Hi everyone! I’m going to Japan in February with my dad. We’re big japan nerds, we like the history and culture, so there are a lot of temples, shrines and museums in the trip. I have tried not to jampack each day with too much stuff, and I’ve tried to account for travel time between locations, but while you can google how long does it take for a train or a bus to get somewhere, the reality of it may be a different story. Also, this itinerary is mostly a guide and it’s definitely flexible in some areas, and I’ve done my best to end the days early so we can stretch them a bit if needed. You may also note that the days get a bit more loose as time goes on: I just don’t want my dad to end up exhausted after too many days of pure walking and sightseeing on a row (he’s over 70).
**Tokyo**
**Day 1 – Tuesday 6/2**
Shibuya:
10.00 AM: Arrival at Narita, purchase Welcome SUICA, Sim Cards, Exchange some yen
12.00 AM: Check in
13.00 PM: Get lunch
14.00-15.30: Shibuya scramble & Scramble square/Shibuya sky
15.30-17.00: Shibuya PARCO (Nintendo Store & Pokemon Center, tower records – i want to find some masayoshi takanaka lps)
17.30-19.00: Shibuya MEGA Don Quijote (Souvenir shopping)
21.30-22.30: Dinner at Uobei sushi (conveyor belt sushi joint), or wherever else we feel like, really
**Day 2 – Wednesday 7/2**
Akihabara:
9.30-11.00: Yodobashi Camera (we need to get some electronics)
11.00-13.00: Walk around the stores, get some food
Shinjuku:
\~13.30/14.00-15.00: Hanazono Shrine
15.20-17.30: Gyoen Park
18.00-20.00: Walk around Kabukicho & Kabukicho tower
20.30-21.30/22.00: Dinner at Omoide Yokocho
22.00: back to the hotel in Shibuya
**Day 3 – Thursday 8/2**
Chill cultural day (Museums, shrines and parks)
9.30- 11.00: Tokyo National Museum
11.30-12.30: Ueno Toshogu Shrine
12.30-14.00: Get some food, walk around the park a bit more if we feel like it
14.30-15.30: Sensoji (we’ll probably get there by foot, is it viable?)
15.30-18.00: just walk around side streets and stuff (Denpoin, Orange st, Shinnaka)
18.30: Go back to Shibuya or the hotel
**Day 4 – Friday 9/2**
Tsukiji Market
\~7.00 – 9.00: Tsukiji market
Odaiba:
10.00-13.00: Teamlab Planet
13.30-14.30: Lunch somewhere in Odaiba (prolly ramen kokugikan)
14.45-17.00: Miraikan museum
17.00-18.00: walk around Odaiba for a bit (I want to check out the Gundam lol)
18.45/19.00-20.00: walk around Ginza for a bit, maybe get some new clothes at Uniqlo
20.30-21.30: Quick visit to Tokyo Tower
21.30-22.30: Dinner somewhere
22.30: Back to the hotel
**Day 5 – Saturday 10/2**
9.45-12.00: Imperial palace Tour
12.20-13.20: Get some food nearby
13.30-\~14.15: check out Tokyo station
15.00-17.00: Meiji jingu shrine
17.30-20.00: walk around Harajuku
20.30-21.30: get some food
21.30: go back to the hotel
**Day 6 – Sunday 11/2**
Day trip to Yokohama:
Just walk around the city, no big plans. Only must is Chinatown, other than that we may go to Landmark Plaza, Nippon Maru Park, Osanbashi Pier and/or anything else we can fit in.
**Takayama/Shirakawago**
**Day 1 – Monday 12/2**
Trip to Takayama:
6.00-6.30(approx): Shibuya station – tokyo station
6.51-8.25: Tokyo station -> Nagoya station
8.43-10.58: Hida Limited Express – Takayama station
11.00-14.00: Check-in, relax a bit after the trip, eat something
14.00-15.30: Takayama Jinya
15.30-17.00: Hida village
17.00-20/21.00: Explore Sanmachi Suji (Old Town)
21.00: Back to hotel
**Day 2 – Tuesday 13/2**
Day Trip to Shirakawa-go:
7.00-9.00 (depending what bus we catch): trip to Shirakawago
We’ll just look around, explore and get some food. No big plans.
16.00/17.00: Catch the bus back
**Kyoto**
**Day 1 – Wednesday 14/2**
Trip from Takayama to Kyoto:
6.46-9.12: Takayama station to Nagoya station
9.23-10.00: Kyoto station
10.00-13.00: Check in, relax a bit
13.00-14.30: Grab some food
15.00-17.00: Kiyomizu Temple
17.00-21.00: Explore Gion district (Gion Shirakawa, Hanamikoji, etc)
21.30.22.30: Grab some dinner somewhere, head back to hotel
**Day 2 – Thursday 15/2**
9.00-12.30: Kyoto Imperial Palace and Gyoen national park
13.00-14.30: Lunch and walking around Nishiki Market
15.00-16.30: Nijo Castle
17.30.30-18.30(closing time): Samurai Museum
19.00-21.00: grab some food, back to hotel
**Day 3 – Friday 16/2**
8.00-12.00: explore Arashiyama, Tenryu-ji & Bamboo forest
12.00-13.00: Get lunch
13.30-14.30: Ryoan-ji garden
15.00-16.30: Kinkaku-ji (I’m obsessed with it since I read Mishima’s book)
**Day 4 – Saturday 17/2**
Free day: explore and do whatever we want.
Osaka
Day 1 – Sunday 18/2
8-00-11.00:Trip to Osaka in Shinkansen, check-in
12-00-20.00: Explore Dotombori, Namba Yasaka. Just hang around the area and get some food, really; I’ve heard there’s a lot to do there. At night we may want to walk the alleys that lead to Hozenji temple and see the neon lights from Ebisu bridge before we head back.
**Day 2 – Monday 19/2**
9.00-10.00: Osaka castle
11.00-13.00: Shinsekai Hondori, grab some food there, walk around
13.30-14.30: Climb Tsūtenkaku
15.00-17.00: Explore Tennoji Park
17.00-20.00: Kuromon Market, grab some dinner, back to hotel
**Day 3 – Tuesday 20/2**
Free day, probably Osaka Aquarium and Glion Museum, and then whatever else we feel like
**Day 4 – Wednesday 21/2**
Day trip to Nara:
Chill day, just explore. We want to see the deer and eat some beef there
**Hiroshima**
**Day 1 – Thursday 22/2**
8.00-11.00: trip to hiroshima, check in.
From then on we want to go to the peace museum, check out the little plaque in the hospital at ground zero, check out the food and hang around. No big plans other than that
**Hakone**
**Day 1 – Friday 23/2, Saturday 24/2**
8.00-13.00: Trip to Hakone and check in. We’ve booked a room in a nice ryokan, and we don’t have big plans for Hakone. We’ll probably just relax, enjoy the hotel and walk around the city without too much structure.
Sunday 25/2 – catch plane and head back
What do you guys think? Is it feasible?