Hey Everyone – my wife and I are going to Japan for the first time on April 22nd – May 8th.
We plan on starting the trip and ending it in Tokyo.
We are getting a bit overwhelmed and not entirely sure where to start. Any input from those that have visited before is appreciated.
I have not yet finalized how many nights in each city we should spend but this is what we have so far.
* Tokyo – 6 nights (4 in the beginning, 2 at the end) – we will be staying in Shinjuku or Shibuya
* Hakone or Lake Kawaguchiko – 2 nights – hoping to spend this in a Ryokan but having trouble finding a decent one that is available during our dates
* Kyoto – 3 nights
* Osaka – 2 nights
* Day Trip to Nara on the way back to Tokyo
* Day Trip to Nikko from Tokyo
**4/23: Arrive in HND in afternoon – Travel to Tokyo (Stay at Shinjuku or Shibuya) // HOTEL TBD**
* Dinner, Exploring the Area near hotel, Adjust to Jet Lag
**4/24: Tokyo**
* Explore Shinjuku and Shibuya Areas
**4/25: Tokyo**
* Harajuku Area
**4/26: Tokyo**
* Shimokitazawa and Studio Ghibli / Fancy Dinner (looking for Michelin-starred sushi reservations)
**4/27: Train to Hakone Or Lake Kawaguchiko in morning – staying at Ryokan // HOTEL TBD**
**4/28: Hakone/Fuji Or Lake Kawaguchiko – (This can be changed to another location)**
**4/29: Train to Kyoto in morning // HOTEL TBD**
* Explore Maruyama park and Yasaka shrine
**4/30: Kyoto**
* Wake up early for the thousands Torii gates
* Gekkeikan Okura Sake museum (if there’s enough time)
**5/1: Kyoto**
* Arashiyama Bamboo Forest
* · Kimono forest in evening
* · Get ready to leave for Osaka
**5/2: Train to Osaka in morning // HOTEL TBD**
* Visit Osaka Castle
* Explore Minami (namba) in evening
**5/3: Osaka**
* Universal Studios Japan?
**5/4: Train to Nara/Kōya-san – then head back to Tokyo // HOTEL TBD**
**5/5: Day Trip to Nikko**
**5/6: Tokyo**
* Odaiba and TeamLabs – Birthday Dinner (any recommendations?)
**5/7: Tokyo**
* Asakusa Area
**5/8: Fly Home**
A few questions I have:
1. Is 1 night in a ryokan in Hakone or Lake Kawaguchiko area plenty or should we aim for 2 nights? Not sure how much there is to see there that we cant allocate elsewhere. Any recommendations on Ryokans with a private Onsen in the room?
2. Would you recommend a JR Pass for this itinerary? I used the calculator and it basically said we would come up even if we just paid for the tickets standalone.
3. Can someone recommend how to get reservations for Omakase spots in Tokyo? We are huge Omakase fans but it seems that high end restaurants use TableAll or Omakase.in reserve seats but those sites require an account and charge you for finding a table (sometimes around 50 bucks for making the reservation).
4. Any other ideas for day trips or towns to visit? We are highly flexible in our timing as long as we start and end in Tokyo due to our flights. We can cut down time in any of the major cities.
5. What are some crazy experiences you’ve had in Japan that I should try/check out?
Appreciate the help everyone!
1 comment
> Is 1 night in a ryokan in Hakone or Lake Kawaguchiko area plenty or should we aim for 2 nights? Not sure how much there is to see there that we cant allocate elsewhere. Any recommendations on Ryokans with a private Onsen in the room?
I think this depends on if you’re getting half board (dinner and breakfast) both days. If that is the case I personally would say 1 day is enough. Having back to back kaiseki dinners can be tiring. Otherwise in terms of things to visit in each area. Hakone for sure you could stay a couple days lots of different things you can do in the area. Also really depends on how much of an outdoors people you are. If your more of a city person like me I’d say 1 day is enough.
> Would you recommend a JR Pass for this itinerary? I used the calculator and it basically said we would come up even if we just paid for the tickets standalone.
I mean it sounds like you already have your answer. If it is breakeven it really is up to you. If you do get the pass you have the potential to some extra cash on any additional JR trips you take. I don’t think that would be that much though.
> Can someone recommend how to get reservations for Omakase spots in Tokyo? We are huge Omakase fans but it seems that high end restaurants use TableAll or Omakase.IN to reserve seats but those sites require an account and charge you for finding a table (sometimes around 50 bucks for making the reservation).
Depending on the hotel class your staying at the concierge there should be able to arrange reservations to sushi restaurants. 4-5 star hotels should be good enough to get you into most places. Regarding the high cost it could be down to how exclusive/sought after the restaurant is you’re trying to book. It costs a lot to maintain the relationship to these places. Other than that you can attempt to call the places directly and see if you can get a table, but you’d probably need to know at least conversational Japanese, and possibly a Japanese Phone number. If you have friends in Japan they may also be able to help with this.