Hello!! My sister and I are coming to visit Japan in February! We are from Southern California and a bit worried about the cold. Any advice/tips on clothing and shoes we should wear would be greatly appreciated as we don’t know what to expect and haven’t really been in colder climates before. Here’s my itinerary, tried to group everything together:
2/3 – arrive in Tokyo 7pm, activate jr pass, get to hotel and sleep
2/4 – Harajuku, Meiji Jingu temple, omotesando. Pub crawl at 7
2/5 Tokyo – shibuya crossing, golden gai, teamlab.
2/6 Tokyo – Mt takao? Thoughts on this would be helpful.
2/7 – asakusa, sensojii temple, ueno, Tokyo skytree
2/8 Kyoto – nishiki market, KIMONO TEA CEREMONY mikoya
2/9 Kyoto day trip to nara
2/10 head over to Osaka spend day and night here.
2/11 head to Nagano – Jigokudani monkey park
2/12 hike Kamikochi? Snowshoe hike – thoughts on this would also be appreciated
2/13 – anything else in Nagano I should see/do?!
2/14 – Nagano to Tokyo, Fly home to lax at 330
2 comments
Unless you’re going north, like to Hokkaido, I think the cold is manageable. I was in Tokyo in January a few years ago and although it was cold, it never felt unbearable. And with mask-wearing, your face will be a bit warmer! You can always stop by a uniqlo and pick up some leggings and long sleeves to wear under your outfits if you find your own clothes aren’t enough. I hope you have an awesome time there!
Edit: I forgot to mention–for shoes, I just wore regular ankle boots (not waterproof) and I was fine. Maybe find some water-proof/resistant ones just in case it rains. But honestly, I don’t think you’ll have to worry too much because affordable, good quality clothes and shoes are so readily available in Japan that you can always pick up anything you need on your trip
Probably best to have Jr pass activate on the 8th for a week, and just get a train card before that.