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Below is my itinerary for me and my girlfriend, this is our first time and absolute bucket list destination. I want to make the trip as amazing as possible for her and I. Is there anything you think is a waste of our time we should rule out or suggestions of places to add?
1) we couldn’t book the Sumo tournament in Osaka as they said they were sold out. I was very saddened to hear this. Is there any way to get tickets on the secondary market?
2) I tried booking Jiro well in advance through the specific hotel and couldn’t get in there as well as some others we tried. We were able to book at Sushi Kanesaka, but I am hearing mixed reviews and no recent reviews. Do you have any opinions on amazing omakase in tokyo?
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3) I was going to buy this translation device where I simply hold a button, speak English and it translates to Japanese and vice versa If i hold it out to whoever is speaking with me. Should I buy this?
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4) I am planning on only bringing a decent sized camping/travelers backpack, trying to convince my girlfriend as well who I can tell is leaning more towards luggage. She claims she can just ship them from x to y to z. I can only imagine one location losing her stuff, and then I am going to have to comfort her, try to find someone who can help and translate this complicated situation, then probably waste a day having to go buy what was lost for the remainder of the trip which I can imagine being difficult depending on where this could happen. (Any input I can share with her is appreciated)
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5) Any specific items I should absolutely bring this trip?
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March 20: Travel
* **Flight departure:**
* ​
March 21: Travel/Tokyo
* **Land:** 4:20am
* Drop off bags (Grand Prince Hotel Takanawa)
* Train:
* Shinagawa Station
* Keihin Kyuko Line
* Shuttle to hotel:
* Shinagawa Station→The Prince Sakura Tower Tokyo→Grand Prince Hotel Takanawa
* Lunch:
* Chuka Soba Tomita—ramen
* Train:
* Matsudo station
* **Check-in:** 3:00pm
* Grand Prince Hotel Takanawa
* Shimokitizawa shopping
* Shibuya Crossing
* Shibuya Sky
March 22: Tokyo
* **Check-out:**
* Sumo Museum
* **Check-in:**
* Kaminarimon Ryokan
* Senso-ji temple
* Nakamise shopping street
* Akihabara
* Dinner:
* Gyukatsu Ichi Ni San—beef cutlet
March 23: Tokyo
* Nezu shrine
* Ueno Park date
* Ueno zoo
* Ameya yokocho
* Dinner: pm
* Sushi Kanesaka—Michelin sushi
March 24: Tokyo/Fuji
* **Check-out:**
* **Check-in:** Fuji View Hotel
* Train/bus:
* Shinjuku Station – (JR Chuo Line, Kaiji Express: about 60 minutes) → Otsuki Station – (Fujikyu Line: about 60 minutes) –> Kawaguchiko Station
* Shinjuku Station West Exit Bus Terminal (Highway Bus: about 105 minutes) –> Kawaguchiko Station
* Shuttle to hotel:
* Kawaguchiko Station
* 10:45 / 11:45 / 1:45 / 2:45 / 2:45 / 4:45 / 5:45 / 6:45
* Fuji-Q Highland\*
* Kitaguchi hongu fuji sengen shrine
* Oshini hakkai
* Dinner:
* At hotel
March 25: Fuji/Osaka
* Oishi Park
* Lake shōji(ko)
* **Check-out:**
* Lunch:
* Hotou Fudu—Hotou noodles (Fuji famous dish)
* Shuttle to station:
* Kawaguchiko Station
* **Check-in:**
* Hotel New Otani Osaka
* Train:
* Tokaido Shinkansen
* Dinner:
* Izakaya Toyo—flame-thrower
March 26: Osaka
* Osaka aquarium OR universal studios
* Shinsekai
* Osaka International Peace center
* Dinner:
* Dotonbori street
* Gyoza
* Takoyaki
* Dango
* Okonomiyaki Mizuno
March 27: Osaka
* Breakfast:
* Kuromon—market
* Drop off bags at Nara hotel (Mikasa Ryokan)
* Train:
* Ōsakajōkōen station line to Tsuruhashi station
* Tsuruhashi station to Kintetsu-Nara
* Tegaicho Bus Stop to JR Naraekinishiguchi Bus Stop
* Nara station to Kamo station
* Kamoeki to Wazukayamanoie Bus Stop
* Wazuka tea plantation
* Lunch: Sky cafe wazuka—matcha
* Train:
* Wazukayamanoie Bus Stop to Kamoeki
* Kamo Station to Tennōji Station
* Tennōji Station to Ōsakajōkōen Station
* Kuchi teien observatory & Koji Kinutani Tenku Art Museum
* Dinner:
* Takoyasu—Fugu
March 28: Osaka/Fukuoka
* **Check-out:**
* Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park and Museum
* Train:
* Shin-Osaka station line to Hiroshima
* Hiroshima Eki to Kamiyacho \[Mielparque mae\]
* Shukkei-en Garden
* Check in:
* The Lively Hotel
* Train:
* Hiroshima station line to Hakata
* Hakata Bus Terminal 1F(bus) to Higashi Nakasu(bus)
* Yusentei park
* Dinner:
* Tenjin, Nakasu and Nagahama—markets
* Hakata ramen
March 29: Fukuoka/Nara
* Umi-no-nakamichi-kaihin Park
* **Check-out:**
* **Check-in:**
* Mikasa Ryokan
* Train:
* Hakata station line to Shin-Osaka
* Shin-Osaka station line to Nara station
* Free shuttle to hotel
* Todai-ji
* Dinner at hotel
March 30: Nara/Kyoto
* Breakfast at hotel
* **Check-out:**
* Isui-en/Yoshikien garden
* Nara Park
* Nakatanidou—mochi
* Mizuya chaya—teahouse
* **Check-in:**
* Mercure Kyoto Station
* Hotel shuttle to train station:
* Train:
* Kintetsu Station
* Lunch:
* Kichi kichi omurice
* Jōnan-gū Shrine
* Gion district
* Dessert:
* Maccha house
March 31: Kyoto
* Ginkakuji Temple
* Shojuin Temple
* Maruyama park
* Lunch:
* Miyamasou
* Confirmation number:
* Kyoto Botanical Gardens
* Kyoto Gyoen National Garden
* Nijo castle
April 1: Kyoto
* Fushimi Inari Taisha
* Leave at
* Kiyomizu-dera
* Rurikoin temple\*
* Lunch: Honke Owariya—ramen
* Open 11:00am-3:00pm
* Arashiyama Bamboo Grove
* The Samurai & Ninja Museum Kyoto
* Dinner:
* Sushi Gion Matsudaya
* ​
* Kiyomizu-dera\* (special night viewing)
April 2: Kyoto/Nagano
* Breakfast:
* Nishiki market
* Kushiage
* **Check-out:**
* **Check-in:**
* Chisun Grand Nagano
* Train:
* Kyoto to Kanazawa
* Kanazawa to Nagano
* Jigokudani Monkey Park
* Shiga kogen mountain
* Dinner:
* Shinshu Soba no Kusabue Midori—soba noodles
April 3: Nagano/Tokyo
* Zenko-ji Temple
* **Check-out:**
* Daio wasabi farm
* Take train to Hotaka station
* Matsumoto castle (option)
* Drop off bags at hotel (Book and Bed Shinjuku)
* Train:
* Hotaka to Matsumoto
* Matsumoto to Shinjuku
* Lunch:
* Onigiri Bongo—onigiri
* **Check-in:**
* Book and Bed Shinjuku
* Yoyogi park and meiji jingu shrine
* Harajuku and Takeshita street
* Dinner:
* Soushi Menya Musashi—ramen
April 4: Tokyo
* Shinjuku gyoen national garden
* Lunch:
* Tsukiji and Toyosu Fish Market
* **Check-in:**
* Peninsula Tokyo
* Ginza
* Mori Arts Center Gallery
April 5: Tokyo/Travel
* **Check-out:**
* **Flight departure:**
10 comments
I just want to say, nice job! I’ve never seen such detailed itinerary. I don’t have any tips because I haven’t been to Japan yet. I will definitely model my itinerary after yours with some trimmings because I won’t be going as long as you are. Wishing you lots of fun and that you are able to do everything on your wish list 😊
> I was going to buy this translation device where I simply hold a button, speak English and it translates to Japanese and vice versa If i hold it out to whoever is speaking with me. Should I buy this?
There is no reason to do this. Just use google translate on your phone. It has a microphone option. You can also use the camera to translate signs.
>She claims she can just ship them from x to y to z
She can, there’s no reason for you to doom and gloom. Hotels will arrange this for you to transport to the next hotel. I would suggest sticking to a carry on, though, if possible. Laundry is typically easy to get done while you’re there.
>March 21: Travel/Tokyo
Where are you traveling from? Based on the flight taking a day, I’m guessing the U.S.? If so, that’ll be at least a 13 hour time difference which means…that 1st day likely has too much stuff. Y’all are going to be exhausted. You need at least a good chunk of the day to rest and get over the jetlag.
My only real critique is that this is *too* planned out. I like to suggest people try and take it easier and leave themselves time/space to go with the flow a little more. Japan is a wonderful place to get lost in. You can be on your way somewhere, then turn a corner and see a whole new world that grabs your curiosity, but if everything is too planned then you can’t live in the moment and engage that curiosity.
I know this style of travel isn’t for everyone, but for me personally that’s what Japan is best for: taking it easy and truly experiencing where you’re at. It isn’t just a list of tourist things to check off.
So, that’s my main suggestion: don’t be married to this. Take it easy. Let yourself get lost. Let yourself miss something because you’re experiencing something else unexpected. And keep in mind that you’ll likely want to come back, so you won’t “miss” anything, you’ll just do it on your next trip.
Also, we’ll be there at the same time. I’m March 24th through April 7th. Let me know if y’all are wanting a friendly face and we can see if we’re in the same city.
A lot of the fun of visiting Japan is taking up opportunities to see and do interesting things that present themselves while you’re there. I’d suggest not going with such rigid-seeming plans.
Based on the amount of traveling your going to be doing, I would recommend a backpack or small carryon. I didn’t use any luggage forwarding services. I’m glad I didn’t because I feel like I would have a hard time communicating and filling out the paperwork needed to do this. I know plenty of people say it works fine
Also,I wish I brought some kind of translation device or realized just how much I needed to use it on my phone. I didn’t do this and I regret it.
Universal studios is a all day affair, even if you go when it first opens and don’t go on all the rides.
Not impressed. Seems like you just picked the most popular destinations for each day without any idea how far they are between each other. I’d suggest you narrow things down better. You’re in Japan, that’s the experience, not some garden that you didn’t get to see.
In all honesty? This seems like a scary strict and over-structured itinerary. Even knowing what you’re going to order in restaurants really seems to take the fun out of just immersing yourself in a new place and going with the flow. And as far as I’ve read, luggage delivery places usually won’t get your bag to next location until the following day, so since you’re jumping from hotel to hotel so many times, you may have a lot of time without suitcases. Another vote for just bringing a big backpack each and maybe an extra totebag for your gf.
Me going to Japan in 6 weeks: Here is the 5 cities I want to visit
This dude: Here is what I am going to eat for every meal
Wtf
Just reading your itinerary looks tiring. That would be a lot of walks. Don’t overthink the trip too much. You might get preoccupied with one place and that’s okay.
For first timers, i won’t get too rigid on the food portion tbh. Some of the places you listed here i’m familiar with and requires quite an extreme amount of queuing.
Do conbini hopping, depachika exploring and try out some izakayas.
For 15 days of traveling especially for you guys first times, you’re doing a lot of commuting. I see the golden trail plus Hiroshima, Fukuoka, Kanazawa and Nagano has been included. Take care as you might need a vacation after this vacation if following this itinerary.
Imma use papago and I hope you got Shibuya sky tickets