Heading to Japan this Wednesday (as long as the Bay Area storms permit us!) with my bf who has never been to Japan before. I’m super excited! For restaurants, I primarily looked for places on Tabelog. I haven’t used Tabelog before but I heard it’s a great resource. I sometimes put several dinner options so we can be flexible. My travel itinerary is pretty set in stone regarding lodging, (I know we unfortunately gave too little time to Kyoto and Osaka) but if there’s any advice you guys have I’d love to hear it.
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About us:
* Both nerds with similar interests. We love games like Pokemon and Monster Hunter, and we watch anime like Gundam and Steins;Gate. I personally love Banana Fish, Summer Time Render, and the Story of Seasons and Rune Factory series (games) so if there are any events or exclusive merch for those series I’d appreciate you sharing!
* We love sushi and ramen like any other person, but my bf really loves omurice and hamburger steak because they were his favorite childhood dishes. He’s also a huge fan of steak.
* Definitely not night life people. We love looking at pretty lights, but neither of us drink alcohol so we’re not into bars. However, we do want to try a love hotel!
* I know a little Japanese from high school, but I can only say simple phrases. BF doesn’t know much beyond the typical anime phrases lol
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**DAY 1 – Flight to HND**
Once we arrive at HND, we’ll activate my bf’s SIM card (I don’t need one bc I have international data). We’ll be arriving in the late afternoon, so I didn’t really schedule anything as we’ll probably be very jet lagged. Drop off luggage at hotel, then maybe dinner at a Coco Ichibanya? (For the Steins;Gate reference)
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**DAY 2 – Shinjuku**
Breakfast at Le Pain Quotideien or conbini food–whatever we’re in the mood for
Perm at Assort Tokyo – *I’m going to be getting a perm as it’s way cheaper in Japan than it is in the US, so my bf will have about 3 hours to just wander around the streets. He doesn’t know any Japanese, so I hope he doesn’t run into any awkward situations!*
Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building
Shopping at LUMINE EST and Marui Annex
Dinner at Fuunji (I also have some back-up dinner options in case the line is too long)
Kabukicho–enjoy the nightlife and maybe find some arcades
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**DAY 3 – Harajuku**
Reissue at 10am – *is this place busy nowadays? Back in Jan 2019 I visited and there was no one there, it was really nice!*
Explore Harajuku – Kiddy Land, Laforet, Condomania, etc – plus lots of clothes shopping!
Lunch at Tamago Kitchen
Continue exploring Harajuku if there’s anything interesting left
Go back to hotel and drop off stuff
Explore around the hotel
Dinner options: Enomoto Hamburg Steak Lab or Mizu no wazawasabi (izakaya)
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**DAY 4 – Akihabara**
Tamashii Nations Tokyo
Lunch at Monster Hunter Cafe
Akihabara shopping – Radiokaikan, K-Books, Mandarake, Animate, Gachapon Hall, etc
Snacks/drinks at Milk Shop Luck Raku and Jack in the Donuts
Dinner at Chelsea Market Akihabara, Nikubarunikusondaitouryou (肉バル 肉ソン大統領), or Daichinookurimono (大地の贈り物)
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**DAY 5 – Ikebukuro and Sunshine City**
Toshimaen Niwa-no-yu – *interested in this place because of the co-ed portion, but we’re also planning to go to Osaka Spa World later so maybe this is unnecessary? Would love to hear thoughts*
Cat Cafe Mocha Lounge – *I heard other animal cafes like ones for hedgehogs and birds are unethical, but what about cat ones?*
Animate Ikebukuro and Otome Road
Sunshine City
Lunch at Midori Sushi Echika Ikebukuro, or Kaisenzan if we end up exploring til 4:30pm when they open
Evening free
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**DAY 6 – Odaiba and Ginza**
Gundam Base Tokyo (open at 11am) + take pictures of Gundam statue
Shopping at DiverCity Tokyo Plaza (if time permits) – *I see that there are a lot of malls in Odaiba*
Lunch at Lobby Cafe Le Bouquet
Teamlab Planets (3pm)
Rainbow bridge
Shopping/exploring Ginza
Dinner at Ushigoro S Ginza (reservation at 8:30)
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**DAY 7 – Solamachi Skytree**
Breakfast/coffee at Glitch Coffee & Roasters
Solamachi shopping
Snack at Strawberry Mania
Lunch at Hitsumabushi Bincho (unagi) or Rokurinsha (tsukemen)
Evening free
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**DAY 8 – Tokyo Station**
Morning stroll at Marunouchi Brick Square
Lunch at Kakunoshin Hamburg Steak & Bar
Tokyo Station exploring – Tokyo Character Street, Okashi Land
Snacks at Fairycake Fair or Kajitsuen Tokyo (fruit desserts)
Pokemon Cafe reservation at 6:45pm
Take pictures on top of Shin Marunouchi Building
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**DAY 9 – Asakusa**
Yae Kimono Rental at 10am – plus professional photoshoot
Kaminarimon
Lunch at Nakamise
Sensouji
Snack at Suzukien Asakusa
Kappabachi Utensils Street (if time permits)
Return kimono by 5pm
Neko Cafe MONTA
Hoppy Street
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**DAY 10 – Shibuya and rest day**
Shibuya Parco
Shibuya crossing and Hachiko
Lunch at Ramen Takeichi
Shibuya Sky for view/photos
Go back to hotel, leave large luggage with hotel staff (already asked in advance if this was ok) and sleep early
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**DAY 11 – Shinkansen to Kyoto**
Take 6am shinkansen to Kyoto
Arashiyama Bamboo Forest
Kimono Forest
*Any other suggestions for around this area?*
Kichi Kichi Omurice – *unfortunately we couldn’t get reservations, but I saw that you can wait in line and you might get a seat. I know this place is overhyped, but my bf’s favorite childhood food is omurice and I think it would be such a nice surprise if we’re able to go!*
Backup lunch options: Mensho Takamatsu or Tsukemen Enaku
Explore Kyoto
Take train to Osaka and check in at hotel
Tsutenkaku
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**DAY 12 – Dendenmachi and Dotonbori**
Shopping/exploring Dendenmachi
Visit Capcom store/cafe at Daimaru Umeda
Parco Shinsaibashi
Dotonbori – *we’re planning to just get some street food here–any recs?*
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**DAY 13 – Universal Studios Japan**
Arrive at 9am to get Monster Hunter VR tickets
Spa World
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**DAY 14 – Shinkansen to Tokyo**
Free day – possibly visit Kyoto again
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**DAY 15 – Sagamiko Resort**
Arrive early, at around 9am
Ferris wheel, Oozora Tengoku, 3D Maze, Muscle Monster, etc
Ururi onsen
Saamiko Illumillion at night
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**DAY 16 – Yokohama (Gundam Day!)**
Take train to Yokohama
Brunch at Bluff Bakery
Gundam Factory Yokohama
Gundam Dock Tower at 3pm
*I was thinking dinner at some sort of ramen place in Yokohama? There are a ton of highly listed ones on Tabelog like Chuukasoba Takano (中華そば 高野), Sakuraichuukasobaten (櫻井中華そば店), and Ramen Torikku, but I don’t know which to choose. I’d appreciate any recs!*
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**DAY 17 – Oedo Onsen Monogatari and Ebisu**
Oedo Onsen Monogatari Urayasu
Yebisu Garden Place Tower
Cafe Accueil Ebisu (Reservation at 4:30)
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**DAY 18 – Nakano Broadway**
Visit the stairs from Kimi no Na Wa
Nakano Broadway
Evening free
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**DAY 19 – Souvenir Day**
Spend the day buying last-minute souvenirs, possibly at Tokyo Station or Shinjuku. – *Would love any ideas that aren’t areas we’ve already visited*
Dinner at Manten Sushi (Reservation at 7pm)
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**DAY 20 – Goodbye Japan**
Weep as we go home
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Thanks for reading! I’d love any advice, especially for the last few days where we don’t have too much planned and for when we have our evenings free
2 comments
I want to say the current Capcom Cafe theme in Osaka is Phoenix Wright, because my friend just went to it in mid December because they adore Phoenix Wright. We just went with them to the Capcom store in Shinsaibashi because it was right near the Shinsaibashi Pokemon Cafe where the 3 of us had a reservation.
I’ve been to Osaka Spa World! (not recently) I don’t remember any of it being co-ed, except the top bathing suit floor. It’s cheezy and fun though, in particular the gender segregated areas. I’ve also been to Yunessun in Hakone. Yunessun is one of the only places I can think of with bathing suit baths and actual naked single gender baths, where the bathing suit portion is the more popular side. It is incredibly cheezy though. My tween enjoyed it very much.
I think in terms of cat cafes it depends on the cat cafe? I went to a rescue cat one near Fushimi Inari in 2019, and want to go to one of the rescue ones in Osaka.
In Arashiyama, you can visit Tenryuji or the Monkey Park. My kid really liked the latter.
We were in Solomachi to eat at the Kirby Cafe on 1/2/23, Strawberry Mania had a ridiculously long line.
If USJ opens at 9, you want to get there much earlier. The park is very popular right now because of Nintendo World.
I think Tokyo is pretty easy to get around without Japanese. There are a lot of English signs at most train or subway stations.
> DAY 5
Toshimaen Niwa-no-yu
For your information, as other bathing places, there are also [Izumi tenku no yu haneda airport](https://www.shopping-sumitomo-rd.com/haneda/spa-izumi/), [LaQua(Suidobashi)](https://www.laqua.jp/en/), and [Terumae yu(shinjuku)](https://thermae-yu.jp/).