My friends and I are planning on a 4 week trip to Japan next June (we know it's the rainy/hot season but it's the only time of the year that worked for all four of us). We're all big foodies, anime/manga nerds, enjoy walks through cities and nature, and want to try unique and different things while we're there. The plan is to keep everything quite flexible to match our energy levels as the trip goes on.
We're planning on buying the 3-week JR Pass for the first 3 weeks. We know it's very expensive compared to buying individual tickets but we want the ease of getting on any train between cities with minimal planning and the flexibility in case we miss a train for whatever reason.
Week 1: Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto
Day 1: Tokyo- Arrive in Narita around 3 pm, find a hostel and crash for the rest of the day.
Day 2-4: Osaka- See the castle, Dotonbori, Shin Sekai, Amerika-mura, Pokemon Center, Cup Noodles Museum, Asahi Beer museum, and go crazy with the street food.
Day 5: Nara- Spend the day relaxing and seeing the temples and deer park before heading to Kyoto for the night.
Day 6-8: Kyoto- Visit the temples, Gion, Nishiki Market, and Kinkaku-ji.
Week 2: Kobe and Shikoku pt. 1
Day 9: Kobe- Check out the Herb Gardens, Harborland, and the City Museum.
Day 10: Himeji- See Himeji Castle and Koko-en.
Day 11: Shodoshima- Visit the Soy Sauce Museum and Factory and the Yokai Art Museum
Day 12: Takamatsu- See the Castle Ruins, Ritsurin Garden, and Yashima Temple
Day 13: Marugame/Kotohira- Stop by Marugame to see the castle on the way to the Kotohira Shrine and stay at a ryokan there.
Day 14-15: Kochi- Travel to Oboke Gorge, see Kochi Castle, Hirome Market, the Botanical Garden, and Niyodogawa.
Week 3: Shikoku pt. 2 and Hiroshima
Day 16-17: Matsuyama- See Matsuyama Castle, Ishiteji Temple. and relax.
Day 18-19: Hiroshima- See the Atomic Bomb Dome, Peace Park Museum, Museum of Art, Castle, and relax.
Day 20: Miyajima- See the Pavillion, Torii Gate, and Daishoin. Maybe ryokan as well.
Week 4: Tokyo
Day 21-25: Tokyo- Travel to Tokyo. Choose specific districts as 'hubs' and spend a day exploring without itinerary from each location. Shibuya, Akihabara, Ginza, Imperial Palace, Tsukiji, Asakusa, Shinjuku, Ghibli Museum, Omoide Yokocho.
Day 26: Fujikawaguchiko- See Mt. Fuji, relax near the lakes.
Day 27-28: Tokyo- Relax, go shopping, hit up fancy Michelin star restaurant, fly back home.
by AlexTheWinterfury