I’ve just come back from an epic trip to Japan. It’s my first time and I’m already looking at tickets to return next year. The reality is, 2 weeks wasn’t enough as there was so much to do in so little time. My travelling style is more relaxed as I enjoy taking my time, appreciating my surroundings, being present and taking photos. This was my 14 day Japan itinerary:
Day 1-3: Tokyo 東京
Day 4: Yokohama 横浜
Day 5: Mount Fuji 富士山
Day 6-8: Kyoto 京都
Day 9-10: Osaka 大阪
Day 11: Nara 奈良
Day 12-14: Tokyo 東京
Considering I flew to and from Haneda airport, splitting Tokyo into two parts made sense: a few days at the start and a few days at the end. The thought process was to do most of the shopping in Tokyo at the end before I headed to the airport as I didn’t want to lug a heavy suitcase or two around Japan if I shopped early on. Without a doubt, I did pick up bits and bobs here and there that I couldn’t buy elsewhere e.g. the big Super Nintendo controller plushie! Here is a brief, daily breakdown of what I did during my stay in Japan.
Day 1 – Arriving at Tokyo
We landed at Haneda airport at 10.25 am. After customs and collecting my luggage, we were at arrivals an hour later meaning it gave us time to grab the “Welcome Suica” card from the Welcome Suica dedicated machine and the eki stamps. We did book a private taxi transfer to the hotel as the general consensus was to get a taxi after a long haul flight.
Because we arrived earlier than check in, we dropped off our suitcases then headed to Shinjuku to explore a little as it was only 2 stops away. Headed back to the hotel to check in, rest and freshen up then off to Shinjuku we go again, Nishishinjuku (west of Shinjuku station) to be precise, in search of dinner and more exploring. It was a nice easy start to the trip. Everything went smoothly and we had a positive first impression.
Tip for Welcome Suica card: For iOS users, you can install the general Suica card in Apple Wallet and top up directly from Apple Pay. Whereas for other OSs, it’s not available unless you have purchased your phone directly in Japan, meaning you will need to collect a Welcome Suica card and is valid for 28 days.
At arrivals, head straight ahead towards the information desk in the middle of the floor and just past it, there are dedicated Welcome Suica machines to your left along with a queue. You can select different languages at the machines so getting a card and adding money is easy. I’d recommend having cash on hand as well as looking at JR East’s site before you fly to Tokyo as it will contain the latest information on where to get the card.
Day 2 – Shinjuku and Shibuya City
Whilst we’re still getting over jetlag, exploring the nearby areas which happened to be Shinjuku and Shibuya was probably the best idea. Due to the location of the hotel, we could easily head back if we needed to crash at any point.
- A 4.30am trip to 7-11 and Family Mart. Jetlag wasn’t the one.
- Junisha Kumano Shrine – our first goshuin (temple stamp)
- Shinjuku Chuo Park
- Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building for the city views
- Hanazono Shrine
- Meiji Jingu
- Shibuya (Scramble crossing, Nintendo store, Pokemon center, Loft, Don Quijote and other stores)
Day 3 – Chuo City, Minato City and teamLabs
- Imperial Palace East National Gardens
- Shiba Park including Shiba Toshogu Shine and Hoshuin Temple
- Zojoji Temple
- Tokyo Tower
- teamLab Planets
- Tokyo Character Street
- Godzilla head in Shinjuku and Shinjuku in general
Tip: If you are susceptible to mosquito bites, I highly recommend buying some repellant, especially if you’re visiting the Imperial Palace East National Gardens or any other gardens. November was still humid which led to 12 mosquito bites on my legs just from exploring here. Additionally, purchase an anti-itch roll on too just in case.
Day 4 – Yokohama
Our first day trip from Tokyo – Yokohama! It was a nice break away from the busy Tokyo lifestyle as Yokohama is a coastal city with a more relaxed and slower lifestyle. Plus, it reminded me of home, being from a seaside town.
- Cup Noodle Museum
- Red Brick Warehouse and the promenade
- Iseyama Kotai Shrine
- Chinatown
- Port of Yokohama for the sunset and views of the Harbour at night
- Zou-no-hana Park
- Yokohama station to head back to Tokyo (we stopped off at World Porters and Cosmo World along the way)
Day 5 – Mount Fuji
It was the day we would go and see Fuji-san, but it didn’t work out in our favour. It was obviously shy after snow was later than normal and decided to hide behind the clouds. If only we had visited on the previous day – ah wells, next time. As a result of this, I couldn’t take many photos either.
- Rent e-scooters
- Mt Fuji World Heritage Center
- Mt. Fuji Panorama Ropeway
- Lake Kawaguchi
Tips: I personally wouldn’t recommend e-scooters as fun as it may sound. It was a bit confusing figuring out the roads/bike paths and the roads weren’t always smooth. Rent a bike or a car instead. You can’t do Lake Kawaguchi and Shimoyoshida area all in one day when the sun sets early. It could be doable in the summer but it would depend on your travelling style.
Keep an eye on the weather forecast when you’re in Japan so you can decide which day to visit to guarantee the views then book your tickets to and from the location. Taking the bus is more convenient than the train.
Day 6 – Shinkansen to Kyoto
We had arrived before check in and luckily were able to check in early. We stayed at Kyohotel Kishotei Goshominami and would highly recommend it. Not only is it spacious and in an excellent location, the bathroom becomes a dryer room for your laundry and the clothes dries so well. Also, you can automatically run a bath without any worries and it will stop once it detects the bathtub is full. The water stayed hot too (without the water warming function on). Now this is technology I approve of.
- Konkai Komyoji Temple and Sanmon
- Okazaki Shrine (a shrine dedicated to rabbits)
- Otoyo Shrine
- Yasaka Shrine
- Kodaiji Temple for the night illuminations
- Kodaiji Sho Museum
- Nene-no-michi
- Gion
Day 7 – Kimono time
Dressing up in a traditional kimono wasn’t something I thought I’d do as it was outside my comfort zone. As my sister wanted to do it, I couldn’t say no and I must admit, I enjoyed it a lot more than I thought. You can choose every part of the kimono from head to toe (including the hairstyle) that is within the price plan you have selected but can opt to upgrade pieces for an additional cost. The staff provided suggestions on what would look good with the kimono if you’re struggling to decide. It was interesting to watch them dress you layer on layer. Surprisingly it wasn’t too hot.
We walked a lot wearing zori (Japanese sandals) from 10am to 5pm and by the end of the day, our feet were tired. It wasn’t too uncomfortable but we were relieved once we stepped back into our trainers. I want to do it again!
- Renting a kimono from Vasara Kyoto station branch
- Kinkakuji
- Yasaka Koshin-do
- Hokan-ji Temple
- Daizen-ji Temple
- Kiyomizu-dera
- Sannenzaka
- Nidec Kyoto Tower
- Yodobashi Camera Multimedia
Day 8 – Nintendo Museum and Fushimi Inari Taisha
This is probably the only day where we didn’t have a lot planned yet we still walked over 20,000 steps. We were lucky to get tickets for the Nintendo Museum as it was a ticket draw which was randomly chosen. All for of us did enter but only one of us was selected. This meant we had to change our original itinerary as we didn’t know how long we would be spending there. I’ll do a separate post on everything regarding the Nintendo Museum including the ticket draws.
- Nintendo Museum
- Fushimi Inari Taisha
- ShinPuhKan
Day 9 – Last Bits of Kyoto then Osaka
Considering Osaka was less than 30 minutes away on the JR rail, we weren’t in a rush to get there and wanted to squeeze in a couple more places to see in Kyoto first.
- Rokkakudo Temple
- Nijo Castle
- JR train to Osaka
- Lucua Osaka
- Sushi making experience
- Dotobori
Tip: Several train lines can take you between Kyoto and Osaka. Shinkansen is the fastest option but the most expensive. I’d say it’ll depend on where you start and end. Taking the JR Kyoto Line from Kyoto station was ideal for us as it goes directly to Osaka station, whereas the Shinkansen’s final stop is Shin-Osaka station. The travel time may have been double (28 mins) that of the Shinkansen (14 mins) but it wasn’t a problem for us.
If you are taking the JR Kyoto Line, look out for the “Special Rapid” and not the “Limited Express” as the latter, you need to pay extra to board. The journey time for both are the same.
Day 10 – A Bit of Everything
- Hokoku Shrine
- Osaka Castle
- Ikasuri Jinja (Zama Shrine)
- Namba Jinja Shrine
- Shinsaibashi suji
- Namba
- Namba Yasaka Shrine
- Shinseikai
- Nipponbashi
Day 11 – Nara
What an unforgettable and unique day. The majority of the deers were courteous and bowed but there were instances where once they knew you had crackers or could smell them, they could be a little aggressive – start headbutting you from behind, pull your clothes/bag, surround you. You just need to know how to handle such situations as they are still considered wild and running away isn’t one. We also witnessed stags fighting one another, protecting their territory.
- Nara Park
- Himuro Shrine
- Todai-ji
- Nara Gastronomy Night Expo
- Mount Wakakusa
- Higashimuki Shopping Street
Tip: Don’t be quick to buy the crackers and feed the deers when you arrive. It’ll be crowded, full of tourists. If you walk further into Nara park, it’ll be less crowded.
Day 12 – Back to Tokyo
Our last leg of the trip. We had some unfinished business left in Tokyo and decided to stay in Asakusa area due to the direct train to Haneda Airport. This time, we stayed at a ryokan, Ryokan Asakusa Shigetsu. It was a nice touch to the end of our trip, staying in a more traditional setting, and immersing ourselves in the culture. Also, we had a great view of the Five-Storied Pagoda in Senso-ji Temple.
Visiting the Skytree was my favourite because the views were spectacular and there was a collaboration with Jujutsu Kaisen. I would highly recommend booking a time before sunset. Despite it being cloudy, we still had a wonderful view as we were above the clouds. We stumbled upon the Christmas Markets at Skytree which was a lovely treat.
- Hozomon Gate and Senso-ji Temple
- Asakusa Shrine
- Hikan Inari Shrine
- Tokyo Skytree
- Ginza
- Marunouchi
Day 13 – Taito City, Stamp Rally and Shibuya
The highlight of this was the Super Mario stamp rally. On the previous day, we had randomly encountered this as we wanted to see the Super Mario Christmas tree therefore we were able to grab 3 stamps at the time. We spent 2 hours trying to find the remaining 6 stamps in the area as well as to see the installations. It was an experience and there were others of all ages joining in. We didn’t get the sheet as we used our own notebooks which resulted in missing out on the prizes and the ultimate, final stamp after collecting all 9.
- Kaminarimon Gate and Nakamise-dori Street
- Yasaki Inari Shrine
- Shitaya Shrine
- Ameyoko street market
- Marishiten Tokudaiji Temple
- Ueno park, including Kiyomizu Kannon-do, Shinobazu-no-ike Bentendo, Gojoten Shrine, Hanazono Inari Shrine and Ueno Toshogu Shrine.
- Marunouchi – Mario stamp rally
- Shibuya Sky
Day 14 – The Last Full Day
This was more of a free day to explore and shop. We started our day shopping at Don Quijote and buying a suitcase at 6am for a quieter and less busy shop. Let’s say, shopping in the evening isn’t the best idea as the queues for the tax free counter snaked through the aisles – a big nope. Since we couldn’t leave our luggage for the whole day at the hotel, coin lockers were our best option and there were plenty next to Asakusa station, exit 1. 300 yen for a small locker, 400 yen for a medium, 600 yen for a large and 700 yen for the extra large for the first 12 hours then the same price for every 12 hours therefore in total, I paid 1200 yen for 13 hours.
- Asakusa Culture Tourist Information Center
- Harajuku
- Togo Shrine
- Shibuya
- Konno Hachimangu Shrine
- Tokyo Christmas Market
- Haneda Airport
And that there was my 14-day Japan itinerary. There were many more places we marked on our map but we couldn’t fit everything in due to the nature of things but it’s OK. There will always be a next time and I will probably repeat this exact phrase. I have no regrets and can say I thoroughly enjoyed this trip. This isn’t a final goodbye, but more of a, I’ll see you again Japan.
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