I (31 M) am going on my first trip to Japan in July. I have wanted to go for years and my parents have offered to provide the means to go so we can visit my brother who currently works in Japan. I will be in Japan from July 11-29. I have already booked all my hotels but am trying to find different unique experiences for while I am there.
My Interests:
- Otaku (Anime, Manga, Video Games, VTuber [Hololive])
- History of Japan
- Japanese Culture
- Onsens!
Not Very Interested
- Food (Planning on trying various things but not a big motivator for me on trips)
- Outdoors
Right now my plan is to start Tokyo > Kinosaki Onsen > Osaka > Kyoto
July 11th-16th Tokyo (Family)
- I’ll be staying with my parents for this portion and their primary interest in visiting is to see my brother. Neither is super interested in Japan. My mom has expressed interest in seeing the Tokyo Tower, Imperial Palace, and a shrine.
- I am considering taking them to museums as well. It is difficult to plan for this part as I’m not quiet sure what they want to do.
- We will also spend some time going to the school my brother works at, his apartment, and his church so that will eat up some of this time.
July 16th-19th Tokyo (Solo)
- At this point my parents will fly home and my solo trip begins. I will be staying near Akihabara. I play on spending a lot of time visiting arcades, shopping for otaku goods, and going to themed cafes. I may try to visit any interesting museums I did not see with my parents and maybe the Skytree.
July 19th-21st Kinosaki Onsen
- Super pumped for this part. Spending 2 nights hear at a ryokan and plan to just relax and bath most of the time.
July 21st-26th Osaka
- I will be using Osaka as a base. From here I plan to do day trips to Hiroshima and Nara.
- Originally planned on visiting Himeji Castle as well but not sure if I have the time. Maybe I will visit it on the way from Kinosaki Onsen?
- I will be here for the Tenjin Matsuri and am super excited to watch the procession down the waterway and the fireworks. I even booked a private seat to guarantee a good view.
- Points of interest I’d like to see here include some shrines, Osaka Castle, and the Museum of Housing and Living.
July 26th-29th Kyoto
- Originally was planning on doing day trips to Kyoto from Osaka but I figured I’d spend my last few days in the city proper.
- I want to see Fushimi Inari Shrine but I know it is very popular so I figured being in Kyoto proper would give me a chance to see it earlier in the day or later at night when it is less crowded.
- Two experiences I am really looking forward to here include seeing GEAR and Gion Corner. I really wanted to see some traditional performances and while the shows are short I thing Gion Corner sounded perfect.
- Other points of interest for me here include the International Manga Museum, the Kyoto Cultural Museum, and an otter cafe that’s near my hotel.
July 29th Tokyo
- Head back to Tokyo for my flight out of Narita at 6:30 PM.
So this is my overall plan right now. I haven’t scheduled my days day by day yet too rigidly because I like to play things by how I am feeling. Looking for recommendations on things that I may have left out that cater to my interests. I’m especially interested in unique experiences. Some of the things I’m most hyped for are the Tenjin Matsuri, GEAR, Gion Corner, and the International Manga Museum. Thanks for any input!
by LastJediKnight7