The trip is not scheduled, I’m still planning. This will likely be next year or the year after thanks to the pandemic, but I plan on going once it is reasonably safe to do so and Japan allows for tourism from the United States.
# Goals
This is a little bit of a nostalgia trip because I used to live in Fussa, so you’ll see that I have a bit of time scheduled to stay in Tachikawa. I am hoping to make this trip in the Fall when we go, so the colors on the mountains will likely be beautiful and the temperature should be nice.
My wife, who I met and married later in life, has never been to Japan but loves anime, gardens, museums, and food.
We have an official rule that if I take her to a country with castles, she must see one. Hence Odawara being on this list. I know there are castles elsewhere in the country that are higher on people’s lists. **Should I be looking at a day trip to one elsewhere?**
I could potentially make the trip up to 14 days, with a definite day trip to Kamakura. **Anything else I should strongly consider adding to the list? We could honestly just pick a station on the Yamanote line and wander for the 2 extra days and be quite happy.**
# Hotels and food
We are planning on utilizing business hotels except for splurging on a traditional inn in Hakone. I may also splurge on a nicer room in Tachikawa because the Tachikawa Grand always looked so cool. **Has anyone ever stayed there?**
For food we’re planning on convenience stores and quick meals for breakfast and lunch, and finding sit-down restaurants in the evenings.
# Running
I plan on running several days when I wake up while I’m in Japan. Most likely laps around Yoyogi park while I am staying in Shinjuku, but possibly around the Imperial Palace. While in Tachikawa I would likely run along the Tama river or pay to run in Showa Kinen park. I am very open to suggestions because I mostly ran on my Air Force base, and not because I wanted to.
# Itinerary
### Day 1: Tokyo
* Arrive in Tokyo
* Get to hotel in Shinjuku for 3 nights (**better place for hotel?**)
* Deal with the jet lag and get settled
### Day 2: Tokyo
* Ueno – Tokyo National Museum, shopping in Ameya Yokocho
* Akihabara – lunch, shopping, gawking
* Shinjuku – Dinner and drinks in Yokocho Omoide, wandering
### Day 3: Tokyo
* Harajuku – Meiji Jingu and Yoyogi Park, lunch
* Shinigawa – Sengakuji Temple and Museum
* Shibuya – Dinner and wandering, shopping
### Day 4: Tachikawa
* Check out of Shinjuku hotel and take the Ome line to my old stomping grounds
* Hotel in Tachikawa
* Showa Memorial Gardens
* Shop
* Drinks at County Clare Irish pub (an old haunt)
### Day 5: Fussa
* Walk around my old neighborhood, Coco Ichibanya for lunch
* Walk down what we affectionately called Bar Row to see if any of the old bars are still named the same
* Shop a little bit
* If we are still there by dinner time, find one of my old favorite restaurants, if they still exist.
### Day 6: Mt. Takao
* Climb mountain by less used path, specifically the Biwa Waterfall trail, and see shrine by coming down the paved path.
* Grab some Tororo Soba for lunch
* **could I fit in something else here? Perhaps visiting Ome or Hachioji for wandering and eating?**
### Day 7: Mt. Mitake (moves based on Sake tour availability)
* Mitake station – Gyokudo art museum
* Walk to Sawai Station via Gorge path
* Sawai Station – Sake Brewery English tour 1130 twice a week
* Get some lunch if needed, back to Mitake station via train
* Cable car or hike to top station on Mount Mitake, hike to Musashi Mitake Shrine
* Head back to Shinjuku for one more night, Dinner
### Day 8: Tokyo, Odawara
* Shinjuku – Gyoen National Garden
* Train to Odawara
* Odawara – Odawara Castle and Gardens
* Travel to Hakone, stay in ryokan
### Day 9: Hakone
* Ropeway
* Pirate Cruise
* Hakone Checkpoint
* Hakone Shrine
* Open Air Museum
* **I am really open to advice because Hakone seems like it has an abundance of choices. My wife would really like to see Mt. Fuji so that is her only requirement.**
* Get back to Tokyo
### Day 10: Fly Home
* Fit something in if there is time
* Tokyo Edo Museum
* Fly back to US
### Possible Additional Day between Odawara and Hakone
* Kamakura – temples, shrines, and the beach
9 comments
That’s a dope itinerary!
I’m going there next month. I read that they check on you daily via email to make sure you’re not symptomatic? Planning on locking myself on the second floor of my uncle’s house for 14 days.
Anyone have issues at customs getting in?
I think that it is unfortunate to plan eating konbini food for lunch. As you have experience living in Japan, I guess you know that you can find pretty cheap restaurant.
Shinjuku is not a bad area to stay, but for me it depend on you plan. For what you want to see and considering you will go west at then end of the Shinjuku stay, it make sense.
Sengaku-ji is an interesting choice, I hardly ever see it in people’s itinerary, so my guess is that you have some interest into Japanese history, right.
You might want to be flexible with you Mount Takao day too and go when it’s the clearest to have a chance to see Mount Fuji and your other days from Tachikawa look like the can be moved around easily.
For a Ryokan/hotel with view on Mount Fuji, you have much more choices and direct view in Kawaguchiko than from Hakone. So depending on the location of the hotel or ryokan, you might want to properly take two days for Hakone, because if it’s in the middle of the loop, you will have to do half the attractions on each day, Most of the places I could find have a view are in on either end of Lake Ashi, so if you do the loop clockwise, you probably want to do Hakone Shrine and checkpoint on the first day and maybe the cruise if you take a hotel on the north side of the lake. While the second day you can do ropeway, Owakudani, open air museum.
If you decide to add Kamakura, I think it would be worth adding a full day to your itinerary. Also it’s possible to go direct there from Tachikawa. It require a train change, but you do not have to go back all the way to Shinjuku.
Odawara castle is probably your easiest option, unless you want to take a trip to Matsumoto.
It looks like you have an awesome itinerary here, you are really going to enjoy your trip.
## Day 1: Tokyo
I think Shinjuku is perfectly good. Plenty of nightlife, close to Shibuya, Omoide Yokocho, etc.
## Day 2: Tokyo
If you are just doing the museum and the shopping, that is probably fine for the morning, but Ueno has the park there as well, and you may desire more time there (depending on time of year etc)
## Day 3: Tokyo
I recommend this to anyone in Shibuya, I really enjoyed a little dive there called Whoopiegoldburger… yes, you read that right.
## Day 9: Hakone
I did a similar itinerary to you in 2019 in Hakone, worked out great. (the 2 Day Hakone Free Pass worked great) (Also train resource here: [https://www.hakone-tozan.co.jp/en/](https://www.hakone-tozan.co.jp/en/) )
I stayed here: **Hakone Gora Kanon** , it was simple, quiet, (kind of old and musty, but that dded to the charm), and had private onsen type baths that you and your wife could use together (first come first serve basis). It was located along the Hakone Cable Cars.
So basically, we bought our Hakone Free Pass in Odawara and took the Tozan train up to the last station (using the pass). On the way up you pass the Hakone Yumoto station (this is important for later).
We took the cable cars about half way up to our stop, took 2 min or something quick. Walked to our Ryokan and checked in.
In the morning we checked out and left our luggage ( [https://www.hakone-tozanbus.co.jp/english/carry/](https://www.hakone-tozanbus.co.jp/english/carry/) ) Use this carry service, you just fill out details at the ryokan and just leave your luggage there in the morning. It will get picked up and brought to the Hakone Yumoto station, where you will end up by the end of your day. You can pick it up anytime between 1:30 and 7pm.
We took the cable cars in the morning the last 2 stops to the ropeway, did the ropeway, stopped and did the black eggs halfway through. (Got a beautiful shot of Fuji as we crested the mountain).
Did the pirate ship, the checkpoint, the shrine, (missed the museum). And then caught the bus to Hakone Yumamoto (also covered under the pass), picked up our bags and then down to Odawara and we were good.
A note on the pirate ships, they get crowded, and COLD. Make sure you have a jacket. (I was there in early spring. Also, I recommend, taking the pirate ship from Togendai (where the ropeway is) to Hakonemachi-ko (First on is at 9:30 am) and then walking from Hakonemachi to Motohakone. They aren’t far from each other and you can walk along the old Tokaido road which would be great right after doing the museum. The path is lined with HUGE cedar trees, it’s amazing: [https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e5205.html](https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e5205.html)
For the buses, leave from Motohakone (once you are done with the shrine, etc). It just isn’t worth the time to go back across the lake, up the ropeway, down the cable cars, and the nthe train etc.
You can use this to see buses and timetables: [https://bit.ly/2YNVcDj](https://bit.ly/2YNVcDj)
It is also covered by the Pass.
I think what you have is a great itinerary for Hakone.
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A note on Fuji, There is always a risk that you will not be able to see Fuji from Hakone. It depends on the weather. Kawaguchiko (something I’m doing with my wife next year I hope) is closer and has a better chance than Hakone, but still has the same general risk of weather.
When I was in Hakone, I got a good view from the ropeway, but once I was on the ships, couldn’t see it anymore.
Kamakura is very stretched out. You have a lot of the temples around Kita-Kamakura train station. The town centre with Tsurugaoka shrine is around Kamakura train station and then the Big Buddha and Hasedera (which I like most) are around Hase station. Depending what you wanna see and how long you sleep in the morning, you’ll need two days. We went to Kita-Kamakura, visited some of the temples, then walked the hiking path with a visit to Zeniarai shrine to the Big Buddha and Hasedera. We stayed in a B&B there and did the town centre etc the next day. Day 1 was tight as the temples close around 4:30/5pm.
Also, there is no way that you’ll be able to do all the things you are planning for day 7.
Even if you are not planning this to be a relaxing but rather an active holiday, there are only so many hours in a day.
I’m guessing ex-military man?
There’s a sake tour now in Fussa – https://www.tamajiman.co.jp/en/
When they’re waiting for the sake to be fermented they brew beer. Delicious ones too. They have English and Japanese tours, and a onsite restaurant with a rather good menu that complements their sake and beer.
That said – you can get another shot for seeing Mt. Fuji if you do a 2D1N Kamakura trip if you stay in Enoshima. There are onsens that specifically have a great view of Mt. Fuji. Ans there’s more to Kamakura than temples. There’s a bamboo garden there that’s not in everyone’s radars, for one.
Running along Tokyo’s rivers can be fun; lots of small parks and running paths along the Sumida river for example. Might be worth considering Asakusa/Ueno as a Tokyo base IMO. I get why people love Shinjuku with the hustle and bustle even at night, but I love the chill vibe of Asakusa. And since you want to run and the wife wants museums, Ueno park has both of those covered
Mt Takao is always packed during Autumn leaves, so even if you are using a less used trail you will encounter people jams! Will you be hiking back down too? Fyi there is usually a queue for cable car and chair lifts in Autumn. For restaurants too.I’ve visited at different times of the year and Autumn was the slowest! By car though – had to wait over an hour for a car spot. And walking speed was greatly reduced by the crowds. I’m not sure you would have much time to explore Ome too. There’s the 599 museum, a hot spring and a trick art museum at the base.
While you are in Shinagawa for Sengakuji, you can make the short trip to Zozoji. It’s pretty cool to see the temple with Tokyo Tower in the background. Especially doable if you get a rental bike, which is pretty cheap of you only use it an hour or so.
Make sure to check out Adidas Runbase near the imperial palace – they have shoe rental/lockers/showers. Makes it very easy for you to go for a run around the palace and change after that without having to go back to your hotel room.