Hey all! Have 3 weeks in Japan coming up at the end of October and I’m now wondering if I’m doing enough? Some of my days feel empty, any recommendations for things to do? Thanks!
**October 25 – October 29: Tokyo**
Hotel: Asakusabashi
October 25 – Shinjuku, Shibuya, Harajuku, Meiji Jingu
Travel in from Narita in the morning.
General shopping and browsing.
October 26 – Akihabara, Nakano, Ghibli Museum
General shopping. Ghibli museum booked for 1600.
October 27 – Senso Ji, Ueno, Ikebukuro
Senso Ji in the morning. Ueno Park and Tokyo National Museum in Ueno, before heading to Ikebukuro.
Maybe MOMAT if time permits?
October 28 – Asakusa, free time
Explore Asakusa in the morning. The rest of the day is dedicated to things I missed previously. (recommendations?)
October 29 – Free day
Check out of accommodation and revisit places I’ve missed. Meeting with relatives in the afternoon.
**October 30 – November 3: Kyoto**
Hotel near Kyoto Station.
October 30 – Central Kyoto
Travel down from Tokyo in the morning and explore central Kyoto. Points of interest include Kyoto Gyoen, Kyoto Gosho, and Nijo Jo.
October 31 – Eastern Kyoto
Philosophers Walk in the early morning (0600). Nanzenji, Eikando, Ginkaku Ji.
Free afternoon exploring Kyoto (recommendations?)
November 1 – South Kyoto
Fushimi Inari in the early morning (0600). Free afternoon, maybe heading out of town – potentially Kurama~Kifune?
November 2 – Nara
Day trip to Nara. Kiyomizu Dera in the early morning (0600). Then Nara for the day.
November 3 – Western Kyoto
Arashiyama in the morning, Tenryuji included. Kinkaku Ji if I feel like it, otherwise exploring some less touristy places around Arashiyama. Travelling to Kumamoto in the evening.
**November 4 – November 11: Kumamoto and Kyushu**
Staying with relatives in Kumamoto.
With a JR pass, I plan on taking day trips around Kyushu – Fukuoka, Aso, Hiroshima included. Points of interest in Kumamoto include Miyamoto Musashi’s grave and anything One Piece related.
**November 12 – November 14: Yokohama and Honshu**
November 12 – Yokohama
Travelling up to Yokohama from Kumamoto, Considering stopping at Himeji Castle or any other interesting sights on the way up.
November 13 – Hakone
Day trip to Hakone from Yokohama. Head back to Yokohama in the evening.
November 14 – Departure
Hanging around Yokohama and Tokyo before travelling to Narita in the evening and flying out.
2 comments
I don’t know about your Western travels, but what you seem to be planning for Tokyo seems far too ambitious. You can *go* to all the places you list in a day, but you won’t be able to do anything interesting in any of them if you try to fit in, say, Akihabara, Nakano, and Ghibli all on the same day, then return to Asakusabashi.
I’d recommend doing Nara on November 1 after Fushimi Inari, unless you were planning to spend 4+ hours on the mountain. The JR Nara line is a straight shot.
Alternatively if you like tea, keep Nara for the next day, but take the train down to Uji after Fushimi Inari. It’s a lovely tea town.