First time in Japan and I'm going with my dad who is 76 but in very good shape for his age and gets around well. The itinerary pretty full but lots of things are optional depending on our energy levels and weather and it won't be the end of the world if we miss things. We're most excited for the food tours, staying at an onsen in Nikko, and filling up our goshuin-chos. Time allowing, we would like to get goshuin at every temple and shrine, but that probably won't be possible especially on the Kyoto day.

We plan to get around each city using the public transit except for two rental cars: the first overnight in Nikko and the second just from morning to evening in Fukuoka. We may use uber/taxi here are there to get around easier/faster. I already received my international drivers permit for the rentals.

Monday Nov 2, Arrival

• Depart the United States Nov 1, arrive 1720 Monday Nov 2 in Haneda.
  
• Take the shuttle to our hotel in Shinjuku and either have dinner at the hotel or find an izakaya and take it easy.

Tuesday Nov 3, Tokyo Day 1 - Shinjuku/Shibuya

• Train to Shibuya, see hachiko early
• Wander Shibuya until Loft opens at 11am, buy goshuin-chos
• Meiji Jingu - This day is culture day in Japan and the Grand Festival is at Meiji Jingu. There is horse archery at 1300 that we're hoping to see, however we expect it will be very crowded.
• Metropolitan Government Building observation deck
• 1730 Meet food tour guide who takes us to Omoide Yokocho memory lane and Golden-Gai

Wednesday Nov 4, Tokyo Day 2 - Asakusa/Southern Tokyo

• teamLab Borderless when it opens at 0830
• Atago Jinja nearby
• 1130 Meet street food tour guide in Asakusa, end at Senso-ji
• small worlds (this is likely to be cut due to distance and energy after the food tour
• Sit at footbath at MoN Takanawa on the way back to hotel in Shinjuku

Thusday Nov 5, Tokyo > Nikko > Chuzenji

• Pack overnight backpacks, have the rest of the luggage takkyubin to Osaka hotel
• train to Nikko Shimo Imaichi station, pickup GR 86 rental at Toyota-rent-a-car, reservation at 1000 (can pick up later)
• Drive to Edo Wonderland, do the costumes and everything
• Drive to Tobu World Square (might be cut depending on time)
• Drive up the Irohazaka winding road to onsen by lake chuzenji (Chuzenji Kanaya Hotel). This should be done before sundown
• Dinner at hotel, onsens

Friday Nov 6, Chuzenji >Nikko > Osaka

• Chuzenji temple (might be cut)
• Kegon Falls (might be cut)
• Kanmangafuchi Abyss (might be cut)
• Shinkyo Bridge
• Nikko Toshugi shrine/temple complex
• Return the car at Shimo Imaichi by 1400
• Trains back to Tokyo and then Shinkansen to Osaka, combini dinner on the shinkansen

Saturday Nov 7, Osaka

• Osaka Castle and Hokoku Shrine
• Osaka Science Museum and/or Osaka National Museum of Art
• Explore America-Mura (optional)
• 1730 Meet food tour guide in Shinsekai
• Dotonbori river boat (optional)

Sunday Nov 8, Kyoto Day Trip

• Take early train from Osaka to Kyoto to meet tour guide at 0900
• Approximately 8hr tour of Kyoto - Kinkakuji, Arashima, Fushimi Inari, Kiyomizu-dera, Gion
• Train back to hotel

Monday Nov 9, Osaka > Hiroshima > Fukuoka

• pack overnight backpacks, have rest of the luggage takkyubin to Fukuoka hotel
• Shinkansen to Hiroshima
• Peace Park
• Hiroshima Castle and Gokoku shrine (optional)
• Shinkansen to Fukuoka
• 1900 Meet food tour guide, Nakasu and Tenjin yatais

Tuesday Nov 10, Fukuoka

• Kushida Shrine (optional)
• Tochoji Temple (optional)
• Sofukuji (optional)
• Canal City
• Hikiniku to come for lunch
• Sumo tournament at Kukusai Center
• Fukuoka tower at sunset (optional)
• Nakatsukasa cyber shrine at night (optional)

Wednesday Nov 11, Itoshima Day Trip

• Rent a GR Yaris from Toyota Rent-a-Car Yakuin Shop, reservation 0800-2000
• Nanzo-in Temple (optional)
• Palm Tree Swing and Sunmaria bakery
• Palm Beach, Sakurai Futamigaura and Couples Stones
• Totoro Forest
• Mt Kagamiyama Observation Deck and Shrine
• Life Size Gundam Statue at LaLaPort

Thursday Nov 12, Return

• Ohori Park if theres time
• 1300 Flight out of Fukuoka > Haneda > back to the United States

Questions:

1. Does takkyubin ever take overnight? Is it necessary to pack an overnight bag Osaka > Fukuoka just in case?
2. How is the pacing? It is overloaded?
3. How often can i expect it to be too crowded or too long of a wait to get goshuin?
4. If you had to pick between Tobu World Square or Edo Wonderland, which are you choosing?
5. Is it not worth trying to fight the crowds at Meiji Jingu on culture day?
6. Hikiniku to come live up to the hype?

Hi, so this is a sort of revamp from the prev itinerary we posted here as we managed to get an extra day for our upcoming trip in mid November. We'll be planning on staying in Kyoto and Osaka as well but just wanted to focus on the Tokyo itinerary for now.

How does this look? We were also thinking of getting the Hakone-Kamakura pass as well but our hotel is a bit out of way from Shinjuku Station (it's much closer to Tokyo Station) so we're not too sure if it's worth it.

• Tokyo
• Day 1 Tokyo (Shibuya)
  • Land in afternoon (1:55pm)
  • Explore Shibuya (Crossing, Hachiko statue, Don Quijote)
  • Do some Shopping
• Day 2 Tokyo (Asakusa)
  • Visit Sensoji Temple in the morning
  • Nakamise Shopping Street
  • Stop by Hoppy Street for lunch
  • Explore Ueno Park in the afternoon
    • Hanazono Inari Shrine
  • Explore Akihabara at night, have dinner at a restaurant there
• Day 3 Kamakura + Enoshima day trip
  • Visit Enoshima Island in the morning, should take until lunch/early afternoon
  • Start heading to Kamakura, starting with Komachi-Dori Street
  • Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine
  • Hokokuji Temple
  • Spend the evening at Shichirigahama beach, have dinner at a restaurant there
• Day 4 Hakone day trip
  • Going from Tokyo station to Hakone-Yumoto Station
  • Basically just doing the reverse loop
  • Bus to Amazake tea house, then take the Old Tokaido Road to Lake Ashi
  • Hakone Jinja Shrine
  • Owakudani
  • Gora
• Day 5 Tokyo
  • Meiji Jingu+anything else we weren't able to do the prev days
  • Extra Shopping

Hey everyone!

Been doing a LOT of reading here over the years, and I’d really appreciate your input on this one.

This will be my fourth Japan trip (1st and 2nd were mostly the usual circuit (Tokyo - Kyoto - Osaka) and a couple of other obvious stuff) and the third one last year was a roadtrip by myself around Shikoku and Kyushu for a month (really cool trip, happy to discuss some of the places I was at). For this one, it’ll be my girlfriend’s first time in Japan, so I wanted to ensure that we went to the classic destinations, as well as mixing it up a bit here and there. For context, we’re a couple in our early 30s. Food + onsen is some of my favourite shit, but at the same time I’m tattooed all over, so it can be a problem here and there.

Let me know how you guys feel about this one. I know it’s peak Autumn foliage season, and there’s gonna be crowds. Flights are booked, but that’s it so far. So really want to stress test this plan before I start booking stuff up.

Tokyo Nov 7-8

- Landing early but we’ll be jet lagged, so wel’ll take it easy, not really in a rush to cram these days.
- 1st day: Asakusa/Senso-ji, a wander around Shinjuku, ramen for dinner + drinks
- 2nd day: Shibuya, Meiji Jingu and the ginkgo avenues. I’m flexible here, want to keep it chill.

Shinkansen in the morning to Kyoto.

Kyoto Nov 9-11

- Ryokan the first night, then a regular hotel for the next 2.
- 1st day: arrive, settle in, evening in Gion + dinner on Pontocho.
- 2nd day: private guide for the big stuff: Higashiyama, Kiyomizu-dera, Fushimi Inari.
- 3rd day: Arashiyama in the morning, then over to Osaka late afternoon for a walk + dinner (Kobe beef baby) and drinks.

Train to Kinosaki in the morning, ideally with a Himeji stop for castle + lunch (maybe mountain temples?

Kinosaki Onsen Nov 12

- Stay at a Ryokan, one with a snow-crab kaiseki dinner.
- Onsen hopping, walk around with a Yukata, get the onsen town experience.

Train to Uno the morning after (might need to change trains here a couple times)

Naoshima & Teshima (staying in Uno) Nov 13-15

- Naoshima: Chichu (the Monets + the Turrell/Ando rooms), Benesse House, the Kusama pumpkins, and the Art House Project over in Honmura.
- Teshima: the Teshima Art Museum, Les Archives du Coeur, the Yokoo House.
- Is 3 nights (2 full island days) overkill or about right? I don’t want to rush the whole thing.
- Benesse house is unfortunately already booked, so staying in Uno as a base seems to be the way to go here, right?

Train to Onomichi in the morning

Onomichi / Shimanami Kaido Nov 16

- Cycle the first bit of the Shimanami cycle route with an electric bike (Onomichi to Setoda, and ferry back)
- I know there’s some temples in Onomichi, could be a thing (Senko Ji?) by the end of the day

Train to Miyajima the next morning

Miyajima Nov 17

- Would really like to stay overnight in the island, but the prices are bonkers ($1000+ for a ryokan). Chill hotel costs ~$300.
- Itsukushima shrine, floating Torii, Mt Misen. And grab some oysters for dinner
- You guys think staying overnight is worth it, vs staying at a nice hotel on the mainland and taking the ferry?

Shinkansen back to Tokyo the next day after some morning island exploring.

Tokyo Nov 18-21

- Back to Tokyo for our 3 final nights, fly out on the evening of the 21st.
- 1st day (the 18th): long travel day back, so probably just get in and eat somewhere good.
- 2nd day (the 19th): day trip, torn between Kamakura (the big Buddha, the coast, that little Enoden line) or Nikko (Toshogu, waterfalls).
- 3rd day (the 20th): teamlabs for sure, but want to leave this day open depending on how we’re feeling. A nice park stroll, arcades, etc.
- 4th day (the 21st): last bit of shopping + a nice final dinner, then fly out in the evening.

What do you make of it? Think we’re going too fast/too slow? 2 weeks fly by in Japan.

Is there anything we’re not considering, or any substitutions you’d do? I’m pretty set on the art islands and Kinosaki. Shimanami Kaido and Miyajima I’m not so sure of.

Thanks in advance, I’m really excited to see what you guys think of it, and any suggestions/tips that might come off of it!

My wife and I are heading to Japan for the first time. We want a good mix of neon-lit city exploration and traditional culture.
We would love some feedback on the pacing.
The Itinerary
Day 1: Arrival
Land at the airport.
Check into an airport hotel to crash and recover from the flight.
Days 2 - 4: Osaka Base & Nara
Day 2: Train to Osaka (staying near Namba/Shinsaibashi or Umeda). Afternoon at Osaka Castle, Abeno Harukas, and walking through Shinsekai. Dinner at Mizuno in Dotonbori.
Day 3: Early visit to Namba Shrine. Exploring Nipponbashi Denden Town, snacking through Kuromon Market, and walking Hozenji Yokocho. Dinner at Ichiran.
Day 4: Day trip to Nara. Tōdai-ji Temple, Kasuga Taisha Shrine, and lunch at Maguro Koya. Head back to Osaka for Umeda Sky Building in the evening.
Day 5: Koyasan Temple Stay
Forward main luggage to Kyoto.
Take the Nankai Koya Line from Osaka to Koyasan.
Walk through Okunoin Cemetery.
Check into the shukubo (temple stay) for hot baths and a Buddhist vegetarian dinner.
Days 6 - 8: Kyoto
Day 6: Transit to Kyoto. Fushimi Inari Taisha (arriving early), Kiyomizu-dera, walking the preserved streets of Sannenzaka/Ninenzaka, and exploring Gion.
Day 7: Arashiyama Bamboo Grove, Tenryu-ji Temple, Togetsukyo Bridge, and Iwatayama Monkey Park. Dinner in Pontocho Alley and a walk along the Kamogawa River.
Day 8: Kinkaku-ji (Golden Pavilion), Ryoan-ji rock garden, Nijo Castle, and grazing through Nishiki Market.
Day 9: Hakone
Transit to Hakone.
Ride the ropeway, check out Lake Ashi, and relax in the hot springs before heading to the city.
Days 10 - 14: Tokyo
Day 10: Early morning at Sensō-ji in Asakusa. Tempura lunch at Daikokuya. Subway to Akihabara. Sunset views at Tokyo Skytree.
Day 11: Shibuya Crossing, Meiji Shrine, Takeshita Street in Harajuku. Evening in Shinjuku viewing the city from the Metropolitan Gov Building, then Omoide Yokocho/Yakitori Alley.
Day 12: Shopping in Ginza. Tsukiji Outer Market for lunch. Afternoon at teamLab Planets. Evening at Tokyo Tower and dinner at Roppongi Gonpachi.
Day 13: Full day at Tokyo DisneySea.
Day 14: Travel day / Fly out.

Any must-eat spots we are missing along this route?
Appreciate any advice or critiques!

Hi! My husband and I will be in Japan from November 5–15 after spending a week in Seoul.

This is our 2nd trip to Japan. On our first visit, we followed the Golden Route and already covered most of Tokyo’s major attractions during spring. This time, we’re prioritizing food, shopping, interesting neighborhoods, fall scenery, and a more relaxed pace.

I’d love feedback on the overall itinerary, particularly our time in Kanazawa and how we’ve grouped the Tokyo neighborhoods.

---

**November 5 – Arrive in Kanazawa**

* Fly from Seoul to Komatsu, arriving around 11:00 a.m.
* Travel to Kanazawa and check in
* Omicho Market for a late lunch
* Higashi Chaya District
* Dinner in Kanazawa

**November 6 – Kanazawa**

* Kenroku-en
* Kanazawa Castle grounds
* Nagamachi Samurai District
* Dinner in Kanazawa

**November 7 – Shirakawa-go Day Trip**

* Round-trip bus from Kanazawa
* Return in the late afternoon or evening
* Seasonal snow crab dinner in Kanazawa

**November 8 – Kanazawa to Tokyo**
Stay in Ueno

* Morning train to Tokyo
* Explore Ueno and Ameyoko
* Akihabara in the evening

**November 9 – Eastern Tokyo**

* Asakusa and Sensō-ji
* Kappabashi
* Tokyo Skytree around sunset or dinner
* More time in Akihabara if needed

**November 10 – DisneySea**

* Full day at Tokyo DisneySea

**November 11 – Tokyo to Kawaguchiko**

* Relaxed breakfast in Tokyo
* Travel to Kawaguchiko, aiming to arrive around 2:00 p.m.
* Possibly do one nearby activity if we have time
* Relax and enjoy the onsen
* Dinner at our accommodation

**November 12 – Kawaguchiko**

* Mt. Fuji Panoramic Ropeway
* Oishi Park
* Possibly rent bicycles if the weather is good
* Visit the **Kawaguchiko Autumn Leaves Festival**, including the maple corridor and food stalls
* Return in the evening to enjoy the onsen

We will not have a car, so I’m curious whether this day is realistic using buses and/or bicycles.

**November 13 – Kawaguchiko to Tokyo**
Stay in Shibuya

* Return to Tokyo in the morning
* Explore Shibuya and/or Ebisu
* Hikiniku to Come reservation for dinner

**November 14 – Western Tokyo Neighborhoods and Shopping**

Possible combination of:

* Shimokitazawa for thrifting
* Koenji
* Kichijoji
* Designer resale shopping
* Onitsuka Tiger
* Sushi or omakase dinner

I realize Shimokitazawa, Koenji, and Kichijoji may be too much for one day. Which two would you prioritize? Should I move one to the day before?

**November 15 – Tokyo and Departure**

* Last-minute shopping and lunch
* Leave for Narita around 4:00 p.m.
* Flight departs at 7:50 p.m.

---

**Food Priorities**

Food is a major part of the trip for us. We especially love sushi, but we also want a good balance of seafood and cooked food.

We’re hoping to fit in:

* An affordable omakase
* Hitsumabushi
* Gyukatsu Motomura
* Tsujihan
* Godaime Hanayama Udon
* Yakiniku
* Hikiniku to Come

I’d especially appreciate Kanazawa restaurant recs for sushi, local specialties, and seasonal crab. We generally prefer casual to midrange restaurants, but we’re open to spending up to approximately $100 USD per person for one particularly worthwhile meal.

**Questions**

1. Does the overall pacing feel reasonable?
   
2. Is there anything important we’re missing in Kanazawa?
   
3. Any specific Kanazawa restaurant recommendations, particularly for sushi, local specialties, or seasonal crab?
   
4. Is our Kawaguchiko day manageable without a car?
   
5. Does the autumn leaves festival fit best on November 12, or should we visit after arriving on November 11?
   
6. Which two would you prioritize: Shimokitazawa, Koenji, or Kichijoji?
   
7. Any other input

Thank you!

Greetings once again, this is Part 3 of my Japan Trip Report. In the previous parts I covered my month in Tokyo and my first two weeks of solo travel (as it turns out I had a lot of thoughts to write down and share so there are many parts!!)

This was a solo backpacking trip, and I outlined exactly what I packed in Part 2, which you can view here: Japan Trip Report Part 2

In this part I will be specifically covering these areas that I visited in order: Kinosaki Onsen, Kyoto/Osaka, Himeji and Okayama/Kurashiki. The majority of this part is about Kyoto as I had 6 days there, and I took quite a lot of day trips outside the usual areas.

Once again giving the disclaimer that this is basically a max length reddit post so it's a pretty long read, as I go pretty in depth on each area and give my thoughts on stuff :)

(Sept 8th - Sept 10th) Kinosaki Onsen

Day One

• The ride to Kinosaki Onsen from Amanohashidate was far less painful than the previous route, so that was pretty relieving. All that had to be done was take the pink Tantetsu Miyamai-Miyatoyo Line to Toyo-oka. When I arrived in the town Toyo-oka, just before Kinosaki Onsen I decided to go visit a pharmacy to ask about my bug bites since they were getting pretty gnarly around now, and with some back and forth of Google Translate I was prescribed some Anti Bug Gel which worked pretty well, so that was good.
  • I also stopped by for some breakfast at Tea & Coffee Yashiro, which is run by a sweet lady who I assume runs the entire shop by herself. The food was nice and vibes were on point, so I do recommend visiting her if you're around :)
• From there, one short 22 minute train to Kinosaki Onsen and voila! Instantly, as soon as I came out into the station I could feel this place was gonna be special, and I also have to mention that Kinosaki Onsen also has their own anime girl mascot called Kinosaki Konori, an onsen hopper😂. As it turns out, this area is actually really popular for domestic tourism, considering it has 6 or 7 (💀💀) famous onsen here. As a result, as you can probably imagine, the accommodation was pretty steep, at least for the fancy ryokans.
  • I decided to book a room which was above a small cafe, renovated from an old Machiya house. The cafe is Kinosaki Ashiyu Cafe, however on booking it was called tsumugi.
  • The rooms here actually genuinely surprised me. The room was super unique with the way the renovation was done, with a really cool view of the back gardens, and super high ceiling leftover from the Machiya construction. Real tatami mat floors, and honestly really comfortable bed had me sleeping like a log. The only thing is that there was only a toilet and no shower, which makes sense since if you come here then you're going to onsen hop anyway.
• I arrived here really early, and check-in took no time at all so exploring began rather fast! First thing I did was walk around the main areas as usual, scouting out where all the onsen were. It really just takes around 15m to do the entire loop, and so I spent quite a long while exploring the side alleys and other areas.
  • It was actually crazy how much more dilapidated the buildings and surrounding areas were as soon as you stepped two roads away from the main area of the town, but that is not to say that it was not good, I love overgrown areas and in combination with the unique old architecture and the look of the fading Red Torii Lamps, it gave such an amazing vibe to be around. I absolutely loved just walking around this town.
• I eventually made my way towards the Cable Car which takes you to a viewpoint of the entire town. Just before the entrance, there is a cafe called Kinosaki Gelato Cafe (kinosakigelatocafe_chaya on Instagram), which serves all sorts of cool drinks and food, and is situated right next to an open hotspring source which they use to cook eggs in a specific way to where they seem to absorb the minerals from these springs which is really cool.
  • They also do this thing where they seem to take a picture of quite literally every foreign tourist who comes to their shop to upload on their Instagram. After I bought some snacks there the employee sprinted outside after me to ask to take my photo which was certainly a first I must admit! However, they seem to have never uploaded my photo 😭! I suppose it may be be a bit strange for them to upload a photo of just one dude standing awkwardly in front of the hot spring, so it makes sense I suppose. No offence taken!
• As I believe I have made it clear already, I absolutely love cable cars, and this one was no different. It even had some really cool exhibitions of the wires used to construct it in the lobby. At this point it was around 4pm and I made it to the last time slot, alongside what I assumed was a family of 3 at the time who I chatted with on the cable car.
  • We took some photos for each other and chatted about cameras since one of them was a professional photographer, and I wanted to know about his camera recommendations for next time I come to Japan. It turned out they were actually 3 siblings and the photographer was the oldest siblings fiancee, so I suppose assumptions are deadly!
• After coming back down I headed to my room and changed into a rental yukata, which was provided for free in this accommodation, which was a super nice bonus! I also equipped the wooden shoes that you usually wear with the yukata, and I can confidently say that the onsen hopping loop I did in those definitely did a number on my knees.. It was VERY hard to walk in them LMAO.
• First thing I have to say, this place is absolutely THE BEST at night. The lanterns and lights across the canal are absolutely beautiful, especially the way they mirror on the surface of the water. Absolutely breath-taking sight.
  • I was feeling a bit lazy this day so I just grabbed a pizza which was open quite late between onsen hopping, which was honestly super chill, finished off with a nice FamiChiki from the most fancy FamilyMart in all of Japan most likely.
• I won't go over every single onsen, as a lot of them were honestly same-ish with minor differences. My favourite one was 100% Goshono-yu, the one that looks like an imperial palace from the outside. It had the most interesting layout, and an amazing view.
  • A second close one is the Kono-yu, which is the furthest away from all of them towards the end of the northern facing road, which may be a bit of bias as I happened to run into the guys from the cable car again here, and it was pretty cool and funny meeting the 4th member of the family while we all happen to be butt naked in a bath! Unfortunately they were leaving to Okayama the next day so we couldn't hang out more the next day!

Day Two

• The second day was a bit more chilled, as I did not plan on going onsen hopping a second time. The previous day I noticed a lot of cool shops so I decided to explore them today. I tried a bunch of different snacks, and even ended up buying name-engraved chopsticks here, thinking I'd have a cool Kinosaki Souvenir.
  • Little did I know that this was actually a sort of chain shop for souvenir chopsticks it appears, as later on in other places I found essentially the exact same shop, which I must've not noticed before in Tokyo and other areas until now. Either way, I don't really regret it, they look real nice!
• Kinosaki kept on surprising me, as there was even a full-blown anime store, albeit with mostly Demon Slayer and Naruto stuff, so not much exciting things, but still really surprising! I ended up getting my first Demon Slayer themed IC card leather-covering here which was nice.
• I honestly ran out of places to explore so I looked on maps and saw there was some sort of waterfall landmark so I went to check it out. The path took me through a mountain tunnel which looked straight out of the scene in Harry Potter where dementors came to grab Harry and Dudley, stuffed to boot with spiders of course! On the other side of the tunnel was just a normal residential district, which made me realize people actually live here 😂. It was a super cool feeling being here.
  • It turned out that the waterfall was like right behind someone's backyard, and it had very clearly stopped being a waterfall years ago, as it was only slightly wet really. Did not match the pictures at all 😭.
• For my last adventure I decided to hike up to the Higashiyama Park which had a really cool observation spot, and it was definitely worth going up to see the town from a different angle and get some cool shots!
• Lastly before heading back I took a stroll past the sluice gate and down the main river heading out from the sea, and this time it definitely felt like I was walking down one of those rural rivers from an anime, and it felt good lemme tell ya. A couple more night pictures were taken and then I retreated to my room, ready to get back to Kyoto the next day!

(Sept 10th - Sept 16th) Kyoto

Day One

• I started heading out pretty early once again, and the route was once again really simple to Kyoto, which is where people generally come from to Kinosaki. It was pretty good to once again see the space shuttle Kyoto Station, a familiar sight!
  • I gotta say, first thing I noticed as soon as I got out of the train was the difference in heat. The concrete city is genuinely so much hotter compared to rural areas, I was dying.. Especially when having to essentially walk massive blocks to find my hotel with an 8-10kg backpack on me.
• The hotel I stayed at this time was IMU Hotel Kyoto, which was relatively good price for somewhat centre Kyoto for six days, 5 min away from the Shijo Station. All you really need, so I recommend it for sure if you manage to get it at a good price at the time.
• I initially booked these 6 days in Kyoto as on my internship it was uncertain if we were gonna go to Kyoto (though looking back in hindsight they wouldn't have chosen any other place for the weekend trip tbh), so I booked a week here just in case. Considering I already been to Kiyomizu, that was checked off, so I had a bunch of other main places to see, and decided to do some day trips just outside of Kyoto, of which there are so many choices.
• This first afternoon I chilled in the room until sundown so it wasn't as hot anymore, then went wandering around Nishiki Market. I came across the Samurai Ninja Museum, and it was honestly a blast. It is definitely touristy but it is really cool, especially if you take the samurai katana lesson, I enjoyed that a lot. The shuriken throwing competition was really fun too, so definitely give it a try! Afterwards I started wandering around aimlessly really looking for somewhere to eat.
  • I stumbled upon one of those shops where they make the fancy leather jackets and they had some original anime collabs, and I overspent way too much on an Attack on Titan and Tokyo Ghoul jacket (they are so nice I still have not worn them once, at this point they may as well be precious unused treasure). I definitely cannot lie that I got carried away with this and do slightly regret the purchase, but it is what it is!
• After 2 hours of walking around, I eventually made it just outside the Gion District and decided it's finally time to eat something since I was pretty damn hungry at this point, but still super undecided as usual. Eventually I came across this self-cooking Tonkatsu place, and even though I wasn't really in the mood for it, something about the place just spoke to me so I went in.
• Before I even realized it, I looked to the right and on the first table there were the family I met in Kinosaki sitting right there all with open mouths at surprise in seeing me 😭To say I was confused would be an understatement, and I started laughing pretty uncontrollably at the sheer coincidence at this. The fact that I was walking around aimlessly, to then randomly choose a restaurant and run into the same people again, absolutely wild. Firstly I thought they said they were going to Okayama but it turned out that was their next stop so I misheard them. I jokingly told them I swear I'm not stalking them and they just replied "Yeah we know, you have literally no way to", which made it all the more insane how lucky this was to even happen.
  • Due to this event written in the stars we decided to hang out later in the week at Osaka, which I looked forward to with great anticipation!
• Once we parted ways I explored the Gion District at night all to myself, and got some banger photos. Unfortunately I was also acquainted with the local cockroaches prowling this area, which I was no expecting, but probably should have expected. It started raining pretty hard when I reached the photospot with the pagoda, so I hurried back to the hotel on the bus and called it a day.

Day Two

• One thing I was always really excited to do in Kyoto was the Philosopher's Walk, so I took the bus to Ginkaku-ji temple, explored it (honestly was kinda underwhelming to everything I've already seen before, or maybe I was just templed out that day), and started walking on the path due south. I stopped by a cafe with a really nice omlette along the way, but since there are so many restaurants along the path I cannot remember which one it was.
• Eventually I made my way to Nanzenji Temple, and by chance happened to make it to The Waterway Pavillion just south from Nanzenji, which was an area I really wanted to see but forgot about, so running into it was super lucky! It is this super cool old aqueduct that looks like it's straight out of the west, and it was such a cool contrast to the temples. Definitely recommend checking it out!
• The rest of the day was honestly pretty chill, just wandered around outer Kyoto for pretty much the entire day, finding random cool spots and getting sick shots, that was about it for day two really!

Day Three

• Next day I headed out to Osaka around noon, with the goal of meeting up with my friends from Kinosaki. My first stop in Osaka was Dotonbori, as is usually the case. I mainly wanted to come to Osaka just to visit the Final Fantasy 14 Eorzea Cafe, as it is one of my favourite games of all time.
  • There were 3 of these cafes in total before September 2025, Ul'dah in Osaka, Gridania in Akihabara, and Limsa Lominsa in Yokohama (which closed down in Aug 2025, quite a shame since I wanted to visit all three)
  • It's an awesome experience with these cafes really, you can get so much unique merch from here, and the food is honestly not half bad here either, especially the drinks, some of them were really good (my personal favourite had to be the Gunbreaker drink!)
• We met up just outside Dotonbori and really just hanged out. We went around checking random shops and stuff. It was a nice change of pace from the solo travel as it felt like I was finally meeting up with a group I knew and it really gave me the energy to keep going on the rest of the trip by myself!
• This was also the perfect chance to try the Osaka style Okonomiyaki. We found a well rated restaurant and got all sorts of types. The first couple bites were good, however this style is so rich and bursting with flavour I really couldn't stomach more than half of it, luckily everyone else were devouring the entire restaurant so it worked out well 😂
• Afterwards we hanged out some more, and grabbed some of those custard filled fish looking pastries before heading back to Kyoto on the local train, and they were honestly hella good! (other than burning my tongue off!).
  • Kyoto station was where we said our goodbyes as they were leaving back to the US in two days, meanwhile I still had a whole month of travel ahead of me! It really did recharge my social batteries in a sense doing this, and from here on I approached way more other tourists, none of them resulted in hanging out afterwards though, so this was pretty special!

Day Four

• On this day I decided to finally visit one of my most awaited spots, Kifune and Kibune shrine. Every time I saw a video about this place it looked absolutely magical. Getting there was pretty simple, you just take the Karasuma Line from Kyoto station up to Kokusaikaikan, and then walk a bit to Iwakura Station to take the Eizan Kurama line up to Kibuneguchi Station, where you then could either walk up to the shrine or take a bus (which is very infrequent).
• I decided to walk, and the views going up were amazing. Seeing all the cool bamboo, seemingly floating, restaurants along the river were so cool to see. Unfortunately, when I reached the shrine itself, it just so happened to be the most crowded place I think I have been to throughout my 3 months in Japan. Absolutely jam packed with tourists with massive lines to the fortunes and everything.
  • This was a bit disappointing really, though I have to mention it may not have actually been as bad as I remember, I believe I may have been in not the best mood this day, since looking back at the pictures and videos I took it still looks absolutely amazing!
• I ended up leaving back the way I came pretty fast, especially since all of the fancy river restaurants close very early around 3pm, and most likely needed a reservation anyway. There was this random area I had seen on the map which was some Turtle Stepping Stones, and figured I wanted to check it out. I ended up getting off at Chayama-Kyoto-Geijutsudaigaku Station, and headed towards the river through random side alleys.
  • As it turns out, this became one of my favourite memories that I still recall very often. Just walking around these residential streets on the outskirts of Kyoto gave me a feeling I cannot describe.
• On my random adventure I found Rakuhoku HANKYU SQUARE, which was an interesting shopping mall, that I, for some reason, find very nostalgic these days. It wasn't anything special really, just your average shopping mall, but I enjoyed its layout, and when I walked in I was the only foreigner in there, and it gave me a weird sense of community you could say.
  • Overall this area of Kyoto just has a feeling to it, it's not even that far out of the centre and yet feels completely different. I'd recommend coming out here and exploring for yourself.
• After grabbing a bite to eat in the mall I finally headed out to the river. The turtle rocks did not disappoint, and I enjoyed going across them very much. There was also a lot of families around here just doing stuff, kids playing in the river with the turtle rocks, and it was just a very nice feeling overall.
• I ended up heading down along the river back to the city centre, and it was one of the most chill walks of my life. The sunset this day was absolutely brilliant, and it had cooled down in the evening quite a bit.
  • I also recall that this was the moment when I changed some of my itinerary and hotels, realizing that maybe 4 whole days in the middle of nowhere may not be the best idea, and ended up booking 2 days elsewhere and 6 more days in Tokyo to just explore random things there, since you never really run out of stuff to do in Tokyo!
• I ended up checking out some bars since I was kinda bored, and I once again reminded myself why I don't go to them, the rooftop views were nice though. I ended off with going to my favourite gyoza/ramen restaurant which I randomly stepped into one day and ended up going there pretty much 4 days in a row, Tanmen and Gyoza KIBARU. The ramen was super good, and gyoza as well, but the biggest standout for me was the karaage, which had the most flavourful spice dip I ever tasted. I went back there multiple times only for those spices with the karaage I'm ngl, highly recommend to check it out!

Day Five

• I woke up pretty late once again as usual, and the first thing I decided to do was to go and check out the Manga Museum. It was pretty cool, with a really nice atmosphere with people just sitting around the entire place reading. Obviously I can't read Japanese so I kinda just strolled around checking everything out.
  • At the time there was a Baki Exhibition, and it was genuinely the most hilarious thing I have ever seen in my life. I tried watching Baki before but I honestly couldn't go past episode 2, but I cannot deny it has some of the funniest panels and art I've ever seen. The life size statue figure of this blond dude beckoning a fight is forever imprinted upon my visual cortex.
• I think I spent less than 30 minutes in the museum, and right after I decided I would head to the top of Mt. Hiei. It was the same route as to Kifune up to Iwakura Station, going up to Yase Hieizanguchi Station, and taking the cable car up the mountain from there.
  • You can get some brilliant photos from the back of the first cable car going up. This place was also completely uncrowded. I was one of the only two people going up here.
  • After the first car, there is another Ropeway you have to take to the summit, and here I was the only person on the entire thing. It was awesome having it all to myself.
• At the summit there is mostly just a giant garden really, with a restaurant I was far too late to partake in, so I mostly just wandered around. Some of the artsy decorations like the floating umbrella forest were so awesome. All the flowerbeds were also in full bloom at this point, and it was super beautiful.
  • The visibility was a bit poor, but I could mostly make out the entirety of Lake Biwa and the surrounding city, and it looked super amazing from up there. I do hope on my next trip to Kyoto to more thoroughly explore the area around Lake Biwa for sure.
• I decided I wanted to go back down the mountain from the other side, for which you have to take a brief bus going down around the bendy mountain roads, then walk a bit down a precarious forest path (which felt super mystical honestly, I loved the vibe there), where it felt like I could fall down the side any minute honestly lmao.
  • I almost got lost on this path honestly, as it wasn't very well marked where the cable car going down was, but I eventually made it by following running people (which signalled that they were likely running in the correct direction to catch the car. I elected to not run and had to wait around 30m for the next one.
• At this point, visibility improved a lot and I just took in the view from multiple angles really. For some reason up here you had to pay in order to unlock the telescopes for use, which was kinda strange as I did not encounter that before anywhere else until now.
• Once descended down, I headed just north of the Shoto-in Temple, heading roughly for the Sakamoto Hieizanguchi Station. I am not sure why, but for some reason this area really sticks out as a core memory for me, and I really wish I spent more time here to explore it better, I will definitely be coming back here some day.
  • From the station, I stopped to change trains at Otsukuyo Station, where I had to wait around 30 minutes or so for the next one, so I exited to go grab some FamilyMart while waiting. This area was, once again, also a core memory for some reason. Just the incredible evening lighting combined with the really nostalgic looking station and immediate area surrounding it just gave me a specific feeling.
  • It is also entirely possible I was just feeling some sort of way this day and a lot of it feels nostalgic and sticks out in my mind I guess, but it really did feel different to the rest of Kyoto. Although I don't think I'll ever really have a reason to go back to Kyoto, if I do this rough area is where I would go.
• Once I reached Kyoto Station again I suddenly got a burst of revitalizing energy again, so I figured I might as well go check out Fushimi Inari during the night, and (probably not surprisingly) it was just as packed as it is in the day, maybe not quite as much but still pretty crowded.
• The Torii Gates were noticeably more spacious than they normally appear on videos, and the feeling of mystique to this place at night made it pretty memorable. I did not end up going all the way up, I just made my way down after a while and just hanged around taking in the atmosphere.

Day Six

• For my last day in Kyoto I decided to go do the Hozugawa River Boat Ride in Arashiyama. It was essentially the reverse route that I took on the Romance Train during our Kyoto Weekend Trip, and it was a cool experience to see the train I rode a month prior going past.
  • The funny Ojii-sans that operate the boat also really made the experience worth it, so I definitely recommend trying it out. (I do warn to be aware though that if you're unlucky you could get flooded when the water hits the boat. My non waterproof left shoe was not happy for a while after this boat ride!!!)
• The ride ends essentially right next to the Arashiyama main bridge, and this was really a moment of reminisce for me, as it really hit me that it had already been a month since I was here with my intern friends.
  • There appeared to be a dragonfly invasion on the other side of the bridge, and it was pretty cool to see so many of them at once out of nowhere. It is safe to say I really discovered my interest in bugs in Japan (probably only because I was lucky enough to not encounter a hunstman..)
• To end off the second Kyoto adventure, I decided to take the old Kimono Station Randen all the way to Shijo-Omiya Station, and walking back to my hotel from there. It was a pretty laid back sixth day to end off Kyoto, and I was ready to move on to the next destination at this point!

(Sept 16th - Sept 17th) Himeji

• The next day was once again intensely hot, and I had to once again carry my monster backpack to go to the next location, Himeji. Luckily, it was a really brief local train, so I had some time to sit down and relax.
• Luckily my Hotel in Himeji was essentially right outside the station, so I was able to just drop off my backpack instantly and go out to explore. The only thing I really had on my list here was Himeji Castle (as you do).
  • Honestly, compared to Matsumoto castle I have to say Himeji was kind of underwhelming, it felt like the best of the bunch really. I suppose it might be the case that once you've seen one castle you've seen them all I suppose. I kinda just did a speedrun of the interior since there was not as much on display compared to Matsumoto.
• From the castle I walked around to check out the Koko-en Garden, as I am a sucker for gardens it seems. It was really really nice. I would say that other than size, it was a good competitor to Kenrokuen in Kanazawa, it was incredibly nice to explore.
• At this point I did not know what else to do, so I randomly looked on the map and chose to go the Mount Shosha Ropeway, since at this point I was going to Ropeways like I was collecting stamps lmao, just wanted to score all of them that I could, and in hindsight it was the best decision to go here. As they say, the things you don't expect are always the most memorable.
• I met some dude from Austria going up, and he was rushing to try and sprint to the shrines at the very end of the mountain because I believe The Last Samurai was filmed there, and he said he really loved the film, so he was eager to catch it before it closed at 5pm lmao.
  • I did not take him up on the offer to sprint to the top, electing to take my leisurely pace around the place.
• I didn't expect for the way up to be such a hike honestly, and once I reached a view spot I rested for a bit, and two other tourists let me know that it is WAY TOO MUCH to go up to even the first temple at this point, so I ended up going back down with them. I noticed one of their tattoos was from Avatar The Last Airbender, the Water Tribe symbol. I ended up bonding way too hard with this couple over Avatar for the next 20 or so minutes, and we honestly operated on the same wavelength.
  • We both agreed that Season 3 of Korra is the best of the entire franchise, and Zaheer is one of the best villains of all time. Fite me and my Water Tribe Brethren!!!
• On the way down the Ropeway they revealed they were meeting a friend who lives in Himeji outskirts and was picking them up, so our bonding got cut short, but I shall forever remember them!
• And that was the end of the one day in Himeji really. The hotel this time was slightly more luxurious than usual here honestly which was a bit surprising, but not unwelcome for one night.

(Sept 17th - Sept 20th) Okayama/Kurashiki

Day One

• When I arrived at Okayama Station I believe, I encountered the Twilight Express Mizukaze, which very much confused me as I did not know what it was. It was the fanciest interior to a train I think I'll ever see, with an entire crew of every profession you could imagine exiting the train and waving for around 20 minutes to everyone getting off. It also appeared that a school trip was happening SPECIFICALLY to see this train and everyone getting off it, which was very strange indeed.
• When I arrived at Okayama it was still very early, so I had to wait as usual until 3pm to drop off my bags at the next place. Since the new Chainsaw Man movie had just come out 2 days prior I figured I would book an IMAX ticket for it at the Okayama AEON Mall, and come see it on my third day when I planned to explore some of Okayama (although plans did change on the day).
• The hotel that I got here was essentially right next to the Historical Bikan Quarter, and I assume was very fancy back in the day. It was the Kurashiki Royal Art Hotel, and for the price for 3 days it was really good. It was like a full quartz bathroom and massive two bed room, for pretty much the same price as most of my other accommodation. Definitely recommend it if you're planning on staying here.
  • When filming the outside of the hotel talking about it I completely forgot I literally walked into their fancy sculpted bush and ruined it because I slipped on the outline of it. Honestly so funny 😭
• First thing I'll say is that I spent essentially all 3 days just exploring the Historical Quarter Bikan, which is honestly pretty crazy since I didn't wake up at ungodly hours when staying here. There was so much to do and see you could easily do the same. I initially wanted to spend one day to see some of Okayama but it turned out I spent most of the time just there!
• The first place I stumbled upon was a real honeycomb ice cream place, where the lady spoke decent English and showed me videos and documents and stuff of how the honeycomb in the icecream is actually sourced from, I believe, Fukuoka and another prefecture, which was pretty cool.
• I ended up stumbling into the Denim street which was also pretty sick to explore around. I did end up buying two denim shirts in the design of koi fish, shorts, and some miscellaneous things like some pouches, etc. This very much did weigh my backpack down A TON for the rest of the trip, which may not have been the smartest move, for sure.
  • There is this one place on the denim street which serves denim food, and I must admit I got absolutely addicted to their denim ice cream. The flavour of it was like a combination of blueberry, bubblegum and another flavour I couldn't identify, all mixed together, and it was absolutely wondrous. I still crave and dream about it to this day. I had at least 7-8 servings of it over those three days 😭😭
• Next I went into the Town Hall (mainly for the AC), and discovered that I had, by extreme coincidence, booked my last day here in Kurashiki exactly when the annual Kurashiki Festival was happening, which was honestly so lucky I couldn't believe it, constant luck in this trip so far!
  • For the last activity for the day I checked out the Folkcraft Museum just before it closed, and honestly it was kind of whatever. Easily skippable really!
• The rest of the day I spent exploring the side alleys and around the place. I eventually found the Ivy Square, which I think is safe to say was the coolest part of Kurashiki for me, especially since it was all lit up in a special way due to the annual festival! The big tree that is right outside the banquet hall looked like the Erdtree from Elden Ring when I stumbled upon it, and it looked amazing.
  • I ended up trying Unagi for the first time here, and it was okay. I'm not a fan of meat being sweet, much prefer savoury. Not the worst but wouldn't go out of my way to eat Unagi!
• I gotta say, Kurashiki at night rivals even Kinosaki in terms of the night vibes. The way the lanterns light up all around the canal and the street, the atmosphere is simply unbeatable when you're in a place like this.

Day Two

• I began the second day by grabbing a sandwich at the entrance to the Ivy Square, which was pretty nice! I then went on a random street and found a shop with humpty dumpty in the window, which looked really creepy, so I walked inside and it was a really strange shop with decorations for every holiday you could think of. Christmas, halloween, easter, you name it.
• Next I signed up for a boat ride! I was lucky that apparently there was a rain forecast, so many people withdrew from the boat ride and there was an open space for me. It turned out to not rain the entire day so that was a win in my book!
  • This boat ride really isn't comparable to the Hozugawa River Ride in Kyoto, but it is nice and serene, to see the Bikan Quarter from a different angle I suppose and get some cool shots!
• I did some random stuff at this time, exploring the things in the back streets to the north, including a centre with the history of Kurashiki, which was cool to learn about, grabbed some lunch, tried some pudding, some donuts, and just chilled out really.
• Afterwards, I saw on the maps that there was a Museum of Natural History, and honestly for the 200 yen entry fee or something small like that it was super cool! It was much more interesting than the Folkcraft Museum, and a lot of things there were in English! It had a nice mix of biology, geology and space evolution content in there, so I do recommend it for a nice change of pace!
• When I came back to the Ivy Square in the evening, I noticed there was like a massive party going on, with buffets and stuff and I was confused what was happening. I just assumed it was a wedding but the security guard said it's not and told me to join in, which was pretty confusing lmao, but I wasn't hungry so I just went on my way.
  • I noticed that today the tree and lights had turned off after 10 minutes of me being there and at the time I assumed it was a permanent thing not for the festival, and the guy operating the lighting system had just wrapped up his test and turned off the lights. He saw me waiting there wondering why it went off, and he came up to me asking me if I wanted to see the lights, he then proceeded to set it back up for like 20 minutes just to show me 😭Once again the Japanese hospitality exceeding all bounds.
• There also appeared to be some sort of marching event where everyone was wearing orange this evening, and I was pretty confused about that too! All I can assume is that it was some sort of fundraising event.
• To end off the day, once it was getting dark I walked up to the Achi Shrine to check it out, and it is once again one of my core memories I think. It was the first place where I saw the Chinese calendar in a Japanese shrine, so that was pretty unique, and it started raining a bit so I had to hide under the hangout spot for a bit, which made me look up at the ceiling where there was a giant depiction of the entire calendar, very cool indeed!
  • The view from up here was also magical. It was a bit awkward under here though as what appeared to be a highschool couple were having a moment here when I walked in as it started raining, so I guess they were wondering what some random gaijin was doing here. Oops!! My bad for interrupting your time guys!!
• I figured I would do a quick laundry run by walking up to a coin laundry 20 mins away, which turned into quite an adventure as it turned out to be way longer than a 20 minute walk, but it was memorable nonetheless! Although it did make me wake up super late the next day, which wasn't really an issue I suppose since the festival wasn't starting until the evening!

Day Three

• And so the final day came! I wandered around and got some food before the festival began, and check out one last museum. I spotted one other tourist walking around earlier and I approached him. He was a guy from France and we figured we'd stick together for the festival
• The festival started with a concert from, I assume, students from a nearby school. I can imagine the local school preparing students to play for the city festival in Japan honestly!
  • As you can imagine I did not understand any of the speeches at all in this part, however the most awesome thing was that when the Town Mayor walked up to do her speech, it appeared she noticed us two baka gaijin and did the speech in English as well afterwards, which was hella nice on her part!
• We continued with three girls fully dressed in Traditional Yukata and everything, the whole package. They were introduced (with no translation this time), and were tasked with lighting three massive torches on the main bridge. I can only assume they were some royalty or some such, I don't know!!
• After lighting the torches, the three girls got on one of the boats that I was on the day prior, and for the next two hours were sailing down and up the canal in circles waving the entire time to the crowd. It was certainly a beautiful sight considering the boats were decorated in Wisteria flowers, including the lamps and the edges of the canal, so it was really cool to see.
  • What surprised me the most was that when I was filming this, the Mayor randomly walked up to us two and started talking with us all chill like! I was very taken aback to say the least lmao. But she essentially asked how we found out about the festival, and I was honest and just said it was pure luck that I came here on the very day it was happening, very big coincidence!
  • I suppose I can also now say that I crossed off a bucket list that I never had of a Japanese official personally addressing me 😂
• For the last part, a brief animation movie was played with a projector on the Town Hall, and once that finished I headed off to watch the Chainsaw Man movie in Okayama.
  • The movie was amazing! I also found it super cool how every Cinema (or at least AEON Cinema) has a separate merch section for the most popular movies currently airing. I got some cool stuff like themed UNO cards, some magnets, pens, etc. Once again more weight for my backpack 💀
• On the next day, I got my one final serving of the denim ice cream and went on my way to the station, though the burden of the backpack ran deep.. And there was no one to blame but myself..

And that was Part 3! Only managed to fit in four areas this time in an almost max length post, which is pretty crazy, but at least I have a record for myself to read back in the future and reminisce on the best 3 months of my life 😭

Thank you for reading once again, and as always, I will have a link to the next part here once I have uploaded it:

Hi! Open to any advice/critiques on our itinerary! Trying to maximize our time while not overdoing it at the same time. Thank you!!

Day 1: Tokyo 

• Land 2:15pm
• Ueno park 
• Nakamise-dori 
• Senso-ji

Day 2: Tokyo

• Meiji shrine
• Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden
• Shibuya Crossing
• Shibuya Sky 
• Nice dinner

Day 3: Tokyo —> Hakone

• Mt Kintoki hike (start early ish - flexible with weather)
• Hakone shrine
• Walk along Lake ashi
• Onsen
• Dinner

Day 4: Hakone 

• Hakone ropeway
• Owakudani 
• Lake ashi cruise
• Anything we missed yesterday if time
• Open Air Museum IF there is extra time to spare 

Day 5: Hakone —> Magome 

• Explore mountain town Magome
• Early night

Day 6: Kiso

• Magome to Tsumago trail
• Explore Tsumago
• Bus back to Magome for dinner

Day 7: Magome —> Kyoto 

• Nishiki Market
• Gion
• Pontocho
• Casual dinner

Day 8: Kyoto 

• Fushimi Inari (early)
• Kiyomizu-dera
• Sannenzaka/Ninenzaka
• Yasaka Shrine

Day 9: Kyoto

• Bamboo grove (early)
• Walk along river
• Iwatayama monkey park
• Kinkaku-ji (if tired, this is the one to skip)
• Philosopher’s path

Day 10: Kyoto 

• Morning rent kimonos?
• Afternoon/evening trip to Osaka for street food tour

Day 11: Kyoto —> Okinawa 

• Fly at 9:30am
• Spa/pool/beach

Day 12: Okinawa

• Aquarium
• Northern Okinawa
  • Kouri island

Day 13: Okinawa

• Snorkel trip morning (Kerama islands?) 
• Free afternoon

Day 14: Okinawa —> Tokyo

• Fly at 1:15pm
• Imperial palace
• Souvenir shopping
• Dinner around Tokyo station

Day 15: Tokyo —> home

• Tsukiji market breakfast
• Fly at 3:15pm

Hello all! My family consists of two adults and one very open minded 8 year old who loves mythology, cultural experiences and history. We are traveling from an airport that has one option for nonstop flights which is to and from Haneda. This is our first trip to Japan but will not likely be our last. Several of my family members have lived in Japan and I know a little bit of the language. But also we are a semi-typical American family so Disney is a must on this trip. We would also love to fit a New Japan wrestling match or any other pro wrestling into the itinerary, maybe at the Korakuen Hall or wherever they're happening. I'm hoping for any feedback or sanity checks I may need.

This will probably be in February so we anticipate cold weather and less crowds but hope to see some plum blossoms!

Day 1-2

TRAVEL TO HANEDA, check into hotel in the Asakusa district, eat and crash.

Day 3

REST AND GET OUR BEARINGS. Explore Asakusa, maybe go to Senso ji and the Imado shrine nearby? Check out Kan'non-dōri and the Kaminarimon Gate, eat everything possible.

Day 4

EXPLORE TOKYO ( this is a busier day but flexible if we don't make it to everything or switch things around). Start at Senso ji if we don't go there day 3. Imado shrine right after. Imperial East gardens, Jimbocho for souvenirs, Kiyosumi Gardens, Daikokuyu Oshiage Onsen (tattoo friendly). Eat eat eat.

Day 5

EXPLORE TOKYO MORE (this is a very busy day because it's all stuff we really want to do) Meiji jingu to start the day. Then Godzilla street! Anything Godzilla related! We love Godzilla! Nerdy shopping in Shibuya and Shinjuku for lots of nerdy things. Take a trip to the Ghibli museum after all that and stay there till they turn the lights off probably.

Day 6-7

DISNEYLAND AND DISNEY SEA

Day 8

SHINKANSEN TO KYOTO. Check into hotel. Go to teamlab biovortex maybe?

Day 9

EXPLORE KYOTO- Travel to the Fushimi Inari Shrine and hike to the Yotsutsuji Intersection. Go to Nara! See the Mt. Kasuga Primeval Forest, Tōdai-ji, Isuien, etc. Continue our Godzilla like path of eating everything we see.

Day 10

MORE KYOTO- Arashiyama Bamboo Grove day trip (this is probably our busiest day). See the Arashiyama Monkey Park and Ōkōchi Sansō gardens.

***Ok here's the thing, there are so many temples in Arashiyama! I want to see Gioji Temple, Senkō-ji, Jojakkoji, Otagi Nenbutsuji and the Adashino Nenbutsuji Temple but is that feasible? Unwise?

Day 11

LAST DAY. Rest, explore Gion and Higashiyama, see Kiyomizu-dera unless we are too fat to make it up the hill.

Day 12

TRAVEL HOME- Shinkansen back to Tokyo and flight out from Haneda

Hey everyone, planning a 7-day 4 person group trip to Japan this November and wanted to share my outline. This will be our first time and want to try to fit in as much as I can. I did alot of research with with the help of ai. Looking for feedback on pacing or anything that seems too packed. Note locations are not set, just there for ideas.

Accommodations:

• Nights 1–2 (Nov 20–22): Tokyo – Asakusa
• Nights 3–5 (Nov 23–25): Kyoto – Near Kyoto Station
• Night 6 (Nov 26-28): Tokyo – Shibuya

Interests: Anime/pop culture, street food, historic temples, nightlife (techno/clubs/drinks)

Day 1: Saturday, Nov 21 – Tokyo (East Side)

• Asakusa
• Senso-ji Temple
• Kagetsudo (Melonpan)
• Hoppy Street (Happy Street)
• Sweets at Kaede
• Mimatsu (Family Sushi)
• Akihabara
• Tokyo Skytree

Day 2: Sunday, Nov 22 – Tokyo (West Side)

• Meiji Shrine
• Takeshita Street (Harajuku)
• Shibuya
• Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden
• Kabukicho
• Omoide Yokocho

Day 3: Monday, Nov 23 – Travel to Kyoto

• Hotel check-in & evening in Kyoto

Day 4: Tuesday, Nov 24 – Eastern Kyoto

• Fushimi Inari Shrine
• Kimono Rentals
• Kiyomizu-dera Temple
• Ninenzaka and Sannenzaka Streets

Day 5: Wednesday, Nov 25 – Western Kyoto

• Arashiyama Bamboo Grove
• Togetsukyo Bridge
• Rilakkuma Cha-ya Cafe
• Kinkaku-ji (Golden Pavilion)
• Downtown Kyoto & Pokémon Center Kyoto

Day 6: Thursday, Nov 26 – Osaka Day Trip & Evening Train Back to Tokyo (or full day at tokyo?)

• Osaka Castle
• America-mura (Amemura)
• Den Den Town / Nipponbashi
• Namba & Dotonbori
• Evening Shinkansen from Shin-Osaka to Tokyo
• Nighttime arcade session at Round 1

Day 7: Friday, Nov 27 – Tokyo Final Day in shibuya

• Free day for last-minute shopping, museum catch-ups, and exploring missed spots before flying out.

Hey everyone
I'm planning a day trip to Nara and Uji (on the same day) from Kyoto.

I'm not quite sure which city I should begin with, so I was hoping to get some advice.

In Nara, I'm interested in visiting Nara Park (for the deer, obviously), Tōdai-ji and/or Kasugataisha Shrine, and stroll around Nakatanidou.

In Uji I want to visit Byōdo-in Temple, Byodo-in Omotesando, Myoraku tea streets, and the popular (and not so) matcha shops.

Visiting Tokyo for my 2nd time for a 5-night stay in Asakusa in February and then Hokkaido for 2 days of snowboarding. Do you have any recommendations for restaurants/bars or any quiet parks, shrines, nice areas to walk while in Tokyo. We are doing a day trip to Nikko and Kawagoe. We have only one night in Sapporo, so any restaurants or unique bars recommendations would be greatly appreciated. I purposely kept my itinerary open to avoid burn out and allow us to have more spontaneous moments. Thank you for any feedback, tips, or suggestions.

TOKYO — Feb 11–16

Feb 11 — Arrival

• Land ~4:30 PM
• Check in: Asakusa
• Evening: Senso-ji + easy dinner

Feb 12 — Old Tokyo

• Early Senso-ji + old Asakusa streets
• Kappabashi kitchen street
• Sumida River
• Historic bar at night

Feb 13 — Day Trip: Nikko

• Early train (~2 hrs)
• Rinno-ji + Futarasan Shrine
• Toshogu Shrine

Feb 14 — Yanaka + Kiyosumi

• Yanaka/Nezu temples
• Nezu Shrine
• Afternoon: Kiyosumi-Shirakawa coffee shops

Feb 15 — Day Trip: Kawagoe

• Kita-in Temple
• Old town/Kurazukuri
• Kashiya Yokocho
• Hikawa Shrine
• Cafés + side streets

Feb 16 — Tokyo → Niseko

• Fly to New Chitose
• Transfer to Niseko (~2–3 hrs)

NISEKO — Feb 17–19

• Stay in/near Hirafu
• Ski + explore
• Try some local restaurants in Kutchan
• Reserve restaurants ahead
• On-mountain lunch: Tanta-an

SAPPORO — Feb 19

• One night
• Soup curry
• Great Hokkaido sushi/seafood dinner

Hey everyone.
I'm planning my first trip to Japan.

I’d really appreciate your opinions and suggestions. Does this itinerary look good, or is there anything you’d recommend changing, adding, or skipping?

Thanks in advance! 

Day 1 : After checking in at the hotel in the afternoon, take some time to rest and freshen up before heading to Shibuya. Explore the area, see Shibuya Crossing, stop by the Hachikō Statue, and wander around the surrounding streets. Afterwards, take the train to Shinjuku. Grab an early dinner, then head to the 3D Cat Billboard at Cross Shinjuku Space. Continue through Omoide Yokocho (Memory Lane), then wander through Kabukichō and the neon streets around Shinjuku. Finish the evening at Jazz Bar Samurai.

Day 2: Start the day at Meiji Jingu Shrine, taking some time to walk through the grounds before heading toward Harajuku. At 12:00, go to Nail Salon LA CIELO for your nail appointment. Afterwards, head to Takeshita Street and explore Harajuku, browsing the shops and stopping for food or coffee along the way. Continue toward Cat Street and stop at Iyoshi Cola to try their craft cola. Keep the evening flexible and finish the day wherever you feel like going

Day 3: Start the day in Asakusa. Walk through the Kaminarimon Gate and continue to Sensō-ji Temple. On your way out, spend some time browsing Nakamise Shopping Street for snacks and souvenirs. Afterwards, head to Ueno Park. If you feel like it, visit the Tokyo National Museum. Otherwise, grab something to eat and relax in the park for a bit. Then continue to Yanaka Ginza and spend the rest of the afternoon exploring the quieter old-Tokyo streets and cat-themed shops around the neighborhood.

Day 4:In the morning, visit the Cat Temple (Gōtoku-ji) and take some time to explore the temple grounds. Afterwards, have breakfast or lunch somewhere in the surrounding neighborhood before continuing. Then head to Shimokitazawa. While you’re there, stop by Matcha Passport for a matcha break, then keep the rest of the afternoon flexible for some shopping and wandering around the neighborhood.

Day 5: Keep this day flexible and choose between Mount Fuji, Nikkō, or Kamakura depending on the weather. Prioritize Fuji on a clear day; otherwise, go with Nikkō or Kamakura.

Day 6: Spend the morning around Ginza, staying close to the hotel and using the time to pick up anything you’re still missing at this point in the trip. Browse the department stores, beauty shops, and boutiques, and keep the morning fairly relaxed. In the afternoon, head back to Shibuya to see the area in daylight and have lunch. Afterwards, continue to Daikanyama for a slower change of pace, exploring the neighborhood’s cafés, boutiques, and quieter streets. Later, go to Waho-An Nature Tokyo for your massage appointment. Finish the day at Tokyo Tower, ideally around sunset or after dark, then grab dinner somewhere nearby.

Day 7: Keep the day completely free and use it to revisit any neighborhoods, shops, cafés, or attractions you ended up loving earlier in the trip. You can also use the time for anything you didn’t manage to fit in, extra shopping, or simply a slower day without a fixed schedule. Let the evening stay flexible as well — go back to your favorite area for dinner, drinks, or one last walk around Tokyo.

Day 8: Grab breakfast at a nearby konbini, check out of the hotel, and head to the airport. Leave central Tokyo around 07:30–08:00 to arrive in Narita by 09:00.

​

I'm planning this part of my Kyushu trip without a car, mainly using trains and buses. I'm particularly interested in temples/shrines, historic towns, nature and onsens. I'd love some feedback on the pacing and routing, as well as any recommendations for accommodation, food, sights or things I might be missing.

Dec 5 — Dazaifu → Akizuki

- Dazaifu Tenmangu

- Kamado-jinja

- Continue to Akizuki

- Night: ryokan in Akizuki

Dec 6 — Akizuki → Kurume

- Akizuki in the morning

- Kora Taisha in the afternoon

- Night: Kurume

Dec 7 — Kurume → Ukiha → Kashima

- Ukiha during the day

- Continue to Kashima

- Night: Kashima

Dec 8 — Kashima

- Full day around Kashima / Yūtoku Inari / Tara area

- Night: Kashima

Dec 9 — Kashima → Takeo Onsen

- Takeo Onsen

- Night: Takeo

Dec 10 — Takeo → Nagasaki

- Full day in Takeo

- Travel to Nagasaki in the evening

- Night: Nagasaki

Dec 11 — Nagasaki

- Full day in Nagasaki

- Night: Nagasaki

Dec 12 — Nagasaki → Kumamoto → Takachiho

- Morning bus Nagasaki → Kumamoto

- Short stop in Kumamoto

- 15:31 bus Kumamoto → Takachiho

- Arrive around 18:40

- Night: Takachiho

Dec 13 — Takachiho

- Full day in Takachiho

- Night: Takachiho

Dec 14 — Takachiho → Kamishikimi → Aso

- Visit Kamishikimi Kumanoimasu Shrine

- Continue to Aso

- Night: Aso

Dec 15 — Aso

- Full day around Aso

- Night: Aso

Dec 16 — Aso → Kurokawa Onsen

- Travel to Kurokawa

- Onsen / ryokan

- Night: Kurokawa Onsen

Dec 17 — Kurokawa Onsen → Hakata

- Travel to Hakata

- End of this part of the trip

Does the overall pacing look reasonable, especially considering I'm relying on public transportation?

I'm also very interested in recommendations for:

- Good local food / restaurants

- Any places that you think I'm spending too much or too little time in

- Any transport/logistical issues I may have overlooked

I'm afraid Aso isn't worth at this time of the year since it's not the famous green area anymore...

Any advice from people familiar with Kyushu would be greatly appreciated! Thanks a lot!

My partner and I are going to Japan for the first time in October. We're hoping to experience the culture, do some shopping, and have planned the last 2 days to mostly relax at an onsen ryokan.

I would appreciate feedback on the itinerary and any recommendations you have.

Tokyo – Day 1

• Arrive at Narita Airport at 4:10 PM
• Check in at hotel in Ueno, Tokyo
• Walk to Ameyoko shopping district and walk around Ueno Park

Tokyo – Day 2

• Morning: Tokyo City Flea Market
• Afternoon: Small Worlds Miniature Museum, Ginza (Uniqlo)
• Evening: Asakusa Sumo Club for Sumo show and dinner

Tokyo – Day 3

• Morning: Akihabara Electric Town
• Afternoon: Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden, Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building for sunset around 5 PM
• Evening: Shinjuku Godzilla head, Omoide Yokocho Memory Lane (dinner)

Tokyo / Osaka – Day 4

• Morning: Senso-ji temple
• Afternoon: Check in at hotel in Umeda, Osaka;Umeda Sky Building for sunset around 5 PM
• Evening: Laundry?

Osaka – Day 5

• Universal Studios

Osaka – Day 6

• Morning: shopping at Shinsaibashisuji
• Afternoon: shopping at Dotonbori
• Evening: Mandarake Umeda

Osaka / Kyoto – Day 7

• Morning: Osaka Castle
• Afternoon: Check in at hotel in downtown Kyoto
• Evening: Teramachi shopping street, Pontocho Park / Alley (dinner)

Kyoto – Day 8

• Morning: Fushimi Inari, Sanjūsangendō Temple (1001 statues), Kiyomizu-Dera
• Afternoon: Sannenzaka, Ninenzaka; chopstick making class
• Evening: Gion guided tour, Shinkyogoku Shopping Street

Kyoto – Day 9

• Morning: Kuramadera, Kifune shrine
• Afternoon: Okazaki Shrine (bunny shrine – a bit out of the way from everything else)
• Evening: Imperial Palace / Nijo Castle, Kawaramachi-dori Street (shopping)

Kyoto / Ako – Day 10

• Morning: Adashino bamboo Forest
• Afternoon: lunch at Kurumi (Teramachi street); Himeji Castle, check in at hotel in Ako
• Evening: dinner and hot spring at hotel

Ako – Day 11

• Morning: breakfast at hotel, laundry
• Afternoon: Ako Castle ruins, Oishi shrine
• Evening: dinner at hotel

Ako / Osaka (departure)  – Day 12

• Morning: breakfast at hotel
• Afternoon: arrive at Osaka KIX for departure at 3:20 PM

Hey all, this is my first big solo trip. I have done a few small ones to Italy here and there, but they were for a 3-4 days before meeting up with family. I think through my research and interests I created a really good itinerary. To be honest, I don't 100% expect to keep to this itinerary (and I may make some last minute changes) but I wanted something detailed to at least be able to fall back on.

I would love your opinions as well. I used AI to help me organize the itinerary, so I apologize if things read like AI lol.

Trip Overview: 22 Days (Oct-Nov): Osaka, Kinosaki Onsen, Kyoto, Tokyo

Style: Mix of cultural heritage, regional day trips, retro/artisan subcultures, and food/onsens.

Part 1: Osaka (Days 1–7)

Stay: Namba area

Day 1-2: Arrival & Osaka First Impressions

Arrive in Osaka, check into hotel.

Explore Denden Town (retro electronics/figures), Kuromon Market, and Hozenji Yokocho.

Evening walk around National Bunraku Theatre neighborhood; casual izakayas.

Day 3: Day Trip - Himeji & Kobe

Morning: Himeji Castle & Koko-en Gardens.

Late afternoon/evening: Head to Kobe Harborland for an A5 Kobe beef dinner.

Day 4: Day Trip - Wakayama / Kumano River

Dedicated long day trip south into Wakayama.

Kumano River Traditional Boat Cruise (Kumanogawa Funakudari).

Day 5: Day Trip - Nara & Mt. Ikoma

Morning: Nara Park & Todai-ji via the Kintetsu Aoniyoshi Sightseeing Express.

Late afternoon: Mt. Ikoma retro cable car, cliffside Hozan-ji Temple, and twilight/night views over Osaka.

Day 6: Day Trip - Uji Tea Heritage

Morning in Uji: Tsuen Tea House, stone-grinding matcha workshop at Fukujuen.

Fucha Ryori (Zen vegetarian banquet) lunch at Manpuku-ji.

Evening back in Osaka: Americamura night walk.

Day 7: Osaka Chill Day

Flexible/rest morning; explore local neighborhoods.

Evening street atmosphere around Dotonbori & Shinsaibashi.

Part 2: Kinosaki Onsen (Days 8–9)

Stay: Traditional Ryokan (Kinosaki Onsen)

Day 8: Scenic Transit & Onsen Hopping

Stroll hopping between the 7 public bathhouses.

Seasonal multi-course kaiseki dinner at the ryokan.

Day 9: Morning Soak & Transfer to Kyoto

Early hot spring bath & traditional breakfast.

Mid-day train to Kyoto.

Part 3: Kyoto (Days 9–12)

Stay: Shijo Kawaramachi / Gion area

Day 9: Kyoto Arrival & Performing Arts

Gion Corner 7-Arts showcase (Kyogen, Kyo-mai, Bunraku, Gagaku).

Evening walk along Pontocho Alley; dinner by the Kamo River.

Day 10: Higashiyama & Geisha Arts

Morning walk: Kiyomizu-dera, Ninenzaka & Sannenzaka stone lanes, artisan shops.

Evening: Private Geisha (Ozashiki) banquet with kaiseki dinner and classical entertainment in Gion.

Day 11: Arashiyama & Scenic Nature

Early morning: Arashiyama Bamboo Grove, Tenryu-ji gardens, Hozugawa Gorge overlooks.

Evening: Lantern-lit walk along Gion Shirakawa canal & casual standing bars.

Day 12: Textile District & Shinkansen to Tokyo

Morning stroll through the Nishijin textile quarter & artisan tea shops.

Afternoon: Tokaido Shinkansen bullet train to Tokyo.

Part 4: Tokyo (Days 12–22)

Stay: Asakusa area

Day 12: Tokyo Arrival

Arrive from Kyoto, check into hotel in Asakusa.

Late afternoon walk down Kappabashi Kitchenware Street; evening at illuminated Sensō-ji & dinner on Hoppy Dori.

Day 13: Yoshiwara & Northern Shitamachi History

Historic walking route: Yoshiwara Daimon site, Mikaeri-yanagi willow, Yoshiwara Shrine, Benten Pond, Jokan-ji ("Throwaway Temple"), Ichiyo Memorial Museum.

Day 14: Asakusa / Ueno & Shinjuku Nightlife

Relaxed morning/early afternoon around Ueno craft alleys and park.

Evening in Shinjuku: High-end seasonal Omakase dinner, followed by bar hopping through Shinjuku Golden Gai.

Day 15: Old Tokyo & Artisans (Yanesen)

Yanaka Ginza preservation area, traditional woodblock print shops, Nezu Shrine, craft studios.

Day 16: Day Trip - Ome & Tama River Valley

Morning: Ome retro Showa-era cinema town.

Mid-day: Sawai Station for Sawanoi Sake Brewery riverside tasting garden & fresh tofu lunch.

Afternoon: Mitake Gorge autumn foliage trail walk.

Day 17: Shibuya & Harajuku

Shibuya Crossing, Tower Records vintage vinyl hunt, Meiji Jingu forested shrine walk, backstreet fashion boutiques.

Day 18: Ginza & Nihonbashi Craftsmanship

Master Japanese cutlery houses (Nenohi, Aritsugu), traditional horology/watch showrooms, and lacquerware studios.

Day 19: Day Trip - Nokogiriyama (Sawtooth Mountain)

Tokyo-Wan Ferry crossing from Kurihama to Kanaya Port (Chiba).

Nokogiriyama ropeway, Jigoku Nozoki ("view into hell" cliff), 31m Daibutsu, Hyaku-Shaku Kannon.

Fresh golden aji fry (horse mackerel) lunch at the port before returning.

Day 20: Retro Gaming, PC-98 & Subcultures

Nakano Broadway vintage labyrinths, Akihabara retro electronics/PC-98 specialty shops (BEEP, Super Potato), analogue music bars in Koenji.

Day 21: Kuramae Maker Day & Farewell

Custom notebook building at Kakimori, ink blending at Inkstand, specialty coffee (Leaves Coffee), leather tanneries.

Sumida River terrace stroll; celebratory farewell dinner in Asakusa.

Day 22: Departure

I might add some more Tokyo day trips, I am not 100% certain. But, this is likely my entire detailed itinerary. I tried to balance some touristy stuff with unique cultural Japanese activities as well. Would love to hear if this is too much, if there are any personal recommendations on any of these activities, or any other hidden gems you think would be a good fit.

Thanks!

Hey everyone.
I'm planning my first trip to Japan.

I’d really appreciate your opinions and suggestions. Does this itinerary look good, or is there anything you’d recommend changing, adding, or skipping?

Thanks in advance! 

P.S. If all you have to say is that it's AI, the writting/grammar is bad, please don't comment. I'm asking for help for the exact reason that I want human help from people who have been there before. I obviously used AI/google/tiktok in some places because I've never been to Japan.

Day 1 : After checking in at the hotel in the afternoon, take some time to rest and freshen up before heading to Shibuya. Explore the area, see Shibuya Crossing, stop by the Hachikō Statue, and wander around the surrounding streets. Afterwards, take the train to Shinjuku. Grab an early dinner, then head to the 3D Cat Billboard at Cross Shinjuku Space. Continue through Omoide Yokocho (Memory Lane), then wander through Kabukichō and the neon streets around Shinjuku. Finish the evening at Jazz Bar Samurai.

Day 2: Start the day at Meiji Jingu Shrine, taking some time to walk through the grounds before heading toward Takeshita Street and exploring Harajuku. Continue toward Cat Street for more shopping and stop at Iyoshi Cola to try their craft cola. Keep the evening flexible and finish the day wherever you feel like going

Day 3: Start the day in Asakusa. Walk through the Kaminarimon Gate and continue to Sensō-ji Temple. On your way out, spend some time browsing Nakamise Shopping Street for snacks and souvenirs. Afterwards, head to Ueno Park. If you feel like it, visit the Tokyo National Museum. Otherwise, grab something to eat and relax in the park for a bit. Then continue to Yanaka Ginza and spend the rest of the afternoon exploring the area and check out cat-themed shops around the neighborhood.

Day 4: In the morning, visit the Gōtoku-ji and take some time to explore. Afterwards, head to Shimokitazawa. While you’re there, stop by Matcha Passport, then keep the rest of the afternoon flexible for some shopping and wandering around the neighborhood.

Day 5: Keep this day flexible and choose between Mount Fuji, Nikkō, or Kamakura depending on the weather. Prioritize Fuji on a clear day; otherwise, go with Nikkō or Kamakura.

Day 6: Spend the morning around Ginza, staying close to the hotel and using the time to pick up anything you’re still missing at this point in the trip; keep the morning fairly relaxed. In the afternoon, head back to Shibuya to see the area in daylight and have lunch. Afterwards, continue to Daikanyama and explore the neighborhood. Later, go to Waho-An Nature Tokyo for your massage appointment. Finish the day at Tokyo Tower, ideally around sunset or after dark, then grab dinner somewhere nearby.

Day 7: Keep the day completely free and use it to revisit any place you ended up loving earlier in the trip. You can also use the time for anything you didn’t manage to fit in, extra shopping, or simply a slower day without a fixed schedule. Let the evening stay flexible as well - go back to your favorite area for dinner, drinks, or one last walk around Tokyo.

Hi everyone! 

I’m 24F and I’m visiting a friend who lives near 貿易センター駅 (Boeki Center Station) in Kobe, and I’ll be there from October 9 for four days.

I’ve done some research and put together a VERY rough itinerary, but I’m sure I’m missing things or making some questionable choices(Please roast me) . I’d really appreciate it if Kobe locals could help me fix it! I really hope someone could give me some guidance on how to get the best Kobe experience.

Things I love:

Kobe beef,

octopus,

oysters,

cafés,

bars, and

Western history/architecture.

Day 1: Sannomiya / Harbor Area

Arrive in Kobe and explore around Sannomiya.

Walk through the Former Foreign Settlement, then toward Meriken Park and Harborland.

For dinner, I’m currently looking at Restaurant Mouriya or Kobe Misono for Kobe beef. Both seem pretty famous, but I have no idea if they’re actually worth it or mainly places tourists go.

After dinner, probably drinks somewhere around Sannomiya.

Day 2: Kitano / Nunobiki

Coffee somewhere around Sannomiya in the morning, then walk up toward Kitano and explore the Ijinkan / old Western houses.

Is there any areas that have nice cafes& bars for me to spend the afternoon?

Then take the ropeway up to the Kobe Nunobiki Herb Gardens.

Spend the afternoon exploring Kitano and some cafés before heading back toward Sannomiya.

For the evening, I found a place called Kujira no Andy that looks interesting. Has anyone been? Worth going?

Day 3: Akashi / Seafood

Take the train to Akashi in the morning.

Visit the fish market, eat Akashiyaki, and try some local octopus. From what I understand, Akashi is particularly known for octopus, so I thought it might be worth dedicating half a day to it.

But to be fair I do really want to just eat octopus in Kobe… probably at an Omakase place? Idk

Maybe walk around Akashi Castle before heading back to Kobe.

Dinner back in Kobe. I’d LOVE to find somewhere good for oysters or seafood, but I haven't figured this part out yet.

Hi all, my spouse and I are doing a 4‑week trip in autumn 2026 and would love a sanity check on our itinerary. It will be our first time visiting Asia. We wanted to balance busy cities with slower nature & smaller towns. Below is our current plan:

Trip overview

• Dates: Sun 18 Oct 2026 – Sat 14 Nov 2026 (27 nights on the ground)
• Route: Seoul (4N) → Fukuoka (1N) → Hiroshima (2N) → Kurashiki (3N) → Osaka (5N) → Nakasendo/Kiso Valley (3N) → Matsumoto (1N) → Kanazawa (2N) → Tokyo (6N) → fly home
• Style: Slow travel, neighborhood exploration, markets, live music, gaming/retro culture, good food. We're okay skipping big-ticket sights if a day feels too packed.

Seoul (Sun 18 – Thu 22 Oct) — staying in Seongsu

• Sun 18: Arrive ICN late morning. Settle in, easy dinner in Seongsu.
• Mon 19: Bukchon Hanok Village > Gyeongbokgung (hanbok rental) + lunch at Tongin Market. Afternoon: Seochon or Samcheong‑dong, then Ikseon‑dong for drinks.
• Tue 20: Day trip to Nami Island + Gapyeong Rail Bike.
• Wed 21: Insadong Exploration. Evening: Gwangjang Market food tour, then Naksan Park sunset walk.
• Thu 22: Morning free; fly to Fukuoka late afternoon/evening.

Fukuoka (Thu 22 – Fri 23 Oct) — staying around Nakasu

• Thu 22: Arrive in the afternoon. Night: Yatai street food stalls along the river.
• Fri 23: Morning free; travel to Hiroshima.

Hiroshima (Fri 23 – Sun 25 Oct) — staying near Heiwa‑odori

• Fri 23: Arrive in the later morning & head to Peace Park & Museum. Evening: Okonomimura + sake tasting.
• Sat 24: Day trip to Miyajima or Sandan‑kyo Gorge if we want nature over crowds.
• Sun 25: Travel to Kurashiki.

Kurashiki (Sun 25 – Wed 28 Oct) — staying in a Ryokan in Kurashiki Bikan area

• Sun 25: Arrive, wander Bikan Historical Quarter, canal evening stroll. Check into out Ryokan.
• Mon 26: Chill day: local cafés, craft shops, maybe a short trip to Kojima (denim) if time allows. These days are meant to be a bit slower paced and relaxed.
• Tue 27: Day trip to Naoshima (art island; most museums closed Mondays, so we moved it to Tuesday).
• Wed 28: Travel to Osaka.

Osaka (Wed 28 Oct – Mon 2 Nov) — staying in Honmachi

• Wed 28: Arrive, settle into the hotel. Evening: Dotonbori/Namba/Ura‑Namba + Kuromon Market vibes.
• Thu 29: Universal Studios Japan (full day).
• Fri 30: chopstick‑making class. Afternoon: Nakazakicho shopping. Evening: Fukushima district dinner + live music.
• Sat 31: Amerikamura/Shinsaibashi/Minamihorie. Night: Dotonbori or Amerikamura for Halloween vibes.
• Sun 1 Nov: Katsuo‑ji Temple + Minoh Park walk. Evening: Bunraku or live music.
• Mon 2 Nov: Travel to Nakasendo (Kiso Valley)

Nakasendo / Kiso Valley (Mon 2 – Thu 5 Nov) — staying in Ryokans in Magome, Tsumago & Narai - juku

• Mon 2: Magome — post‑town walk, nature, ryokan evening.
• Tue 3: Tsumago — scenic walk (Magome > Tsumago section), explore post‑town.
• Wed 4: Narai‑juku — "Narai of a thousand houses", relaxed day.
• Thu 5: Travel to Matsumoto.

Matsumoto (Thu 5 – Fri 6 Nov) — staying near Matsumoto Castle area

• Thu 5: Travel from NArai-juku. Afternoon: Matsumoto Castle + town wander. Chill evening, dinner/drinks.
• Fri 6: Travel to Kanazawa.

Kanazawa (Fri 6 – Sun 8 Nov) — staying near Kanazawa Station area

• Fri 6: Arrive, settle. Lunch at Omicho Market. Afternoon: Higashi Chaya (geisha district) + gold leaf area.
• Sat 7: Kenroku‑en Garden + Kanazawa Castle Park. Afternoon: Nagamachi Samurai District. Evening: local dinner/drinks.
• Sun 8: Travel to Tokyo.

Tokyo (Sun 8 – Sat 14 Nov) — staying in Otsuka

• Sun 8: Arrive, settle. Afternoon: wander Otsuka streets + ride the Toden Arakawa Line tram. Evening: Sunshine City (mall/aquarium/observation deck) in Ikebukuro.
• Mon 9: Tsukiji Outer Market. Afternoon: Akihabara (retro gaming/nerd culture). Evening: pro wrestling NOAH show.
• Tue 10: Slow morning. Afternoon/evening: Shimokitazawa (vintage shops, cafés, secret bars/live music).
• Wed 11: Yanaka Cemetery + Yanaka Ginza. Afternoon: Ueno Park (National Museum & Gallery). Evening: Tapas Molecular Bar
• Thu 12: Nakameguro canal walk + coffee. Afternoon: Daikanyama (T‑Site, boutiques). Evening: Ebisu brewery hopping + Ebisu Yokocho.
• Fri 13: Free time. Afternoon: Meiji Shrine → Harajuku (Takeshita St) → Ura‑Hara shops. Evening: Shibuya Crossing + Nonbei Yokocho dinner/drinks.
• Sat 14: Fly home (depart 16:55)

Thanks in advance

Planning our first Japan trip this November, going as a couple. Been through a few rounds of revisions and would love a sanity check from people who've actually done this route, especially on pacing.

Overview:

- Tokyo: 5 nights

- Kanazawa: 1 night

- Takayama: 1 night (via Shirakawa-go)

- Kyoto: 3 nights

- Miyajima: 1 night

- Osaka: 2 nights, with a Nara day trip

We're forwarding our big luggage ahead between the main cities (Tokyo -> Kyoto -> Osaka), so for the one-night stops (Kanazawa/Takayama, Miyajima) we're just carrying backpacks.

Day by day:

Day 1: Arrive in Tokyo in the afternoon, transfer to Shinjuku, easy first evening.

Day 2: Asakusa (Senso-ji early) + Ueno. If we can make it in the evening: Yanaka Ginza.

It's a national holiday (Culture Day) while we're there so expecting crowds — not sure if we should plan around it or just use it as a chance to skim places like the National Museum that might have free entry.

Day 3: Meiji-jingu, Harajuku, Omotesando, teamLab Borderless in the afternoon.

Day 4: Shibuya (Crossing, Hachiko), Shibuya Sky at sunset, evening in Kabukicho.

Day 5: Day trip to Nikko — Shinkyo bridge, Toshogu, Rinno-ji.

Day 6: Tokyo to Kanazawa. Kenroku-en, castle if there's time, Higashi Chaya in the evening.

Day 7: Kanazawa to Shirakawa-go to Takayama. A few hours in the gassho-zukuri village, ryokan for the night.

Day 8: Takayama morning market + old town, then on to Kyoto via Nagoya. Light evening in Gion.

Day 9: Arashiyama early, Kinkaku-ji in the afternoon.

Day 10: Fushimi Inari very early, then Kiyomizu-dera/Higashiyama.

Day 11: Kyoto to Miyajima via Hiroshima (just passing through). Itsukushima shrine, sunset over the torii.

Day 12: Miyajima at sunrise before the day-trippers show up, then off to Osaka. Evening in Dotonbori.

Day 13: Nara day trip — deer park, Todai-ji, Kasuga Taisha. This is one of our doubts — we'd really like to see Nara and the foliage, but it'll be our last full day.

Day 14: Free morning in Osaka, then off to the airport for an evening flight.

Questions:

1. Does the pace seem ok, or are we overdoing it somewhere? Days 5-14 feel like the busiest stretch to me.
2. Is 1 night in Takayama actually worth it, or would you cut it for more time elsewhere? We're already doing an onsen experience in Miyajima so not sure if two might be redundant.
3. Anything obvious missing, or anything you'd drop?

Thanks in advance, this sub has already been a huge help while planning!

I’m planning a solo trip to Kyūshū’s Kagoshima and Miyazaki Prefectures focusing mainly on outdoor activities for the spring of 2027 with the intent of wrapping up in late April before Golden Week starts. I’ve been to Japan a fair amount but never to this region.

The main areas I’ll be staying at are Yakushima Island, Kagoshima-shi; Ibusuki-shi , the Kirishima Onsen resort area, and Miyazaki-shi (city). If anybody has any specific lodging recommendations that would be great - my inclination in Kagoshima and Miyazaki is to stay close to the stations but I’m open to other suggestions.

Also, if anybody has had any interaction with any of the kayak guide services or tour groups in the areas mentioned, I would love to hear about your experiences. I sometimes take a pass on the standard touristy sites but if there’s something I should be sure to catch, please chime in. I’m toying with the idea of adding a day or two in Nagasaki at the end but I may be ready head home by that point.

Lastly, of course, I did research some of this with AI but also tried to verify the information with Lonely Planet Japan, Lonely Planet’s Best Bike Rides Japan, a few random cycling/kayaking/outdoor sites, as well as Apple Maps and Google Maps.

Day 1 - Fly to Haneda from Seattle/spend the night at airport

Day 2 - Travel from Haneda to Yakushima Island ( Miyanoura )
AM fly to Kagoshima and then fly direct to Yakushima
take taxi to Miyanoura lodging/drop off luggage/
walk around Miyanoura/ check in

Day 3 - Solo hike of Shiratani Unsuikyo Gorge
(Bus Miyanoura → Shiratani/bus back)

Day 4 - Group tour Sea turtle snorkeling + Inakahama + Nagata
( Miyanoura pick up and drop off)

Day 5 - Guided Anbo River + Ocean Kayak Combo Tour
( Miyanoura pick up and drop off)

Day 6 - Guided Nature & Wildlife Tour (Yakushima Geographic Tour preferred)
( Miyanoura pick up and drop off)

Day 7 - Travel to Kagoshima and Cycle around Sakurajima
Jetfoil from Miyanoura to Kagoshima (approx 9:30 AM arrival)/
drop off luggage/rent bike/ferry to Sakurajima/
cycle around Sakurajima/ferry back/return bike/check in

Day 8 - Sunrise walk Shiroyama/Guided Kayaking Sakurajima and Kinko Bay

Day 9 - Travel to Ibusuki and cycling around Lake Ikeda
Early morning train to Ibusuki…
drop off luggage/rent bike/cycle around Lake Ikeda/Unagi Onsen/return bike check in/ Beachfront walk

Day 10 - Hiking to summit of Mount Kaimon
Using Nottari Oritari bus loop - hike to summit of Mount Kaimon/visit Nagasakibana Yamagawa Port and Ibusuki Sand Baths

Day 11 - Travel from Ibusuki to Kirishima Onsen - check in and chill
(Early morning train from Ibusuki Station w/ transfer to Kirishima‑Jingū Station then taxi to Kirishima Onsen lodging)

Day 12 - Hike Mount Karakuni/Onami-ike Crater
Taxi or bus to Ebino Eco Museum Center/hike Mount Karakuni w/
Onami-ike Crater Lake loop/taxi or bus back to Kirishima Onsen lodging

Day 13 - Travel from Kirishima Onsen to Miyazaki City
Taxi from from Kirishima Onsen lodging to to to Kirishima Jingu Station w/ one train transfer at Nishi-Miyakonojo>Miyazaki Station (Miyazaki City)
Drop off luggage/Aoshima + “Devil’s Washboard”/check in

Day 14 - Gokase River Kayaking/Takachiho Gorge
Early train from Jr Miyazaki Station to Nobeoka/Bus to Gokase
Gokase River Kayaking(/Gokase Outdoor Adventures, requesting bus top pick up**)taxi to **Takachiho Gorge/Amanoyasukawara Shrine
Return to Miyazaki City: bus from Takachiho to Nobeoka/JR Nobeoka to Miyazaki Station

Day 15 - Nichinan Coastal Cycling from Arubustu to Sunmesse and Back
Early morning train to JR Aburatsu Station/bike rental/
cycle to Sunmesse w/ stop at Udo-Jingu/return bike/
return to Miyazaki City via train Jr Aburatsu Station to Miyazaki Station

Day 16 - Hyuga Cave Sea Kayaking AM/Surfing Okuragahama Beach + Umagase Cliffs
Early morning train JR Miyazaki to Hyuga/
taxi to kayak meet up w/Hyuga Outdoor Club/Kayak the Hyugo Sea Caves/Lunch/Taxi to Okuragahama Beach/surfing or body surfing/ Taxi to Umagase cliffs/Taxi back to Hyuga Station/JR Hyuga return to Miyazaki
City

Day 17 - Return Home
fly from Miyazaki Airport to Haneda and catch flight home

Hi everyone! My partner and I are so excited to finally be making our first trip to Japan this October (Oct 22 – Nov 6, 15 nights). Our flights and hotels are booked and most of the itinerary is mapped out, but before we lock in the last few reservations we'd really appreciate any feedback from the Reddit braintrust.

We're into transit, photography, food, history, shopping/vintage & thrifting, I could go on. Since it's our first time, we're trying to strike a balance between hitting the classic touristy spots (the temples, the crossings, the theme parks etc.) and leaving room to stumble into places along the way. We are both quite type A, so you will see a fair bit of detail below.

A few notes before the itinerary:

• We'll be using luggage forwarding between cities so we're not hauling suitcases around on travel days.
• We've already got a motorcycle rental booked for our Kawaguchiko leg, so we're all set there, but if anyone has a favorite scenic route near the lake we'd love a recommendation!
• Any timings below can flex, we just wanted a rough backbone
• All accommodations are still within free cancellation

Quick Summary of the Route: Tokyo → Kamakura/Enoshima (day trip) → Tokyo → Kyoto → Arashiyama (day trip) → Osaka → Mt. Fuji/Kawaguchiko → Tokyo → Narita

Thursday, Oct 22 — Arrival (Tokyo)

• 3:00 PM – Arrive at Narita Airport
• 5:00–6:00 PM – Low-cost bus into Central Tokyo (transfer: Narita → Central Tokyo)
• 6:00 PM – Check-in at hotel near Akihabara
• Go out for late-night ramen (explore area around hotel)
• Hit up 7-Eleven to stock up on convenience store snacks

Friday, Oct 23 — Enoshima & Kamakura Day Trip

• 7:00 AM – Early breakfast at hotel
• Get on the

Shonan

• Monorail on the way to Enoshima (transfer)
• Explore Enoshima Island
• Enoshima Aquarium Dolphin Show
• Get the Enoden Line from Enoshima Station to Kamakura (transfer)
• Kotoku-in (Great Buddha Statue)
• Onari Yokocho – veg sushi/ramen dinner
• Return to Tokyo hotel after dinner

Saturday, Oct 24 — Tokyo (Asakusa/Ueno)

• 8:00 AM – Sensoji Temple 
• Stroll along the Sumida River
• Nakamise Shopping Street – street food
• Kappabashi Street (Kitchen Town)
• Ueno Park
• Tokyo National Museum
• Conveyor belt sushi for dinner

Sunday, Oct 25 — Tokyo (Setagaya/Shibuya)

• 9:00 AM – Gotokuji Cat Temple
• Explore the Setagaya area
• Lunch at a curry restaurant
• Shimokitazawa (thrifting)
• 3:00 PM – Back to Shibuya Station (transfer)
• Sonny Angels shopping (SONIANDSMI)
• Shibuya Crossing / walk around
• 5:00 PM onward – Shibuya Sky (try to book a sunset time slot)
• Early night to bed

Monday, Oct 26 — Tokyo DisneySea

• Luggage transfer sent ahead
• Leave by 7:00 AM – Head to Tokyo DisneySea early (transfer)
• 8:15 PM – Late-night fireworks show

Tuesday, Oct 27 — Tokyo → Kyoto

• 10:00 AM – Shiba Park
• Tokyo Tower
• Tokyo Ramen Yokocho (lunch)
• 2:00 PM – Tokyo Character Street @ Tokyo Station
• 3:00–5:30 PM – Shinkansen from Tokyo to Kyoto (transfer)
• Check into Kyoto hotel in Gion
• Explore Pontocho Alley and go out for dinner

Wednesday, Oct 28 — Kyoto (Higashiyama)

• 9:00 AM – Sannenzaka Path
• Waka Kimono Rental (Kiyomizu)
• Kiyomizu-dera
• Hanamikoji Street (shopping)
• Return kimonos
• Nishiki Market
• Explore Kawaramachi, and Shirakawa Street for dinner

Thursday, Oct 29 — Arashiyama Day Trip

• Train from Kyoto Station → Kameoka Station (transfer)
• Walk to Hozugawa River boat ride boarding location (7 min from station)
• Boat ride – 2 hours (Hozugawa River)
• Arashiyama Tusai-Tei Gallery
• Arashiyama Miffy Sakura Kitchen
• Arashiyama Rilakkuma Tea House
• Arashiyama Itsukichaya for lunch
• Get the train back around 4 PM — gets busy after 5

Friday, Oct 30 — Kyoto (Fushimi/Honmachi)

• 8:00 AM – Fushimi Inari Taisha
• Walk through multiple temples near the Honmachi area
• Early brunch
• 12:30 PM – teamLab Borderless Kyoto
• Keep the rest of the day open/flexible

Saturday, Oct 31 — Kyoto → Osaka (Halloween)

• 2:00 PM – Head to Kyoto Station (transfer)
• Shinkansen from Kyoto to Osaka (transfer)
• Check into Osaka hotel 
• Kuromon Ichiba Market
• Animeal Cafe
• Ebisubashi Bridge
• Walk around Dotonbori for Halloween celebrations
• THEPINK Nightclub

Sunday, Nov 1 — Osaka

• Sleep in a little
• 12:00 PM – Osaka Castle
• Kuromon Ichiba Market (revisit/backup slot)
• Riceball Gori-chan Namba 
• Explore Shinsekai area 

Monday, Nov 2 — Osaka → Mt. Fuji/Kawaguchiko

• Send luggage to Tokyo hotel first thing in the morning
• Check out of Osaka hotel
• 8:30 AM – Head to Osaka Station for Shinkansen to Mt. Fuji (transfer)
• 3:00 PM – Check into ryokan hotel near Fuji Kawaguchiko Lake

Tuesday, Nov 3 — Kawaguchiko

• 11:00 AM – Check out of the ryokan hotel
• Take shuttle bus to Kawaguchiko Station (transfer)
• Bus to Moto Shop Taiyo (transfer)
• Motorcycle rental
• Taro and Jiro Waterfalls near Moto Shop
• Ride to Maple Corridor near the lake — autumn festival
• Ride to Nagasaki Park
• Lake Yamanakako 
• Return to hotel

Wednesday, Nov 4 — Kawaguchiko → Tokyo

• Drop off motorcycle, then bus back to Kawaguchiko Station (transfer)
• Kosoku Bus back to Tokyo (2-hour ride) (transfer)
• 3:00 PM – Check into final hotel in Asakasa
• Explore area, go out for dinner
• Harry Potter Store

Thursday, Nov 5 — Tokyo (Harajuku/Shinjuku)

• 1:00 PM – Takeshita Street shopping
• Togo Shrine
• Meiji Jingu Shrine
• Train to Shinjuku (transfer)
• Tower Records
• Cat Cafe Mocha Lounge
• Memory Lane Izakayas

Friday, Nov 6 — Departure

• Choose hotel near the low-cost bus pick-up area
• 2:00 PM – Head back to Narita (transfer)
• Leave enough time for the November tax refund
• 6:15 PM – Flight departs

Questions:

1. We originally wanted to do Kamakura/Enoshima on a weekend, but heard it gets super crowded, so we shifted it to a Friday instead. Is Friday actually much better, or is it still packed?
2. I'm vegetarian, what's your favourite vegan/veg meal you've had in Japan?
3. On the other hand- my boyfriend loves wagyu, any favourite spots that don't break the bank?

Thanks in advance! 😄

First time visiting Japan; the trip will be 10 nights. I was originally thinking of doing the golden triangle but I prefer a more relaxed tempo and was worried that trying to fit in Osaka and Kyoto would be difficult to keep low paced while also feeling like I got enough of seeing Tokyo. I also wake up late (making it harder to plan trips out where I need to leave super early). I have an ankle injury so some things are harder, I can walk distances at a low pace, but hills/steps are difficult. I stuck in a day trip to Atami so I can ride the Shinkansen. Any feedback is appreciated!

Monday, 9/14/26 Land in Tokyo / Shinjuku

• Arrive Narita evening
• Get Suica card, get cash from ATM
• Airport Limousine Bus to Hyatt Regency Hotel
• Dinner in Shinjuku
• Shinjuku roaming

Tuesday, 9/15/26 Tokyo / Shibuya + Harajuku

• JR Yamanote from Shinjuku to Harajuku (South)
• Meiji Jingu Shrine
• Yoyogi Park
• Harajuku - Takeshita St (East)
• Mipig Cafe
• Harajuku - Meiji (South)
• Harry Potter Store
• Harajuku - Omotesando (East)
• Harajuku - Cat St (South)
• Starbucks to view Shibuya Crossing
• Shibuya Crossing
• Shibuya - Center St (Northwest)
• Shibuya - Bunkamura (Southeast)
• Shibuya Sky?
• JR Yamanote from Shibuya to Shinjuku (North)

Wednesday, 9/16/26 Tokyo / Asakusa

• Oedo Line from Tochomae Station to Ueno-okachimachi Sta.
• Ginza Line from Ueno-Hirokoji Station to Asakusa Sta.
• Senso-ji Temple
• Samurai Ninja Museum Asakusa Tokyo (9am-7pm)
• Niimi Kitchenware
• ???? Kill time before sunset
• Tokyo SkyTree (for sunset)
• ????
• Asakusa Line from Oshiage Sta.(SKYTREE) to Daimon Sta
• Oedo Line from Daimon Sta. to Tochomae Station

Thursday, 9/17/26 Tokyo / Tsujiki + Ginza

• Oedo Line Shinjuku Station to Tsujikishoji Station
• Tsujiki Old Fish Market (7am-11am)
• Roaming around Ginza
• Chuo Dori Ave
• Imperial Palace
• teamLab Planets
• Toyosu Manyo Club
• Taxi back to hotel

Friday, 9/18/26 Tokyo / Shinjuku

• North Observation Deck, Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building
• Shinjuku Dori Ave (East)
• Yasukuni Dori Ave (West)
• Enter Kabukicho
• Bar Hopping Tour in evening

Saturday, 9/19/26 Tokyo / Akihabara / Ueno

• Chuo Line from Shinjuku Station to Akihabara Station
• Akihabara Radio Kaiken
• Hirose Entertainment Yard
• Kotobukiya
• Volks Akihabara Hobby Paradise 2
• Don Quijote Akihabara
• Maidreamin Akihabara Head Store
• Off to Ueno
• Ameyoko market
• Ichiran
• Ueno Park
• Kyū-Iwasaki-tei Gardens (closes at 5pm)
• Tokyo National Museum (closes at 5pm)
• Yamanote Line (CCW) from Ueno Station to Shinjuku Station

Sunday, 9/20/26 Tokyo / Atami Day Trip

• Marunouchi Line from Nishi-shinjuku Sta to Tokyo Station
• Shinkansen Tokyo to Atami/ Hikari
• Atami Heiwa-dōri Shopping Street
• Atami Purin (Pudding)
• Atami Ginza Shopping Street
• Kiunkaku (9-5pm)
• Kinomiya Shrine (24 hours)
• Plum Garden (24 hours)
• Atami Castle (9am - 5pm)
• Hotel Micuras day pass ????
• ???? Do I hang around later for the fireworks?
• Shinkansen Atami to Tokyo / Hikari
• Marunouchi Line from Tokyo Station Nishi-shinjuku Sta.

Monday, 9/21/26 Tokyo / Day Off

• bills Ginza for breakfast
• Samurai Tour (10:30am) ?
• Gonpachi Nishi-Azabu for dinner

Tuesday, 9/22/26 Tokyo / Hakone Day Trip

• Bus trip to Hakone
• Heiwa no Torii
• Hakone Pirate Ship Tōgendai Port
• Hakone Ropeway
• Owakudani
• Swan Beach at Lake Yamanaka, Mount Fuji
• Oshino Hakkai
• Bus trip back, return at 6pm

Wednesday, 9/23/26 Tokyo / Ikebukuro

• Yamanote Line (CW) from Shinjuku Station to Ikebukuro Station
• Ikebukuro - Sunshine City
• Mega City Pokémon Store
• Animate Main Store
• Ikebukuro - Nekobukuro Cat Cafe
• Yamanote Line (CCW) from Ikebukuro Station to Shinjuku Station

Thursday, 9/24/26 Tokyo / Free day

• Store luggage at hotel or train station
• Roaming, go see what I think I missed
• Fly out at midnight

Hi everyone!

Sorry for the repost I forgot the current plan on my last one.

My partner, our 2-year-old daughter and I are planning our first trip to Japan, from November 17 to December 19 (32 nights).

We're deliberately travelling very slowly, with a 2-year-old, our priority isn't to see as much as possible, but to have a relaxed trip: several nights in the same place, explore the surrounding area by car, have some completely unplanned days, and not feel like we're constantly packing and unpacking. We're perfectly happy having slow days, playgrounds, cafés, walks and just wandering around, so we don't need a different "attraction" every day. We carry a lot our baby in the carrier so walking is not a problem for us.

Our typical day will probably be something like: start around 9:30, visit something in the morning, lunch around noon, our daughter naps in the carrier while we walk around, then coffee/snack and an early dinner. So we're very happy with days that are only 1–2 activities.

We're particularly interested in nature, forests, lakes, traditional towns, food, small walks/hikes, onsens and everyday Japanese atmosphere. We're not big museum people and we'd rather avoid the busiest tourist/Instagram spots where possible (I don't criticize it but it's not what we like the most, even if we will still do some of it because there are still beautiful places and crowd is there for a reason)

We'll have a rental car for the whole trip except Tokyo, we love driving when we travel because it's allows you freedom in our schedules and places to visit (we already drive to Korea and I currently live in Mauritius so I'm used so drive on the left). I'm okay driving in the mountain I'm really used to it.

Current plan

The details of the day is just an exemple based on my research but we will adapt depending on weather, how we feel etc.

1. Narita — 2 nights (Nov 17–19)
We arrive in Tokyo on Nov 17 at around 5pm, so we decided not to start with a long transfer.
One full day around Narita:
• Naritasan Shinshoji Temple + Omotesando in the morning
• Naritasan Park for a slow afternoon / nap

Mainly a soft landing after the flight.

2. Fuji Five Lakes / Lake Yamanaka — 5 nights (Nov 19–24)
About 1h30 from Tokyo. We're staying in a house in the forest near Lake Yamanaka.

The idea is to explore slowly rather than chase Fuji viewpoints all day:

• Day 1: Lake Yamanaka walk/cycle + Yamanaka Suwa Shrine
• Day 2: Lake Saiko + surrounding forests + Saiko Iyashi-no-Sato Nenba
• Day 3: Kitaguchi Hongu Fuji Sengen Shrine + Arakura Sengen Shrine
• Day 4: Lake Shoji + Lake Motosu

Other possibilities depending on weather/energy: Lake Tanuki, Hakone/Lake Ashi, Doshi Valley (Route 413), Aokigahara Forest.

3. Takayama — 8 nights (Nov 24–Dec 1)
I know a full week car seem a lot to people but we want to use Takayama as a proper base rather than move around the region.

Current ideas:

• Day 1: Takayama Old Town, morning market, Takayama Jinya, parks + Higashiyama Walking Course
• Day 2: Hida Furukawa + Ankokuji Temple, taking our time in the town
• Day 3: Hida Folk Village + relaxed afternoon
• Day 4: Ainokura + Suganuma + Shirakawa-go
• Day 5: Completely relaxed day in Takayama, playgrounds + Hida Kiyu-kan Kids Terrace
• Day 6: Gujo Hachiman
• Day 7: Slow walk somewhere around Takayama + small temple / revisit places we liked

We're conscious that late November / early December can already be quite cold or snowy around Takayama, which is why we're wondering whether 8 nights is actually sensible.

QUICK STOP - 1-2 december - Spending the night on a ryokan tu cut the road and experience Ryokan for at leas a night.

4. Tokyo — 8 nights (Dec 2–10)
No car. We're staying around Yanaka / Sendagi / Nezu, near Ueno.

We're intentionally giving ourselves a lot of time here so we don't feel like we need to rush around Tokyo with a toddler.

Current ideas:

• Day 1: Yanaka / Sendagi / Nezu + Nezu Shrine + Ueno Park + Ameyoko
• Day 2: Rikugien Gardens + Toshima Kids Park
• Day 3: Indoor playground/activity for our daughter + Koishikawa Korakuen
• Day 4: Asakusa + Senso-ji + Sumida River
• Day 5: Kichijoji + Inokashira Park
• Day 6: Yoyogi Park + Meiji Jingu + Shinjuku Gyoen
• Day 7: Todoroki Valley + nearby children's playground

Other possibilities: Tsukiji + Hamarikyu Gardens, Imperial Palace gardens, Shimokitazawa, Akihabara, Asukayama Park, more time around Ueno/Yanaka. This is just an example there will also be relax days.

🌊 5. Izu Peninsula / Shimoda — 6 nights (Dec 10–16)
Another deliberately slow base, staying around Shimoda.

-  Day 1: Shimoda + surrounding beaches + Cape Tsumekizaki
• Day 2: Matsuzaki + Koganezaki Park + coast
• Day 3: Kawazu Seven Waterfalls + possibly a nature onsen
• Day 4: Jogasaki Coast + Mt Omuro
• Day 5: Flexible / weather dependent

We'd also like to find a genuine private family onsen if possible.

We actually like the idea of being in Izu in December because we're not looking for beach weather or nightlife — we'd rather have a quiet coastal area, good food and walks without crowds.

🌊 6. Kamakura — 3 nights (Dec 16–19)
We're finishing here mainly because our flight from Haneda is at 10pm on Dec 19, so this gives us two full days by the coast and keeps the final transfer easy.

We haven't planned this part in detail yet: temples, coastal walks, neighbourhoods, food and just taking it easy. Maybe a nice Ryokan

Our main questions

1. Would you keep Fuji → Takayama, or reverse them?

The current order is Fuji Nov 19–24 → Takayama Nov 24–Dec 2.

The second option gives us a better chance of catching some remaining autumn colours in Takayama, but means a pretty long drive from Narita immediately after arriving in Japan.

With a 2-year-old, we're wondering whether those ~5 days really make enough difference in late November to justify the harder first transfer.

2. Are we missing any obvious places or making any obvious seasonal mistakes?

We're particularly interested in recommendations that fit our style: quiet, nature, traditional Japan, short walks, good food, onsens, small towns and places where we can slow down with a toddler.

Would especially love to hear from people who've travelled around Fuji, Takayama and Izu in late November/early December, and anyone who's done something similar with a young child.

3. For those who have kids, any particular recommandations for activities and place that you liked the most ?

Thanks for those who have been fully reading it ! 🙏