**Length: 3 weeks: November 22nd(depart Heathrow at 9:30 am/Land at Haneda at 10 am) -December 15th**
*So the following itinerary is only provisional and may change based on feedback and other factors. Drafting it up was a little challenging as I had to factor my girlfriend into the equation( she lives in lives in Gifu between Hashima and gifu)). I am open to any critiques and recommendations and if there are any changes that you think I should make such as the order of activities, length of time at each location, or even any locations that you think I should add, please let me know*
**(Tokyo Segment (22-29 Nov)**
**Day 1: 22nd Nov**
* Touch down in Japan Haneda at 10 am. Collect SIM card and head for the hotel in APA Shintomicho(I will aim to get there by 1 pm noon). Drop off my bags and explore the surrounding area.
* Ramen Street(Marounichi)for lunch and then Hibiya Park
* Return to the hotel and take a nap. Maybe walk into the Ginza area later on in the evening if my jet lag is not too bad.
**Day 2: 23rd Nov**
* Imperial Palace first thing in the morning *(I might omit this if time is too tight)*
* Tokyo National Museum *(ditto)*
* Explore Ueno: Ueno Park, Ameyoko
* Asakusa (Sensou-ji and Nakamise street) and then walk across the Kotoi bridge through Samida Park
* Skytree viewing ***(I might omit as Tokyo Metropolitan building is cheaper)***
* Browse Solamachi shopping centre and have lunch
* Akihabara
* Benoa sports bard in Ginza or HUB in Akihabara to watch Germany vs Japan game (10 pm JPT)
**Day 3: 24th Nov**
* *(Shinjuku, Harajuku, Shibuya:)* Start in Shinjuku and gradually make my way down to Shibuya stopping off at Meiji jingu, Shinjuku Gyoen, Tokyo Metropolitan Building*
* Harajuku ( cat street, Takeshita Street).
* Shibuya (Shibuya Scramble, Shibuya Sky99, view the crossing from Starbucks).
**Day 4: 25th Nov**
* Tsukiji Market first thing in the morning
* Metropolitan Central Library around midday to browse the book collection while my girlfriend takes her lecture, which should last for around 2 hours.
* Head to Tokyo Tower, grab some lunch and then visit Roppongi (or
later on in the evening.
**Day 5: Day 26th**
* Day trip to Yokohama to meet a friend (This is not fully set and depends his schedule)*
**Day 6: 27th Nov**
* (Transfer hotels) Check out of APA and transfer to a hotel in Shinjuku or Shibuya for a two-night stay.
* Nakano Broadway
**Day 7: 28th Nov**
* Half day in Kawagoe(Leave in the morning)
* Stop off at Ikebukuro on the way back.
* Take a stroll through Kabukicho and Golden Gai later on in the evening (If my hotel is in Shinjuku)
*(Alternatively, a day trip to Kamakura can go here instead of Kawagowe/Ikebukuro/*) or move Kawagowe to Saturday 26th.
**Day 8: 29th Nov**
* Leave Tokyo and ride the Shinkansen to Osaka in the morning. Arrive by 1 pm noon. Check into a hotel (undecided but will be near Osaka station) *
**(Kansai Segment)**
**Day 8: 29th Nov**
* Arrive in Osaka and check into a hotel
* Spend the rest of the day exploring Dontonbori and Namba*
**Day 9: 30th**
* Explore Osaka further (Kuromon Ichiba, Osaka castle, Hirakata T-Site?) Umeda Sky Building, Harukas 300
*
**Day 10: Dec 1st**
* Day trip to Kyoto (Fushimi Inari, Explore gion, Nijo castle)
**Day 11: Dec 2nd**
* Trip to either Nara, Hiroshima, or Kobe.**(Alternatively, do another day trip to Kyoto and do the aforementioned locations as day trips from Nagoya)**
**Day 12: Dec 3rd**
* Travel to Nagoya in the afternoon
**(Nagoya segment 3rd-13th)**
*From the 3rd to the 13th, I will use Nagoya as a base.*
Explore Nagoya(Nagoya castle, etc), visit Gifu Hashima, Hamamatsu, and other local towns (I am open to recommendations), and if time permits, day trips to Nara, Hiroshima, and/or Kobe (assuming I haven’t visited them up this point) if time allows.
**Dec 13th**
* Leave Nagoya and return to Tokyo and check into a hotel in the Shinagawa area close to the airport
* Keio University
* Rainbow bridge, Odaiba, Team Labs planets *(I might omit planets)*
**Dec 14th:**
* Pick up any last-minute bits and bobs,*
15th: Fly back to London at 10 am
**(Additional notes)**
*My total length of stay in Tokyo will be 7 days. My girlfriend will only be staying with me for 5 of those days as she has to return to Gifu on Sunday 28th, but the plan is for her to rendezvous with me in Osaka (Tuesday 29th) where we will spend 2 nights(Tuesday and Wednesday) together, hopefully in the same hotel if the hotel allows me to add her to my room. On December 1st, we are going to go on a trip to Kyoto, where at the end of the day, she will return to Nagoya while I go back to Osaka. I will spend the next couple of days in Osaka and then link up with her again in Nagoya on the 3rd of December*
*I idea behind I setting Nagoya as a base was that the location would be convenient for visiting my girlfriend and is within an hour’s journey of both Osaka and Kyoto. If I have the JR pass, I could theoretically go back and forth between locations with relative ease as well visit other close-by areas*
*Kyoto, Osaka, and Tokyo are must-visit locations. Ideally, I would like to squeeze in a couple of more big cities but I am weary of my schedule being too packed and I do not want to carry my suitcase around too much if it can be avoided.*
**Any feedback, suggestions or advice would be much appreciated**