Hi everyone! This is my first time posting here so please let me know if I need to add anything else. I wanted to get everyone’s thoughts on our current schedule. Me and my friend are both college students and is going on a 10 day trip to Japan in August. This will be my second time going to Japan since 5 years ago and this will be my friend’s first trip to Japan. I wanted to hear everyone’s opinions about how doable our schedule is and if there’s anything cool that we’re missing out on as well as any suggestions or concerns.
Notes and questions:
* How worth it is it to buy a JR pass? Is it for all trains in Tokyo or only just some special trains? Does it include all Shinkansen as well? Also is it better to buy a rechargeable SUICA card or one time tickets? Last time I went, I was in high school and was with a tour guide, so I’m not sure how to optimize this myself.
* Both of us are big anime/manga/gaming nerds so we’re interested in going to collab cafes. But how hard is it to get a reservation at collab cafes? Does it work with an U.S. phone number?
* How doable is this schedule?
* I speak basic Japanese but my friend doesn’t speak any.
* We know that it’s going to be during odon and are prepared for long lines around the end of our trip.
* If anyone has any suggestions for cool places to visit/ good food locations please don’t hesitate to comment!
**Day 1 – Aug 7, Tokyo**
* Land around 4:30AM
* Exchange USD to Yen at airport
* Buy a rechargeable SUICA card
* Drop baggage off at hotel
* Stroll around Ueno park
* look around Asakusa Kannon Temple
* Take a short break at the hotel
* Teamlabs museum
**Day 2 – Aug 8, Tokyo**
* Visit Akihabara
* Check out a maid cafe
* Nighttime karaoke
**Day 3 – Aug 9, Tokyo**
* Enoshima
* Cat Cafe
* Izakaya hopping at night
**Day 4 – Aug 10, Tokyo**
* Pokemon/ Nintendo store
* Try out luck at some arcade/ crane games
* Try the wanko soba challenge
**Day 5 – Aug 11, Tokyo**
* Hololive City!
* Memory Lane
* Pokemon/ kirby collab cafes (if we can reserve any)
* Free time
**Day 6 – Aug 12, Tokyo**
* Comiket 102
* Collab cafes (if we can reserve any)
* Free time
* Rainbow Bridge at night
**Day 7 – Aug 13, Tokyo, Hakone, Kyoto**
* Comiket 102
* Take Shinkansen to Odawara and Hakone at noon
* Onsen!
* Shinkansen to Kyoto from Odawara
* Check in to ryokan
* Arashiyama park (if we have time, else day 15)
**Day 8 – Aug 14, Kyoto**
* Do a tea ceremony with guide!
* Samurai Museum
* Nishiki Market
* Iwatayama Monkey Park (if time permits)
**Day 9 – Aug 15, Kyoto**
* Fushimi Inari
* TOEI Kyoto Studio Park
* Free time
**Day 10 – Aug 16, Kyoto, Tokyo**
* Shinkansen back to Tokyo
* Free time until flight
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