This was my (38F) 3rd time in Japan, and it was the first time for my boyfriend and the other couple. So, since it was their first time, we followed the classic route (Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto) and visited some other typical cities (Hiroshima, Kobe). However, we also experienced some new things, even for me! I also enhanced this vacation with the help of Reddit; more information is in the report.
**Days 1-5: Tokyo**
*Day 1: Arrival and Exploring Nightlife*
Touching down at Haneda Airport around 4 PM, we hustled to grab our JR Pass and Welcome Suica before settling into our digs in Higashi-Shinjuku. The evening unfolded in a whirlwind of excitement as we dove straight into the local vibe, grabbing some classic Konbini fare before hitting the bars. As metalheads, our first stop was GODZ, followed by PSY. Then, we ventured to Rock Inn Dice (recommended by the GODZ waiter), where we stayed until around 1 AM or something (a good way to beat jet lag).
*Day 2: Tokyo East*
We headed to Ueno Park on Monday, but not much was happening (no cherry blossoms yet). So, we made our way to Akihabara and spent a long time exploring Radio Kaikan, Mandarake, and the usual spots. We grabbed some quick ramen at Furyu Ramen since there was no line. After Akihabara, we visited Asakusa and the Shopping Street there. It was quite peaceful in the evening, very enjoyable. Later, we attempted to visit Deathmatch in Hell bar, but it was tiny and overcrowded with tourists, so we passed. After a night of heavy drinking, we decided to call it a night at a reasonable hour.
*Day 3: Tokyo West*
We visited Meiji Shrine in lovely weather and then strolled to Harajuku. I wanted to quickly check out the Sailor Moon Store in Laforet shopping mall, but we ended up spending 4-5 hours there. Each floor, especially the lower ones, had so many goth clothes. My credit card took a hit, but it was worth it. We then went to Kura Sushi for lunch, where we received a waiting ticket (about 60-70 minutes). So, we explored some other stores until our table was ready. Surprisingly, it was quite affordable, and we indulged in sushi and beers. Later, I wanted to check out “Animate” but found it underwhelming compared to Akihabara. We wrapped up the day with a visit to Shibuya crossing and a brief stop at Don Quijote.
*Day 4: Tokyo West + Central*
We started the day at Shinjuku Gyoen to catch a glimpse of the cherry blossoms. Then, we had what I believe was the best ramen ever at Ramen Eddie & Onigiri. They offered unique options like Ricotta Ramen and noodles served in a cappuccino glass. Afterward, we headed to the Ghibli Museum to escape the rain. We then wandered through Inokashira Park before heading to our next stop – the Pokemon Cafe! We arrived an hour early and used the time to explore the adjacent Pokemon Center. The cafe experience was delightful, though the food was nothing extraordinary. However, it was worth it for the experience alone. We even managed to snag some exclusive Pokemon cafe merch, making it a memorable visit.
*Day 5: Tokyo Central + South*
We woke up very early to visit the Fish Market. We grabbed some great Wagyu beef (skewer and burger), sashimi, and sakura daifukus. After finishing up at the market around 9:30-10:00, we headed to Teamlab Borderless, stopping to check out the Stairway of Success on the way. Spending four hours at Teamlab Borderless was truly amazing, especially for taking pictures. I definitely recommend it, especially for families with kids.
Following our visit to Teamlab, we went to Nakano Broadway to grab some food first (at Torikizoku) and then explored Mandarake and the rest of the Broadway. Later, we visited the Nintendo store where we spent a considerable amount of time again. The Animal Crossing merchandise was just too adorable, another shopping day done :D.
**Day 6-7: Mt Fuji**
*Day 6:* We packed our belongings, grabbed breakfast and coffee from the konbini, and headed from our hotel to Shinjuku Station. There, we checked our Mt. Fuji train tickets (ordered via Klook, you could print out the tickets at the machine) and also bought some bento for the train ride. The weather was perfect on Friday, and we caught an early glimpse of Mt. Fuji during the train ride. We arrived at Fuji-san station around 13:40, where our Ryokan host picked us up at 2 PM to take us to our Ryokan in Oshino. At the Ryokan, we enjoyed dinner and breakfast, so we didn’t have to worry about anything while staying in the area. With some time left in the afternoon, we took a stroll to Oshino Hakkai. We had an amazing dinner at 7 PM, served by our host. After that, we relaxed in our Japanese-style room under the warm Kotatsu, enjoying some cold beers. We also soaked in the hot spring before heading to bed.
*Day 7:* We woke up early only to find that Mt. Fuji was hidden by the terrible weather. We had a Japanese-style breakfast at the Ryokan before venturing outside. To our surprise, it was snowing, which was quite a sight. We walked to the bus station that would take us to Kawaguchiko, taking the red line bus to a northern point of Lake Kawaguchiko. Despite the weather, we explored indoor spots until we found a café, where we indulged in pizza and matcha cake (and of course, more beer). When we stepped outside, the rain had stopped, but Mt. Fuji remained elusive. Disappointed, we decided to leave, but every bus we tried was full. Frustrated, we decided to walk back a bit to find a spot on a bus. It seemed like fate intervened because when we reached a former bus station, the sun emerged, and Mt. Fuji became visible. It was like a swarm of ants suddenly emerged, with everyone taking pictures (including us). Afterward, we took the bus and then the train to the Chureito Pagoda, where the weather was perfect for capturing some beautiful shots (although there were no cherry blossoms). At 6 PM, we decided it was time to return to the Ryokan (by taxi), but none were available. Unsure of what to do, I called our Ryokan host and explained our situation. She kindly arranged for a taxi to pick us up and bring us back to the Ryokan in time for dinner at 7 PM. I expressed my gratitude and apologized for the inconvenience in my broken Japanese, but she assured me it was okay and urged me to relax. Once again, we spent the evening relaxing at the Kotatsu, enjoying one or two (or more) beers, and soaking in the Ryokan’s hot spring before bed.
**Day 8-10 Kyoto**
*Day 8: Heading to Kyoto (JR Pass Activation date)*
Our Ryokan host was incredibly kind. When I asked if she could call us a taxi again to get to Yamanakako, she offered to drive us there herself with our luggage (a 7-minute car ride). So, we reached the Yamanakako bus station to catch the bus to Mishima Station (to catch the Shinkansen). It was touching when we said goodbye; she held both of my hands and seemed almost teary-eyed as we parted ways (I left some nice notes in her guest book).
Everything else went smoothly; we boarded the Shinkansen to Kyoto and then took the subway (4 stations) to our booked Machiya. It was a self-check-in, and we all loved the place. It had a Kotatsu again, a washing machine, and dryer (important for our plan to do laundry now), and enough space for the four of us.
By the time we finished settling in, it was already 5 PM. So, we decided to grab food at MENBAKA Ramen (known for its fire ramen). It’s the typical tourist hotspot for getting special ramen; the line and the people inside were mostly tourists. The ramen was a bit pricey, but like with the Pokémon cafe, you pay for the experience, which, in my opinion, was worth it. The staff there took pictures of us eating ramen and even took our phones to record the “fire experience.” We also bought some fire ramen T-shirts and took a selfie with the boss.
In the evening, we were wondering what to do next. We ended up going to Nijo Castle since it was on the way to our Machiya and found out that the Naked Inc festival was being held (https://www.instagram.com/naked\_inc/), so we decided to check it out. There were many nice photo spots and colorful performances; we really enjoyed it. Definitely worth going inside.
*Day 9: Kyoto East*
We woke up at 5 AM to head to Fushimi Inari early to avoid the crowds. The rain was so bad that we decided to get an umbrella at the Konbini. Later, when we went down again around 10 AM, Fushimi Inari was filled with umbrellas.
After that, we visited Tofuku-ji and enjoyed the fewer crowds there. Then, we headed to Pontocho Alley to grab some food (we got some delicious Omurice!). Around the corner from the Omurice restaurant, we got ourselves rings made by glänta. Afterward, we went to Nishiki food market to mostly buy Furikake (and not eat anything there XD).
By the time it got really late, and we couldn’t make it to Kiyomizu-dera, so we went to Gion and checked out the Yasaka Shrine. That was it. I thought we could do more, but time passed too quickly.
*Day 10: Kyoto West*
Once again, we got up really early to go to the Arashiyama bamboo forest. The rain got even heavier today. After exploring the bamboo forest and doing some walking (including crossing the Togetsukyo Bridge), we went to Kinkaku-ji, where the next top tourist spot awaited us. It was my third time here, but despite the rain, the tourists were still flooding in. It was a constant push, and we could only stop briefly for some pictures. I remember being there in 2017 during Golden Week, and it was not as crowded (sorry for for whining about the crowds here while I’m part of it).
Around early afternoon, we decided to go to Uji. I wanted to skip Nara since we would see the deer in Hiroshima, and the others in my group agreed to skip it too. So, one of our group went back to the Machiya because of wet feet, while the rest of us went to Uji to buy all the matcha stuff. Some people might say it’s not worth going here, but we enjoyed the few people and the nice little shops. Also, the Byodoin Temple was really worth seeing!
We had some great beef with egg at Food Park Beef Burger and Gyudon with the nicest people ever. They were struggling with their English, but with a mix of Japanese and English, we managed to place our order. They even recommended us to visit the Byodoin Temple because it’s the temple that is on the 10-cent coin. (I didn’t know that :D).
After spending half a day in Uji (drinking green tea and eating matcha ice cream, etc.), we went home earlier to get some things done, like writing postcards, finishing washing our laundry, etc. I also used the Yamato luggage forwarding service for the first time. What a great service! We went to the Family Mart around the corner, brought our luggage there, and asked them for the service (we wanted it to be delivered two days later in Osaka), which was a bit challenging with my minimal Japanese because the two young guys there couldn’t or didn’t want to speak English at all. But we made it.
**Day 11: Kyoto to Hiroshima**
With only our carry-on luggage, we boarded an early Shinkansen to Hiroshima. We arrived at our hotel around 9:00 AM to drop off our bags, intending to head to Miyajima with just a small backpack. Finally, the weather was starting to warm up. We took the train to the ferry and then the ferry to Miyajima. I don’t know if this is new, but even with the JR pass, you now have to pay an additional fee of 100 yen to visit Miyajima. It’s not much, but still worth noting. Something else I noticed, not just here but in other tourist spots we visited, was that almost everything was under construction.
I don’t know how time passed so quickly again, but around 4:10 PM, we left the island and made our way to Okonomiyaki Lopez. I’ve been to Okonomimura before, and it was fine, but I wanted to try something new, and I wasn’t disappointed. Okonomiyaki Lopez was fantastic; the guy running it was super chill and friendly. I definitely highly recommend this place. I even bought a T-shirt from his shop to show support.
As it got dark, we missed the museum, but we checked out the outside area of the Peace Memorial Park and also Ground Zero. It was very serene and thought-provoking to see this with candles. It definitely makes you think.
After that, we checked out the nearby shopping mall and went to a retro gaming cafe (with self-service), which was very cool.
**Day 12: Hiroshima to Osaka**
We got up early again to have breakfast at the hotel. The hotel had one big flaw—the lobby was on the 2nd floor. So, everyone wanted to leave at the same time, and I couldn’t find any stairs. I’m glad I planned in so much time because we had to wait 10-15 minutes to get outside with the elevator as more people kept arriving.
We booked the Hello Kitty Shinkansen to get to Osaka! The train is super cute, and I can only recommend taking it if you like Hello Kitty or have kids with you. Wagon number 1 has a store, and besides non-reserved seats, wagon number 2 has some photo spots.
After arriving at our hotel in Osaka (around 1 PM), we left our carry-on luggage and the Hello Kitty merch to head for Osaka-jo. We didn’t go inside, but we enjoyed enough of the outside. Rain was already approaching, so we decided to go somewhere indoors for shopping (Nintendo and Pokémon store again). It got late again, so we decided to have some meaty ramen at MUGEN Ramen. There was almost no waiting time, and the ramen was extremely good! Very greasy 🙂 Since it was raining heavily and everyone was tired, we went back to the hotel to chill.
**Day 13: Himeji, Kobe, Osaka**
The weather was great again as we hopped on a Shinkansen to Himeji to arrive early. I missed seeing Himeji Castle in 2010 due to renovations. The castle was stunning, and we managed to capture some nice pictures outside with the few cherry blossoms we found (we also went inside). Before leaving Himeji, we grabbed some snacks and beer from the food stalls, being mindful not to overeat as we were planning to indulge in some Kobe beef later. Without a reservation, we headed to Steakland in Kobe, which turned out to be a fine choice. We didn’t have to wait long and were seated at a table with two other people. We could select the meat we wanted and watch the chef prepare our steak with veggies, which was a unique experience. Afterward, we took a stroll through Sannomiya, where I spent a lot of time in 2010, feeling very nostalgic. Returning to Osaka, we checked out Namba and Dotonbori before making our way to ROCK ROCK Osaka, my favorite rock/metal pub. It seemed they had renovated it, as I remembered it being quite shabby. Despite the indoor smoking, the air felt fresh, and there were plenty of locals and tourists. The music and sound were excellent, better than the metal bars in Tokyo. We wanted to stay out and party hard, but we had to catch a Shinkansen in the morning and send our luggage again.
**Day 14: Shin-Yokohama, Ramen Museum, Tokyo Shopping**
With little sleep and a slight hangover, we packed our stuff in the morning and took our luggage to the hotel staff to send to the airport the next day. Yes, I know we should have sent it a day earlier, even the Yamato website said so. But I can assure you, the luggage arrived one day later, just in time phew. Still, I’m not going to do it again, sending it so last minute. I feel like we were lucky that everything worked out fine. We sent it at 7 AM, and it arrived at 4 PM at Terminal 3 the next day tat the pickup counter!
We took the Shinkansen to Tokyo but got off at Shin-Yokohama with our carry-ons to visit the Ramen Museum. We foolishly looked for lockers, but every one at Shin-Yokohama station was occupied. Google pointed us to a locker point nearby, thankfully free, so we dumped our carry-ons and went to the museum. It was a Saturday, so many Japanese people were there. The museum was interesting; you could build your own instant ramen with your phone and even see the process. There were some special ramen to eat there, but with long lines again. I decided to go for the ramen with a 60-minute wait, but since I was alone, I only waited 40 minutes. The ramen was superb and well worth the wait. After the museum, we returned to Tokyo, arriving at our hotel around 3:30 PM. We checked in, dropped our carry-ons, and headed to Don Quijote for some last-minute shopping. My boyfriend and I finished in 2.5 hours, while our friends spent over 5 hours inside. In the evening, we grabbed some food on the way and checked out the last metal bar in Tokyo, “From Dusk til Dawn,” recommended by a local in Osaka. Interestingly, the bar doesn’t show up on Google if you search for rock/metal bars. The bar was full of tourists, with only one local. The waitress and owner were very chill and nice, and we stayed for a few drinks before deciding it was time to sleep.
**Day 15: Last Day, Heading Home**
Finally, the last day arrived (time flies, doesn’t it?). We left our carry-ons at the hotel and went to the Imperial Palace. Today was supposed to be the hottest day in Tokyo (28°C), so we even needed sunscreen and felt like we experienced all seasons on this trip. After that, we revisited Ueno Park to check on the cherry blossoms. People were picnicking there, but sadly, no cherry blossoms were in sight. So, we decided to explore another food market street and stumbled upon a footbath cafe where we enjoyed some curry, a footbath, a massage and another beer (you can never have too many beers on this trip). We wrapped up around 2 PM, perfect timing to return to our hotel, grab our carry-ons, and head to Haneda Airport. I crossed my fingers that our luggage would be there, alongside our new purchases from Don Quijote. We had AirTags in our luggage, so we knew it was at Haneda Airport, but not at Terminal 3 yet. With lots of people heading to the airport, we had to pass 1-2 airport trains until we found space in one. We arrived 3.5 hours before departure at Haneda Airport, allowing for plenty of time due to the lengthy check-in process with Air China, and not knowing how long it would take to pick up our luggage. We went straight to the Yamato luggage pickup, and they told us our luggage would be ready at 7 PM (our flight was at 7:40 PM). LOL. I was almost in tears when I suddenly saw some Yamato guys bringing our four suitcases just as we arrived. So lucky. We repacked everything and lined up for the check-in counter, which took ages. The check-in and security check were time-consuming, and we almost had to run to our boarding gate, leaving no time to explore Haneda Airport. Another nice thing I didn’t mention earlier: our layover at Beijing Airport. When we arrived there, our security check took three hours. So, when we left the plane from Haneda, we made a beeline for the security check to avoid the lines, and it was worth it. Our whole security check took only 10 minutes, while people were queuing behind us. Our layover was 4 hours, in the middle of the night, but it was better to sleep on a bench than wait in line.
**Resume**: Returning home just three days ago, I’ve finally shaken off the jetlag and am now ready to jot down our adventures. My mind is already drifting to the next journey, which I’m definitely planning for the off-season. Reflecting on this trip, I can say it was quite enjoyable. I did my best to plan everything meticulously, and Reddit proved to be a valuable resource, especially when it came to using the Yamato service.
One valuable lesson I learned, and thankfully considered, was the importance of allowing extra time. Whether it was accommodating for a slow-moving member of our group or navigating through crowded streets where progress is often slow, I found that it’s essential to factor in more time than what Google Maps suggests. A five-minute walk to the train station can easily turn into ten minutes or more when you’re contending with crowds. For my next adventure, I’ll be sure to incorporate more moments of quiet and relaxation.
Additionally, I realized the significance of scheduling activities before mid-morning, as many shopping centers and stores tend to open later, around 11 a.m. or even noon. It’s best to tackle sightseeing at places like shrines and gardens during the early hours when there are no concerns about opening times. This way, I can optimize my time and make the most out of each day’s itinerary.
Another helpful tip is to jot down taxi numbers in the Kawaguchiko area, especially those with English-speaking drivers. I regret not having these numbers beforehand, as it would have prevented us from inconveniencing our host.
I apologize for the lengthy trip report; I hope it was still enjoyable and informative (and not too much whining).
by lovelykotori
