Looking for some guidance on my itinerary. My husband and I are in our 30s, we both love anime and food. I’m trying not to have too rigid of a schedule, I don’t want to spend my entire trip “planning” and rushing around trying to cram too much in. If there’s a pop-up event for Jujutsu Kaisen, Demon Slayer, or Sailor Moon we’ll make that a point to check out. I do have Celiac, so unfortunately I can’t just walk in anywhere and eat, but have been using the FB Group ‘Gluten-Free in Japan!’
We’re looking to go in October for 10 days, with 2 days of travel. Ideally the 2nd week since that’s when our anniversary is and it’s right after Chinese Golden Week. Flying ANA from D.C.
I’ve made several Google maps with all the places we’re interested in, as well as any places I’m interested in eating. Obviously we won’t hit up everything, it’s just so I know what my options are. We both have Google Pixels and Verizon coverage.
Any tips, recommendations, etc. will be greatly appreciated. Especially regarding the subway system. Thank you in advance!!
**Day 0: Travel**
* Travel from DC to Haneda Airport
* Exchange money, get welcome Suica/Passmo, eSIM/pocket wifi, transfer luggage through Yamato
* Planning on staying in a hotel near Shinjuku Station (depending on what time we get in, I will book the hotel for the day before so we don’t have to wait for check-in and will alert the hotel staff prior to our arrival)
* Check in and go to the nearest konbini
* If there’s time left in the day, check out Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden and Meiji Jingu. If it’s too late, just wonder around and see what sparks our interest.
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**Day 1: Tokyo**
* Go to Taito City to be at Benitsuru to queue up by 8am. This is one of the only things I’m planning as it books up for the day.
* Go to Senso-ji and Ueno Park until our reservation (or after, whatever)
* Go to Donguri Republic for the Ghibli Store
* Take line to Toshima City
* Check out the observation deck at the Tokyo Metropolitan Building
* Pokemon Center Mega Tokyo if we feel like it
* Buccaneer for a snack and some drinks (husband loves pirate themes)
* Yahatazushi for dinner
* Hotel to rest up then Golden Gai
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**Day 2: Tokyo – shopping**
* Go to Chuo City
* Tsukiji Outer Market
* Pokemon Center Tokyo DX
* Mandarake Complex
* Akihabara Radio Kaikan
* Soranoiro NIPPON for lunch
* wondering/shopping/whatever catches our eye
* Gluten Free Kushiage Su for dinner
* Check out High Five and Folklore for drinks.
* Explore the area/bars until we wanna go back to the hotel
*Q: Do you recommend going to the post office and shipping back your purchases, or just putting it all in a suitcase and lugging it around?*
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**Day 3: Tokyo**
* Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden and Meiji Jingu if we don’t get to it the first day we arrive
* Shibuya Station from Shinjuku
* Shimbu Sakiya Ramen for lunch
* Shibuya Scramble Crossing
* Wonder around Shibuya
* Head over to Tokyo Tower and check out the area
* Rizlabo Kitchen for dinner
* Hotel to rest up and forward our luggage to hotel in Kyoto (Day 5)
* Back to Shibuya to go to the SG Club
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**Day 4: Hakone**
* Head to Hakone-Yumato Station with our carry-ons/backpacks since we will forward our luggage to the hotel in Kyoto (Day 5)
* Hakoke Ropeway
* Hakone Sightseeing Cruise
* Hakone Shrine
* Amasake Tea House
* Mount View Hakone for lodging for the night and to get to experience a ryokan
*Q. What would be the best/easiest way to get around Hakone?*
*Q. Should we go to Kyoto from Hakone, or go back to Tokyo first?*
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**Day 5: Kyoto**
* Hotel Chion-in Wajun Kaikan. Considering biting the bullet and just booking on Day 4 so we can just go right to our room.
* Wonder around Ninenzaka and Sannenzaka Path
* Starbucks Coffee – Kyoto Nineizaka Yasaka Chaya
* Philosopher’s Path
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**Day 6: Kyoto**
* Nishiki Market
* Tea Cermony either Camellia Flower or Kimono Tea
* Otagi Nenbutsuji Temple
* Melonbooks Kyoto for some shopping
* Engine Ramen for dinner
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**Day 7: Kyoto**
* Early wakeup to get to Fushimi Inari before the crowds
* Once we’ve had our fill of Fushimi take a day trip to Uji
* Byodo-in temple and Tsuen Main Branch
* Just planning on wondering around Uji
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**Day 8:** **Osaka**
* Once we get to Osaka Station, go to Namba Station
* Namba Yasaka Shrine
* Check into hotel (somewhere near Namba Station)
* Nipponbashi for shopping/exploring
* Genji-soba for dinner
* Maybe Tenma? Otherwise Dotonbori
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**Day 9: Osaka**
* Kuromon Ichiba Market
* Osaka Castle
* Comeconoco Gluten-free Laboratory & Cafe for lunch (closed Mon/Tues, so may have to skip depending on the day)
* Dotonbori for shopping
* OKO – Fun Okonomiyaki Bar
* Drinking in Dotonbori
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**Day 10: Tokyo**
* Go to the Post Office and ship out anything we bought
* Train back to Tokyo to Shinjuku
* Another hotel nearby Shinjuku Station
* Drinks/Shopping/whatever we feel like we want to see do. The plan is to just be back in Tokyo for the airport for the next day.
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**Day 11: Fly back to D.C.**
by CrawDaddyMikaykay
6 comments
Here is a new anime place in Ikebukuro Oct 2023. Here is the KyotoNews article. [https://english.kyodonews.net/news/2023/10/c25d944490ad-new-anime-facility-opens-in-tokyo-showcasing-capitals-archives.html](https://english.kyodonews.net/news/2023/10/c25d944490ad-new-anime-facility-opens-in-tokyo-showcasing-capitals-archives.html)
If you go on the Japan Post, you can calculate the postage charges. I’m Australian and I can get relatively cheap postage sending stuff sea mail (US is probably the same) but that means waiting around 3 months to get stuff.
Alternatively, you could leave your stuff at your hotel but not all hotels have secure areas for left bags. I’ve been allowed to wander into the baggage room, grab a bag and leave my tag on the counter without anyone checking.
The third way, and probably the best in this situation, is using the takkyubin service (luggage delivery) from your hotel on day 3 to send your shopping to the airport ready for you to pick up on your way home.
I just did basically this exact same itinerary in terms of # of days and order of each city traveled… and I’m heading home now. I didn’t do anything in Hakone except enjoy the ryokan/onsen and chill by the river. Check in was at 3pm and dinner was at 6pm so it doesn’t leave you much time to do much.
I would recommend adding day trips to Nara/Mount Fuji/etc. somewhere in your itinerary. Because hotel check out is typically 10-11 AM and check in is 3pm, you win have a few hours to kill before hotel check in and the Japan rail system is so quick and easy to navigate that you can easily add a stop in Nara between Kyoto/osaka, a trip to Mount Fuji after Hakone, etc. (if you have the energy)
Have fun!
Check out TOEI Kyoto Studio Park.
Coincidentally I was going to create a very similar post as my itinerary is almost exactly the same as yours, I will be traveling for my honeymoon in April….3 nights in Tokyo – 2 in Hakone – 4 in Kyoto – 3 in Osaka – 2 in Tokyo to end
I’m going in March and this is similar itinerary I have. My bf has gluten free diet and it’s nice to see all my bookmarked restaurants are on your list too haha
I went to Hakone few years ago. they had a day pass which included ferry and cable car. I bought that pass at the station. There’s not much to look at but spending a day in Hakone is pretty nice. We opted to go to Kinosaki onsen this time because of tattoos.
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If you haven’t checked out arashiyama bamboo forest and kiyomisudera or Kinkakuji in Japan, I definitely think it’s worth it. Also agree with day trip to Nara or Kobe is nice.