Hello all! Just wanted to post on here for any advice/tips on my trip to Japan. Here is what I have so far:
It will be my one friend and I – we are both male, age 23 and 27. My friend has been to Japan twice now and speaks Japanese pretty well, and will be able to translate. It will be my first time.
I copied and pasted this from my notes, so please ignore any odd side notes for photography, as my friend and I will be bringing our good cameras and light equipment.
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Trip will be 2.5 WEEKS long
(Thursday, March 30 – Sunday, April 16)
(This time frame is 18 days)
DAY 1: (Thursday, March 30th)
– Flying (fly in via Haneda Airport) ✈️
DAY 2: (Friday, March 31st)
– TOKYO 🛑
– Arrive in Tokyo / find way around
DAY 3: (Saturday, April 1st)
– TOKYO 🛑
– Akihabara (Famous place)
– Hie Shrine?? ⛩
– (If you go to Hie, you should go to Yotsuya area, id start there then after early-ish lunch go to Akiba)
– Near my University.
– Famous Taiyaki shop (daytime)
– Good Ramen shop (Daytime)
DAY 4: (Sunday, April 2nd)
– TOKYO 🛑
– Asakusa (day) / Ikebukuro (night) & Asakusa go to senso-Ji late at night might be good photo opp
– While in Ikebukuro go to Round One if you want more arcades
– There is also a spo-cha there if interested
– Sports, Bowling, darts, batting, billards, games, karaoke etc
DAY 5: (Monday, April 3rd)
– TOKYO 🛑
– Shibuya / Shinjuku / Kabukicho
– Late night photos? (Neon signs, lit-up alleyways, etc.)
– 📸 : Omoideyokocho, Golden Gai, Kabukicho etc.
DAY 6: (Tuesday, April 4th)
– KYOTO 🟢
– Leave Tokyo / travel to Kyoto (2 hour train ride) 🚂
– Check into AirBNB
– Get a feel for the neighborhood
– Kiyomizudera (most famous temple)
– Tenju-an temple (near Kiyomizu, looks cool)
DAY 7: (Wednesday, April 5th)
– KYOTO 🟢
– Fushimi-Inari Shrine ⛩ (EARLY morning / long red path)
– Arashiyama (giant bamboo forest) 🎋 (and monkey park) – Move to another day?
DAY 8: (Thursday, April 6th)
– KYOTO 🟢
– Day trip to Wakayama?
DAY 9: (Friday, April 7th)
– KYOTO 🟢
– Day-trip to Nara (deer city)
– Gion District at night (old style Japan) – Yasaka Shrine ⛩
DAY 10: (Saturday, April 8th)
– TOKUSHIMA (Shikoku) 🔷
– Leave Kyoto / travel to Tokushima (3 hr train ride)
– Ramen is GOOD here
DAY 11: (Sunday, April 9th)
– IYA (Shikoku) 🔷
– Car Rental Tokushima station
– Iya (epic valley, old style Japan)
– Mount Tsurugi
– Nagoro scarecrow village
– Chiorii (old Japanese house)
– Staying in Iya Onsen
DAY 12: (Monday, April 10th)
– KOCHI (Shikoku) 🔷 Maybe Enoshima instead AKA Matsuyama area
DAY 13: (Tuesday, April 11th)
– HIROSHIMA 🟨
– Car Rental return Kochi Station
– Leave Shikoku / drop off car / travel from Kochi to Okoyama to Hiroshima (3 hr train ride) 🚂
– Peace Museum
– Explore peace park
– HAVE OKONOMIYAKI at okonomiyaki mura🍳
DAY 14: (Wednesday, April 12th)
– HIROSHIMA 🟨
– Miyajima Island (Deer/Gate island) 🦌
– Itsukushima Water Shrine ⛩ (EPIC PHOTO 📸 @ sunset)
DAY 15: (Thursday, April 13th)
– TOKYO 🛑
– Leave Hiroshima / travel to Tokyo (4 hr train ride) 🚂
DAY 16: (Friday, April 14th)
– TOKYO 🛑
– Nakano Broadway (Yakiniku and drinks – if you’re into that!)
– JOJO BAR (yare yare daze)
DAY 17: (Saturday, April 15th)
– TOKYO 🛑
– Izu!! (epic coast)
– If hiking:
– okutama area
– Mitake-san
– Takao-san (All you can eat/drink Beer Garden at top)
DAY 18: (Sunday, April 16th)
– TOKYO 🛑
– Leaving to go back home…RIP 😭
– Flight departs @ 3:40PM
3 comments
Are you using JR Pass? It seems to be worth it but your travel time is for Nozomi Shinkansen which aren’t available to JR pass holder. If you are not using JR Pass, go to Tokushima via highway bus. It’s faster, cheaper, and easier.
> Maybe Enoshima instead AKA Matsuyama area
You meant Ehime? Pretty sure there is only one Enoshima in Japan and that’s near Kamakura.
If you ended up visiting Matsuyama instead, take the high speed ferry to Hiroshima. Much faster than train.
Underground of Asakusa Station, a little north of the passageway connecting the Tobu and Ginza lines may be a good spot for photo. It is like an underground Omide Yokocho. You may want to stop by while visiting Sensoji Temple at night. The ceiling is also interesting with exposed piping. However, it is best to go before about 8:00 p.m., as the lights on the signboard will be turned off and the shops will be shuttered if you go too late.
I would just connect from HND to Hiroshima Airport on Day 1. It adds a bit more hassle on your travel day (especially since it’s an hour to get from the airport to Hiroshima) but cuts about a day’s worth of transit time out of the rest of your itinerary.
I’d then take the ferry to Matsuyama, rent a car there, drive to Kochi, head to Iya Valley, then Tokushima. As IIRC Tokushima shares a border with Ehime, one-way car rental fees will be low.
The Matsuyama-Kochi drive is very scenic, too.