I recently returned from an 18-day trip to Japan. I was there from 11/17 to 12/4. What follows are my thoughts and observations more about my experience than the individual places I saw. I comment on some of the places I saw but have not commented on all of them as there are just too many. If anyone has any questions about anything in my itinerary (see [here](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1x2ObUxVx1YY-YpjEeeXnKOvTk_-2hdv7Skrt7WZCuB0/edit?usp=sharing)), I would be happy to answer them.For reference, I originally visited Japan in May 2017 so this was my second time there. This trip was especially important to me because I always wanted to go back to Japan and I spent a lot of time trying to make sure that this time was even better. I can happily say that I succeeded in that endeavor. I finally saw Mt. Fuji, experienced Tokyo’s nightlife (something I will never forget), drank lots of matcha, witnessed autumn in Koyoto, and so much more.
# The People
For the most part, everyone I met was extremely friendly and helpful. The staff at Ace Hotel Kyoto were awesome. One of them recommended a sushi restaurant and then called to make reservations for me in Japanese (The name of the place was Isami Sushi, and it was excellent.). One of the staff at MIXup, the bakery and cafe at W Osaka, chatted with me about my time in Japan. One of the chefs at Oh.lala…, the French restaurant at W Osaka, came over and talked to me one night after he said he noticed me the night before. He asked about my time in Japan, and we talked for a while about the upcoming Expo 2025. Earlier in the trip, the maitre d’ at the Blue Room in Tokyo EDITION graciously offered me complimentary breakfast in celebration of my return to Japan (lol). I know some of this has to do with staying at nice properties but, in my experience, Japanese hospitality, in contrast to certainly American hospitality, is unparalleled. Similarly, the man (presumably the owner) at Chacha Futatsume, a place in Asakusa that serves matcha Mont Blanc, which was superb btw, was extremely friendly and talked with me for some time. Truly, there is nothing better than encountering nice people when you’re in a foreign place and out of your element. For the majority of the trip, I was a solo traveler, someone who could have been easily ignored. The fact that I had so many positive interactions is something that I will forever be grateful for. Although I know very little Japanese, everyone said that my pronunciation of phrases like arigato gozaimasu was excellent. I’m not sure if this was out of politeness or my pronunciation actually being correct from having used the phrase so many times but I appreciated the sentiment, regardless. When I was at the Three Broom Sticks at USJ, one of the cashiers asked where I was from, allowing me to respond with “Amerikajin desu,” to which he replied “Nihonjin desu.”
# Small Wins
This segues into my next topic. While I know very little Japanese, it felt great whenever someone understood what I was saying and then responded accordingly. Often, I didn’t understand their response (lol) but I was nevertheless grateful for being able to communicate something in Japanese. Other moments that I was proud of were those that involved successfully finding the correct subway entrance, traversing multiple subway lines, catching connecting trains on time, and then locating the correct exit.
# Practical Tips
Despite visiting Toyko in 2017, I made a lot of mistakes early on in this trip when it came to using public transportation. The thing that helped me the most whenever I found myself struggling to find a specific platform, line, exit, etc. was finding somewhere to stop and look. Often, this allowed me to find what I was looking for and continue on my journey. Things that I would caution against are using entrances that are near but not exactly the entrance identified in a specific route via Google Maps. Certain entrances may not correspond or connect to a given line. This means you would need to either exit and find the correct entrance or cancel your current route and choose one that involves another line. There were times when Google would tell me to use a certain entrance but that entrance or even adjacent ones for the same line were closed for whatever reason so I had to select a different route instead. Another thing that’s probably very obvious but something I didn’t realize as early as I should have is that often different trains run on the same line. This means if you miss your train you can’t always just jump on the next one because the next one may be going in the opposite direction. Again, this highlights the importance of stopping, looking, and reassessing as needed. It also highlights the need to allow for additional time and contingency plans.
# Planning vs. Execution
I spent months planning for my trip, and I knew my itinerary was aggressive, but I thought it was still largely doable. Overall, it was, but there was still a lot that I didn’t get to see, and what I managed to accomplish frequently came at a cost in that I was exhausted. I remember barely being able to keep my eyes open in Kawaguchiko and then falling asleep in my Airbnb around 6:00 PM or so. Much of this was my fault for failing to get to bed at a reasonable hour each night.
For one, there’s so much to see and do in Japan. It’s very easy to see what’s around the next corner and then the next and the one after that. There were lots of nights when I would be on the way back to my hotel in Tokyo or Kyoto or Osaka only to stumble across the largest food hall I’ve ever seen or a park completely decorated for Christmas with lights and ornaments and props or a giant, multi-story shopping complex seemingly filled with anything that anyone could ever want. In short, I often found it difficult to resist the temptation to continue exploring, especially when there was a palpable energy around me and everyone else was out and about. The second reason why I got to bed so late, which is more personal, is because I had such a routine to go through at the end of each day. This involved steaming my shirt for the next day, dividing out my supplements for the next day, sanitizing all of my electronics, charging all of my electronics, cleaning my glasses, showering, and more. It’s something I want to work on simplifying and streamlining for the future.
But what was particularly exhausting was those days when I was constantly on the move. I know a lot of itineraries are like this but I found it really draining. There was a part of the trip where I went from Tokyo to Kawaguhciko to Hakone to Kyoto in three days and then another part where I went from Kyoto to Nara to Osaka to USJ in the same amount of time. I wish I had had more time in Kawaguchiko and Nara especially as I was only there for one night in each place (or two half days). In addition, I wish I had had more time in Kamakura, which was only a day trip from Tokyo. Next time, I would love to spend the night in Kamakura. I visited Kamakura the first time I went to Japan but there’s still so much there that I want to see. In contrast, I felt like I saw everything that I wanted in Arashiyama and Hakone. Hakone was perfect in that the majority of my time there centered around relaxing at KAI Sengokuhara. My room had a private onsen and stunning views of the valley below. The resort featured an atelier where guests could paint, and at one point I had an in-room massage. All of it was incredible.
By the time we got to Osaka, everyone was feeling pretty burnt out, and no one (myself included) wanted to go to USJ the next day. The thought of having to wake up very early and spend an entire day at a theme park with thousands of people just wasn’t something any of us were excited about. We even looked into seeing whether we could sell our tickets but it was too late. I also started developing a stye (probably from lack of sleep and running my body down) so that was another reason why I just wasn’t up for much. On the day of USJ, I just winged it in that I didn’t do anything with the USJ app or make any effort to arrive especially early. Instead, I arrived at 10:00 AM and went straight to SNW. The entrance time on my Express Pass was 10:30 AM. Never will I forget arriving at USJ, being deliriously tired and surrounded by huge groups of Japanese kids all dressed in their school uniforms, presumably on a field trip, and hearing KC & The Sunshine Band’s “Shake Your Booty” blaring at full blast. It’s an image that will forever be seared into my brain.To be clear, I’m glad I did USJ – I really only wanted to do it for SNW – as now it’s something I’ve checked off my list and won’t need to do again. There was a lot of the park that I didn’t get to see as I left around 2:00 PM or so and went back to my room to take a nap. Again, this is why things like getting to bed on time, pacing yourself, and not cramming too much into your itinerary are all important.
# Problems
I’m embarrassed to admit this but I did so many stupid things while I was in Japan. As someone who is extremely self-conscious and spent a significant amount of time planning for this trip, this really bothered me. Ultimately, I attribute the majority of the issues that I experienced to absentmindedness, exhaustion, or a combination thereof, which just supports my previous point about needing to slow down and do less. What did I do that was so terrible? Well, for one, I shipped my bags to the wrong hotel. Apparently, there are two KAI resorts in Hakone – something that I knew but didn’t recall at the time. I had a train to catch to Kawaguchiko and in my haste I instructed Tokyo EDITION to ship my bags to KAI Hakone vs. KAI Sengokuhara. Fortunately, KAI Sengokuhara was extremely accommodating and retrieved my bags the same night that I checked in. This is but one example of the amazing hospitality and customer service that I encountered throughout my time in Japan. Other snafus I ran into pertained primarily to trains.
There was one time when my IC card wouldn’t scan at a gate, which I assumed was because I had probably scanned it elsewhere but never actually completed a trip for whatever reason. After engaging one of the JR reps for assistance, they indicated that I needed to recharge my card (lol). Again, issues like that. One thing that confused me about purchasing tickets for the Shinkansen via Smart EX and then attempting to scan the associated QR code at the gate was that the gate would always scan my IC card instead. I’m not sure if there was a way to temporarily deactivate my IC card and, if so, whether I should have done that first. Both times this happened, one of the JR workers had to put a cutout over the IC card reader so that it matched the dimensions of the QR code on my phone. Once I successfully scanned my QR code, a ticket popped out of the other side of the gate but I was never quick enough to grab it so the JR worker had to give me a receipt instead. There were three people in my party and only one managed to get their tickets before they vanished back into the gate.
Another thing that confused me is how a few of the Limited Express trains required a pre-purchased ticket but there was never any place to scan this ticket and no one ever asked to see it. Maybe I missed something but this was my experience at least for the Limited Express train from Kyoto to Nara. Any insight anyone has on any of the issues that I described and how to mitigate them in the future would be greatly appreciated.
While I made a lot of stupid mistakes and was hard on myself for doing so, I realize too that things happen no matter how much you prepare. Sometimes, the best teacher is experience. If I had to do it all over again, which I hope I will very soon (see below), I would pack even lighter, have rest or contingency days, and treat stays at nice hotels more as experiences vs. a place to sleep. I tried to pack light but it was still incredibly difficult to get all of my essentials into a standard, carry-on-sized piece of luggage. I almost took a larger suitcase but forced myself not to as I knew I would have regretted hauling it around. Also, I took my iPad so I had something to do on the plane, and I enjoyed using it on the plane, but once I got to Japan I never used it once. Coming back, I forgot to pack my USB-C cable in my backpack, which I took on the plane, so my iPad was effectively useless. In the future, I would challenge myself to pack even lighter, especially knowing that anything I may need later on will be relatively easy to get in Japan.
# Next Trip
All of this brings me to here. I have a strong urge (as I did immediately after returning from Japan in 2017) to return ASAP. It’s hard for me to easily or succinctly describe what it is about Japan that captives me but it’s a place that I just can’t get enough of. I want to go back, and I’m seriously thinking about going back as soon as February.
The reason why I’m so enamored about going back in February is that it means going back sooner than later (there are pros and cons to this) and it means going back during the off-season so less crowds and more importantly lower airfare, hotel rates, etc. Some of the things that I enjoyed the most from this past trip were all of the amazing hotels that I stayed at. Tokyo EDITION was incredible. I enjoyed just relaxing in my room, admiring the views of Tokyo Tower, having a traditional Japanese breakfast in bed, doing a spa treatment, eating at the restaurants on the property, that kind of thing. Another aspect of Japan that I particularly enjoyed was all of the museums and teahouses. What I realized is that those are things that can be done at any time (i.e., outside the popular fall and cherry blossom seasons).
One thing of course that does concern me is the cold. Just how cold will it be in late February, early March? The temperature fluctuated wildly when I was there just recently. I remember being fairly miserable at Enko-ji because it was so cold (and swamped with people) at 8:00 AM. In contrast, I was sweating in Muji’s flagship store in Ginza because it was so hot. Every day I wore a henley, a button-up shirt, and a parka. At times when I was really cold I thought I could have had a scarf and warmer socks.
I told myself when I was in Japan that if I ever came back I wouldn’t do the Golden Circle again because I’ve done it twice now, and yet there are still things in Tokyo, Kyoto, and Osaka that I want to do but didn’t get to because I just ran out of time. I don’t think I will ever tire of Tokyo. It’s a city that I’m especially fond of so I have no issue with spending time there while I’m in Japan. What I’m struggling with now is the idea of pursuing a second trip, specifically one that is more relaxed, less rushed, and less expensive compared to the one I just took vs. the competing desire to see one or more new places. I think Nikko is something that I definitely want to do because it’s so close to Tokyo and the challenge of getting there (both in terms of time and cost) seems relatively low. Is there enough to do there for two nights in the winter though? I’m thinking of how I only stayed in Kawaguchiko and Nara for one night each and how I didn’t like how I had to check out the very next morning. It also felt like I didn’t have quite enough time in these places. Hakone was the exception but only because I only wanted to see the Narukawa Art Museum and then spend the rest of the time at KAI Sengokuhara.
What I’m more unsure of is how plausible it would be to visit someplace like Shirakawa-go or even Sapporo. How draining would it be to go to places like that? Currently, I’m thinking about spending two nights in Kyoto and two nights in Osaka. If I eliminated that from my trip, which I’m not sure I would, then visiting places like Shirakawa-go or Sapporo seems more doable. Basically, it’s always a balancing act between wanting to rest and relax and actually enjoy the trip vs. wanting to see and do it all. But for this trip, I definitely want to err more on the former.
The things I really wanted to see from this past trip but didn’t were Genko-an Temple and Shōden-ji Temple in Kyoto (though I’m sure visiting in the winter as opposed to the fall would be less impressive), Fushimi Inari, Dotonbori and Shinsekai in Osaka, Namba Yasaka Jinja (the lion’s head shrine in Osaka), and Osaka Aquarium.
How viable is essentially a back-to-back trip to Japan? Am I crazy for even entertaining the notion? My thought was that if I went back during the off-season when everything is less expensive and tried to be a little more financially responsible then the idea wouldn’t be so egregious. With the credit card rewards I incurred from this last trip, I could fly there and back at no cost. To be clear, I definitely want to stay at a nice hotel or two for a few nights but I would be content with staying at other places that are more reasonably priced for the remainder of the trip. Finally, this would be a shorter trip (14 days or less).
I was looking at a few hotels in Tokyo, namely K5, Trunk, TSUKI, Bellustar, and Aoyama Grand. Some are on the higher end. Has anyone stayed at any of these? If so, I would love to hear your thoughts. Similarly, I would love any recommendations on day trips or overnight trips around Tokyo. Thanks.