Hi all,
I am a naturalized Canadian (no longer Japanese) traveling back to Japan for the first time in 15 years. I was born in Japan but lived most of my adult life in Canada. I can read but speaking Japanese has gotten little difficult for me.
I am taking my fiancee to Japan for her first time to show her Japan (sightseeing and touristy stuff) as well as where I grew up/my home town. We will be connecting with some of our Japanese friends here and there, as well as staying with them for few nights.
We will be in Japan for 22 days and because it’s been a while since I was in Japan, I would like a quick itinerary check. All feedback, comments, and suggestions are welcome.
All accommodations are booked. We might not get the best value but have JR pass.
We are not on a strict budget and few luxury meals are okay but we just want to enjoy good food and booze at some local hole in a wall places (i.e., mid-night diner on Netflix).
One question is that we will be in Nikko/Kinugawaonsen area for the last few days for R&R before leaving Japan. I realize Nikko’s touristy spots are little far from Kinugawaonsen. Would it worth renting a car just in Nikko?
|**Day 1**|**Thursday, October 05, 2023**|
|:—|:—|
|Evening|Arrive at Narita @4:30PM|
||Check in to accommodation in Taito|
|**Day 2**|**Friday, October 06, 2023**|
|:—|:—|
|Morning|Toyosu Fish Market @5:30AM (entered lottery)|
||teamLab Planets (got tickets)|
||Gundam Base Tokyo|
|Day|No plan/Sightsee|
|Evening|Dinner with friend (Golden Gai, Shinjuku?)|
||Back to accommodation in Taito|
|**Day 3**|**Saturday, October 07, 2023**|
|:—|:—|
|Morning|Asakusa > Akihabara > Ginza (another friend would join)|
|Day|Harajuku > Takeshita Dori > Yoyogi Park|
|Evening|~18:30 Shibuya Sky (got tickets for 19:00 to 19:50)|
||Shinjuku or closer to Taito for dinner with friend|
||Back to accommodation in Taito|
|**Day 4**|**Sunday, October 08, 2023**|
|:—|:—|
|Morning|Ghibli Museum @10AM (got tickets)|
|Day|Leave Ghibli Museum ~12:30PM,|
||~2hr travel to Kita-Kashiwa, Matsuba-Cho (visit home town)|
|Evening|Kashiwa, then slowly get back to accommodation in Taito|
|**Day 5**|**Monday, October 09, 2023**|
|:—|:—|
|Morning|Check out accommodation in Taito|
|Day|Travel to Hiroshima (4.5hrs)|
|Evening|Check in to accommodation in Hatsukaichi|
|**Day 6**|**Tuesday, October 10, 2023**|
|:—|:—|
|Morning|Kamihera, Hayatani Shrine (visit old neighborhood)|
|Day|Pickup anagomeshi from Miyajimaguchi (bento reserved, one of my fav.),|
||Alpark|
|Evening|Back to accommodation in Hatsukaichi|
|**Day 7**|**Wednesday, October 11, 2023**|
|:—|:—|
|Morning|Head to Miyajima @6:30AM|
|Day|Miyajima, Misen|
|Evening|Back to accommodation in Hatsukaichi|
|**Day 8**|**Thursday, October 12, 2023**|
|:—|:—|
|Morning||
|Day|Hiroshima, Peace Museum, Dome, City, Okonomimura|
|Evening|Back to accommodation in Hatsukaichi|
|**Day 9**|**Friday, October 13, 2023**|
|:—|:—|
|Morning|Head to Iwakuni, Pickup another anagomeshi bento @9AM|
|Day|Iwakuni|
|Evening|Back to accommodation in Hatsukaichi|
|**Day 10**|**Saturday, October 14, 2023**|
|:—|:—|
|Morning|Check out of accommodation in Hatsukaichi|
||Travel to Himeji (~2hrs)|
|Day|Store luggage at train station, sightsee Himeji Castle,|
||Travel to Osaka (~1.5hrs)Meet up with another friend|
|Evening|Hang around with friend and stay at their home in Osaka|
|**Day 11**|**Sunday, October 15, 2023**|
|:—|:—|
|Morning|Travel to Nara (friend’s husband to drive)|
|Day|Todaiji, Kasuga Taisha, Yakushiji, Horyuji Temple|
|Evening|Drive back to their home in Osaka|
|**Day 12**|**Monday, October 16, 2023**|
|:—|:—|
|Morning|Osaka Castle (maybe, having seen himeji already),|
||Osaka Museum of Housing and Living|
|Day|Sumiyoshi Taisha Shrine (free)|
|Evening|Hang around with friend and stay at their home in Osaka|
|**Day 13**|**Tuesday, October 17, 2023**|
|:—|:—|
|Morning|Travel to Kyoto with friend|
|Day|Kinkakuji, Ryoanji Temple, Togetsu-kyo Bridge|
||Check in to accommodation in Nijo|
|Evening|Nice Dinner and Relax|
|**Day 14**|**Wednesday, October 18, 2023**|
|:—|:—|
|Morning|Kiomizudera|
|Day|Higashiyama District (Sannenzaka, Ninenzaka)|
||Kodaiji|
||Kenninji|
||Yasaka Shrine|
||Nishiki Market|
||(Maybe) Fushimi Inari Shrine|
|Evening|Back to accommodation in Nijo|
|**Day 15**|**Thursday, October 19, 2023**|
|:—|:—|
|Morning|Check out of accommodation in Nijo|
|Day|Travel to Fujimi (~5hrs)|
|Evening|Check in to accommodation in Fujimi|
|**Day 16**|**Friday, October 20, 2023**|
|:—|:—|
|Morning||
|Day|Ride Fujimi Bike Park|
|Evening||
|**Day 17**|**Saturday, October 21, 2023**|
|:—|:—|
|Morning|Check out from accommodation in Fujimi|
|Day|Travel to Tokyo (~3.5hrs)|
||Check out table tennis supply shop (recommendation?)|
|Evening|Check in to accommodation in Asakusabashi|
|**Day 18**|**Sunday, October 22, 2023**|
|:—|:—|
|Morning|Check out from accommodation in Asakusabashi|
|Day|Travel to Kinugawaonsen (~3hr)|
|Evening|Check in to accommodation in Kinugawaonsen|
|**Day 19**|**Monday, October 23, 2023**|
|:—|:—|
|Morning|Kanmangafuchi Abyss, Toshugo Shrine|
|Day|Nikko Botanical Garden, Kegon Falls|
|Evening|Back to accommodation in Kinugawaonsen|
|**Day 20**|**Tuesday, October 24, 2023**|
|:—|:—|
|Morning||
|Day|Chill|
|Evening||
|**Day 21**|**Wednesday, October 25, 2023**|
|:—|:—|
|Morning|Check out from accommodation in Kinugawaonsen|
|Day|Travel to Tokyo (~3hr)|
|Evening|Check in to accommodation near Uguisudani Station|
|**Day 22**|**Thursday, October 26, 2023**|
|:—|:—|
|Morning|Check out from accommodation near Uguisudani Station|
|Day|Travel to Narita|
|Evening|Catch a flight out of Narita|