Hoping to get some ideas from folks as to if this itinerary seems reasonable, if I’m fitting too much in / should drop something, or if there are things I’m missing that I absolutely must check out while I’m in specific areas.
I will be getting in early June and staying with a host family in northern Hokkaido, so figured they’d be my guides for that area. On the 21st I leave them and head off on the below solo – adventure.
Interests of mine include –
\- scenic travel routes (would love recommendations for tokyo to hiroshima part of what trains to take and which sides to sit on for best views!)
\- onsen – I have a lot of tattoos though so need tattoo friendly ones, but want to go as much as humanly possible.
\- anime / video games
\- Japanese architecture, cultural sites, shrines
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June 21st- train from Sapporo to Hakodate
* Get JR rail pass – consider getting a shinkansen pass too ?!
* check into accommodations
* Get dinner at daimon yokocho
June 22nd – hakodate to Aomori
* Check out Hakodate morning market for breakfast
* Take the ferry to Aomori
* Seikan Ferry Hakodate Terminal to Seikan Ferry Aomori Terminal
* Arrive in Aomori.
* Go check out Nebuta Museum Wa Rasse
* Nokke-don for dinner
June 23rd – Aomori – consider getting a rental car for this one day
* Visit Jomon ancient sites
* if no rental car, take a municipal bus from Aomori station heading for Unten Menkyo Centre and get off at Sannai Maruyama Museum
* Try to figure out how to get to Takayama Inari Shrine!!
June 24th – Begin Scenic Sea of Japan Train Trip!! Aomori to Akita
Take the Gono Line from Kawabe Station
* Try to book the Resort Shirakami
* If can’t book the fancy train, still take the gono line!
* make Stops at:
* Akitashirakami Station – the southern entrance to the Shirakami-Sanchi.
* Juniko Station – then take the bus from Juniko Station Bus Stop located in front of the station, to the final stop, Oku Juniko Parking Lot. After that, it takes about 15 minutes on foot to reach the front of Mori no Bussankan Kyororo
June 25 – Akita to Niigata
* Hoshitoge Rice Terraces
* Sake at the brewery
6/26 – Day 3: Niigata to Tokyo
\- eat dinner in Ueno
6/27- Tokyo
* Tokyo Imperial Palace
* Get the am tour if possible, tickets go on sale at beginning May
* Head to Shibuya
* Shibuya crossing
* Shibuya sky
* See a love hotel on love hotel hill (from the outside haha)
* Walk around the shopping district
* Mega Don Quijote
* Nintendo Tokyo
* Pokemon center
* Soak at tattoo friendly onsen – Musashi-Koyama Onsen Shimizu-Yu
6/28 – Tokyo
* Studio Ghibli Museum
* Get tickets on May 10th at 10am JST, aim for 3rd admission time 14:00 – 15:00
* Head to Shinjuku
* Omoide yokocho
* Kabukicho
* Golden gai
* Square enix Artnia café
6/29 – Tokyo
* Flea Market (hopefully it’s happening!! If no – where should I go?!)
* Meiji Temple / Inner Garden
* Yoyogi Park
* Check out Harajuku
* Takeshita St
* Daiso 100 yen
6/30 – Tokyo
Teamlab Planets
* Buy tickets mid-march for July
* Ginza and Tsukiji
* Namioka Jinja
* Ueno for dinner
* Tattoo friendly onsen for evening – Mannenyu sento
7/1 – Tokyo
* Akihabara!
* Food at Square Enix Cafe or Eorzea Cafe, or some other nerd cafe – get tickets beginning May!
* Maid cafe
* Akihabara Radio Kaikan Building
* Get all the anime things! → Any specific shops etc I gotta check out??
* Super Potato
* HEY (Hirose Entertainment Yard)
7/2 – Kyoto – make sure to get the shinkansen train tickets and reserve right hand side
* Travel day to Kyoto
* Check in to accommodations
* Fushimi Inari Shrine
* Nishiki Market for dinner
* Walk by kyoto tower on way
* kawaramachi – walk around
7/3- Kyoto
* “Philosophers Path”
* Ginkakuji temple to Nanzenji Temple
* Kiyomizudera Temple
* Tattoo friendly Onsen for evening – Tennen Onsen Tensho no Yu
7/4 Kyoto
* Kodai – ji and Kiyomizu-dera
* Walking along and visiting around ninenzaka and sannenzaka streets
* Daigo-ji temple
7/5 – Stay in Kyoto – Day trip To Nara!
* Train to Nara
* Explore Naramichi
* Nara Park
* Todai-ji and Kofuku-ji temples
* Train back to Kyoto
7/6 – 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
7/7 – Travel Day – Kyoto to Osaka
* Check out osaka castle and gardens
* Explore and get dinner in Shinsekai district and visit Tsutenkaku Tower
7/8 Osaka- eat okonomiyaki!!
Universal Studio Japan??
Get tickets mid March
\- Dinner in namba district
7/9 – Osaka to Kinosaki
* Sumiyoshi Taisha Shrine in am before train to Kinosaki
* Yu no yama park
* Find an onsen?!
7/10 – Kinosaki Day
* Onsen town tour Day!!
* Rent a Yukata, try to get one to buy!
* [https://visitkinosaki.com/tour-packages/yukata-rental-in-kinosaki-onsen/](https://visitkinosaki.com/tour-packages/yukata-rental-in-kinosaki-onsen/)
* Maybe do this little wood craft class
* https://visitkinosaki.com/tour-packages/kumiko-woodworking/
7/11 – Kinosaki to Hiroshima
* Check out hiroshima castle and shukkei-en garden
7/12 – Hiroshima
* Check out mitaki-dera temple
* Peace memorial museum
* Peace memorial park
* Atomic bomb dome
7/13 – Hiroshima
* Day trip to The Island Shrine of Itsukushima, Miyajima
* Take the ropeway?
* Machiya street
* Miyajima omotesando
July 14 – head home from Hiroshima
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TIA for any and all recommendations / tips / things to be aware of!