11 Weeks Solo Trip to Japan – 6 Cities – Looking for “secret” locations outside of the usual touristy places

44 comments

1. Do you like sake?? There is an amazing all you can drink sake place in Tokyo! We were the only gaijin there. https://kenchan55.com/

2. You could travel to Koyasan from either Osaka or Nara?

3. Tokyo you can do most of the places you named in Tokyo in just a week, so you can absolutely add more options. And as you plan to be there for 3 weeks, maybe check for events/festival in the different places where you want to go.

   Just for a couple of area that you do not have in your itinerary, some are common and other will be more “random”. Ikebukuro, Tokyo Dome City (and Koishikawa korakuen), Yanesen (Yanaka, Nezu, Sendagi), Sugamo.

   It might be a detail but “gyoen park” is not a place, it is called Shinjuku Gyoen. And if you plan to be in Tokyo during cherry blossom, then you can add a bunch of cherry blossom specific area like Meguro or the area around Chidorigafuchi and Yasukuni-jinja.

   For extra daytrips options, Kawaguchiko, Hakone, Kawagoe, Chichibu/Nagatoro, Mount Takao, Mount Oyama.

   Note that teamlab borderless is closing in a couple of weeks, so you will have to go to Planets. Odaiba can still be an interesting area to check.

   Wound recommend Roppongi Hills Mori Tower as observation deck instead if Tokyo Tower.

   Trip to Nikko is possible a a daytrip if you focus on the temple/shrine area only, but if you want to see waterfall around lake Chuzenji, I would suggest to do an overnight trip.

   Kyoto, can add Uji, Fushimi sake district, Nijo-jo.

   A full week in Nara city itself it a lot, the palace ruin is actually not in Nara city (but yes in the prefecture), truth is, right now you have for 2 days worth of things to do. Can add Yakushi-ji, Toshodai-ji and Heijo palace for one day, do a bit more around Kashihara/Asuka.

   Hiroshima/Miyajima for a week is a bit long unless you do some daytrips. Miyajima is max a full day, not 3. I would also consider stopping by Himeji on the way to Hiroshima. Daytrips options from Hiroshima include Iwakuni and Kure.

   Fukuoka, add Canal City and Kawabata shotengai for shopping, Fukuoka City Museum close to the tower, really nice history museum. Also check the tower at night for illumination.

   While it’s arguably not the best, there is Osaka castle in Osaka. Sumiyoshi-taisha, Osaka tenman-gu and nearby Tenjinbashi-suji shotengai, Tsuruhashi and Korea town, obviously Dotonbori. Daytrips to consider, Kobe, Minoh, Sakai, Jinnaimachi in Tondabayashi.

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   I personally think that you can realistically do much more than that. I understand that you do not want to plan day by day what you will do but if you know you will be in Tokyo for 21 days, I would try to list as many neighborhoods (or daytrips) then optionally you can be more specific on sight and shops where you want to go in each, then you can just be super flexible and just select what neighborhood you want to explore on each day. Maybe just note if there is special schedule for some of the activities you want to do, like Shinjuku Gyoen is close on Monday, the observation deck at Roppongi Hills Mori Tower close earlier one day of the week, etc. Thing is, you can be flexible, maybe you will end up doing 2 days in 1, or just finding new stuff once there and just not doing what you listed at all. Maybe just get ticket in advance for popular stuff light Ghibli museum.

   While I think that it is fine to “go with the flow”, I would say that I regret a bit being underprepared for my first trip.

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   I would suggest that you do a bit deeper research on the local dish of each place where you plan to stay, yes you name some of the most known things, but you also missed several (I can name a couple if you want).

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   Could also help to know what you are interested in. For example do you like history ? If you do you might want to add some museum, also depending on your favorite period, could check places related to specific historic events or characters. Do you like art ? Could add more art museum, in Tokyo there is also a discount ticket called gurutto pass that offer free entry or discount in 50 art museum, 35 other museum, 12 gardens, and is good for 1 months. Or would you be interested to collect shuin or things like that from temple/shirne. In that case, it might be interesting to do some “pilgrimage” or in other words, visit a specific set of temple/shrines to collect their shuin (sometime it’s done on a single piece of paper and can be easily framed). There is many other leads you can follow, like if you like beer, then go check different breweries, some have restaurant/pub, other have something more museum like and there is factory tour, or can check for sake breweries or whisky distillery.

4. Day trip to Onomichi

5. As to Nara — Check these folks out — [https://www.facebook.com/EggNaraYMCAGoodwillGuides](https://www.facebook.com/EggNaraYMCAGoodwillGuides) — once covid is over (if ever), they should go back to giving free local tours. For now they have virtual tours.

   In Nara prefecture, you have the ancient capital Asuka (ruins) and not far from that the merchant town of Imai (with over 100 old merchant houses still standing, some open to visits). Probably few foreign visitors go there.

   Lots of interesting places to visit — but some are probably easiest with a car.

6. Shimokitazawa is definitely no secret.

   Your trip is very city-centric. I’d suggest going to a small town somewhere, anywhere, and staying there for a few days at the very least. Get way off the beaten path.

7. I’m not sure if it qualifies as less known or not, but I noticed that you don’t appear to have a day trip to Mt. Fuji or the Mt. Fuji Five Lakes region. I have personally always taken visitors to the Kawaguchiko area to take the ropeway to see Mt. Fuji and eat hotou as a long day trip. If you time it right, you can also experience amazing hanami and views of Mt. Fuji at Arakura Sengen Shrine/Chureitou in the same general area. Hakone is another great trip in the direction of Mt. Fuji (though I have never been able to see it from there). There are a variety of excellent onsen there as well as museums and a sightseeing boat tour. I don’t have a link, but there used to be a woodworking shop in the area that offered a demo (Yosegi Zaiku is a specialty of the area).

   Closer to Tokyo is also Mt. Takao which is a very pleasant hike if you are into that sort of thing.

   Ise-jingu in Mie might be worth a trip as well.

8. I would recommend checking out sumo events while you are in Tokyo

9. I am not sure you can get a basic “feeling” for what it is like to live in Japan from traveling around. It is totally different when you live there and get up with the masses, commute, work, go to the doctors and have relationships.

   You have certainly have done research and language study. That’s great! You may find you will learn the most from just walking around and interacting with the people. Please keep in mind, though, you will be treated differently than a person who actually lives there.

10. I would definitely add Matsumoto and Himeji to the day trip lists, both of those are fantastic and the staff at Matsumoto castle are wonderful.

    When you are in Kamakura you need to visit the Sasuke Inari Shrine along the Daibutsu Hiking Trail. It’s my favourite shrine in Japan.

    I would also recommend a trip to Shizuoka, easy trip from Tokyo and has the second gravesite of Tokugawa Ieyasu in addition to Nikkō.

    From Fukuoka you can also go to Kumamoto, beautiful castle, but more importantly, the grave of Miyamoto Musashi and the Reigandō cave where he wrote the Book of Five Rings. If you are interested in him you can also visit Ganryū-jima in Shimonoseki, it’s easy to stop on the way to Fukuoka. No tourists in either of those places. ☺

11. In Fukuoka, Tenjin underground mall is neat.

    Baseball games are a blast. Plenty of teams to see in the places you’ll be.

12. Seconding what /u/Tannoi12 said, with the time you have, you should get out of the cities for part of your trip. If your goal is to get a feel for life in Japan, this trip is a little like visiting New York City and Washington DC & thinking that this is representative of what life in the United States is like.

    Since you mention hiking, you might consider doing more of this near the cities. For example, while you’re based in Tokyo, you could do the [Jinba to Takao](https://tokyocheapo.com/entertainment/hiking-mount-jinba-to-mount-takao/) hike, finishing with the the [day use onsen](https://www.takaosan-onsen.jp/english/index.html) next to the train station. If you are interested in this one, be aware you need to be reasonably in shape for this hike, the trails can be slick in spots, and weather can be an issue. There are a good number of English and Japanese language resources for this hike that can provide the details you’d want to have before doing it.

13. Massive trip you have there!

    If I had 11 weeks, I’d consider cutting down your time in Tokyo and especially Kyoto. Kyoto in particular i found to be excessively touristy.
    1 day in Miyajima could be enough 3 days definitely too much.

    I would explore Shikoku and Kyushu much more. Also consider renting a car in order to unlock more gems off the beaten path.

14. I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but TeamLab in Odaiba will be closing next month, and if you’re going that early in the year the new location might not be open yet.

    I’d add Ikebukuro to your Tokyo list as well – fun place with a similar vibe as Akihabara but it’s much bigger (Akihabara and Haraijuku are actually pretty small, you could do a day in each and completely get your fill). Also, Ikebukuro’s Sunshine City mall has a killer observation deck that if you want some beautiful city shots will make Tokyo look like Paris with the Skytree in the distance looking like an Eiffel Tower.

    And I’d say add going to see Kannon at the Tomb of the Unkown Soldier while you’re in Kyoto – it’s huge and it’s near Kiyomizu-Dera which gives you a gorgeous view of Kyoto down below (lot of steps to the top).

    And for Osaka add Shinsekai and the Tsutenkaku – really fun time and if you wanna make friends with travelers from all over Japan and the rest of the world check out The Pax hostel – really great vibe and staff

15. 3 days at miyajima is way too long literally get the morning boat out and return in the evening. I’d also say four days in Hiroshima is too long as well. Don’t get me wrong…both absolutely stunning places but you could fill your time more wisely!

16. There’s a moss temple on the outskirts of Kyoto; I don’t know how hidden it is. Anyway, you just can’t show up. From memory you have to write to them first to express an interest in attending. There’s a bit of chanting and such. It’s pretty cool, but maybe not that exciting for a person in their 20s?

17. I know you want to really get a feel for these places but I do feel like you’re spending too long in some of these places. Miyajima is a day at most for me, and one week in Nara is also pretty long.

    Try and visit Nagasaki while you’re in Fukuoka, it’s quite a long day trip but it’s a much more unique and interesting city than Fukuoka imo.

    I’d agree with some of the others and maybe try and get out of cities for a while too, just for a bit of variation if anything.

18. Personally I’d cut Kyoto down and spend more time on Miyakojima. If youre going all that way down to the islands, may as well spend more time. Could hope over to Naha, Ishigaki and Iriomote too.

19. When I took the Shinkansen from Tokyo to Osaka/ Kyoto, there’s a bit near mt Fuji that looked super cool and I wish I’d planned a day hike there. Maybe somebody in the thread knows that area a bit better, but it seemed super lush and lovely

20. 1 week in Nara is a lot. There sorta got a prepared itinerary for visitors once you get there. 2 days would probably make it less of a rush, but I’m not sure you need more than that. The deer are real cool though.

21. To get away from the touristy places you need a car and be able to drive. I would recommend Shikoku, southern Kyushu and Nagano. Go to some islands like Yakushima or the Tokyo islands.

22. Locals also love ‘hidden spots’, termed ‘anaba’ in Japanese. Retrip has a specific page for these kinds of places which you might want to check out.

    [https://rtrp.jp/locations/38/categories/9999/scenes/14/](https://rtrp.jp/locations/38/categories/9999/scenes/14/)

23. Akihabara remember to visit the super potato if you like video games it’s a real treat

24. There is a cool ninja museum in Nagano

25. Every locale that you visit, go to bookstore and buy a paper map or better yet a map book. And a pencil. Something big enough for older people or people with glasses to be able to see some detail. Have it with you every time you sit at a restaurant, bar, ramen stall, just everywhere.

    When you walk into a noodle shop in a rural area at early dinner time (before everybody is super drunk already), if you can speak even roughly, good chance you’ll become the evenings entertainment. Good opportunity and great ice breaker to pull out the map and pencil and ask what’s nearby…. Something about the tangible map and a wand/pencil makes people come alive, get nostalgic and the info flows like a firehose.

    Source: many thousands of kilometres riding motorcycle across the entirety of rural Japan in search of wild hot springs and amazing bowls of ramen, among other serendipitous finds.

    Be approachable, smile a lot, be respectful and curious. Maybe in my case the motorcycle packed with camping gear helps spark some interest, but EVERYBODY wants to talk and share and help expand the journey.

26. you may try Oumi Jingu outside Kyoto and near Lake Biwa 🙂

27. When you’re in Osaka, take a day trip (or two) to Kobe. Check out the Shin-Kobe Ropeway/Nunobiki Herb Garden. How you ascend/descend is up to you. I hiked up and took the rope way down. Kinda wish I did the opposite as it took a lot of me on our first full day in Japan. There’s a great rest stop 3/4 of the way up with hammocks as well as a little shack that sells ice cream. Try the Lavender ice cream.

28. For Nikko, check out the small trail that leads to the Jizo statues. Really nice riverside scenery and not many tourists.

29. I had the good fortune to spend 2 months in Japan, one full month in Tokyo so I got to explore a lot of “off the beaten path “ places. Here’s just a few that stand out in memory.

    Tokyo Food Show in Shibuya. Yum!

    Shinjuku Tokyo Hyat Tower Builing. Incredible architecture with a really cool water clock.

    Jindai Botanical Gardens in Chofu and the adjoining neighborhood with famous soba shops hundreds of years old.

    Attending an open to the public service at Fukagawa Fudo-do Myo temple was a life changing experience.

    Then in Kyoto, I found the day trips out to various temples fascinating. Mt. Kurama in particular was extraordinary, esp if you like hiking.

    You’re going to have a blast!

    Edit : Oh damn! How could I forget YAKUSHIMA ISLAND!?!?!!!! Incredible!

30. Something that doesn’t make a lot of sense to me: You say you want to get a sense of living in Japan, but you basically just stay at all the top tourist destinations for a little longer than most people do. Why not spend 3 weeks actually traveling and 8 weeks in a single place, where you could try to make some acquaintances and experience a bit of actual life?

    I see some people mentioning goodwill guides. For a solo traveler, I’d highly recommend them. Especially if you do venture more off the beaten path. One place I am particularly fond of is Kochi. Solid regional food, lots of different scenery nearby; a city, but less urban than most places.

31. If you like a bit of hiking, might I suggest doing some of the Kumano Kodo trail?

    [Kumano Kodo](https://www.tb-kumano.jp/en/kumano-kodo/)

32. Can recommend Shimanami-kaido as a bike trail from Onomichi/Okayama to Shikoku, you can cut off a few days off Nara or smth there. Also, maybe cut a week from Tokyo to go a bit north, see Sendai, Matsushima, Mt. Zao (although you *might* encounter snow in late March), Morioka, etc. Or take the route through Nagano and Kanazawa towards Kyoto, with stops in between in some Onsen (since you are going through the japanese alps) or the big cities + Karuizawa.

    In Tokyo, since you wanna go off the beaten path (for foreign tourists at least), why not try some more rare things too? Shimokita is in the same area as the Ghibli-Musem (Kichijoji) and Sangenjaya, also nice little neighbourhoods to stroll around.

    Akasaka Palace and the nearby river area are nice for half a day (i guess).

    For Kyoto: Go to Fushini Inari early in the day, then don’t go down all the way to the train station again but turn right and visit the temples and shrines (there are a ton) on the mountain side too. You’ll arrive at Tofokuji that way…maybe also rent a bicycle, that way you should be able to go all the way to Kiyomizudera too.
    You can do the same by bike with Bamboo forest/Arashiyama, Ryoanji and Kinkakuji (although this *might* be tight, depending on your start time and speed).

    As for Fukuoka: why not add cities on Kyushu as well? Nagasaki and Kagoshima definitely are worth a visit.

    Edit: Get a stamp book for all the temple visits too, definitely worth the money as you have a very nice book afterwards to look through.

33. I would recommend Sado Island. There is an abandoned gold mine and refining facility there that was the inspiration for some of Miyazaki’s animated landscapes. Definitely off the beaten path… I was the only gaijin I saw during my visit.

34. Some other places to consider: Kurashiki in Okayama, Takayama in Gifu, Kanazawa in Ishikawa.

    If you really want to get off the beaten path, head over to Shikoku. Dogo Onsen in Matsuyama, Ehime is one of the most famous onsen in the country, and if you are a fan of Spirited Away, you will probably enjoy the aesthetic. Iya Valley in Tokushima is gorgeous. And the seaside areas of Tokushima and Kochi are beautiful and famous among surfers.

    Plus, if you visit Tokushima in mid-August, you can see Awa Odori. Just don’t expect to get a hotel unless you book about a year in advance.

35. You can catch the ferry from Tokyo to Oshima. It is awesome little volcanic island with a museum, onsen, and great hikes.

36. Kikanbo in Tokyo is the Best Ramen I have ever had in my whole life. It seriously haunts my dreams. If you are there for 3 weeks. I suggest hitting it early and judge for yourself (so that you have plenty of time to go back).

    Also TeamLab has other venues, I suggest looking into. TeamLab Planets is pretty freaking awesome and arguably better than Borderless (I would still suggest doing both, or possibly all that you can).

37. Awesome that you’re spending a week in Fukuoka! Dontoku is great, and of course Hakata ramen is fantastic.

38. Ok, so I have thoughts. Lots of thoughts!

    Primarily that- you are looking for neat, off beat areas. But you are looking in all the same old beaten track areas. Now for sure, I love the everliving bejesus out of Tokyo, Kyoto, Nara and Osaka. But you have so much time, I’d dig into a few other cities that aren’t as popular and aren’t as visited.

    Like- spend a week in Kanazawa. Day trip up to the UFO Museum in Hakui and down to the Dinosaur museum in Fukui. While you are there, visit Eiheiji which is one of my favorite temples of all time. Rent a bike and cycle down the Sai river to the sea. Heck, bike into the mountains for a hot springs break. This is all super cool stuff that tourists just don’t do because its all too remote and unknown.

    Do a week in Sendai- day trip to Yamadera, bar hop, check out Matsushima and more. Eat some beef tongue sushi!

    Rent a bike and spend three nights on the Shimanami Kaido. Its gorgeous out there, and then when you get to Shikoku, kick it in Takayama for a week. Theres the garden, and all the island you can day trip to. Sure, everybody hits Naoshima. But you’d have time to hit Megijima and Ogijima too!

    Cruise through the onsen towns north of Tokyo like Kusatsu. Almost 100% if you see a foreigner in Gunma- its because they live there! But theres neat stuff there just as there is all over Japan.

    To my mind, you won’t necessarily find exactly what you are looking for in all the usual major cities. And I’m not saying don’t go- but you could do a week each in Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, and Nara and still have SIX WEEKS of amazing experiences out and about in the rest of Japan.

    Places that not everybody gets out to, but that have a charm all their own.

    Also side note- add Bunny Island to Hiroshima. And maybe Kure- if you like military museums. There are two neat ones there.

39. I agree with what some people are saying about the city-heavy itinerary.

    Some of the best times I’ve had off the beaten track in Japan are driving through the countryside in some areas. I know you’re there for 11 weeks, so some of these could be possible (not sure about your total budget though).

    – Shikoku is a great place to drive through and get the countryside experience plus the small city experience. You have Matsuyama in Ehime with Dogo Onsen and great food, Kochi further southeast, and in between some great scenic driving and small towns. It definitely felt the most remote and least touristy/ English-friendly out of everywhere I’ve been if you wanted some more immersion.
    – Sado Island in Niigata is a nice little spot too. Very low key countryside and easy driving all around. Especially great in August during Earth Celebration, but still a very nice distilled countryside vibe that feels contained because of the island’s small size.
    – Yakushima Island is great and super easy to drive around. It’s a rainforest with some nice beaches and an amazing secluded swimming spot called Yoggo Valley. Amazing hiking on Mt Miyanoura too. I recommend staying at Shiki no Yado in Onoaida. The owner Ken is awesome and his wife makes great food. Go to the local onsen too, great way to hang out with locals and embarrass yourself by only dipping your toes in the scalding water lol (the water there is so damn hot)
    – It’s not really a drivable spot (you can drive, just not as good as hiking), but if you can spare the time, the Kumano Kodo Nakahechi route is an incredible and relatively easy multi-day hike through the mountains in Wakayama that has you staying in various minshuku and onsen (Yunomine). The ending of the trail (ogumotori-goe) ends at Nachi falls which is an amazing reward for the end of the hike.

    One thing to note, if you wanted more of the shukubo experience besides Mt Koya, with your int level japanese you can stay at some buddhist temples overnight, with meals. There are several in Shikoku and elsewhere that offer temple stays, but most you need to call yourself to book in Japanese. A lot of these places have very comparable prices to business hotels and include 2 meals. I’d look into places like this as well as minshuku over fancy and pricey ryokans.

    Just some tips based on my experiences! Cheers!

40. When I visited the kyoto bamboo forest, there was a private garden there called okochi santo that hardly anyone else entered despite being right next to the full tourist area. It was $10 from memory but worth it, more memorable than the bamboo.

41. For Hiroshima, you can add a trip to Naoshima – a great island with amazing art museums and installations. Fun to take it slow and ride around by bike.

    For Fukuoka, if you like nature, you can go to Nokonoshima island and do a little tour there. Another option is Uminonakamichi has parks and beaches and an aquarium. You can also take a trip to Karatsu, which is a small castle town. I especially enjoyed to views from the train on my way there. Karatsu itself isn’t super special, but the view of the castle is nice and it has a more small town feel. And as I said, the trainride along the coast is so worth it for me.

    Also, full yes to Koyasan trip! I was there a few years ago in February, so it was quite cold, but very charming and beuatiful woth the snow, and not busy at all when I went.

42. A few places I’ve been to that I love that aren’t on your list

    Korakuen hall in Tokyo. Try to catch a wrestling show.

    The Nagasaki nuclear bomb museum is very good

    Be sure to do some karaoke with friends

    If you are in a situation with police or authorities, speak English.

    会計 (kaikei) is check in a restaurant.

43. I do think 1 week is too long to spend in Nara, but if you’re interested you can check out Yoshinoyama in Nara during cherry blossom season.

    For Osaka, I recommend if you have time to pay a visit to places like Wakayama (Kii-Katsura), Okayama, and Tottori. You can cover them all on the Kansai Wide Pass (if you don’t already have another train pass) and easily make your money back.

    I should also point out that a lot of attractions in Japan close fairly early, so if you want something to do at night that isn’t bar hopping, I recommend looking up Japanese websites instead of English ones, specifically on what to do at night. There are some great spots to see nighttime views you won’t find in English.

    Checking websites like Hanami walker would also be helpful.

44. If you want to practice your Japanese and spend more immersive time I would recommend staying in Nagoya for a few days, it’s a fantastic city and extremely friendly towards foreigners (in my experience). I also have to recommend that you spend some time in Takayama/Hida-Furukawa area because it is so beautiful and the small town culture is wonderful for practicing and attempting Japanese more so than Tokyo where they get a lot of foreigners and don’t have time to slow down and help you.
    If you want recommendations of things to do in either of those places lmk!