JAPAN ITINERARY

Below is my Japan travel itinerary for March- April of 2024. The times next to some places are the “best time to go there” for me.

Anyone have advice or changes? Should I get portable wifi + ESIM or just one of them? Should I do jr pass for second half of trip? Is 3K a good net spend? What’s some really good but cheap omakase? This is my lifelong dream trip ever since watching Anthony Boudains Japan episode when I was a kid!! I have insomnia bad and Can go without sleeping for a while so hopefully that works in my favor with my jam packed itinerary. Would also love to know some good places to go dancing at night. I’ll be going from TOKYO/NARA/OSAKA/KINOSAKI/KYOTO/TOKYO

MARCH 24 SUN
– MIA —> TOKYO

MARCH 25 MON
– 4:55PM ARRIVE IN TOKYO!!!!
– Check into Airbnb/exchange currency
– Eat @ Uogashi sushi
– Exchange currency @ 7-11 (30k YEN)
– Explore: Cross vision Shinjuku vision, Tojo Cinema
– Snack @ Omoide Yokocho Drink @ Bar albatross

MARCH 26 TUES
– Visit shinjuku Gyoen + Suga shrine
– Totoro cream puff
– Thrift @ Shimo-Kitazawa (2nd street, treasure factory, step ahead, Garage, book/mode off, New York joe, TREFACSTYLE, Flamingo, Rose, Rag Tag, Wego, Desert snow, Kindal)
– 6-8: Shibuya Sky, Hachiko memorial statue
– 9:30-11: Dinner @ Uobei Sushi

MARCH 27 WED
TOKYO —> FUJI $20
– 9-4: Fuji Q Highland
– Chuerito Pagoda
FUJI —> TOKYO $20
– 7-9: Visit Shinjuku Gyoen at night
– Explore Shinjuku Kabukicho (Golden gai, Hanazono Jinja Shrine)

MARCH 28 THURS
– Walk around Ueno park
– Lunch @ Gyukatsu ichi ni san
– Explore Akihabara (Radio Kaikan, Animate, Yodobashi, Taito, Cómic Zin, Ami Ami, Super potato, chuo street, book off, arcade buildings, Gigo)
– Dinner @ Kikanbo
– See some illuminations in Meguro tonight

MARCH 29 FRI
– Egg Sando from Lawsons – who has the best egg sando? Video on train
TOKYO —> NARA $110
– Take train to Nara (Naramachi, Nakatanidou, Ukimido, Nara park, Namdaimon Gate, Todai-ji, Kasuga Taisha, Abe Monju In, drink @ Harushika, Shigisan @ night, Ofusa shrine, Tsubosaka Dera)
– Coco curry for dinner

MARCH 30 SAT
NARA —> OSAKA $5
– Explore Amerikamura + Pokémon Cntr
– Stop @ Kobe beef ken to make reservations
– Explore Shinsekai/Dotombori FOOD TOUR: Kushikatsu @ Daruma, Okonomiyaki @ Ajinoya Honten, Takoyaki @ Wanaka Sennichima, Custard Fish)
– Team lab garden Osaka
– 11-5: party @ Ghost/Madam Woo
– Late night tacos @ Ola tacos

MARCH 31 SUN
– 7-9: Universal studios Japan!!! 🍄
– Dinner @ Kobe beef steak Ken
– Drink @ Top Rank
– Late night Sakae Sushi

APRIL 1 MON
– Kuromon market
OSAKA —> KINOSAKI $45
– Check into a Ryokan and put on my Kimono (Morizuya Inn)
– Visit Onsenji temple to thank the hot spring gods and call the waters healing powers
– Eat dinner @ Ryokan (6:30PM)
– Explore public bathhouses (Kono-yu, Goshono-yu, Ichino-yu) till 11pm
– [ ] Walk around the town

APRIL 2 TUES
KINOSAKI —> KYOTO $40
– Check into hotel
– 2-8: Gion district (Philosophers path, Keage Incline, Heian Shrine, Starbucks, Kodaji Temple, Ninenzaka street, Macca House, Sannenzaka street, Shirakawa Lane, Tatsumi Bridge, Maruyama Park, Sanjo Bridge)
– 5-9: Eat @ Kichi Kichi Omurice
– Kiyomizumadera Temple @ night // Visit art installation in Nijo castle Or Chion-In!

APRIL 3 WED
– Visit Arishiyama (Bamboo forest, Tenryuji Temple, Gio-ji Temple, Togetsu-Kyo Bridge, Monkey park)
– Breakfast @ arashiyama dauizen sushi
– Join a tea ceremony and visit some nearby temples like Ryon-ji https://tea-kyoto.com
– Drink @ Pontocho

APRIL 4 THURS
– Eat @ Happy Pancake
– Watch Kitano Odori performance
– Fushimi inarii shrine @ sunrise (mitsurugi-sha, the love rock here, Kifune Jinja, Fushimi castle)
– Fushimi Jukkokubune
– Byodin temple
KYOTO —> TOKYO $105
– Join a cooking class
– MAYBEE Visit Ginza (Sanrio world, Tsujiri, Sakura Dori, Loft)

APRIL 5 FRI
– 6-12: Tsukiji fish market MUST TRY: giant Oysters @ Saito Fisheries, Mochi @ soratsuki AIRBNB TOUR https://abnb.me/H1kPNhcwRzb
– Explore Asakusa (Sensoji, Sakura Jingu shrine)
– Visit Skytree (Donguri store)
– Grab some snacks to eat @ Sumida park (Unana, Kagetsudo, Tabanenoshi, Kaminari, IMO Pipi)
– Pub crawl in Roppongi (7TH heaven, SR3 LOUNGE, Sel Octagon)

APRIL 6 SAT
– Visit Meguro river (Onibus coffee)
– Explore Harajuku (Meji shrine, Yoyogi park, Chicago, Takeshita street, Mi pig cafe, kiddy land, Harajuku Gyozaro, cat street 2nd street thrift, Closet Child, Kinji clothes, loft store)
– Explore Shibuya (Nanaya Aoyama, Sakuragaokacho, Hachiko square, Nintendo store, Disney store, Daiso, village vanguard, Shonen Jump, chill and watch the crossing from 109)
– Drink @ Kabukicho tower Red Bar + Bar Tram + maybe BAIA + Karaoke Bar

APRIL 7 SUN
– 9-9: VISIT TOKYO DISNEYSEA
– Bar crawl @ star club, death match in hell, Araku, New York bar and cheers to our last night in Tokyo
– Mega Don Quijote souvenir shopping

APRIL 8 MON
TOKYO —> TORONTO
– Pick up things @ Tsukiji for picnic in Kitanomaru garden or imperial palace
– Tokyo station (Bongen coffee, Character street, surugaya)
– Grab last minute onigiri Konga inside airport
– 5:40PM TOKYO —> MIA 11:50PM