6 people, 4M 2F
Tokyo, Nara, Osaka, Kobe, Kyoto, Kanazawa, Nagano back to Tokyo.
We are a group of mid 20 year olds and none of us have been to Japan before. We are going to use the whole country JR pass to get around and our main interests are food, temples/cultural sites, unique experiences and food. We are not very interested in museums or zoos/aquariums. We are looking to eat at maybe two really nice restaurants and any food recommendations are welcome.
18th
* Arrive around 2:30pm
* Go through customs and grab luggage (We are all registered on the Visit Japan Web site and I have heard it takes on average about 1.5 hrs to get out of the airport depending on the lines.)
* Pick up IC card and JR Passes. I think we are all planning on using Suica and can we use it in Kyoto for buses or do we have to buy tickets there?
* Go to hotel and drop off bags. Depending on energy level might try some things around Shibuya like:
Tokyo Metropolitan Building
Shibuya Crossing/Hachiko Statue
Shibuya Parco
Any recommendations for places to eat around Shibuya or Meijiro for our first night?
19th
Nikko day
* Nikkō Tōshō-gū
* Ramen Bonten or Hippari-dako for food. Better ideas for where to eat in Nikko?
* Nikkowanoshiro Onsen Yashio Hot Spring.
* We are also thinking about going to a Sumo match since there is a tournament happening while we are there. Is there a chance that we can buy tickets at the Sumo stadium on the 28th? We could get tickets in advanced for the 19th but they are sold out for the 28th. Our hotel in Tokyo on the 28th is right next to the stadium and it would be convenient to just show up and ask for tickets.
20th
Fuji day
* Travel to Kawaguchiko. Where can one get tickets for the Fuji Excursion train? We understand to get a ticket from Otsuki to Kawaguchiko, but do we get those before we take the excursion train or during our ride?
* Hotou Fudo Kawaguchiko Station
* Fuji-Q Highland. Might be crowded because it will be a Saturday. We could possibly get the “afternoon ticket”, which I saw somewhere is for after 2pm. Not all of us are big rollercoaster people, so we will play it by ear and possibly skip it to explore around the lake instead.
* Chureito Pagoda. Are there any other recommendations for scenic places around the lake to view mt. Fuji?
21st
* Travel to Nara and have an airbnb in Osaka
* Try some of the food along Sanjo-dori Street
* All the Nara park favorites like feeding the deer, Kōfuku-ji, Mount Wakakusa etc.
* Travel to airbnb. We are planning on having our luggage sent from Tokyo to a post office where we can pick it up somewhere in Osaka. Is this a good strategy or should we have it shipped to the airbnb? We are checking out of the Airbnb on the 23rd.
22nd
* Osaka Castle
* Shinsekai
* Namba Yasaka Shrine
* Rikuro’s Namba Main Branch
* Dotonbori food
* Kobe in the evening
* Chinatown in Kobe. Any other worthwhile places in Kobe to visit?
23rd
* Our airbnb was only available till the 23rd so we will be staying at a capsule hotel in Osaka for the night of the 23rd.
* Universal Studios Japan. Will it be ok on the lines because it is a Tuesday? We are mostly going for Nintendo World, but there are some big Harry Potter fans in our group.
24th
* Go to Kyoto
* Drop off luggage at hotel
* Arashiyama Bamboo Forest
* Arashiyama Monkey Park Iwatayama
* Fushimi Inari Taisha
25th
* Kiyomizu-dera
* Yasaka Shrine and Hanamikoji Street
* Nishiki Market
* Kyoto palace
* A good restaurant in the Pontocho area. Planning on Pontocho Suishin.
26th
* Travel to Kanazawa
* Tsuzumi-mon Gate
* Ōmichō Market
* Oyama Shrine and Kanazawa Castle
* Kenroku-en
* D.T. Suzuki Museum
* Higashi Chaya District
27th
* Train to Nagano
* Togakushi Shrine
* Not sure if we can squeeze it in but tentatively Zenkō-ji Temple. Our accommodation is in Yamanochi.
28th
* Travel back to Tokyo
* Gundam Factory Yokohama
* Yokohama China Town
* Cup noodle museum. Worth it?
29th
* RED° TOKYO TOWER
* Disneyland Tokyo. Might be less crowded on a Monday. Not sure if all of us will go
* Ginza food/stores
30th
* Round 1 in Kichijoji
* UNIQLO Kichijōji Store
* Karaoke-kan Kichijoji South
* Ghibli Museum
* Other stores to get souvenirs. Don Quixote, GU, Daiso
31st
* Travel back home
4 comments
Hello!
It’s very unlikely that you’ll be able to find tickets for the 28th as that is the day of the final matches and those were the first ones to sell out. It’s the most important day of the tournament.
For Fuji I recommend the Mt. Fuji Panoramic Ropeway and Oshino Hakkai Village
For Kyoto, you know that the Arashiyama area is like one hour away from the Fushimi Inari Shrine?
This looks like a very packed trip, I’ll be following to see what feedback you receive as some of what you are considering doing is also in my rough plans (quick trip to Kanazawa, USJ on a weekday, etc).
Have you gotten tickets for Ghibli Museum already? Be aware they sell out quick (if not already).
> Ghibli
Is closed on Tuesdays, including the 30th.
Source: https://www.ghibli-museum.jp/en/tickets/
> Nagano
I am really confused by the Nagano day. Togakushi and Yamanochi are on opposite sides from Nagano, and Yamanochi is most famous with the Jigokudani monkey park, which is a waste of time in May since there is no snow and thus no bathing monkeys. Why not stay in Nagano proper, or near Togakushi if you really want a rural-ish experience.
> Kobe Chinatown
Not sure this is worth the detour at all. Kobe is more a city for business, on a first trip I would only recommend going there if you really value “eating Kobe beef in Kobe” or have a personal connection to the city. Otherwise, just stay in Osaka and enjoy the madness of Dotonbori at night.