Traveling to Japan. Help.

Checkout r/japantraveltips on Reddit. I'm planning a two week trip for later this year in Osaka and Tokyo and have found more useful information there than anything.

14 days makes it easy

You'll want to do

Tokyo -> Kyoto -> Osaka

Spend the bulk of your time in those cities

You can do side trips along the way if you want to Mount Fuji, Hiroshima etc

But bulk of your trip there

You take the Shinkansen (Bullet train) between the cities.


Tokyo stay in one of the following areas:

Shibuya
Shinjuku
Ginza
Asukusa


Kyoto stay as close to Gion as possible imo


Osaka the main tourist area is Dotonbori


Watch youtube travel videos! they will be a big help

Tokyo
Visit Meiji Shrine
Hachiko Statue - famous dog
Shibuya Sky- observation deck
Shibuya Centre Gai - famous place for people to eat/ drink, many izakayas
Shibuya Crossing
Explore Senso-ji Temple - oldest temple in Tokyo
Visit Ueno Park
Have lunch or shop in Ueno Ameyoko
Tsukiji Outer Market
Tokyo tower
Toyose Fish Market
Sake Market
Explore Akihabara

Hakone, Nikko, or Kamakura (2 days)
Hakone
1 - 1.5 hrs from Tokyo
Go to an onsen - hot spring (men and women are seperated)
Can book private ones
Eat a black egg - suppose to prolong your life by 7 yrs
Home to many hot spring hotels if we want to stay overnight
Would be a good stop on the way to Kyoto
Hakone Ropeway
Open Air Museum
Amazake Tea House
Gyoza Center
Itoh Dining by Nobu

Kyoto (3 days)
About 2 hrs and 15 min from Tokyo
Fushimi Inari Taisha - full hike up a mountain
Geisha District
Dine on Pontocho
Nishiki market - take cash
International Manga Museum
Kyo-ryori
Traditional Tea Ceremony
The Omen Restaurant
Fine dining at Kikunoi
Bamboo Grove
Monkey Park
Ramen Sen Know Casa
Gion - famous for tea houses
LINK

Osaka
Known for the street food
Dotonbori - heart of city’s night life
Universal Studios Japan is here
Osaka Castle
Hozenji Tokocho
River Cruise
Ichiran Ramen
Okaru Restaurant
Nara (1 day)
Famous deer park where deer roam freely and you can feed them
Deer crackers
Famous mochi pounding

quote:

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Opposite in Tokyo.

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Yep. Thank you.

If you stay at a nice hotel, use their laundry service. Even if it is just one garment. You'll get it back same-day, very professionally and neatly packaged and looking brand-new. It's a treat.

Just got back from 10 days in Japan last month.

Personally; I’d do something like this…

Tokyo 2-3 days. I stayed in Ginza. It’s a major shopping district that winds down about 9PM. Much more quiet than Shibuya or others.

Day 4…. Take the Shinkansen to Hiroshima. Give it 1 day possibly two. See the bomb memorial, museum and castle.

Take the Shinkansen to Himeji. It’s roughly half way from Hiroshima to Osaka. Less than two hours by train. Leave your bags in one of the lockers at the Himeji train station then do the Himeji Castle. It’s absolutely stunning. It’s an easy day trip along with the Garden next door. A one mile walk from the Station.

Hop back on the Shinkansen and arrive to Osaka that night.

From Osaka you can easily make day trips to Kyoto and Nara. Osaka is quite different than Tokyo. Get yourself close to the Dotonbori area. That’s where the food scene thrives.

Push back to Tokyo for another another few days.

Perhaps throw in some other stops….

Sakai is right outside of Osaka. Many of Japan’s most famous cutlery and knife makers are there. Makes for a cool keepsake and by buying direct from the maker you save a lot of money compared to buying in the Tokyo shops.

Kobe is in the route to Osaka. Grab some beef at the source.

Some other advice….

Japan is seeing record numbers of tourists.

It is unbelievably crowded. You have a few hours to work with each morning before the tour buses arrive to the major attractions. Take advantage of this. Get there early and beat the crowds. Seriously; by 10AM most places are a zoo.

This crowds also presented a bit of an obstacle for us as a family of four. Most restaurants in Japan are quite small and trying to squeeze in a family of four in without reservations was difficult. Either start making reservations weeks in advance or know that you will have to freestyle a bit. Many of the restaurants we tried told us they had been booked out months in advance.

If you have an iPhone, download the Suica app. This will allow you to use your phone to use all major train lines throughout the country. You can simply download money to it using your Apple wallet. Tap and go. It’s super efficient. Any money that is not used can be used for purchases at 7-Eleven or any number of restaurants.

When using the Shinkansen, there are reserved seating cars and non-reserved seating cars. For longer trips the reserved seating cars are worth the extra cost as they do have AC outlets and Wi-Fi access.

It is generally unnecessary to book your Shinkansen tickets in advance. The trains move every few minutes and can be purchased online while at the station.

Carry your passport with you at all times if purchasing and wanting to take advantage of the 10% tax free foreigners discount.

Wear good shoes…. We averaged 10-12 miles per day.

Finally, there is no need to bring cash. You can use the ATMs located at 7-Eleven or any of the kombinis at a very, very low cost.

I second going to the food court at one of the giant department stores in Tokyo. They are fun experience.