Itinerary Check: 3 weeks in March/April

Quick notes about my trip:

* March 23rd to April 14th
* No JR pass; a 21 day pass is really pricey and my travel is fairly spread out anyway.
* Linking up with a friend in the JET program from the 24th to 2nd, but otherwise solo.
* I am vegan, but willing to be a bit flexible here and there to keep my trip smooth/experience the local cuisine.
* Due to *gender reasons*, gender segregated public onsens are a big no.
* I can read kana/some kanji (in a textbook, anyway) and know basic tourist phrases but could not carry a real conversation with google translate.

I’m looking for feedback on if any days seem too full, if any of the things I’ve marked to see can be skipped, and if there are any extra recommendations people have. If it all looks fine I’d love to hear that too as reassurance, haha. I know it’s a long one so I don’t know if anyone will bother but if so, thanks in advance!

#**3/23 (Thurs)** – Arrival
* Arrive in afternoon, check in at hostel, just explore the area/try to stay awake mostly
* Buy a goshuincho at Hands/Loft

#**3/24 (Fri)** – Tokyo (Shibuya)
* Meiji Shrine
* Togo Shrine
* Nintendo Store
* Meet my JET friend at the Hachiko Statue
* Mori Art Museum & City View

#**3/25 (Sat)** – Tokyo (Kichijoji)
* Ghibli Museum
* Explore Kichijoji
* Nakano Broadway

#**3/26 (Sun)** – Tokyo (Shinjuku)
* Shinjuku Gyoen
* Explore Shinjuku
* Ride the Sakura Tram to Asukayama Park
* Paper Museum
* Evening illumination at Asukayama Park
* Shinjuku Nightlife (will it matter that it’s a Sunday night?)

#**3/27 (Mon)** – Yokohama & Meguro
* Gundam Factory
* Yokohama Chinatown
* Browse Worldposters and Red Brick Warehouse
* Saido Restaurant
* Meguro River Illumination

#**3/28 (Tues)** – Tokyo Station Area
* Leaving this day mostly flexible!
* teamlabs Planets
* Late shinkansen to Aomori City (Need to reserve so I can keep my luggage/sit with my friend)
* Check in at hotel

#**3/29 (Wed)** – Aomori & Hakodate
* Sannaimaruyama Iseki (opens at 9)
* Aomori Museum of Art
* Nebuta Museum
* Take the 14:35 ferry to Hakodate
* Check in at hotel
* Hakodate Ropeway

#**3/30 (Thurs)** – Hakodate
* Fort Goryokaku
* Gagyusanmyoshin Temple
* Either 14:35 or 18:00 ferry to Aomori
* Train to Hirosaki
* Staying at my friend’s apartment

#**3/31 (Fri)** – Hirosaki
* Rest day

#**4/1 (Sat)** – Hirosaki
* Hirosaki Castle

#**4/2 (Sun)** – Travel to Kyoto
* Fly from Aomori Airport to Osaka Itami
* Ship luggage from Itami to minshuku in Higashiyama
* Bus to Kyoto
* Check in at hostel in Arashiyama
* Kiyomizudera illumination
* Kimono Forest lit up

#**4/3 (Mon)** – Kyoto (Arashiyama)
* Wake up early for the bamboo forest
* Otagi Nenbutsuji (opens at 8) and Gioji (opens at 9)
* Tenryu-ji
* Monkey Park
* Take the Randen Line (I’m retracing a route my parents took 15 years ago so it’s important!)
* Nijo Castle
* Engine Ramen
* Check in at minshuku in Higashiyama

#**4/4 (Tues)** – Kyoto (Fushimi)
* Early visit to Fushimi Inari
* Gokonomiya Shrine (depending on how long I spend at Fushimi Inari)
* Gekkeikan Okura Sake Museum
* Canal Boat Tour
* Teradaya Inn
* Nishiki Market
* Rokkaku-dō Illumination

#**4/5 (Wed)** – Kyoto (Higashiyama)
* Kimono Rental
* Sannenzaka and Ninenzaka
* Temple/Shrine visits (Ginkakuji in particular)
* Philosopher’s Path
* Tousuiro Gion
* Maruyama Park Illumination

#**4/6 (Thurs)** – Kyoto
* Free day for shopping, exploring anything I missed earlier, or resting.
* Ship luggage to Osaka
* Nijo Castle illumination

#**4/7 (Fri)** – Uji, Nara
* Byodoin
* Tea in Uji
* Nara Park
* Todaiji
* Check in a guesthouse in Nara
* Koriyama Castle Ruins illumination

#**4/8 (Sat)** – Nara, Osaka
* Shrine visits in Nara
* Wakakusayama hike
* Harushika Sake Brewery
* Train to Osaka
* Explore Dotonbori

#**4/9 (Sun)** – Osaka
* Kema Sakuranomiya Park
* Fujita Museum
* Osaka Castle
* Neu Cat Cafe
* teamlab Botanical Garden Osaka

#**4/10 (Mon)** – Osaka
* Free day for shopping/exploring/likely drinking

#**4/11 (Tues)** – Osaka, Nagoya
* Do some shopping in Osaka
* Ship luggage to Tokyo
* Kintetsu Railways to Nagoya
* Check in a hostel (last check-in at 18:00, blech)
* Nabana no Sato light show

#**4/12 (Wed)** – Tokyo
* Early bullet train to Tokyo
* Harajuku Shopping
* Check in at hotel
* Shinjuku Nichome or Shimokitazawa

#**4/13 (Thurs)** – Tokyo
* Anything I missed in Tokyo
* Souvenir shopping

#**4/14 (Fri)** – Tokyo
* Souvenir shopping
* Departure from Narita in evening