Hi all – been working on this itinerary for a dream trip to Japan I am taking in June and July.
I haven’t booked my flights yet so I’m flexible on ending destination, but committed to arriving in Sapporo since my WWOOF host site is in Hokkaido.
In addition to seeing what I’ve chosen as activities on my stops / insight into neighborhoods that are closer to other destintations etc, I would LOVE knowing about things I forgot, and specifically am needing some help making some decisions around a few specific points –
1 – I have the opportunity to have a three day road trip from Aomori to Tokyo. I’m debating whether to rent a car for three days and check out spots in the heart of the country that are hard to get to without a car – or whether I should just take an extended train trip along the coast with a couple spots at special places along the way… These days are clearly marked in below itinerary.
2- I have three days that are unaccounted for on this itinerary, I would of course love to add another city or town or day trip to what’s already here, or continue heading a little further south for a few days if the original journey looks solid.
3- I am heavily tattooed and aware of the stigma around tattoos and onsen! However, onsen is one of my favorite things to do in the world!! And I want to do them as much as I am able while I am abroad, so please let me know if there are other tattoo-friendlly onsen you may know of in regions particularly as I head south towards Hiroshima!
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Alright here it is!
Arrive May 31st in Sapporo –
* Check in at accommodations
* Figure out sim card
* Find dinner somewhere close
* Go to tattoo friendly [**Hoheikyo Onsen**](https://tattoofriendlyjp.com/item/hoheikyo-onsen/)
June 1st – Sapporo
* Sapporo beer museum
* Check out odori park
\- sapporo tv tower at afternoon/evening
\- onsen again?!
June 2nd – Sapporo
* Tanukikoji Shopping Street
* Susukino for evening adventuring
June 3rd – On to northern Hokkaido!
* Check out of accommodation, head to host site
* Meet at train station on June 3rd.
WWOOF three weeks in northern Hokkaido
June 21st – train from WWOOF site to Hakodate
* Get JR rail pass
* check into accommodations
* Get dinner at daimon yokocho
June 22nd – Hakodate
* Check out Hakodate morning market for breakfast
* Take the ferry!!Seikan Ferry Hakodate Terminal to Seikan Ferry Aomori Terminal
* Arrive in Aomori.
* Check in to accommodations
* Go check out Nebuta Museum Wa Rasse and get dinner somewhere
June 23rd –
* Pick up Rental Car in Aomori first thing
* Get breakfast at
* driving tour checking out the Jomon ancient sites
* Head off on Roadtrip!
June 24th – Roadtrip!
Would love recommendations for how to get from Aomori to Tokyo, top 5 places to stop or roads to be sure drive on – all the things !
Also I’m curious if I should turn the road trip into a train trip along the coast with a couple nights at different locations.. Would love opinions on this.
June 25 – Roadtrip!
Towards end of roadtrip – tattoo friendly onsen Kashiwaya Ryokan
6/26 – Arrive in Tokyo
* Check in to accommodations
* Return rental car
* Ameyoko shopping street in Ueno for dinner
6/27- Tokyo Day
* Akihabara!
* Food at Square Enix Cafe or Eorzea Cafe, or some other nerd cafe
* Akihabara Radio Kaikan Building
* Get all the anime things! → Any specific shops etc I gotta check out??
* Super Potato
* HEY (Hirose Entertainment Yard)
* Can I also find a poke center this day?! I NEED it
6/28 – Tokyo day
* Tokyo Imperial Palace
* Get the am tour if possible, tickets go on sale at beginning May
* Studio Ghibli Museum
* Get tickets on May 10th at 10am JST, aim for 3rd admission time 14:00 – 15:00
* Head to Shibuya
* See a love hotel on love hotel hill (from the outside haha)
* Walk around the shopping district
* Mega Don Quijote
* Nintendo Tokyo
* Soak at tattoo friendly onsen – Musashi-Koyama Onsen Shimizu-Yu
6/29 – Tokyo Day
* Meiji Temple / Inner Garden
* Yoyogi Park
* Check out Harajuku
* Takeshita St
* Kawaii Monster Cafe? Other good places to eat?
* Flea Market (hopefully it’s happening!! If no – where should I go?!)
\- Tattoo friendly onsen for evening – Kusatsu Onsen
6/30 – Tokyo day
* Teamlab Planets
* Buy tickets mid-march for June
* Ginza and Tsukiji
* Tattoo friendly onsen for evening – Mannenyu sento
Unnacounted for thing to do below:
* Head to Shinjuku
* Shinjuku crossing
* Shinjuku sky
* Omoide yokocho
* Kabukicho
* Golden gai
7/1 – Kyoto Day
* Travel day to Kyoto
* Check in to accommodations
* Fushimi Inari Shrine
* Nishiki Market for dinner
* Walk by kyoto tower on way
* kawaramachi – walk around
7/2- Kyoto Day
* “Philosophers Path”
* Ginkakuji temple to Nanzenji Temple
* Kiyomizudera Temple
* Tattoo friendly Onsen for evening – Tennen Onsen Tensho no Yu
7/3 Kyoto Day
* Kodai – ji and Kiyomizu-dera
* Walking along and visiting around ninenzaka and sannenzaka streets
* Daigo-ji temple
* Soak at Tattoo Friendly Kurama Onsen
7/4 – Stay in Kyoto – Day trip To Nara!
* Train to Nara
* Explore Naramichi
* Nara Park
* Todai-ji and Kofuku-ji temples
* Train back to Kyoto
7/5 – Stay in Kyoto – Day trip to Uji
* Find a place to see a tea ceremony
* Eat all the matcha things
* Kanbayashi Tea Museum
* Tsuen Tea Main Branch store visit
* Takumi-no Yakata, → sign up [https://www.kyototourism.org/en/activities/1075/](https://www.kyototourism.org/en/activities/1075/)
* Ujigami Shrine
* Walk down Byodoin Omotesando to Byodoin Temple
* Koshoji Temple
7/6 – Travel Day – Kyoto to Osaka
* Check in at new spot
* Check out osaka castle and gardens
* Explore and get dinner in Shinsekai district and visit Tsutenkaku Tower
7/7 Osaka- eat okonomiyaki!!
Universal Studio Japan–
Get tickets mid March
[https://www.usj.co.jp/web/en/us/areas/super-nintendo-world](https://www.usj.co.jp/web/en/us/areas/super-nintendo-world)
* Dinner in namba district
July 8 – Osaka to Hiroshima
* Sumiyoshi Taisha Shrine in am before train to hiroshima
* Get to hiroshima, check in to accommodations
* Check out hiroshima castle and shukkei-en garden
July 9 – Hiroshima
* Check out mitaki-dera temple
* Peace memorial museum
* Peace memorial park
* Atomic bomb dome
July 10 – Hiroshima
* Day trip to The Island Shrine of Itsukushima, Miyajima
* Take the ropeway?
* Machiya street
* Miyajima omotesando
July 11 – Hiroshima
* Sandanyako gorge day trip
* Take the ferry to see the waterfalls!
I have three full days unaccounted for – I’m not needing to leave until July 15th. Where should I add them? Do I stop in Hiroshima or push a little further south to see some things? Do I need a day in another city to fit in some things I have unaccounted for? Decision paralysis after making all these other choices haha!
Thanks a million in advance for reviewing this and sending me your tips!