Hi all! 33M from the east coast here, very excited to take my first solo international trip to Japan! Myself and two friends were supposed to go in March 2020 – you know how that turned out. Three years later, they had kids and I didn’t, so I’m making the trip solo. I need a sanity check on my itinerary and would also appreciate any tips on what to do and how to meet people as a lone brown American in Japan. Any and all comments, suggestions, and advice is appreciated!
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**9/3 (EST)**
Leave at 0755.
Contemplate how to sleep on the plane (accepting any and all advice)
**9/4 – Tokyo**
Land at HND at 1415 and realize it’ll take longer than I fear to clear customs
Travel from HND to Shibuya and check in
Nap?
Check out scramble crossing, Hachchiko, is Shibuya Sky crowded in the afternoon/evening?
Find a fun spot for dinner, think about hitting a bar, realize I’m jetlagged and go to sleep
**9/5 – Tokyo**
Toyosu Market Fish Auction
Exploring Shibuya and Shinjuku. Points of Interest include:
* Miyashita Park
* 109
* Parco
* Shibuya Sky (if not done yesterday)
* Meiji Jingu
**9/6 – Kawaguchiko**
Hop on the train to Kawaguchiko
I’m really just trying to see Mt. Fuji and chill in an onsen – accepting any and all recommendations for hotels/ryokan with private onsen
**9/7 – Tokyo**
Hop on the train back to Tokyo. Drop luggage off at hotel
Hopefully Ghibli Museum? Not banking on this.
Akibahara
Is Tokyo Tower worth the trip?
**9/8 – Tokyo**
Currently no plans during the day. Keeping open for recommendations or sights I want to go back to.
NJPW in the evening
**9/9 – Osaka**
Shinkansen to Osaka
Exploring Doutonbori
**9/10 – Osaka**
Hanging with a friend from Yasugi (this might fall through)
If no friend plans, Asahi brewery perhaps?
Osaka aquarium
Explore Namba
HANSHIN TIGERS
**9/11 – Osaka**
Osaka castle – worth seeing?
Exploring Shinsekai
Cup Noodle Museum
**9/12 – Kyoto**
Shinkansen to Kyoto
Kiyomizudera Temple
Exploring Higashiyama
Fushimi Inari Shrine
**9/13 – Himeji and Kobe**
Train to Himeji
Himeji Castle
Stop in Kobe on the way back to Kyoto for some Kobe beef
End the night in Kyoto
**9/14 – Kyoto**
Kinkakuji
Arashiyama
Gion
**9/15 – Tokyo**
Shinkansen back to Tokyo
Keeping this day open for recommendations
Maybe check out some TeamLabs exhibits?
This could be the day I see FC Tokyo or Yokohama FM. Has anyone here been to a J league match before?
**9/16 – Tokyo**
HarajukuMore ShibuyaGolden Gai at night
**9/17 – Tokyo**
Revisiting places and experiences I want to see one more time
Souvenir shopping (What’s the best place for this?)
**9/18 – Tokyo**
No set plan for this day
Leaving from HND at 1825
Arrive at 2145 EST
Edit: Removed the karts from 9/5
5 comments
Please don’t do the street mario kart thing if possible, it’s not worth it + disruptive + dangerous
Hi!
Be aware that a lot of shops in Shibuya and Harajuku don’t open until 10 or 11, sometimes even as late as noon, so I would be careful with planning that as a morning activity.
I personally can’t sleep on planes, so I just arrive in Japan exhausted.
Yes, Shibuya Sky often needs to be booked ahead of time, i believe it’s quite popular for its sunset view.
The Ghibli Museum will open up for booking on 8/10 at 10:00 am JPT for September. Good luck getting tickets. I would not personally want to try to go the day you are coming back from Kawaguchijko. I think you are better off picking a different day since you have a few relatively free Tokyo days.
Make sure you know how to get tickets for the Hanshin Tigers. I don’t because I have little interest in sports, but since it is important to you, make sure you know how to get those tickets.
I think your first Kyoto day 9/12 looks exhausting. And while you CAN take the shinkansen between Shin-Osaka Station and Kyoto Station, depending on where you are trying to go in Kyoto and where you are coming from in Osaka, it’s not always the most expedient way. I would assume you want to visit your hotel in Kyoto first to drop off bags.
Be aware that like Shin-Osaka, there is next to nothing near Shin-Kobe Station. If you want to actually visit or eat in Kobe, you’re going to want to go to Sannomiya or Kobe Station, neither of which is a shinkansen station. Sannomiya is a good 15-25 minute walk from Shin-Kobe Station or you need to pay for public transit to get you between the two.
Osaka Castle is great if you are really into the history of the Siege of Osaka Castle and the last battle of the Warring States period which cemented Tokugawa power. If you’re not interested in that history, Osaka Castle is only attractive from the outside. It’s a completely rebuilt castle and is modern with an elevator inside because it’s really more like a good museum on a specific topic shaped like a castle vs. a castle with a small amount of original artifacts like Himeji.
I think some of your days look sort of empty but I guess depending on your interests you will fill them while there?
And I agree with previous poster. Don’t do the racing karts, they are dangerous and hated by the people who actually live in Japan. You’re not going to have people smiling and waving at you while you drive, by. Also calling them Mario Karts is the best way to get them shut down again, cause Nintendo already sued once and won.
Good luck!
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FWIW, you can buy Shibuya Sky tickets online for a certain entry time. When we went, we were able to get a reservation about 4-5 hours ahead (went in January).
It sounds like you have a day flight from the East Coast, so might be best to not sleep the whole flight but try to stay awake as long as you can westbound. You might be really tired on your first day, but it’ll help you adjust to the time faster.
Some places where I like to find souvenirs are Ueno and Asakusa in Tokyo, older areas and not quite as fancy as the west side.
As for meeting people, I’d say that people are more willing to engage the farther you go from Tokyo. I was in Kyushu a few months ago and people seemed to be a lot less “shy” over there.
We just got back from Japan and went on a few evening Izakaya tours in both Tokyo and Kyoto( airbnb experiences) . There were solo travelers , all ages , very fun! It’s a great way to find out about fun bars and foods to try .