The first leg of my trip will be Fukuoka. I have a friend that lives in Kita-Kyushu. Relying on him to show me around but he works during the weekdays, so I’ll need to entertain myself during the day. I can hop on the train to Hakata for some Tonkatsu Ramen. Is anyone familiar with this area?
Next I’ll be spending the weekend in Okayama. Planning to get some Parfait as they are famous for fruit production. I’ll also check out the Korakuen, which is right besides the Okayama Castle. May venture down to cost and see the nearby islands.
Right after that I will head to Osaka. Again my friend will be showing me around, but may need to entertain myself some of the days. I’ll probably head over to Dottonbori and check out the Kani Doraku. From what I understand Osaka is known for street food and comedy. So will maybe try and catch show. My friend is taking me on a 3 day trip to Kyoto. There are some lime stone caves in Ine. I believe we will be staying in fisherman’s village. Then back to Osaka for Universal Studios Japan. I’m not a huge fan of amusement park but my friend wants to go there.
From there I’m going to take the Nakasendo Mountain Trail from Nagoya to Tokyo. This is more or less the route I will be taking. Magome -> Tsumago -> Kiso-Fukushima -> Narai -> Karuzawa -> Tokyo. There are host towns along the way. At this point I’m assuming I don’t need to book room in advance but I will need to do more research on this leg of the trip.
From there spending a wopping 3 weeks in Tokyo, Chu-Ou City. I’ve researched some places to eat near there including Tsukiji Outer Market, Monja Street, Chukasoba Ginza Hachigou (Ramen), Oniyanma (Udon), Cafe de l’Ambre (coffee), Koffee Mameya Kakeru (coffee)(reservation required), Mikawa Zezankyo (tempura), Ningyocho Imahan (teppanyaki). Just to name a few. I also plan to check out Ueno Park, Chidorigafuchi Park, and take a day trip to Chiba beach. I will likely explore neighboring cities like Chiyoda and Minato City.
From there taking a few days in Sendai to try their famous beef tongue and check out the cat and deer islands (Tashiro Island, and Kinkasan Island). And the stunning views of Matsushima.
Next heading up to Sapporo and staying for a week with a host family. Haven’t planned much for this part of the trip as the host family will likely show me around.
Lastly I will be heading back to Tokyo for my flight home. Time willing I did want to check out Aomori and Akita.
That’s my itinerary so far. Let me know what you think. Any recommendations are most welcome.