Hi! I am finally planning a highly anticipated trip to Japan with my spouse this year. I would love to get some feedback on how feasible this is before I start booking accommodation (have already booked flights), so we don’t end up burnt out. I have some specific questions/concerns at the bottom.
We are in our late twenties and are interested in enjoying the culture generally, history, nature, food, and anime. We do not drink so not huge night-life people.
**Day 0 – Tokyo, arrive mid-afternoon**
Commute to Shinjuku (planning to stay here), check-in
Walk around Shinjuku with no agenda, find somewhere to eat
Tocho observation deck
Stop by conbini to pick up snacks
**Day 1 – Tokyo**
Kichijoji: Inokashira park and Ghibli museum (if I can get tickets), Harmonica yokocho
Shinjuku: Browse shops/department stores, Gyoen, Omoide Yokocho, Kabukicho, Golden Gai
**Day 2 – Tokyo**
Asakusa for Sanja Matsuri: Sensoji temple early, explore side streets, Kaminarimon, Nakamise dori, back to sensoji for festival, Sumida park
Roppongi: End night with Mori tower Tokyo City View
**Day 3 – Day trip to Kamakura & Yokohama (Tokyo)**
Kamakura: Daibutsu, Hokokuji Temple & bamboo forest, Komachi dori, Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine
Yokohama: (basically following Japan guide itinerary) Kishamichi Promenade, Cosmo World, Red Brick Warehouses, Osanbashi Pier, Yamashita Park, Landmark tower sky garden, Chinatown
**Day 4 – Day trip to Lake Kawaguchiko (Tokyo)**
Fuji Shibazakura Festival
Chureito Pagoda
Mt Fuji ropeway
Oishi Park
Honcho street
**Day 5 – Tokyo**
Shibuya/Harajuku: Meiji Jingu, Yoyogi Park, Harajuku (Takeshita Dori), Hachiko, Shibuya Sky, Starbucks at Shibuya crossing, Shibuya Center Gai, Cat Street, Nintendo Tokyo
Walk around Koenji at night
**Day 6 – Tokyo**
Ueno: Ueno Park & Zoo, Tokyo National Museum, Ameya Yokocho, Tokyo University campus
Akihabara: walk around shops (Namco, Akihabara Gachapon Kan, Mandarake Complex,Yodobashi-Akiba) play arcade games, Kanda shrine
**Day 7 – Tokyo -> Nikko**
Depart from Tokyo in early morning and head to Nikko
Edo wonderland, Shinkyo Bridge, Shoyoen garden, Rinnoji Temple, Toshogu Shrine, Futarasan Shrine, Tamozawa Imperial Villa, Taiyuin mausoleum, Kanmangafuchi Abyss
**Day 8 – Nikko**
Take a bus to Yumoto Onsen, Lake Yunoko, Yudaki falls, walk down to Ryuzu through Senjogahara Marshland and then lake Chuzenji, take lake cruise to Kegon falls
**Day 9 – Nikko -> Kanazawa**
Commute to Kanazawa from Nikko (via Tokyo) – assuming this will eat up half the day traveling
Omicho Market
Nagamachi Samurai District > Nomura Samurai House & Garden
Ninjadera
Nishi Chaya District
Day 10 – Kanazawa
Oyama shrine
Gyokuseninmaru park
Kanazawa castle
Kenrokuen garden
Seisonkaku Villa
Higashi Chaya Geisha District & Kazuemachi Chaya Tea District
**Day 11 – Kanazawa -> Shirakawago -> Takayama**
Stop by Shirakawago on the way to Takayama (2-3 hours) and walk through villages
Takayama Showa-kan Museum
Matsuri no Mori or Yatai Kaikan
Takayama Jinya
Sanmachi Suji / Old town – eat Hida beef
Kusabake heritage house
Hachiman shrine
**Day 12 – Takayama**
Day trip to Kamikochi to hike
**Day 13 – Takayama -> Kyoto**
Visit morning market in Takayama before heading to Kyoto
Higashiyama Walking Course (time allowing, maybe skip)
Commute to Kyoto – assuming this eats up half of the day
Walk around Gion (Hanami-koji street), Kenninji Temple, Shirakawa Area, kyo-kaiseki for dinner
**Day 14 – Kyoto (Arashiyama)**
Sagano Bamboo groves
Tenryuji temple
Togetsukyo bridge
Money park
Jojakkoji temple
Gioji temple & moss garden
Saga-Toriimoto street
Otagi Nenbutsuji Temple
Sagano romantic train (to Kameoka and back)
**Day 15 – Kyoto (Higashiyama)**
Ginkakuji / Higashiyama Jisho
Philsopher’s Path
Nanzenji temple
Heian shrine
Yasaka shrine
Kodaji temple
Yasaka Pagoda
Maruyama Park
Kiyomizudera temple
Pontocho alley for dinner
**Day 16 – Kyoto**
Fushimi Inari Taisha
Half day in Uji: Byodoin temple, Mampukuji Temple, Ujigami Shrine, buy matcha
**Day 17 – Day trip to Nara (Kyoto)**
Kofukuji Temple
Yoshikien Garden
Todaiji Temple
Nigatsudo Hall
Kasuga Taisha
Nara Park
**Day 18 – Day trip to Osaka (Kyoto)**
Osaka Castle
Aquarium
Shinsekai
Dotonbori
**Day 19 – Day trip to Himeji & Kobe (Kyoto)**
Himeji: Himeji Castle & Koko-en garden, Mount Shosha / Engyoji
Kobe: Mount Rokko or Kobe Nunobiki Ropeway, Kobe Municipal Arboretum, Kitano cho, teppanyaki at Mouriya or Kobe Beef Ishida for dinner
**Day 20 – Kyoto -> Okayama/Kurashiki -> Hiroshima**
Depart from Kyoto, stop by to see Kurashiki on the way
Peace memorial museum
Peace memorial park
Atomic bomb dome
Okonomiyaku mura
**Day 21 – Hiroshima & Miyajima**
Hiroshoma: Castle & Shukkeien Garden
Miyajima:
Omotesando Arcade
Senjokaku Pavilion
Itsukushima Shrine
Momijidani Park
Ropeway up mount Misen
Hike down to Daisho-in Temple
**Day 22 – Hiroshima -> Hakone**
Sleep in, arrive at Hakone, walk around, and relax in ryokan
**Day 23 – Hakone**
Do the Hakone round course from Japan guide
**Day 24 – Hakone -> Tokyo**
Thinking of staying in or around Ginza (flying out of Haneda)
Imperial palace
Do last minute souvenir shopping at Marunouchi & Tokyo station
**Day 25 – Fly home**
**My questions/concerns:**
1. For anyone who has attended Sanja Matsuri before, do you think it is a more fun/interesting experience to go on the Friday or Saturday? I read that the Friday has a parade with floats and traditional dances while Saturday has the large mikoshi tour.
2. I am very conflicted about doing Kamakura and Yokohama both on the same day. Is this too much? I might split this into two separate day trips if Kawaguchiko doesn’t work out due to weather.
3. Should I skip the Kanazawa/Shirakawago/Takayama/Kamikochi segment to allow for more time in some of the other cities (Tokyo, Kyoto, Kamakura, Yokohama, Himeji, Kobe)? Or maybe cut out Nikko? Can always save something for next trip. I still have more sites I would love to see 1 full day in Kyoto but couldn’t seem to make it fit anymore.
4. Do I have too many temples and shrines? Worried about fatigue but collecting goshuin seems fun and a nice token to keep.
5. Should I do Mount Rokko or Kobe Nunobiki Ropeway in Kobe? They seem very similar.
6. Given I have several day trips planned both out of Tokyo and Kyoto, do you think it is better to stagger these every other day, alternating with a day of local plans? Overall super flexible with the order of any given day within the Tokyo and Kyoto segments.
Thank you in advance for any input!! Much appreciated.
by littleholl