Hi everyone! I’m going to Japan for the first time this year, after planning this trip since last February. This sub has been immensely helpful in setting up my itinerary and now I hope you can help me iron out the details.
A few things about me: I’m travelling alone, I’ve travelled internationally by myself before and I’m used to doing very fast-paced days with a few breaks to catch my breath in between. I’m very interested in folklore (specially yokai), history, plants and stationery (you’ll see this comes into play). I can speak tourist Japanese (not a lot of small talk, more practical sentences) and read hiragana and katakatana decently.
Like I said, I’ve done a lot of research so I mostly need help to check if my itinerary is feasible. I can add up to 3 days because I fortunately have a lot of flexibility. I’ll be arriving after spending 5 days in South Korea prior to this, should be last week of may and first weeks of june.
Day 1:
– Arrive from Seoul to Fukuoka or Kumamoto.
– Find luggage transportation service, send bigger luggage to Osaka, keep backpack.
– If arriving at Fukuoka, take train to Kumamoto.
– Check in at hotel
РFind a net caf̩, empty memory cards
(would love recommendations of places to eat at or visit at night in Kumamoto!)
Day 2:
– Guided tour to Takachicho Gorge
– Train to Oita (I know I will be arriving late, but I can’t use up a whole day just for this)
– Late check-in at hotel
Day 3:
– Yufuin flower village
– Night in Oita
(would also love recommendations of places to eat in Oita)
Day 4:
– Train to Osaka (takes about 4:30 hours)
– Drop off backpack at hotel
– Tempozan Marketplace
– Osaka Aquarium
– Dotonbori
– Don Quixote Ferris Wheel (maybe?)
Day 5:
– Universal Studios
(if needed, find net café, empty memory cards)
Day 6:
– National Art Museum
– Museum of Oriental Ceramics
– LUCUA
– Umeda Sky (hopefully at sunset)
– Kiddyland
– Dotonbori again
Day 7:
– Send bigger luggage to Tokyo, keep backpack.
– Americamura
– Namba Tasaka Shrine
– Lunch at Kushyia Monogatari
– Train to Kyoto
– Drop off backpack at hotel
– Otagi Nenbutsuji Temple
– Nijo-jo Castle
Day 8:
– Fushimi Inari-Taisha
– Nanzen-ji
– Face House
– Gion
– Pontocho Alley + Tanuki shrine
Day 9:
– Kinkaku-ji
– Yokai Street
– Katsura Imperial Villa
– Train to Koka (takes about an hour)
– Explore around train station, see the giant Tanuki
– Train to Nagoya (takes between 2 and 3 hours)
– Night in Nagoya
Day 10:
– Ghibli Park
РFind net caf̩, empty memory cards
Day 11:
– Train to Tokyo
– Drop off backpack at hotel
– Godzilla Statue
– Nittele Tower Clock (12pm chime)
– Tokyu Hands Ginza (stationery store)
– Tokyo Station
– Character Street
– Kabuki-za Theater (if I can get tickets)
Day 12:
– Shinjuku Gyoen
– Sekaido (stationery store)
– AIUEO (stationery store)
– Gotokuju Temple
– Lunch at Pompompurin Café (can’t seem to find if I need reservations for this)
– Shorakuen Tea Salon
– Harajuku
– Hachiko Memorial
– Shibuya Crossing by night
– Loft (stationery store, stays open late)
– Omoide Yokocho
Day 13:
РDepending on time of entry at the museum, Caf̩ Kichijouji Petit Mura
– Ghibli Museum
– Sunshine City
– Pikachu Sweets
– Roppongi Hills/Mori Observatory (are these the same thing? I’m a bit confused)
РVampire Caf̩ (maybe?)
Day 14:
– Ueno Park
– Blue Whale (outside Natural History Museum)
– National Tokyo Museum
– Sogenji Temple
– Senso-ji
– Koishikawa Korakuen Garden
– Akihabara
Day 15:
– Imperial Palace
РKirby Caf̩
– Tokyo Cruise (Asakusa to Odaiba)
– Head to airport
My main doubts are about the Kyoto and Tokyo parts of the trip, since things are further away from each other and a few of the days feel a little too packed. If you had to add one or two days to this itinerary, where would you put them? Am I missing out on any key activities? Any food places near the places I’m going that I shouldn’t miss out on? Am I underestimating Oita?
A few notable things not in the itinerary: I have no interest in onsens (not super comfortable with nudity, also have a lot of tattoos), TeamLabs, Arashiyama Bamboo Forest, or interacting with wild animals. I’ve watched countless travel vlogs and they just don’t seem like things I would like.
by samiam130