Trip Report – 14 Days (Tokyo, Takayama, Kanazawa, Hiroshima, and Kyoto/Osaka)

My family of four, which includes two sons aged 7 and 9, just got back from first-time trip to Japan that lasted 14 days. We visited in mid to late October and had an overwhelmingly positive experience. My wife and I would like to go back in the next few years, although maybe as an adult-oriented trip with similarly aged relatives. I’ll offer some general tips below, then share my attempt at a brief breakdown of each day. Please excuse any typos or grammar mistakes, which I’m blaming on jetlag.

GENERAL TIPS

* We kept around 10,000 Yen on us at any given time and never had an issue with cash. At most, we would withdraw 20,000 Yen at the start of a given day. We exclusively used Seven Bank ATMs, usually within a 7-11.
* I’d read about most do’s-and-don’ts, but I somehow missed the hand towel for drying at public bathrooms. I also missed the part about many restrooms not having soap. You may want to bring a small hand sanitizer and/or hand towel for drying.
* For the do’s-and-don’ts that I *had* read about, I can very much confirm the scarcity of trash cans and the unwritten rule against eating and drinking on the go. Thankfully it only happened once, but our poor planning led to a hurried conbini breakfast in an unpleasant park, all to avoid eating a croissant and drinking a coffee as we walked.
* The language was not a significant issue. I self-studied before we left and could handle “tourist” Japanese. Even so, I think many Japanese are humble about their English ability and can communicate well enough in English – although any and all effort in Japanese goes a long way.
* This is maybe more for those coming from places with less robust public transit, but be mindful of the posted rules for a given carriage when travelling via train or subway. In Tokyo, Google Maps suggested a specific car number for a faster transfer. It turned out to be women-only, so we quickly moved cars. There will also be signs for priority seating for the elderly or other passengers with limited mobility.
* Luggage forwarding is a godsend. Even though we only had hand luggage, we used it twice. The first was from Tokyo to Kyoto, and the last from Kyoto to Haneda. If you’re hesitant, and if you happen to be an Apple user, then I suggest buying some AirTags so that you can follow the progress.
* Rush hour is no joke, especially in Tokyo and especially at busier stations and on busier lines. Sometimes it’s unavoidable, but do everything you can to avoid the metro during peak hours.
* The Japanese people who interacted with us were very welcoming and accommodating. Many would ask us where we were from, but in a way that seemed to us to be genuine curiosity rather than anything negative. After speaking Japanese with some locals, one man in particular made it a point to come over to us and repeatedly thank us for visiting.
* Coin Lockers are your friend. We used them multiple times, especially when we would do side-trips and knew we would have to return to the station after some local sightseeing.
* For cellular data, we used Ubigi. Setup was a little complicated, but it worked well. I bought 10 GB of data and had 3 GB leftover.
* I could keep going, but many additional items are already well-covered elsewhere in this subreddit.

**Day 1 – Arrival to Haneda**

We landed at HANEDA AIRPORT around 2:00 p.m. No real issues with customs. We got QR codes in advance, which the flight attendants mentioned enroute while also offering paper forms.

I did not take any cash with us, so I was immediately on the lookout for a SEVEN BANK ATM. There are many around the floor after you make it through customs, including one that is immediately next to the bank of WELCOME SUICA kiosks near the exit for the Tokyo Monorail. We grabbed four for our group, including two child cards. The line at the Haneda JR office to redeem JR passes was insane, so got on the subway to check in at our hotel.

We stayed at MIMARU TOKYO ASAKUSA STATION. Our room had a river view that included the Asahi building and Tokyo Skytree. This was a great place to stay, especially as a family. It felt quiet, even by Tokyo standards, and had great access to the Ginza line. Asakusa Station is nowhere near is hectic as Shinjuku or Shibuya, which is wonderful after a long day of sightseeing.

After dropping our bags, we popped out around 4:30 p.m. to TOKYO STATION to redeem our JR passes and check out the Marunouchi side of the building. We got dinner from MATSUYA near the hotel and fell asleep around 8:00 p.m.

**Day 2 – Nikko Daytrip**

Everyone was up by 4:30 a.m., which actually worked out well for this daytrip to NIKKO and OKUNIKKO. As we would start most days in Japan, we loaded up at 7-ELEVEN with coffee and light breakfast. We arrived at Nikko Station by 7:45 and took the Tobu bus to YUDAKI FALLS, where we started our hike back down to LAKE CHUZENJI. We might have been a day or two early for peak color, but not by much. It was stunning, with Yudaki Falls the clear highlight for me. We bused from RYUZU FALLS to CHUZENJI ONSEN around noon, had a quick look at KEGON FALLS (which I found underwhelming), and then bused down to TOSHOGU SHRINE around 1:00 p.m.

We stopped at LAWSON for some conbini chicken lunch, which the kids loved. Next up was TOSHUGU SHRINE, which was very impressive. I did not anticipate the 200+ steps up to Ieyasu Tokugawa’s burial spot. That probably did in my legs more than the earlier hike. Due to time limits, we unfortunately missed the museum and treasures. The museum cafe had surprisingly good coffee.

Our train back to Tokyo left Nikko Station at 5:15 p.m. and arrived in Asakusa around 7:00 p.m. The kids like katsu curry, so we ate at COCO ICHIBANYA. Of the chains that we tried, this was a clear favorite of mine and our sons.

**Day 3 – Asakusa, Ghibli, Shibuya, Harajuku**

In the first part of the morning, from around 6:30 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. we visited KAMINARIMON, NAKAMISEDORI, and SENSO-JI. The lack of crowds was great, although it cost us in terms of shops not being open. We would briefly revisit at the end of the day, both for souvenirs and dinner. We made a brief stop for coffee and waffles at FUGLEN ASAKUSA.

We then headed to TOKYO STATION to buy TOICA cards. Probably the Welcome Suica would have been fine, but I didn’t like then non-refundability and limited time period of those cards. The JR Central office near the Yaesu North Exit sells them at a specifically marked counter.

Next up, we headed to KICHIJOJI for a 10:00 a.m. entry to the STUDIO GHIBLI MUSEUM. Our sons love these movies, especially My Neighbor Totoro. I thought the museum on the whole was small and very average. More importantly, the kids enjoyed it. The walk to the museum through INOKASHIA PARK was pleasant. Our sons stopped and played with a young Japanese boy and his father, which was heartwarming.

We traveled to SHIBUYA, and went to the nearby NINTENDO STORE. Our walk took us across SHIBUYA SCRAMBLE. I’m not sure I get the appeal, as it felt like any other city crossing – admittedly on a slightly larger scale. Maybe it would’ve been more impressive from above. We also stopped at Soccer Shop Kamo to get a Japanese national team shirt for my oldest son. Any day that he wore this shirt, he was guaranteed to get some interest and chatter from the locals.

We kept moving north through YOYOGI PARK towards MEIJI SHRINE. As we left Meiji, we exited near HARAJUKU and stopped for some crepes. By then we were pretty exhausted, so we did an abbreviated walk along OMOTESANDO to pickup the Ginza line back to Asakusa. Dinner was at a place just called KAMUKURA, just east of Nakamise. My wife and kids enjoyed ramen, while I got my fill of Gyoza.

**Day 4 – Ueno, Odaiba, Rainbow Bridge, Akihabara**

It was a rainy start to the day, so I had to do a quick refresh on umbrella culture. In short, buy the cheap, transparent one with a white handle for about 600 Yen from a conbini. We didn’t plan on keeping it past the day and eventually left it in the hotel umbrella storage.

Luckily we had already planned for museums, so we went to UENO for the TOKYO NATIONAL MUSEUM. This was excellent, and I especially enjoyed the exhibits that took you through Japan’s various ages. It gave some great context for the rest of the trip. However, while our older son was able to enjoy it, our youngest had an awful time. We tried to make it up to him with a visit to SMALL WORLDS in ODAIBA during the afternoon, which both kids loved.

With sunset approaching, we left Small Words and walked the north side of RAINBOW BRIDGE from the Odaiba side. We timed this perfectly, and the city views were stunning. Part for my kids and part for my own childhood, we went to AKIHABARA and specifically to SUPER POTATO. This was an incredible store with nostalgia overdrive. It was tempting to buy some older consoles, and fun to show the kids how games used to look and play. Dinner was a bit of a scramble, so let kids have their pick. Not surprisingly, they went for curry again at Coco Ichibanya. I can almost still smell it on my clothes.

**Day 5 – Takayama**

We took the shinkansen from Tokyo to Nagoya and lucked out on some incredible views of Mt. Fuji. In Nagoya, we transferred to the Hida line and rode it to Takayama. The ride on the Hida from Nagoya was beautiful.

After arriving, we dropped our bags at our hotel. We stayed at WAT HOTEL & SPA HIDA TAKAYAMA and were overall very pleased. The price was excellent, and the upstairs onsen was our first time to try out the hot springs later that night. First up was TAKAYAMA JINYA, followed by a stroll through SANNOMACHI. With some time to spare, we decided to move up our visit to HIDA NO SATO from the following morning to that afternoon.

For dinner, we ate at JAKSON CURRY. The kids again ate pork curry, but my wife and I were at least able to mix it up somewhat and have Hida Beef curry. This was one of the best meals of the trip, and the entire vibe of the restaurant was almost a treat of it’s own.

**Day 6 – Kanazawa**

We had some time in Takayama before our train for Kanazawa via Toyama left around 11 a.m., so we decided to check out the HIGASHIYAMA TRAIL. This was disappointing, especially coming off of the great experiences the day before in Takayama. My older son and I split off for a brief but enjoyable visit to the HIDA TAKAYAMA RETRO MUSEUM.

Kanazawa was probably the first time we experienced more outgoing Japanese. Many would strike up conversations with us, which I struggled my way through in Japanese. As noted above, this may have had something to do with my older son wearing a Japan team shirt.

We dropped bags at HOTEL FORZA KANAZAWA, which I would rate as somewhere between average and above average. Great price for a good location and decent accommodations.

I failed on reserving tickets for the Ninjadera, so we gave kids the choice between the Samurai villa and Kanazawa Castle. They chose KANAZAWA CASTLE, so we made a stop there after first walking through OMICHO MARKET. Next up was KENROKUEN, which was very impressive. We ended with a short visit to the HIGASHI CHAYA district. For dinner, the adults insisted on sushi and settled on a random place back in Omicho Market and near the hotel. The staff was wonderful, even as my kids clearly struggled.

We cut the evening a little short and took in the Japan vs. Tunisia match from our hotel room. It was a nice chance for everyone to catch their breath.

**Day 7 – Miyajima**

This was our longest travel day within our trip, as we traveled from Kanazawa to Shin-Osaka, transferred in Shin-Osaka to the shinkansen to Hiroshima Station, and then took a local line to Miyajimaguchi Station before travelling via JR Ferry to Miyajima around 1:30 p.m. We got to enjoy ekiben from that we bought in Shin-Osaka and ate on the way to Hiroshima. The comfort of the trains and the scenery made the time pass quickly and easily.

We had great views of ITSUKUSHIMA SHRINE at high tide on the ferry ride. My wife’s ekiben, the sampler box of regional items along the Tokaido Shinkansen route, definitely did not agree with her. After an impromptu pit stop, we dropped off bags at our ryokan on Miyajima. Specifically, we stayed at IWASO.

Next up, we took the ropeway up to Mt. Misen and hiked our way to the MT. MISEN OBSERVATORY before it closed. Even from the ropeway station, the trek up to the observatory was longer than expected. Once there, the view was wonderful. The hike down the mountain to our ryokan was around an hour, and not easy. The first time you hear the deer on Miyajima, it can be startling!

Dinner at the ryokan was certainly an experience unto itself. The only item I struggled with was the raw oyster. After dinner, we took a brief stroll to walk out to Itsukushima Shrine during low tide and at sunset.

**Day 8 – Hiroshima, Himeji, and Kyoto Check-In**

We left Miyajima for Hiroshima and headed first towards the A-BOMB DOME, PEACE PARK, and PEACE MUSEUM to start the day. As you would expect, these places are both disturbing and important. The kids seemed to handle it okay.

On our way out of the Peace Park and towards OKONOMIMURA, a local TV channel (Hiroshima Home Terebi) stopped us and asked about our trip. They wanted to learn more about what brought visitors to Hiroshima, with a goal of convincing day-trippers to stay and do more in Hiroshima beyond what we had just done. They joined us on our walk to Okonomimura, and the anchor, a nice woman named Nao, joined us for some Hiroshima-style Okonomiyaki.

The TV stuff delayed our plans a bit, but we still had enough time for a brief stop at HIMEJI CASTLE before it closed. This was easily the favorite in our group of all the castles that we visited. We left Himeji Station around 5:30 and checked into our next hotel in Kyoto.

We stayed at CROSS HOTEL KYOTO in Kawaramachi. The hotel was very nice, although we were generally left with a slightly negative view of Kyoto by the end of our stay. If we had it to do over, I would have cut a day here and spent it elsewhere. Our chief complaint would probably be the transit system in Kyoto and the crowds, two issues that probably played off of one another.

For dinner, we ate at KUSHIYAKI MANTEN in Pontocho. They had some great beef dishes and good beer from a local craft brewer in Kyoto.

**Day 9 – Fushimi Inari, Nara, and Osaka**

To avoid crowds, we got an early start at Fushimi Inari. Not long after we entered, an older local man named Katsu kindly offered to guide us around the lower area for about an hour. He has grandsons of his own, seemed proud of the area, and enjoyed practicing English with my wife and sons. We especially liked the bamboo grove, which Katsu-san proudly (and rightly) said was better than Arashiyama.

After thanking and saying goodbye to Katsu-san, we hiked up to the top. This was very forgettable and probably something we would’ve cut or certainly shortened. Crowds here were unbearable by 9:00.

Next up, we took the Nara line from Inari Station to visit NARA. We went by KOFUKU-JI on the way to the park. Walking through the park was nice, and the deer were fun, but bordered on being overly aggressive. We had a nice walk through the park. Based on our earlier experience with our youngest son at the Tokyo National Museum, we skipped the museum in Nara. We did stop at TODAIJI, and I’m glad we went inside to see the massive Buddha.

We finished the day with a late afternoon and evening in Osaka. With a light rain hitting, we stopped in Namba and grabbed some takoyaki from a street vendor. For dinner, we ate Osaka-style okonomiyaki at AJINOYA HONTEN. After that, we did a brief walk around DOTONBORI and AMERIKAMURA. There was a heavy police presence in Dotonbori that night, and we couldn’t work out the reason. Probably we would’ve been fine, but we cut things short and headed back to Kyoto mid-evening.

**Day 10 – East Kyoto and Kinkakuji**

This was the day that probably ruined Kyoto for us. We started with a quick walk through to the KYOTO IMPERIAL PALACE before heading over to GINKAKUJI. From there, we walked part of the PHILOSOPHER’S PATH, which honestly seems like a dud any time of year other than during cherry blossom season. We were at the point of shrine and temple overload, and were growing frustrated with Kyoto’s buses and crowds, so we skipped some spots and went straight to KIYOMIZUDERA. The walk from the bus stop up to Kiyomizudera was awful due to crowds, although it was very scenic once we made it there.

With some unexpected time left at the end of our afternoon, we decided to tick off KINKAKUJI. This building was incredible, especially with the late afternoon light hitting one side of it. By then, we were done with sightseeing and heading back towards our hotel.

We had one of the best meals of our trip that night after I was able to convince the group to try shabu shabu. After a bit of a wait, maybe 30 to 45 minutes, we had dinner at GINSUI. Words cannot do justice to the food at this place.

**Day 11 – Arashiyama, Monkey Park, and Jidai Matsuri**

We debated whether to bother with ARASHIYAMA BAMBOO GROVE, but felt like we should regret going rather than regret not going. In the end, we found this bamboo grove to be overcrowded and not as good as the one at Fushimi Inari. If anything, the walk along the Katsura River towards the Togetsu-Kyo bridge to be more pleasant.

At our kids’ request, we added a stop at the MONKEY PARK IWATAYAMA. From the entrance, this was a steep walk that lasted about 20 minutes. Not for the faint of heart.

By then, the JIDAI MATSURI or Festival of the Ages was staring. We caught the festival path from around 1:00 p.m. watched most of the two-hour procession. On our way to the festival, we got some great coffee at the back of a car park from a place called WEEKENDERS COFFEE TOMINOKOJI.

Everyone was due for a recharge, so we rested up for a bit at the hotel. Prioritize convenience over most anything else, we again ate at KUSHIYAKI MANTEN. Our younger son had a second and more serious meltdown this night, but we made it through.

**Day 12 – Hakone**

We were happy to leave Kyoto and excited for our second ryokan stay of the trip at GORA HANOUGI. It was a wonderful ryokan, clearly a level above Iwaso in Miyajima – which was still very nice. I cannot describe the level of service and attention to detail that comes with a ryokan stay. At least at this place, the entire staff came out to greet us and bow at our arrival.

On the way in, we took the bus to AMAZAKE CHAYA. I felt like my blood had turned green by the time we left the place, but the atmosophere inside was charming. Unfortunately, there was extensive scaffolding on the exterior when we visited.

From there, we hiked about half an hour or so along the OLD TOKAIDO ROAD to pickup the pirate ship in MOTOHAKONE. We lucked out on some great whether and enjoyed some great views of Mt. Fuji during the ride across the lake and along the ropeway ride. We stopped at OWAKUDANI STATION for some very touristy black eggs before carrying on to our ryokan.

After our dinner at the ryokan, everyone took turns enjoying the private, open-air bath that came with our room. It was just the shot in the arm that we needed after Kyoto.

**Day 13 – Kamakura and Shinjuku**

We considered spending time in Gora, but passed in favor of more time in Kamakura and Tokyo. We visited HASADERA, with great views of Kamakura and its beach, and KOTOKU-IN, with another impressive Buddha statute. We took the chance to walk on the beach for a bit before heading to Tokyo.

For this final night in Japan, we stayed a the MIMARU TOKYO SHINJUKU WEST. It was fine enough, but not as nice as the one in Asakusa and considerably noisier.

After checking in at the hotel around 4:00 p.m., we went to the TOKYO GOVERNMENT BUILDING to see the city from above. It was clear enough to see Fuji as the sun was starting to set, although the views probably got better just as we left. We then took in Shinjuku and Kabukicho by night, although admittedly early evening rather later. At the kids’ strong request, we ate Coco Ichibanya in Kabukicho.

With the release of the new Super Mario game and to get our younger son some missed souvenirs, we made another stop at the Shibuya Nintendo Store. They were also asking for crepes, so we again stopped in Harajuku before returning to the hotel.

**Day 14 – Shinjuku and Shinagawa; Depart Haneda**

I bungled the planning on this last day, as I didn’t account for the fact that SHINJUKU GYOEN doesn’t normally open until 9 a.m. We lost a bit of time waiting for it to open, but it was beautiful once we made it inside. Our oldest has a strong interest in sports, so we opted for the self-guided tour of the JAPAN NATIONAL STADIUM. It was a little expensive for what it was, but we liked it overall.

After that, we had enough time for a peek at the outside of the Imperia Villa or Tokyo Tower. Because of track delays for a “person on the track”, we ended up deciding on TOKYO TOWER. From there, we made one final stop at PIGMENT TOKYO for souvenirs, an art supply store near Shinagawa.

We took the Tokyo Monorail to Haneda Airport, where we caught our flight home around 4:00 p.m.

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