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The original was posted on /r/japantravel by /u/scout-scoot on 2025-05-14 14:29:37+00:00.

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I live in Japan and one of my favorite things to do is travel here. I tried to narrow this list down to things that you may not easily find otherwise, though note that any of these areas have some other more popular attractions nearby, which I included for the purpose of helping you make a potential itinerary. All of these have been absolute highlights during my years of travelling through Japan, and I encourage you to check them out :)

• The Last Classroom - Tokamachi, Niigata Prefecture
  • Haunting, immersive, truly one-of-a-kind art museum/installation buried in a rural Niigata onsen town. It's an abandoned school that was turned into an art exhibit about isolation and emptiness. It's only open on the weekend, but going through it alone (very few people I think know about this/go to it) was unforgettable. Pictures don't do justice to the experience of walking through this ghostly space. Let yourself become immersed in its world and it is incredibly emotionally affective.
  • Nearby: Bijinbayashi Forest, Kiyotsu Light Gorge, many onsen/ryokan
• Amanoiwato Shrine - Takachiho, Miyazaki Prefecture
  • One of Japan's most significant shrines within its religious canon, being the location of perhaps the most famous story of the sun goddess Amaterasu. This is like if we knew the location of where Jesus arose from his grave and could visit it. Walking through the gorge to this shrine is an experience of its own, and the shrine is a unique beauty nestled within a cliff enclave, surrounded by piles of stones carefully placed by visitors.
  • Nearby: Takachiho Gorge (recommend river boating through it)
• Togakushi Shrine - Nagano, Nagano Prefecture
  • A shrine nestled up in the mountain forests outside Nagano city. The temple grounds are expansive and to be honest, I got lost when I explored there. But in doing so I found a hidden cafe run by a grandpa so that's a bonus. The shrine itself is wonderfully secluded, under the cover of forest leaves, and has been one of my favorite shrines of the hundred or so I've visited.
  • Nearby: Nagano City
• Ōnami Lake - Kirishima, Kagoshima Prefecture
  • A lake at the summit of a mountain in a volcanic range, formed from a crater. This makes it an uncannily circular lake with incredibly clear water that comes from the volcanic groundwater. The hiking trail around the lake is pretty unintimidating with gorgeous views all around, but I will warn that getting UP to the hiking trail is a good 40 minute trek uphill. Once you're there though, you have incredible scenery for miles.
  • Nearby: Kirishima Jingu, Kirishima Kinkowan National Park (this lake is technically part of the park)
• Miyakowasure - Semboku, Akita Prefecture
  • A secluded ryokan in the countryside of Akita. The name of the onsen literally translates to "forget the city," and BOY will you. This is the most secluded, isolated, private ryokan I have ever been to. Each room comes with a private onsen with a beautiful view of the nearby forest or river. The service is also the highest quality I have ever received in all my time in Japan. It's pricey, but given the sheer quality, I think it's undoubtedly worth it for a night or two of luxury (and FANTASTIC food).
  • Nearby: Kakunodate (the "little Kyoto" of northern Japan), Lake Tawazu
• Takkoku-no-Iwaya Bishamondō - Ichinoseki, Iwate Prefecture
  • Over 1000-year-old Buddhist temple built into a cliffside as part of its structure. It's still in active use and you may be able to see some prayer or ceremonies by the shrine priests. The main temple is very interesting and the temple grounds have a lot to see within a small space, especially the garden. Lovely integration with nature.
  • Nearby: Geibikei Gorge and Genbikei Gorge (yes they're different, I highly recommend river boating through Geibikei Gorge)
• Himeji Yukata Festival - Himeji, Hyogo Prefecture
  • Late June festival that's one of the best festivals, I think, to experience Japanese festival culture between food stalls, games, and (of course) yukata. Many streets are overtaken by stalls and hundreds of guests in traditional Japanese clothing, with the view of Himeji Castle illuminated in the background.
  • Nearby: Himeji Castle (my personal favorite castle in Japan btw)
• Yakushima Hiking - Yakushima, Kagoshima Prefecture
  • Island off the southern coast of Kagoshima covered in thick forests protected as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This island is the aesthetic inspiration for Princess Mononoke and has many hiking trails from beginner to advanced (though I would recommend only able-bodied individuals attempt, since even the easy trails can have some unsteady terrain). The best hiking experience I've had in Japan.
  • Nearby: Stay on the island overnight. Enjoy a hotel and the beach.
• Biking through Kibi Plain - Okayama, Okayama Prefecture
  • Want to comfortably experience the Japanese countryside without being lost in fields with nothing to do and no hotels nearby? Kibi Plain is easily accessible from major hub Okayama City and has a very well-marked biking route through the prefecture's major temples and beautiful plains of farms and rice paddies.
  • Nearby: Okayama City (particularly recommend Korakuen Garden)
• Yamadera Temple - Yamadera, Yamagata Prefecture
  • One of the absolute best temples in Japan. Mountain scenery, forests, gardens, trails through nature, cliffside views, everything you could want from a nature experience. The way the shrine is built into the structure of the mountain range is beautiful and a treat to wander through. Stunning all year round though the fall foliage is particularly recommended.
  • Nearby: Yamagata City
• Tonami Tulip Fair - Tonami, Toyama Prefecture
  • Through the month of April to early May, tulips bloom throughout Toyama prefecture, best displayed at the Tulip Festival. Hundreds of breeds of tulip like you've never seen in gorgeous Dutch-inspired displays. Held for multiple weeks but you can catch performances on weekends. Colorful and magical.
  • Nearby: At around the same time of year, Johana Hikiyama Matsuri in Johana town, which is a UNESCO intangible cultural heritage.
• Lake Juniko - Fukaura, Aomori Prefecture
  • Collection of twelve lakes scattered all in close proximity through the forests of Shirakami Sanchi. These lakes are known for their almost unnaturally blue water. They are mystifying to look at given just how clear the water is. The most famous, Aoike, is the best for viewing this phenomenon.
  • Nearby: Mt. Shirakami

I hope these give you some inspiration for somewhere different to travel to in Japan. If you want any area-specific recommendations (I've been all the way from north to south!), feel free to ask :)

This is an automated archive made by the Lemmit Bot.

The original was posted on /r/japantravel by /u/Powerful-Fishing3827 on 2025-05-13 15:14:32+00:00.

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If you're heading to Osaka and wondering where to buy Pokémon cards, Nipponbashi is the spot.

It's basically Osaka's answer to Akihabara. A bit grungier, but packed with card shops in every alley, stairwell, and arcade. I spent two days hitting over 20 shops and figured I’d share some notes and store picks.

Quick rundown of the best shops I found:

C-Labo

Bulk bins, singles, and decent prices across modern to older sets. If you like digging through ¥100 holos and filling binders, you’ll spend hours here.

Magi

Feels more like a boutique than a card shop. Modern cards, latest Japanese sets, and clean displays. Not the cheapest but easy to browse.

Dragon Star

Massive. Floor to ceiling cards. Prices are all over the place. Great for variety, but I’d double-check prices elsewhere before dropping big cash.

Support Chance

Probably my favorite sleeper pick. Hidden upstairs, smaller store, and insane bargains if you’re into older holos and random finds. Their oripa packs are cheaper than the big stores too.

Clove

Premium slabs and vintage grails. Pricey but they grade everything in-house. If you’re picky about condition, this is where you shop.

Stuff I learned the hard way:

• Yellow stickers mean “damage” but most are fine for binders. You’ll save 20–40% easy.
• Don’t buy the first card you see. I saw the same card swing ¥3,000 store to store.
• Budget bulk boxes are always worth a dig. I pulled GXs and old holos for ¥200.
• Oripa (mystery packs) are everywhere. Hit rates are rough, but fun if you’re into the gamble.
• Clove had the cleanest vintage stock, but yeah, you’ll pay for it.

Where to go?

• Stick to Ota Road in Nipponbashi.
• If you see Bee Honpo or the Pokémon Center, you’re in the right zone.
• Don’t sleep on upper floors. Some of the best stores are tucked away on level 2, 4, or even 6.

Overall, I found Osaka’s card scene to be a bit more “collector’s playground” than Tokyo.

Less polished, more chances to find weird cards and deals.

If you’re a binder collector, you’ll love it.

If you’re after clean slabs or vintage, Clove and Dragon Star are your spots but compare prices.

Would recommend setting aside a full day (minimum) to do it properly. It’s easy to get lost in it all.

Hope this helps anyone planning the trip.

Happy to answer questions or swap store picks if anyone’s been recently.

This is an automated archive made by the Lemmit Bot.

The original was posted on /r/japantravel by /u/CasinoOfSolace on 2025-05-12 10:11:58+00:00.

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Hello, r/JapanTravel!

I recently returned from a 17 day trip to Japan, my first time visiting. Suffice to say, it lived up to my expectations. The public transportation, food, and hospitality may have spoiled me for future travel elsewhere. My trip window (March 29th to April 14th) was perfect timing to see the sakura bloom all the way through.

Day 1: Arrival at Haneda**

I arrived at a cold and rainy Tokyo Haneda airport at 4 pm. Customs was simple enough and I only had a carry on and a backpack, so no need to wait for baggage. My AT&T international phone plan kicked in and worked with no issues. I prebooked a private transport via Get Your Guide.

The van dropped me off right at my first hotel, Remm Akihabara. I was really pleased with the room, which had a great view of the surrounding city, and a massage chair!

I went out to find dinner with what little energy I had left. On my first walk out of the hotel I stumble on a JDM car meet in front of all the lit up buildings in Akiba and had my first "wow I'm really here!" moment.

I go to Sushiro for my first meal , as I am a sucker for belt sushi. It was freaking packed. the machine said it would be a 55 minute wait, but as I was solo, my number was actually called right away. I sat down and had sushi to my hearts content. the total came to just over $10 US.

Day 2 Akihabara and Ueno

I am a huge fan of the Steins;Gate anime and games and have always wanted to visit Akiba so I set out to find real life locations from the show. As it was Sunday, they closed down the main street and it became a pedestrian zone, which was pretty cool. I also found a pop up shop for the 15th anniversary of Steins;Gate!

The cherry blossoms were in full bloom so I walked to Ueno park and Nezu Shrine for viewing.

For dinner, I scheduled an Ueno bar hopping tour with Best Tours Japan. This was one of my highlights of the entire trip. We hit up four locations, including two standing bars, yakiniku, and a ramen shop. We were served a huge variety of local food and drinks and the tour guide Aki was extremely funny and informative. The ramen at our final stop which I believe was named Kaguraya was the best ramen I have ever had. It was a luxurious creamy chicken ramen that was just to die for.

Day 3 Shinjuku Gyoen, Asakusa

The train station is basically right underneath my hotel, so I just walk downstairs and take a 15 minute train ride to Shinjuku Gyoen for more Sakura viewing. It was my first train ride and I couldn't believe how easy it was. I slept in though and waited until after the morning rush, so I'm sure that helped. It was cold and rainy but I still enjoyed the park.

Had a late tempura lunch at Tendon Tenya which was total comfort food. I go by the Nier/Square Enix cafe gift shop which happened to be their final day before closing.

At night I went to Asakusa for a Senso-ji and Sumida Park walk using the Tsukuba Express train. Seeing the Sakura lit up with the Skytree behind was really magical.

Day 4 Tokyo to Kanazawa

Shinkansen to Kanazawa. Really picturesque ride!

Had an early dinner at Shogun Burger at the station. I read great reviews of their Wagyu burgers but it was honestly pretty terrible.

Check in at Hotel Nikko Kanazawa. Really nice place for just over $100 a night. I was invited up for a complimentary welcome cocktail at their 25th floor Skybar, which had an unreal view of the city. Sitting by the window looking out over the city lights sipping my cocktail, I couldn't help but feel a little like James Bond. Another one of my highlights of the trip.

Day 5 Kanazawa

Started the day off walking through Omicho Market, and the Samurai District. The highlight of the day is Kenrokuen Garden. Without a doubt the most sprawling and beautiful garden of the trip. Entry was free for the day due to the sakura bloom and there was plenty of good food and festivities taking place. Had some great chicken karaage skewers while looking over the next stop, Kanazawa Castle. I spent quite a while exploring the castle grounds and found a spot under a large grove of sakura to rest. I was feeling really exhausted after 5 days of exploring and decided to cut the day short and go back to the hotel. I love Indian food so decided to try an Indian place with good reviews near the hotel, but it was unfortunatey terrible.

Day 6 Shirakawa-Go, Takayama

Booked a Limon bus via GetYourGuide to Shirakawa-Go which was excellent. Surprisingly there were only two other people on the bus. We arrived at Shirakawa-Go which was still covered in snow. The town was picturesque but unfortunately just overrun with people. It felt like a theme park. Instagrammers were blocking the streets setting up tripods in the middle of the road. Kids were running all over peoples private property. Drones were flying through the air. I felt bad just being there. I actually got back on the bus early after grabbing a hida beef bun. Our next stop was Takayama where I had a two night stay booked.

Takayama was freezing! I checked in to Hida Takayama Ouan. The hotel was pretty ok. Shoes come off at the door. Hot spring on the roof. Free noodles at night.

Finding dinner was tricky. Place after place had closed signs out saying they were full. Reservations only was the norm. after a bit I stumbled on Hida Kitchen. I poked my head in and they asked if I had a reservation. I said no but they said thats ok! and found me a spot. The staff was so attentive and welcoming. I was freezing cold and being brought a hot towel and an Asahi was just heaven. I ended up getting a wonderful Hida steak that was melt in your mouth good.

Day 7 Takayama

The day starts off with a surprisingly varied hotel breakfast featuring local Takayama dishes. Not bad!

Walked through the old town morning markets, trying some hida beef nigiri and had great coffee at Falo Cofee Brewers. The Higashiyama walking course was up next, full of interesting shrines and a huge graveyard in the forest which was kind of eerie. The city center was packed with tourists, so it was nice to hit this trail with barely anyone else around.

I hopped on a city bus from the terminal to Hida Folk Village next. It was nice seeing a small version of Shirakawa-Go with much fewer tourists. Unfortunately the town didn't really look like the pictures as all the grass and trees around were brown and dead looking. It almost felt like a wild west town.

For dinner, I had my heart set on Naniwa Sushi near my hotel after reading great reviews here. I got there early and waited for them to open but the opening time came and went.. after a while of waiting they finally put out a sign that they were full for the night...

So I end up at... Hida Kitchen!!

They welcome me warmly and I have a great dinner once again. Loved these guys!

Day 8 Nagoya

Rode a limited train to Nagoya from Takayama station with spectacular views of the countryside. Just lovely!

Arriving at Nagoya Station there is a Formula 1 pop up event with a Red Bull racing car on display. Started to get excited for the race!

Check in at Super Hotel Nagoya Station. I was bracing for this hotel to be the worst of my trip, as the only room left when I booked was a smoking room, and it looked pretty small, but it ened up being a really nice stay. The girl at reception seemed excited to practice her english with me. She took out big cue cards and gave a whole presentation of the layout of the hotel, which was super cute. I had to do a double take when she pointed out the open bar. All the alcohol bottles were out and she said guests were free to make whatever kind of drink they want between a certain time (!) Luckily she found me a non smoking room too.

I spent the rest of the day doing laundry at the hotel, making cocktails, and exploring the surrounding area. There was tons of shopping and I found a great tempura spot.

Day 9 Formula 1 at Suzuka Circuit

I pre-booked an express bus through the Suzuka Circuit site that picked up at Nagoya Station. Even though I had an e-ticket, I had to join a large queue to exchange the e-ticket for a paper ticket and then queue up again to exchange the paper ticket fo rthe bus ride. The bus was quite comfortable but ended up taking nearly three hours to reach the track. We arrived an hour past the original estimated arrival time and missed the pre-race festivities. Oh man the queues for food were INSANE. I got in line for karaage skewers and after waiting forever, the person in front of me got the final order and the booth put out a sold out sign. I started hearing cars on the track and had to run to my seat still hungry. Luckily I had a few 7/11 snacks in my bag.

I had a great seat and hearing the cars roaring around the corner for the first time was exhilarating. A fan sitting next to me snuck in a bottle of sake and poured me a large cup! Princess Akiko was there to hand out trophies at the end.

After the race we boarded the buses once again and here is where things really unraveled. After boarding we were held in the parking lot for 2 hours without moving. After the buses were let out we sat in bumper to bumper traffic moving literally inch by inch for 2 more hours. It took almost 4.5 hours in total to get back to Nagoya. I was so tired when I got back and it was so late I ended up just having a 7/11 di...

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The original was posted on /r/japantravel by /u/Legitimate-South-685 on 2025-05-11 16:59:13+00:00.

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Just back from a 2 week trip to Japan - my first - and I absolutely loved it.

Top tips

• Take 2 pairs of high quality tennis shoes.  I only took 1 because I wanted to save suitcase space; this was a mistake.  We averaged 15,000-18,000 steps a day - or according to my fitbit weekly report - 45 miles in one week.  You’re constantly going up and down stairs into the metro, temples, stores, etc. and the 15-18k doesn’t really capture the time you are actually spending on your feet browsing stores or standing to admire sights.  Midway through our time in Kyoto I started taking advil before bed to help the aching.  My shoes were in such bad shape at the end of the trip I threw them out.  Being able to rotate shoes would have been a huge help to my feet.
• Take the advice of everyone and pack a carry-on size suitcase inside your larger suitcase so you have an extra bag to fill with Japanese souvenirs.  If you don’t, you will likely either 1) buy a second suitcase in Japan or 2) come in at exactly 1kg under the baggage weight limit.  If you are able to get through a Japan trip without doing one of those two things, please contact me and explain how you avoided all the shopping.
• Most hotels have coin laundry so I did laundry halfway through the trip at the Hyatt Place Kyoto; the laundry machines were quite busy but I was waking up early from jet lag and able to get the 6am slot.
• To save your feet, just use Uber sometimes.  A lot of travel forums warned about how expensive cabs were in Japan, but this wasn’t my experience.  To/from Haneda Airport was about $85 and the cabs we took in Tokyo and Kyoto averaged $12-15.
• Download and use the smartEX app for the bullet trains (Shinkansen).  You can assign IC cards like Suica or Passmo to the bullet train tickets in the EX app and then use the IC physical card or app on your phone to swipe through ticket gates.
• Google maps is a wonder.  Make sure you have a data plan so you can use Google Maps to help you navigate the vast train, subway, and bus network.
• Jet lag for me on this trip was brutal.  It probably took me a week to fully adjust.  I have no solution for this other than make sure you include hotel breakfast when you book so you have something to do when you wake up at 5am.
• The egg salad sandwich at 7-Eleven and Family Mart are as good as everyone says.  Many nights we were exhausted (see tip one) and got an egg salad sando, drink, and dessert from 7-Eleven and it was a $4.85 dinner.
• Japanese toilets are amazing.  Go to as many bathrooms as possible to enjoy the variety and crazy bathroom signs.
• If you can avoid shopping (see tip two) you could do Japan very cheaply.  I did not.

There is so much good food, including at the 7-Eleven and Family Mart.  I would opt to try new places rather than making return trips to places we ate, even though some were amazing.  Exceptions are Sushi Sagane in Tokyo, Sakura Burger in Nara, and the Izakaya we found in Kyoto.  In the itinerary below, I linked to restaurants worth a visit if they’re convenient for you when you go.  

Two Weeks in Japan: Our Itinerary 

• Monday, April 21: depart USA
• Tuesday, April 22: arrived Tokyo.  Attempted to eat at Ramen Street in Tokyo station (failed) and ate egg salad sando from 7-Eleven instead.  First of many.
• Wednesday, April 23: Hotel served sashimi at breakfast, cementing my love for Japan on day 1.  Visited Senso-ji shrine, “kitchen street” shopping, wanted to go to Euno Park but it was raining so we went to Wendy’s for soy & butter fries instead, ate a second meal at Muji cafeteria, designed our own bags at Uniqlo, visited some stores in Ginza, drink at Bar Four Seasons, omakase dinner at Kyubey Okura Hotel branch, drink at RC Gate Pub below our hotel.
• Thursday, April 24: Tsukiji Fish Market tour, Kyukyodo stationery store, Ginza beer hall, TeamLab Borderless, nap, dinner at Hotel Ryumeikan.
• Friday, April 25: Tokyo National Museum, Euno Park, Tsujita Ramen Nihonbashi, bullet train to Kyoto, dinner at our Ryokan Nanzenji Sando Kikusui.
• Saturday, April 26: Breakfast at Ryokan, walked to Tenjuan Temple gardens, Nanzen-ji temple, Eikan-do Temple, moved to Hyatt Place Kyoto, lunch at Mr. Maurice’s, bus to Gion area, Yasaka Shrine, Gion Corner show, drink at Gion Finlandia bar, cab back to hotel.
• Sunday, April 27: Hired a driver to take us to major Kyoto sites.  7.5 hour tour that included Fushimi Inari-Taisha, Tofuku-ji Temple, Ginkaku-ji (Silver Pavilion), Kinkaju-ji (Golden Pavilion), Arashiyama Bamboo Grove, Tenryu-ji Temple gardens.  Dinner at tiny mom & pop Izakaya near the Hyatt Place Kyoto.
• Monday, April 28: Train to Nara, tourist bus to Nara Park, fed deer, Todai-Ji to see Great Buddha, Nigatsu-do, Kasuga Taisha shrine, lunch at Sakura Burger, train back to Kyoto, walked through Nishiki Market, Teramachi shopping street, first visits to Loft and Don Quijote.  A separate post on shopping will be devoted to these.
• Tuesday, April 29: Train to Osaka for World Expo 2025.  Osaka street food tour with Ninja Food Tours.  Train back to Kyoto.
• Wednesday, April 30: Bullet train to Hiroshima, tourist bus to Atomic Bomb Dome, Memorial Peace Park & Museum, food hall lunch, tourist ferry to Miyajima, walked to shrine that floats during high tide, tried Momiji Manju snacks, regular ferry back to mainland, street car to train station, 7-Eleven for dinner, bullet train back to Kyoto.
• Thursday, May 1: Tea room Toka for traditional tea experience, shopping in boutique Kyoto shops, Sushiro revolving sushi for lunch, hours of shopping, Apero bar, cab back to hotel, Family Mart for dinner.
• Friday, May 2: Bullet train back to Tokyo, cab to Hotel Gracery Shinjuku, yakatori (food on sticks) lunch, leg/foot focused massage at Arona Spa (the thing I said about how bad my feet hurt was serious), omakase at Sushi Sagane, Rockaholic bar.
• Saturday, May 3: Breakfast at McDonalds, Meiji-jingu shrine, u/cosme shopping (I may dedicate an entire post to this store), Takashita shopping street, passed a pig cafe, British India Cafe 1930 for lunch at top of “Cat Street,” shopped all the way to the end of Cat Street, coffee break at City Shop, visit to Tower Records Shibuya, Shibuya Crossing and famous dog statue, dinner at Yakiniku Motoyama, walk through Golden Gai but all the bars were packed, Takopippi sports bar.
• Saturday, May 4: Breakfast at McDonalds (stop with your judging), found a random flea market at Hanazono Shrine (I don’t know if this is a regular thing, but it was wonderful I found the last few items I was looking for like woodblock prints and pottery), stopped in Disney Store for Star Wars Day, May the 4th be with you, $15 lunch at Michelin starred Ramen Matsui (amazing ramen, 30min time limit to eat), cab to Yayoi Kusama Museum, coffee at nearby Cafe Soseki, cab back to hotel, Kaiten Sushi Hibari revolving sushi for dinner, Don Quijote Shinjuku.
• Monday, May 5: 7-Eleven egg salad sando for breakfast, final shopping, COOKIN’ for pizza lunch, cab to Haneda airport, one more egg salad sando at the 7-Eleven Haneda airport.

Things I would do differently in Tokyo

• You don’t need a guided tour of the Tsukiji Fish Market.  It’s small enough that you could do self-guided and most of the vendors have food out for you to buy/try.  Our tour also leaned a bit too heavily on pushing us to stalls to shop, rather than focusing on trying foods.  Do this one on your own.
• We did 3 nights in Shinjuku when we got back to Tokyo after Kyoto - I would not stay in the Shinjuku area again.  It’s definitely worth a visit for shopping and bars, but stay somewhere else.
• In Golden Gai the bars are so tiny it’s hard for me to even describe how tiny they are.  They were full when we walked through but I don’t think I would have enjoyed it even if we had gotten in.  I had fun at the other bars I found in Shinjuku, so probably unpopular opinion here, but you could skip Golden Gai.
• If you can hold yourself back, save your purchasing until your final days.  Bags have to go overhead on the bullet trains, even large bags you would normally check on a flight, and they get heavy.  Many more shopping tips to come in a separate post.

Things I would do differently in Kyoto 

• Even though our Ryokan was incredibly nice, I would skip that in future because it’s so expensive ($1200/night).  The experience wasn’t worth that to me and I could have spent my half of the Ryokan cost buying another knife or more pottery.
• Skip the Gion Corner show - wasn’t a great show and the audience was super annoying.
• Our guided tour of Kyoto day was very ambitious and I wish we had more time at a few of the temples and shrines.  No way to s...

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The original was posted on /r/japantravel by /u/Ahrigato500 on 2025-05-10 22:41:23+00:00.

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Hello guys. I just returned from a wonderful 3 week trip to Japan and I want to tell a bit about my experience. I took this route: Nagoya -> Himeji -> Matsue -> Okayama - > Takamatsu -> Matsuyama -> Shin-Yamaguchi -> Kitakyushu -> Fukuoka -> Nagasaki -> Naha (Okinawa). I had a JR pass and have been mostly using JR trains, but also some local trains/busses to get around. And I must say it has been a blast traveling around in Japan, everything is just so accessible and on time.

Nagoya:

In Nagoya I went to see the castle, both the Toyota Museums and the Railway Museum. It was a bit disappointing that the castle was closed due to construction, but it is so pretty to look at from the outside, especially the park surrounding it with all the cherry blossoms. There are two Toyota museums in Nagoya, one inside the city and one a bit away. Both are excellent and shows the history of the Toyota company very well. The Railway museum was good fun as well especially the Shinkansen Emulator. And I also had one of best Tonkatsu I have ever eaten down at the harbour.

Himeji:

Before arriving in Himeji from Nagoya, I went to see the small town of Omihachiman. It is such a beautiful little town with a river going through the town with samurai residences on each side. I took some really beautiful pictures here and ate some delicious Ramen. I can definitely recommend going there. In Himeji I went to see the castle and the Taiyo theme park. The Castle with all the cherry blossoms surrounding it was very beautiful and probably one of the most breathtaking castles I have seen so far. It also had a nice japanese garden attached to it.

The Taiyo theme Park was probably one of the more unique experiences on my trip. The park is basically a theme park build so you can experience things from around the world without leaving Japan. There are things such as the Triumph Arc in Paris, the chinese Teracotta Warriors and the very impressive rebuild of the Neuschwanstein castle. The attention to detail in this place was absolutely astonishing and it was mind boggling of much time and money must have went into this project. Don't miss it, if you are in Himeji.

Matsue:

In Matsue I went to see the beautiful castle that is one of the few original castles still around in Japan. I also took a small trip to the Iwamai-Ginzan Mine. The Mine was not really anything special but the small samurai town called Omori that connected to it, was definitely worth the trip. It had that cozy japanese small town atmosphere that I love. I ate some great soba noodles here.

Okayama:

Next was Okayama where I went to see the Castle, the old town of Kurashiki and a samurai sword factory. The Castle was beautiful from outside, but nothing special inside, as it is not original. Kurashiki was a beautiful little town with a river running through and some nice aesthetics and atmosphere. The Samurai Sword Factory (located in Osafune, 40 mins east of Okayama) was a really cool experience as I was there on a day where I could see the sword smiths at work and how they made the swords.

Takamatsu:

Takamatsu only had very small castle, but the Ritsurin Gardens was probably one of the most impressive Japanese gardens I have seen except for some of the ones in Kyoto. It was huge and there was just much care put into it. Having Takamatsu as a base, I took a couple of daytrips.

First stop was gonna be the Shiotori Zoo most known for their white tigers. Unfortunately it was closed when I arrived there, so I had to find something else to do that day. I therefore went to the small castle town of Marugame, where I went to see the small but impressive castle that is standing very tall above the town. I also got some amazing Udon noodles here, which I think Muragame is famous for.

Next stop was one of the things I had been looking most forward to on my whole trip. I wanted to go here ever since I saw in on youtube a couple of years ago: The Nagoro Scarecrow Village. It takes a lot of time to get there and the taxi ride is expensive the last part of the way, but it is totally worth it. Visiting this small town that is inhabited by about 350 scarecrow dolls was one of the most unique experiences I ever had. All the dolls are made by one woman who still lives in the town and my god, it is an incredible job she has done. The attention to detail on each doll was incredible, and there was a special kind of ambience and atmosphere going through the town and meeting all the dolls. It made me experience what life might have been like when the town was still alive. If you are ever in the area, don't miss the opportunity to go there, it is one in a life time experience.

Matsuyama:

From Takamatsu I went to Matsuyama. Also a city where I had to experience its beautiful castle that is standing very tall up looking down on the city. In the castle you had the opportunity to wear a full piece of samurai armour, which was great fun to put on. In Matsuyama I also experienced the "Bansuiso", which is a western style mansion, that in old times functioned as the Emperors residence, if he ever decided to visit Matsuyama. Was an interesting watch for sure. From Matsuyama I also took a small trip to the town of Imabara to see the castle there. Was a cozy little town with some great food.

Shin-Yamaguchi:

From Matsuyama I took the ferry to Kure, the train to Hiroshima and then the train again to Shin-Yamaguchi. There was nothing notable to do in Shin-Yamaguchi but I just needed a place to stay before going to my next destination. My next destination was Kitakyushu, but before that I took a trip to the absolutely beautiful Motonosumi Shrine. It is a shrine located in northern Yamaguchi Prefecture along the coast of the Sea of Japan. It consists of a lot of red tori gates lined up with a breathtaking background of the Sea of Japan. Think of it as a the tori gates of Kyoto but on steroids and less tourists. It took a very long time to get there, but just like the Scarecrow Village, it was a truly unique and once in a life time experience, I just couldn't miss. It was breathtaking and gorgeous.

Kitakyushu:

In Kitakyushu I experienced a great night life in the city and probably some of the best food I had on the trip (wagyu beef and some special cabbage meat hotplate only made in Kitakyushu). I also experienced the castle which was very beautiful but also had great stuff inside that related to samurai life. There were video games there and dress up that made you learn a lot about samurai history, which was a breath of fresh air compared to other castles.

From Kitakyushu I also took the train to Kumamoto to experience the black Kumamoto Castle. Kumamoto Castle was probably the biggest disappoint on my trip. Beautiful on the outside but hollow on the inside with almost no english information and too many tourists. Of all the castles I visited, it was basically the biggest tourist trap. I can't recommend it.

Fukuoka:

In Fukuoka I didn't really have any plans except for staying there a night before my next destination. I took a stroll around the city and ate some great food at night, but overall the city was nothing special. What was special though was the day after where I went from Fukuoka to the Kirin Beer Brewery. Truly an amazing experience with such a great guide and staff. The Kirin Ichiban beer is probably one of the best beers I have had and the best Japanese beer for sure (better than any Sapporo, Asahi or Suntory I have tasted).

Nagasaki:

In Nagasaki my main goal was to go to the Hashima (aka Gunkanjima) Island, which inspired one of the main locations in the James Bond film "Skyfall". It was interesting to see what once had been a booming mining island, now was an abandoned ruin. Unfortunately it was a bit disappointing you could only see parts of the island on foot and not the whole thing, but it was still a very good experience. I also went to the Nagasaki Peace Museum, which was very beautiful structured inside with great history and insight of what happened on the day of the bombing.

After my days in Nagasaki my next destination was to go back to Kumamoto to take a flight from there to Nara (Okinawa). I therefore had planned to take the train to the small port town of Imabara and from there take the ferry to Kumamoto. In Imabara I had time to explore the town before going to the ferry. It is a castle town with a great castle, some nice food and a small samurai town with great atmosphere and ambience. I can recommend to go to Imabara if you ever have the time, it is such a nice place.

Naha (Okinawa)

A, 1 hour and 30 minute flight from Kumamoto had taken me to Naha on Okinawa. My main reason to go to Okinawa was to see the Churaumi Aquarium which has one of the biggest fish tanks in the world with whale sharks included. It was an amazing aquarium overall and seeing whale sharks for the first time was a great experience.

On Okinawa I also had time to see the Former Japanese Navy Underground Headquarters, which gave a brief history of the American occupation of Okinawa. And also the beautiful Southeast Botanical Gardens as well as a trip to the Helios Destillery to taste some great sake and whisky.

And that was basically my trip. It was truly an amazing experience and I enjoyed it so much. I miss it a lot now and I hope I can go back to Japan very soon. It is such a great country to travel in. Amazing and friendly people, food, history, unique encounters and ways of transportation makes it a pleasant and easy experience.

This is an automated archive made by the Lemmit Bot.

The original was posted on /r/japantravel by /u/RailroadRobin on 2025-05-09 19:48:58+00:00.

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It’s almost two weeks since I came back from a trip with my family, and I’m still in awe and want to go back to Japan as soon as possible. It’ll be a long time until I can afford to go again, so for now, I figured I could share what we did and a couple of insights for people planning to visit soon. Hope it’s helpful to someone!

Travel (Sat 12.)

Notes:

• We traveled with Qatar airways economy, the food was nice
• I brought my Switch for the plane, but barely used it

Day 1 - Tokyo (Sun 13.)

Hotel - Vessel inn Ueno Iriya Ekimae

Notes:

• We arrived in the evening and immigration only took about an hour despite us not having filled in the forms in advance
• Our 78.5cm by 51cm by 29.5cm suitcases fit on the skyliner overhead racks, as well as on all the Shinkansen racks later in the trip. You can fit pretty big suitcases, so the main issue is weight

Day 2 - Tokyo > Nagano (Mon 14.)

Activities:

• Cherry blossoms at Matsumoto castle

Food:

• Soba Masamihonpo

Hotel - Tokyu Rei Hotel Nagano

Notes:

• Despite being a little past full bloom, there were plenty of beautiful sakura blossoms near Matsumoto Castle as well as all over Nagano
• The Nagano days were the only ones where I needed a jacket, the rest of the trip I only wore light sweaters

Day 3 - Nagano (Tue 15.)

Activities:

• Jigokudani Monkey Park

Hotel - Tokyu Rei Hotel Nagano

Notes:

• The monkey park was awesome, although the google maps times for the bus there must be wrong as we waited more than 40 minutes past the expected time on the way to the park and 1 hour 30 minutes on the way back

Day 4 - Nagano > Kanazawa (Wed 16.)

Activities:

• Tea House, Morihachi
• Kenrokuen garden

Food:

• Morimori Sushi

Hotel - the square hotel KANAZAWA

Notes:

• Morimori sushi was my favorite restaurant of the entire trip!

Day 5 - Kanazawa > Osaka (Thu 17.)

Activities:

• Glänta (+ Shinsaibashi)
• Dotombori

Food:

• Sunny Day Dumpling
• Kotetsu (izakaya)

Hotel - Sotetsu Fresa inn Kitahama

Notes:

• We didn’t have time to make the rings ourselves, but getting custom made rings at Glänta was still a great experience

Day 6 - Universal Studios Japan (Fri 18.)

Activities:

• The Flying Dinosaur
• Harry Potter And The Forbidden Journey
• Flight of the Hippogriff
• Jurassic Park - The Ride
• Despicable Me: Minion Mayhem
• Space Fantasy - The Ride
• Doraemon 4-D Art Adventure: Nobita’s Art World Tales
• Mario Kart: Koopa’s Challenge
• Yoshi’s Adventure
• Mine Cart Madness

Food:

• Three Broomsticks
• Amity Landing Restaurant

Hotel - Sotetsu Fresa inn Kitahama

Notes:

• My favorite rides were Jurrasic Park: The Ride, Space Fantasy: The Ride and Mine Cart Madness
• The food at Three Broomsticks was delicious

Day 7 - Osaka > Hiroshima (Sat 19.)

Activities:

• Atomic bomb dome
• Peace memorial park
• Peace memorial museum

Food:

• Nagataya (Okonomiyaki)

Hotel - Hotel Suite Hiroshima Hakushima

Notes:

• We didn’t feel like doing other activities after Peace Memorial and spent the rest of the day doing laundry

Day 8 - Hiroshima > Miyajima (Sun 20.)

Activities:

• Daishoin temple + Henjo Kutsu Cave
• Itsukushima shrine

Food:

• Coffee & Bakery Shima
• Miyajima Coffee
• Tempura Momiji
• Kaiseki dinner

Ryokan - Miyajima Seaside Hotel

Notes:

• First rainy day, we had to change our original Mount Misen plans, but the fog gave the island a cool mystical vibe
• Tempura Momiji was awesome
• The hotel collected our luggage right outside the ferry terminal, so we could start exploring right away

Day 9 - Miyajima > Kyoto (Mon 21.)

Activities:

• Nishiki Market
• Koda-ji evening illuminations

Food:

• Japanese set breakfast
• Micasadeco & cafe (Pancakes)
• Itoh Dining (Wagyu, Kobe)

Hotel - Travelodge Kyoto Shijo Kawaramachi

Notes:

• The area around Koda-ji was very calm and had few visitors in the evening
• Itoh Dining was awesome, every dish in the set menu was delicious

Day 10 - Kyoto (Tue 22.)

Activities:

• Gion Kōbu Kaburenjō, Miyako Odori 14:30-16:00

Food:

• Ichiran

Hotel - Travelodge Kyoto Shijo Kawaramachi

Notes:

• We didn’t do much on this day, we all figured some rest would be nice
• I loved watching the Miyako Odori, the audio guide was very helpful
• I’d gotten addicted to melon soda by this point and went on a long search for it in the evening, finally settling for a very overpriced one at a café

Day 11 - Kyoto > Hakone (Wed 23.)

Activities:

• Hakone open air museum

Ryokan - Tonosawa Ichinoyu Honkan

Food:

• Kaiseki Dinner

Notes:

• Our second rainy day, and once again we didn’t mind much as it created a cool ambiance
• Soaking in the onsen attached to our room in the evening was heavenly
• I liked the hotel a lot despite it being a bit old (we were also given a lot of melon soda at dinner, which I was very happy with)

Day 12 - Hakone > Tokyo (Thu 24.)

Activities:

• Teamlabs borderless 16:00

Hotel - Hearton Hotel Higashi-Shinagawa

Food:

• Japanese set breakfast
• Mediterranean Kitchen Rey
• Excelsior Caffé
• T.Y. Harbor

Notes:

• We got a good view of Tokyo Tower just walking in the streets around the building Teamlabs borderless is located in

Day 13 - Tokyo (Fri 25.)

Activities:

• Shibuya Sky, 14:40
• Nintendo Tokyo
• Muji
• Don Quixote
• Hands
• Loft
• Pop Mart

Food:

• Shake Shack Shibuya
• Cafe & Bar Scramble
• Outback Steakhouse Shibuya

Hotel - Hearton Hotel Higashi-Shinagawa

Notes:

• This was our main shopping day, although we had several stops on other days whenever we passed something that looked interesting

Day 14 - Tokyo (Sat 26.)

Activities:

• Imperial Palace
• Manekineko shop
• Airport shops

Food:

• Kotobuki, Taito

Notes:

• The couple running the Manekineko shop were super friendly

Travel (Sun 27.)

Souvenirs I brought home:

• At least one keychain from every city we visited
• Ceramic bowls
• Glänta ring
• Chopsticks with my cats’s names engraved
• 2 maneki nekos (1 a gift)
• Nanoblock bonsai (gift)
• Shiroi Koibito
• Pop mart figures (gifts)
• Shampoo
• Nail clippers

This is an automated archive made by the Lemmit Bot.

The original was posted on /r/japantravel by /u/Suspicious-Rich9451 on 2025-05-09 03:47:08+00:00.

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Hello Community,

A while back, I shared a list of things I hoped to do in Japan. I’m a 35M based in Australia, and I recently returned from an unforgettable solo trip—and I can honestly say, Japan exceeded all expectations. https://www.reddit.com/r/JapanTravel/comments/1jj7rbx/japan_10_day_trip_please_provide_recommendations/

No complaints, just pure gratitude.

In this post, I’m compiling everything I actually did on the trip (with a few changes from my original plan). Whether you're planning your first visit or dreaming of going back like I already am, I hope this gives you a good idea.

Day 1 – April 16: Arrival in Osaka

Arrived in Osaka around 3 PM local time. Took the Nankai Line to Namba and checked into my hotel near Dotonbori.

Tried okonomiyaki at Okonomiyaki Sanpei and takoyaki from Wanaka Sennichimae.

Spent the evening exploring Dotonbori — saw the iconic Glico sign and strolled along the riverfront.

Day 2 – April 17: Himeji Castle & Shopping in Osaka

Started early and headed to Himeji. The castle was stunning, especially with the cherry blossoms in full bloom. Explored all the floors and enjoyed panoramic views of the city from the top.

Visited the nearby Koko-en Garden — the flower beds, koi ponds, and mini waterfalls made it totally worth it.

Had lunch at a ramen spot near Himeji Station.

Returned to Osaka by evening and went shopping.

• Bought a Japanese kitchen knife from Tower Knives Osaka
• Picked up Japanese denim from Studio D'Artisan
• Bought Japan-exclusive badminton shoes and a few Imabari towels near the hotel. Called it a day after that.

Day 3 – April 18: Hiroshima Day Trip

Caught the 7 AM Shinkansen to Hiroshima and arrived around 9:30 AM.

Spent the morning at the Peace Memorial Museum, A-Bomb Dome, and Peace Park.

The afternoon was reserved for Miyajima, but unfortunately, ferries were operating only one-way due to tide conditions. In hindsight, I should’ve done Miyajima first.

Tried Hiroshima-style ramen and waited in line at Okonomimura to try the famous Hiroshima okonomiyaki — totally worth it.

Returned to Osaka by 4 PM.

In the evening, visited Umeda Sky Building for night views of the city, shopped for sunglasses at JINS, and had ramen for dinner.

Day 4 – April 19: Osaka Local Sights

Forwarded my luggage to Kyoto and started the day around 9 AM.

Visited Osaka Castle — skipped the interior but loved the view of the moat.

Next stop: Osaka Aquarium and Tempozan Ferris Wheel. Had lunch at Kuma Café nearby.

Returned to the hotel around evening to rest.

In the evening/early night, explored Amerikamura and Nipponbashi Denden Town (like a mini Akihabara). Saw some cool stores — almost bought a Naruto-themed bomber jacket!

Had Korean BBQ for dinner and wrapped up the night with another round of okonomiyaki and takoyaki.

Day 5 – April 20: Kyoto – Fushimi Inari, Kiyomizu-dera, Samurai & Ninja Museum

Took an early train to Kyoto, arriving at Fushimi Inari around 7:30 AM. Did the full hike — the serene torii paths were unforgettable.

Next, visited Kiyomizu-dera. It was crowded, but I managed to see some inner sanctums.

Stopped by Nishiki Market for lunch: sushi, tempura, bubble tea, chocolate-dipped strawberries, and sweet rice balls.

Went shopping — bought:

• A custom name stamp from Tamaru Imbou
• Japanese tea cups
• A fridge magnet
• Custom-made perfume from My Only Fragrance

Ended the day at the Samurai & Ninja Museum. Dressed up in samurai gear, learned a few sword moves — a fun and immersive experience.

Day 6 – April 21: Kyoto – Arashiyama, Philosopher’s Path, Gion

Started at 7 AM and headed to Arashiyama Bamboo Grove — quiet and peaceful. Walked all the way to Adashino Nenbutsu-ji, enjoying traditional Japanese houses along the route.

Visited Togetsukyo Bridge before taking a bus to Philosopher’s Path. Explored several nearby shrines too.

In the evening, freshened up and headed to Gion for dinner at Izakaya Gion Yuki.

Day 7 – April 22: Tokyo – Asakusa

Arrived in Tokyo in the afternoon and went to Asakusa. Visited Senso-ji Temple, tried the fortune-telling paper, and bought an amulet.

Explored Nakamise Street and had lunch nearby.

Went shopping at Uniqlo Asakusa, then visited Don Quijote (super crowded). Picked up:

• Chopsticks
• Matcha KitKats

Also got Kimono-themed shoes from Tokyo Kimono shoes (sizing was tricky but worth it for the souvenir)

Returned to Shinjuku, where I was staying, and had dinner at a local izakaya.

Day 8 – April 23: Tokyo – Akihabara & Roppongi Hills

Started late due to rainy weather. Spent the day shopping in Akihabara:

• Radio Kaikan
• Yodobashi Camera
• BIC Camera

Bought toy cars, Pokémon plushies, and a Japan-exclusive Seiko watch.

In the evening, visited Teamlab Borderless — a surreal experience. Had dinner nearby in Roppongi Hills.

Day 9 – April 24: Tokyo – Shinjuku, Shibuya, Meiji Shrine

• Visited Meiji Jingu Shrine
• Spent time in Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden
• Headed to Shibuya for the Scramble Crossing and Hachiko Statue
  • Best views of the crossing from 7F of Magnet by Shibuya 109

Ended the day exploring Kabukicho — Godzilla Head, neon lights, and buzzing nightlife.

Day 10 – April 25: Mt. Fuji & Lake Kawaguchiko Day Trip

Booked a Klook day tour to Mt. Fuji. Weather was perfect — made it a fantastic (though short) trip.

Visited:

• Oshino Hakkai
• Oishi Park
• Arakurayama Sengen Park
• Fujiyoshida Street

Captured some breathtaking views of Mt. Fuji.

Day 11 – April 26: Departure

Packed up and began the journey back home.

Things that helped me survive this intense trip with 18–20k steps daily (max 27k):

• Good shoes
• Pocari Sweat
• Snacks & sandwiches
• Regular meals
• Magnesium glycinate supplements
• Foot patches from Suggi

This is an automated archive made by the Lemmit Bot.

The original was posted on /r/japantravel by /u/Calipup on 2025-05-07 22:17:40+00:00.

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To give some context my trip was, I was traveling alone

5 days Tokyo > 2 days Hakone visiting Kamakura/Enoshima on the way > 2 days Hiroshima > 4 days Osaka > 4 days Kyoto > 1 day Takayama > 2 days Kanazawa > 2 days Shibu Onsen > 1 day Karuizawa > 6 days Tokyo

I made a post in the tips subreddit if you would like to check that out here: https://www.reddit.com/r/JapanTravelTips/comments/1kha9qt/my_25_tips_and_thoughts_after_a_solo_month_in/

First the stats

I averaged about 19-20k steps a day, with peak days at 31k.

Spending

Travel related expenses (this should be ~97% accurate, but conversions from paying in cash or having to eyeball a couple numbers makes it not 100%)

| Total | $4956 | |

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| Prep | $96 | |

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| | Backpack/Bags | $64 | | Lock | $9 | | E-Sim | $23 |

| Travel | $1335 | |

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| | Flights | $820 | | Bus to Kawaguchiko | $32 | | Shinkansen to Hiroshima from Hakone | $121 | | Shinkansen to Himeji from Hiroshima | $57 | | Limited Express from Kyoto to Takyama | $52 | | Shinkansen from Kanzawa to Nagano | $66 | | Bus from Nagano to Tokyo | $20 | | Local trains | ~$165 |

So I never taxi'd once, I walked a lot, and took trains. Not a ton to say here other than I really wish public transport was this good in the US.

| Lodging | $1203 | |

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| | 5 nights Tokyo | $236 | | 2 nights Hakone | $65 | | 2 nights Hiroshima | $55 | | 4 nights Osaka | $129 | | 4 nights Kyoto | $150 | | 1 night Takayama | $42 | | 2 nights Kanazawa | $65 | | 2 nights Shibu Onsen | $73 | | 1 night Karuizawa | $58 | | 6 nights Tokyo | $330 |

Comes out to about $41/night. I stayed at capsule hotels/hostels for ~21 of the nights, with 2 of those having a full room in a hostel. I see a lot of dislike for these kinds of places, but I thought they were pretty decent honestly and would do it again if it made sense. Obviously they aren't always possible depending on your traveling arrangements (sleeping with a partner, kids, etc.)

| Activites | $361 | |

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| | Gear Kyoto | $47 | | Teamlabs Borderless + Planets | $70 | | Nintendo Museum | $22 | | Hanshin Tigers Game | $30 | | Orix Buffaloes Game | $46 | | Tokyo Swallows Game | $27 | | Shibuya Sky | $23 | | Hakone Loop + Museum | $49 | | E-Bike Rental in Kawaguchiko | $17 | | Everything else | $30 |

I didn't write everything down, just the big things as the full list is 3x as long with small purchases like going to a garden for $3, Snow Monkey Park for $5, etc. To me the things that were very worth it were the Nintendo Museum (I'm not sure I'd recommend this to people who don't love Nintendo like I do), Teamlabs Borderless, and at least 1 baseball game. The things I wasn't as high on were Teamlabs Planets, going to 3 baseball games, Hakone Loop. Planets seems more kids focused/fun. Japanese baseball strategy really makes the pace of play slow, and a lot of the chants are similar so seeing one was probably enough. The Hakone Loop middle sections were pretty meh to me, I really liked the Lake and the train though. If I could redo it I'd probably just go to the Lake and then take a different route to the Open-Air museum.

| Food | $666 | |

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I'm not going to write out all 60 entries I have written down lol. From a quick glance, the average price of a meal was about $10, and that's with me getting drinks more often than I do back home. The food was definitely way cheaper compared to California. I didn't really splurge here outside of one Kobe beef meal that was $51. One of my best meals was a $4.64 Udon lunch in Miyajima, you don't have to spend $ to get good food in Japan.

| Goods | $1296 | |

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| | Clothes + Glasses | ~$550 | | Goshuin | ~$75 | | Gifts | ~$181 | | Knick Knacks | $107 | | Figures | $200 | | Pokemon Cards | ~$25 | | Video Games | ~$50 | | Luggage | $49 |

This is where I splurged. It's harder to pin down the the categories here because they're mixed in some purchases so it doesn't add up properly, but this should give a general idea. I used the strong USD - Yen to make a lot of purchases here (shirts at GU are like $6??), and of course I had to buy some souvenirs both as gifts for now, and prebuying gifts for Christmas/Mother's Day/etc. I'm big into Video Games and Anime, so finally being able to buy them at a decent price, especially used figures, was amazing. And of course, gotta buy some goodies from places like the Nintendo Museum, Square Enix Cafe, and others. Then I bought a big suitcase from Ginza Karen to put everything in before going home.

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Now onto the actual trip. I'm not going to go super high in detail here, but wanted to give some highlights and lowlights for each city. This is just my personal opinion, not everyone will agree, we all have our own tastes. This isn't everything I did, just things that surprised me both good and bad compared to what I expected.

5 days in Tokyo

Highlights: Shibuya at night, Cherry Blossoms at Ueno Park and Meguro Promenade, Teamlabs Borderless, Meiji Jingu, Mt Fuji at Kawaguchiko, Beef Cutlet Restaurant Koushuya, Sushi Koharu, Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden, Capcom Store, Hie Shrine, Shibuya Sky at night

Lowlights: Don Quijote, Oishi Park, Bahama Kitchen, Shibuya Sky sunset

2 days in Hakone (visiting Kamukura and Enoshima on the way

Highlights: Enoshima, Onsen, Box burger, the surroundings of Hakone, Lake Ashi, train back down from museum to town

Lowlights: Kamakura, Hakone cable car/ropeway (it was raining so couldn't see much)

2 days in Hiroshima

Highlights: Peace Memorial Park and Museum, Itsukushima Shrine both tides, Yamamura Chaya

Lowlights: Museum (SUPER crowded and took forever to get through, so it's both a highlight and lowlight), Hiroshima Castle

4 days in Osaka (Himeji, Kobe, Nara also during)

Highlights: Dotonbori, Denden Town, Taisei, Orix Buffaloes game, Nara, Osaka Castle, Hanshin Koshien Stadium, Kobe Harborland

Lowlights: Tsūtenkaku Tower/Shin Sekai New World, McDonald's

4 days in Kyoto (Uji day trip)

Highlights: Arashiyama bamboo forest, Gear Kyoto, Yasaka Shrine at night, Nintendo Museum, Byodo-In, Fushimi Inari at night, Kinkaku-Ji, Kenninji Temple

Lowlights: Kyoto Tonkatsu Katsuda Shijo Kawaramachi, Roast Beef place in Uji, LOCO Chicken (the food really disappointed me in Kyoto I guess)

1 day in Takyama

Highlights: Sanmachi Suji

Lowlights: Hidagyu no komori (Hida beef skewers), らーめん川路

2 days in Kanazawa

Highlights: Omichi Market, Ishiura Shrine, Kenroku-en, Nagamachi

Lowlights: Higashi Chaya District

2 days in Shibu Onsen (stopping at Nagano)

Highlights: Nagano, Zenkoji Temple, Oyaki, Jigokudani Monkey Park

Lowlights: 9 local baths

1 day in Karuizawa

Highlights: Old Karuizawa Ginza Street, Paomu pudding

Lowlights: None

6 days in Tokyo (day trip to Yokohama)

Highlights: Bookoffs, Nakano Broadway (especially Nakano Factory store), Hashitou, Ichiran, Ginza Karen, Viet Nhat, Omoide Yokocho, all of Yokohama but especially Yamashita Park, Odaiba

Lowlights: Akihabara, Tokyo character st, Tokyo Banana, Brozers, Teamlabs Planets, Kozakura, Gyukatsu Kyoto Katsugyu

This is an automated archive made by the Lemmit Bot.

The original was posted on /r/japantravel by /u/SwingNext6965 on 2025-05-06 11:22:19+00:00.

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For anyone who wants nice day trip from Osaka this is my recommendation. We went Sunday 4 May. From Osaka Station it's a direct line, 1hour. We arrived at 0935am. Walked to the Ropeway, approx 30mins. Very flat, chilled walk. The Ropeway was relatively quiet at that time. Approx 900¥pp return. They do pack people on the cable car, but you still have a decent view of the Lake and City. Trip takes 5mins. We spent about One hour walking around the tracks and exploring the temple. It was a cloudy day, however , Lake Biwa was stunning. The walk is moderate, there are some stairs and uneven ground. My cardio fitness is questionable, but I found it relatively easy. We descended approx 10am. There was a decent line up by then. After we descended we explored the area: Moat (which if you choose can book a boat to take you around the waterways. The line for this is consistent, yet it appears to move quickly). After exploring the temples, we went to the Kawara ( Tile ) Museum. It's 300¥pp. I actually really enjoyed it. There is no English, however, translate works well. The museum is over two floors and does contain a small art gallery. For lunch we had the famous Omi Beef from Omi Beef Kubotaya. We had the Lunch set 5300¥ which was a 180g of Omi Beef that was cut into different thickness slices and you cook this on a stone plate at your table. We also had the Beef bowl 1700¥. I loved the flavour of the beef in this. Omi Beef is definitely a must try. I personally liked this establishment, again English is practically non-existent , yet communication was not a problem. To note, it's a busy place. We had to wait approx 30 mins to be seated. We were about 4th in the queue. (This was around Midday, when we left there was a significant wait). You write your name down on the reservation list and can explore the shops nearby if you choose. There's a lot to look at in the main street, I found a cute antique store where the gentleman there was so lovely. It was reasonably priced. I collect hat pins from every country and his selection was very unique and only 100¥. After this we were thirsty and went to the Brewery. Two Rabbits Beer House. They have a decent selection on tap and many more in the fridge that you can drink there. 1000¥ for a pint and 500-600¥ for half. The staff are super friendly and welcoming. The walk back to the station we went through the back streets, you can keep an eye out for the statues. Some are very interesting. The trian goes every 30mins back to Osaka so you can take your time exploring. I found this to be a really nice day from the Hustle of Osaka. I haven't really seen Omihachiman mentioned often which is surprising as it's a beautiful place to visit.

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The original was posted on /r/japantravel by /u/yourbrofessor on 2025-05-07 15:02:04+00:00.

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Sorry for the rant.

So earlier today I left my backpack that held my MacBook on the train to the airport hotel and didn’t notice until many hours later. As in 6 hours later when I was trying to do homework. I looked on the find my app and saw my laptop gps was back in Osaka city while I was by Kansai airport, which is an hour away. It was already 8:30pm and I had to quickly get back on the train to get to where my laptop was. Once I got off the nearest train station, the ticket booth person said the lost and found is closed until 9am tomorrow and the people with the keys are already home. My morning flight was at 10am so I’m thinking I’m screwed. I didn’t want to accept my fate so I asked to speak to his boss. I knocked on a security door, went inside, gave them a description of my backpack, the contents, etc. At this point I thought I would have to miss my flight in the morning because they called around and nothing was turning up. They even called people who were already home. Well Japan has a network of different train/subway lines underground so this boss walked with me asking different workers from different lines, going up and down various stairs and through underground paths. After an hour of this wild goose chase, we finally found it! I tried to tip him cash and he flat out refused. I was so thankful and overwhelmed with relief. Keep in mind this whole time nobody spoke English and I was using Google translate with maybe 10% battery left on my phone. I thanked him profusely but he kept thanking me and bowing too. Our goodbye before we parted ways was like a battle of incessant bowing and saying arigato lol. These Japanese people are so polite, kind, honorable, and willing to help this total foreigner no matter how long it took. This culture is something else. I was blown away that nobody stole my laptop and how willing everyone was to help me with no expectation of a reward. I love Japan!

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The original was posted on /r/japantravel by /u/kaufmann_i_am_too on 2025-05-07 12:19:43+00:00.

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So, I was in Japan for 20 days with my wife visiting Tokyo, Kyoto, Hiroshima, Nara and Osaka, here's what I found out:

• Tokyo is a massive city, I felt that 5 days weren't enough to cover 1% of the place. My wife, being a Peanuts/Snoopy fan made me go to Machida to visit the Peanuts museum (it was great!), we visited Yokohama too (we love theme parks and these kind of attraction) so the COSMO park was very fun too, Tokyo Disney was great, way better than their american counterparts, cleaner, more organized, less crowded. The sheer amount of shrines and temples ws also an attraction of its own, discovering hidden Toriis and temples and shrines in not so touristy neighbourhoods was very fun. On top of all that Tokyo is a super clean metropolis, I had the impression I could lick the asphalt in Shibuya and nothing would stick to my tongue.
• I was surprised by how many old (really old people) were working in the services sector. I don't know if it's a cultural thing or a social security issue, but they were everywhere and they are absolute dolls. so nice, helpful and always with a smile.
• Just like "Girl from Ipanema" is an anthem for us Brazilians, the japanese listen to "Mayonaka no door/Stay with me" obsessively, everywhere, all the time, in any ocasion.
• I got seriously worried about the mental health status of Dom Quixote workers, that theme song playing nonstop, the noise, the lights and colours, that shop is a crazy ppl factory! 😂
• I Osaka, in the last days of my trip I had a medical issue and had to go to clinic fo specialized treatment and it was great, I was initially treated by an older nurse, then by a chinese doctor, that spoke flawless english and both were spot on in the diagnostic and treatment.
• Oh the food, I was never a big fan of japanese food and I found out I never liked japanese food made outside japan. I had a feast there, literally everything I tried was great, tasteful and made with lot of care. from "cheap food" like tepanakis and udons to a more elaborate menu, 100% of the food I had there was delicious.
• Public transport is perfect, in all the cities I visited the subway, tram or bus system took me exactly where I wanted to go. It's cheap, and with Google it's super easy to use, I didn't miss a train or hoped on the wrong bus ever.
• A lot of people told me before going that Japan was still a cash based economy. BS. I used my Nomad (charged with dollars) and Revolut (charged with Yens) cards all the time and never had any problems. I used cash only in smaller purchases, like street ice creams stands and to charge my Welcome Suica card, which was quite silly bcs I had to withdraw money and deposit again to chage the card.
• The scale of 7/11 and Lawson operations; man, these businesses run an enormous logistic operation, it's crazy, all the time, everytime the goods in the stores are fresh, paistries are delicious, I was addicted to 7/11 cookies and rice snacks. You can literally do all your meals in these stores and you'll be totally satified.
• Least but not last, the japanese ppl; they're an "attraction" of their own. 99% of the time they didn't speak a word in english, but they were so helpful, so interested in helping me and getting things right that the language barrier was not a problem. I know that some ppl in Japan are fed up with tourists, but I didn't notice any of that, I was treated with the utmost respect and attention 100% of the time.

I'm already planning to go back next year, I loved Japan, so much to see and do that oly one trip is not enough!

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The original was posted on /r/japantravel by /u/nadoya on 2025-05-06 04:30:41+00:00.

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Hi! I went to Onomichi this past friday during golden week, and I just found out about Shimanami Kaido a few days before my trip.

It was kind of a last minute plan, but i’m so glad i read some reviews of it on reddit, and decided to give it a try; it was definitely an experience I’ll remember.

I’m not a cyclist, the last time i rode a bike was probably 10 years ago. So i kind of jumped into this on a whim. If you are unsure about doing Shimanami Kaido or not, please at least try! You don’t have to finish the entire route (Onomichi > Imabari)— which is 70km— or the opposite, as they have stops along the route. It took me 8 hours total that day to finish my trip, with some stops along the way.

Some notes during my trip:

1. I started at Onomichi. Didn’t have a bike reservation, so i waited in line to get my bike by Onomichi Ferry bike rental from 11am to 12pm on Saturday. I was lucky to get one as there was high demand during golden week.

2. Get a battery assisted bike if you can. I got regular bike (3000yen/day) because it was the only available one left, but the 4000yen battery assisted one would be so much worth the upgrade.

3. That is because there are lots of elevations when going up to pass the bridges. I did a lot of cardio (running, hiking, at home workouts) but this is another level lol. Feel free to walk up your bike! Lots of people do this as well.

4. Get the local 名物 (specialty food). You will notice one island is famous for oranges, another lemon, etc. Imabari is famous for yakitori.

5. There are lots of vending machines along the way, stay hydrated!

6. Don’t worry to stop by a path that is a bit off track from the blue bike path. You will see interesting places and it’s worth to check out since you have come so far.

7. I stopped at the last stop, which is Imabari. You can drop it of by the JR Imabari station by 8pm.

8. If you would like to go back to Onomichi that day, the last bus (Fukuyama line) ends at 7.30. So make sure to plan your time accordingly.

9. In case you don’t, like I didn’t and missed the last bus, and all the hotels were fully booked, I recommend staying at a net cafe nearby (the one i went to is called Banbees). It’s a lot more affordable— about 1500-1700yen per night— and you can catch the early bus the next morning. because you can’t wait in the train station as it must be locked by 11.30pm, and reopens at 5am.

10. Also, please bring a bike pad or wear a padded shorts. This will save so much trouble afterwards.

Enjoy the enchanting views!

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The original was posted on /r/japantravel by /u/AutoModerator on 2025-04-25 00:01:02+00:00.

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Are you traveling to Japan this month? Want to hang out with other Redditors while you navigate the country? Then this is the thread for you!

Please post any and all meetup requests here. Be sure to include:

• Your basic itinerary
• Dates of travel and cities you're planning to visit
• Your age and gender identity
• Your home country (and any other languages you might speak)
• OPTIONAL: Share some of your hobbies or interests!

We have a Discord server you can use to coordinate meetups and other activities. You can join the official r/JapanTravel Discord here! There are also monthly meetup/planning channels, so react accordingly, and you can create threads for specific dates/locations if you so desire.

In the past, people have used LINE to coordinate and plan meetups.

NOTE: Please only post meetup requests for this month. If you are traveling in the future, please reserve all meetup requests for the thread that corresponds with the month of your first date of arrival in Japan. This thread is automatically posted 7 days before the start of the month.

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The original was posted on /r/japantravel by /u/jupiterFirst on 2025-04-23 18:59:51+00:00.

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Hey everyone! My partner and I are heading to Japan for the first time and I’ve been obsessively fine-tuning this itinerary. Would love any feedback on pacing, logistics, or if we’re missing anything major. No kids, kinda young (or at least still act like it), and we love food, culture, and a bit of nightlife. Trying to find that sweet spot between fun, vibes, and chill.

Tokyo

• Day 1: Flying in ✈️ → arrive in Tokyo → settle in → dinner in Ginza and rest
• Day 2: Shibuya Sky + explore Shibuya → Harajuku + Meiji Jingu Shrine → go-karting + dinner in Shibuya
• Day 3: Free morning → Sumo Tournament @ Ryogoku (1:15 PM) → izakaya crawl in Shinjuku + Golden Gai
• Day 4: Sanja Matsuri at Senso-ji Temple + Nakamise → Akihabara in the afternoon → free evening
• Day 5: Tsukiji Outer Market for sushi bites → free midday → teamLab Borderless (flexible entry) + dinner in Odaiba
• Day 6: Checkout, coffee or stroll → head to Hakone → walk to Hakone Shrine by Lake Ashi → dinner + onsen night

Hakone

• Day 7: Breakfast → Lake Ashi Pirate Ship → Ropeway to Owakudani → continue to Gora → Hakone Open-Air Museum → free evening
• Day 8: Morning soak + breakfast → travel to Kyoto → arrive and settle in → evening Gion walking tour + dinner

Kyoto / Osaka

• Day 9: Early morning at Fushimi Inari → Kiyomizu-dera → walk to Sanjusangendo → tea ceremony near Gion → dinner
• Day 10: Nara day trip (Todai-ji, Nara Park, Kasuga Taisha) → train to Osaka → Dotonbori street food + explore Namba/Shinsaibashi → light overnight in a capsule hotel or similar
• Day 11: Train back to Kyoto and drop bags → Philosopher’s Path walk + Honen-in and Eikando → free evening
• Day 12: Arashiyama Bamboo Grove (early morning) → knife shopping at Shigeharu → Nishiki Market + Kyoto Samurai & Ninja Museum → free time or final shopping
• Day 13: Final stroll or coffee → head to Tokyo/Narita via train → flight home at 5:00 PM

Open to any suggestions!

• We tried to group things by area to avoid too much crisscrossing.
• Debated skipping Tenryu-ji after hearing mixed reviews.
• Osaka is just for one night — we’re thinking capsule hotel, nothing fancy.
• We love great food, fun neighborhoods, quirky stuff, and a little nightlife.

Thanks in advance 🙏

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The original was posted on /r/japantravel by /u/sgy0003 on 2025-04-24 04:07:52+00:00.

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After 2 weeks in Korea, I decided to plan one more week in Japan. It was from 4/7 - 4/14.

This was not only my first time in Japan, but my first solo-travel as well. I went from 2 nights in Osaka, a day trip to Kyoto, then 1 night at Hakone, and 4 nights in Shinjuku.

And for the most part, it was a lot of fun! Aside from a few things I wish I did more research on, I really enjoyed my time in Japan, and made few notes to myself for my eventual, but definite, second visit.

What I loved:

• It was perfect timing for the cherry blossom! It was amazing! I got to enjoy a nice picnic at a park by a river near Sakuranomiya Station. I am in the Seattle area and the only cherry blossom that I know of is the one at UW, which not only the area super crowded at the time of the year, but it's really small. The picnic at the park was super nice, and I got to enjoy a nice, warm weather. While the blossoms began to die after I left Osaka, they were still found here and there and I enjoyed all of them
• The food! OMG the food was amazing. Okonomiyaki, Gyu-don, Ten-don, ramen, tsukemen, katsu curry, they were all amazing. The hakone ryokan I stayed at served homemade pastries for breakfast, and it was amazing.
• Hakone Onsen!!!!! Holy shit, I actually regret I only stayed one night. I wish I had stayed at least 2 nights, because dipping in a nice, relaxing, warm onsen water was heavenly. My ryokan had an outdoor onsen, and the night that I was there, a thunderstorm was happening. It was amazing to see lightning and thunder break as I relaxed in the onsen water.
• The politeness of people was amazing. I mean I heard that they were polite, but I didn't think they were this polite. I once lost a ticket during a Shinkansen ride, and couldn't find it on my way out. The staff were nice enough to let me through, telling me to be more careful next time. I felt super bad and was thankful at the same time
• Akihabara was like a mecca for pop culture, anime, videogames, etc. There were so many figures and cool legacy hardware that I haven't seen in ages
• Ochanomizu music street was bonkers! So many quality guitars, basses, and other musical instruments. I actually ended up picking up an elec. guitar myself!

Things I wish I had done, or had gone better

• A lot of places were closed, particularly around the Shibuya/Tokyo area. Imperial Palace, TEPIA Tech gallery, Samurai Museum, etc. I wish I had done a bit more thorough job when researching
• It rained a lot in Tokyo. This was something that was beyond my control. I feel the view from Tokyo Tower would've been a lot more better had it been sunny
• Most of my Airbnb reservations were for Osaka, and I wish I had scheduled more in Tokyo/Shibuya area. Because it definitely made Tokyo experience a lot less exciting. The city was fun at first, but the excitement only lasted about 1 - 2 days.
• In Kyoto, I did the kimono rental, and I wish I had asked for a lighter/cooler robes. The set that I got was really hot, and after I toured the bamboo forest I had sweated an entire bucket, and had to return it.
• At least two nights at Hakone! I didn't know what I was getting into when I made the reservation. I am definitely staying longer next time.

As I've said in the beginning of this post, I am definitely coming back. with more thorough planning next time.

EDIT:

For those of you asking, I stayed here in Hakone:

www.booking.com/hotel/jp/hakone-kowakien-miyamafurin.html

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The original was posted on /r/japantravel by /u/Known_University2787 on 2025-04-23 18:41:53+00:00.

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This is going to be incredibly long but I am mostly writing all of this up for myself to help me remember my trip. For anyone traveling to Japan that does not like to be overscheduled or is traveling with there 12 year old, maybe this will be helpful. Neither of us like to over plan anything and like to just go by feel with what we want to do. We picked a list of one or two options at most for each day and left the rest open for doing whatever we felt like.

Friday (4/4/2025) – Asakusa (4,908 steps since everyone else does this)

Our flight landed in the Haneda airport at around 4 PM. I was a little confused about how the platforms for the train system worked at first. Google maps had our train departing from platform 5/6 which was both sides which I found confusing at the time. I was tired so my brain wasn’t connecting the dots very well. A nice Japanese lady saw I looked confused and helped me out. This actually happened multiple times during the trip for me. Apparently confusion shows on my face as I was approached two other times on the trip and asked if I needed help finding something.  My daughter was pretty exhausted from all of the travel so we just checked into our hotel the Kanzashi Tokyo Asakusa and she didn’t go back out. The hotel is in a great location within easy walking distance to Senso-Ji. It isn’t extremely close to train stations but I liked how walkable it made everything else we were doing. I grabbed some food from, friend chicken and a container of mixed fruit, from the nearby Lawsons for my daughter and I got ramen to go from Ryuten a small little ramen shop close to the hotel. Inside while I waited for my food I talked with a nice lady with a cute dog, luckily her English was better than my Japanese. Honestly, all the Japanese I worked on completely dropped out of my head for this trip. I get super nervous and the harder I grabbed for it the further away it was. Sigh.

Saturday (4/5/2025) – Asakusa (12,051 steps)

Saturday morning we woke up and walked to the 7-11 to grab some cash from the ATM. This ends up being something I had to do way too often. I would grab 10,000 yen and think, this should cover me, but it never did. I needed way more cash than I thought I would for this trip. We stopped at a cute coffee shop called Feb’s Coffee and Scones across the street from the 7-11. I got a latte for me and a Sakura scone for the kiddo. The coffee was great and my daughter loved the scone. From there we walked to Senso-Ji and tried a bunch of random food. You could really feel how much busier it gets as the day goes on. By 11 AM it was a madhouse. I would say the favorite thing I tried was the melonpan. My kiddo tried the matcha ice cream, I took a lick of it and thought it tasted terrible. She really liked it though. It was starting to get really crowded and we had already been walking around for a couple of hours so we headed to Sumida Park along the river. I loved it there, its is a beautiful park and it’s a people watchers dream. There were tons of kimono photo shoots, wedding photo shoots and people everywhere. We sat at the outdoor chairs at Tully’s Coffee which was shaded by cherry trees in full bloom and just chilled for an hour. It was nice and calm after the huge pack of people from Senso-Ji temple and Nakamise street market. My daughter really wanted to try out a Japanese McDonalds so we went there for lunch. Gotta say, pretty much like any other McDonalds, which honestly was good for her. She was feeling a bit overloaded from all the people so a bit of normalcy worked out. On the way back we tried a crepe from Marion Crepes. We got the strawberry and vanilla ice cream with chocolate sauce which was pretty good. There were a bunch of street performers in this area as well which was really fun. The kiddo was feeling pretty tired from being out since the morning so we headed back to the hotel to chill until we went back out later.  We hung out the hotel for a bit and then headed out later that night for Wagyu. It was the one big splurge dinner I had planned for the trip. We went to Panga Asakusa which is a yakiniku restaurant on the 4th floor of a building that overlooks the river. It is a really cool atmosphere and the food was quite good. For what it is I think the price is quite fair but I would say for me in the end I am just not that fancy and I wouldn’t go back. I enjoyed the experience talking to the little old lady at the cheap ramen shop more. I just felt out of place in a fancy restaurant.

 Sunday (4/6/2025) – Asakusa (12,306 steps)

We started the day with a plan to go to Ueno park and the Tokyo National Museum but the kiddo wasn’t feeling up to it. I think it took her longer than me to get over the jet lag. Instead we decided to walk to Senso-Ji, get some coffee and then peruse all of the stores in the area. She really wanted to try Taiyaki which is a little fish shaped cake with a filling. She got the custard and I tried the red bean paste. She really liked the custard, the red bean paste was interesting, it is quite sweet but it has the texture of beans which threw me off quite a bit. I am so used to savory bean paste that I had a hard time not thinking it was all wrong. Not bad though but the custard was better. After that we looked around Nakamise but on a Sunday at noon it was super busy. Honestly for me it was fun to walk and look around but it reminded me of all the same tourist trap stuff we have back at home. Cheap trinkets and themed clothing which isn’t something I would buy. For dinner we went to Sushiro which is a chain conveyor belt sushi chain. It was tons of fun and the kiddo really enjoyed it. I know it’s a bit of a gimmick but it was really fun and I would recommend it for anyone with kids especially. My daughter is 12 and she loved being able to scroll through the menu, pick a random sushi and have it show up on the belt. After Sushiro we walked over to Tokyo Skytree and went up to the first deck (my daughter is scared of heights so this was a bid step for her). We purposefully went at night because she wanted to see it all lit up. It was pretty busy even at night but I liked getting to see the tower lit up and the view of the city at night is great. We didn’t really spend a lot of time up there though. Standing around looking at the same thing isn’t her jam so once we had been there for like 20 minutes she had seen all she wanted to see and we headed back down (I also think the height made her nervous). We did the Sumida River Walk to get to Sushiro and Skytree and back and that was great, if you are in the area its worth the walk.

Final Asakusa thoughts:

I loved Asakusa and I would say the two days we were there were the perfect amount of time. It is extremely touristy, which was fun for the start of the trip, but there is a lack of authenticity to it that feels like any other tourist trap area. If we had stayed in Asakusa I would want to start taking day trips out to other areas for new experiences. Senso-Ji is a must see but I would not go during peak hours. We went early in the morning and it was really nice, once the crowds hit though we spent more time fighting the crowds than enjoying Senso-Ji. It’s also great at night, for me even better than the day. There is almost no one around and it’s lit up very nicely. Going up to the top of Skytree for me was take it or leave it, the view from the outside lit up at night was enough and I think I would have rather spent more time walking around the city at night then waiting in long lines to see it from the top of Skytree.

 Monday – Asakusa to Osaka (6,989 steps)

 Monday was a travel day so I didn’t have a lot planned. We grabbed Mr. Donut at the train station, my daughter was bummed because in the pictures they had Pokemon themed donuts but when we arrived the only special donuts were matcha themed. We took the Shinkansen to Osaka which my daughter loved. I am very glad I watched videos on how the tickets work as it is a little confusing and different than how the Pasmo I had been using worked. We did paper tickets from the self-serve kiosks and did non reserved seating. The non-reserved car was much less full than the reserved car and we got a window seat on the Mt. Fuji side of the train. Unfortunately, it was too cloudy to see Mt. Fuji when we went by. We checked into the Henn Na Hotel Osaka, the one with the robot dinosaurs at checkout. My daughter had been super excited for this. She thought it was really cool, but she was a little bummed the hotel room itself was not dinosaur themed. We spent the little time left we had for the day looking at the clothing stores near our hotel. My daughter was in love with all of the street clothing. She wanted pizza for some random reason so we went to Pizza Catharsix Factory for dinner. It was really good but while we were there some (I assume tik tok) food influencers showed up to shoot a video. It was actually really entertaining to watch and the guy making pizza kept looking over at me embarrassed while the guy and girl made the video. The girl actually did a costume change for some reason halfway through. It was kind of like dinner and a show. After dinner we walked to Dotonbori which is an absolute mad house. It had the heaviest crowds of anywhere I have ever seen but unlike Kyoto later in the trip it seems more able to handle the volume of people. We tried a bunch of random street food,...

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The original was posted on /r/japantravel by /u/Apprehensive_Heat176 on 2025-04-22 16:18:18+00:00.

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I just came back from an epic trip to Japan. Here are my experiences and hope it helps others with their planning. I'm sure my routing wasn't as optimal as it could be as I doubled back a bit. On the other hand, I didn't want to schedule everything down to the last detail. I left enough wiggle room to explore openly. The only sites I booked in advance were TeamLab Borderless, Universal Japan and the train between Tokyo and Kyoto. We were really lucky and saw the sakura during the whole trip.

Klook Passes - I bought these tourists passes and made decent use of them. I do know that tourists passes aren't always the best deal especailly for transit when you have IC cards..

Klook Pass Greater Tokyo with 3 Attractions for $65 CAD per person - I booked Teamlab Borderless, Red Tokyo Tower and the 72 hour Tokyo Subway Ticket. The pass more than paid for itself as Teamlab is already $40 CAD per person. Most of the other options in this pass didn't interest me or were too far from where I was staying in Shinjuku. I wanted to book Shibuya Sky, but dates never lined up. I didn't see the point of the other observaton decks like Roppongi Hills, Tokyo Tower or Skytree as we did the free Tokyo Gov't Building and free-ish Asahi Sky Room. I thought about the 1-day ticket cable car and chair lift ticket to Mount Takao, but didn't end up going there.

Osaka Amazing Pass - I bought the 2 day pass for $42.25 CAD per person, which gave me unlimited rides on the Osaka Metro and a whole list of sites. I probably could have seen more sites with the pass though. The pass is a bit tricky to use because the pass is valid for exactly 2 days as soon as you activate it. So I had to activate it just before taking my first trip on the Osaka Metro.

Transit - The transit passes for Tokyo and Osaka were a bit inconvenient to use because we had to switch to the paper or e-tickets vs using our IC cards. The Osaka Amazing Pass requires an active internet connection because it shows a unique QR code every 50 seconds or so. I did not have any issues with internet while in the subway though. As the pass holder, I had to get my friend to go ahead of me while I scanned the first QR code at the ticket gate. Then I could scan the second QR code so I could go through the ticket gate. I made good use of the NaviTime app to pick the transit lines that took advantage of the passes and check my IC card balance. If I visit Japan again, I would forego the transit pass and just use an IC card as it's one less thing to fiddle with.

Internet - I travelled with a friend who has an older phone that did not support esims. He bought a roaming package through Freedom Mobile in Canada, but it did not work once we got to Tokyo. We went to BIC Camera to buy a SIM card (I think it was from Softbank), but it also did not work on his phone. The sales person was very helpful and used a translator device too.

I suspect his phone is still locked or is a 3G phone that could not connect to any network in Japan. Luckily, I brought a spare unlocked phone with me that accepted the SIM card and he used it as a wifi hot spot. I used a Saily esim for my phone and it worked quite well. I did experience a dead spot in a few places in Tokyo and Enoshima I think. We also made use of the Japan Auto Wifi Auto Connect app.

Battery Pack - My friend also did not buy a USB battery pack before the trip. This was easy to fix on the same trip to BIC Camera.

Luggage - I've haven't checked a bag in over 20 years. The last time I checked a bag, I had to make a tight connection. My bag didn't make it on the connecting flight because of a weather delay. So I had to wait a whole day for my bag to catch up. I was on a multi-city tour so that could have ended in disaster with my bag constantly playing catch up and being left without fresh clothes for the whole trip. Even if a checked bag makes it to the destination, you have to spend time waiting for it at the carousel on both ends.

My friend way over packed for the trip and didn't have a proper travel suit case. It looked like he used a soft shell hockey bag with wheels and a gym bag as a carry on. Not sure what he was carrying, but the gym bag felt heavier than my carry-on wheeled luggage that was already 18 pounds. He also had a draw string backpack and a small Pacsafe wallet to keep credit cards, cash, passport and phone. The Pacsafe wallet was jammed full with his wallet, envelope with cash and coins, my spare phone, his phone and the USB power bank. He could have easily put my phone and power bank in the drawstring bag. IMO, drawstring bags are useless for travel because you can't lock them and are uncomfortable to wear because there's no padding.

Our hotels helped us ship our main luggage from Tokyo to Osaka, but he did not use it effectively. For some reason, he chose not to put his extra stuff in his main luggage before shipping it to Osaka. So his carry on gym bag still weighed more than my piece of wheeled luggage. If you must carry so much stuff to Japan, at least ship it between cities so you don't have to carry it all day long. I brought a 12 oz stainless steel water bottle with me, but got tired of the extra weight of the bottle plus water. So I just left it in my wheeled luggage after the first few days and shipped it to Osaka. I then bought a drink from a vending machine and re-filled it with water along the way or from a big jug of juice that I bought from 7-11 for 120 JPY.

Since his shoulder bag was so heavy, we had to seek out lockers. By the time we got to Kyoto station, all lockers were full. So we had to wait until we got to the Kyoto Railway Museum, which had plenty of lockers.

Cash - There's no need to carry large amounts of cash around since ATM's are plentiful and credit cards are accepted fairly widely. I know that IC cards can only be topped up with cash though. My friend actually carried his cash and coins around in a bank envelope. That envelope was almost ready to tear open by the end of the trip. I'm shocked that he didn't drop anything.

I know there are currency converter kiosks and counters around Japan, but I advised him not to use them as the rates would be terrible. He almost made the stupid mistake of using his credit card and paying in CAD while at Donki. The number one rule of getting cash or using credit cards while travelling is always pay in the local currency. Luckily, I stopped him before he made a that mistake. He also seemed dead set on converting the Canadian cash he had on hand to JPY. I told him to keep his CAD cash and withdraw JPY only when he needed it or use credit cards. Converting back and forth is another way to get hit with fees especailly when dealing with CAD.

Train Tickets - I know that many people prefer to buy tickets at the machine on the days before or day of travel because their card doesn't work on Smart EX. I prefer the peace of mind of having the tickets on me and not having to deal with lines. Besides, I had a good idea of my itinerary so buying in advance made sense to me and I splurged a bit on green car seats. My TD Visa card worked without issues on Smart EX from Canada. When we got to Kyoto station, I saw that the lines for the ticket machines were insanely long. This was before Golden Week so I'm sure it would be even worse during that time.

Itinerary

Apr 5 - Departed Toronto on Korean Air 74 to Incheon. I splurged on a business class seat and the service was excellent. This was my first time flying business, but it was easy to justify for a 15 hour flight. The flight was on a Boeing 777 and had the new Korean Air (and IMO boring) livery. The plane was in the Apex suite 2-2-2 config. I had a window seat, which has a lot more privacy than the aisle seat.

Korean uses the KLM Lounge at Pearson terminal 3, which was mediocre at best. At least, it was quiet in there. Security at Pearson was a breeze to get through.

The meals and flat bed were a highlight of the flight as was the service. I basically had instantaneous service as soon as I pushed the call button. The lavs were seldom occupied during my flight. The one time the lav was occupied, the FA let me uses the first class one.

Apr 6 - Arrived in Incheon. Customs was busy, but moved through smoothly. I had about 4 hours until my connection to Haneda. Korean Air's Presige lounge was really busy when I arrived. I didn't have any food as I was still full from the in-flight food. I wanted to take a shower, but had to wait over an hour.

Departed Incheon at 2030 for a 2.5 hour flight to Haneda. The flight was on an A330, but did not have the Apex suite configuratiion. The seats were in a 2-2-2 config and had a small partition between them. The seats had an insane amount of leg room, but I did not need to recline to a flat bed for such a short flight. I thought the service and food was not as good as the long haul flight. Then again, it makes sense as the FA's don't have nearly enough time to setup the tray table, table cloths, serve multiple wine options, etc.

Arrived at Haneda at 2300. The customs area was really busy. I think it took me over an hour to get through the line. I got twice unlucky because the...

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The original was posted on /r/japantravel by /u/sgy0003 on 2025-04-22 16:17:45+00:00.

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After 2 weeks in Korea, I decided to plan one more week in Japan. It was from 4/7 - 4/14.

This was not only my first time in Japan, but my first solo-travel as well. I went from 2 nights in Osaka, 1 night at Hakone, and 4 nights in Shinjuku.

And for the most part, it was a lot of fun! Aside from a few things I wish I did more research on, I really enjoyed my time in Japan, and made few notes to myself for my eventual, but definite, second visit.

What I loved:

• It was perfect timing for the cherry blossom! It was amazing! I got to enjoy a nice picnic at a park by a river near Sakuranomiya Station. I am in the Seattle area and the only cherry blossom that I know of is the one at UW, which not only the area super crowded at the time of the year, but it's really small. The picnic at the park was super nice, and I got to enjoy a nice, warm weather. While the blossoms began to die after I left Osaka, they were still found here and there and I enjoyed all of them
• The food! OMG the food was amazing. Okonomiyaki, Gyu-don, Ten-don, ramen, tsukemen, katsu curry, they were all amazing. The hakone ryokan I stayed at served homemade pastries for breakfast, and it was amazing.
• Hakone Onsen!!!!! Holy shit, I actually regret I only stayed one night. I wish I had stayed at least 2 nights, because dipping in a nice, relaxing, warm onsen water was heavenly. My ryokan had an outdoor onsen, and the night that I was there, a thunderstorm was happening. It was amazing to see lightning and thunder break as I relaxed in the onsen water.
• The politeness of people was amazing. I mean I heard that they were polite, but I didn't think they were this polite. I once lost a ticket during a Shinkansen ride, and couldn't find it on my way out. The staff were nice enough to let me through, telling me to be more careful next time. I felt super bad and was thankful at the same time
• Akihabara was like a mecca for pop culture, anime, videogames, etc. There were so many figures and cool legacy hardware that I haven't seen in ages
• Ochanomizu music street was bonkers! So many quality guitars, basses, and other musical instruments. I actually ended up picking up an elec. guitar myself!

Things I wish I had done, or had gone better

• A lot of places were closed, particularly around the Shibuya/Tokyo area. Imperial Palace, TEPIA Tech gallery, Samurai Museum, etc. I wish I had done a bit more thorough job when researching
• It rained a lot in Tokyo. This was something that was beyond my control. I feel the view from Tokyo Tower would've been a lot more better had it been sunny
• Most of my Airbnb reservations were for Osaka, and I wish I had scheduled more in Tokyo/Shibuya area. Because it definitely made Tokyo experience a lot less exciting. The city was fun at first, but the excitement only lasted about 1 - 2 days.
• In Kyoto, I did the kimono rental, and I wish I had asked for a lighter/cooler robes. The set that I got was really hot, and after I toured the bamboo forest I had sweated an entire bucket, and had to return it.
• At least two nights at Hakone! I didn't know what I was getting into when I made the reservation. I am definitely staying longer next time.

As I've said in the beginning of this post, I am definitely coming back. with more thorough planning next time

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The original was posted on /r/japantravel by /u/redditCT on 2025-04-20 08:20:35+00:00.

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I just spent 30 days in Kyushu and it’s now my favorite place in The world! For the first 16 days, I stayed at PlusOne Nishikoen. Then Beppu in a gorgeous Airbnb for a week, and Hotel Prezio by Hakata station for 5 days.

I got a 5 day a full Kyushu JR pass and did a 5 day rally. Mojiko, Nagasaki, Kitakyushu, Kumamoto, Kagoshima. It was worth it to me, as I could book as many seats as I wanted. (The other passes limited how many seats you could book) I also visited Mount Aso, Takachiho Gorge, Dazaifu, Kurume, Arita, and Okawachiyama Village, and Itoshima.

Pro Tip: Look into JapanTransit (the app) to find day passes for certain cities as well!

I’m started a day by day blog as well to share and relive my trip!

My favorite highlights with captions in pics.

THE START: I decided to start a blog for each day of my one month trip to Japan so I could share the most memorable trip of my life. Kyushu is my new favorite place in the world. Some backstory - I first worked in Japan in 2014 and fell in love with the country. I was one of the stage managers on the tour of War Horse. We performed at the Shibuya Hikarie in the Theatre Orb. Spending a month in Tokyo was unlike anything I'd ever experienced! The food, the people, the cleanliness. I never stopped thinking about going back. Since then, I went back in April 2018 (Tokyo, Kyoto, Nara, Hakone, Kamakura - with my then gf, now wife) and August 2023 (Hiroshima, Miyajima, Osaka, Tokyo - with my wife). Cut to 2024. I quit my job after burning out and decided it was time to go back Japan. I originally wanted to go to Kyushu and Sapporo, but then decided on just Kyushu. I planned 2 weeks, but my wife wanted to get home early for Passover. She suggested I fly to Japan earlier, so I booked a flight for what I thought was 7 days earlier from when she would arrive. When I added it to my calendar, I realized I would have 16 days alone before my wife joined! JaPlan started and thus started a massive Google Sheets document and 800 tabs of research. Here's some helpful information below!

FLIGHTS: I booked our flights through Delta since I have status and a Delta Reserve card. JFK -> ICN -> FUK FUK -> ICN -> JFK After working in Seoul for 3 months in 2021, I was hoping for more exciting things in the Incheon airport like an Olive Young, or KyoChon branch. Alas, it was mostly expensive Duty Free shops, so I used my Delta status and Priority Pass to lounge hop instead. Round Trip Total ppx: $1,580

HOUSING: Stay 1: I used my Delta card to get a $200 Delta Stays credit for my apartment in Fukuoka. A Basic Triple Room Studio with a loft in the Tojinmachi neighborhood called Plus One Nishikoen. I emailed them to ask for a quiet room, as I wanted to record voice over auditions. They happily emailed back and said they would assign me the top floor. The bus was a pain to get into the city (they were never on time), but it was nice being in a quieter neighborhood across from a temple. It was also nice having a fridge and kitchen! 16 Night Total: $517 ~$32/night ($695 - $200 Delta credit + ¥200/night city tax fee. I accidentally paid an extra day of the city fee.)

Stay 2: We did an Airbnb in Beppu, ShikiVilla Tatami and Modern Room - Issen, that was BEAUTIFUL and spacious. And it had an onsen on the first floor! 6 Night Total: $385 ~$64/night

Stay 3: The Shizutetsu Hotel Prezio Hakataekimae in Fukuoka was so so so tiny… but a quick walk to Hakata station which was nice. It was also a bit loud as it was directly above the train tracks. It was not too bad on the highest floor, and we used our iPhone "Background Sounds" feature to have "dark noise" to fall asleep to at night. 6 Night Total: $295 ~$49/night ($495 - $200 Delta credit)

PHONE/DATA: Ubigi 60GB "Unlimited" data. I've used Ubigi in Japan, London, and Costa Rica on my iPhone 13 (with T-Mobile). I got 60gb full speed and then they throttled it down to 1Mbps after. It got me through my whole trip! It definitely got slow after the throttle though. Pro Tip: EW7PJDBN to get 20% off your first purchase. I also suggest getting Google Voice! I was able to call places in Japan for 2-4¢/minute for reservations and my super when I thought I lost my apt key.

JAPANESE LANGUAGE: You’ll be alright with google translate. But learn the basics. Hello. Thank you. Excuse me. It’s alright. Sorry. Yes. Konnichiwa. Arigato. Sumimasen. Daijobu. Gomenasai. Hai. こんにちは、ありがとう、すみません、大丈夫、ごめんなさい、はい。

Learning hirigana and katakana is INSANELY useful. Get a notebook and start writing each character for a page (and say it out loud as you write it). This’ll help you read signs and make your life so so so much easier. If you’re a foodie, learn some basic kanji characters like “beef, fish, pork, chicken, horse” it’ll help with restaurants and menus. If you go to a lot of conbinis (7-11, family mart, Lawson) and they say “fukuro” 袋, they’re asking if you need a plastic bag. If you don’t need one, you can say daijobu 大丈夫.

CLOTHES & SHOPPING: Don’t worry about clothes. I went to Uniqlo and GU and they had XL sizes and a great selection. I also got a windbreaker that rolls up into a tiny umbrella sized pouch. 10/10.

The yen seems to be going up. Fill your pasmo/suica now. If you need glasses or you’re not sure if you need glasses, check out Jins or Owndays. I got 2 pairs of glasses in Japan and they were so cheap!! I did get one nice pair with progressive lenses. But that takes 10 days. So make sure you check your schedule. I also regret not getting things when I saw them. I figured I would have time to buy them at the end of the trip, but I wish I bought them in the moment.

Make sure you bring your passport with you at all times. And also check if you can qualify for Tax Free purchases! (You won't be able to use the product in Japan if you do Tax Free though.)

TRANSPORTATION: You can get a pasmo or suica card. My wife and I had one and the other for Kyushu and Tokyo/Hiroshima/Osaka on a previous trip and it both worked for trains and conbinis (IC payment).

I highly recommend renting a car for outside of Fukuoka. We had a car for Beppu and it was great to create our own timeline and go anywhere. Get the ETC toll pass. We rented through Priceline and it was very easy. I will say, driving with 2 people is much nicer than driving alone (For directions, fatigue, etc.) Get your international Drivers License from AAA. It was super easy and took us 20 minutes!

You can also rent bikes! I did Chari Chari until I heard about LUUP. They have 3 hour passes. Just be careful. Taking a fall on one of those will scrape you up….. they’re heavy. I loved biking around the city! Even did it in the rain.

TLDR: Have fun, explore the parks and cities, and eat all the food.

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The original was posted on /r/japantravel by /u/stainbas on 2025-04-20 00:15:36+00:00.

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tl;dr: by sacrificing some "Instagrammable" spots you can stay sane and still see cool stuff; in Kyoto, consider staying in Fushimi Inari to get the most out of it:; Hiroshima was worth it.

I am paying it forward by writing a trip report since I learned a lot from this subreddit. Biographical details in the header (I am mom). Exact dates were April 11 to April 20.

Tokyo (4 nights): Flew into Narita and got into town via he Skyliner, which was very easy as we were staying near Ueno. We got welcome Suica cards, but if the line is long just consider paying the deposit for regular IC cards. I lost mine during the trip and found the Japanese IC card was more reliable at vending machines.

We stayed im a residential area between Ueno and Akihabara. I chose it because I figured the boys would love Akihabara. Turned out they did not. But Ueno was fantastic, including the park. Sakura were past peak but still abundant. Day 1 we did the fish market first thing in the morning, Asakusa, and Skytree. We walked from Asakusa to Skytree and it was great -;the park by the river was a highlight. Heights don't normally do much for me, but I appreciated Skytree. The boys also loved the mall there. We used the basement food court to get takeout shi and it was awesome. We passed out at 3 and never made it out to dinner.

Day 2 was Shibuya and Harakuju. This was our toughest day because it was raining all day and a Sunday so everyone was out and about. We were underwhelmed with both places (Harakuju was a zoo, even on side streets), but the weather probably didn't help. My 14 yo and I went to Akihabara that night. He was troubled by all the women advertising bars. Not our thing.

Day 3 was Disney Sea (Monday). We are big Disney fans so wanted to experience the Japanese take. Got there 1 hour before rope drop. By sacrificing any opportunity to do the frozen ride, taking advantage of single rider, and paying for a couple of priority passes, we managed to finish up by 3 or 4. We really enjoyed Disney Sea and while it was definitely Japanese, it was nice to be in an environment we were familiar with for a day.

Day 4: went to Koto to see the Gundam statue (I recommend) before taking the train to Kyoto. For those stressing about "oversized bags" like we did, we had one medium suitcase that was larger than a carryon but not gigantic. This fit fine in the overhead compartment. We paid for the green car but for the rest of the trip used the ordinary reserved car. We bought all tickets the night before or the same day using the SmartEX App and had no problems.

In Kyoto (3 nights), we rented a small house in the Fushimi Inari area, on the advice of Travel Caffeine This was possibly the best strategic decision we made the whole trip. We could visit the shrine early in the morning and late at night. We were close to the main line train station so could get to all the other places fine, and there were plenty of places to eat. When we talked with other westerners we ran into, they were not enjoying Kyoto because of the neverending crowds. We definitely saw crowds but did not have that same experience of feeling swarmed. We also decided to forego the Arashiyama forest and just focus on the east side of Kyoto, which was fine because Inari mountain has a beautiful grove. We hit the temples you're "supposed" to hit, but also went to Kennin-ji, which was a highlight. Nanin-ji's aquaduct was also super cool, and the Philosophers path was surprisingly now crowded.

Our Hiroshima stop was a happy accident - I had miscounted the days and realized we had a gap in our accommodations for one night. When I discovered that a week before or trip, our 16 yo asked to go to Hiroshima, so that's what I booked. It was a powerful experience. One night was sufficient, but that is because we chose not to do the island (again, sacrifices). We got the morning train back to Tokyo for one night and leave this afternoon. For this night we stayed in the onsen ryokan in Asakusa and it has been wonderful. We also appreciated the vibrant night vibe here.

That's about it. I hope this helps others.

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The original was posted on /r/japantravel by /u/corruptedcircle on 2025-04-19 07:21:59+00:00.

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Did minimum planning beforehand (parents didn't want a concrete plan in case they need more rest), ended up checking this sub quite often to come up with ideas so figured I'll try to offer a little in return. Not much worth copying but might give people some ideas.

Parents are getting up there in age so this trip was meant to be more relaxing and slow-paced...But I'm unfit af so I was slowly dying by day 3 anyway lol oop. Steps recorded by an iPhone 10. Would recommend trying to fit in more bus transfers if you want to walk less.

0403 Arrival, Ueno Sakura at night Arrived at Narita at 3pm, met up with parents at about 5pm. Rushed to Ueno for sakura viewing at night because the night lights are only around till Apr 6 and we didn't know how much sakura flowers are left. It was lightly raining so it wasn't too crowded. Had dinner in Ameya yokocho, was crowded but didn't have to wait for seating. That seems to be the case for most places we ended up going--even though it'd be so crowded there's almost no space to walk, entry to restaurants or places that require an entrance fee are still aplenty. Steps: 13366

0404 Mount Fuji viewing tour This was one of the two things we booked beforehand, a one-day bus tour taking us to view Mount Fuji. It would have taken us up the mountain too but the roads were closed and the cable cars were too crowded (guess they can't book tickets beforehand for groups?). Boat trip in Kawaguchi-ko was still pretty nice, top of Mount Fuji still had snow on it while the bottom was blue which was THE perfect view of the mountain. Also took us to Asama (Sengen) jinja and Oshino Hakkai. Steps: 14261

0405 Ueno Tokyo National Museum Slower day to rest up, dad spent the day mostly in the hotel. Had a Japanese full-course lunch that took a while, and then decided to go back to Ueno because I wanted to visit the Tokyo National Museum. Spent maybe 3-4 hours in there? Also saw the sakura trees at Ueno Park again both in the daytime and at night, but it was a sunny day on a weekend so scarily crowded. Steps: 20083

0406 Shinjuku Gyoen Entered from the south to start with the sakura trees which were mostly full blossom still. Circled the park a bit and then walked back to Shinjiku for a late lunch, then checked out the department stores near Shinjiku station's South Exit which was further from the place we were staying. Steps: 13808

0407 Meiji Jingu, Harajuku Entered from Yoyogi side and walked across Meiji Jingu. Rested at a coffee shop for a bit after getting to Harajuku, then dad went back early and I walked around Harajuku and Omotesando with my mom. Spend a lot of time in Laforet because it's nostalgic for my mom and she also enjoyed checking out the current loli/goth fashion stuff, neither of us were really ever going to buy anything but still noticed that sizing is very limited. Also walked along a street nicknamed Cat Street and Takeshita dori. Steps: 17545

0408 Asakusa, Sumida gawa Walked from the outer Kaminarimon towards the temple, ate lunch somewhere near Nakamise-dori. Decided this was the day we tried out Kimono rental, takes like an hour to get hair and clothing done for women. Strolled around Senso-ji in kimonos, couldn't really walk fast anyway because I'm not really steady on my feet and found it difficult to walk in those slippers. After returning the rentals, we slowly walked alongside the Sumida river to the decking area for the second thing we actually booked--dinner on a yakatabune (the flat top boats with red lights hanging across) as it sailed along the river from Asakusa to the rainbow bridge and back. Steps: 13195

0409 Roppongi Mori Museum, Azabudai Another rest day for the dad and slow day in general, decided to go to Roppongi because I really wanted to fit in an art museum. Went with the Mori Museum because I saw it was a small viewing window to see Tokyo from up top, and I didn't want to pay another entry fee for just a sky view. Unfortunately I didn't really enjoy the exhibition that was on, although the atmosphere was still pretty good. I have fonder memories of the National Art Center though, and I think I'll choose to revisit that next time and just pay for a proper sky view. Walked towards Azabudai and somehow randomly met my grandma's family friend who was out with their family to buy a suit for their son, lol. Steps: 12111

0410 Kawagoe For once properly consulted the local tourist center and they recommended we take a bus towards Hikawa jinja and walk back towards the station. The river behind the temple had the best view of my entire trip--sakura petals covering the entire river while the trees above were still mostly covered in flowers. Then went to Honmaru Goten (skipped the museum and art museum after considering the time), I'm not really a history person but walking in an old Japanese style castle building was still fun. Then we circled back towards Kashiya Yokocho, which was not all that interesting if you're like me and not really into Japanese sweets. In comparison, the old buildings on Ichibancho were much more fun to look at, including the Toki no Kane of course. We continued on to a street named Taisho romantic dream street with Taisho era buildings, then parents continued in that direction back to the station while I went towards Hoshinoyama Mugenjuji Kitain, which was another old castle to walk around and I would recommend this over Honmaru Goten if you wanted to pick just one since it had more old artifacts laying around and included Tokugawa Iemitsu's birth room as well as a small labyrinth consisting of 540 Buddha statues. Senba Toshogu and Hiejinja are also nearby. Lastly went to Kawagoe Hachimangu which I can't say was all that different from all the other temples (sorry xd) but it said it specialized in foot and back health so I got some omamoris for the parents. Steps: 22189

0411 Shibuya Slow day, started the day late and only went to Shibuya. Visited Scramble Square, PARCO and 109. PARCO had a Nintendo, Pokemon store, Capcom and JUMP store which was all CROWDED (especially the Pokemon store!) but I joined the crowd anyway because how could I not. Mom enjoyed 109 because it had vibes she remembered more. Steps: 14804

0412 Tsukiji, Ginza Still tired, dad wanted oysters at Tsukiji so we decided that's all we'd do. Apparently the inner market moved to Toyosu, but the outer market remained as a tourist attraction and was still crowded. Then we walked towards the Kabuki-za in Ginza, but by the time we got there dad was tired so we took the train back to our hotel. At night my mom and I walked around Shinjiku and spent a lot of time at a drug store buying stuff to take home. Steps: 13193

0413 Shinjiku Actually started dying by this day so started the day even later, only walked around Shinjiku and checked out a couple more department stores. Found a lot of secondhand stores selling brand stuff but didn't have any good finds after comparing online prices. It was also a Sunday and weekends are terrifying when it comes to crowds. Steps: 8329

0414 Daiba I had strong memories of Daiba and really wanted to revisit. Mostly spent time in the department store buildings including DECKS, Aqua City and Diver City. Had lunch in the takoyaki "museum" (just an area with like 6 takoyaki places lol) in DECKS. Also really wanted to go into Joypolis since I had childhood memories of the place but didn't want to do the full thing, so I went for the evening admission that included 2 ride, while 60 years and older entered for free so my parents just went in with that lol. If you go with the evening ticket remember that most attractions close way before 7pm closing time so definitely hurry. Steps: 18996

0415 Ikebukuro Solo trip out for anime stuff. First went to a card store that had a Pokemon TCG tournament going, spent a bit more than an hour just checking out cards and observing the tournament from afar. Then went to K-books which had several buildings for different genres. Sunshine city was next, which had a Pokemon store that had mostly the same stuff as the Shibuya one but was much less crowded. I have childhood memories of Namja Town so I had to go in, but I didn't dare try out the attractions with my very limited Japanese (my mom who spoke Japanese guided us around when we went as kids). It was much less crowded than I remembered so there were a lot of great photo spots, but half the attractions I remember were gone and replaced by anime corners. Then went to Lashinbang which sold secondhand anime stuff, and also found several other secondhand/doujin stores I can't remember the names of along the way. Ended with Animate which was rather boring in comparison, lol. Steps: 11747

0416 Kamakura Decided on Kamakura the night before and just went for it. Found the Enoshima-Kamakura Freepass which was easy to book and included one round-trip on the Odakyu lines to Fujisawa, and unlimited rides on the Enoden (Fujisawa to Kamakura) and between Fujisawa to Katase-Enoshima. Started from Tsurugaoka Hachimangu and ate lunch at Komachi Dori. Spent way too much time just strolling around until we realized it was nearing closing time for temples and we rushed towards Kōtoku-in for the Great Buddha statue and arrived 10 minutes before closing time. I wanted to fit in Enoshima but there wasn't enough time and I really didn't have the strength left for it anyway, so we only went to th...

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The original was posted on /r/japantravel by /u/venividivici_1 on 2025-04-17 21:15:21+00:00.

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Hi all, so in planning and preparation I used this forum extensively, therefore felt I had to pay it forward with my review, thoughts, and information.

One thing I will say, is that in my planning I struggled asking questions INTO this forum with kids mentioned. For some reason the autobot cancelled my posts constantly so I really hope this is useful for those with and without kids.

Some basic useful bits of info from our trip but feel free to ask if anything specific:

• Family trip of four, with two kids aged 9 and 4 travelling from UK to Haneda for around 12 full days in Japan, starting in Tokyo (Ueno), going to Kyoto, then Osaka, then back o a different area of Tokyo (Shinjuku)
• Jet lag lasts a few days, so would advise factoring that into your plans the first few days. Maybe have less things BOOKED that you HAVE to attend and instead more unbooked events so you can be flexible
• Comfortable footwear is no joke. A lot of folks were wearing Hoka’s and I tried them and definitely worth a recommendation, however we went with New Balance with the Foam Cushions and would definitely recommend. Super comfortable but even these couldn’t save aching feet/legs by end of the day!
• Wife is a vegetarian, this proved difficult, more so than my fussy kids. If you are going to solely Vegetarian/Vegan restaurants, then it’s fine (Happy Cow App). But if you want a mixed bag, it’s a struggle. Few recommendations in my notes below but really you need to plan ahead. don’t go around expecting to find somewhere that offers both veggie and non-veggie, first week we had late dinners as we couldn’t find much to cater for both
• Hotel chains: we stayed at Mimaru throughout and I would really recommend them. Most super close to a a station, but also something minor that I found as an added bonus was knowing how things work each and every time we arrived at a new Mimaru (stayed in 4 of them). Didn’t need to understand the room layout, the safe, the laundry process, was the same in each. Really just makes things that little bit easier, dump your bags and crack on with little “oh I need to understand this quickly” type of thing. Staff were super friendly and attentive. It is true though, stay near a station, makes life much easier
• Mimaru also has kitchen areas, meaning if travelling with kids you can make them a quick breakfast (Eggs/Toast) without much hassle as you pick up from 7/11 or Lawsons
• Train stations are a bit complicated and mainly because they are massive. Factor this into your trip planning as when Google Maps says “7min walk” - bearing in mind you are checking, rechecking routes, station names, platforms etc and not sure which direction to walk in, it will add time
• Get your Suica added on Apple iPhone as others have pointed out, so much easier
• Pre book Smart Ex trains for Shinkansen. Make sure you have your Login IDs recorded as you need to re-login before you travel to get your QR code for the ticket barriers. Also prepare yourself that Shinkansen train stations/areas are super busy, plan with enough time. If you have a train in 5mins and find yourself queuing for the barriers… well that’s poor planning. Don’t assume “well japan is efficient so it must be quick” if you are travelling in busy periods
• Tokyo Skytree was so packed it was probably not worth it in the end, not enjoyable really
• Klook - use to book event type things but not trains. We used it for Ninja Experience Cafe in Asakusa, Umeda Sky Building and USJ
• TeamLabs Borderless was great fun and brilliant photos to have as memories but quite the sensory overload for kids. They were shattered after less than 2 hours in there, so again, plan that in if travelling with younger ones
• Kyoto - Bamboo Forest would advise getting there before 1030am, otherwise gets jam packed. The Monkey Park is a long old walk uphill, tiring for all of us not just the kids. We did about 25,000 steps that day, meaning my little 4 year old must have done nearly double that!
• Kyoto Railway Museum was super fun for the little ones, but trying to pull them out to LEAVE was a bigger issue and involved tantrums
• Overall, we had around 1-2 activities as must have in the days and then some others we would have liked to do, but when travelling with kids I don’t think you can Jam Pack the itinerary like I see many do on posts. You wont see all of Japan so don’t try
• Taxis are a bit pricier in Tokyo but sometimes it’s totally worth doing in any of the cities. A lot of places are 10-15 min drives compared to 30-45min trains. Don’t be scared of doing the odd taxi to make life easier, again especially worth if travelling with kids
• Hakone we booked a private tour through Klook, just made things easier than a full long day, could kind of run to our own itinerary and leave early if we wanted to, might be an option to consider if you want more flexibility in your travel. Meant we could come back earlier and head to Shibuya
• Even if you don’t want do, you will end up picking the odd thing up throughout the trip so factor that into your packing and suitcases
• Didn’t use luggage forwarding much, only from Kyoto to Osaka and we didn’t travel on Shinkansen between those locations so was quite easy with little cases. But you cannot use Suica, you need to pay an additional amount. There’s green ticket machines at Kyoto station, but its much cheaper than Shinkansen and maybe 25mins longer so worth doing I think
• USJ - I didn’t want to spend two full days of theme parks on this trip so we picked USJ over Disney/Disney Sea and no regrets. Was great fun, got to the pack a little after 8am via Taxi to save time and spent the day there with Express Pass and Access all booked through Klook. They are strict on time so would ensure you plan accordingly. We hit the Minions area first with no queue jumps, was early enough so manageable. Then Harry Potter area, then Jurassic Park with Express 7 so we could get on a couple of rides there. Lunch (brought home made cheese rolls which were a lifesaver as queues for most things), then Nintendo World to finish from 4pm. I would say that saving Nintendo World til the end was great as it really did save the best til last. If you hit Nintendo first thing, everything else may seem a bit of a downgrade

Food options we enjoyed (not all Japanese but sometimes you need to get a pizza for the kids).

Tokyo: * Sushiro * Kakeomi Gyoza (Shinjuku) * Junisoh (@ the Hilton) * Pizza & Bar Nohga (Akhiabara)

Kyoto: * Menbaka Fire Ramen - totally tourist focused and it’s brilliant, probably best dinner of the trip not just good food but the ambience and setting etc, just super fun

Osaka: * Gyozah!

Hakone: * La Terrazza (probably the best pizza I’ve ever eaten!)

Hope that helps but feel free to ask anything specific.

Overall, the absolute best trip!

This is an automated archive made by the Lemmit Bot.

The original was posted on /r/japantravel by /u/gladly-beyond on 2025-04-18 08:00:43+00:00.

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Hello Japan Travel! Currently on day 5 of my first trip in Japan with my partner. Today was our first full day in Kyoto, and months ago we got tickets for the Miyako Odori geisha and maiko performance. We saw the performance this afternoon and it was incredible. The dancers and musicians are extremely talented, and we rented small headsets which played English audio describing the history of the Mikayo Odori, and the story behind each dance.

Despite having a wonderful time, I have to vent about the lack of etiquette displayed by the tourists attending the show. There was a 50/50 mix of Japanese locals and tourists at the performance. Prior to the performance starting, workers walked around with clear signage (displayed in Japanese, English, and symbols/photos) to put away and silence phones, not to talk, etc. Before and during the performance, I witnessed the following:

• Seconds before the show started, lots of tourists were arriving and quickly being ushered to their seats by staff. I could not imagine running late to such a formal performance.
• Also seconds before the show started, multiple tourists were standing up to have their photo taken in front of the stage. Staff had to order them back to their seats.
• Moments before the show began, a woman was scrolling on her phone, and staff went over with their sign and quite literally shoved it in her face to tell her to put her phone away. She didn't make eye contact, shrugged, and continued scrolling on her phone. Staff awkwardly stood there watching her until she sheepishly put it away.
• My largest gripe: during the performance, the entire row behind me consisted of loud tourists who laughed and talked almost the whole time. It was very distracting. An older Japanese man was seated next to me and turned around to shush them, which they ignored. I was very close to turning around and telling them to be quiet, but the performance ended before I did (it lasted 1 hour total). I regret not saying something. I wish staff would have come by to tell them to be quiet / kick them out during the show.

This is a bit of a rant, but I am blown away by the behavior of grown adults being disrespectful while attending such an amazing show. Regardless, I would highly recommend seeing it! I think tickets are likely sold out for this year, but it is an annual performance each April in Kyoto.

This is an automated archive made by the Lemmit Bot.

The original was posted on /r/japantravel by /u/Suitable-Television9 on 2025-04-14 01:58:32+00:00.

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Me (33M) and wife (32F) traveled to Central Japan from 25/3 - 5/4. This is our second time visiting Japan, the first one being in Kansai region (Osaka/Kyoto/Nara) in spring 2024 (you can read that trip report here)

DAY 1 - INUYAMA >> NAKATSUGAWA

• Touched down at Chubu Centrair International Airport at 7.30am.
• Took the airport train to Nagoya Station and stored our luggage in coin lockers. Then, we headed to Inuyama Station.
• Walked and explored around Honmachi-dori, the main street that leads to Inuyama Castle. There were not a lot of people, and not many shops were opened yet as it was still very early.
• Visited Sanko Inari Shrine. Bought a Goshuincho and got my very first Goshuin.
• Explored Inuyama Castle. The view from the top of the castle was amazing!
• Left the castle and went back to Honmachi-dori. Many shops were already opened. We had an interesting tofu-themed meal at 本町茶寮.
• Walked to Daishoji and explored the temple grounds. From there, headed towards Inuyamayuen Station and took the train back to Nagoya Station.
• Retrieved our luggage and took the JR Shinano bound for Nakatsugawa.
• Reached Nakatsugawa Station and checked-in our hotel. Took a few hours nap, as we didn't have a proper sleep throughout our overnight flight.
• Woke up feeling much rested. Had a wonderful obanzai dinner at 笑処 あいろ.

Step count: 17,560 steps

DAY 2 - NAKASENDO WALK (OCHIAI , MAGOME , TSUMAGO)

• Woke up at 5am on my own and went for a morning walk, exploring Nakatsugawa Town.
• Came back to the hotel at 8am and wife was up and ready. Took a bus to Ochiai and started our Nakasendo hike from Ochiai-juku.
• After 1h30m, we reached Magome-juku. What a beautiful post-town! We couldn't stop taking pictures!
• Explored around a bit and bought some coffee and sandwich for snacking. Then, we departed for Tsumago-juku.
• Really lovely countryside vibes along the way. As we're approaching Tsumago, we had goheimochi and knife-cut soba for lunch atKongoya (it was the absolute BEST soba we've ever had in our lives!)
• After 3h10m of trail walking, we reached Tsumago-juku. Spent the next hour exploring around the town.
• Supposed to head to Narai-juku after this, unfortunately we missed the bus. The next bus doesn't go well with the train's timing, and we realized that it would be all dark the moment we arrive at Narai. So we scraped the plan.
• Continue walking another 45 minutes towards Nagiso Station and took the train back to Nakatsugawa.
• Visited the town's Valor Supermarket. Was really surprised how much cheaper everything here is, especially after the evening discount! Loaded up with lots of sashimi, bento and snacks and had a feast back at the hotel.

Step count: 45,160 steps

DAY 3 - NAEGI , ENA , IWAMURA , AKECHI

• Woke up at 5am on my own and went for a morning walk. Explored the Nakasendo post town Nakatsugawa-juku and some local residential parks. Tried the infamous strawberry sando from 7-eleven for breakfast.
• Came back to the hotel at 8am and wife was up and ready. Took a bus to Naegi and hiked up to Naegi Castle Ruins. The top of the castle ruins offers a splendid view of the whole Nakatsugawa Town!
• Descended from the castle ruins and took the bus back to Nakatsugawa Station. Took a short train ride to Ena Station. From there, switched to the Akechi Line and headed towards Iwamura Station.
• We had Tonkatsu for lunch at Kawairight outside Iwamura Station. We're normally not a fan of Tonkatsu back at home, but this meal genuinely surprised us! The meat was thick, juicy, tender and deep-fried to perfection! Pairing with the hatcho miso sauce, this was hands down the best Tonkatsu we've ever had!
• Explored around Iwamura-cho, a traditional castle town street that leads to Iwamura Castle Ruins.
• Spent about 40 minutes hiking uphill. The castle ruins was full of mysterious vibes, it felt as if we were in a Zelda game! We explored the castle ruins and hiked down back to Iwamura-cho.
• Took the train to Akechi Station. Wandered around the town's Taisho Village and visited Hachioji Shrine.
• Took the Akechi Line back to Ena Station. Had an AMAZING udon meal for dinner at Muginawa. Wife was a big fan of Kitsune Udon, and she told me the ones here were the best she's ever eaten!
• A short train ride back to Nakatsugawa and called it a day.

Step count: 32,846 steps

DAY 4 - GERO >> TAKAYAMA

• Woke up at 6am on my own and went for a morning walk. It rained throughout the night, and a huge, beautiful rainbow formed above the sky as the sun came out. Spent a good full 20 minutes at a spot just taking pictures of the rainbow until it eventually fades away.
• Came back to the hotel at 9.30am and wife was up and ready. Checked-out our hotel and stored our luggage there.
• Walked to Nakatsugawa-juku and did some souvenirs shopping there. Tried the local specialty chestnut sweets - Kurikinton.
• Had delicious cold soba for lunch at Masa Soba Restaurant.
• Went back to our hotel and retrieve our luggage. Caught the 12.15pm bus bound for Kashimo, and from there switched buses and arrived Gero at 2pm.
• Stored luggages at Gero Station and started exploring the onsen town.
• Visited Onsenji and the Frog Shrine. Tried some foot baths along the way as well.
• At 5pm, we retrived our luggage and took the local train towards Takayama Station.
• Checked-in our hotel in Takayama, had Chinese food for dinner at中国料理小満.

Step count: 21,409 steps

DAY 5 - TAKAYAMA

• Woke up at 5am on my own and went for a morning walk. Wandered around the west side of Takayama and did a short hike up to Takayama Sky Park.
• Reached back to the hotel by 9am and wife was up and ready. Walked to Miyagawa Morning Market and explored around. Had some wonderful cream puffs and coffee for breakfast at Coffee Don.
• Continue towards Sakurayama Hachimagu Shrine. Got a goshuin here!
• Finished the entire Higashiyama Walking Course, and ended up at Shiroyama Park near Takayama Castle Ruins.
• Had a really wholesome Hida beef bowl and Hida beef curry rice for lunch at an unknown restaurant at Shiroyama Park (couldn't even find it on Google Maps)
• Walked towards Sanmachi-suji and explored the old townscapes of Takayama.
• Feeling a little tired, we headed back and rest at the hotel. Had our very first onsen experience in the hotel onsen.
• Headed out after sunset and had a really fantastic sushi meal for dinner at Matsuki Sushi.

Step count: 32,380 steps

DAY 6 - HIDA NO SATO , HIDA-FURUKAWA

• No morning walks for today. Left the hotel around 7.30am and went to Miyagawa Morning Market for some souvenir shopping.
• From there, we took a 40 minutes walk to Hida no Sato. Stopped by [Boulang...

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The original was posted on /r/japantravel by /u/Ok-Job-710 on 2025-04-14 14:10:15+00:00.

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Hello there,

I thought there might be some people interested in reading about a longer trip and budget travel. I'll try to keep this short and sweet:

Background

This was my last destination during my sabbatical/career break, so at this point I was used to long term/budget travel. For Japan I planned a daily budget of €60 (~¥10.000) (excluding flights). I arrived on January 19 and left April 8.

Route

Naha (number of nights 3) - Tokashiki (2) - Naha (2) - Fukuoka (4) - Nagasaki (3) - Beppu (2) - Dogo Onsen (2) - Hiroshima (1) - Miyajima (1) - Onomichi (3) - Osaka (3) - Yunomine Onsen (2) - Kyoto (4) - Kanazawa (3) - Takayama (3) - Matsumoto (1) - Nagano (3) - Tokyo (5) - Fujikawaguchiko (2) - Ito (2) - Tokyo (3) - Nikko (2) - Aizuwakamatsu (2) - Murayama (4) - Yokote (2) - Hirosaki (2) - Hakodate (3) - Lake Toya (2) - Noboribetsu (1) - Asahikawa (1) - Wakkanai (1) - Sapporo (5)

Itinerary

Many people write detailed trip reports and itineraries, so I suggest you take a look at those! I'm a planner, but more a route maker. My day to day was usually pretty open. I enjoy just wandering around. I know I've missed quite a lot "must visit sights", but I don't care. This was my trip :)

Daily expenses

Accommodation: €21. I exclusively stayed in hostels. Food/drinks: €14. In general I would eat yoghurt, a banana and granola in my hostel, one meal from the konbini or supermarket and one meal in a restaurant. There are heaps of affordable food options. Not to long ago there was a great write up about chain restaurants that I recommend reading. Transport: €11. Shinkansen is amazing, but if you're on a budget and have time, you probably want to take local trains and busses. I only took one Shinkansen (Onomichi - Osaka). Entrance fees: €4. This could vary a lot depending on your interest. For me this mostly includes temples, shires, castels and other historical buildings. Miscellaneous: €5. Mostly laundry and souvenirs.

Miscellaneous

Cash: I see a lot of discussion on how much cash is necessary. I think I used around ¥160.000, thus ¥2000 daily. Mostly used for snacks, hole in the wall restaurants and transportation. I did not have a suica card, I bought individual tickets. Weather: It was pretty cold most of my stay and I bought some heattech cloths from Uniqlo.. I needed those. Some days were rainy, but I didn't have a umbrella. Every hostel I stayed at had umbrellas guests could use, so I didn't feel the need to buy one. Crowds: I travelled in off season and it wasn't bad (thankfully). Steps: It is pretty well known that you will walk a lot in Japan. On average I walked 15k steps every day. This includes rest days and transportation days. I can imagine you would walk even more on a shorter trip.

Conclusion

80 days Japan, €55 a day (~¥9000). Loved Japan! Let me know if you have any questions!