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The original was posted on /r/japantravel by /u/StarbuckIsland on 2024-11-14 17:17:19+00:00.
We're just back from 7 full days & nights in Japan and wanted to share details of our trip in the event it's helpful or interesting to someone reading this.
This was our second trip, first trip was in 2019. We are a 40ish married couple who are comparatively fast/active travelers. Poor Japanese abilities but enough to get around. We really don't like crowds and love nature and hiking. We brought one backpack per person which was plenty for our clothes and small souvenirs.
Flights:
We flew ANA economy from JFK on the new (3-4-3) 777. We sat in the second row (31) and the window seat had less space than usual under the seat due to row 30 being an emergency exit row.
The plane was not hot and we had individual air nozzles. I was comfortable wearing a hoodie. The food was subpar on the way there and much better coming home. Service was great, especially for passengers with babies - they brought out special toys and bassinets and all sorts of stuff.
Some ANA international flights arrive and depart from Terminal 2 at Haneda, including ours. Arriving there is AWESOME - it took us 3 minutes to go through customs and there was no line to take a shower. The food/shopping options inside security at Terminal 2 are terrible and you are not allowed to exit and re-enter, so if you want to eat or shop at the airport on the way out, do it before security.
Hotels:
We spent a total of $1,383 USD for 2 people for 7 nights. We chose nice-ish business hotels that had bigger beds and public baths that averaged $170ish/night. We also included a splurge on one night at a resort with meals included. With proper advance planning you could stay for much cheaper than we did and still be comfortable.
Transportation:
We used public transportation exclusively: local train, limited express, shinkansen, and bus. No rail pass. It took some getting used to having to visit ATMs to refill IC cards and buy train tickets, but we figured it out. Cash was useful on the bus. Take a ticket and pay fare when you get off - on the bus we took from Nagano to Togakushi they can make change for 1000 yen notes but not the new 500 yen coins.
Itinerary:
Day 1: Tokyo (1 night) - 30,174 steps
- Arrived at 5 AM at HND, took showers at the airport in Terminal 2
- Dropped bags off at hotel: Almont Nippori (JR Nippori station, on Yamanote Line and also direct access to Narita).
- Explored Yanaka Cemetery and area, visited Tokyo National Museum.
- Checked out Akihabara. Pretty neat to walk around for an hour or so. We love Mandarake.
- Afternoon snacks and drinks at Nikujiru Gyoza No Dandadan Nishinippori near the hotel. Fried cheese w/salt is so good.
- Checked into hotel and used the public bath. It was really nice - no wonder this place is always sold out.
- Dinner at Sushi Mihiro in Nezu. Really good omakase course - 15 pieces for 5300 yen, plus incredible fried oysters. Modern, non-stuffy vibe. The chef is young, speaks some English, and the sushi was a little more saucy and experimental than other more traditional Edomae sushi places. Because our reservation was 5:30 pm on a Wednesday, it was just us and one local guy who was a regular.
Day 2: Matsumoto (2 nights) - 23,714 steps
- Train from Shinjuku to Matsumoto on Azusa Limited Express. We bought tickets same day and the one we wanted was full so we had to wait until the next train. In the future I would buy tickets ahead of time.
- Dropped bags off at hotel: Onyado Nono Matsumoto Premium Hot Spring. This is a premium Dormy Inn brand hotel with traditional Japanese decor and rooms. No shoes in the hotel. Best public bath facilities of our trip - indoor and outdoor hot soaking tubs, cold pool and sauna.
- Explored town on foot, stopping by Agatanomori Park, AEON Mall, Matsumoto Castle, Nawate-dori and Nakamichi-dori. Stopped for beers at Matsumoto Brewing - both taprooms.
- After a nap, we went to Amiya for dinner, which is a spectacular restaurant that only serves hamburg patties over rice. They don't take reservations. The staff speak great English. Matsumoto is famous for wasabi and there is pickled and fresh wasabi + several varieties of shichimi (seven spice) to sauce up your burger.
Day 3: Nakasendo Hike & Matsumoto - 29,460 steps
- Took a local train to Yabuhara station, where we hiked Torii Pass to Narai-juku. The hike took us about 2 hours. It is over a mountain and down the other side, with public toilets at both ends and in the middle. Nice changing colors in the trees and Ontake Shrine at the top was beautiful. We walked really fast because there was a large tour group behind us.
- We caught the 11:26 am train back from Narai to Matsumoto. Had duck ramen from Komugi Soba Ike for lunch. Very light, fresh flavors - not heavy like tonkotsu ramen.
- Went back to AEON Mall to do some shopping and got stuck there for a while.
- Headed to Matsumoto Tsunagu Yokocho for first dinner and drinks after an accidental nap. This is a cool indoor space with 10 different stalls. You're encouraged to eat and drink a little at each one. We had crab croquettes at the Hokkaido-themed stall and moved on because it was really crowded (mostly locals but tourists are welcome) and not an amazing price/quality ratio.
- For second dinner, we walked into Yaegi which is a gorgeous, small izakaya on a side street near the train station. It was almost full but we got a table! Here we had Caesar salad, yakitori and a wonderful broiled cod that melted in our mouth.
Day 4: Togakushi & Nagano - 32,810 steps
- From Matsumoto we took a local train to Nagano. The train was cold and I was very glad to be wearing my puffy jacket. I was so excited to see the view from Obasute station but it was early and therefore foggy.
- Took Alpico bus #70 from Nagano to Togakushi to hike the shrines. We chose to get off at Togakushi-Hokosha and hike up to Chusha and Okusha (the famous one with cedar trees), then hike down via Kagami-Ike. This turned out to be an epic hiking day with lots and lots of stone steps. I would highly recommend it to anyone with an interest in great mountain views and shrines.
- Checked into hotel for the night, Chisun Grand Nagano. Pretty average, no public bath, but their coffee machine in the lobby is on all night!
- Nagano City gets a lot of shit for being boring but it's pretty lively around the station on a Saturday night. We stopped at an izakaya that specializes in Okinawan pig-related organ meats and a dirt cheap sushi spot, neither of which I can find in the light of day. Both were packed with locals and had open seats.
Day 5: Nagano & Izu Peninsula - 17,452 steps
- In the morning we walked from our hotel to Zenkoji, which is one of the most famous temples in Japan. We got there about 7:00 am and very few people were there, and we could watch and hear a morning service taking place. It was a beautiful experience.
- Took the Kagayaki (Hokuriku) shinkansen from Nagano to Tokyo, then the Kodama (Tokaido) shinkansen from Tokyo to Atami which was a fucking zoo on Sunday at lunchtime. From Atami, we took a local train to Futo station. This turned out to be a really cool sightseeing train with bench seats facing the ocean.
- Walked down a huge steep hill and along a highway to reach ISANA Resort. I cannot say enough great things about this place.
- The food they serve is AMAZING. Dinner is French kaiseki with locally caught fish and 5 month dry aged wagyu beef, served over a 2 hour course with two desserts. Breakfast was Japanese traditional style with top-level ingredients. I counted 33 plates for breakfast for two.
- All rooms include private outdoor open-air baths with an ocean view, and the rooms themselves are huge by Japanese standards. We booked the suite, which is 60 sq m (646 sq ft in freedom units). There is also a smart TV in the room.
- You can reserve the private onsen with ocean view for yourself and your sweetie/friends.
- It was only $373 USD/52,400 yen/night for two people to stay in the suite including dinner and breakfast. This is like what people pay to stay in a normal hotel in Shibuya that doesn't include anything.
Day 6: Jogasaki Coast & Tokyo - 29,841 steps
- After our WONDERFUL breakfast and rest day, we were ready for more hiking - so we headed to Jogasaki-Kaigan station to hike along the coast and soak in the incredible coastal scenery. This area is pretty famous and there was at least one Chinese tour bus there, but everyone congregated near the Kadowaki Suspension Bridge area.
- We followed the Jogasaki Nature Study Course trail via Renchaku-ji temple. There are lots and lots of Joro spiders around so if you're tall, pay attention to your surroundings so you don't get a faceful.
- After our hike, we took a local train and Kodama shinkansen to Shinagawa station, where we spent 2 nights at the Mitsui Garden Hotel in Gotanda. This hotel was nice - gorgeous city views from the 15th floor lobby and a decent sized room.
- We really liked Gotanda as a base - it's on the Yamanote line between Shinagawa and Shibuya, so near the bottom of the loop. It is a mostly commercial area with lots of cheap places to eat and drink, including what appears to be a shoppin...
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