[Trip Report] 7 days: Kyoto, Nara, Osaka, Yamanashi, Tokyo. Mid-30s married couple (no kids).

I’ve never had to write a trip report, but I’ll try my best – who knows, some parts might be relevant to someone! I’m also happy to answer any questions, although I am not an expert by any means. My wife and I have been planning this trip for about 2 years (the pandemic hindered our travel plans, but gave us 2 years to iron out the details!). So even if something isn’t on my itinerary, it’s something we’ve likely considered but made a decision to not do.

High-level Itinerary:

* October 5: Direct flight from YYZ (Toronto, Canada) to HND.
* October 6: Land in HND at 4 PM. Catch a 7 PM Shinkansen to Kyoto
* October 7: Half day at Nara Park, half day at Osaka
* October 8: Full day in Kyoto
* October 9: Travel from Kyoto to Fujiyoshida
* October 10: Full day around the Mt Fuji area
* October 11: Half day in Kawaguchiko, half day in Tokyo
* October 12: Full day in Tokyo
* October 13: Full day in Tokyo
* October 14: Half day in Tokyo, flight back HND -> YYZ

As you can see, the itinerary is pretty packed; however, I am happy to report that it all went according to plan. Here is a detailed, day by day, report:

**October 5: YYZ -> HND**

There’s nothing too exciting here. It was a 1 PM flight. We got to the airport about 2.5 hours prior; got through security, and grabbed a pizza for a snack. The flight itself was a direct 13-hour flight with Air Canada (operated by ANA). The food was alright (2 full meals during the flight). WiFi worked, so that was nice. A pillow and a blanket were also provided on the seat. I used the pillow as a lumbar support, and the blanket actually got pretty useful in the last few hours of the flight when it got chilly for some reason. Before landing the flight attendants handed out paper customs forms to fill out. I recommend bringing a pen with you, so you can fill the form out on the plane, instead of waiting till you get to the customs area where they have desks and pens.

**October 6: HND -> Kyoto**

We landed at 3:40 PM (the next day, because timezones).

**First stop** – customs. We didn’t actually have the time to prep the customs through the app and have a QR code. So we just settled for using the paper form we filled out on the plane. The entire process was super fast though. We’ve gone through the customs in ~15 minutes.

**Second stop** – checked luggage pickup. While waiting for luggage, we switched our SIM cards to Japan’s data SIMs we [purchased on Amazon](https://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B08THP6HNK) before the trip. Just as we finished (took 5 minutes), the luggage came out on the carousel. This was one of the quickest checked luggage pick-ups I’ve experienced.

**Third stop** – [Purchase Pasmo Passport](https://www.pasmo.co.jp/visitors/en/buy/). We did have to inquire at the information desk as to where we could find it, but all in all, it was pretty simple and kind of hard to miss. After purchasing Pasmo, we also loaded it with an extra 2,000 yen.

At this point, we just followed Google Maps to get ourselves onto the Keikyu line to Shinagawa station. From there, we picked up our Shinkansen tickets ([booked through Smart-Ex](https://smart-ex.jp/en/index.php)) and got ourselves onto the Shinkansen. Of course, we purchased some delicious snacks at the station beforehand 🙂

The train arrived at Kyoto station at around 9 PM as scheduled. We were staying at Henn Na Kyoto hotel, which is literally across the street from the station. It was a short 3-minute walk (with a stop at 7-11 on the corner).

As you can see, the first 2 days of the vacation (Oct 5 and 6) were essentially just getting from Toronto to Kyoto. We did consider other options, such as flying into KIX (Osaka airport) or adjusting our itinerary to start in Tokyo. But since we wanted a direct flight, this was the best option for us.

**October 7: Nara & Osaka**

Woke up at 5 AM and prepared for the day. Left the hotel around 6:30, with a stop at 7-11 to grab some breakfast.

Kyoto Station -> Yamato-Saidaiji Station -> Kintetsu Nara Station. The whole trip took around 30 minutes. Once we arrived, it was another 15-minute walk before we saw our first deer and a vendor with the deer crackers. We spent some time feeding the deer and taking photos, before continuing. We also got lucky and saw that today was the day they were having a Nara Food Festival at the park! They weren’t opening till 10:30 AM though, so we moved on. We walked all around to see Kasuga Taisha Shrine, as well as Todai-ji Nandaimon.
By 10:30, we headed back to the Nara Food Festival where we spent another hour eating all sorts of food! They had the most elaborate Kakigori there! But we made sure not to get too full because the next stop was Isuien Garden. Unfortunately, we didn’t get to walk around the garden too much, but we did stop at their [Tea House for an amazing traditional meal](https://isuien.or.jp/en/sansyu)!

After that nice meal, we headed back to Kintetsu-Nara station and took the train to Osaka. We got off at Kintetsu-Nippombashi station and headed to [Kuromon Ichiba Market](https://kuromon.com/en/) where we continued our food crawl.

Once we felt that we had enough, we walked over to Dotonbori. It was very crowded as it was around 3 PM now. But we did walk around, took some pictures (especially the iconic Glico sign), and ate some more food! Our whole trip was really about the food LOL.

We actually didn’t spend too long at Dotonbori. Mostly because it was pretty crowded, and it was hard to enjoy the food and the place. But it was time to move on to the next place anyway – Osaka Castle. We hopped onto the train and got ourselves there. We decided before the trip that we weren’t interested in entering the castle itself, so we really just got there, took a couple of pictures, and that was it. It was what we came to do.

The last thing on our list was dinner at Tajimaya Tsuruman (Kitahama) for some Kobe beef sukiyaki. It was a nice experience 🙂 By around 7:30 PM, we were ready to head back home, so we took JR from Osaka Station back to Kyoto Station. Once we arrived at the hotel, we re-packed our luggage, as we were planning on shipping it to our next hotel.

**October 8: Kyoto (Arashiyama Bamboo Grove, Kiyomizu-Dera, Gion)**

Same as the day before, we left the hotel around 6:45 AM and grabbed breakfast on the way. We took our luggage with us and stored it in a large locker at Kyoto Station. It cost 1,000 yen. Took the train to [Arashiyama Bamboo Grove](https://www.insidekyoto.com/arashiyama-bamboo-grove), and actually ended up spending more time there than we thought! It was just nice to work around! But then it started to get crowded, so we headed back. On the way back, there were some street food vendors, so of course we had to stop and eat!

Around 10:30 we were back at the station to grab our luggage. ALL lockers were taken. And the moment we got our luggage, the locker was taken within minutes. So if you are planning on storing your luggage at the station, make sure you do so early, otherwise, you might not be able to get a locker, despite the fact that there are like 1000 of them.
Rather than shipping luggage with a service that was available at the Kyoto station (it was crazy busy, with a lineup around the building), we actually walked a couple of blocks up to a [Yamato Transport location](https://maps.app.goo.gl/VmbxS5bXoWMqod8a6). It was totally empty, the staff spoke great English, and it was fast and efficient. around 4,000 yen to ship 2 pieces of luggage.

Now that we were luggage-free, we took the train to Kiyomizu-dera. It was busy-ish, but not as bad as Dotonbori the day before. We did take all of the iconic photos, and after that explored the streets and neighbourhood in the area, with all of the food and souvenirs that it had to offer! For our evening activity, we had a scheduled [Gion walking tour and a Geisha show](https://mai-ko.com/tour/gion-walking-tour-see-a-real-geisha/). This is the only miscalculation on our part – the walking tour felt pretty short. So it would have been nice if we explored Gion on our own earlier. But aside from that, the show with the geisha was absolutely amazing. My wife and I both ended up beating her at rock-paper-scissors and got her “business card” haha.

**October 9: Kyoto & Fujiyoshida (Yamanashi prefecture)**

Usual morning routine – out by 7 AM and taking the train to Fushimi-Inari Station. We did the full climb to the top, and back down. The entire loop took about 2 hours, though we did manage to get a bit lost at one point. We made it back to the hotel by 10, checked out, and got on Shinkansen to Tokyo Station. From Tokyo station, we took JR Bus Kanto to Fujisan station. There were alternative routes (such as getting off at Shizuoka station and taking the bus or a few trains up), but when we were planning the trip, we weren’t entirely sure about luggage shipping services, plus this route had the least amount of transfers and was fairly fast.

The bus arrived at Fujisan Station by around 3:30 PM and we walked for 2 minutes to Orix Car Rental and picked up a rental car. It was a cute little Nissan that would yell at me in English when I was speeding, turning aggressively, or breaking suddenly. Heh… I was a bit worried about driving in Japan; however, it really wasn’t that different. At least in the countryside, it was okay. I wouldn’t drive in Tokyo probably. Anyway, we drove for 10 minutes to Kaneyamaen Hotel, where we checked in and spent the rest of the day exploring the amenities. We also repacked our luggage again in preparation for getting it shipped to our next hotel.

**October 10: Sky Asagiri, Lake Motosu, Hotel**

Quick breakfast buffet at the hotel, and we drove to [Sky Asagiri](http://skyasa.com/english/index.html) for our 9 AM paragliding. Unfortunately, it was super cloudy, so we only got to see the top of Mount Fuji and not the entire thing. But paragliding was amazing! Although we only spent 10 minutes in the air, the entire experience was over by around 11 AM. After that, we drove to Lake Motosu, where I had to do a bit of anime pilgrimage (and the area is heavily capitalizing on Yuru Camp’s popularity!).

We were in the hotel by lunchtime, and the rest of the day was spent enjoying the amenities. I arranged luggage shipping at the hotel’s gift store, while my wife was getting her kimono fitting and hair makeover. The results were astounding! After that, we (her looking like a princess, and my goblin-ass walking beside her) went to the hotel’s garden, tea room, foot spa, etc. At the end of the day, we enjoyed a taiko drum show that they had in the lobby. Overall, I’d recommend Kaneyamaen Hotel to anyone who wants to just relax and enjoy their day.

**October 11: Kawaguchiko & Tokyo**

Another early day – breakfast buffet, checked out of the hotel and drove to Arakurayama Sengen Park. Because we came early enough, there was ample parking. The trip to the top was short and the sky was super clear with Mount Fuji in full view! On the way down we saw a food truck, so of course we had to partake.

With our bellies satisfied, we got ourselves back to the car rental place, and then onto a bus from Fujisan to Tokyo Station. This next part is quite packed and tight on schedule. It worked out, but I think we probably could have done better. From Tokyo Station, we went to [Patisserie Asako Iwayanagi](https://asakoiwayanagi.net/news/639ad6f53463e715feebe554). After eating the dessert, we hopped on a train to Tokyo Tower. We knew we wouldn’t have enough time to explore the tower itself or the shops. The goal was to take a picture of it, as it is pretty iconic. After taking a few shots, we went to TeamLab Planets. That was our last stop for the day, and it was quite worth it IMHO. We ended the day by checking in to our hotel – Henn Na Tokyo Asakusa. Yes, we stayed at Henn Na Kyoto, and now Henn Na Tokyo. Seriously, all the other hotels were sold out!!

**October 12: Tokyo – Asakusa and Akihabara**

Woke up early, and were at Senso-ji by 8 AM. It was great for taking pictures, as there weren’t too many people. Unfortunately, Nakamise-dori was still quiet, so we just walked around exploring the area, until shops started to open up. We began our food crawl from stall to stall. The area got busy very quickly, and by lunchtime, we decided to stop by Kuro Sushi near Tokyo Sky Tree.

After lunch, we took the train to Akihabara and spent the rest of the day exploring Animate, Don Quijote, and all other stores. Of course, we also took some pictures at Radio Kaikan as part of our anime pilgrimage (Stein’s Gate). We ended the day in Maidreamin which was… a unique experience. I am torn, because I feel like it’s not really worth it… but I’d still do it again LOL.

**October 13: Tokyo – Shibuya, Yoyogi Park & Meiji Jingu, Harajuku (Takeshita Street, Omotesando)**

Nothing notable here, other than to say that Shibuya Scramble Crossing is a lot less impressive in person unless you go high up.
Yoyogi Park was nice and peaceful. Did a bit of anime pilgrimage here (Paripi Koumei) before walking to Meiji Jingu. Ate a whole bunch of food at Takeshita Street, browsed shops, and made our own okonomiyaki for lunch, at [Sakura-tei](https://www.sakuratei.co.jp/en/). We concluded our day at Ichiran Ramen.

**October 14: Ueno Park, Tokyo Sky Tree, HND -> YYZ**

In the morning, we headed to Ueno Park and Ameyoko Market as part of our anime pilgrimage (Mitsuboshi Colors). Paid an extra 800 yen each for admission to a flower garden they had inside as it was quite pretty! Afterwards, we headed to Tokyo Sky Tree for shopping. We didn’t actually go up, although we had the time. We loaded up on souvenirs, and then headed back to the hotel to repack the luggage and then off to the airport! The rest went smoothly, and before we knew it, we were back in Canada.

**Japan Travel Tips**

Many of these are common and mentioned everywhere. Others are more personal observations/recommendations.

1. **Bring plastic bags for garbage.** Or doggy bags. Or buy dispensable plastic bags at Daiso in Japan. Or just ask for a plastic bag at 7-11 whenever you buy something. Seriously, garbage bins don’t exist in Japan. Even besides vending machines, those are usually just recyclable plastic/cans bins, not general waste. Of course train stations do have garbage bins, but if you are just strolling through a park and have to blow your nose – keep in mind that you’ll be holding on to the snotty tissue for a while.

2. **Start your day early**, if you can. Unfortunately, it’s a common tip and so the definition of “early” continues to shift. Before you could expect 8 AM to be fairly empty, but now even at 7 AM you won’t be alone. So if you want to beat the crowds to take some iconic photos or just to explore nature and culture in peace – you have to be an early bird!

3. **Google Translate, Google Maps, and Google Lens.** That’s all I used. Google Maps is invaluable for public transportation. Especially pay attention to which entrance to take, which platform, and even which train car to be in. It makes your commute so much easier. Google Lens allowed us to translate any information around us. It was especially invaluable when looking at ingredients in medicine and food. And Google Translate always came in clutch when our abysmal Japanese was not enough to get by. Just show your phone with the translation to the person you are talking to, and they will do what they can to help you!

4. **Medicine**. Specifically cold medicine. My wife and I managed to catch a cold on our 3rd day. Nothing too crazy, just general sniffles; however, it was harder than we thought to find cold medicine that we would be comfortable with. Specifically, my wife needed cold medicine that **does not** have caffeine. But lo and behold… most of their cold medicine are opioids laced with caffeine. However, Pabron brand does carry a few variations that although contain opioids, are at least caffeine-free!

5. **Lockers, hotel luggage storage, and luggage forwarding.** For luggage forwarding, at least with Yamato Transport, you can expect your luggage to be delivered the morning of the next day, so long as you drop it off before 2 PM the day before. Lockers at the train stations are a great way to store your luggage so you don’t have to carry it around. But they do fill up, especially larger ones at the major stations. Strongly recommended to grab them in the morning while many are available. And for hotel luggage storage – well, if you are staying at a robot hotel like Henn na Hotel, then the same applies as all of the lockers and luggage bays were full by 9 AM.

6. **Umbrellas**. Don’t bring them to the country with you. Just buy a plastic one there for 500 yen. And it is almost guaranteed that someone will steal it because everybody has the same umbrella. So don’t worry about it, just grab another identical umbrella. Many hotels will have umbrellas available for grabs at the entrance.

7. **Luggage & City bag**. A good luggage can go a long way. Also, make sure the size is not too large. JR Buses, shinkansen, Yamato Transport, etc all have size restrictions. You can save a bit of $ by not having to pay oversized luggage fees. For your everyday walks, make sure you have a good “city bag”. I wouldn’t bring a backpack, unless you plan on doing some extreme shopping every day, or like to carry a lot of “just in case” items. I find that a sling bag ([this is the exact one I had with me](https://www.mec.ca/en/product/6016-226/gradient-sling-pack?colour=Obsidian)) works best. Not too bulky, yet enough to fit the necessities.

8. **Driving**. Aside from obviously getting all the necessary documentation, just remember that on red, you cannot turn left or right. And make a complete full stop before the train tracks. Everything else is pretty much the same as far as I recall. I did not experience toll highways, so I cannot comment on that, unfortunately.

9. **Don’t be a tourist.** Seriously, the absolute worst part about Japan is tourists. And of course, you are a tourist, but for the love of everything that is dear to you – respect the country, respect the culture, and respect the people. I saw so many genuinely upsetting things when I was there. Tourists climb things they shouldn’t, eat in places they shouldn’t, talk loudly on the train, or just straight up being loud and obnoxious in public. That’s not to say that Japanese people don’t do those things. But I’d like to think that we, as guests, are better than that.

10. **Keep an eye on your IC card balance**. Although each trip is anywhere between 100 to 500 yen, those quickly add up. Make sure you check your IC balance whenever you tap on and off at the stations, and top up when needed.

11. **Learn basic Japanese**. I am not saying you have to become a Duolingo master, but just learn some key phrases so you could ask “Where is …?”, “How much?”, and of course, “Please” and “Thank you”. Locals in most countries I’ve been to appreciate when others try to speak their language 🙂

12. **Kobe beef**. Wagyu beef is available everywhere, and it is significantly cheaper than in North America. However, if you want to try Kobe beef (a type of wagyu) and make sure you aren’t getting scammed (aka tourist trapped), then [you can check the registration info](https://www.kobe-niku.jp/shop/?lang=1) of the restaurant you are going to, to make sure they are serving legitimate Kobe beef.

13. **Travel Accessories**.

* Get comfy. I recommend a Trtl neck pillow. I honestly thought it was dumb to pay close to $100 CAD for it. But it’s actually super comfy. No regrets. Also, proper compression socks. Not just “tight socks” or “tights”, but athletic compression socks. Combined with standing up a few times throughout the flight, it really helps with keeping the proper blood flow.

* Tracker. Whether you prefer AirTag, Tile, Samsung Tag, Chipolo, or anything else – it’s nice to have that peace of mind. I bought a 4 pack of Tile trackers and was able to tell if the bags were about to come out on the carousel at the airport because my phone started connecting to the tags. I could also see the bags make their way from hotel to hotel in Japan, which was reassuring! Of course, you can also put them in your purse, wallet, etc! And when you are not travelling, stick them on your bicycles, cars, etc.

* Power Bank. Get the best you can. With constant use of my phone for Google Maps/Lens/Translate, as well as camera, google searches, etc – my phone would be draining pretty quickly. My personal recommendation is always Anker (you can also find their physical store in Omotesando in Harajuku!).

* Wall chargers for your phone. Most hotels will have USB ports available, but they do not offer fast charging. If you want to juice up your phone quickly, it’s better to have a wall charger.

* Packing cubes. I am not gonna tell you how to pack your stuff. But I find that packing cubes work pretty well. But I guess that’s more of a personal preference.

* SIM card. If you can have an eSim, I am sure the process is a lot simpler. But if you are like me and have a dinosaur of a phone (Galaxy S20 FE 5G), then you can purchase a data SIM on Amazon. That way you don’t need to line up at any of the kiosks at the airport to get situated with a data plan. A lot of people also recommend pocket WiFi. IMHO, it’s a personal preference. I just didn’t want an extra thing to carry and charge. SIM card worked well – I have not experienced any issues with internet access during my trip.