Hi!! October is slowly approaching and I keep getting worried that I haven’t included enough variety/“Japan exclusive” experiences to our second trip itinerary.
On our first trip we visited the main Tokyo sights (minus Shinjuku, we never got to make it there), Osaka (USJ, aquarium, Dotonbori), and Kyoto (Arashiyama, Gion, Sannenzaka/Ninenzaka).
We went during peak cherry blossom time/spring break and it was insanely crowded. We’re hoping to visit some less popular/crowded areas in comparison to what we visited last time.
We are visiting Tokyo again, Osaka again, and adding Hakone and Uji as our new areas to explore. I’m also debating adding one extra day at the end of our trip so we can do an overnight trip in Hiroshima at some point in the trip.
Our main interests are retro video game hunting (my boyfriend is a collector), specialty coffee for me, tons of food (we felt like due to crowds/our jam-packed itinerary we didn’t get to enjoy many restaurants last trip and got stuck eating konbini food a lot), and seeing some live music.
Thank you in advance!
#ITINERARY
**(Wed) Oct 30 (ARRIVAL IN TOKYO)**
– arrive at Narita 3:10p
– N’EX to Shinjuku station
– walk to hotel in Shinjuku
– explore around hotel for dinner (8-bit Cafe?)
**(Thu) Oct 31 (HALLOWEEN) (TOKYO)**
explore Koenji/Nakano (~15 mins away) + end the day in Shinjuku
– breakfast at All Seasons Coffee in Shinjuku
– Koenji interests: SUB store (music shop), Look St (retro + thrift shops), Tensuke tempura
– Nakano interests: Nakano broadway, bar DIO (opens 6 PM)
– Shinjuku interests: Omoide Yokocho and Golden Gai *look into a food tour?
**(Fri) Nov 1 (TOKYO)**
explore Kichijoji (~15 mins away)
– Kichijoji interests: Shirohige’s Cream Puff Factory (be there before opening @ 11a), Inokashira park + Blue Sky Coffee, Nakamichi Dori (second hand shops), Petit Mura, Harmonica Yokocho, Some Time jazz club
**(Sat) Nov 2 (TOKYO)**
FREE DAY (Tokyo friends meet up day)
**(Sun) Nov 3 (TOKYO) (CULTURE DAY)**
explore Ginza/Roppongi (~20 mins)
– Anella Rescue Dog/Cat Cafe in Shinjuku
– Ginza/Roppongi interests: Tokyo Ad Museum, Cafe de L’ambre, Butagumi reservations for dinner
*forward luggage to Osaka, pack small bags for Hakone
**(Mon) Nov 4 (TOKYO -> HAKONE)**
check out of hotel in early morning
– take romance car from Shinjuku to Hakone Yumoto station (1.5 hr)
– Hakone pt 1:
1. Explore Hakone-Yumoto area (EVA store)
2. Hakone Tozan railway from Hakone Yumoto to Gora (40 min scenic switchback train)
3. Open Air Museum before check in at ryokan (3 PM)
– dinner and spend night at Mikawaya Ryokan
**(Tue) Nov 5 (HAKONE -> OSAKA)**
breakfast and checkout of ryokan (10 AM)
– Hakone pt 2:
1. Gora station to Sounzan (cable cars)
2. Sounzan to Owakudani (cable cars)
3. Owakudani to Togendai (EVA station) (cable cars)
4. Hakone Sightseeing pirate ship across Lake Ashi from Togendai to Moto-Hakone (40 min cruise)
5. Check out Hakone Shrine
6. Moto-Hakone to Odawara (50 min bus ride)
– Leave from Odawara station to Osaka
Hikari shinkansen to Shin-Osaka (last train leaves at 6 pm) (2.5 hrs)
– 20 min train to Shinsaibashi station, check into hotel in Osaka
**(Wed) Nov 6 (OSAKA) (USJ DAY)**
USJ (PURCHASE TICKETS SEPTEMBER 6TH JAPAN TIME)
**(Thurs) Nov 7 (OSAKA)**
explore Dendentown/Amemura + end the day in Dotonbori (~20 min)
– Denden Town interests: BOOKOFF, Super Potato
– Amemura interests: BB Amemura, COLONY by EQI cafe
– Dotonbori: rake?raka? for live music
**(Fri) Nov 8 (KYOTO DAY TRIP)**
1 hr train to Uji
– Uji interests: Nintendo Museum, Byodo-in Temple, Uji-Bashi bridge, Tsuen tea shop
– 1 hr train to Nintendo store Kyoto (closes at 8 PM) if time allows
– back to Osaka (1 hr)
*forward luggage to Tokyo
**(Sat) Nov 9 (OSAKA -> TOKYO)**
check out of hotel
– Kuromon Ichiba market in the morning
– walk to Namba Yasaka shrine
– train to Umeda Mall for Nintendo Store/Kirby Market/Tamagotchi store (30 mins)
– train to Shin-Osaka Station, shinkansen to Tokyo Station (check out Character St while there?) then to Shinjuku (~3 hours)
– check into hotel in Shinjuku
**(Sun) Nov 10 (TOKYO)**
explore Shibuya/Shimokitazawa (~20 mins away):
– Shibuya interests: Usagi ramen (line up at 11), Shibuya Parco (Nintendo store, Jump Shop), Grounds Store 001 (shoes)
– walk to Meiji Jingu/Yoyogi park, 20 min train to Shimokita
– Shimokita interests: Bear Pond coffee (closes at 5:30), Sukonbu mikan, thrifting (most stores open until 9), live music at night
**(Mon) Nov 11 (TOKYO)**
explore Asakusa/Akihabara (~30 mins away)
– Asakusa interests: Kappabashi St, Skytree (Kirby Cafe store, Jump shop, Sample-ya store)
– Akihabara interests: Chabara, everything else
**(Tues) Nov 12 (TOKYO) (LAST FULL DAY)**
FREE DAY (some options: Ebisu, Kanda, Yanaka Ginza, Kamakura)
**(Wed) Nov 13 (LEAVE JAPAN)**
– get breakfast
– N’EX to Narita
– leave from Narita at 4:55p
by littledotorimukk