Hello!
I’ve been reading here your great contributions to foreign travelers and finally is my turn to ask for help!
I (M53) and my daughter (F15) are coming to Japan Oct 25, staying until Nov 07. We love pop culture, nerd, otaku, geek stuff. But also love history and nature. So, we are thinking in dedicating 9 nights in Tokyo for otaku, pop and futuristic stuff for us and some regular clothes shopping for her. The rest of the time would be dedicated to cultural and nature. I would very much like to see the wonderful red leaves of autumn.
I still don´t have everything set, so I would appreciate your suggestions and criticisms.
Oct 25 – Arriving in **Tokyo** at 15:55 after more than 24 hours of flight. We will probably be tired, so I thought of checking-in in the hotel, rest a little bit and head to Shinjuku (near our hotel).
Oct 26 – Samurai Museum (also near the hotel), Nakano Broadway and Shibuya.
Oct 27 – Odaiba Island: Team labs Planet, Small Worlds, Decks, Aqua City, Diver City
Oct 28 – Ikebukuro, Sunshine City, Tokyo Station. And I don´t know from there. Are any of this worth it: Toei Animation Museum, Ghibli Museum, Sanrio Puroland? I could also go to Nikko.
Oct 29 (Sunday) – Park Yoyogi to try to see read leaves and the rockabilly singers/dancers. Harajuku. Akihabara (I read that the street is closed for cars on Sundays).
Oct 30 – Asakusa, Sensoji Temple, Skytree and surroundings (I don´t know if the aquarium is worth it).
Oct 31 – It´s Halloween! Tokyo Tower, Ginza, Halloween in Shibuya (this day seems still a little empty).
Nov 1 – **Kyoto**. Kyomizu-dera, Yasaka temple.
Nov 2 – Day trip to **Nara**: Toda-ji, kasuga-taisha, feed the deers on the park.
Nov 3 – Fushimi Inari (near the hotel), Kinkakuji, Gion
Nov 4 – **Hiroshima**. Myajima Island: Itsukushima Shrine, Floating Red Torii Gate/ Daisho-in Temple
Nov 5 – Peace Memorial Park. Leaves for **Himeji** and then proceed to **Tokyo**.
Nov 6 – No idea.
Nov 7 – Probably buy gifts and souvenirs to friends and family because the flight back is at 18:25.
The trip is short and very expensive, I have no idea when we could come back again, so my level of anxiety to not miss great stuff is huge!
Oh, one more thing, in the first staying in Tokyo we are looking into Apa Hotel in Kabuchiko. I know it´s the “red light district”, but it seems safe enough, right?
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1 comment
Personal opinion but Oct 26 and Oct 29 stick out to me as being too packed.
Shibuya, Nakano Broadway, Harajuku, and Akihabara all take the best part of a day for my wife and I to explore. Shops actually open later and close earlier than we think. I didn’t have enough time to shop and buy things I wanted to in Akihabara.
Ghibli Museum was nice as Ghibli fans and the merch store had some nice stuff. In fact, Japan does exclusive merch so well. I would recommend it if you haven’t been but I wouldn’t be sad to miss out.
EDIT: Kabuchiko seemed safe enough. Just don’t follow any touts.