Hi everyone, my boyfriend and I are planning to visit Japan for the first time in October-November 2023 (12/10 to 2/11). We’d appreciate any critiques, suggestions or ideas on this itinerary. Thanks so much for looking!
Our trip will consist of **Tokyo – Hakone – Kyoto – Osaka – Takayama – Tokyo**
**Interests**: We are late 20’s couple from Belgium, both musicians who love food, ghibli, gaming, bookstores, nature, music stores, concerts, markets and photography. We don’t like super touristy things but at the same time we’d like to see some ‘highlights’ of the cities we’re visiting.
**Questions**:
* Does anyone have any budgetfriendly accomodation recommendations in Tokyo (Shinjuku), Kyoto and Osaka (Namba/Umeda)
* Any reccomendations on Music shops/concerts/theatre,…?
* We’re still debating if we should swap some days from Tokyo and add another more ‘rural’ stop to our list. Any ideas/reccomendations?
**Day 1 – 12 October** : Arrival Haneda – 8am
* Pick up JR pass, pocket wifi and suica card
* Train to Sjinjuku
* If not too jetlagged: Shinjuku Gyoen, Kunokuniya bookstore
**Day 2- 13 october:**
Harajuku:
* Meiji-Jingu Shrine + Yoyogipark
* Takeshita Street
Shibuya:
* Shibuya crossing + Hachiko memorial statue
* Ishibashi Music Shibuya + Ikebe Music store
* Capcom store
* Shibuya Sky at sunset
**Day 3: 14 october**
Asakusa:
* Sensoji Temple & Nakamise
Ueno:
* Tokyo National Museum
**Day 4: 15 october**
Ghibli Museum
Akihabara:
* Visit maidcafe/final fantasy cafe
* Animate/mandarake, Tamashii nations, Akiba Culture zone, Super Potato, GiGo
**Day 5: 16 october**
Send luggage from Tokyo to Kyoto with Ta-q-bin. Anyone has used delivery service before could please give us some tips? Can we rely on hotels to send the luggage?
Hakone Day 1 with Hakone Free Pass
* Overnight stay in Togendai-ko.
**Day 6: 17 october**
Hakone Day 2:
* Hakone Shrine
* Old Tokaido Road
Bus and train back to Odawara. Activate JR Pass in Odawara and take the train to Kyoto.
**Day 7: 18 october**
Kyoto
* Sannenzaka and ninnezaka
* Kiyomizu dera Temple
* Kodai-ji
* Maruyama-koen Park
* Gion guided evening tour
**Day 8: 19 october **
Kyoto
* Fushimi-Inari-Taisha Shrine
* Nishiki Market
* Vintage shops
**Day 9: 20 october**
Daytrip Nara
**Day 10: 21 october**
Free day in Kyoto
*Philosopher’s walk
**Day 11: 22 october**
Train to Osaka. Staying in Namba or Umeda not sure what is the better option.
* DenDen
* Dotombori & Amerikamura
* Miki Gakki Americamura Guitar Store
**Day 12: 23 october**
Universal Studios
**Day 13: 24 october**
Osaka:
* Kuromon Market
* Umeda Sky Building
* Pokemon Store
**Day 14: 25 october**
Train to Takayama – check in ryokan
**Day 15: 26 october**
Takayama:
* Miyagawa Morning Market
* Samachi Suju
* Takayama walking Path
Any reccomdations on restaurants/bars?
**Day 16: 27 october**
Daytrip to Shirakawa-go
**Day 17: 28 october**
Free day
Late afternoon train back to Tokyo
Check in hotel maybe in a different area?
**Day 18: 29 october**
Ginza
* Chuo-dori street
* Teamlab
* Kabuki Ginza
**Day 19: 30 october**
Free day with options
* Roppongi Hills
**Day 20: 31 october**
This is halloween. Any ideas how we could spend the day in Tokyo? Places where there are people dressing up?
**Day 21: 1 november**
Free day
**Day 22: 2 november**
Flight home