Hello all,
I am a first time traveler to Japan and after a lot of looking at guides/itineraries I have charted the below plan. Please critique if I am being reasonable or over ambitious. I have taken into account those places where Hanami is best.
My likes : I am eager to learn about various cultures and Japanese is at the top. As a result, I like to visit temples and shrines. I want to experience a bit of calmness and peace where I can unwind, I have had a rough couple of months. On the other hand I also would like my senses to get bombarded with neon lights and exuberance that the cities have to offer. A big fan of Ghibli and video games, so shopping for souvenirs is very much on the table.
Below are my plans –
Arrive in Tokyo – Mar 18th
I will use this day to organize with respect to JR pass pick up, IC card, pocket wifi and currency exchanges. Since I expect to arrive sometime during the afternoon, I would not be able to do much anyway. Moreover the jet lag would have set in. I will spend the day to recuperate.
Tokyo Mar 19 – Mar 22
Day 1 – Meiji-jingu Shrine, Shibuya, Nakameguro, Roppongi for dinner and night exploration
DAY 2 – Shinjuku, Kabukicho, Shinjuku Gyoen, Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building observation room
Day 3 – Asakusa, Sensoji temple, Ueno Park, post-noon at Odaiba for TeamLab Planets, Unicorn Gundam Statue
Day 4 – Tokyo Station City, Imperial Palace, The East Gardens, Edo-Tokyo Museum
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Lake Kawaguchiko Mar 23 – Mar 24 \[Highway bus from Tokyo Station to Kawaguchiko – 2 hours\]
DAY 1 – Mt. Fuji Panoramic Ropeway, Music Forest, Chureito Pagoda.
Stay the night in a Ryokan with onsen perhaps? I have read that there is a rule about onsen not being made available to people with tattoos. How far is this restricted?
DAY 2 – Back to Tokyo to continue to Kyoto
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Kyoto Mar 24 – 28 \[Highway bus to Tokyo Station and board from Tokyo on Shinkansen – approx 4.5 hours\]
DAY 1 – Check-in/Rest, Nijo Castle, Kyoto Aquarium, Philosopher’s Path, Gion
DAY 2 – Arashiyama Bamboo grove, Tenryuji Temple, Togetsukyo Bridge, Sagano sight seeing
DAY 3 – Day trip to Mt. Yoshino for Cherry blossom spot and Nara Deer park
DAY 4 – Southern Kyoto including Fushimi Inari
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Osaka – Mar 28 – 31
DAY 1 – Osaka Aquarium, Tempozan Market Place, Osaka Castle, Umeda Sky Building
DAY 2 – Minami Area, Dotonbori, Shinsaibashi
DAY 3 – USJ
DAY 4 – Explore Central Osaka and get back to Tokyo via Shikansen
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Tokyo – Mar 31 – Apr 1
DAY 1 – Just chill, organize for departure
DAY 2 – Depart from Japan
A few more questions –
1. I do not consume meat, will there be vegetarian options?
2. Will a 14 day JR pass suffice?
3. Should I use laundry service since I really want to travel light?
4. Finally, can I just forward my luggage to the next stop?
Domo arigato gozai masu
3 comments
I haven’t been to Japan so can’t comment much on your trip but our itineraries are almost identical (off by a couple days and I am spending two days at Hakone). How are you planning to get to Mt. Yoshino? It was on our list initially but we took it off because of the long distance.
Re: JR pass, we opted for a 14 day even though it wasn’t enough. We were planning to activate at Narita airport and pay out of pocket the last couple days.
Re: luggage service, I am curious as well. My husband and I are planning to take a carry on for two weeks and just do laundry at various hotels. I do want to buy a ton of souvenirs for us and family so not sure if carry on is the best idea.
Hopefully others respond and provide more info.
Hi!
None of this is meant to be rude or condescending. First some comments regarding your itinerary:
1. Did you look into whether it was faster to go from Kawaguchiko to Mishima and then continue onwards to Kyoto vs. going back to Tokyo?
2. I think you’re going to be very early for Yoshino sakura. If you’re lucky it will be at 10% I would go somewhere else where it is higher since there are so many places in Japan that will be at 50%+ during your time period. Yoshino tends to be a good week+ behind the rest of Kansai.
3. Do be aware USJ is probably going to be packed. Their target audience are the Japanese, and there is a school break in Japan at the end of March when the school year ends. It’s also on a Friday.
4. In terms of ryokan and tattoos it really just varies? I know in general, if you book a room with a private onsen or your ryokan has a private onsen you can book for free or for a fee, those tend to be the best bet when tattooed. You will have to look up the specific policy of where you book. If you have not booked any place, I would start looking ASAP because again, it’s a vacation time for the Japanese and Kawaguchiko is a popular place for locals to go as well as tourists.
Now for your questions 🙂
1. How do you define vegetarian and what restrictions do you personally have? I ask this because some pescatarians call themselves vegetarian (they’re not they’re pescatarians, and a pescatarian will have few issues in Japan.) Some vegetarians don’t eat eggs but eat dairy. Some don’t eat dairy but eat eggs, some use the term for vegans. Some vegetarians are OK if their tempura is cooked in the same oil as meat tempura and some are not. Some are willing to compromise and allow dashi (seafood) broth in their food and others will not. I am a vegetarian. I do eat eggs, honey and dairy. I am OK with shared cooking oil or surfaces, which I know is always a risk of contamination. There are some great vegetarian and vegan options in Japan. My tween loves T’s Tan Tan Ramen. It has a lot of branches in Tokyo and is vegan. I preferred Uzu Ramen, also vegan, which has a branch in Kyoto and one outside Team Lab Planets. Download Happy Cow. It lists many options but not ALL options.
2. With your itinerary I would probably not get a rail pass. There is no way a 14 day pass is going to pay off. Because you are spending more than 7 days in Kansai a 7 day won’t cover it. You would have to start planning a lot of longer day trips from either Tokyo or Kansai to make a pass worthwhile. Even if you go to Yoshino, it’s on Kintetsu (a private line) not JR.
3. Sure? I have not used this service but someone else on reddit recommended them and I am debating using them next trip since I hate doing coin laundry. [https://wash-fold.com/shop](https://wash-fold.com/shop) Last trip I was up until midnight trying to get things washed and dried and it was just not fun. The prices seem reasonable and I am happy to pay someone else at this point.
4. Yes all hotels offer luggage forwarding. It is awesome and I have used it many times over almost 2 decades. With your itinerary, I would forward anything large between Tokyo and Kyoto and then forward again from Kyoto to Tokyo.
Good luck!
JR pass- According to the JR pass calculator, it won’t be worth it for you to take the 14 day pass, and close with the 7 day pass. JR pass doesn’t cover most of Tokyo metro, and the tickets are cheap anyway. The highway bus to Kawaguchiko and back isn’t covered either, nor the Mt Yoshino shuttles.
Tattoos- you are best to try get a private onsen
Food- see the FAQ post for resources, many foods are made with animal products in Japanese cooking
Luggage service- yes but they can be overnight, so you will need to be prepared for nights without luggage
Pocket wifi- have a look at e-sim, they seem to be much cheaper unless you are travelling in a group