######Apps to download:
– Google Maps. Works excellently in Japan
– Google Translate
– Japan Travel by NAVITIME (amazing for public transport information)
– Tokyo Metro Subway Map
– Metro Osaka Subway
######SIM Card:
– CDJapan – 31 days – 7,100 yen – https://rental.cdjapan.co.jp/index_en_jpy_23.html
– Must be ordered to Osaka Kansai Airport, where I can pick up the package containing the SIM Card
######Plan, with train routes:
Trip dates April 1-30.
Part I: Kansai International Airport –> Osaka –> Nara (day-trip) –> Osaka (Day 1 & 2)
Part II: Shin-Osaka –> Hiroshima –ferry–> Miyajima –ferry–> Hiroshima –> Shin-Osaka (Day 3 & 4)
Part III: Shin-Osaka –> Himeji (day-trip) –> Shin-Osaka (Day 5)
Part IV: Osaka (Day 6-8) –> Kyoto (Day 9-16)
Part V: Kyoto –> Tokyo –> Narita Airport (Day 17-30)
– Part I, II and III can be completed for free with the Kansai-Hiroshima Area Pass, valid for 5 days.
######IC Card:
– ICOCA is the contactless transport card that can be bought from Osaka Kansai Airport. Costs 2,000 yen (500 deposit, 1500 travel credit). It is interchangeable with all the other smartcards, or “IC cards” of Japan.
– Can only be reloaded with cash.
– Always scan in AND out of metro stations and buses by tapping your card using the contactless sensors.
_____________________________________________
######**PART I, II, III: OSAKA, NARA, HIROSHIMA, MIYAJIMA, HIMEJI**
**Day 1: get settled into Osaka after the flight**
**Day 2: Nara day trip**
– Nara Park (the below attractions are all in Nara Park)
– Kofuku-ji (first thing when entering Nara Park)
– Himuro Jinja (shrine)
– Ukimido
– Kasuga Taisha
– Todai-ji Nandaimon (gate) + Todai-ji (Great Buddha Hall/Daibutsuden) – To the right of the entrance to the Daibutsuden is a statue of the Yakushi Nyorai. Though a bit scary-looking on first glance, it’s actually a Buddha of medicine and healing. Touching a part of the Yakushi Nyorai and then the corresponding part of your own body is said to heal any ailments you have there. ¥600; ¥1000 to see the museum as well.
– Isui-en Garden (900 yen entry fee). Yoshikien Garden is right next to it, and free for foreigners.
**Day 3 & 4: Hiroshima & Miyajima**
– The Peace Memorial Park
– Hiroshima Castle + Hiroshima Gokoku Shrine
– Former Hiroshima Branch of the Bank of Japan.
– Shukkeien (get off at Hiroshima Prefectural Art Museum stop on the tour bus)
– Hiroshima Toshogu Shrine (tour bus green route stops here) + Kinko Inari Shrine + Peace Pagoda (mini-hike)
######Miyajima/Itsukushima (day trip from Hiroshima):
– Itsukushima Shrine
– Senjokaku Pavilion (100 yen)
– Miyajima Omotesando Shotengai
– Daishoin
**Day 5: Himeji day trip, also final day for the pass**
– Himeji Castle + Kokoen Garden (1050 yen)
_____________________________________________________
######**PART IV: OSAKA, KYOTO**
**Day 6, 7, 8: Osaka**
Day 6:
– Osaka Castle (600 yen) + Park + Nishinomaru Garden (600 cherry blossom trees, 350 yen)
– Osaka Tenmangu Shrine
– Kema Sakuranomiya Park (amazing cherry blossom place)
– Umeda Sky Building. The 173 meter tall building consists of two towers that are connected with each other by the “Floating Garden Observatory” on the 39th floor. The observatory offers great views of the city through its windows and from its open-air deck. 1500 yen admission.
– Japan Mint (free museum) + cherry blossoms around it
Day 7:
– Namba Yasaka Jinja Shrine
– Tsutenkaku (famous neon lights around it)
– Shitennoji (climb the pagoda) + Gokuraku-jodo garden (extremely beautiful, 300 yen)
Day 8:
– Sumiyoshi Taisha
– teamLab Botanical Garden Osaka
**Day 9-16: Kyoto**
Day 9:
– Toji (temple)
– Hongwanji (temple)
– Higashi Hongan-ji Temple
– Shinsen-en Garden
– Nijo Castle + Nijo Castle Ninomaru Palace
– Kyoto Imperial Palace + Kyoto Sento Imperial Palace, both inside Kyoto Gyoen National Garden. Free. Look at the palaces from outside.
– Seimei-jinja Shrine
Day 10:
– Ninna-ji
– Ryoan-ji + Ryoan-ji Rock Garden
– Toji-in
– Kinkaku-ji, also known as The Temple of the Golden Pavilion. Most popular attraction of Kyoto.
– Hirano Jinja (shrine)
– Kitano Tenmangu (shrine)
– Imamiya-jinja Shrine
– Diatoku-ji
– Jingo-ji (500 yen) + Saimyo-ji Temple (free) + Kosan-ji (a tiny bit far but reachable by bus)
Day 11:
– Kamigamo-jinja (shrine)
– Entsu-ji Temple
– Myoman-ji Temple
– Shimogamo-jinja Shrine
– Kawai-jinja Shrine
– Shugaku-in Imperial Villa (reserve in advance!)
– Enkouji + Shisendo
Day 12:
– Heian Shrine (600 yen for garden)
– Shoren-in
– Chion-in
– Maruyama Park + Yasaka Shrine
– Kennin-ji Temple (500 yen)
– Kodai-ji Temple (600 yen) + Ryozen Kannon + Kyoto Ryozen Gokoku-jinja Shrine
– Hokan-ji
– Go through Sanneizaka to reach the next attraction, Kiyomizu-dera
– Kiyomizu-dera (400 yen)
– Chishaku-in
– Rengeoin Sanjusangendo (600 yen)
Day 13:
Philosopher’s Path, a 2km-long path in Eastern Kyoto that takes you through, north to south:
– Ginkakuji, also known as Higashiyama Jisho-ji or The Silver Pavilion. (500 yen)
– Honen-in
– Otoyo-jinja Shrine
– Kumano Nyakuoji-jinja Shrine
– Eikan-do Temple (600 yen)
– Nanzen-ji Sanmon Gate + Nanzen-ji Temple
Day 14:
– Togetsu-kyo Bridge
– Tenryu-ji Temple (600 yen, garden + temple)
– Nonomiya-jinja Shrine
– Go through Arashiyama Bamboo Forest to reach Okochi Sanso Garden
– Jojakkoji Temple (400 yen)
– Nisonin Temple (500 yen)
– Gioji (temple moss garden, 300 yen)
– Adashino Nenbutsuji Temple
– Otagi Nenbutsu-ji Temple (bit out of the way)
– Hokyoin Temple + Seiryo-ji Temple
– Daikaku-ji Temple
– Koryu-ji South Gate + Koryu-ji Temple, oldest temple in Kyoto & houses the Miroku Bosatsu, the first item in the nation to be designated a National Treasure. ¥700. (bit more central, isolated from the other attractions)
Day 15:
– Matsunoo Taisha
– Tsukiyomi Shrine
– Kegon-ji Temple
Day 16:
– Fushimi Inari Taisha + Senbon Torii
– Tofuku-ji
– Jonangu
– Daigo-ji
– Zuishin-in Temple
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######**PART V: TOKYO**
**Day 17-30: Tokyo**
Day 17:
– Hamarikyu Gardens
– Hie Shrine
– Hotel New Otani Japanese Garden
– Imperial Palace: as with all imperial palaces in Japan, you must reserve a tour in order to go into the inner palace gardens and buildings. https://sankan.kunaicho.go.jp/english/guide/koukyo.html
– Imperial Palace East Garden.
– Kitanomaru National Garden. Within it is Chidorigafuchi Moat, the best place in Tokyo to see cherry blossom.
– Yasukuni Shrine.
– Koishikawa Korakuen Gardens
Day 18:
– Kanda Myojin Shrine
– Owl Cafe “Fukurou” – the best Owl Cafe in Japan.
Day 19:
– Shiba Park + Zojo-ji + Tokyo Tower + Atago Jinja
Day 20:
– Odaiba Statue of Liberty + Unicorn Gundam Statue + Fuji Television Network, Inc. (building)
– teamLab Planets TOKYO
– Sengaku-ji (47 Ronin graves)
Day 21:
– Shibuya Crossing
– Hachiko Memorial Statue
– Myth of Tomorrow (mural)
– Shibuya Center-Street
Day 22:
– Meiji Jingu
– Oriental Bazaar (great souvenir shop)
Day 23:
– Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden
– Hanazono Shrine
– Samurai Museum
Day 24:
– Otori-jinja Shrine + Gohyaku Rakanji Temple + Ryusen-ji
– Rikugien Gardens
Day 25:
– Nezu-jinja Shrine
– Ueno Toshogu Shrine + Gojoten-jinja Shrine + Statue of Saigo Takamori + Shinobazu-no-ike Benten-do Temple (all inside Ueno Park)
– Fukagawa Edo Museum
– Shibamata Taishakuten
– Asukayama Park
Day 26:
– Gotokuji Temple.
– Setagaya Hachimangu Shrine
– Sakura Jingu Shrine
– Tamagawa-daishi Temple
Day 27:
– Nakano Broadway
– Araiyakushi Baishouin
Day 28:
– Kaminarimon Gate
– Nakamisa Shopping Street
– Hozomon Gate
– Senso-ji
– Asakusa Jinja
– Tomioka Hachimangu, the largest Shintō hachiman shrine in Tokyo.
Day 29:
– Ghibli Museum:
Day 30:
– Narita airport, return. Keep ICOCA card as souvenir.
10 comments
Do you have an iPhone 11 or greater? I would skip the physical sin and get an e-sim.
You may also visit the [Tokyo Daijingu Shrine](http://www.tokyodaijingu.or.jp/english/index.html).
Absolutely no to Google Translate. Use DeepL instead. And keep your sentences simple.
Papago for Camera image translations – much more accurate.
so, apart from shinto, you did not share much about you or the trip. how old are you, other interests? shinto is one thing, but probably not the only one.
what is the budget?
this seems like a list of the biggest attractions of japan. i guess around halftime you wont be enjoying things to the best. this is too much. I understand the pressure of the feeling of “once in a lifetime”. I had the same when planning our first trip. it was half this per day, and we were burned out as heck by the third week. friends started complaining way earlier, then flat out denied to move their legs and looked only for chill spots. kyoto looks especially egregious…
if shinto really is the only thing, then maybe cut the program in half and try to stay in a shrine with the monks there? preferably in the middle of all this, so that you get some chill and rest…
I’m exhausted from just reading your plans already.
Not gonna lie, I think you’ll be templed/shrined out by the time you get to Tokyo – maybe even earlier. Look for any special events at the shrines/temples you plan to visit like cherry blossom night illuminations or festivals to make some of your visits a bit more unique. You can often find those on the actual website of the temple/shrine which is usually linked in the Google Maps listing. If the website is only in Japanese, open in Chrome to automatically translate to English.
– [Yozakura: Night Sakura in Japan](https://www.kyuhoshi.com/yozakura/)
– [12 Best Night Cherry Blossoms in 2022 (look for updates 2023 info in late Feb)](https://matcha-jp.com/en/1676)
– [Visit Kyoto puts out a weekly list of upcoming local events on their website. You may want to follow their social media too.](https://kyoto.travel/en/news/events_in_kyoto.html)
I also find it a bit odd that for someone who is spending so much time in Kansai and loves Shinto that you aren’t doing an overnight in Koyasan? You may want to add in an overnight temple stay there. It’s easiest to access from Osaka with a special Kōyasan World Heritage ticket so best to do after your JR Pass has already expired.
– [JapanGuide: Koyasan](https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e4900.html)
– [JapanGuide: Temple Lodging in Koyasan](https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e4905.html)
In Osaka, you might want to check out this temple. It’s a unique experience for sure!
– [Senkoji: Heaven and Hell Temple](https://soranews24.com/2021/12/16/senkoji-the-japanese-temple-thats-more-like-a-theme-park-to-heaven-and-hell/amp/)
During your Tokyo leg, you might enjoy this temple. It’s in an out of the way location but, if you aren’t claustrophobic or scared of the dark, a pretty unique experience.
– [Tamagawa Daishi: In the Belly of the Buddha](https://www.live-less-ordinary.com/tamagawa-daishi-temple-tokyo-japan)
Finally, are you planning to collect Goshuin? With all the temples and shrines you’re planning to visit you will definitely fill up a book (or two maybe).
– [Beginner’s Guide to Goshuin](https://www.tsunagujapan.com/wow_02237/)
Happy Planning!
I would also download Klook.
I’m surprised you don’t have Ise Jingu on your itinerary. It’s probably one of the most important, if not the most important shrine in all of Shinto.
I feel like you went a bit much with temples and shrines. I would recommend choosing only a few per day and going, as you may want to spend a few hours walking around and worshipping and enjoying the grounds of many of them.
I went to Sengakuji, and I spent almost 3 hours on that expedition. You visit the regular temple and then go to the Graves where you buy incense and place 2 or so sticks at each grave and observe in silence. I then took a path from the shrine to the site where they decapitated the guy before heading (pun not intended) to the shrine and washing it in the well.
For Kyoto’s Imamiya Shrine, don’t got on a Wednesday because you can get aburimochi at a really old shop on the grounds, but they seem to be closed on Wednesdays (at least when I tried to go).
Some shrines are close to each other nut will require a bit of a walk that I don’t know if one will have the energy to just go to them all. I’d say pick a couple that are nearby and spend more time enjoying the ones you go to.
Also, with the controversial nature of Yasukuni, I don’t know if it’s a good idea to go to it.
That said, I liked Yoyogi Hachimangu and there’s a really nice public restroom next to it.
I have dozens of goshuincho and I can’t imagine filling the equivalent of half of them all in a single trip.
I feel if you were doing a giant Shinto greatest hits, why aren’t you doing…
* Ise Jingu (Ise) – the most important Shinto shrine, dedicated to Amaterasu, and supposed location of the _yata no kagami_
* Atsuta Jingu (Nagoya) – probably equally as important as Ise, supposed location of the _kusanagi no tsurugi_
* Nikko Toshogu (Nikko) – a lot more involved since it requires a long day trip (or overnight) from Tokyo, but your Tokyo days look rather sparse to begin with.
* All of the 東京十社 (_jissha_) – you have some of them, but not all of them.
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I also see what I consider some inefficiencies in routing – like Hiroshima -> Osaka, and then going back out to Himeji. Though your simple timeline seems to contradict with your detailed list because in your expanded list, you have Hiroshima/Miyajima followed by Himeji on consecutive days, whereas the simplified list has you going back to Osaka before going to Himeji.
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I’d suggest getting a mobile IC card and eSIM if you are able to. Far more convenient than having to use cash all the time (for IC card), and way cheaper to use eSIM in most cases (unless you are an absolute data hog).