This sub has been so helpful in planning our trip! We (2 active 50-something friends) are going in about a week for the 1st time. Would love some feedback. Looking for a mix of food, culture, nature, unique to Japan shopping.
Day 0 – arrive NRT 3pm
– pick up pocket WiFi
– cash/suica
– NEX to shinjuku, check into hotel
– dinner in Omoide Yochocko
Day 1 – Tokyo
– noon reservation at teamlab borderless
– 5pm food tour
(Keeping this day mellow for jet lag. Anything we should add today?)
Day 2 – Tokyo
– Tokyo nat’l museum
– Ueno park
– yanaka and nishinippori neighborhoods
– nezu shrine
– senso-ji shrine
– shopping at Kama-asa (custom knives)
– gachapon machines/vending machine alley
– evening – Tokyo metropolitan museum on way back to hotel
Day 3 – Tokyo
– harajuku
– shibuya crossing
– mag’s park
– yoyogi park
– meiji shrine
– mega loft and don quixote stores
– evening – concert in roppongi
Day 4 – move to Osaka
– shinkansen around noon
– walk around namba, dotonbouri
(What should we add for the afternoon/evening?)
Day 5 – Osaka
– Osaka Castle
– Umeda Sky building
– laundry
– evening – concert in Namba
Day 6 – Osaka
– open. Possible baseball game?
(Recommendations for this day welcome!)
Day 7 – Hiroshima
– forward luggage to Kyoto
– shinkansen to Hiroshima. Go straight to miyajima and spend half day there
Day 8 – Hiroshima, Kyoto
– atomic bomb dome, peace museum and park, Hiroshima castle
– shinkansen to Kyoto mid day
– rokujuan mochi
– kinkaku-ji golden temple
Day 9 – Kyoto
– nishiki market
– Gion
– philosopher’s path from silver pavilion to Nanzen-ji
– kiyomizu-dera
– possible tea ceremony
Day 10- Kyoto
– morning – Nara – stay until mid day/early afternoon
– late afternoon – fushimi inari shrine. Finish hike around sunset to see the gates at night.
Day 11 – Kyoto
– forward luggage to Tokyo
– Arashiyama area – bamboo forest, Sanso garden, otagi nenbutsu, saga toriimoto preserved street, gioji temple, tenuring-ji
– roketsu dyeing class 3pm
– move from hotel to ryokan, forward luggage to Tokyo.
Day 12 – back to Tokyo
– Japanese breakfast at ryokan
– shinkansen to Tokyo
(undecided on how to spend afternoon/evening – cat temple? Ginza? Shibuya Sky? Staying in ginza)
Day 13 – Tokyo
– tsukiji market
– Final shopping
– leave for HND around 2:30pm
(Any other recommendations?)
Question about luggage shipping – we are staying at an apartment with no front desk in Osaka. Is there next-day luggage forwarding at shin-Osaka station? Or should we try a 7-11?
Is there anything major in these areas we’re missing? We are not into anime/video games and are a little too early for Sakura season…
Thanks!
by CherryGhostSF