12 Days in Japan

4 comments

1. Expect for everything to be pretty busy around golden week. Everyone in Japan is off work and school.

   The Ghibli museum you have to buy tickets for in advance and has to be done from a kiosk from certain places inside Japan. (Unless they’ve changed it recently) so unless you have someone there already to purchase then it will probably be unlikely.

   I love Nara I highly recommend it! The deer there are so cute and you could a very fun day there. Especially if the blossoms are still blooming. They may have already finished by the time you arrive. But still a great location to visit.

   I didn’t get a chance to visit the other places you are considering but here are a few other places I did visit:

   Asuka- a small village not to far from Nara. Great small village vibe with lots of rice paddy’s and farmers.

   Osaka- also not to far from Nara. Dontonburi is a great area full of different shops and great food. Check out Don Quijote if you go there.

   Tokyo- Shinjuku, Harajuku, Ikebukuro, Shibuya all great areas in Tokyo to visit.

2. You can go on a one-day visit to Odaiba in Tokyo on May 8th. It’s the weekday after the Golden Week, so hopefully, there’d be less tourists in the area. There is a replica of the Statue of Liberty there, Unko/Poop Museum, Madame Tussaud’s Wax Musuem, a Gundam statue, lots of restaurants, and places to go for shopping.

3. If you want to stay at a ryokan, you’ll probably be better off doing it on day 3 before golden week starts. Technically that weekend does have a holiday, but the bulk of golden week will happen during the next week. https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2282.html

4. The main neighborhoods for vintage shopping in Tokyo are Shimokitazawa, Koenji, and Kichijoji (which is where the Ghibli Museum is if you manage to get tickets, so you could combine those activities). To a lesser extent, you can also do some second hand shopping in Harajuku.

   If you do end up in Osaka, Amemura has some second hand shopping (big emphasis on American street style) and I’d personally recommend Nakazaki-cho…there’s a few second hand shops as well as a bunch of cute cafes and restaurants…but overall it’s just a super chill neighborhood.

   Also, imo you’re missing out on some of the best parts of Tokyo (and the surrounding area). For one, I’d definitely make time to check out Asakusa.

   And I’d recommend spending your free day exploring Kamakura and Enoshima. Or if you’re into hiking/nature, heading to Western Tokyo, like Mt. Takao or the Ome area. I don’t think you really need a guide tbh, just do a little research beforehand.

   Alternatively, Kawaguchiko is only about a 2-3 hr bus ride from Tokyo…might be worth it to go and check out Mt. Fuji (weather permitting). You’d need to book the highway bus tickets in advance tho.

   Wherever you go it will be packed because of the holidays. So be prepared.