Hello travellers. My wife and I are finally going on our thrice-delayed honeymoon to Japan, coming from East coast in the US. We are starting in Tokyo, heading down to Osaka, and then working our way back up to Tokyo. We’ve used books,blogs, and this subreddit to form this itinerary but we’re not confident that its efficient.
My main questions for he group are:
* Are we missing some must-see places or anything that we should do differently? (Note: We’re not big on Nintendo/Disney/anime)
* Are there any tickets or reservations we should be making now (already have hotels/ryokan and Teamlab Planets)?
* Would the 7-day JR pass be the right one (admittedly this is the most confusing part of the trip for me)
Thanks!
**ITINERARY:**
**Day 1: Toyko**
* Land at 3 pm at Narita
* Head to Hotel in Ginza, Kobayashi Station
* Wander/see how jet lagged we are
**Day 2: Toyko** (UENO/AKIHABARA)
* Ueno park
* Amayoko shopping street
* Akihabara arcades
* Department stores
**Day 3: Toyko** (GINZA/TSUKIJI)
* Toyosu Market (we’ll be up early)
* Teamlab planets (10:30am ticket)
* Lunch in Tsukiji outer market
* Hamariku gardens
* Tsukishima Monju street for a snack or early dinner
**Day 4: Osaka**
* Head to Osaka in the AM, check in to hotel in Namba
* Osaka castle
* Explore record stores
* Dotonburi at night for snack or early dinner
**Day 5: Osaka**
* Osaka aquarium
* Tenjinbashijuji Shotengai
**Day 6: Kyoto**
* Leave Osaka in the AM for Kyoto, head to hotel near Sanjjo Station
* Kiyomizudera
* Sannen-zaka/Ninen-zaka
**Day 7: Kyoto**
* Nishiki market
* Gion
* Maruyama park
**Day 8: Kyoto**
* Arashiyama bamboo forest
* Kyoto imperial palace
**Day 9:** **Hakone**
* Leave Kyoto for Hakone, arrive at ryokan by 3pm
* Private dinner/relax at our ryokan
**Day 10:** **Hakone-Tokyo**
* Hakone loop
* Head back to Tokyo in the evening
**Day 11:** **Tokyo** (Shinjuku)
* Imperial palace
* Shinjuku gyoen
* Golden gai at night
**Day 12:** **Tokyo** (Harajuku+Shibuya)
* Meiji Jingu
* Takeshita street
* Explore Harajuku
**Day 13:** **Tokyo** (Asakusa)
* Tokyo Skytree
* Senso-ji
* Mokuhankan wood block print shop
* Kaminarimon gate/Nakamise shopping street
* Kappabashi street
**Day 14:** **Tokyo** (Ginza)
* Art aquarium in the morning
* Leave from Narita 5pm
2 comments
JR pass, no, especially if you go to Shinjuku using the Romancecar, you would need more to justify the cost. Just pay for the two individual Shinkansen tickets and ride the Nozomi to Osaka.
You can also check for the Narita express discount round trip ticket.
Teamlab you can buy tickets in advance and I think skytree have discount if you buy tickets online (not sure)
Hi!
I believe Koenji and Shimokitazawa have a bunch of record stores if you’re into records. My brother is a record collector and he mentioned both these areas to me. If you’re not into anime or gaming, unless you are really into electronics, Akihabara is only so interesting. The big depatos are closer to Ginza, like the Nihombashi Takashimaya, the main Mitsukoshi up near Shin-Nihombashi and Mitsukoshi Mae, the Mitsukoshi near Ginza Station on Chuo dori the Matsuya right near by and the Daimaru attached to Tokyo Station. Outside this area near Tokyo Station/Yurakucho Station, Ikebukuro has a Tobu and Seibu and Shibuya has Tokyu and Shinjuku has Isetan and its own Takashimaya. I don’t shop there, but Mitsukoshi and Takashimaya feel the most like an old fashioned upscale department store and Takashimaya still has elevator operators in Nihombashi.
Are you staying near Kyobashi Station or Kayabacho Station. Kayabacho is much further from things, I accidentally walked to it while trying to find a specific shop. Kyobashi is right in the center of Ginza and super close to a multitude of other stations. From Kyobashi you could walk to quite a few of those depatos.