Hello! My girlfriend and I are planning to go to Japan for 11 days in January 2024. For some context, this is her first time in Japan and my third (but my first time planning an itinerary). I’d appreciate feedback on whether this itinerary is too much to achieve in the time we have, and whether we’re missing out on anything important.
**Specific questions:**
* I have read that lots of shops will close on New Years Day. Will they open again on Jan 2? Unfortunately this period is the only time we could take off work. Please let me know if there is anything that we won’t be able to do in this itinerary because of this.
* I absolutely LOVE amusement parks but decided not to go to Fuji Q because I am already going to USJ and two amusement parks on one trip is probably overkill. Is this a bad idea? USJ is a must-go for us as we don’t have one where we’re from, and my girlfriend is a huge Harry Potter fan.
* Is there much of a difference between going to the Imamiya Ebisu shrine for the Toka Ebisu Festival on Jan 9 vs Jan 10? I would like to go to USJ on Wednesday Jan 10 as I hear there are less crowds. But if celebrations for Toka Ebisu Festival are much better on Jan 10 than Jan 9 I’ll reconsider this.
* Will Miyajima Island take the whole day? Or is it more of a half-day trip? I am considering having one more day in Kyoto, or stopping in Ōkunoshima, rabbit island.
* Would also appreciate any must-eats as we haven’t gotten to the food part of the trip planning yet!
**Summary:**
* Day 1: landing in NRT at 2pm
* Day 1-3: Tokyo
* Day 4: Kawaguchiko
* Day 5-6: Kyoto
* Day 7-8: Hiroshima
* Day 9-12: Osaka, flying out from KIX
**Detail:**
**Dec 31 – Tokyo: landing in NRT at 2pm**
Install eSIM on arrival, set up Suica
Take the train and check in to ryokan in Asakusa at \~4pm
Explore Shinjuku
**Jan 1 – Tokyo: Tsukiji, Ginza, Asakusa, Ueno Park, Akihabara**
Tsukiji Fish Markets
Ginza – light shopping
If nothing is open then explore some parks
Senso-ji and Asakusa streets for Hatsumode celebrations
Explore Akihabara at night
**Jan 2 – Tokyo: Ueno Park, Shinjuku, Harajuku and Shibuya**
Ryokan breakfast
Ueno Park – walk around and check out the Tokyo National Museum
Shopping in Shinjuku
Harajuku – Takeshita St
Shibuya Crossing
Forward our luggage to Kyoto
**Jan 3 – Tokyo to Kawaguchiko: Chureito Pagoda, Ropeway**
Check out of Tokyo ryokan
Morning highway bus to Kawaguchiko
Chureito Pagoda
Eat hoto for lunch
Kawaguchiko Ropeway
We would like to go cycling around the lake and Oishi Park, but also spend time enjoying the accommodation at Ubuya
**Jan 4 – Kawaguchiko to Kyoto: Nishiki markets & Hanamikoji St**
Free time in Kawaguchiko
Bus to Mishima, shinkansen to Kyoto
Check in to ryokan, receive luggage (might have to do this the next day)
Explore Nishiki markets
Hanamikoji St
**Jan 5 – Kyoto: Fushimi Inari Shrine, Bamboo Forest, Iwatayama Monkey Park**
Fushimi Inari Shrine
Otagi
Bamboo Forest
Iwatayama Monkey Park
**Jan 6 – Kyoto to Hiroshima: Kyoto Imperial Palace, shinkansen to Hiroshima, Hiroshima Peace Park**
Kyoto Imperial Palace
Buy shinkansen ticket to Osaka (not covered by Kansai Hiroshima Wide Pass), then activate Kansai
Hiroshima Wide Pass and shinkansen to Hiroshima
Hiroshima Peace Park
Atomic Bomb Dome
**Jan 7 – Hiroshima to Osaka: Day trip to Miyajima Island, shinkansen to Osaka**
Train and ferry to Miyajima Island using Kansai Hiroshima Wide Pass
Shinkansen to Osaka
Check in to hotel
Explore Shinsaibashi/Dotonburi
**Jan 8 – Osaka: Himeji Castle, Dotonburi, shop at Shinsaibashi**
Shinkansen to Himeji Castle using Kansai Hiroshima Wide Pass
Himeji Castle & Kokoen Gardens, tea ceremony
Dinner at Dotonburi
Shop at Shinsaibashi
**Jan 9 – Osaka: Toka Ebisu Festival, America town for thrifting**
Imamiya Ebisu shrine to see the Toka Ebisu Festival
My cousins recommended thrifting in America town, and my girlfriend loves thrifting
**Jan 10 – Osaka: Universal Studios**
Will probably get express passes to guarantee entry into Super Mario Land
**Jan 11 – Osaka: free day, departure**
Chance to explore places we liked in Osaka before flying out at 7pm
2 comments
Hi!
I am pretty sure that the following will all be closed on 1/1
Tsukiji Fish MarketsGinza
Akihabara
Senso-ji should be pretty busy and if you want to head to Harajuku then it will also have some open places and be super busy. You can also see if any stores you like have fukubukuro, though a lot of the most popular ones are pre-order lottery.
I believe the bus from Kawaguchiko to Mishima needs to be reserved in advance. It might not be far in advance, but it still needs to be reserved.
Some stores in Nishiki Market might still be closed on the 4th. Some stores stay closed for a long time for the New Years holidays, especially smaller shops.
On 1/6 I would not buy additional tickets, I would just take a limited express from Kyoto to Shin-Osaka Station (which is covered and catch a shinkansen there. Since the pass lets you take ANY shinkansen not just Hikari or Sakura, making a connection at Shin-Osaka Station is much easier and why pay ~3000 yen when you can use a covered limited express. There are a lot of limited expresses between Kyoto and Osaka. You can see which ones makes the most sense. Then get the shinkansen in Shin-Osaka.
How long you need on Miyajima sort of depends on you and what you want to do? Are you doing every hike? Are you just visiting Itsukujima shrine? Do you want to visit other temples, do you want to go to the aquarium, etc.?
For Okunoshima, I think the sticking spot is how often the trains run between Hiroshima and Mihara and then Mihara to Tadanoumi.
[http://rabbit-island.info/en/](http://rabbit-island.info/en/)
Has the information on the different routes and the ferry times.
I hope this helps!
Good luck!
Himeji is on the way to Osaka from Hiroshima. It would be much more efficient if you stop by Himeji and then go to Osaka rather than heading to Himeji from Osaka the following day.