**Osaka->Miyajima Island->Hiroshima->Kyoto->Kanazawa->Tokyo**
Thank you Redditors for all the tips & insights during my trip planning. Here’s a report to give back!
**Biggest surprise & highlight:** When we booked this trip, we did not expect to see cherry blossoms but because of the cold snap, we saw them everywhere but Tokyo! What a thrill. They are a truly special sight.
**Preface**: Seven ladies, late 50’s-mid 70’s trip. All varying degrees of physical fitness. Booked guided tours to have group activities, then separated to do our own thing. Some meals were together, sometimes we were on our own. We did a surprising amount of conbini & grocery store meals. Moderate hotels. I’m the group planner and somewhat OCD but know there needs to be flexibility for unforeseen events. By the end of the trip we all strayed from the itinerary except for booked activities.
**Pre trip:** Booked flights directly with United. Flew open jaw into Osaka, then out of Haneda. Booked Hotels direct & thru Hotels.com, any special tours, sightseeing train to Nara, Osaka Mint Cherry viewing tickets (free), Nishikawa reservations, baseball tickets, purchased JR Kansai Hiroshima pass & Haruka voucher on Klook, downloaded Suica on iPhones (my Visa card worked!), downloaded Ubigi (10G was used up literally when I was at Haneda flying home).
**Transportation:** Regional JR Pass Kansai Hiroshima was a good deal for us. Osaka->Himeji->Miyajimaguchi->Hiroshima->Kyoto. We picked up both JR Pass & Haruka trip at the JR Office at KIX. While we were there, we reserved seats for our trip to Himeji, Miyajimaguchi & Hiroshima. For Kyoto & Kanazawa, we went to the station early and reserved seats that morning and it was no problem. The shinkansen was so comfortable! There’s an overhead shelf for bags but if you needed, there’s probably enough room for small bags to keep in front of you. Loads of leg room.
Having a SUICA on your phone was a game changer. Tap in/out at all stations. It was nice knowing what the balance was as you’re going along. Buses were convenient and would often take you closer to where you need to go. Everywhere but Tokyo, you would enter thru the back, tap in, then tap out & exit at the front by the driver. In Tokyo, you would tap in & enter at the front & exit at the back (no tap out). In Kanazawa, they do not take IC cards (210¥) on city bus. Only JR buses, Kanazawa loop bus and Machi bus (different color buses than city bus) I know, that confused us too.
Uber app worked everywhere. Taxis also respond to Uber so there’s no need to download GO Taxi if you already have Uber.
**Shopping:** The Yen was at its all-time low so shopping was pretty fun. My favorite places to shop were at Uji for tea, Chion Ji market for handicrafts (some vendors took credit cards), grocery stores for food souvenirs (esp anything yuzu) and conbinis for mini bottles of Kewpie mayo for little stocking stuffer gifts. If you are looking for a kimono or art for your walls, buy them in Kyoto. Kyoto has many 2nd hand kimono shops and they are a bargain there. I bought a beautiful Haori for ¥550 (roughly $4 USD!) and there’s a shop called Wargo where they sell kimonos for ¥1 per gram. I bought a kimono as a gift there for ¥547! They also had some beautiful obis there that you can use for wall hangings (¥990). For inexpensive general items, look at Hands, Daiso or Seria (fun household things). In general, things are at least ¥50 more expensive in Tokyo.
**Miscellaneous tips**– hotels all provided loungewear, so I didn’t pack PJs. Hotel provided most toiletries including toothbrushes, hair brush & razors, tho not body lotion (just buy at the drug store). Unless you have little feet or big feet, the slippers provided won’t fit. I’m a big Japanese tea drinker and all the hotel green tea sucked (shocking?). Drank a lot of iced tea from the conbinis. Food from conbini was great but find a grocery store near your hotel to buy fruit & pre-made food for cheap meals. Luggage transfers worked like a charm. Super easy and not expensive.
Having 7 people on the trip was a challenge at times so booking private tours here and there solved a lot of issues. Along with all the great info they provide, it was nice having a guide to maximize our day and keep us from walking in circles, as we tend to do.
Having few garbage cans in the country is no joke. Carry your garbage back to your hotel with you. When we did see random garbage cans, we gasped. I saw 3 public garbage cans (not with the conbini) the whole time I was in Japan, 2 of them in Peace Park in Hiroshima.
Also carry a little towel with you when you wash your hands at a public toilet. You can get cheap ones at Daiso or any discount store. I also carried soap strips as many toilets didn’t have soap dispensers either.
Bring well broken in shoes. I had On Running for every day walking, Blundstones for hiking & rainy days. They’re also good for some temple walks on uneven ground. I also brought Clarix flats for short walks to dinner shoes. I could have done without the Clarix shoes.
Steps – Highest was about 31K in Osaka and it got progressively lower (averaging about 20K) as we became more comfortable with taking public transportation by the time we got to Tokyo.
I forgot to bring a sun hat. We had some hot sunny days and would have liked one. Buy sunscreen while you’re there. I’m in love with Bioré UV Aqua Rich. Goes on smoothly with no white cast.
Be aware of lunch times. A lot of restaurants close between 2-5.
Learn a little bit of Japanese. The Japanese people are so kind and gracious, even a smile and a bow will get you far. Google translate is your friend.
Collect goshuin at temples & shrines. They are beautiful and a nice memory of your trip and it makes temple hopping a little more fun. Eki stamps are fun to collect as well. Most of the train stamps we got we outside a JR office.
**Hotels:**
**Osaka:** Hotel Monterrey Grasmere (2 nights) – great location on top of Namba station, although we got lost underground trying to find it the 1st time. Did not buy breakfast. Comfy, traditional rooms. No onsen. Used luggage service to send large luggage to Kyoto (hotel aided) & brought smaller bags the next few nights.
**Miyajima Island** – Miyajima Villa (1 night) – our favorite hotel during our trip. Located very close to the pier, we took the half board plan. Loads of selection for breakfast & dinner with Japanese & Western dishes, including Hiroshima oysters. Relaxed vibes. Onsen was the best. I slept in my single loft room for 8.5 hours and it was glorious. Happy hour was nice. Learned the highball is a popular drink in Japan.
**Hiroshima** – Hotel Intergate Hiroshima (2 nights) – good, comfortable rooms & location, about a 15 minute bus ride or walk to the station. Onsen & happy hour available. Breakfast was great, loads of selection. They had a beef stew that we’re still talking about. I love the sliding door between the bedroom and the hallway to the bathrooms. If you’re one to get up to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night, having a door shielding the bedroom from the light was awesome.
**Kyoto** – Mimaru Suites Kyoto Shijo (6 nights) – Loved this place. It was great to spread out. Booked 2 rooms with 2 BR each. Had in suite laundry, dining area and kitchenette. Staff was especially friendly and helpful, happy hour was great (craft beer, sake & sodas) plus staff did calligraphy lessons. Good location near the Karasuma line & buses. No onsen but nice bathtub and bought bath salts. Lots of conbini breakfasts + a good local gyudon place nearby. Used luggage service to send large luggage to Tokyo (hotel aided) & brought smaller bags the next few nights.
**Kanazawa** – Onyado Nono Kanazawa Hot Spring (3 nights) – Great hotel, hard beds and lumpy pillows. Tatami floors, no shoes past the front lobby (there were show lockers). Close to Omicho Market and a 15 min walk to the Castle. Caters to an Asian crowd. Breakfast was probably the best here. Sashimi, ikura, crab, tempura oh my. Plus the coffee machine also made matcha lattes. Most organized with busy breakfast lines. Onsen was nice, had sauna & different pools, including a cold pool. Crowded at times. Would be perfect except for the pillows & bed.
**Tokyo** – Asakusa View Annex Rokku (4 nights) – Very nice hotel, comfortable bed. Didn’t buy breakfast (friend had BF there one day and said it was expensive & not good). Great location, near Hoppy Place, a 24 hour Donki & a Family Mart that had really good pork baos (along with Famichicki and egg sandos) and a coffee shop for BF. Close to bus lines & a 7 min walk to the Ginza line. No onsen but found a place with private sauna & bath nearby. Also room has a nice bathtub with really hot water. Hotel caters to an Asian crowd (and boy they were louder than we were. Lol). Happy hour on 10th floor from 3-10 with wagashi & snacks, juice, soda, coffee & tea (no booze). Nice views of the Skytree. There is a luggage room with luggage locks where you can keep luggage if you come in before check in or have a late afternoon flight.
**Highlights & low lights. Things that were planned, unplanned and things I didn’t do.**
I think I scheduled my trip pretty well, there were only a few things I didn’t do because we spent more time at another place. Flexibility is key.
**Osaka – 1.5 days**
• Hello Kity Haruka from KIX – a great intro to Japan
• Underground navigation was a challenge at 1st but eventually you get the hang of it and what to look for
• Had a great jetlagged 3:30am ramen at Hanamaruken Namba in Hozenji Yochoko
• We had puffer fish at Kuromon Market and didn’t die
• We got (free) tickets to the Osaka Mint for late blooming cherry walk but never went because Osaka Castle Park was full of cherry trees in bloom! We did the entire walk enjoying the views. We never made it inside the Castle proper either (which OK since we were going to Himeji).
**Himeji – ½ day**
• Beautiful architecture in original state. If you have mobility issues, reconsider going inside. It’s a 6 floor walk up with steep stairs. No elevator.
• Himeji has a English speaking volunteer guide group that you can apply for online.
**Miyajima Island – 1.5 days**
• We were really glad to have stayed on the island overnight. It was so peaceful at night and to see the Torii lit up was pretty magical.
• Having an onsen is pretty key to recovery from walking. When booking any subsequent trips to Japan, an onsen is a must.
• Breakfasts are amazing. There is so much variety and I love the little dishes they serve things in. “Just a taste” portion sizes.
• Do eat oysters in every form & Momiji manju (maple leaf shaped filled cakes) here
• Wear the right kind of shoes if you’re hiking Mt Misen. The hike down with uneven steps
was really hard on my body and I didn’t wear my Blundstones.
• Seeing the Torii during low tide was pretty cool too as we were able to walk out to it.
**Hiroshima – 1 day**
• The Peace Museum & Peace Park should be on your list of things to see in Japan.
• Hiroshima Castle was underwhelming after going to Himeji.
• If you are fans of the Toyo Carp, Lawson’s has fun souvenirs and branded candy and snacks. Surprisingly disappointing is the Carp fan store. No hats or t-shirts. Must go to the stadium for the good stuff.
• Fun food tour with Magical Trip. We had really good food at all 3 places – okonomiyaki at a small izakaya, dumplings at a lively dumpling place and really good sashimi at the sushi place.
**Kyoto – 6 days**
• Nishiki Market – ate a lot of yummy skewered things – octopus, squid, eel, fried oysters, wagyu beef. Spent a lot of time at the spice store and sticked up on dashi & furukake.
• Gion Nishikawa – I was underwhelmed by this 2\* Michelin restaurant. The service was not as refined than what I received at other Michelin starred restaurants. Two dishes were misses (sea bream & clam), tho the mackerel was the best sushi I ate in Japan.
• Loved the garden at Ginkaku-Ji & the Philosopher’s Path walk
• Loved the indigo dye place Roketsu. The owner & family were really sweet. Made a little tote bag for my mom with cherry blossoms on it.
• The night time spring illumination at Kodai-Ji was fantastic. Worth going to after a long day.
• Loved the cooking class at Cooking Sun. We made an izakaya menu. Everything is doable at home (with the right ingredients).
• The monthly handicrafts market at Chion Ji is fabulous! It happens on the 15th of each month – no junk! Clothing, tea, food, pottery, etc. Super fun, spent the whole morning here.
• Heian Jingu – thought their Reisai festival started today, but all we saw were a bunch of old Japanese men coming out of the main building with goodie bags. There was the much bigger event the next day with dancing and singing.
• Went to Jins to get some glasses made. They were so inexpensive. By the time they deducted discounts and duty free, the glasses turned out to be about $70 USD (I have a simple prescription). I went to the smaller Daimaru location but there is a bigger store near Kyoto Station. It’s done in a few hours if it’s a simple prescription. If you have a complicated prescription (i.e Progressive lenses), get them done in Tokyo at the start of your trip and pick them up at the end of the trip, as they will take 10 days to do.
• Thai massage at Aree Thai. It was fantastic. Legs felt great the rest of the trip and my back eventually got better.
• UJI! Green tea is my every day drink, so it was nice to be where my tea & matcha come from. I also signed up for a volunteer guide here to take us to Byodo-In, Ujigama Shrine. We also participated in a traditional tea ceremony and also had a tea tasting where I discovered I can actually eat gyokuro leaves. The guides (we ended up with 2) were sweet and we all had lunch together at a really good place with matcha soba and also got matcha ice cream! We also went shopping for tea (of course) and food items with matcha (cookies, soba, candy). Uji is such a pretty town and it wasn’t super crowded.
• Late afternoon hike at Fushimi Inari. It was crowded, but I did take the group to the “hidden” bamboo grove where we did have some fun and some peace, then jumped back on the main trail. Like everyone says, the crowd thins out after a while. We hiked up to #10 to see if we could get another goshuin but it closed at 3:30.
• On the way to Kyoto Station, we walked by an enormous temple complex Higashi Hongan. Very impressive.
• The Kintetsu Aoniyoshi sightseeing train to Nara was so nice. Tickets open up exactly 1 month before. Salon car tickets (for 3 or 4 people) are very competitive. Too bad the ride is only ½ hour from Kyoto (you can also take it from Osaka).
• Because we took the sightseeing train we didn’t get into Nara until 11:30. I could have spent the entire day here. We went to Kofuku-Ji, Todai-Ji, Tamukeyama Hachimangu and had a good meal cooked by a grandma in the Naramachi area. We don’t know exactly what we ate but it was delish.
• We took a wagashi making class at Toraya in Nara. It was so fun and Masao and his family are so nice and it was great to see his shop and his passion for making wagashi.
• Kurama to Kibune hike. Oh this was one of my favorite days. First, the Eizan train line is a delight with themed trains. Must come back to see the Maple tunnel. The hike itself wasn’t super hard, lots of stairs but at least they were even. Very pretty hike, loads of atmosphere. Also there were bathrooms and a vending machine near the top. Who fills those up anyways? Great eel box lunch afterwards. . It was a great place to get away from the crowds.
• Demachiyanagi Station is a hoot. I love Japanese trains!
• Stopped by Ippodo Tea and bought more. Crowded but orderly.
• Nijo Castle – great tour of the inside. Reproductions of beautiful art panels, but it gives you insight to what it was like back then. Went an hour & a half before closing, crowds thinned out for outside pics and nice lighting.
• Things that I had on my list but did not do: Shoden-Ji, Kamagamo, Kiyomizudera (& Nannenzaka & Sannenzaka). I was planning for an early morning to Kiyomizudera but I decided to sleep in. Only regret is that I didn’t see the famous cherry tree at Sannenzaka before it fell.
**Kanazawa – 2.5 days**
• Omicho Market – fun market. Loads of vendors selling omiyage. Lunch was a big sushi platter that was under $20 USD! Also had gold leaf ice cream but it wasn’t worth it,
• Kenroko-en. Wow, what a garden. I absolutely loved it, it really is a perfect Japanese garden. One of my favorite gardens in the world. Going at sunset was magical.
• Stayed up late (9:30, ha) to try out the hotel’s ramen bar. Pretty good!
• Kanazawa Castle – worth seeing how they reproduced the inside of the castle using traditional woodworking methods. The craftmanship is amazing. Went back at night for their Saturday night illumination and garden show.
• Nagamachi Samurai District – nice walking around and seeing the old homes, one of which was open to the public.
• The one time I decided to not look at Google reviews but just duck into a local restaurant was a fail.
• Higashi Chaya District – super touristy with loads of shops and restaurants in the old machiyas, but it was fun to see people dressed up in kimonos here. Plus we saw a wedding!
• Hired a van & driver to take us to Takayama (fun morning market!), Hida Furukawa (charming town with carp running thru the canal) & the World Heritage towns of Suganuma & Ainokura. I made the right move by going to these 2 towns vs Shirakawa-Go because they were less crowded (further away and harder to get to by public trans). The misty day made the houses even more idyllic.
• Did not go to DT Suzuki Museum or Museum of Contemporary Art, Ishiura Shrine or Hirosaka Shrine. Ended up spending more time at the Castle. Also the weather was really nice for a change in Kanazawa, so it was nice being outside.
**Tokyo – 4 days**
• Follow Tokyo Cheapo on IG for festival happenings. I found out about both the Wisteria Festival (not yet in full bloom but still very beautiful) and the Azalea Festival (WOW WOW WOW) thru the account and it was worth moving stuff around to go to these places.
• Senso-Ji – very crowded. Walked behind the stalls at Nakamise to avoid the crowds. Fun to watch the kimono parade. Came back at night to see it all lit up and no crowds.
• Hoppy Street – ended up at a place that charged a cover (couldn’t quite figure out if it was tourist tax or not). Food was good and cooked in front of you but I sure wish I didn’t look at the ceiling… place was filthy.
• Took a guided tour of Tsukiji inner & outer market. Glad we took a tour, otherwise we would have been here for hours. Afterwards we went to Asakusa to a sushi restaurant where the chef taught us how to form the rice for sushi. It was great fun and the sushi was delicious!
• Meiji Jingu – wow, an oasis in the city. The forested paths were so beautiful, it’s hard to believe this shrine is in the middle of a bustling city.
• Walked to Meiji Jingu Stadium for the baseball game. Along the way I saw one of the Tokyo Toilets, Hatanomori Hachiman Shrine (a very nice location), Olympic Stadium & Museum, where they had some of the cauldrons from past Olympics.
• JAPANESE BASEBALL IS SO FUN and Carp fans are a RIOT. They were the visitors but they took over the entire left field half of the stadium. Poor Swallows fans had no competition here. Food & drinks were amazingly inexpensive and the beer girls were the best! Next on my bucket list is to go to a Carps game at Zoom Zoom Stadium in Hiroshima (they were out of town the days were there).
• Gotokuji Cat Shrine was super cute with all the maneki-neko. And there was a CAT TRAIN that took you closer to the shrine!
• Shirohige’s Totoro cream puffs were so cute I didn’t want to eat them.
• Food tour in Shibuya – fantastic sushi, sake and skewers! And of course we did the Scramble a bunch of times.
• I did a post on the [Tokyo Toilet project here](https://www.reddit.com/r/JapanTravelTips/comments/1ccjzaf/perfect_days_tokyo_toilet_project/) so I won’t go into it more here but it was one of the highlights of my trip to Tokyo.
• Did not go to Kappabashi (all shopped out by this time), Ueno or Kamakura (it rained all day the day I planned to go and decided to stay in Tokyo)
Thanks for reading my wall of text. Ask any questions here or DM me.
by starter_fail
