Hi everyone, after having used a lot of resources from you, let me share my program & tips for travelling in Japan!
I went there from end of May to beginning of June for 15 days.
**Plane**: I took Qatar airways from Berlin to Tokyo, with a layover in Doha; everything went well, my luggage got automatically transferred from one plane to the other. The journey was long but overall went well. Just had to wear comfortable clothes and compression stockings.
**Phone**: I have an iPhone and used an Ubigi plan with an eSim. Super easy to install, great network, check before buying for some welcome code to get a discount. This avoid getting a physical WiFi router.
**JR Pass**: I took one for 7 days when going to Kansai. I used Klook which was the cheapest options and got the pass delivered directly to me in Tokyo. Super punctual, worked without a single problem. Good thing is that you can also use this pass for local public transports, for example in Osaka.
**Suica**: I tried installing it on my phone but did not manage… So ended up buying a physical card.
**Accomodation**: I was staying at someone-I-know’s place there, and for my Kansai trip booked a bunk bed in a dormitory in Osaka ([in this place](https://goo.gl/maps/UkRLiam8j7AaKs7K7)). This was the quietest hostel I had ever visited! No problems with air conditioning and noise, didn’t feel unsafe in a 18-bed mixed dormitory.
**Program**:
* Day 1
Visited Shinjuku and Nishi-shinjuku. Central parc of Shinjuku (check the turtles, the occasional bagpipe player, the groomed dogs being walked and the Shinjuku Juniso Kumano-jinja Shrine). In Kabukicho, checked overall the different shops, went for the first (but not last) time in Donki. Before sunset, went up to the Tokyo Metropolitan Tower for an overview of the city. Unfortunately, it was too cloudy to see Mount Fuji that night.
* Day 2
Under a light rain, visit of Todai’s campus, selfie in front of the famous gate (if you read Love Hina, you know what I mean), then the Ueno garden for a walk. Great opportunity to buy one these famous transparent umbrella.
The night got spent in a ryokan that I found on booking.com: [ryokan Asakusa Shigetsu](https://www.google.com/aclk?sa=l&ai=DChcSEwiXxcLzgZaAAxWRlGgJHSZ7D2EYABAAGgJ3Zg&sig=AOD64_3NiPfffvLP0e59JWiPc2Q_NBtVpw&q&adurl&ved=2ahUKEwiTvLjzgZaAAxUXg_0HHThQCBkQ0Qx6BAgJEAM). It was nice, very well placed and managed to get one bath in the enoki bathtub in the evening and another in the morning alone!
* Day 3
Walking visit of Asakusa, walking through the shopping alleys and visiting the temples. I walked around and found smaller but cuter shrines, namely one dedicated to the fox god.
Visit of the Tokyo National Museum, I recommend it. Then headed to Meiji-Jingu: great park and beautiful shrine, before going to walk in Shibuya. Spoiler: the Hatchiko statue was overcrowded as well as the crossing which is… Just a crossing.
* Day 4
Visit of Kamakura, including Kotoku-in and various shrines. I ate delicious sashimi in a small local restaurant which was found walking. Then headed to Enoshima to climb up the Enoshima-jinja and ended up the day walking on the beach on the continent side, with volcanic sand and hawks flying over the beach.
* Day 5
Day begun with a visit of various secondhand shops in Koenji. There were a lot with different themes, worth the visit if that’s your thing. Then headed for a walk in Harajuku and ended up the day watching an English-speaking stand-up comedy show.
* Day 6
First shopping day through the city, then discovered the Tokyo nightlife in the Nichome neighbourhood. Ended the night in Artsy Farty.
* Day 7
Rest day, walk around the city and preparation of the Kansai week.
* Day 8
Activated my JR Pass. On that: don’t be like me and check beforehand the opening hours of the JR offices to activate the pass or do it in advance to avoid Monday morning queues. I had a booked sit on the train, just had to relax and look out for the change of sceneries.
Once in Osaka and checked in, I walked around the city, ate a bowl of rice with omelette and Unagi ([Izumo Unagi](https://goo.gl/maps/pqySYJVYNZntc8rMA)) and managed to get a spontaneous appointment in a massage salon which was absolutely amazing ([Uemachi Orchid](https://goo.gl/maps/AKx9z6YkEaxpCKXA7) for reference). Finished the day by going to the public bath (use the machine at the front to order your entry and possible towels soap ect before giving it at the entrance).
* Day 9
Train from Osaka to Kyoto: free walk in the city, lunch at a kaiseki in Gion-neighborhood. Then joined a free walking tour managed by a local. Ended up the day climbing all the way up the Fushimi Inari-Taisha.
Dinner in Osaka with a okonomiyaki in a local grill place.
* Day 10
Train from Osaka to Nara: free walk in the city. For lunch, tempura in a busy shopping alley, not the best restaurant of my whole trip.
Then headed to the National Museum for more art and buddhas. Finally, walked in the park busy with deers (they are cute but can be aggressive and overall smelly) and kept walking around the gardens for less busy places.
* Day 11
Train from Osaka to Hiroshima: atomic bomb museum (very busy), and after a light bakery lunch, headed to Itsukushima to see the shrine. The nature was very beautiful, hiking up the mountain showed more-tropical plants and atmosphere.
* Day 12
Early wake up to… Try to get a ticket to see a show from the Takarazuka revue in Hyogo. Long story short, that was a fail but it was still fun to walk around the city that has a very Disneyland-vibe for their local comedians. During that time, a typhoon hit Japan so most of the afternoon got dedicated to drying up everything and napping.
After that, some shopping and a spontaneous encounter with locals in a restaurant that ended up in a karaoke!
* Day 13
Train from Osaka to Tokyo: because of the typhoon, trains couldn’t run the day before so it was a real fight to manage to get inside a train. So a little advice: if you know your schedule, book your train tickets in advance to get a seated place whatever happens and not stand up, compressed in a non-booked wagon for 3h…
A mandatory nap happened after that, before walking freely in the city and trying some old-fashioned arcades.
* Day 14
Yokohama: visit of the Chinese neighborhood, the diplomatic neighborhood and visit of a massive Donki. For some reasons lunch got spent in an Indian restaurant next to the Donki, which I don’t recommend.
If you like craft beer, be sure to try this place: [Thrash Zone](https://goo.gl/maps/EHZVMCohE4r2tvyv8), before having a tipsy walk around the harbour to freshen up and go home.
* Day 15
Last day before flying home: shopping in local craft shops for souvenirs, Muji and 7/11 for a lot of snacks, miso soups, furikake ect.
That was overall a great experience that led me to understand the fascination some people can have on this country. I also felt like a bear in a porcelain shop as I couldn’t anticipate most etiquettes rules (like removing shoes before getting in a fitting room or not putting your bag next to you in public transports…).
Other tips in terms of food: you can absolutely try local food chains such as Ootoya or Sukiya for cheap and delicious *teishuku* menus.
As for the food that, coming home, I’m dreaming to eat again, it would definitely be the Tsukemen eaten at Soushi Menya Musashi in Nishishinjuku.
3 comments
You fit in a lot of places in a 15 day window. Thats great.
Im going in September – October (2nd time) for 20 days and only going hokkaido (otaru – sapporo – hakodate), fukuoka (incl. nagasaki), Kyoto (incl Nagoya), and Tokyo (incl Kamakura and Enoshima) plus 2 onsen daytrips. I feel that ive already scheduled too many places in this 20 days lol.
Question about jr pass. How does it work for local transports since it’s just a ticket?
TBDR