Critique my 2 week Japan Itinerary – Tokyo, Nagoya, Kyoto and Osaka

11 comments

1. The way I approached my Tokyo trip was to plan neighborhoods for each half of a day, which was based off of places where I wanted to eat.

   The sites you want to see can act as a framework as you build up your itinerary further. Ok, so you’ll be on the eastern edge of the city for Akiba and Asakusa, so you’re probably going to want to eat dinner over there. Where could you go? Honestly, looking at Google maps at high rated places is a pretty easy way to find great spots. Or use a guide slime Lonely Planet. Or, even if you wanted to be a little more loosey goosey, walk around and see what you want to see in the neighborhoods and peek at restaurants on your walk. Does it look low-key? Do they make something you like? Are you feeling tired and just want to order from a machine out front and give your ticket to a worker and sit and just eat?

   I planned each half of the day with things I wanted to see, where I wanted to eat, and some shops I wanted to visit. A little less than half the time I didn’t eat where I wanted, either because my schedule was thrown off, I couldn’t find the place, or I changed my schedule on purpose to fit in something else. One time I wanted to go to some really good ramen place but I was starving and couldn’t find it, so I just went to a burrito place. No shame. I had a plan if I wanted, but it was okay to not do it. I found I felt safer with something scouted ahead of time so it wasn’t 6:00 and I’m hungry and I’m in a new neighborhood pacing the streets trying to find somewhere to go and I “waste” a meal on something I didn’t like or didn’t want.

   The Edo-Tokyo Open Air Museum is near Ghibli Museum and is super super cool to see. Old buildings that plucked from Tokyo and put outside in a slightly-wooded area for you to explore. You can’t go in most of them fully, but they do have some you can go into, including an old house where you have to take your shoes off for.

2. This is what I recommend for Nagoya: the Tokugawa Art Museum, Nagoya Castle (though the main castle part was closed back In December), and Atsuta Shrine. Miso katsu is a popular dish from Nagoya and I highly recommend finding some. Also, the tebasaki, are really good in Nagoya. Osu shopping area can also be fun and there is a temple there as well. Sakae is more trendy and has lots of restaurants but nothing super touristy. I haven’t been to the Ghibli Park so can’t speak about it.

3. move Harajuku on the weekend. The Harajuku fashion peeps are at school during weekdays. So they will be out doing their thing on the weekend.

   Move Teamlab to Wednesday so there is less people to compete with for photo ops.

   Do not go to Sensoji temple at 5pm. The temple and surrounding shopping street will vlose early. Schedule it first thing in the morning.

   Nara is nearer to Kyoto. You may want to schedule Nara when you are in Kyoto

4. May I ask why youre flying from Tokyo to Nagoya? is it cheaper than the train?

5. I would not get a pocket wifi and use an esim. The pocket wifi is very bulky, needs to be charged, and it toggles you to a limited amount per day.

   Eta: if you have an unlocked phone.

6. I’ll be at TeamLab Planets the same day as you guys. I have it booked for 9am!

7. Would recommend doing Tsukiji before TeamLabs! Last week I visited Tsukiji on a Saturday before our 10am TeamLab reservation and it was already pretty crowded. This would also give you more time to explore Akihabara and Asakusa!

8. We are traveling to Tokyo, Kyoto, and Osaka around this time too! We have a similar itinerary and also trying not to overplan to allow time for meandering and exploring

9. I know someone recommended going to Harajuku on the week end, but I would not unless you are really into packed crowds of people. I think there are fewer people showing off their Harajuku fashion post Covid. Harajuku was more crowded on 12/30 than Tokyo Disney Sea was on 12/31 and the lines for crepes and other snacks were a good 20-30 people long.

   I would think it makes more sense to rent a kimono in Kyoto. There tend to be more places there with a greater variety in prints.

   I hope you have express passes for USJ because you are going the Saturday of Golden Week. If you don’t have express passes expect to find 1-3 hour lines for most attractions.

   Good luck!

10. For Nara if the afternoon has clear weather and you feel up for a small hike, Mt Wakakusa would probably make for an excellent picnic/sunset spot. It was really lovely when I went last week, though sadly I had other plans and couldn’t stay for sunset. I would consider it the “nature”-y equivalent of the Shibuya sky sunset slot you have booked.

    For teamlab Planets make sure you have some fairly easily removable shoes and probably wear shorts / clothes than sit above the knee, otherwise you’ll have to deal with rolling or holding them up. (And not a skirt, or wear some safety shorts underneath if wearing a skirt).

    For Arashiyama I recommend Okochi Sanso Garden for a really lovely little garden circuit walk, followed by a look out of the Okochi Sanso Gorge Observation deck which should have a nice view of the gorge (this spot isn’t accessible from the garden though which google maps would lead you to believe! You have to go around via the north end of Kameyama park)

    Regarding Machiya Starbucks, it is really busy. I went past it twice on different days and it was too full to order anything. Still cute to take some photos outside but don’t bet on getting a seat and ordering anything.
    Kiyomizudera nearby is lovely. Kimono rentals in this area are plentiful and I recommend it over Osaka personally. Make sure you book Kimono rental in advance, it will probably be cheaper to do so as well as save you the hassle of going around and finding places are booked out.

    DisneySea be prepared to be there well in advance, park seems to open an hour earlier than advertised and is packed, queues were already reaching 40 minute lengths about 15 minutes before the park opened. Recommend setting up the app on your phone and try to check that it will actually accept your credit card if you think you might try to book express passes for some rides.

    USJ seemed to open 2hrs before the advertised opening time, beyond that there are plenty of other threads and I’ve written another comment about what that was like, similar to above get the app set up and ready on your phone for booking area tickets.

    Fingers crossed for you that you have some good weather for Shibuya Sky, my party got super unlucky with rain on both our Shibuya Sky sunset slot and our Tokyo Skytree day 🙁

    For Fushimi Inari be prepared for a decent climb, I recommend getting there 730 or earlier as there were already crowds when I started at 8am. Don’t get caught up taking photos with the first Tori you come across as they will be all over the place. Best views out of there are from the junction halfway up the hike before the loop.

    You’ll definitely be able to fit more things on the Fushimi Inari day also. With my 8am start I was done by 930am, I did some things in Nara on that same day.

    Enjoy your trip! I’m writing this comment from the Kansai Airport Express on my way home after a 16 day trip and I already miss Japan.. Can’t wait to come back again

11. Nagoya is good place to have any special meals; you won’t be waiting in crazy lines or book ages in advance. We had Hida beef, misokatsu, Nagoya style chicken wings and fluffy pancakes there (the last one isn’t a Nagoya speciality, but you’d be in line for ages in Tokyo).