I just got back from 35 days in Japan with my Fiancé and absolutely loved all of it!
We started in Tokyo and we went to the following areas:
Tokyo – 10 days
Kyoto – 5 days
Osaka – 7 days
Hiroshima – 5 days
Nagasaki – 6 days
Okinawa – 5 days
Sapporo – 1 day
I was supposed to stay longer in Sapporo but the flight to Sapporo was delayed and our return tickets were accidiently booked earlier than I wanted.
Along the way we climbed Mt.Fuji, went to Teamlabs, explored the coral reefs in Okinawa, went to dozens of temples and shrines, ate amazing food and overall had a blast!
Some things I will point out…
You do not need to bring Cash to Japan except some emergency money. ATM's charge only a nominal fee and you can find them almost anywhere. Almost everyone uses card anyways.
You definetely should be prepared to carry your garbage around. We only found garbage cans in convenience stores, some restaurants and maybe a few malls at best.
Google translate is very helpful. I know Japanese so I don't need it, but my Fiancé used it a lot when communicating.
Any IC card works for transportation. You don't need a welcome Suica which only lasts 28 days. An ICOCA works fine and does not expire.
Please use the Takyubinn service to transfer your luggage between different hotels. It was so convenient. Most hotels offer the service. They usually take payment in Cash though.
I would personally take a flight from Hiroshima to Nagasaki instead of using the Shinkansen. The timings were too tight. Alternatively, get non reserved seats so you don't feel a need to rush.
All your tickets to nearly everything can be bought on Klook. 100% Recommend. This includes the Shinkansen tickets.
If you're going to climb Mt.Fuji, use Fuji mountain guides. The guides all speak English and are incredibly helpful.
Fiverr is Fine if you want Studio Ghibli tickets. I used Seann to get my tickets.
Knowing some Japanese will help you a ton.
You WILL get lost with certain train stations. It's part of the experience. Don't worry 🙂 .
Overall, I had a blast! If you have any questions, or want my itenary, let me know!!
by RarePea5132