Hey! We’re going on our first Japan trip and I’ve edited my previous Itinerary, I’d love it if you guys shared any opinions/advice on it!
There are 2 of us going, I’m coming from Europe and my friend comes from the United States. Our Japanese friend will join us in Tokyo between the 28th and 1st of January!
We’re both above 20yo, our interests are all over the place (for example anime, nerd/geek culture, history, food, sightseeing, photography etc.), we’re open to trying anything so feel free to suggest anything! We’re all in shape and don’t mind walking a lot.
Please do let me know if I should remove or in your opinion add/replace something, the places I list are just interest points, we’re flexible when it comes to our plans outside of days when we change cities, as tickets have already been booked (including the round trip to Shirakawa). If you think that something will take us too much or rather very little time, please do let me know! \^\^
**My map with interest points marked:** [https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/edit?mid=1zhL2iuINEMHEA7dTTywRIzTulOUbl7c&usp=sharing](https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/edit?mid=1zhL2iuINEMHEA7dTTywRIzTulOUbl7c&usp=sharing)
# Tokyo
• 27.12
\- Arrival at Narita Airport, meet with a friend from his US flight and get our portable WiFi. The plane arrives at 6 pm and we have to arrive at our Airbnb in southern Ota City (they cancelled our previous Airbnb so we got a bad location now), so we won’t have much time + we’ll be dealing with jet lag, just food and rest most likely.
• 28.12 – **Shinjuku + Kyu-Furukawa Gardens**
\- **Kyu-Furukawa Gardens** (in a different part of Tokyo, but a place we really want to see because of Umineko no Naku Koro ni, this day seems perfect as I don’t know if Shinjuku by itself would take up an entire day);
\- **Shinjuku Gyoen;**
\- **Hanazono Shrine;**
\- **Omoide Yokocho;**
\- **Shopping** (any special/good stores in Shinjuku?);
\- **Kabukicho** (Godzilla above Toho building, getting some beer);
\- **Golden Gai;**\- **Karaoke private booth.**
• 29.12 – **Shibuya & Harajuku**
\- **Shibuya Crossing** (+ looking for Persona 5 photo spots);
\- **Meiji Jingu Shrine;**
\- **Hachiko;**
\- **Shopping** ( Tokyu Hands, Loft, Donki, Nintendo Store, hobby stores etc.);
\- **Harajuku & Cat Street;**
\- **Shibuya Sky;**
\- **Shimo-Kitazawa** (we’ll be here again, this time only to take group photos at Bocchi the Rock locations!).
• 30.12
\- **Akihabara**
\- **Cure Maid Cafe;**
\- Lots of **Arcades** (mainly for Fate/GO Arcade & Rhythm games);
\- **Weeb stores & M’s**;
\- **Square Enix Cafe;**
\- **Kanda Myojin Shrine;**
\- **Nakano Broadway** (if we have time left since I know it’s further away).
• 31.12 – **Yokohama + Enoshima Island**
\- **China Town;**
\- **Minato Mirai;**
\- **Sankeien Gardens;**
\- Going to **Enoshima Island** (spots from Bocchi the Rock, such as Enoshima Shrine & Sea Candle).
• 01.12 – **Free day**
\- **TeamLabs Planets** at 1 pm (tickets reserved, that’s the only attraction planned for that day since the majority of places will be closed from what we heard);- Our friend leaves us in the evening.
We don’t know what to do for New Year, hatsumode is an option, do you have any shrine recommendations?
• 02.12 – **Bus** to Takayama from Shinjuku at 8:15 am, arrival at 2 pm.
# Takayama & Kanazawa
• 02.12 – Arriving at **Takayama** by 2 pm, reaching the Airbnb and **exploring Takayama** for the rest of the day
\- **Hida Minzoka Mura Folk Village**;
\- **Sanmachi Suji**;
\- **Takayama Jinya;**
\- **Hida Kokubunji Temple.**
• 03.01 – **Shirakawa-go** day trip
\- **Higurashi no Naku Koro ni** related spots for photos/selfies;
\- **Shopping** for local crafts & food;
\- **Ogimachi Castle Observation Deck**
\- **Shirakawa Hachiman Shrine**;
\- Upon return to Takayama visit whatever is left in Takayama.
• 04.01 – Bus to **Kanazawa**, arriving at X, getting to Airbnb.
\- **Higashi Chaya;**
\- **Kanazawa Castle Grounds;**
\- **Nomura Family Samurai House;**
\- **Kenrokuen Garden;**
\- **Oumicho Market.**
• 05.01 – Limited Express Thunderbird to Osaka at the earliest we can.
# Osaka/Kyoto
• 05.01 – Arriving around 2 pm (it’s a ticket for a day, we’re not sure how exactly it’ll work), getting to Airbnb in **Osaka.**
\- **Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan**
\- **Osaka Nipponbashi Denden Town** (depending on how long Aquarium takes)
• 06.01 – **Kyoto**
\- **Kodaiji Temple;**
\- **Ryozen Kannon Statue;**
\- **Kenninji Temple;**
\- **Ishibe-Koji Alley;**
\- **Hokan-ji Temple;**
\- **Kongoji (Yasaka Koshindo) Temple;**
\- **Starbucks**
**- Tatami mat;**
\- **Kiyomizu-Dera;**
\- **Yasaka Shrine;**
\- **Hanamikoji Dori.**
• 07.01 – **Kyoto**
\- **Fushimi Inari-Taisha** (I know it’s a long hike);
\- **Arashiyama Bamboo Forest;**
\- **Arashiyama Monkey Park** *(heard some bad opinions, thoughts?)***;**\- **Nijo Castle.**
• 08.01 – Osaka | **Namba & Denden**
\- Exploring **Dotonbori District;**
\- **Hozenji Temple;**
\- **Shinsaibashi-suji Shopping Street;**
\- **Americamura;**
\- **Hozenju Yokocho;**
\- **Namba City & Namba Parks.**
• 09.01 – Osaka | **Tennoji**
\- **Abeno Harukas;**
\- **Shinsekai;**
\- **Tennoji Park;**
\- **Tsutenkaku;**
\- **Shitteno-ji.**
• 10.01 – Osaka | **Nara** day trip
\- Todaji-ji Temple;
\- Nara Park;
\- Kasuga Grand Shrine;
\- Kofuku-ji;
\- Please suggest what else to see in Nara!
• 11.01 – Osaka | **Free day** *(Kita? Osaka Castle? Open to suggestions!)*
• 12.01 – Osaka | **Bus to Tokyo** at 7:30 am
# Back in Tokyo
• 12.01 – Getting to AirBnB after arriving in Tokyo at 5:20 pm, we’ll see how tired we are.
• 13.01 – **Kichijoji**
\- Inokashira Park;
\- Daiya Shopping Arcade;
\- Coppice Kichijoji;
\- Nakamichi Dori Avenue;
\- Musashino Hachimangu Shrine;
\- Go to the concert at **SHELTER live house** (Bocchi the Rock one) in **Shimo-Kitazawa** at 7:30 pm (got tickets).
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• 14.01 – **Asakusa**
\- Sensoji Temple;
\- Nakamise Shopping Street;
\- Hoppy Street;
\- Tokyo Skytree (worth it if we’ve been on Shibuya Sky?).
• 15.01 – Free day *(Ikebukuro?)*
• 16.01 – **Returning home\~!**
# Questions
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• We’re planning on getting the Goshuincho at the first shrine we find, will most shrines give out stamps?• We want to visit some onsen and/or public baths, I know of spots in Kanazawa etc., but are there any good spots in let’s say Tokyo and Osaka?• Same with laundry, we’re bringing 7 sets of clothes so we’ll need to do some laundry, are they easy to find and use?• I really want to buy some glass wind chimes, should I focus on any specific place to look for them? (Also interested in Maneki Neko, Daruma etc.)Thank You for all the help in advance!
2 comments
Sorry for formatting, whenever I edit everything messes up so I’m not touching it anymore 🙁
29 – Wrong order, if anything, start by Meiji-jingu because it open earlier than shops, then walk to Shibuya via cat street, do your shopping get to Shibuya station via the crossing and Hachiko is just there, do Shibuya Sky then can move to next location.
30 – Same idea, start by something that open earlier, like Kanda-myojin. Stores won’t open before 10-11am. Nakano is not close as you said, could make more sense to do it with Shinjuku, but you already have a full day there…. or just do it the 13 when you are going to Inokashira park
30 – Finish visiting Takayama in the morning and continue to Kanazawa after Shirakawa-go that will save you the bus from Takayama to Kanazawa.
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Note that both temples and shrines can offer the goshuin, I cannot say that they all do it, but a lot of them do. Considering the number of temple and shrines you listed, that can cost a lot to get one from all of them, so you might select places that have cooler designs (some will be on a separate paper you can add to your book).
Laundry you should be able to find it in hotels and as you do airbnb, I hope they do have washing machines, but note that private home do not typically have dryers (you will get it in hotels and coin laundry). I personally travel with 3-4 set and have no problem doing my laundry, most of the time in hostel/hotel, but once in a while I had to use a coin laundry, easy enough to find on Google Maps.
Wind chimes, not sure where I found the one I bought, it may not help going in winter as it’s a typical summer thing. Daruma you might see them in temples, but just in general keep an eye open the things you listed are stuff that often appeal to tourist, so likely easy to find in stores that sell souvenir for tourist. Trust me, you already have a couple of place in your itinerary that have plenty of them.