Hi again!! I’ve posted my itinerary before and got lots of great feedback from reddit, but now with less than one month left I’m doing one final check!
We are a couple in our mid 20’s, it will be my first time and his second time, and we are interested in video games, FOOD AND TEA AND DRINKS, shopping, and beautiful scenery!! Our itinerary feels very much like a first-timers guide, but we plan on going back.
We do not speak Japanese and this is my first time travelling outside of the US.
We are getting JR passes.
Questions:
1. We’re a little early for cherry blossoms in the areas we’re in, but is there anywhere in Tokyo we should be checking out for blooms maybe on the Saturday or Sunday before we head to Osaka? We considered Inokashira park but are unsure.
2. We would like to check out at least one bar with maybe some live music of any genre or any bars with a cool aesthetic (sort of cyber-core/vintage anime/more punk-y casual). Does anyone have recommendations?
3. Should we add anything else to our Arashiyama Kyoto day or does it look full enough?
Thanks in advance!
**MARCH 20 LEAVE**
**21 ARRIVE AT TOKYO HANEDA AIRPORT 3:10 PM**
* Purchase Suica card, get limo bus tix
* Take limo bus to Sunshine City Prince hotel in Ikebukuro (40 min)
**\*MAKE RESERVATIONS FOR BUTAGUMI FOR SUNDAY AT 7:00 PM\***
* Dinner (Kikanbo ramen or Mutekiya ramen? CoCo Ichiban?)
* Explore Sunshine City Mall, get conbini snacks
* Back to hotel
**22 ASAKUSA/TOKYO SKYTREE** **(30 min train ride)**
**\*GET OSAKA AQUARIUM TICKETS\***
* Ikebukuro Station to Asakusa Station (aiming to leave around 8:30 AM) (30 min train)
* Kaminarimon gate \*MUST SEE\*
* Senso-ji (get omamori and omikuji)
* Nakamise street (sweets, souvenirs)
* Mega Don Quijote
* Walk to Nishi Sando shopping street, Kappabashi Dougu street (11 min walk)
* Ganso Shokuhin Sample-ya Kappabashi Showroom
* Lunch (Gyu-Nabe Yonekyu sukiyaki?)
* Check out Imo Pippi? Miffy Flower?
* Cross Sumida river/Sumida park, too early for cherry blossoms though (15 minute walk)
* Tokyo Solamachi shopping (15 min walk)
* Tokyo Skytree
* Eat at Kirby Cafe for dinner (6:10 PM RESERVATION, be there by 5:55) \*MUST SEE\*
* JUMP shop
* Tokyo Skytree station to Ikebukuro station (45 mins)
**23 UENO/AKIHABARA** **(20-30 min train ride)**
* Ikebukuro station to Ueno Station at a comfy time
* Ameyoko shopping street \*MUST SEE\* (3 min walk)
* Nana’s Green Tea for brunch (hojicha!) (opens 11 AM) (8 min walk)
* Walk to Akihabara (16 min walk) \*MUST SEE\*
* BOOKOFF/HARDOFF
* Beep Akihabara
* TRADER
* Retro Game Camp
* Surugaya Game Museum/Surugaya Anime Hobby Pavillion
* Super Potato
* Animate Akihabara
* AmiAmi
* Crane games/gashapon
* Tokyo Station character street? (10 min train) (open til 8:30p)
* Radio Kaikan
* K-Books
* Dinner (Tendon Tenya tempura? Yukari okonomiyaki? Tempura Hisago? Katsuya katsudon?) **OR** head to Shinjuku today and leave Ikebukuro night open
* Back to Ikebukuro
**24 SHIBUYA/HARAJUKU** **(20 min train ride)**
* Ikebukuro station to Shinjuku station (15-20 min train)
* Walk through Shinjuku Gyoen Gardens (opens 9 AM)
* Under the Tree cafe in the park for breakfast (9-4p)
* Shinjuku to Shibuya Crossing (15 min train)
* Shibuya Parco (11a-9p)
* Nintendo Store Shibuya \*MUST SEE\* (Nintendo is timed entry so get ticket here first)
* Pokemon Center
* JUMP Shop
* Lunch at Shibuya Menya Musashi tsukemen (11:30-10:30p) (7 min walk) \*MUST EAT\*
* SHIBUYA 109
* One Piece Mugiwara (main store)
* Clothes shopping (looking for shoes; anyone know what a children’s size 4 translates to there? I have small feet)
* Go to Harajuku station (20 min walk via Cat Street or train)
* Takeshita street in Harajuku
* Dinner (free) or (Yoshinoya for donburi or CoCo Ichiban curry if we need something quick and easy)
* Back to Shibuya area
* Shibuya SKY (final admission 9:30) \*MUST SEE\*
* Whales of August bar in Shibuya (9 min walk) (open 6p)
* Shibuya to Ikebukuro
**25 (SATURDAY) IKEBUKURO**
* Tsukiji outer market breakfast (45 min)
* Back to Ikebukuro (45 min)
* Explore Sunshine City mall \*MUST SEE\*
* Gashapon store
* One Piece Mugiwara store
* Pokemon Center
* Ghibli store
* Sanrio Vivitix
* Sanrio Gift Gate
* Lunch (free)
* Ikebukuro Parco
* Parco Factory art gallery
* Evangelion Store
* Animate Ikebukuro (world’s largest anime store)
* Don Quijote
* BOOKOFF
* Head to Shinjuku in the late evening (unless we did it on Akihabara day, then maybe go to Nakameguro for dinner? **Open to suggestions**)
* Omoide Yokocho/Hobo Shinjuku
* Ghifu-ya gyoza
* Shinjuku Dagashi bar
* Back to Ikebukuro (10 min train)
**26 (SUNDAY) TEAMLABS/FREE DAY** **(Forward luggage to Osaka before leaving)**
**\*PICK UP JR PASS\***
* Ikebukuro station to Shin Toyosu Station around 8 AM (40 min train)
* Teamlab Planets (9a-9p) (\*9-9:30 RESERVATION) \*MUST SEE\*
* Back to Ikebukuro (40 min train)
* Hisamatsuya Onsen (15 min train)
* FREE AFTERNOON
* Shimokitazawa for thrifting/Something we missed on previous days? Would like to leave this open/free of plans
* Train to Aoyama Flower Market Teahouse around 5 PM if time (open until 7 PM) (30 min)
* Dinner at Butagumi (try for reservation for 7:00 PM) (13 min walk)
* Back to Ikebukuro (30 min)
**27 TOKYO TO OSAKA** **(\~3 hour train)**
* **Check out of Tokyo hotel**
* Leave from Ikebukuro Station to Tokyo Station early as possible (20 min train)
* Grab bento from Ekibenya Matsuri for the train
* Leave Tokyo Station to Shin-Osaka Station by 10 AM (3 hrs) Shin-Osaka station to aquarium (45 mins)
* Aquarium (get tickets for 2:30 PM) \*MUST SEE\*
* **Osaka Bridge Hotel Shinsaibashi check-in** (30 min train) (anytime after 3 PM) (luggage should be forwarded already) and chill out before going out for the night
* Super Potato Osaka
* One Piece store Abeno Ward if we didn’t get to check out any other Mugiwara stores (20 min train)
* Ebisubashi Bridge to Dotonbori at night for lots of food and drink (look for kushikatsu, takoyaki, taiyaki, and a bar)
**28 OSAKA**
* Universal Studios (30 min train) (opens 8:30 AM) \*MUST SEE\*
* All day USJ (our Super Nintendo World Timed Entry is at 6:40 PM)
* Back to hotel (park closes at 10) (30 min train)
* Dinner near hotel (McDonalds? 10 min walk)
**29 OSAKA TO KYOTO** **(58 min train ride) (Forward large luggage to Tokyo hotel)**
* **Check out of Osaka hotel**
* Leave early as possible- Shinsaibashi station to Kawaramachi station (1 hr)
* Drop off any extra bags at **SH by the Square Hotel Kyoto**
* Philosopher’s path (\~60 min walk on the path) (30 min bus to Ginkakuji, or get a taxi)
* Ginkaku-ji to Heian Shrine **(Considering doing something else with this time as we’re early for cherry blossoms, is it still worth it to check out or any suggestions?)**
* 30 min walk or bus to Sannenzaka area, explore
* Camellia Tea Ceremony FLOWER at 2 PM
* Kimono rental 2 PM, tea ceremony 3 PM (45 min long ceremony) \*MUST SEE\*
* Take some photos in kimono, return kimono
* Explore Sannenzaka/Ninnenzaka on the way to Kiyomizudera (most things close around 6 PM)
* Kiyomizudera night illumination (10 min walk from kimono rental) (begins at 6:00p, last entry 9:30 PM) \*MUST SEE\*
* Back to hotel area (20 min walk)
* Get bikes from hotel and cycle along Takase river if well lit, cycle to dinner
* Dinner (Chao Chao Sanjo Kiyami gyoza) (5pm-midnight)
* Cycle back to hotel
**30 KYOTO**
* Hotel to Inari station early (30 min train or 10 min taxi)
* Fushimi Inari (\~1 hr only making it about halfway up to Yotsutsuji intersection and back, or \~2-3 hrs for full hike)
* Go to Nishiki market (opens \~9/10 AM) \*MUST SEE\* (30 min train from Fushimi Inari)
* EAT! (chicken thigh roll, sushi, beef, etc)
* Snoopy Cha-ya
* Back to hotel to change/rest
* Explore Gion before dinner (15-20 min walk from hotel)
* Kobe Beef Steak Mouriya Gion for dinner \*6:15 PM RESERVATION\*
* Walk Hanami-Koji to Yasaka shrine after dinner (20 min walk) (open 24 hrs)
* Maruyama park behind Yasaka for cherry blossom festival at night if sakura is in bloom, but probably too early
* Shimbashi Dori late night scenic stroll back to hotel (25 min walk)
**31 KYOTO**
* **Check out of Kyoto hotel** **(Forward carry-ons to Tokyo hotel, now all luggage will be in Tokyo)**
* 45 min train to Saga-Arashiyama station early as possible
* Arashiyama bamboo forest (24 hr) \*MUST SEE\* (10 min walk)
* Head back to station area
* %ARABICA (9a)
* Miffy Sakura Kitchen (10a-6p) \*MUST SEE\*
* Rilakkuma Tea House (10a-5p)
* Cross Moon Bridge to Monkey Park Iwatayama (9a-4p) \*MUST SEE\* (16 min walk + 30 min hike)
* Kinkaku-ji? Tenryu-ji?
* Back to Osaka in the evening, Saga-Arashiyama station to Shinsaibashi (1 hr)
* **Check back into same Osaka hotel as before**
* Zaou fishing restaurant if we have energy (17 min walk from hotel) (5p-11p)
* Back to hotel
**(SATURDAY) APRIL 1ST TOKYO**
* **Check out of Osaka hotel**
* Shinsaibashi to Ueno Station around 8 AM (3.5 hour train)
* Grab bento
* Ueno park for hanami! (Predicted peak bloom)
* **Check into Super Hotel Akihabara Suehirocho**
* Free afternoon
* Monzen Nakocho for cherry blossoms for night illumination **(wanted to check out a boat ride but heard you have to sign up in person in the morning which would be earlier than we arrive in Tokyo, anyone have experience with this?)** (11 min train)
* Dinner
* Back to hotel
**(SUNDAY) APRIL 2ND LEAVE FROM HANEDA AIRPORT (FLIGHT AT 4:05 PM)**
* **Check out of Tokyo hotel**
* Tokyo Station to Haneda by 11 AM