Advice on my schedule for Japan needed! Leaving in 2 days

12 comments

1. The only thing I’d recommend against is the owl café as they’re nocturnal animals and the standard of animal welfare is less than ideal. If you’re stuck for things to do in Tokyo, Hakone might be a nice day trip and you could potentially go on the pirate ships (if they’re running). Alternatively, Koishikawa Korakuen garden is meant to be beautiful.

2. Fushimi Inari Shrines to Arashiyama Bamboo Grove 23 min Keihan main line – I’m not sure which one is the Arashiyama Bamboo that’s only 23 min – Between Fushimi Inari and Arashiyama (the one in northwest) is actually pretty far. Even with JR line it’s still at least 45 minutes.

   You’ll have better times splitting these in to 2 days

   1 Day Fushimi Inari + Kiyomizu-dera + Sanneizaka + Nineizaka + Gion

   1 Day Arashiyama Bamboo + Around the area + Kinkaku-ji + Ryoan – Ji

   March 23rd – you can potentially bundle Tsujiki market + Team labs + Ginza, etc

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   Also, instead of going to Shibuya Sky you can go to Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building Observatory deck, it’s free and has the skyline view too.

3. Shibuya Sky, will be a long wait, get reservations

4. Same for Team Planets, get reservations

5. March 20th, definitely has too many things. If you have never been on a plane before your probably going to have some jet lag

6. Plan to add an extra 10-15 mins to all the google map travel estimates. It takes time finding your way to the right metro station and then getting on the right platform, going to the exit, etc. Some stations are huge (e.g. Shibuya).

   Also, if you’re planning to buy a subway pass in Tokyo make sure you try to buy the combined Tokyo Metro and Toei pass. Google maps shows routes for both but if you only have the Tokyo metro pass you cannot take Toei lines.

   In Tokyo I’d recommend checking out Tsukiji Market for food.

7. To cut some morning time for meals, does your hotel offer breakfast or have an inhouse cafe. Check the website hours and if yes make use of it. If not you can go to a 7-11 or Family mart the night before and buy their sandwiches, breads and bento meals, put in your fridge and have something to snack on while getting ready.

   Dont forget to bring any over the counter meds you may need like advil, stomach meds like tums or even dayquil. they have the travelsize in your Walmart or Target.

   Another forum mentioned this tip: Bring soap sheets in case you cant find soaps in public restrooms and some bring small sandwich size plastic bags/ziploc as handy trash bags when finding public trash cans are far in between. Plus they are handy to carry yen coins in you run out of pocket space.

8. No real notes as others are covering obvious things but conveniently I’ll be hiking Takao-san a couple days later so I hope you have a blast and some of the forecasted rain doesn’t fall on either of our days there.

   I’m planning on being flexible if it does and finding another adventure that day if it doesn’t work out.

9. I’m just typing to save this. Have fun!

10. This is a “surprising” itinerary, but interesting and original.

    March 19th

    >Haneda Airport to hotel

    >6 minute travel, 30 minute walk

    Honest question, where the flying fuck is that… There aren’t many places in Tokyo that are over 20 mins by foot from any given station, and 6 mins from the airport is … still very, very close to the airport, likely in Ota ward. So 30 mins on foot, 6 mins from the airport, besides trying to go on purpose to industrial zones such as Jonanjima, I just don’t see what kind of place that can be, and more importantly WHY you picked up that place. You’ll be exhausted, so walking 30 mins with your luggage seems like a super bad idea. There is nothing to gain by doing that, taking the train or the bus and in 30 mins you’ll be pretty much anywhere near a decent hotel.

    March 20th, you go back and forth, touching areas you’ll be visiting later (eg, Hanazono shrine is just a couple meters away from Kabukicho. Mejiro Garden… Why? (I mean, it’s a fine little garden out of the usual tourist path, but it’ll be over in a few minutes). You may want to try Rokugien if you want a more spacious Japanese garden in which to spend more time.

    March 23rd, Hie Shrine, again, why ? I’ve seen this one popped up in a couple touristic itineraries, I wonder how it is described. It’s an important shrine in terms of spiritual meaning, but it is not what I would call “interesting” for a tourist visiting the country. It is a modern complex with a large concrete torii (and escalators next to the steps). In the area, maybe Toyokawa Inari may be a bit more rewarding “touristically speaking”. Even Yasukuni will be more interesting.

    March 25th: Asukayama and Oji… Here too, I’m interested about the “why”. Interesting area, it’s basically the oldest park in Tokyo, and there are some historical relics (residence of Shibusawa Eichi, museum of paper, etc.), but it’s more the kind of place you’ll see in the itinerary of someone who visited the country 10 times and wants to go deeper.

    But then… At the same time, you also see a couple spots that are in all itineraries of first timers. So I’m a bit curious about what you are targetting. And I’m not saying your choices are “bad”. Just… “original”.

11. If you haven’t already changed it, I’d suggest bumping the Shibuya Kabukicho night out to the 23rd since you don’t have much planned there, if only because you could be too jet-lagged to want to do it.

    If you’re doing TeamLab Planets and have time, I’d swing over to Odaiba. Get some photos of the rainbow bridge, the mini Statue of Liberty, and the life-size Gundam, and there is plenty of shopping, entertainment, and food there.

12. Have you given much thought to food on your trip? Anything in particular you are wanting to try, or any dietary restrictions?