Itinerary Check – 8 days (7 nights) in Tokyo

Hello everyone, happy 2023, hope y’all had a good holiday! The wife and I will be visiting Tokyo from 2/27 through 3/6 and this will be our first time in Japan. Since this is our first time, we want to absorb as much of the culture as possible within Tokyo plus 1 or 2 day trips outside of Tokyo. Our plane tickets and hotel is already booked so not much flexibility there to change it at this point on where we arrive/depart from.

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With that said, I have a couple of questions and would also love to get some thoughts on the proposed itinerary that we have below.

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Questions:

1. Since we’re going to take N’EX and shinkansen to Hakone and Osaka/Nikko, assume it’d be cheaper to get JR Pass?
2. Any dinner recommendations for Day 2, 3, 4 (in Osaka or Nikko), 6 and 7?
1. Planning on doing one of the Ninja restaurants, either Day 1 or 2.
3. Are any of the days too jam packed or light? Goal of the trip is to absorb Japan (or Tokyo) that we can.
4. Osaka or Nikko – torn on this one. Would love to see the Edo Wonderland but that means the day is pretty much spent there. If Google Maps is right, then shinkansen will take there but then JR local after and then it says a taxi from Nikko station to Edo Wonderland. That means the whole day is pretty much there and coming back we probably won’t be able to see Tosho Gu,
1. But if it’s Osaka, we can leave super early at 6am and be there between 9am till 7pm. It would also mean the day before we’d have to be back from Hakone at a decent time to get some rest.
5. I’ve seen some good notes on Ubigi eSIM, assume that’s still the recommendation?
6. SUICA – also read that Visa is giving some issues, but not Amex or MC. Would you recommend buying it through Apple Wallet using Amex/MC or just buy the physical card at the station? Hoping to use the watch to tap through instead of pulling out the card every time.

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* **Day 1:**
* Arrive at Narita at 3pm. Take N’EX to Tokyo Station and then taxi to Conrad Tokyo.
* Targeting to be at the hotel, checked in and freshened up by 7pm at the latest and then open agenda for rest of evening if we’re not too tired. Goal is to stay up until 11pm at least since our time zone adjustment will be 16 hours ahead of MST.
* **Day 2: Shibuya**
* Between 9am and 7pm, the following items are planned so far (again please let me know if too heavy on this day).
* Hachiko
* Starbucks Reserve (see the madness of Shibuya crossing)
* Walk to Meji Jingu
* Lunch nearby
* Yoyogi Park
* Shibuya Center-gai
* Shibuya Scramble Square/Sky
* Dinner somewhere there (would love any recommendations)
* Back to hotel around 9:30pm ish
* **Day 3: Hakone**
* Depart for Hakone around 6ish
* Spend the whole day at Hakone, Owakudani, Pirate Ship, Cable Car/Ropeway
* If time permits and we finish all those by 3pm, then come down for a quick visit to Odawara Castle
* If not, then head back to Tokyo early and dinner somewhere (would love recommendations again!)
* **Day 4: Osaka or Nikko**
* If Osaka, then following agenda:
* Shinkansen to Shin-Osaka at 6am
* Osaka Castle
* Dotonbori
* Minami
* Shinsaibashi
* If time allows, sneak in the hello kitty train to Shin-Kobe at 11:31 and come back (wife loves hello kitty lol)
* If Nikko, then following agenda
* Leave for Nikko at 6am (would take the Shinkansen)
* Edo Wonderland
* Tosho Gu (if we can make it back by 4pm)
* Back to Tokyo
* **Day 5: Odaiba**
* teamLab
* Gundam Statu
* Statue of Liberty
* Joypoli
* Takoyaki Museum
* Seaside Park
* Fuji Television Building (might cut this one out)
* Dinner at Eggs ‘n Things
* Back to hotel around 9:30pm
* **Day 6: Kamakura/Yokohama**
* Leave for Kamakura around 7ish
* Start at Kamakura Daibutsu
* Dasedera
* Hokikuji Temple / Bamboo Garden
* Head to Yokohama / Lunch
* Ramen Museum
* Open agenda rest of day, around Yokohama or back to Tokyo
* Dinner somewhere
* **Day 7: Shinjuku**
* Start at Imperial Palace around 9am (might just skip it)
* Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden
* Lunch at Ichiran Ramen
* Hanazono Shrine
* Mario Kart (will probably have to do this later or move it up to Day 6 after Yokohama)
* Tokyo Skytree (hoping to catch the sunset there)
* Kabukicho (I know a bit back and forth, but hoping to see the sunset from Skytree then come back towards Shinjuku)
* **Day 8:**
* I depart for Haneda at 6am
* Wife stays in hotel or roams around until 12pm, then heads to Narita

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If there is anything else that you all think we can squeeze in please chime in! And last but not least, THANK YOU for taking the time to lend me a hand here and I sincerely appreciate it (and the wife does too :D)