Been lurking for a while on this sub and had so much fun reading and commenting on itineraries, so wanted to share the plans for my trip to Japan at the end of Jan 2023. I’ll be traveling solo this time but have gone to Tokyo before in 2019. My interests are mostly art, design, light shows, tea and food so since I’m going solo I’ve really selected only the places I knew I’d love. I also have a slight disability where I find steps and inclines debilitating, but while traveling I tend to clock 15,000-20,000 steps a day as long as I sit down now and then.
Looking for any comments or suggestions, any tips for getting around with my disability would be helpful as well! Also, I wasn’t able to find any performances (live music, concerts, maiko shows, etc) that I can book online and fit in my plan, any suggestions there?
Since I love tea, I’ve also been trying to find a multiple (like 10-15) tea tasting experience I can book, to no avail.
Any really great food/dish recs would be greatly appreciated as well!! Last time I went to Japan I went with a vegetarian so didn’t get to try a lot of stuff. Thanks!
Day 0:
Landing in NRT, ship luggage to hotel, train to Shinjuku station. Purchase suica card. Purchase bottled water at Donki.
Day 1:
AM:
Breakfast: Blue bottle Coffee
Private walking tour of Tokyo and Ginza.
– Itoya
– Tokyo Station Entrance Building
– Tokyo International Forum
– Daimaru department store (tonkatsu lunch)
PM:
Private walking tour around Ueno park, Tsukishima (monjayaki dinner), Den-en-Chofu
Late PM if not tired:
Akhihabara
– Creepy vending machines
– Yodobashi Camera
Day 2:
AM:
Shinpachi Syokudo shinjuku (breakfast)
Harajuku
– Jin glasses
– Street walk
– Gacha gacha no Mori
– Steak bowl at Red Rock (lunch)
2PM: Mori Art Museum
– Check out Fujiya camera
Day 3:
6AM:
Tsukijijogai fish market tour
Sensoji
PM:
Shinjuku photowalk/private tour
– Golden Gai
– Kabukicho
– omoide yokocho
Day 4:
AM:
Setagaya city
– gotokuji temple
– Rojiura Curry (lunch)
– Shiro-hige’s cream puffs
PM:
– Tobacco and Salt Museum
– shibuya (1 hour)
– Tokyu hands (shibuya)
– Donki
– Togoshiya (dinner)
(Pack and ship luggage to Kyoto)
Day 5:
AM:
Shinkansen to Osaka
Purchase IC cards
Bento box brunch on train
PM:
Osaka:
– save cat cafe
– Dotonbori street
– Osaka backstreet group food tour
Train to Kyoto.
Checkin to hotel.
Day 6:
5AM:
Gion streets
Nap
Kishin Kitchen Kyoto
AM:
– kodai-Ji/Kennin-Ji
– Ishibei koji
Kawarimachi:
– nishiki market lunch
PM
– Ippudo tea
– Kyotomangekyo museum
– Cafe biblioteq hello!
– Hakuhodo flagship
– Traveler’s factory
– (After sunset)pontocho street
– Kichi kichi omurice dinner
Day 7:
Early AM:
Fushimi Inari
AM:
Uji
– tour with tea ceremony (lunch)
– Byodoin
– Mitsuboshien Kanbayashi Sannyu Main Shop
– Nakamura Tokichi Main Branch
Tempura Endo dinner
Day 8:
5AM: Arashiyama bamboo forest
AWOMB lunch
PM: Shinkansen to Kobe
Kobe
– Yokoo Tadanori museum
– Kobe – Wakkoqu dinner
Ship luggage to Tokyo
Day 9:
Morning: open
3:00pm – group paper making class
Dinner at Tomisen
Shinkansen: Kyoto to Tokyo Station
Day 10:
AM:
– Hayao Miyazaki’s NTV Clock
– Teamlab Planets
PM:
– Nakajima-no-ochaya
– Remaining shopping
– Caretta Shiodome lights
Convenience store hop (dinner)
Day 11:
Checkout, head to NRT ;(
1 comment
> AM: Shinkansen to Osaka Purchase IC cards Bento box brunch on train
Not sure why you need to purchase another IC card? Suica works in the Kansai region. If you’re departing from Tokyo Station you should probably checkout the Ekiben Matsuri shop they have a much larger selection of bento compared with what is on the train.
> Caretta Shiodome lights
If your thinking of the winter illuminations these were cancelled this year.