Just finished off 5 weeks in Japan.
stayed in Tokyo for 7 days, did 2 excursions in this time. One to see the snow monkeys in Nagano and the second to see mt. Fuji and Kawaguchiko. Explored a lot of the neighbourhoods on the other days.
Headed down to Osaka, stayed for 5 days and went on a couple of excursions. Went to Kobe and Nara and enjoyed exploring and heading to universal for the rest of the days.
Then transferred to Kyoto for 4 days. Visited Omihachiman and spent the other days bike riding around Kyoto and seeing shrines.
Travelled down to Hiroshima for 3 days.
Spent one of the days on Miyajima island and the rest we explored Hiroshima and visited the peace museum.
Trained it back up to Osaka for another 2 days, visited Minoh park and then had a day to explore.
We then headed directly to Sendai for 3 days. Visited the sky temples in Yamadera, explored and shopped for the other days.
Then straight down to Tokyo for another 6 days stint. Visiting lots of neighbourhoods and seeing different attractions and theme parks.
Tokyo was so beautiful but I ended up getting sick both time I was there so here are my tips for that city;
– wear face masks when you can on public transport if your susceptible to getting sick.
– hand sanitiser.
– if you are looking for a place to stay which is quiet but close to everything, yotsuya is your go to. Smack bang in the middle of Tokyo and Shinjuku, really quick to the get everywhere and a really cute neighbourhood.
– when you need to line up for something, look on the ground and you’ll find where to go, lots of tourists pushing in line because they didn’t do this.
– the aquarium museum and Harry Potter Warner bros studio tour, I was able to book on the day.
– Disney land wasn’t as intense as I thought, we skipped the queue by heading in at 12 and still was able to get fast passes for splash mountain.
– Harajuku is busy at the start of the Main Street but thins out by the end.
– the new kabukicho tower in Shinjuku is a huge tourist trap. 300 yen per play on claw machines with a she playing to a dead room. Easy miss.
– ginza was cute and my partner loved the Uniqlo. We tried the kenadaya mochi and there wasn’t a line, reservations won’t be needed. It tasted OK.
– Akihabara was awesome, lots of tourist trap shops to buy figurines, the further down the strip you go the better the deals. Tried gogo curry, great value for money but the taste couldn’t beat coco curry.
– we bought bullet train tickets on the day and had no issues.
Osaka;
– we stayed in shinsekai and it wasn’t worth the cheap price.
– dontonburi was a no go zone. Super busy and the food wasn’t as great as it was 5 years ago.
– Osaka castle was beautiful and worth a visit at night.
– americamura was fairly overpriced for what they had to offer.
– universal was awesome but would highly recommend a fast pass.
– Namba was our go to for shopping.
– a Kobe day trip is a must, the herb gardens were stunning.
– Nara day trip was awesome too, be careful around the deer. If they try to bite your clothes for food, show them your empty palms. The great Buddha is a must.
– Osaka aquarium was cool but if you’re from a country like mine (Australia) with easy access to aquatic creatures in the wild, this one can be missed.
Kyoto;
– really really busy in the geisha district.
– my fragrance was a highlight, you can create your own fragrance to bring home.
– omihachiman is a must visit, barely any tourists and one of the most beautiful places we visited.
– biking around Kyoto was so much fun, if there’s a bike lane on the road and you’re confident, use it so you don’t annoy any pedestrians. Read and follow the road rules.
– fushimi inari was a must, go in the morning to avoid foot traffic. There’s vending machines along the path for water.
– philosophers path is another must.
Hiroshima;
– the peace museum is super packed and had a lot of disrespectful people in it, try not to take photos and please please be quiet.
– miyajima was amazing, next time we will stay in the island for the night. Last ferry home was 3pm. Try to get to the ferry early if you decide to go on the ones at the peace park. Like 15-20 early.
– shoppings great.
Sendai;
– stay close to the station if possible.
– fantastic food everywhere, had some of the best pancakes in my life here at the parco mall directly across from the station.
– yamadera was stunning, not crowded and was very peaceful.
– the night life here is like a low comfortable buzz.
– found some of the best deals for anime figurines here. Was looking at 3000- 4000 yen in Tokyo but here it was 500-1000 yen.
– lots of earthquakes here, read up on what to do incase of a big one.
Happy to help with any questions that might pop up.
Also get the Suica card on your phone. So much easier.
by Rebeccaartwork