2 week Itinerary Feedback: Golden route + Nagano, Hiroshima

hello! I have been looking into visiting Japan in February with my girlfriend. I have been working on a rough plan for: Tokyo, brief trip for the Snow Monkeys (since it would be peak season!), Osaka, one night in Hiroshima, Kyoto, Nara, and back to Tokyo.

I would also love suggestions for other things we’d enjoy in these areas!

suggestions I’m really interested in:
– Arcades. I have an obsession with crane games and I know Japan has no shortage of those 😅😅😅 please give suggestions if you know of good places to go outside of the major chains like Round1, GiGo, Taito Station, etc.
– Other nerdy stuff. Ghibli, pokemon, sanrio, Vocaloid. Gf loves Naruto, Evangelion, Genshin, League, and the Yakuza games
– Animals. no exotic animal cafes or anywhere else that exploits them. Rescues, ethical zoos and the like are what I would like to know about!!!! we also love cats and always love hanging out with them 🙂
– Vintage, antiques, and thrift.
– Plus size clothing (especially secondhand, if any). We are definitely not Japanese standard size, but love the styles.

This is my current rough itinerary. pls let me know if anything sounds unreasonable!

February 4th – 18th

4th – land in Tokyo
– Mostly rest. Maybe skytree city or Odaiba if not absolutely tired

5th – Nerima/Itabashi
– Suga Shrine (we love Your Name)
– Maybe Nerima art museum if not dying of jetlag
– Onigiri Bongo for lunch
– Ikebukuro, Sunshine City Mall

6th – Yokohama
– Gundam Base Yokohama
– Chinatown
– Shin-Yokohama Ramen museum
– otherwise free

7th – Akihabara
– Most of the day exploring Akihabara
– Maybe stop for unagi in Ueno
– Odaiba/Gundam Base Tokyo in the evening

8th – Nagano
– Want to visit the snow monkey onsen park since it is prime season, but I also am aware the nearest road is 1.2 miles away during winter so not sure if it’s reasonable as first time visitors?
– I’m thinking of two options:
—— Day tour. Round trip from Tokyo. Guided tour from Nagano including Miso factory and the Jigokudani park.
—— Stay one night in the ryokan right across from the park. Escape from civilization for the day and night, chill w monkeys in the snow

9th – Shibuya
– National Art Center
– Harajuku, Hachiko, crossing, usual tourist stuff lol
– Gonpachi Nishi-Azabu for dinner

10th – Osaka
– Shinkansen in morning
– Train cat cafe
– Osaka castle
– Southgate plaza

11th – Osaka
– Nipponbashi Denden town
– Dotonbori
– Concert at Namba hatch in afternoon

12th – Hiroshima
– Shinkansen in morning
– Peace memorial park and museum
– Miyajima, Itsukushima
– Thinking of guided tour of Miyajima, maybe one that also includes the peace park and museum.
– May stay at Ryokan on Miyajima for the night.

13th – Kyoto
– Shinkansen
– Fushimi Inari
– Shinkyogoku Shopping st after lunch
– Samurai Ninja Museum
– Nishiki market

14th – Nara/Kyoto
– Nara park in morning
– to Sannenzaka in afternoon
– Kiyomizu-dera

15th – Kyoto
– Arashiyama bamboo forest
– + monkey park
– Nijo castle
– Manga museum

16th – Kyoto
– Nyan-nyan ji cat temple
– Kinka-kuji
– Maybe Shinkansen back to Tokyo in the afternoon (the next morning if not)

17th – Tokyo
– Maybe Ueno zoo and/or National museum
– Asakusa, Nakamisedori St, Senso-ji

18th – Tokyo and departure
– free!
– fly out in evening 😔

thanks in advance! ☺️🩷