Any kind of feedback is greatly appreciated. I’m worried that I have too many reservations, making my days inflexible, but at the same time I really want to go to these attractions/restaurants and they’re reservation only. What do?
Nov 5 – Arrive in Osaka at night.
Nov 6 – Osaka: Sennichimae Doguyasuji street, Aquarium, Hozenji yokocho, dotonbori.
Nov 7 – Osaka: Castle, Izakaya toyo, Tenjimbashi-suji, Amerikamura, kuromon ichiba market, Shinsekai.
Nov 8 – Nara day trip from Osaka.
Nov 9 – USJ (reserved), bring luggages, put in locker, take train at night to Kyoto.
Nov 10 – Kyoto: Kiyomizudera, higashiyama, walk through temples (Chion-in, Shoren-in, Nanzenji). Philosopher’s, Honen-in (enter if foliage has turned), optional Ginkaku-ji. If there’s time: Demichiyanagi. I’m aware it seems like a lot of temples but we’d just be walking through the grounds of some of them because they’re on the way. We wouldn’t enter the buildings. Is this a good idea?
Nov 11 – Kyoto: Fushimi inari, Tofukuji, Nishiki market, Gion, Kodai-ji illumination, dinner Kichi Kichi reservation, pontocho alley.
Nov 12 – Kyoto: Arashiyama forest, Okochi sanso, Giouji, Gio0ji, saga toriimoto preserved street, otagi nenbutsu-ji.
Nov 13 OPTION A: Rent a bike, bike up to Kinkakuji & ryoanji area (dunno if we’d enter the temples?), Ichimonjiya Wasuke, Demachi Masugata street, Demichiyanagi.
OPTION B: Kibune & Kurama area.
Nov 14 – Train to Hakone.
Nov 15 – Hakone.
Nov 16 – Train to Tokyo, evening in Shinjuku.
Nov 17 – Disney sea.
Nov 18 – Harajuku, Shibuya, evening seafood festival in Ginza.
Nov 19 – Akihabara, Ochanomizu, Kappabashi. Reservations: lunch @ Toritsune shizendo , dinner @ eorzea cafe.
Nov 20 – Yokohama day trip.
Nov 21 – Kawagoe day trip. Reservation: Lunch ogakiku.
Nov 22 – Ueno, Yanaka, Nezu, Sendagi.
Nov 23- Shiodome, Nihonbashi, Ginza (Reservation: Lunch Tempura kondo), Event: Antique market. Intermediatheque, Tsukushima.
Nov 24 – Kappabashi, sumida sky tree (Reservation: Kura sushi), asakusa, sensoji.
Nov 25 – Toyosu fish market for breakfast, 11am Joyopolis, DECKS tokyo beach, small worlds, Reservation: Team labs at 5:30pm, Gundam base, Odaiba seaside park. (This day might need to be split in two).
Nov 26 – Daikanyama, Meguro, Yutenji / Gakugeidaigaku, Nakameguro, Ebisu, Togoshi Ginza Street, Shibuya night illuminations @ yoyogi park. Event: Meiji Jingu night time illumination.
Nov 27 – Nakano, Koenji, Asagaya, Nishi-Ogikubo, Kichijoji, Petit Mura, Event: flea market @ parco, Reservation: 4pm Ghibli museum. (This day might need to be split in 2).
Nov 28 -Sangenjaya, Chazawa dori, Gotokuji temple, Lunch reservation @ sushi dokoro kiraku, Shimokitazawa, Sasazuka.
Nov 29 – Ikebukuro, line up at Nakiryu for lunch, Sugamo.
Nov 30 – Kagurazaka, reservation: lunch at Kyorakutei Soba, Iidabashi.
Dec 1-2 – Free days to revisit Odaiba or Kichijoji line. Or day trip to Nikko, Takaosan, or Kamakura.
1 comment
I understand the eagerness to see and do it all. But try to make your trip a journey, not a sprint. You need to reserve time to actually savor the places on your list! I just spent an entire day in Akihabra and only saw like 1/4 of all there is to see and do there! Over-book yourself, and you may as well just watch youtube clips of someone else going to each of your places, because then at least you’ll have time to pause and take in the scenery.
I am here for a month and let me tell you one thing I totally forgot to calculate for: culture. I never thought to budget time to actually BE immersed in Japan! So I threw my itinerary away entirely, and immediately, ocne I relaxed my expectations down to one day at a time, I made friends with locals who showed me the best hidden gem places to eat and shop that aren’t overpriced tourist traps. I found shrines that aren’t mobbed with people, small shops owned by elderly woman who hand craft their goods, all the LIVING that Japan is about! To me, that is far more essential than a big check-list of the must-sees and gotta-dos that I had planned out!