Hello all,
My (M25) wife (F24) and I are going on a trip to Japan in early June. It will be our first time in Japan so we are very excited! I’ve been doing a bunch of research, and this sub has been exceedingly helpful. I’ve come up with the following itinerary for our trip, and I would really appreciate any tips, advice, comments, etc.
A few notes/questions:
* My biggest concern is trying to do too much, especially in Tokyo, so I would appreciate some insight. We’re fairly young and want to get the most out of this trip so don’t mind moving fast, but also flexible as long as we check off the big things and have fun.
* I’d love some suggestions for night walks. I really want to see the cities light up at night so any cool places to walk at night would be appreciated.
* I plan on really stretching the mornings out, eating snacks from 7/11 and places along the way, and eating lunch at like 2 PM or something when it’s a lot less busy. I wrote down some places that had good reviews on Google Maps but we will just eat when we’re hungry enough in the place with the shortest line.
* Suggestions for which cuisines specifically to try in each area. Also would really appreciate suggestions for best places for coffee, tea, snacks since my wife is really into that.
* Does anyone know if most hotels are okay with holding luggage after checkout, or are we better off forwarding it?
### Day 1: (to Tokyo)
Fly to Tokyo
Arrival: 3:55 pm at Haneda
Activate eSIM, withdraw yen from ATM (50,000 JPY?), exchange JRPass, get Suica Card
Take metro to hotel
### Night 1 (Tokyo)
Rest and recover from jet-lag
Explore Akihabara and the area around hotel (hotel is short walk from Akihabara in Chiyoda)
Grab dinner near hotel, Akihabara
### Day 2/Night 2 (Tokyo)
1. Breakfast: Tsukiji Fish Market, Tsumugi
2. Morning plans:
1. Tsukiji Fish Market
2. Hamarikyu Gardens
1. Nakajima-no-ochaya teahouse
3. Lunch: UZU near TEAMLabs
4. Afternoon plans:
1. TeamLAB Planets
2. Tokyo Tower
1. Prince Shiba Park
3. Ginza shopping
5. Dinner: Somewhere in Ginza
1. Sushi?
1. Ginza Sushi Marui
2. Sushi no Midori Ginza
6. Evening plans:
1. Walk from Ginza to hotel
2. Kanda shrine, Akihabara
### Day 3/Night 3 (Tokyo)
1. Breakfast: Hotel
2. Morning plans:
1. Senso ji
1. Kaminamiron Gate
2. Nakamise-dori St
2. Ueno Park
3. Lunch: Somewhere near Ueno
1. Ayam Ya Halal Ramen
4. Afternoon plans:
1. Tokyo National Museum
2. Nezu shrine
3. University of Tokyo
5. Dinner: Near Akihabara/hotel
6. Evening Plans:
1. Tokyo Station
2. Hibiya Park
### Day 4/Night 4 (Tokyo):
1. Breakfast: Hotel
2. Morning plans:
1. Meiji shrine
2. Yoyogi Park
3. Harajuku
1. Koffee Mameya
4. Omotesando
5. Shibuya Crossing
3. Lunch: Somewhere in Shibuya
1. Sakura tei (okonomiyaki)
4. Afternoon plans:
1. Shinjuku National Gyoen National Park
2. Tokyo metropolitan government building
3. Shinjuku Chuo park
5. Dinner: Somewhere in Shinjuku
6. Evening Plans:
1. Piss Alley
2. Suga Shrine Otokodan
3. Tokyo Daijingu
### Day 5 (Tokyo)/Night 5 (Kyoto):
1. Breakfast: Hotel
2. Morning plans:
1. Check out
2. Imperial Palace Tour
1. Imperial Palace East Garden
3. DAWN Avatar Robot cafe
3. Lunch: Near Tokyo Station
4. Afternoon plans:
1. Take train to Kyoto
2. Check in to hotel
5. Dinner: Somewhere near hotel
6. Evening Plans:
1. Umekoji Park
### Day 6/Night 6 (Kyoto):
1. Breakfast: Hotel
2. Morning plans:
1. Arashiyama
1. Togetsu-kyo bridge
2. Bamboo forest
3. Tenryu-ji
4. %Arabica Kyoto Arashiyama
3. Lunch: Somewhere near Arashiyama
4. Afternoon plans:
1. Ryoan-ji
2. Kinkaku-ji
5. Dinner: Somewhere on the way back to hotel
6. Evening:
1. Relax, walk?
### Day 7/Night 7(Kyoto):
1. Breakfast: Maruki bakery
2. Morning plans:
1. Higashiyama
2. Philosopher’s Path
3. Nanzen ji
3. Lunch: Somewhere near Heian
1. Hinode udon
4. Afternoon plans:
1. Heian Shrine
2. Nineizaka & Sanneizaka
3. Kiyomizu
5. Dinner: Near Toji
1. Tonoda Shokudo
6. Evening Plans:
1. Toji
### Day 8 (Kyoto)/Night 8: (Osaka):
1. Breakfast: Hotel, Imaya Coffee
2. Morning plans:
1. Check out
2. Nijo Castle
3. Kyoto Imperial Palace
4. Nishiki Market
5. Hanamikoji Street
6. Yasaka Shrine
3. Lunch: Near Kyoto Station
4. Afternoon plans:
1. Take train to Osaka
2. Check in to hotel (in Sakai)
5. Dinner: Near hotel
1. Shokyuen
2. Iwashibune
6. Evening:
1. Ohama Park, explore around hotel
### Day 9/Night 9: (Osaka)
1. Breakfast: Hotel, Kuma Cafe
2. Morning plans:
1. Osaka Aquarium
2. Tempozan Giant Ferris Wheel
3. Umeda
1. Umeda Sky Building
3. Lunch: Near Umeda
4. Afternoon plans:
1. Utsubo
2. Dotonbori
5. Dinner: near Dotonbori
6. Evening:
1. Namba
### 6/11/23: Day 10 (Osaka)/Night 10 (Tokyo)
1. Breakfast: Hotel
2. Morning plans:
1. Check out
2. Shinsekai
1. Tsutenaku
3. Harukas
4. Osaka Castle
3. Lunch: Somewhere near Osaka
4. Afternoon plans:
1. Head to Tokyo
2. Check in to hotel (near Haneda)
5. Dinner: near hotel
### 6/12/23: Day 11: (Tokyo)
Head to Haneda
Fly back home
2 comments
Get dinner at the Gyukatsu in Akihabara! Out of the 5+ locations we tried to visit across Tokyo, that location easily had the shortest line. I wouldn’t enter the line any later than 7:30 PM because there’s a chance they’ll run out before you’re able to get seated. Keep in mind that most restaurants stop seating an hour before they close.
As far as everything you have planned, it’s nice to have an itinerary but make sure you allow yourself time to be present in the moment. You want to enjoy your trip, not look back and realize how you kept rushing from location to location. Mark down the absolute most-see places and then be okay with not being able to visit everything else.
Most of the stations will have amazing food options. I picked up a wagyu bento box at Tokyo station for ~$9 USD. I would have eaten that bento every day if I could have.
Why not exchange cash now? With Japan’s tourism on the rise, their yen is bound to get stronger. You would get more bang for your buck by exchanging now.
Just a quick one – Looks fun (and tiring). However, are you sure you want to buy a 14 day JR Pass… it seems to me that you might be better off getting a 7 day pass, given how much time you’re spending in Tokyo (where you won’t get as much value out of it) – in which case you can activate your JR Pass once you’re about to leave for Kyoto (if you activate it at airport, the clock starts ticking immediately, and there’s also typically a huge queue to do it at airport too). The other comment I would make is that for the first trip, you’re most probably doing too much – including in Kyoto. If using buses to get around, there’s a lot of waiting and it can be quite uncomfortable.
I’d also say in general, I don’t think you’re leaving enough time per area… if you want to rush through to see as much as possible, you’re going to be numb by the end. Better to see less, and enjoy more IMHO. I would at least give yourself some down-time where you don’t expect to do anything. Places like Shinjuku or Shibuya are fun to explore. Edit – for info, I’ve been to Japan maybe 12 times on holiday, and lived there 3 years. However, nowadays we’re sporting a family, so there’s a lot more you can do when you’re young and ‘free?’.
Also – the thing that is missing from your post is – what is it that you want to get out of the trip most of all. What is big ticket items for you – and why? I love Kyoto – but most people tend to get templed out pretty damn quick.
In Tokyo – night-walks depend very much on where you’re located (hotel-wise)… and whether you mean romantic, night-life, the darker-side, great views. You can’t beat a trip to Tokyo Tower in my opinion… for a night view. There’s also some nice walks around there – especially if you’re up to going to Roppongi Hills.
Almost all hotels will happily hold luggage. It’s easy – and beats lockers.
In general – Japan is not a country for coffee. Of course they do it, and there’s a mix of quality – but it’s not what it’s famous for.