Going solo for the second time in September and I'd appreciate any thoughts about my itinerary.

I didn't have plans my first time and kind of wasted the trip because I had bad anxiety at the time. Hoping a bit of structure will help me this time, but I'm worried about some days in Kyoto where I might be planning to do too much, especially if it's scorching hot. I also have a lot of specific shops and restaurants I'm planning on visiting so if there's odd gaps, I'll probably be shopping or eating.

Day 0: (arrive in Tokyo).

• Figure out my E-Sim, buy some Family Mart socks, and take the Keisei Sky Access
• Get to Asakusa around 5:30pm
  • Check-in and drop stuff off
• Senso-ji
• Get back to hostel around 8:30-9

Day 1: (Nakameguro/Daikanyama—Shibuya)

• Meiji Jingu (finish around 11)

Train to Nakameguro

• Kyu Asakura house
• T-Site

Back to Asakusa

• Grab a beer with my friend

Day 2: (Kamakura or Museum day?)

Rethinking this day. Thinking I'll save it for a future trip with my partner

Convenience store breakfast

• Hokokuji temple
• Komachi-dori street
• Hongakuji
• Stay later for the seaside in the evening

(Museum day option)

Rethinking this day. Might be better to spend it in Tokyo proper just to actually take it easy.

• Spend the morning in Kuramae

Train to Roppongi

Museum afternoon

• Mori Art museum
• Nezu museum
• Omotesando to buy the things you scoped out and decided on from day 1
• Don Quijote for random gifts

Day 3: (Imperial Palace—Ginza)

• Normal routine
• Back to Senso-ji

Morning in Imperial Palace/Ginza

• Imperial Palace (arrive at 10:30)
  • Apparently not much to do here. Check out the gardens though

Walk to Tokyo station

• Figure out where shinkansen is and buy ticket for the next morning
• Walk around the station shops.

Vibe at Asakusa.

• Spare some time to pack
• Omakase

Day 4: (Half day in Osaka)

Wake up call at 6:00 (90% chance I sleep in) and take early train to Osaka around 7:30

Arrive Osaka around 10:00

• Drop off luggage at coin storage
• Find coffee
• Convenience store lunch

Train to Osaka Castle (leave at 1:45)

• Probably skip Dotonburi
• Shopping and lunch in the area and visiting a few shrines/temples

Train back to Shin-Osaka and grab luggage

• Train back to Kyoto around 5:30-6:30 and check-in to hotel
• First wine bar stop after my friend arrives with his group

Day 5: Weird

Leave hotel (one night because I messed up the dates I'd be in Kyoto) at 9:00am

• 17 minute walk to new hotel
• Drop off luggage at hotel temporary storage

Bus to Nijo castle

• Castle and then the regular shopping/cafe visits

Bus/walk to omakase

Get back to hotel around 3:00 and check-in

• Kodo Gyogan-ji temple

Dinner and wine bar

Day 6: Idk

Morning in nearby temples

• Sanjūsangendō Temple (goshuin)
• Toyokuni-jinja Shrine (Goshuin)
• Chishaku-in Temple (Goshuin)
• Imakumano-Jinja Shrine

Convenience store break

Afternoon in other temples

• Shorin-ji
• Sokujo-in Temple
• Shinzenko-ji
• Imakumano Kannon-ji Temple
• Senn-yu Ji
• Unryu-in
• Komyo-in
• Convenience store break

25 minute train to wine bar around 5:30

• Suba
• Sumi (wine)

Day 7: (Arashiyama)

Arashiyama (Wake up earlier and get there before the crowd)

• Skip the forest
• Tenryuji
• Jojakkoji
• Nison-in
• Seiryōji Temple
• Daikaku-ji

Train to Omuro-Ninnaji

• Ninna-ji temple
• Ryoan-ji
• Daitoku-ji Temple

Train back home and try two curry spots

Day 8: (Uji + Nara)

Fushimi inari around 8:00am (might just skip it and take it easy in the morning)

Train to Uji around 10:30am

• Maybe a pottery class

Train to Nara around 1:30 (about 54 minutes)

• Todai-ji
• Kofuku-ji
• Kasuga Taisha
• National museum
• Horyu-ji
• Toshodai-ji
• Skip the deer because they scare me and I already live on a mountain with them 🙁

Back to Kyoto

Day 9: (Kiyomizu-dera)

Morning-afternoon temples

• Shoren-in
• Chionin temple
• Choraku-ji temple
• Otani Sobyo temple
• Kodaiji temple
• Kenninji temple
• 陶物師 三島
• Kiyomizu-dera

Lunch at convenience store

• Kawai Kanjiro’s house
• Ice cream and wine

Dinner and grab a beer with the bud

Day 10: (Nanzenji, Higashiyama, Heian Jingu)

Temple day

• Nanzenji Tenju-an
• Nanzenji Temple (goshuin)
• Eikando temple (goshuin)
• Otoyo shrine
• Honin-in
• Higashiyama Jisho-ji
• Konkani Komyo temple
• Okazaki Jinja shrine

Shopping around Heian-jingu

Dinner

Day 11: (Return)

Wake up around 6:30

• Take the 09:00 train at the latest. Aim for earlier.

Arrive Tokyo around 11

• Train to airport

Arrive Narita around 1-1:30

• I don't know what to do here until my flight
• Cry
• Maybe i'll buy a ton of alcohol and familymart socks