler is a good walker, but she still needs to be in the stroller sometimes. She isn’t going to walk 30k steps a day which can easily happen in Japan.

We didn’t want to take a double stroller. I still think a double stroller is a bad idea, due to how compact everything is in Japan (elevators, hotel rooms, etc.).

We opted for taking one travel stroller with us (the Cybex Libelle) and buying an umbrella stroller once we arrived in Japan. It was the most flexible of the options. I didn’t like needing to have two strollers, but it allowed us to walk around all day instead of resting in the room mid-day. All naps happened in the strollers.

One store I discovered this time around is Nishimatsuya. It’s a great store for buying kids supplies and it’s where we bought our stroller. We went to the one in Odaiba but I know there are other locations too. Last trip I found Toys R Us / Babies R Us to be our favorite kids store, but we went to find a stroller there and they only had expensive international strollers. Nishimatsuya seems like one of those more “local” stores where everything is a little cheaper. We found a great umbrella stroller for $40 usd.

Two strollers allowed us a lot of flexibility. We could leave one in the room when we didn’t need it. It was easier to play “Tetris” when we came across a small elevator, and with two adults we could each navigate one stroller each without one adult needing to push around a tank of a double stroller.

—Rental Car—

One big difference this time is we rented a car. We visited Nikko and I wanted more flexibility than the bus would provide. So we rented a car for our 3 days in Nikko. It was less stressful than I was expecting. Coming from the US, I was worried about left handed driving, but it came naturally.

We rented from Nippon Rent A Car Tobu Nikko which is right outside of the train station. I actually booked with Alamo online but the actual location serving several Western companies is actually run by Nippon Rent A Car. The car was easy to pick up. They actually had two car seats for us, one toddler seat and one booster. The car itself was a “compact mini-van” which fit both our luggage and two car seats just fine.

It was pretty easy to drive around Nikko. There can be traffic in the area around Shinkyo bridge / Nikko Toshogu, but overall it wasn’t too bad. It gets bad later in the day but our advantage was staying overnight. A lot of people do Nikko as a day trip, but if you stay overnight and leave your hotel to explore early you can avoid a lot of the congestion.

Even though I couldn’t read most of the traffic signs, much of the driving in Japan is “common sense”. I did watch some YouTube videos to learn common differences in street signs and such. But overall it was easy.

The strangest thing I saw while driving was a monkey walking right on the side of the road. Very close to the road. I thought he was about to stick his thumb out and ask for a ride…

—Trains—

We were able to dodge the Shinkansen this time. It’s fast but it’s so much more expensive than other trains. I was surprised at how cheap it was to get from Tokyo to Nikko on a normal train.

We didn’t really have any major issues on the trains. I’ve taken enough trains to know the pitfalls.

To reiterate a bit from my previous post:

1. Always mind the gap with your kids.
2. Give yourself time to find the elevator.
3. Don’t worry too much about your luggage, I never had an issue finding space for it.
4. Be careful with “stale” Google map searches. I often search for a route then leave it open on my phone regardless if we catch the specific train at the specific time I searched for. That can be dangerous for lines that don’t run that often, or connecting trains that don’t run often. Make sure you refresh your search if you miss the specific train in your initial search, or it’ll lead to confusion later. This isn’t as important for metro lines, but if you’re doing day trips or going to the airport it will be.

This time I used Suica on my phone via Apple Pay and it was so easy. Not to mention you can reload with a credit card instantly. It’s so much better than needing to find a terminal to reload.

Regarding tickets for your kids: generally you don’t need them unless it’s a train with reserved seating. On a Shinkansen especially it’s worth your kids sitting on your lap just because of the cost. On almost any other train it’s worth reserving the extra seat because the tickets are likely cheap.

Another kids note: We kept our 2 year old in the stroller 100% of the time we were in train stations. If you have a runner, the last place you want them running is the train station. They will either: 1) Get lost in a crowd or 2) end up falling on the track. Always keep your kids close to you when in a train station. There are huge amounts of people around and tons of opportunities for them to get lost.

—Eating—

Ah, eating, the big payoff for coming to Japan. There’s a certain balance of quality to price that is basically impossible to find in the US these days (especially California) that is easy to find in Japan. Most places are going to be tasty. There’s plentiful options wherever you go. And the main risk is being slightly overcharged if you’re going to super touristy places (Tsukiji market).

We will go to pretty much any restaurant with our kids as long as they let us. Some places will flat out reject you, but it doesn’t matter because the choices are plentiful. The highest end restaurant we went to this time was Tempura Yamanoue in Roppongi. I reserved ahead of time and let them know I had kids and it was all good. They had a spacious table for us in the area near the private rooms. The best meal we had was Ushigoro in Ginza. Again, I reserved ahead of time and let them know we had kids. They gave us a private room that was great, and we had a great meat filled tasting menu.

The best weapon we used to combat the kid’s restlessness at restaurants is a phone or tablet loaded with their favorite shows. Yes, I know not great but it’s better than the alternative (a huge tantrum in a crowded restaurant). If we were eating somewhere the kids weren’t going to eat, we tried to get through the meal as quickly as possible. In general Japanese restaurants are not a place to “hang out” and you should just be eating and leaving quickly anyway.

Even with the mitigations there were some awkward moments. Our wiggly toddler just can’t sit down sometimes and once in Nikko they scolded us because she stood up on a booth seat. In other places she made a mess. We take our own bibs everywhere we go but she just can’t eat cleanly. Taking your own bibs and napkins / wet wipes when you eat is a necessity.

One thing to note is I feel like there were more tourist trap eateries this time around. I don’t know if there are more of them now or I just got better at recognizing them. Tsukiji is a hotspot for them. And it’s not even that the food is bad, it’s just overpriced. There are some still some gems in Tsukiji like Kitsuneya, the traps just seemed more prevalent.

Here’s some good restaurants we ate at with our kids:

Tempura Yamanoue (Roppongi) -reservation

Ushigoro (Ginza) -reservation

Sushi Daiwa (Toyosu) -get in line by 5:30am

Sushimasa (Ginza) -reservation only

Mihashi (Nikko) -walked in for lunch

Wagokoro Tonkatsu Anzu (Ginza) -walked in for dinner

Green Terrace Steak (Nikko) -walked in for dinner

Kaiten Sushi Ginza Onodera (Omotesando) -go before open and get a number at the kiosk

What did my kids eat? Lots of ramen, gyoza, and onigiri. Ongiri from the kombini was always the default answer to “What are we feeding the kids?” The kombini or any department store basements are great places to find a huge variety of things your kids may eat.

Just like last time, we never went to any family restaurants. I’d much rather go to a ramen joint than a family restaurant, even if it’s a chain like Ichiran or Ippudo.

A mini-rant: After two trips I still don’t know how to reliably find yogurt that isn’t sweet in Japan. You can grab the most boring plain looking package of yogurt at the kombini and it will be horribly sweet. Sometimes you might get lucky and randomly find some plain yogurt at a hotel buffet. But I’m beginning to think yogurt is just a dessert in Japan.

—Hotels—

We stayed at all hotels and no AirBnbs. It’s important to note that in Japan occupancy limits almost never apply to children under 6. That is usually listed somewhere on the website or you can email in and ask. I didn’t even include my kids on some reservations because the booking systems aren’t good at following the under 6 rule. If you have kids over 6 then an AirBnb might be for you. Personally I’m not looking forward to my kids turning 6.

We are very much a “never in the room” kind of family on vacation. We might have breakfast at the hotel but then we are out all day until after dinner. That definitely influenced where we stayed, so these might not be applicable to everyone:

Grand Hyatt Tokyo 5/5 -super kid friendly, great playgrounds and toy stores with play areas nearby

Villa Fontaine Grand Tokyo Ariake 4/5 -the Japanese room with the tatami is fun for the kids to play on

Sheraton Grande Tokyo Bay 4.5/5 -great base for Disney

AC Hotel Tokyo Ginza 3.5/5 -not the most kid friendly, overpriced, but great location

Fairfield Tochigi Nikko 3.5/5 -fine but nothing special

—Area by Area Reports—

-Tokyo Disney-

Tokyo Disney was the first thing on our itinerary and we largely planned our trip around it. For better or worse my girls are Disney super fans and they love Frozen so we had to go to Fantasy Springs.

The big question is how do you get into Fantasy Springs. Maybe if I was alone I could line up 2 hours before open so I could get a standby pass for a Fantasy Springs ride. But the kids aren’t standing in that line. So my next idea was try to book the Fantasy Springs hotel. But after two+ weeks of trying everyday to book unsuccessfully I gave up.

We opted for a vacation package. It was the splurge of our trip and I knew it was overpriced but I didn’t see another way of getting into Fantasy Springs.

We did day one at Disneyland, stayed at the Disneyland hotel, then did day two at DisneySea. I felt the hole in my wallet, but the kids definitely had fun. We spent all of our premier passes at Disneyland on the Beauty and the Beast ride, and rode Anna and Elsa’s Frozen Journey so many times I lost count.

We were at DisneySea on Halloween day, and the number of people that dressed up and the quality of the costumes was definitely a spectacle. These Japanese Disney fans definitely go all out.

We spent our last night at Disney at the Sheraton Grande (I didn’t want to give Disney any more money) and it was so much better than the Disneyland hotel. Not to mention half the price. If you have a choice, stay at the Sheraton instead.

-Nikko-

I wanted to pick one location outside of Tokyo and I think we got enough of Kyoto and Osaka last time. I didn’t want to take any long train rides, and I didn’t really want to take any extra flights either.

Nikko seemed well received and relatively kid friendly. Since we were going in the fall it seemed like a good time to see the fall colors. I was a little hesitant because of the crowds I read about, but I opted for a car rental instead of braving the packed buses. I think buses are probably one of the worst modes of transportation for kids behind airplanes. Especially when they are packed. We saw the packed bus stops while in Nikko and I’m really glad we dodged that bullet.

There were a number of hurdles on our Nikko visit. The first being the weather. Our first full day was rainy and very foggy. So much so that the ropeway was empty because you couldn’t see anything from the top. We went to Kegon Waterfall and it was the same deal - you couldn’t see the falls at all. I felt like we wasted half a day driving around trying to find something we could actually see. We went out west to Ryuzu falls and the fog wasn’t as bad out that way, but it was still raining. This area was much more pleasant because there weren’t as many people as well. We went to the Fish and Forest Observation Garden which was a nice little distraction too. The kids got to feed the fish and they had a little museum area which was a much needed break from the rain.

The fall colors were actually better out this way. In Nikko proper it was still green but near Ryuzu falls it was full red and orange. This is also where we saw a wild monkey walking on the side of the road.

Day two was a bit rough as well. I got sick with some kind of upper respiratory virus and this was the worst day. We went to a pharmacy in Nikko to get some Tylenol for my headache and then went to Nikko Toshugu. Apparently all the rest of Japan had the same idea because it was massively packed. In retrospect we probably should have come the day before when it was raining, maybe the crowds would be thinner. But we went in anyway. The experience was definitely diminished by the crowds. I wasn’t very impressed.

After seeing the also overhyped Shinkyo Bridge we decided to go somewhere else. We drove to Edo Wonderland, which I had on my list but wasn’t sure we would have time for. We showed up about 2 and they closed at 5 so we didn’t have a ton of time there.

This definitely felt like a theme park with too many gift shops and a handful of interesting things. The “haunted house” was great. We saw the water show and it was meh. The actors hanging around were pretty interesting. Think ninjas running on the roof in full character. My daughter got a cool pic with one of the ninjas. We didn’t really find time to try any food.

Overall I felt Edo Wonderland might be better for older kids. They had a ninja course and samurai class that looked interesting but they weren’t really appropriate for my kids. I don’t know if we’ll ever come back because it’s out of the way, but on this trip I feel we could have skipped it.

So Nikko overall was a bit disappointing. We did get somewhat unlucky. If I ever do revisit it won’t be any time soon.

-Kamakura-

We did a day trip to Kamakura. We left Tokyo as early as possible when we still had jet lag and were waking up way too early. The one downside being the express trains don’t start running until later in the morning, we left at maybe 6am and had to transfer a couple of times. On the way back we took one express train.

Our first stop was Kotoku-in. We were there right at the open and we got a lot of good pics when no one else was around. It’s definitely worth a visit, even the kids liked it.

We walked down Komachi-dori next. This is one place that felt very tourist trappy…I wasn’t expecting that this far from Tokyo but I guess Kamakura is that popular. There were lots of animal cafes, vendors pushing questionable sales tactics, it just felt weird.

We walked to Tsurugaoka Hachimangu. It was fine, nothing really special. It was another place that was overrun with people so I think that diminished the experience.

We also went to Houkokuji. I liked this place. The bamboo forest is better than Arashiyama. There’s a matcha house at the back where you can take a little break from walking. It’s small but worth a visit.

In retrospect I would skip Komachi-dori and Tsurugaoka Hachimangu next time, Kotoku-in and Houkokuji are the must sees in Kamakura.

It’s important note that Kamakura was somewhere we actually rented a stroller with ShareBuggy. There was a kiosk at the train station and after Kotoku-in we realized we probably should have taken our second stroller but it was back at the hotel in Tokyo. It was a cheap and relatively painless process.

-Odaiba-

We’ve been to Odaiba twice now and I’m of the mind that it’s one of the must do areas of Tokyo if you have kids. There’s just so much to do here. Several malls packed with interesting things for kids, you could spend a whole day in DiverCity alone. The science museum, the poop museum (yes, poop), a Toys R Us and a Nishimatsuya.

And TeamLab Planets and Kidzania aren’t far away either….

-Azabudai Hills-

This is a new multipurpose complex in the same vein as Roppongi Hills and Tokyo Midtown. It’s where TeamLab Borderless is located, which was a huge hit with everyone. I would definitely recommend it for kids.

There is one place that stood out in this area. There’s a place called Comme’N Kids near Azabudai Hills Market. It seemed kind of silly at first, it’s basically a bakery counter but just for kids. No adults allowed. They walk through a little tunnel to the counter and pick what they want, pay, then leave. I was like “why does this even exist?” but my 4 year old wanted to do it. And she ended up loving it. She wanted something sweet and unknowingly ended up picking something savory instead. But even with her mistake she just loved going through the process.

-Roppongi-

Lots of online guides will tell you Roppongi is a nightlife hotspot, and that’s true at night, but during the day it’s one of the most family friendly places in central Tokyo. Anecdotally I see many more local parents here than I see anywhere else. The park outside of Tokyo Midtown, Sakurazaka park aka the Robot playground, and the toy stores like Bornelund are all places you’ll see local parents and kids hanging out. There was a Halloween event at Roppongi Hills when we went that was packed with local families.

Roppongi is still my favorite neighborhood in Tokyo. It’s not as massively packed as Shibuya or Ginza. There aren’t as many tourist traps as other neighborhoods. It’s relatively peaceful for being in central Tokyo.

—Closing—

Japan is the place to go for an international family trip. It’s safe, and it’s more kid friendly than you probably think. People are nice and I lost count of how many times people said “kawaii!” at my kids. There will always be kid-haters but don’t let them discourage you from taking a fun trip with your family. You can do it and you will have fun. I will definitely be back with my family in the future.