Hi! I am planning a solo trip to Japan and am trying to get a good mix of nature / countryside and city. This is my first trip to Japan, but my mom lived there for almost five years in the 80s so grew up eating a lot of Japanese food and was exposed to parts of the culture. Getting out into nature to feel the rural areas of the country is a high priority so I am including the Kumano Kodo trail and would like to see some more nature in Nagano Prefecture and Nikko. Any help on if folks think timing is reasonable, am I missing any major areas that I should trade-off, any activities that I haven’t flagged that I must do, etc. The destinations and some activities I have planned currently are the following:
Kyoto (4 days)
\- Kinkaku-ji
\- Fushimi Inari Shrine / Mount Inari
\- Maiko show
\- Pontocho Alley in Kyoto
\- Higashiyama Historic District
\- Day trip to Nara
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Wakayama Prefecture (4-5 days)
\- Kumano Kodo Trail (2-3 days hike) – any favorite routes? Want to include Nachi Shrine
\- Koyasan (Mount Koya)
\- Yunomine Onsen
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Nagano Prefecture (2-3 days)
\- Matsumoto Castle (any thoughts on this castle vs Himeji)
\- Karasawa / Kamikochi
\- Togakushi Shrine
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Tokyo (6 days)
\- Bridgestone Museum of Art (Artizon Museum)
\- Nezu Museum
\- Edo-Tokyo museum
\- Kabuki or Noh theatre
\- Nikko day trip
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Must-try Food (in addition to dishes common in west e.g., sushi/sashimi, ramen/udon/soba, donburi, okonomiyaki), anything else folks would add?
\- Kaiseki
\- Karage
\- Yakitori
\- Takoyaki
\- Black sesame ice cream
\- Kabayaki
\- Kushikatsu
Any favorite places to get wagyu / preference on prefecture of wagyu? I’ve never tried Kobe from Japan, american Kobe imo is nothing to cry home about. The one wagyu I tried was from Miyazaki Prefecture, which was incredible. In general restaurant recs would be amazing help!
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Other areas / activities of interest: are any of these worth re-arranging my itinerary to include? Are there any others that you would recommend?
Kyoto Area
\- Himeji Castle
\- Minoo park
\- Mount Kurama
Nakasendo Trail
\- Tsumago to Magome portion only (1 day)
Tokyo
\- Mt Takao
I have a bunch of hasami porcelain and have done wheel making pottery classes. Its a stretch to go to Arita, but are there any recs on porcelain making classes or places to buy porcelain in any of the destinations I am going?
Thanks!
2 comments
You didn’t say which year, but edo Tokyo museum is closed until 2025
For kumano kodo Nakahechi is probably easiest with staying in yunomine. There is no easy way to get from Koyasan to Kumano kodo, you’ll have to backtrack.
Karasawa is a 2 day hike, so you’ll need at least 3 days in the area.
Himeji castle is way nicer than Matsumoto.