Hey everyone!
I’ll be going on a trip to Japan with a couple of friends (Total of 3 people) from January 17 to February 14, 2023, for 29 days. It’ll be our first time in Japan.
We have most of the schedule and ideas down, some days might be very ambitious and packed, and there will be a lot of traveling from city to city. We’ve already booked the hotels for the specific locations and most likely won’t change them.
We’re open to any suggestions or feedback!
Here is a more detailed outline of our itinerary: [Japan 2023 Itinerary](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1dscVD8hbzjbyu3HLhspRwE9vZbxURfU3YZcC6Zn8tew/edit#gid=1425005691)
We’d like some advice on the following:
* Scheduling or Rearranging locations that are best during a specific time.
* Reservations we might need for an event or activity
* Locations that you recommend to see or can’t miss out on
* Food recommendations that are near the locations we’re going to
* Best value or time to get a transportation pass such as the **SETOUCHI AREA PASS 7 Days.**
* Transportation issues or any flaws you see in our itinerary
* Anything that comes to mind about our planning
Thank you very much!
**Itinerary Outline (Jan 17 – Feb 14)**
**Jan 17 – Flight**
**Jan 18 – Yokohama**
* Arrive at Narita
* Travel to Yokohama
**Jan 19 – Yokohama**
* Cup Noodles Museum Yokohama
* Gundam Factory Yokohama
* Yokohama Chinatown
* Sankeien Garden
* Cosmo Clock 21
**Jan 20 – Hakone**
* Hokokuji Temple
* Kōtoku-in
* Hasedera
**Jan 21 – Hakone**
* Owakudani
* Hakone Open Air Museum
* Hakone-en + Lake Ashi
* Tanzan Onsen (Optional)
**Jan 22 – Nagoya**
* Ryugashido Cavern
**Jan 23 – Nagoya**
* Dino Adventure Nagoya
* Nagoya City Science Museum
* Osu Kannon
* Sky Promenade
**Jan 24 – Nagoya**
* Kakuozan Nittaiji Temple
* Nagoya Castle
* JR Towers
* Nabano no Sato
**Jan 25 – Kyoto**
* Fushimi Inari Shrine
* Toji
* Kyoto Tower
* Kyoto Station
**Jan 26 – Kyoto**
* Arashiyama Bamboo Forest
* Kinkaku-ji
* Nijo Castle
**Jan 27 – Kyoto**
* Yoshimine-dera Temple
* Nishiki Market
**Jan 28 – Kyoto**
* Ninenzaka
* Samurai and Ninja Museum
* Mame Shiba Cafe
**Jan 29 – Kyoto**
* Sento Palace
* Kyoto Manga Museum
**Jan 30 – Osaka**
* Suntory Yamazaki Distillery
* Expo Park
* Minoh Falls
* Osaka Museum of Housing and Living (Optional)
**Jan 31 – Osaka**
* Tsutenkaku
* Osaka Nipponbashi Denden Town
* Kuromon Ichiba Market
* Shinsaibashi-Suji Shopping Street
* America-mura (Optional)
**Feb 1 – Osaka**
* Umeda Sky Building
* Kuchu Teien Observatory
* Pokémon Café
**Feb 2 – Osaka**
* Universal Studios Japan
**Feb 3 – Osaka**
* Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan
* Giant Ferris Wheel
**Feb 4 – Kobe**
* Mount Maya
* Ikuta Jinja
* Kobe Harborland
* Kobe Hotel
* Animal Kingdom (Optional)
**Feb 5 – Hiroshima**
* Bunny Island
**Feb 6 – Hiroshima**
* Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum
* Shukkeien
* Atomic Bomb Dome
**Feb 7 – Tokyo**
* TeamLab Planets
* Poop Museum
**Feb 8 – Tokyo**
* Disney Sea
**Feb 9 – Tokyo**
* Ginza Shopping district
* Pokemon Cafe
* Pokemon Centre
* Akihabara
**Feb 10 – Tokyo**
* Shinjuku Gyoen
* Meiji Temple
* ARTNIA Square Enix
* Sekaido Shinjuku
* Yoyogi Park
* Takeshita Street Square
* Zenkoji Temple
* Shibuya Centre-Gai | Shibuya Crossing | Hachiko Memorial
**Feb 11 – Tokyo**
* Studio Ghibli
* Cat Café
**Feb 12 – Tokyo**
* Tokyo Skytree
* Sensō-ji
* Nakamise Shopping Street
* Asakusa Mameshiba Cafe
* Kappabashi Dougu Street
* Gashapon Ikebukuro Main Store
**Feb 13 – Tokyo**
* TBD
**Feb 14 – Tokyo**
* Flight
3 comments
Kobe is only 25 minutes from Osaka. Rather than stay the night would consider a day trip or finishing up at Hiroshima that night instead. Leave your luggage at the station or forward to Hiroshima.
Miyajima Island as part of your Hiroshima stay?
I prefer to go Kyoto -> Hiroshima -> Osaka. Kyoto and Osaka are so close and while it’s the same travel time overall your beaking up the longer Hiroshima to Tokyo trip.
Make sure one of you at least has a data active phone.
I myself used one with MOBAL
https://www.mobal.com/
I’ve been to Japan various times now and this is one of my must haves for navigation and daily usage.
Google maps is so useful in Japan!
Of course you can get prepaid SIMs online or when you arrive in the airport but this one has other plans that can cater to your usage.
I’ve been traveling here and had my SIM sent to me before arrival and it’s been godsend.
Just something to consider to make your travel ever more enjoyable.
Also, it helps not having to rely on wifi.
Two shiba cafes? You know that Shiba Inus as a breed are known for being indifferent or aloof with people they don’t know? So sticking them in a room full of constantly changing strangers seems unkind and stressful to the dogs