This is my first time going to Japan for leisure, and I’ll be going with my sister from mid to late September. The more I research an area, the more I usually fall into a rabbit hole of the area’s attractions, so my itinerary ended up feeling packed. I suspect that I’ll be making changes when the day finally arrives, but I’d like to at least get my general areas in order as I’m very afraid of making stupid transits and/or missing certain places due to inefficient train rides.
My sister is a foodie and loves cultural & historic sites. Since we’ll mostly be in Tokyo, she’s added a bunch of shrines, local specialty spots, and streets with lots of snack shops to the list. As for me, I enjoy the general atmosphere of Tokyo from the last time I went, and will be satisfied with only a few major spots as long as I encounter little to no problems ticking them off one by one. I’m also interested in getting some worthwhile manga/anime merch while I can easily find & buy them.
My itinerary for now is:
**Fri 15/9:** Arrive in Narita at 3:55 PM, check-in to hotel at Asakusa, get our bearings
**Sat 16/9**
* Kamakura: Kotoku-in & Hasedera temples
* Tsurugaoka Hachimangu (my sister found that there will be a brief yabusame demonstration for a festival at 1 pm) & Komachi-dori street
* Enoshima: caves, Sea Candle, Samuel Cocking garden
**Sun 17/9**
* Edo-Tokyo Open Air Architectural Museum
* Akasaka Hikawa Shrine (apparently there will also be a festival here with a procession & bon-odori)
**Mon 18/9:** Yokohama Cup Noodles Museum, Red Brick Warehouse, NYK Hikawa Maru, Chinatown
**Tue 19/9**
* Odawara Castle, Suzuhiro Kamaboko Museum
* Shin-Yokohama Ramen Museum on the way back (separated from the Yokohama day because it wasn’t near the other spots)
**Wed 20/9**
* Imperial Palace gardens (I’m not sure how hard it will be to get the limited tour)
* Tsukiji Outer Market
* Kabuki-za show, possibly get a view of the Rainbow Bridge after
**Thu 21/9:** Shopping at Ikebukuro. I allocate the day for shopping since I usually take a long time to window shop before deciding on things to buy.
**Fri 22/9:** View red spider lilies at Kichakuda Manjushage Park, then make the trip to a ryokan at Yamanakako, where we’ll stay the night
**Sat 23/9:** Yamanakako Hananomiyako Park, Oshino Hakkai, go back to our hotel at Asakusa
**Sun 24/9:** Meiji Jingu, Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden, Takeshita Street in Harajuku, shop around Shibuya
**Mon 25/9:** Sensoji, tea ceremony experience at Jidaiya, other experiences if time and budget allows, flight back at 11.30 PM
My concerns are:
1. 16/9 and 17/9 is mostly planned around the festivals, and even the route for 16/9 is a bit inefficient because of it, but am I overvaluing them? Is it possible that these kinds of events are so crowded that I can’t do much of anything there?
2. My sister later became interested in Nikko and is considering swapping the Odawara day trip in 19/9 for Nikko. Any advice on which is a better day trip?
3. We intially booked a ryokan (not yet paid) at Yamanakako because we were planning to go to the park there as well, but later found out that there are a lot more attractions & easier transit at Kawaguchiko. Is it better to change accommodations? Although my main interest is viewing Mt. Fuji and the lakes, as well as experiencing a ryokan, my sister isn’t so sure it’s worth it without also going to attractions like the ones in Kawaguchiko.
4. I also belatedly found out that places like Akihabara & Shibuya will be extremely crowded on the weekends, but I’m not sure which day of my itinerary can be swapped to avoid this.
5. I’m a bit torn on getting a JR Tokyo-wide Pass & reworking this itinerary to optimize for it, since I hear it’s difficult to take JR trains from Asakusa. The same goes for Fuji Pass because I’m not sure if the transit cost will add up during my time in Yamanakako.
6. I understand very few Japanese, can stutteringly read the alphabet, and can’t speak Japanese at all. Will I be okay for this itinerary?
Any feedback is greatly appreciated, please and thank you in advance!
1 comment
1. I think if there are festivals on, you should prioritise going to them (or at least one). As far as cultural events and general vibes go, it’s hard to beat a Japanese festival.
2. Dunno about Odawara, but find time for Nikko. One of the nicest places in the country.
3. Seems like something you’ll just have to decide yourself..
4. You should go to Akihabara on a Sunday if you can – they close off the main street so it’s easier to get around. I feel like worrying about crowds in Tokyo is a bit pointless – it’s just a fact of life there. Shinjuku also has pedestrian paradise on a Sunday I think.
5. Unless you’re on a tight budget, wouldn’t bother. Better to optimise for convenience/time.
6. Yeah, no problem. All of these places are used to having foreigners bumbling around.