Hi everyone!
I’m a first time traveler to Japan, I’ll be heading there in March with my partner. I just wanted to check that my itinerary looks okay. I’m doing standard touristy stuff here, we’re trying to pack our days but I’ve also scheduled 2 days which have at least half the day free so we can take a break/check out stuff we missed or want to do again .
I would really like some help finding a fancy-ish restaurant to eat at in Tokyo. The price range should be around 10000-15000 yen each ideally and it should be place where we can get reservations or a place to sit without too much hassle. We know about Tabelog and Michelin star restaurants, but most of those are out of budget or require a reservation 🙁 We want to avoid purely French cuisine: ideally Japanese or fusion cuisine will work. One place we looked at was Lature but we found the dishes kind of strange (deer blood macaron??) We would really like some recommendations!
Here’s our itinerary: 3 days Japan + 4 days staying at Osaka (with 2 days in Kyoto) + 3 days in Tokyo:
9 March Saturday: **Tokyo**(Shinjuku + Harajuku/Omotesando)
* Arrive at 6 am to Shinjuku hotel, sleep till 12/1 pm if jet lagged
* Lunch @ Aoyama Tea House near Omotesando
* Harajuku/Omotesando (just for the vibe, no shopping)
* Try the Harajuku crepes
* Shinjuku: Tokyo Hands
* Sekaido art store
* Piss alley
* Deathmatch in hell?
10 March Sunday: **Tokyo** (Shibuya)
* Starbucks roastery
* Shibuya Parco (Pokemon Center + Nintendo Tokyo)
* Lunch @ Happy Pancakes
* Loft (also there in in Ginza)
* Mega Don quixote (skippable:chain so can do in other locations, including Ginza/Asakusa)
* Shibuya Crossing + Hachiko
* Shibuya sky (reservations at 6:50 PM)
* The Bellwood
* Dinner somewhere
11 March Monday: **Tokyo** (Odaiba)
* Team Labs @ 11 am (reservation done)
* Lunch somewhere in Odaiba
* 2-5 pm Joyopolis
* 6-10 Dinner + Live music (Shimokitazawa?)
12 March Tuesday: **Tokyo** till lunch + checkout, check in to **Osaka** hotel
* Shinjuku Gyoen Park (9-11:30 AM ish)
* Lunch @ somewhere in Shinjuku
* Travel to Osaka
* Osaka aquarium
* Rikuro cheesecake (should I do this?)
* Dotonburi
13 March Wednesday
Just USJ (we got tickets!). We know its gonna be crowded, we’re okay with doing 3-4 rides and we’re used to crowds/don’t have good amusement parks where we are from)
14 March Thursday **Kyoto** daytrip
* 6 am Fushimi Inari Shrine
* 8/9 am Kiyomizedura Temple
* Sannenzaka Path/Ninenkaza
* Nishiki market
* Gion + surroundings + pontocho
15 March Friday **Kyoto** daytrip
* 7 am Arashiyama (bamboo forest+ okochi sanso garden + gio-ji (skippable)+ tenryuji (skippable) )
* Nishiki market/ Lunch somewhere in Kyoto
* Eikando-jo + philosophers path
* Gion +pontocho + surrounding area (redux)
16 March Saturday **Tokyo** (Kichioji)
* Return to Tokyo, leave luggage at hotel in Asakusa
* Inokashira Park around 10-11 AM
* Lunch @ Kichijoji somewhere: Satao?
* Wander Kichijoji (Harmonica Yokocho)
* Maybe onsen?
* Night at Shibuya/Shinjuku/whatever
17 March Sunday **Tokyo** (Gion + Akhihabara)
* Koffee mameya Kakeru (opens at 11 am)
* Lunch/Dinner @ wherever
* Akhihabara
* Uniqlo store Ginza
* Muji flagship in Ginza (just window shopping)
* Loft Ginza if we skipped the Shibuya one
* Dinner somewhere in Ginza or somewhere else in Tokyo
18 March Monday **Tokyo** (Asakusa + need suggestions)
* 7/8 am Sensoji Shrine
* Ueno Park (unsure about this one)
* Check out from Asakusa hotel and leave for the airport at around 4 PM
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Any suggestions or recommendations are much appreciated!
by comedymold42