Hi everyone, I’m going with a friend to Japan and we’d love your advice because, honestly, we are clueless first timers.
We are 20-somethings who enjoy good food, photogenic shrines and neon signs, nightlife, and vibes. I personally like collecting cute pins and art, and the occasional gadget. Like everyone visiting in the spring, we’re hoping to see lots of sakura and get our hanami on.
Any feedback is welcome but especially appreciated on:
* Any favorite little-known viewpoints in/around Tokyo you’d recommend for taking a break to spend time alone?
* Are any of the days too packed?
* Are there any delicacies in each city that we should make sure to try?
* More Osaka attractions, that part of the itinerary feels unfocused (not USJ)
* Anything around Kobe that are worth a stop on the way back from Himeji?
# Tokyo
## 3/16 Thursday
* Arrive in Haneda 3PM
* Pick up Pasmo, turn on eSIM (ubigi), withdraw cash
* Check into hotel (Shinjuku)
* Shinjuku Gyoen garden
* Ramen around Shinjuku (Sobahouse, Ramen Hayashida)
## 3/17 Friday
* Shibuya Scramble/Sky observation deck
* Shop around Shibuya (Tokyu Hands, Loft, Don Quijote), pick up lunch and a goshuincho
* Yoyogi Park
* Meiji Jingu
* Walk around Nakameguro at night
## 3/18 Saturday (Yokohama)
* Yokohama Ramen Museum
* Sky Garden
* Red Brick Warehouse
* Gundam Factory
* Yokohama Chinatown
* Motomachi
* Sushi for dinner (Katsumidori Seibu Shibuya?)
## 3/19 Sunday
* Mostly TBD, suggestions?
* Yodobashi Camera/Super Potato
* Kanda Myojin shrine
* Wander around Akihabara and ogle the vending machines
* Dinner in Golden Gai
* Walk around Rainbow Bridge at night
## 3/20 Monday
* Breakfast at Tsukiji Market
* Hamarikyu Gardens
* TeamLab Planets around 12pm
* Ramen Kisso? for lunch
* Imperial Palace
* National Museum of Modern Art
* Dinner in Omoide-Yokocho
## 3/21 Tuesday
*The vernal equinox seems to be a public holiday, so any tips to make the most of it/avoid getting eaten alive are especially appreciated*
* Breakfast on Ameyoko shopping street
* Yushima Tenjin shrine
* Ueno Park
* Ono Terusaki shrine
* Lunch at Asakusa Yokocho food hall
* Asakusa-jinja Shrine/Nakamise
* Tokyo Skytree
# Hakone
*This time could be repurposed if the weather is poor*
## 3/22 Wednesday
* Hakone -> Odawara/Hakone Gora (9-11AM)
* Odawara Castle?
* Grab Hakone 3-day pass at Odawara station
* Drop baggage at our Hakone hotel
* Gora Park
* Hakone Open-Air Museum
* Chisuji Falls
* Decompress at the hotel onsen
## 3/23 Thursday
* Ropeway to Owakudani
* Lake Ashi sightseeing tour
* Walk around shrines
* Ropeway back up
* Decompress at the hotel onsen
# Kyoto
## 3/24 Friday
* Hakone -> Kyoto by Shinkansen (9AM-1PM)
* Kiyomizu-dera Temple
* Browse around Sanneizaka/Nineizaka
* Kodaiji Temple
* Hike Fushimi Inari around sunset
## 3/25 Saturday
* Kitano-temmangu Shrine monthly flea market
* Kinkaku-ji Temple
* Daitoku-ji Temple
* Kyoto Imperial Palace
* Kyoto Railway Museum?
## 3/26 Sunday
* Higashiyama Jisho-ji
* Philosopher’s Path
* Nanzen-ji Temple
* Shoren-in Monzeki/Yasaka Shrine/Gion
* Dinner and shopping around Shinkyogoku
# Osaka
## 3/27 Monday
* Arashiyama Bamboo Forest
* Hozugawa River Boat Ride?
* Lunch around Arashiyama
* Monkey Park Iwatayama?
* Arashiyama -> Osaka (1-2PM)
* Check in at Osaka hotel (Namba)
* Window shop in Shinsaibashi
* Wander around Dotonbori
## 3/28 Tuesday
* Breakfast at Kuromon Market
* Browse around Nipponbashi
* One or two of National Museum of Art/Oriental Ceramics/Mint/Museum of History?
* TBD, suggestions?
## 3/29 Wednesday (Himeji/Kobe)
* Grab Kansai 1-day JR pass
* Himeji Castle
* Koko-en
* Hakutsuru Sake Brewery Museum?
* Costco Amagasaki
## 3/30 Thursday
* Ikukunitama Shrine
* Kamigata Ukiyoe Museum?
* Osaka Aquarium/Bird Sanctuary
* TBD, suggestions?
## 3/31 Friday (Nara)
* Grab Kintetsu 2-day pass
* Arrive in Nara around 10AM
* Kofuku-ji/Yoshikien Garden/Todai-ji
* Nara Park/Kasuga-taisha
* Horyu-ji?
## 4/1 Saturday (Mt. Yoshino)
* Arrive in Yoshino around 11AM
* Kinpusenji Temple
* Mt. Takashiro Observatori
* Kinpu Shrine
* Wander around until our feet hurt
* Dotonbori again
## 4/2 Sunday
* Fly back home