89 Days in Japan: maxing out the tourist visa [Long]

This may become a long post so I will attempt to format it in a way that keeps things brief. This trip report is intended to serve less as a guide and more as a record of what I did so that you may pick out some ideas/locations for your own travels. I was In Japan for 89 days between March 2nd and May 30th to see how much I could explore and experience within the limits of a tourist visa. I visited the following cities:

Tokyo/Fukushima/Sendai/Sapporo/Otaru/Yoichi/Nagoya/Okayama/Takamatsu/Hiroshima/Fukuoka/Osaka/Nara/Kyoto/Kobe/Ishigaki

**March 2nd**

Landed at quarter past 4 and was through Customs by 6. I picked up My portable WiFi and Pasmo before getting on the train. Arrived at my Airbnb in Tsukiji around 7.

**March 3rd-5th**

My first 3 days were largely reserved for shopping so out of the dozens of shops visited I will list the ones I think were most noteworthy.

**Komiyama book store**: This bookstore was exceptional in that some floors are more of an art gallery than a bookstore. You can find a world class selection of Fashion and art magazines both old and new. One floor had vintage movie props for sale and one floor was primarily dedicated to art sales for both prints and originals. The staff were all very kind. I ended up buying a book on irezumi which was unbeknownst to me signed by the author. Lots of the store’s selection is also exclusively sold at Komiyama from what I could tell. This store is not cheap so if you’re on a budget it may not be for you.

**Ohya Shobo Co**: Ohya Shobo specializes in very old books. I found fisherman’s logs from the 1800’s, Poetry collections written on scrolls and many books going back to the Edo era. It really felt like a museum in that its a narrow store flooded with very old parchment. The books are mostly available to look through at your own pace but the really expensive centuries old art books are behind glass. I ended up buying the most reasonably priced thing I could find which was a fabric sample dating to the 1850’s ($37).

**Apple Symphony**: I didn’t actually visit this store until May because I could not locate it within Nakano Broadway on my first visit on March 3rd. However, I’m adding it here because it was my favorite store I found on this trip. Apple Symphony is located on the 4th floor of Nakano Broadway and sells original anime cels and Genga. They even have original Studio Ghibli,Evangelion and Sailor Moon cels for sale though they are the price of a new car. Most cels were priced between 600-3000 yen and varied depending on the series and character depicted in the cel. Naturally the more famous the series the more expensive the artwork. This place is worth visiting just to look at the original art on display.

**Mandarake**: I ended up visiting every single Mandarake location in Japan on this trip. Mandarake stays the best location for all things collectible as each store is an onslaught of Japanese otaku culture and ephemera. Out of all the locations I would recommend any of the main Nakano Broadway stores or the Osaka Umeda Location.

**Disc Union**: Disc Union has a number of locations around Tokyo but I found that the Shimokitazawa location had the best selection of the 4 locations I visited. If you’re into Older/rare music I suggest Flash Disc Ranch which is also in Shimokitazawa.

**March 6th**:Had the first of four tattoo sessions in Ikebukuro

**March 7th**: Visited the Evangelion store in Ikebukuro and the Starbucks Reserve Roastery. My morning plans fell through so this ended up being a short day but the Starbucks Reserve Roastery was better than expected. It can be hard to find seating but the store’s décor is worth the visit alone. The evangelion store was underwhelming, it had a less appealing selection compared to my 2019 visit. I suggest checking their Instagram to see if a visit is going to be worth your time.

**March 8th** : Visited Yokohama Chinatown and Gundam Base Yokohama. If you plan on visiting Yokohama Chinatown be prepared for almost zero English. This is not a complaint just something other travelers should be prepared for; vendors speak either Japanese or Chinese and signage is almost entirely kanji.I only had the language skills to order a pork bun and some sesame seed dessert both of which were delicious and affordable. The Gundam base in contrast has lots of English signage and it was very impressive. You get a Gundam kit with every ticket.

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**March 9th**:Visited the Tokyo National Museum and walked through Ameyoko Market. The Tokyo National museum is very worth the ticket price (1000 yen for adults). It costs extra for special exhibitions but the permanent exhibits were impressive enough on their own.

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**March 10th**:Visited Skytree and visited the Kototoi bridge to pay my respects on the anniversary of the Fire Bombing. From what I could tell I was the only one there for this purpose. The Sumida River cherry blossoms were beautiful.

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**March 11th**:Rest day, did however make it to Ramen Jiro which I strongly recommend

**March 12th**:Went to see a Kabuki performance at the Ginza Kabukiza. This was a surprisingly foreigner friendly experience. The staff were almost overly helpful and helped me turn my confirmation email into a ticket with minimal confusion. The performance of the actors and musicians was also very impressive. English guides and synopsis were available. The only downside was that the seats are very small and if you are over 5’10 you will have trouble sitting down.

**March 13th**:Visited Nippori Fabric district and had my first Katsu in Tsukiji.

**March 14th**:Had breakfast(s) at several food stands throughout Tsukiji outer market before moving to my second hotel in Roppongi.

**March 15th**:Had to find a hotel for one night due to a scheduling error but walked to Meiji Jingu while waiting to check in. Considering I was already at Meiji Jingu I did some thrift shopping in Harajuku as well to kill time. Takeshita st always has some new overpriced gimmick snacks so I had to try some. I also went to a party at ENTER Shibuya, good times.

**March 16th**:Went to the grand opening of animate’s Ikebukuro flagship store. I was going to visit a special grocery store in Asakusa called Marugoto Nippon but it was closed for cleaning so I visited Uniqlo which is in the same building and was surprised by the amount of Asakusa exclusive shirts available .

**March 17th**: Waited an hour in line to eat Ramen at Nakriyu which was good but not as good as my last visit. Worth it if you manage to arrive when there is no line.

**March 18th**: Went to see Porter Robinson Live @ Toyosu PIT , i’m still not over this

**March 19th**: I visited Yasukuni Shrine despite being aware of its controversial history, it was a pristine shrine nonetheless. Visited Tower Records Shibuya waiting for a chance to meet Porter Robinson, I cannot believe how lucky I was to briefly speak with him.

**March 20th**: Had Afuri ramen for breakfast before going to Shimokitazawa. Shimokita had plenty to offer as usual but im still surprised as to how so many stores can sell used Americana and stay in business. I’d also like to note that Shimokita is just as worth visiting for the food as it is for the clothing/music. I stumbled into a makeshift campsite with a few food trucks and had a mini picnic.

**March 21st**: This day was a holiday so all I did was go to Mogra in Akihabara where they were playing exclusively anime songs, very fun.

**March 22nd**: I took the train to Mt.Mitake at what ended up being the perfect time. Very few people were visiting and the weather was perfect. I took the ropeway to near the summit and hiked the rest of the way. The ancient trees on Mt.Mitake were the most notable feature of the hike. The shrine complex at the top was near empty which brought a welcome peace after three weeks of Metropolis. I should mention that the only restaurant open on the mountain was the only eatery I ever encountered that did not want to seat me. No words were exchanged but the sole employee who was an older woman just completely ignored non-japanese people. They did have a pet parrot which was neat.

**March 23rd**: Went to Kappabashi to buy a traditional Japanese chef’s knife. After some admittedly minimal research I decided to go to Kamata. Kamata ended up being an excellent choice, the store has english speaking staff and options for most price points. They also distribute English maintenance guides when you purchase a knife. As great an experience as Kamata was, it isn’t the best knife store I found on my trip. If you’re going to Osaka there is an amazing store where knives are made in house and sold to you by the blacksmith himself (see May 2nd).

**March 24th**: Left early for Enoshima Island. Enoshima lived up to my expectations and was exquisite despite the crowds. If the weather is good I strongly recommend Enoshima as a day trip from Tokyo. On the way back I visited Tsurugaoka Hachiman-gū. One of the best parts of this day was riding the Enoden line which is a tram that runs on/parallel to the road and provides a great view of Sagami Bay on the way.

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**March 25th**: Endured the rain in line for Anime Japan 2023 at Tokyo Big Sight. As a convention AJ kind of felt like a large advertisement for upcoming shows and less a celebration of anime in general like I was expecting but it was still worth the ticket price. There were panels by voice actors and exhibits showcasing the process of how various popular anime are/were made. If you plan on going next year I would only recommend going if you’re really into anime and speak some Japanese. This con made me realize that being a western anime fan and a Japanese anime fan are two entirely different tiers of enthusiasm. In the evening I went to MU23 which was a music festival held in a temporarily unused terminal of Haneda airport. I had an awesome time!

**March 26th**: This day was unfortunately a bust. I tried to go to the Tokyo international Motorcycle show but while purchasing my ticket I entered my credit card info incorrectly and didn’t realize it until it was too late . I would like to note that the convention did not sell tickets at the ticket booth for some absurd reason. Tickets were 711 or online purchase only, they did not take cash.

To briefly Summarize the last few days of March; I had my second tattoo session, Visited Shinjuku Gyoen for the cherry blossoms, visited the Meiji Memorial Picture Gallery and explored the wealth of interesting shops south of Koenji Station.

**April 1st**:Took the Shinkansen to Fukushima. After checking in I hiked to the Neko Inari Shrine. There was a festival going on at the base of Mt.Shinobu so I had my first taiyaki for lunch.

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**April 2nd**:Took the Bus to the Lino UFO museum. This museum felt like an episode of the twilight zone. The museum features models of UFOs that light up, spin and make noise. There was a “Power Stone ” and documents from various government agencies that supposedly prove the existence of aliens. The best part was the tiny movie theater where guests are shown a short animation from what looks like the early 90’s. The animation shows how the mountain will one day serve as a harbor for extraterrestrial commerce. It’s all in 3D and you are given a well worn pair of 3D glasses before entering. The view from the Museum’s café was also world class.

**April 3rd**:Traveled to Sendai

**April 4th**: Took the train to Yamadera Mountain Temple (Risshakuji) .Yamadera was one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever been. If you are in Sendai and the weather is good you should absolutely visit. I also visited the Sendai Daikannon as it was on the same train line and it was also worth the walk.

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**April 5th**: Traveled to Sapporo

**April 6th**:Went to Nijo Market for breakfast which was expensive but delicious. I walked to the Sapporo beer museum and ended the day at the ramen alley.

**April 7th**:Took a day trip to Yoichi to visit the Nikka Whiskey distillery. The Yoichi distillery was very modern and had a very thorough history of the brand in both English and Japanese. Yoichi is also a very quaint town backdropped by mountains and worth exploring. On the way back to Sapporo I stopped in Otaru to visit the Warehouse district. Otaru is very oriented towards tourists and fishing, I can only recommend it if you’re particularly into seafood.

**April 8th**:Planned to visit Morenuma park but the weather was bad. I explored tanuki-dori and returned to Ramen alley as I thought it deserved a second visit. Sapporo also has what felt like Kilometers of underground space that connects train stations and major points of commerce. Even if the weather is terrible, Sapporo can be enjoyed from below.

**April 9th:**:This day was 11 hours by train to Nagoya, the JR pass came in clutch here.

**April 10th** Made a pilgrimage to a burger stand 40 minutes south of the city center. Pandora Burger was a place I found after seeing a picture of a “soufflé burger” on twitter and then doing some reverse image searching. I have no idea why this place is so far from the city, I arrived an hour after opening and was the first customer. The burger looked exactly like the original image and tasted fine. I also did some shopping around Osu district. The Super Potato in Osu had a better selection and prices than the Tokyo location.

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**April 11th**:Visited the Sekigahara Battlefield in Gifu and visited their new museum. The museum is very modern but it is not in a typical format. Each visitor is guided on a tour through several rooms that project reenactments of the battle of Sekigahara. The final rooms are open for exploration and have artifacts on display. The Finale is an observation deck atop the building with guides to show where various warlords made their camps. On the train ride back to Nagoya I stopped at Gifu station to visit Gifu castle. I couldn’t understand the bus schedule so I decided to walk all the way to the castle. I was low on cash so I skipped the ropeway and ended up climbing the hyaku-magami trail all the way to the castle. I do not recommend this, I nearly died. The view from on top of the castle was somehow worth it and very satisfying.

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**April 12th**: Traveled to Okayama

**April 13th**: Crossed the Seto Great Bridge (which was hugely impressive) to visit Marugame Castle. I was one of the only people at Marugame castle when I visited. It was nice to experience an entire castle complex with no crowds but it’s a shame that more tourists don’t make it to this castle. The castle walls provided a great platform to view the port and Seto inland Sea. A short train ride took me to Takamatsu, the highlight of which was visiting Takamatsu Castle Park. Perfectly maintained flower gardens juxtaposed by old Japanese castle turrets is just as beautiful as it sounds.

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**April 14th**:This time I took the train north to Bitchu Matsuyama Castle. This castle was very different from Marugame as it is located within a nature preserve and surrounded by jungle. The most popular feature of this castle is Castle Lord Sanjuro who is a portly cat on a leash. 10/10

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**April 15th**: I had plans to visit Okayama Castle and the Historical Quarter but it was raining so it ended up being a rest day.

**April 16th**: Traveled to Hiroshima, had okonomiyaki for dinner in Otemachi.

**April 17th**:I visited Hiroshima Castle and the A-bomb dome. The Hiroshima Peace museum was a very powerful experience as I expected. Looking back this may have been the most important thing I did on my trip. If you’re in this region of Japan, this museum is a must for its ability to change one’s perspective and recontextualize human conflict.

**April 18th**: Shinkansen to Fukuoka, visited the Fukuoka Asian Art museum after checking in. The museum was charging a lot for the special exhibition but the permanent exhibits were worth the ticket price, it’s a unique experience. In the evening I walked to the Canal City Mall which has tons to offer. Fukuoka’s climate allows for many of the stores to open outwards towards open air even on the higher floors. The fourth floor has a “Ramen Stadium” that offers specialty ramen from all over Japan. I hesitate to suggest visiting something as commercial as a shopping mall for visitors but this mall is noteworthy.

**April 19th**:Visited Dazaifu Tenmangu Shrine. This shrine was full of schoolkids at the time of my visit and the main temple was covered in scaffolding but it was still exceptionally beautiful and well maintained. I found an escalator that led from the temple complex to the Kyushu national museum. I had originally scrubbed it from my itinerary but the escalator took me nearly to the front door so I bought a ticket. As interesting as the artifacts were, the most impressive part to me was the museum itself. The architecture needs to be seen in person.

**April 20th**:Train to Osaka

**April 21st**:I was pretty tired at this point but I had one day left on my rail pass so I decided to go to Kyoto. Most people on this subreddit say you should allocate more than a day for Kyoto and I would mostly agree. I had to cut my itinerary in half because each site had more to offer than I had originally expected and Kyoto’s infrastructure can barely handle the sheer number of tourists. My first stop was the Toei Kyoto studio park which is an edo style movie set that now serves as a theme park. I only went to sit in the palm of the giant evangelion which was very cool. I then visited Nijo Castle and was a bit disappointed that it was by far the most expensive castle of the trip (1300 yen) and the main tower was covered in scaffolding. From Nijo Castle I walked to Nishiki Market. With the amount of tourists Nishiki Market can be overwhelming but it’s food options are unmatched. There are small sample sizes of hundreds dishes available at arms length throughout this market and it leads right into Gion. I finished the day at Kiyomizu-dera and it was somehow still photogenic even while crammed with tourists.

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**April 22nd**:This day was spent shopping in DenDen town. Once again the Super Potato had a far better selection compared to Tokyo. DenDen town has far more street level hobby stores and feels larger than Akihabara, if you’re an Otaku coming to Kansai save some of your budget for Osaka. I also ended up trying 551 Horai in the evening and it lives up to the hype.

**April 23rd**:Rest day, I tried Rikuro’s famous cheesecake ,wow.

**April 24th**:Did some thrifting around Amerikamura. Orange street is a short walk from Amerikamura so I decided to check it out but the selection wasn’t as appealing as I thought it would be (lots of “hype” fashion). The most interesting part of Orange street was the amount of unique furniture stores near the west end. I couldnt purchase anything because of logistics but if you have any appreciation for interior design this is the spot.

**April 25th**:Went to Kobe to visit Kawasaki Good Times World in the Kobe Maritime Museum. This museum had lots to offer. Very important pieces of technology and Japanese history are on display though it’s mostly for kids. Kobe Chinatown was a bit disappointing. Most shops were selling the same items for the same price so it felt like a tourist trap. The bao I ordered was still frozen in the middle.

**April 26th**:Flew to Ishigaki

**April 27th**:Took the bus to the north side of Ishigaki to go swimming in the East China Sea. I tried to find somewhere private but there are a lot of resorts that bus their guests to the beach to paddleboard so I wasn’t entirely alone. Ishigaki has a more tempered off-season nightlife from what I observed,very lively but not loud.I wish I had planned to spend more time in Ishigaki but Golden Week was looming and I couldn’t afford to pay for two hotel rooms for much longer. Ishigaki ended up being an excellent choice for exploration. Not enough tourists realize that you can go from central Osaka/Tokyo to a remote tropical island within 5 hours for under $400 (my flight was $223 CAD round trip).With the increase in JR Pass prices coming in October im hoping more foreigners make the decision to fly to Okinawa instead of paying the inflated new price. Avoid going during national holidays or during typhoon season ofc.

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**April 28th**:Flew back to Osaka

**April 29th**:Took a train to visit Iwashimizu Hachimangu. A ropeway conveniently takes you directly from the train station to the shrine complex. As grand as the shrine was itself; my favorite part of the day was exploring the paths connecting the smaller shrines and wells. wandering up moss covered stairs up the east side of the mountain led to a small well house which I had all to myself. There were no signs directing to it on the descent from the main shrine. In the evening I went to Shinsekai for dinner,and ended up wandering into Tobita Shinchi which was jarring.

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**April 30th**: Rest day due to weather

**To keep this post from being a full novel I will list only the most notable days for May**

**May 2nd**: Boarded a tram from Tennoji station which took me south to Mizuno Tarenjo. This is the best place as far as I know for purchasing an authentic chef’s knife. The store is run by a couple, the husband of whom is the 5th generation blacksmith. I was granted a brief tour of the forge they use to make their knives which is located in the same building. Sumiyoshi Taisha was on the same tram line going back towards Tennoji so I made a stop there as well.

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**May 4th**: Visited Himeji Castle and was surprised by how large it is. Himeji was the 8th Castle I’d seen on this trip but it was certainly the most impressive. Be prepared for long lines both outside and inside the castle grounds. Everything on Castle grounds is well preserved and of course plenty of English help is available.

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**May 6th**: I went to see the annual rhododendron bloom on Mt.Katsuragi. A gondola brings you from the base of the mountain to near the summit where the views are incredible. The flowers were so vibrant during my visit though I was a few days late judging by the state of some shrubs. I then took the train to Nara and Visited Todai-ji. My plan was to avoid the deer but this was not possible.

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**May 8th**:Traveled back to Tokyo

**May 11th**:Visited Shibuya sky observation deck. The upper level was closed for rain but the spectacle was still worth the ticket price. Keep in mind if you’re going during sundown the observation deck will be full of other tourists overstaying their allotted time slot and there will be nowhere to sit. All the windows had a layer of people sitting directly in front of them to preserve their place for sundown. It was still enjoyable but they should do a better job to enforce the 20 minute window because it felt dangerous at times with the sheer number of people.

**May 12th**: Went to See the Yomuri Giants vs Hiroshima Carp at Tokyo Dome. Japanese Baseball fans are so loud and so synchronized. It was a bargain for the ticket price.

**May 13th**: Went to see the Kanda Matsuri. This was my first Japanese festival and it was chaotic. The spectacle alone is worth going to. The Kanda matsuri takes places bordering Akihabara so you will see mikoshi bobbing in front of anime/pachinko billboards. It’s all quintessentially Japanese.

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**May 16th**:Saw my first ever Sumo at Ryogoku Kokugikan. I had read on this subreddit that the time to go was midday between noon and 2 however I found that 2 was only the start of the action. Tickets allow for re-entry before 5pm so it’s easy to fit into an itinerary. The wrestling itself was exactly what I was looking for. The preliminary matches that were happening in the morning were just as exciting at the later matches. You are handed an English schedule upon entry and it was easy to navigate everything from the station to my seat. I also visited the Japanese sword museum as it was a short walk from the sumo stadium. This museum is elegant but not entirely worth the ticket price. It was 1000 yen for access to a room on the third floor with no English signage and no photos. If you’re into swords it might be worth it but I found the national museums sword exhibits to be more impressive.

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**May 20th**:Went to my second festival; the Sanja Matsuri at Senso-Ji. This Festival was just as exciting as the Kanda Matsuri. Its location brings larger crowds and it goes longer into the evening than Kanda. Mikoshi can be found throughout Asakusa once the festival starts and I definitely didn’t stay long enough. In the afternoon I returned to Nakano Broadway and got interviewed by “Why are You in Japan” which I did not expect. My mind ran blank when they asked me what I had done so far because I couldn’t condense my entire trip thus far into a brief sentence, oh well lol.

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**May 22nd**: Traveled to Mt.Takao. I had no idea what to expect when visiting My.Takao. I assumed it would be similar to Mt.Mitake but I was wrong. I once again opted to climb on foot instead of paying for the ropeway which led to me hiking through genuine rainforest past small shrines and a ton of school kids (most of whom practiced their “hello” to me). It thankfully wasn’t as treacherous as the hyaku-magami but I needed to take a few breaks. I had a conversation in broken Japanese with an 87 year old hiker who was descending which was nice. At the top there were more hoards of schoolchildren who also gave me a few dozen more “hello”’s as I walked past lol. The old growth forest on Mt.Takao were just as much a sight as the shrines. When climbing to the summit I kept getting more in awe of the mountain at the top of each staircase. If the weather is good please see it for yourself.

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**May 24th**: This day was the last adventure of my trip. I went to Nikko to visit Nikko Toshogu shrine. I had the luxury of waiting for good weather for this trip and my patience was thankfully rewarded. Nikko as a town is small enough to walk from the train station directly to the shrine complex. Despite the tourist crowds Nikko was still breathtaking. The trees were literally the size of buildings and the craftsmanship on some of the shrines honestly left me speechless. If you go; be sure to travel all the way to the Oumiya pagoda. The 1300 yen ticket is worth every yen.

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I’ll be honest I ran out of things I wanted to do/ could afford by this point in the trip. There are many things I would have done had I brought someone with me such as Disney/USJ, Hakone, more dine-in restaurants but overall Japan once again exceeded my high expectations. The last thing I did on my trip was an early morning walk from the Kachidoki bridge to Meiji Jingu for the sunrise. If you find yourself unable to sleep, Meiji Jingu at 5am is a safe and peaceful experience. Congratulations on reading this far and thanks if you genuinely read everything.