Itinerary Check – Two weeks in Japan (Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto + others)

7 comments

1. As for pocket Wi-Fi/SIM card it depends. My cell service allowed for international data for $5 a day I think, which would be the best option in my opinion. Keep in mind that your phone has to be unlocked in order to use a different providers SIM card. Either way I find use of Google or Apple Maps pretty essential in Tokyo/Osaka/Kyoto

   If you’re staying in Shinjuku you’ll have time to see Golden Gai.

   That time of year will likely be busy. Not sure if post Covid tourism has returned in full force, but if it has by then just be prepared.
   If you can get your understanding of the public transit system down quickly then Tokyo is very easy to get around, especially the touristy areas.

2. I love me a good shopping centre / Department store but your Tokyo days seem pretty heavy on them.

   Maybe the day you’re in Shibuya you could plan to walk to Harajuku through Yoyogi park

   Also, Akihabara is not a full day. It opens mostly at 11am, and mostly closes starting from 7pm through to 9pm for most stores, with the exception of arcades which are open late.

   Akihabara is worth visiting for nerds, for sure, but it is also somewhat hollowed out by the pandemic, with some of the iconic stores gone. I remember seeing TikToks of the last Sega arcade closing during the pandemic , as did the Doujin store Toranoan. It’s somewhat out of the way, but you might consider seeing Nakano Broadway as a ‘hidden gem’ version of Akihabara, also in Tokyo. I would say there are less ‘tourist first’ spots in Nakano Broadway so you can find better deals there imo.

   In Hakone it’s best to just chill and wander the village by the stream, and relax in your accommodation’s bathhouse :p Don’t over commit and embrace it as a slow time for your trip.

   Fushimi inari shrine gets really busy. I would plan to do an early morning trip, rather then during the day after a 3 hour trip from Tokyo. You can get there before the tour buses start cycling through and get a much beter experience.

   Nara is possible as a day trip. Personally I like to cut down check in/check out as it is time I could be doing something else so you could just add a day to Osaka or Kyoto and do a day trip. This approach also has the benefit of being more flexible around which day you do your day trips when you’re on your trip to plan around bad weather if needed.

   My last trip I did two teamLabs, the Tokyo one and the Singapore one. I didn’t really get anything out of going to a second one. Maybe Osaka is different enough, but maybe there’s more pressing things to see then just another version of the same attraction? Depending on your specific typoe of Nerdiness, Super Nintendo World is pretty much a paradise for a nerd that like Mario, and Universal often have collaboration with Anime that varies by season. For example currently it is a Summer of One Piece, and some Jujutsu Kaisen promos. Might be worth looking at, but it is pricey, particularly if you try to get fast possess to guarantee entry to Super Nintendo World.

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   >Is pocket wifi better, or a SIM card for our phones? We aren’t planning on making any urgent phone calls/texts while we’re gone. As long as we can go on Discord/FB to chat with whoever is taking care of our pets for those days, we should be good. Oh, and ability to access Google maps would be super duper helpful.

   Pocket Wifi has been great in the past, and is handy since you can connect any other devices like tablets that you’re travelling with, an dthey are unmetered.

   However, I’ve found recently that my mobile provider, for $5 per day, would give me access to my normal plan in Japan and thats just convenient. If your provider isnt; good value when roaming though, Pocket Wifi is good. They can deliver it to your hotel to avoid a line at the airport.

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   >For the train pass, I heard that the JR Pass is going up in price and may not be as cost effective any longer? I was wondering if, at this point, it would be worth it to still get one? We’ll be spending several days throughout this trip in Tokyo, but also going to Kyoto, Osaka, Nara, Hakone and Hiroshima as well, then back to Tokyo.

   Without doing the maths, typically your trip would be worth it on a 7 day pass, which obviously doesn’t cover your intended itinerary, since you’re travelling over 10 days outside of Tokyo. A 14 day ticket may be closer to it being not as valuable. Personally I don’t consider it to have any valuator travelling within cities, like around Tokyo, so just add up the cost of your travel between cities and decide if it’s worth it.

   If you get the 14 day rail pass, I would redeem it in Tokyo, not the airport. The Airport gets a long line of people redeeming it, but any major JR station can redeem it, and if you just do it on Day 2 there not likely a long line and a 14 day pass would let you useit to get back to the airport too at the end of your trip.

3. Watch your day 2, don’t over-pack it. We were advised to consider our first full day in Japan a “dead day,” and boy was that smart. You don’t know how jet lag will hit you, and when you land later in the day you’re mostly just getting your shit together and finding the hotel, you may pass out as soon as your shoes are off in the room. If there’s things you must do for logistics, like get IC cards or do things with train passes, sure, but then play the rest of the day loose. You’re staying in Shinjuku, so just wandering around gawking at everything may be enough to keep you entertained, fed, and prepared for what may yet come. Also a good way to get a feel for one, how close a lot of things are so you can hit a lot of places in one short walk, and two, just how much department store time you actually care to spend. Also hot nerd tip: check Yodobashi Camera for figures and goods. And Book-Off.

   Osaka is a little light, so if you wanted to add more, you’ve got options. Remember that Dotonburi and the shopping arcades (Ebisubashi and Shinsaibashi) cross each other at the bridge. Den-den Town is a very short walk from the end of Ebisubashisuji (like, across a big street and around the corner). It’s ALL in one walkable location. If you were walking it without a stop to shop, you could circle the whole area in 1-2 hours max. So, if you knock all that out in one day, even after the castle, what are you going to do on day 2? If you want cool modern Japan, there’s Umeda Sky or Namba Parks, if you want hipster there are undersung neighborhoods to find, and if you want history and culture the city museum is decent, Tennoji is a good temple to visit (I wish I’d had time for that instead of Shinsekai), etc. On the other hand, 2 days in Kyoto may not be enough to really soak in the culture. It has a very different vibe from Osaka and Tokyo, and if you’re citied-out by that point, it’s a good spot to unwind with quiet temple viewing and historical sights. At least you’re far enough out that if you have to change your hotel reservations, you can.

   You’re also smack in the heart of sakura season so be hyper aware of train travel, both prices and whether you should wisely get reservations. Sundays will be nuts with locals and tourists alike. We went in March this past year and just caught the start of blossoms around 3/21, they’ve been blooming earlier due to climate change and you might be literally in the thick of it. Gird your loins for crowds and iffy space on trains.

4. Use Airalo instead and get an eSIM and instead of getting a physical suica, there’s an option to use Apple wallet and have it there digitally

5. I prefer SIM as it means 1 less item to carry and 1 less device to charge but really both are great options. SIM cards tend to have set periods (e.g. 14 days use) which may not always suit your travel days while pocket wifi lets you pick the start and end date.

6. Don’t sleep on grabbing dinner/drinks in Omoide Yokchoko in Shinjuku. It’s right next to Shinjuku station and has some of the best food I’ve ever eaten in my life.

   For what it’s worth, I did a very similar trip/duration to yours with a bit less planned activity and it felt rushed to me. I actually changed to a later flight to stay an extra few days.

7. Some of your days are pretty packed. I would ease up a bit. Take your time and explore, and just take things in a bit, will feel so much better than rushing and feeling like you are just trying to mark off a checklist.