Itinerary check – 20 days in september/october

Hello,

We (three people, end 20s, reasonably fit), are flying to Japan for 20 days this fall and I'm currently planning our itinerary. The flights and hotels are booked, although the accommodations could be cancelled (except Tokyo).

I've lurked this subreddit and r/JapanTravelTips for a while, as well as other travel sites/blogs. It's the first time in Japan for my friends, I've been to Osaka and Kyoto before (although it's been over a decade).

We're interested in nature, culture, anime and video games. We don't mind splitting up for a while – I'll do the zoos and aquariums on my own and don't think I'll need more than two hours (except Kaiyukan). We aren't foodies, but one of us is vegetarian.

Some days seem a bit to stuffed, while some look the opposite and Tokyo is very vague for now. Some things will also depend on whether we're able to get a reservation and when those will be.

I've read about GEAR a few days ago and am thinking about adding this for Kyoto and TeamLab Planets for Tokyo.

Here's my itinerary draft:

16/09 – departure Germany

17/09 – arrival via Kagoshima (send luggage from there to Osaka) in Yakushima, appartement in Miyanoura, get food, unwind

18/09 – get rental car (better at airport?), drive around the island

19/09 – Shiratani Unsui Gorge, 4 hour trail

20/09 – arriving at Osaka Itami in the afternoon, Pokémon Center (& Café), hotel near Osaka Castle, explore the area

21/09 – Tennoji Zoo, Kaiyukan, get food at Naniwa Kuishinbo Yokocho, Tempozan Ferris Wheel. Friends will go to USJ instead

22/09 – Sumiyoshi Taisha, Dotonbori (Eorzea Café, Ghibli Store Namba), Amemura, Namba Yasaka, Shitennoji, Abeno Harukas (for the view, Disney and One Piece), Shin Sekai

23/09 – train to Kyoto (hotel near Karasume Oike), Okazaki Shrine, Pokémon Center, Nishiki Market, maybe AIN SOPH for vegan food, in the Moon rooftop bar (Gion)

24/09 – Fushimi Inari (early), Byodo-in (skip?), Kodai-ji, Kennin-ji, Gion, Pontocho Alley

25/09 – Kinkaku-ji, Ryoan-jo (skip?), Arashiyama, Tenryu-ji (skip?), Sagano scenic railway, Katsura Villa, Nijo Castle (if we can't reserve Katsura)

26/09 – Kiyomizu-dera (early), Higashiyama-ku, train to Takayama (if possible, send luggage to Tokyo)

27/09 – explore Takayama

28/09 – Shinkansen to Nikko

29/09 – Shinkyo Bridge to Takino'o Shrine, Kanmangafuchi Abyss

30/09 – Kegon Falls, Chuzenji, Senjogahara

01/10 – train to Tokyo, Nippori Fabric Town, Character Street, Pokémon Center DX, NTV Big Clock by Hayao Miyazaki, hotel near Imperial Palace

02/10 – Sunshine City, Aquarium

03/10 – Ueno Zoo, Nezu Shrine (skip?), Akihabara, Asakusa (skip?), Pokémon Center Sky Tree

04/10 – Shibuya (Crossing and Hachiko), Harajuku, Ghibli Museum, Kichijoji Petit Mura (skip?), Nakano Broadway

05/10 – departure home

Some specific questions:

I fear we might have already messed up our flight, as we thought we didn't need to collect our bags between the planes. Which, if I read ANA's website correctly, is wrong. We're scheduled to land at HND at 7 am, our flight to Kagoshima is leaving at 9 am, both flights are by ANA. Is it feasible to get our luggage and re-check it in two hours?

Kaiyukan will be super crowded (weekend). How loud does it get in there? Has anyone done the Backstage views? I can't find anything about the language, so I guess they'll only be in Japanese?

Do you have hotel recommendations (~50€/55USD/night/person) for Osaka? We've currently booked Luxcare and like the area, but I've read some recent not so good reviews. It's also linked to the Cancer Institute (or just close to? Not sure if I got that right), so I'm not sure if tourists are right there.

Thank you for your insights 🙂