Okay, so a little background before I get into the details: I've been to Japan 6 times, my wife 0. I'm planning this based on things I liked from previous trips and things I felt we could skip. There's a few days where we're moving around a bit, but I feel pretty good about it based on gmaps, timetables and past experience with Japanese transit.
Mostly looking for input on places to see or skip, we both hate crowds/lines so trying to avoid as much as possible. I grew up in a tourist city (SF) so I know a lot of the big attractions tend to be kinda a bust, I prefer to see what locals recommend. For context, we usually have plenty of fun just wandering around back streets and people watching, as much as going to tourist spots.
Looking for opinions on transit passes. We're thinking the Sanyo Sanin Northern Kyushu Pass will make sense for our plans based on the fare calculators we've seen.
Also looking for food suggestions, my wife and I love food and it's going to be a big part of the trip.
And lastly, my wife is into pottery, so we're looking for places to check out. We have a few in mind on the itinerary already, but if they suck/there's better options, I'd love to hear them.
Day 1-5 Tokyo
DAY 1) Arrive 8pm, check into hotel, probably order the weirdest looking pizza we can find on Dominos/Pizza Hut's website delivered and try to get to sleep as soon as possible to beat the jet lag.
DAY 2) Imperial Palace Grounds->Jimbocho for coffee/maybe ramen at Jiro (heard they get pissy about splitting a bowl so maybe not)-> Akihabara for like 15 minutes till the novelty wears off (was considering hitting the katsu vending machine and the 'horror corner' for shits but also heard they suck lol if you know some cooler machines around town I love that stuff or things like Araiya out east)-> Hop to Okachimachi and walk through the shopping streets to Ueno Park -> Walk through Ueno to Yanaka cemetery/Yanaka Ginza. If time's right, peep the sunset from Yuyake Dandan -> Hop the train to Kagurzaka for dinner -> Maybe hit Shinjuku/Golden Gai for drinks
DAY 3) Meji Jingu/Yoyogi Park-> mess around Shibuya -> peek at Daikanyama/Ebisu/ poop in Kashiwa Sato's toilet ->mess around Roppongi
Haven't really decided what to do with days 4/5 yet. Mayo Plaza to tour the Kewpie factory? Maybe a day trip somewhere?
DAY 6) Shinkansen to Kyoto. [Considering a stop in Nagoya but I haven't seen anything that sells me on the cost, unless people think the wings and Taiwan ramen are worth stopping for.] Walk from Kyoto station to our hotel near Kyoto Gyoen, peep some temples along the way and stop at Mensho Takamatsu in nishiki for my favorite bowl of Tsukemen. Walk along the river at night.
DAY 7) Grab my favorite treat in Kyoto, a doughnut from Brulee, ride over to Arashiyama and Tenryu-ji, but mostly avoid them and take the romantic railway down to Kameoka and the normal JR back, maybe go all the way to Inari and see the Tori gates, tofuku-ji and Sanjusangendomawari. Highly auspicious kaiseki dinner at my boy Kaji-san's. Maybe head to Kamishichiken, unfortunately we're just missing the beer garden at Kabukai 😢
DAY 8) thinking of activating our train passes and Shinkansen-ing down to Himeji to walk around the garden and grab some food. My wife hates stairs and I've already been so probably not going inside. Thinking of stopping in Shin-Osaka and taking advantage of the bike rentals that come with the passes and riding along the rivers to Osaka Castle before we head back to the hotel, otherwise spend the day looking at other stuff in Kyoto
DAY 9) Train to Nara, 'free' electric bike rental to give the deer a cracker. Maybe get soba at Gen or something nice for lunch. Maybe stop at Horyu-ji on the way to Osaka. Get off at Tenoji, walk through the park, past the tower, by DenDen town and Kitchenware st, past Hozen-ji (and stop for a cocktail) up to Shinsaibashi station. Ride to Shin-Osaka then to Okayama. If there's time and we're not too tired, maybe check out Kurashiki Bikan, otherwise dinner in Okayama
DAY 10) catch the first train/bus out of Okayama to Uno, drop off our bags at the hotel and head to Inujima/Teshima, spend the day at the museums.
DAY 11) ferry to Naoshima and check into the Benesse Art House. Use the included shuttle bus service to see the museum and installations around the island.
DAY 12) return to Okayama, Shinkansen to Hiroshima. We got a deal on the Prince Hotel so we can use the ferry and dock there to see Miyajima for the day. Maybe lunch at Tensen. Walk around Hondori and eat food at night.
DAY 13) shinkansen to Kitakyushu, grab snack at Tanga, (or maybe split an okonimiyaki at Zuboratei,) eat it looking over the river at Kokura Castle, lunch at Karato fish market, walk it off for a bit at Mojiko retro, then shinkansen to Fukuoka.
DAY 14) bus out to Hita in the morning, then up to Onta pottery village via a taxi tour deal.
DAY 15) Go to Kurokawa, check into ryokan and relax
DAY 16) go to Beppu, check into ryokan and relax. Maybe check out some of the seven hells, maybe hit Oita for dinner.
DAY 17) return to Fukuoka, maybe do something but probably chill
DAY 18) Karatsu, Imari, and Arita (or as far as we get) for pottery goodness.
DAY 19) Fly out of Fukuoka
by cheffrey_dahmer1991