Hi everyone! I have a future trip to Japan and South Korea in the works, for who knows when, hopefully May either next year or 2023. Planning future travel is fun and relaxing so even though I’m not sure when its possible to go on this trip, I would appreciate any feedback you have for me all the same.
I have been to Japan twice before, totaling roughly 2 months. Here are my past trip reports: [Autumn 2016](https://www.reddit.com/r/JapanTravel/comments/5m3ud7/november_posttrip_review_indepth/) & [Spring 2019](https://www.reddit.com/r/JapanTravel/comments/bg7f9m/cherry_blossom_trip_report_mar_19_apr_13/). On those trips I visited Tokyo, Kamakura, Nikko, Mt Takao, Kyoto, Uji, Nara, Himeji, Osaka, Koyasan, Kanazawa, Takayama, Shirakawago, Hiroshima, Miyajima, and Okunoshima. Japan is my favourite country to travel to and there were things I had planned to do on those past trips that I missed so I’m coming back for a third time! My interests are culture, history and shopping.
**Day 1:** *Tokyo*
* Arrive in Tokyo in the evening, pick up luggage, pocket WiFi, JR pass, get to hotel & rest
**Day 2:**
* Rest day, sleep in
* visit a JR office to exchange JR pass voucher and reserve seats for shinkansen trips later on
* explore Shimokitazawa, check out cafes and thrift shop
**Day 3:**
* Day trip to Ashikaga Flower Park
**Day 4:**
* Day trip to Hitachi Seaside Park
**Day 5:**
* Ikebukuro (Zoshigaya Kishimojindo Temple, Kamikawaguchiya, Sunshine city mall, Hachi Kuma Cafe for breakfast, Mensobo Mutekiya for ramen)
* Kappabashi Kitchen Street
**Day 6:** *Tokyo->Kawagoe->Tokyo*
* Day trip to Kawagoe (Kita-in temple, Kurazukuri no Machinami, Kawagoe Matsuri Kaikan, Kashiya Yokocho, Honmaru Goten, Hikawa shrine)
**Day 7:**
* Tokyo Disneyland (check out new Beauty & the Beast castle and area, Baymax ride, etc)
**Day 8:** *Tokyo->Matsumoto->Tokyo*
* Day trip to Matsumoto (Matsumoto castle, Nakamachi street, Nawate street, Ukiyo-e Museum, Matsumoto City Art Museum) – I’m aware its a long journey but its a must-see!
* Activate 14-day jr pass
**Day 9:** *Tokyo->Aizuwakamatsu*
* Head to Aizuwakamatsu and drop bags off at Higashiyama Onsen accommodations
* Aizuwakamatsu (Aizu Bukeyashiki, neighborhoods along Nanokamachi-dori, Matsudaira Family area)
**Day 10:**
* Aizuwakamatsu (do the sightseeing bus loop- Tsuruga castle, Rinkaku Teahouse, Aizu Ichiban-kan, Oyakuen Garden, Aizu Sazaedo Temple/ Mt. Iimoriyama, Byakkotai museum)
**Day 11:** *Aizuwakamatsu->Tokyo*
* Return to Tokyo.
* Shibuya
* Harajuku
**Day 12:**
* Kimono shoot with [Inkimono](https://www.inkimono.com/service)
**Day 13:**
* Tokyo Grand Sumo Tournament match – Never been to a sumo match before, can someone who’s been advise me on how long these last each day? I know tickets must be purchased far in advance but not sure how much time to budget for this. From what I’ve seen online it could be a few hours to nearly a half-day thing?
**Day 14:**
* Rest day
**Day 15:** *Tokyo->Kawaguchiko*
* Head to Kawaguchiko
* Kawaguchiko (explore the town, Chureito pagoda, Oshino Hakkai)
**Day 16:**
* Kawaguchiko (Kachi Kachi ropeway then pick up bike rental to bike around lake to Kubota Itchiku Art Museum, Kawaguchiko Music Forest, Kawaguchiko Konohana Museum, Herb Hall)
**Day 17:** *Kawaguchiko->Osaka*
* Check out of hotel, store luggage at hotel for the day
* Shibazakura festival
* Return to hotel in the evening to pick up luggage for overnight bus to Osaka
**Day 18:**
* Arrive in Osaka quite early in the morning, store luggage at hotel
* Explore Namba area (Namba Yasaka shrine, Namba parks mall, shop along Shinsaibashisuji, Pokemon Center DX Osaka, Kuromon Ichiba Market, then in evening explore Dotonbori)
**Day 19:** *Osaka->Kurashiki->Osaka*
* Day trip to Kurashiki (Bikan Historical Quarter, Shinkei-en rest house, Denim Street, Hayashi Genjuro Shoten, Mitsui Outlet Park, Ohashi house, Ohara Museum of Art, Shinkei-en garden, Kurashiki Ivy Square)
**Day 20:**
* Rest day
**Day 21:** *Osaka->Nagoya->Osaka*
* Day trip to Nagoya for the (hopefully finished by this point) Ghibli theme park
* Last day for 14-day JR pass validity
**Day 22:**
* Universal Studios Japan
**Day 23:**
* Walk the Minoo Park trail up to Katsuoji temple
* later in evening check out Pokemon Center Osaka
**Day 24:** *Osaka->Kyoto->Osaka*
* Day trip to Kyoto (Ninnen-zaka and Sannen-zaka streets and Jishu shrine, leading up to Kiyomizudera. Possibly Okazaki shrine and Shirakawa Minami-dori. Haven’t planned a route for this day yet)
**Day 25:** *Osaka->Seoul*
* Fly to Seoul
Any advice is appreciated! If you have a better idea on how the layout of the itinerary should be structured please let me know. I’ll be utilizing a pocket wifi device (as my phone is not unlocked), suica card and a 14-day JR pass.
2 comments
If you can group your day trips to Ashikaga, Hitachi, and Kawagoe into three consecutive days you could make excellent use of a [JR Tokyo Wide Pass ](https://www.jreast.co.jp/multi/en/pass/tokyowidepass.html) The Tokyo Wide Pass also covers Kawaguchiko area so you could compare which day trips pay off most to use this 3 day pass.
On Day 16-17 you could also think about just using the [baggage delivery service. ](https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2278.html) to send your large luggage on ahead from Tokyo to Osaka. That way you can travel more light with just an overnight backpack/bag. Just ask your hotel desk upon checkout in Tokyo for baggage delivery and fill out the form/pay. Head to Kawaguchiko and on to Osaka and your large luggage will be waiting for you at hotel checkin there.
Day 21: Any reason you aren’t stopping off in Nagoya for the day trip on your way to Osaka? You pass thru Nagoya on the way there so (particularly if you’ve sent baggage ahead) it might make more sense to do that on the way to Osaka on Day 18.
Also, when in Aizuwakamatsu you might be able to incorporate a ride on some portion of the [Tadami Line train. ](https://japan-magazine.jnto.go.jp/en/1510_okuaizu.html) This should be covered by your JR Rail Pass.
Ikebukuro and Kappabashi are not especially in the same area.
I would try to move at least Hitachi seaside park later in the trip to get it covered by the pass. move the kimono shooting, the rest day and the sumo outside of the 14 days of the pass.
Kawaguchiko, just go as a side trip from Toyko, the JR Pass does not offer any advantage, just take the bus to go, it’s cheaper. Do this outside of the JR Pass. Then go to Osaka from Tokyo using the JR shinkansen.
Instead of day trip to Matsumoto, can do Matsumoto-Nagoya-Osaka ( and why would you do an extra round trip to Nagoya?)
For Kawagoe, there is discount pass that exist.
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If you ask me 7 day pass is doable.
1. Hitachi seaside park – instead of returning to Tokyo, you can start to make your way toward Aizu, for example Mito line to Oyama and shinkansen to Koriyama. This is a bit longer in the train that night, but you save time next morning to reach Aizu.
2. Aizu
3. Aizu
4. Aizu-Tokyo
5. Matsumoto – you can even go sleep in Nagoya for early start for the Ghibli park
6. Nagoya -sleep in Osaka
7. Kurashiki day trip