Hi!
Doing our honeymoon in Japan this fall, from Oct 22-Nov 5.
I’ve been to Japan once back in 2016, but this is Bae’s first time exploring the country. I absolutely loved it and have been reminiscing the last trip since lol pretty dang excited to share such a beautiful spot with my person.
One of my main goals this trip is to experience the fall foliage, so because of our time there I found that Nikko is a must.
Temples are cool, but I don’t want to fill up the itinerary with so many, though I don’t mind walking through them for yummy food and sights. Def 1-2 a day per town.
We are prolly going to do the JR 7 day pass and purchase them before the rates go up.
For luggage, we are going to stick our carry on inside our checkin. The checkin luggage is 60cm x 50cm x 30cm. I am going to bring back a years worth of snacks, tea, furikake.
Notes about us:
– love food, I will travel a distance for it so that’s pretty important
– bae loves dairy, so why not Hokkaido?
– enjoy nice architecture and beautiful scenery
– Music events is our thing (psytrance preferably for this one club) but also open to lofi!
– We aren’t that active, but I didn’t mind walking a lot in Japan last time but I was also more fit LOL
– In our 30’s
– I walk pretty fast, but may have experienced creaking in my knee ?? Lol will def need to workout prior
– bae has some knee issues so he’ll have to bring a knee brace
– Both dislike crazy busy cities (Tokyo was too much for me, much prefer osaka)
– Would be nice to see 1-2 landmarks, but I know we are restricted on time. Ok with less touristy areas/things
Waking up early is fine!
# 10/22 – Tokyo
– Land in Tokyo around 5am
– Morning is lawsons/family mart
– Nakiryu for ramen
– Parla Crepe in ginza
– Ginza – hyoutanya 6 choume for unagi?
– Jiromaru in akihabara
– Gyukatsu motomura (shibuya)
# 10/23 – Tokyo
– Tsukiji outer market (kissamako kissaten for coffee, yoshizawa shoten for fried pork Pattie’s,)
– Kisaburo nojo (ayce eggs over rice) bunkyo
– Lawsons inbetween
– Ginza omakase $250-300 or make reservation for chies place she recommended)
# 10/24 – Tokyo
– brekkie at family mart
– Teamlab planets 1-2 hours (need to make reservation)
– shopping at Seibu shibuya (dept store)
Leave Tokyo 10/24 morning
# 10/24 – 10/26 fly into Sapporo
– Stay at sotetsu fresa inn (via hotel website) $126
– Tanukikoji shopping st
– Menya yukikaze susukino for miso ramen 6pm-3am
– Susukino (red light district)
# 10/25 Otaru day trip
– letao cheesecake
– Back to susukino
– Klim for parfaits at night (parfaits are a thing there)
– Curry soup ramen
– go back to Sapporo at night then susukino?
# 10/26 fly back to Tokyo
then use JR to get to Kyoto (not sure time, maybe earlier so we can see Kyoto more)
# 10/26 – 10/28 Kyoto
– Stay at Machiya ebisuya (hotel) free cancelation by 10/21
– Rent e-bike in Kyoto for quicker travel
– Stroll in kimono
– Sen in kyoto ($250 Michelin kaiseki)
Or
– Jiki miyazawa for kaiseki $150 pp but have to make ressie 2 months in advance
– Nishiki market (largest food market in Kyoto)
– Kyoto kaiseki yakiniku (call to make reservations)
– Kijurou for wagyu beef set (ressies)
– Fushimi inari taisha
– Kodaiji temple at night for illumination
# 10/28 – 10/31 Osaka airbnb
– Kobe
– Hanamikoji street
– Party in Osaka on 27th/28th (Halloween)
– Yakitori yu ressie 4 weeks in advance
– Nara
Get food Togo before ryokan
# 10/31-11/1 Izu
– ryokan @ isaribi (Expedia)
– I’m wondering if we can explore just a bit here. Though I know it’s kinda a desolate place
get food before nikko
# 11/1-11/3 Nikko
@ Airbnb
– Lake chuzenji
– Get food before going to ryuzu falls !!!
– Ryuzu falls to get to senjogahara 3-4 hours hike
– Yoshiwara meat for karage
– Sakaeya for yuba manju
– Tochigi beef + strawberries
# 11/3-11/5 Tokyo
Stay at blossom hibiya (Expedia)
Cave Koenji (psytrance club)
Sendai for gyutan ??
11/5
Leave to haneda airport by 6pm, flight at 1055pm
Questions:
1. Does the schedule seem feasible for Nikko? I really want to see the colors !!
2. Have you encountered a bear in Nikko? I also don’t want to get eaten by one on my honeymoon
3. What other non-food things do you recommend for Tokyo, Nara, Kobe, Sapporo?
4. What else can I do in Sendai that isn’t eating gyutan lol
5. Wondering how I can fill up Tokyo for the last leg?
6. Do I need to get two passes for Nikko? A Tobu pass and something else ?
7. Any unique eats in Tokyo?
Honestly I’ll just be really happy being in Japan, but I would love some recs!
Thank you!
1 comment
Hi!
I hope this is OK to ask, but why not just fly from Sapporo to Osaka (KIX or Itami) or even to Chubu in Nagoya or Kobe if your end goal is to go to Kyoto. There are 6 flights a day just to Kobe and even more to Itami, KIX and Chubu. If you’re paying for a flight any way, why not go closer to where you want to be? Itami is the closest to Kyoto. It would be much faster than going to Haneda or Narita first.
In terms of your questions:
I’ve never seen bears in Japan. I’m also not a huge hiker. I have seem multiple bear crossing and beware of bear signs. I use to live in a part of the US where black bears were seen on a regular basis, and thankfully never saw one there too. In general, bears are put off by people and being loud and noisy so you don’t surprise a bear is the easiest way to avoid bears.
The obvious answer for Sendai is making a day trip to Matsushima. The pine islands should be quite nice in early November. I’ve gone in mid-late October.
I’ve also been to Aoba Castle ruins and Zuihoden Mausoleum. The Sendai Mediatheque, building is supposed to be interesting if you like modern architecture.
I’m not sure what you mean by fill up. You get back to Tokyo sometime on the 3rd, have all day on the 4th and most of the day on the 5th. It’s really like 2 days maybe 2.5 Though I would think you would want to spend as long in Nikko as you could. If you do that and then on the 4th visit Sendai, you really just have the 5th, your last day in Japan.
I think November is a little early for strawberries. We went in late December and we were just at the start of the season. January-March is the big strawberry season in Japan.
Whether you need a pass in Nikko or not depends on how you plan to get there and how you plan to get around.
Japan Guide does a great job describing the various passes and offerings.
[https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2358_002.html](https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2358_002.html)
I’m not sure what you mean by desolate with Izu. If you mean few rail networks, sure.
[https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e6310.html](https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e6310.html)
Here are some activities, though you are not there that long because you have to get there from Osaka on 10/31 and then you check out on 11/1 and start heading to Nikko
Good luck!