Japan Trips & Travel Tips

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The original was posted on /r/japantravel by /u/hyouko on 2025-04-04 17:05:54+00:00.

You can't visit Japan just once. My first trip was back in 2023, and I loved it so much that I immediately began scheming to find a way to visit again. The stars aligned for a second trip this spring. I added some new folks in my crew, so we revisited some of the greatest hits from the first trip in Kyoto / Tokyo for their benefit, but this time we also visited Hiroshima and Kanazawa (and I took a day for myself in Osaka, which was great fun).

I'll break my notes out by city here.

• Tokyo: As fun and busy as ever. We stayed in Akasaka at the start and end of our trip, which turned out to be a good base of operations for a lot of what we wanted to do: convenient access to the subway lines, nearby parks, and lots of food options. A few highlights:

  • Call me basic, but Teamlabs Borderless was a lot of fun; some of the "exhibits" were extremely cool. The concept of being able to explore and find hidden entrances to various setpieces was great. The teahouse inside was a good experience overall, particularly if you are a matcha fan, but the wait was pretty long at midday.
  • Seeing the illuminated cherry blossoms at full bloom in Chidorigafuchi was wonderful. We actually went across to the far side of the moat first, which gave a neat perspective on the trees.

• Hiroshima : A lot calmer than Tokyo. The ride down on the shinkansen was a treat all by itself (I caught a nice pic of Mt. Fuji as we went by).

  • Miyajima was a big hit with our group. Hiking on Mt. Misen (if you want to see the top and the shrines, do be prepared to hike 30-45min both ways from the lift with some solid uphill). Miyajima Base had some of the best fried chicken I have ever tasted. The floating torii gate is beautiful, of course, and the deer were mischievous (we watched one nip through a fence and grab ice cream from an unsuspecting tourist). Daishoin was a temple filled with more hands-on stuff to do than any other temple I've visited.
  • I could literally watch my stress levels go down via my watch as we strolled the Shukkeien gardens. Be careful on the central bridge!
  • The peace park and peace memorial museum are very worth a visit, but give yourself time afterward to process everything.
  • Definitely grab some okonomiyaki. The main dish we had in a little second-story restaurant was great, but the cheese and potato okonomiyaki we made stole the show.

• Kyoto: I particularly love the zen temples here. We arrived too early for the main sakura bloom season, but still had a very good time.

  • The Kyoto Railway Museum was a great time, and it's a good change of pace if you are getting overloaded with shrines and castles and temples. Now I really want to ride on a sleeper train!
  • Strolling up Saga Toriimoto Preserved Street in the northwest of the city was also well worth it. This area has some of the best gift / souvenir shops we found on the whole trip, and it's beautiful and less crowded. Easiest to reach via taxi.
  • We had fairly good experiences at Fushimi Inari and Kiyomizu-dera showing up 7-8am - still busy, but not crowded to the point of being un-fun. I remain rather ambivalent about Kinkaku-ji - it's certainly eye-catching, but the whole trip is basically a 15 minute photo op, and I much prefer the quieter atmosphere and zen gardens at Ginkaku-ji.
  • I was lucky enough to get tickets for the Nintendo Museum. Seeing the old prototypes and pre-video-game history of the company was a treat, though I found myself wishing for a bit more guidance. Inordinately proud of my winning score

• Osaka: I had a whirlwind one-day tour here.

  • The Osaka '70 Expo Park was a little run-down, but walking the aerial promenade all by myself at park open was a neat experience, and the Tower of the Sun is well worth a visit (grab tour tickets online before you go). Kind of wish I could take pictures up near the top, as the structural details inside the arms / wings of the tower were really cool looking.
  • Don't be like me - figure out your Osaka Aquarium ticket reservations in advance. I still got in, thankfully, and the whale shark tank was a cool as advertised.

• Kanazawa: has been described to me as a quieter and less-tourist-y Kyoto, but I feel like it's got its own thing going on.

  • Kenroku-en at opening on a sunny day was one of the highlights of the trip. It's a beautiful garden, and well engineered such that it looks great in all seasons - I don't think it is terribly dependent on particular flowers being in bloom. That said, the camellias made for some really pretty scenes.
  • The Higashi Chaya district at twilight... I wonder if this is what Gion felt like before it became such a major tourist thoroughfare? Just wandering the streets here was an experience. The restaurants had a neat vibe, but I think were mostly well out of our price range.

One lesson we learned last time that we applied with great success during this trip: don't be afraid to grab a taxi, particularly in Kyoto. Splitting the fare 4 ways with our group, it was not that much more expensive than taking a bus, and certainly more comfortable and faster. If you find yourself staring at a complex route with two or three transfers and lots of walking, consider this alternative. And taxis are indispensable when it comes to moving with a full complement of luggage.

One lesson we didn't learn well enough last time that bit us a few times this trip: advance reservations are frequently necessary. We got turned away from restaurants, missed out on a day trip to Shirakawa-go, and almost missed visiting the Osaka Aquarium due to lack of reservations.

Overall, the trip was a great time, and I'm already juggling ideas for a return in my head, because of course I am.