~2 month itinerary check for 2024 Autumn across in Japan

Hello all!

I know this sub sees a lot of itinerary checks so apologies in advance. I also understand that it's hard to really critique a trip of this length because I have a lot more time in specific locations.

I'm mainly trying to discover some extra must sees. I have outlined many activities for days in some case, and these are more of "possible activities" rather than must do's. I am actively monitoring certain activities that I know require advanced booking as well.

General information:

Trip length: ~2 months

Start: Sep 19th 2024 (Not included because I arrive in at roughly 4pm)

General route idea: Tokyo -> into mountain towns -> back to osaka/Kyoto -> down to southern spots/Northern spots if better recommendations

Interests include:

• Nature hiking – more than likely bringing a tarp/bivy set up just in case
• Historical sites
• Music (would love venue recommendations for some good jazz)
• Nerd culture to a degree (Used to be pretty into anime and gaming, much less now but still enjoy the spectacle of it and all the characters from various anime or nintendo)
• BJJ / Combat sports – Definitely niche, I'd LOVE to watch sumo but I don't think I'll be there long enough.

[Tokyo]()

Sep 20^th – Acclimate to time change, jet lag. Arrive at Hostel, get situated, nap.

• Address needs like pocket Wi-Fi, various cards, IC card, getting cash, etc. Make sure everything is working
• Explore surrounding area for food, 7-11 food.
• Familiarize with subway stations
• Take it very easy.

Sep 21^th – Ueno

• Find good coffee/breakfast
• Walk/Train/bus to UENO park? Senso-ji temple?
• Ueno shopping?
• Tokyo National Museum
• Yanaka
• Akihabara

Sep 22^th – Tokyo

• Walk/Bus to Akihabara to explore shopping
• Kokyo Gaien National Garden OR Shinjuku?
• Pokemon café? (probably cant get in)
• Kappabashi street shopping
• TeamLab Borderless?

Sep 23^th – Shibuya

• Yoyogi / Meiji Shrine
• Tower Records
• Museum, Nezu? National Art Center?
• Shibuya Sky?
• Pokemon Center?

Sep 24^th – Studio Ghibli (if possible)

• Museum obviously
• Kichijoji
• Harmonica Yokocho
• Inokashira Park
• Explore

Sep 25^th – Shinjuku

• Government Building for a view
• Shinjuku Gyoen
• Imanari drop in bjj session?
• Isetan? Takashimaya?
• Kabukicho, Hanazono shrine?

Sep 26^th – Disney Sea?

• Never been to a Disney park. Waste of time? Worth it?

Sep 27^th – Kamakura

• ·         Beach
• ·         Hasedera temple?
• ·         Kotoku-in
• ·         Hiking

Sep 28^th – Mount Takao

• ·         Yakuoin
• ·         Hiking
• ·         Trick art museum?

Sep 29^th – Hokone

• ·         Hakone open air musem
• ·         Hokone Shrine
• ·         Onshi – Hakone Park
• ·         Pola Museum
• ·         Relax by Lake Ashi / hiking

Sep 30^th – Nikko Day trip Possible overnight camping? Nikko Daiyagawa Park

• ·         Hiking
• ·         Senjogahara
• ·         Probably defer to a full day guide online?
• ·         Onsen

Oct 1^st – Free day

• ·         Relax, prepare to move.
• ·         MAYBE one more drop in BJJ sesh?
• ·         Travel to Matsumoto.

Matsumoto (Couch Potato Hostel OR Hotel M Matsumoto)

Oct 2^nd

• ·         Mount Yari climb (possible camp overnight at the top? Long Hiking day)

Oct 3^rd

• ·         Explore
• ·         Castle
• ·         Additional Day? Depends on the vibe
• Karasawa Cirque (tarp camping, if not hike then Yumoto Saito)

Oct 4^th

• First portion of hike?

Oct 5^th

Second portion of hike?

• Hirayu Onsen

Oct 6^th

• ·         Spend day
• ·         Hiking

• ·         Shinhotaka ropeway

• Kakurean Hidaji

Oct 7th

• ·         Spend day
• ·         Hiking
•  

Takayama (Sakura Guest house or Guest House Kadoyasu)

Oct 8^th

Night at the sky park for sure

• ·         Showa-kan museum

• ·         Higashiyama walk

• Oct 9^th

• ·         Old Town

• ·         Hida Folk Village

• ·         Explore walk

• Oct 10^th

• ·         Shirakawa and Gokayama day trip

Kanazawa (Shaq Bighouse?)

Oct 11^th

• ·         Kenrokuen
• ·         Ninjadera
• ·         Higashi Chaya District

Oct 12^th

• ·         Museums
• ·         Castle sightseeing
• ·         Samurai District

Oct 13^th

• ·         Free day? Relax day
• ·         Navigate to Osaka

OSAKA base camp / KYOTO / Day trips  

Oct 14th – Explore surrounding

• ·         Shinsekai
• ·         Nipponbashi / Denden street
• ·         Namba? I mean it’s a mall soooooo
• ·         Dotonbori

Oct 15th – Museum hopping Umeda

• ·         Osaka Museum of Living and Housing
• ·         National Museum of Art? Osaka Museum of History
• ·         Tenmangu Shrine
• ·         ohatsutenjin urasando for drinks at night

Oct 16th

• ·         Nijo Castle
• ·         Kyoto national garden EARLY
• ·         wander

Oct 17^th

• ·         Arashiyama Bamboo forest EARLY
• ·         Park area hiking
• ·         Gioji Temple? Otagi temple? Nisonin Temple?
• ·         Kokedera

Oct 18^th

• ·         Higashiyama
• ·         Kyoto Railway Museum
• ·         Fushimi inari EARLY
• ·         Nintendo Kyoto
• ·         Kiyomizu-dera

Oct 19^th

• ·         Train at triforce bjj

Oct 20^th

• ·         Nara Day trip
• ·         Refer to day trip itinerary

Oct 21^th

• ·         Kongobu-ji Okuno-in
• ·         Day trip (Recommended spots in Koyasan｜Find my Osaka-Japan (howto-osaka.com))
• ·         Hiking
• ·         Night back in Osaka

Oct 22^th

• ·         Wander
• ·         GET SOME KOBE BEEF

Oct 23^th

• ·         Himeji castle
• ·         Mount Shosha

Kumano Kodo walk Nakahechi (Takijiri-oji to Nachi)

Oct 24^th

• ·         Bus to Tanabe, rest relax day

Oct 25^th

• ·         Earliest bus to Takijiri, Takijiri to Tsugizakura

Oct 26^th

• ·         Tsugizakura to Kumano Hongu Taisha

Oct 27^th

• ·         Hongu to Koguchi

Oct 28^th

• ·         Koguchi to Kumano Nachi Taisha

Oct 29^th

• ·         Exit to Kii-Katsuura, rest day.

Hiroshima

Oct 29^th

• ·         Peace Park
• ·         Atomic Bomb museum

Oct 30^th

• ·         Mazda museum
• ·         Gardens
• ·         Shopping

Nov 1st

• ·         Miyajima day trip
• ·         Floating shrine
• ·         Mookin around lol

Haven't planned much past this for the remaining 2ish weeks because it's hard to imagine what I'' do or what plans will change.

Thank you <3