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The original was posted on /r/japantravel by /u/SunriseJazz on 2025-01-02 20:28:20+00:00.
Thanks to everyone on this sub for your advice which meaningfully shaped our Japan trip. Here is our trip report (late December 2024)!
OVERVIEW
Early 40s couple from the US. First time in Japan! We only had the holiday break so we booked a 10ish day trip from December 21 to January 1. I speak no Japanese but learned a few phrases (more below) and picked up some along the way – all super helpful! I did research on this sub (arigatou gozimasu!) and other subreddits and travel websites (and the dreaded tik tok). Last year I went to South Africa, and loved guided tours from Airbnb Experiences and Getyourguide, so I also looked at those platforms for ideas/tours. We’re into art, food, music, museums, history, nature, nightlife, and like to walk a lot.
PREP
Prior to entering Japan, we got Y147,000 ($1000), set up the GO app for taxi transit (worked really well), filled out VisitJapan and saved the QR codes, booked experiences, purchased Shinkansen tickets via the SmartEx app and saved the QR codes (and printed them). Set up Whatsapp to communicate with friends and family.
We each packed a carryon and backpack, with an extra soft bag inside for anticipated gift purchases. I purchased two power converters from Amazon, each one held plugs and usb drives. Also brought Emergen-C packs which we took everyday.
For internet, we used the Verizon $12/day travel pass which worked well as I stupidly couldn’t figure out how to setup an esim. Daily in Japan, I carried around a small crossbody purse with passport, AmEx, Welcome Suica card, and Yen, and other essentials, often battery packs for our phones.
DAY BY DAY
(1 night Tokyo, 5 nights Osaka, 4 nights Tokyo)
Sunday, December 22 (Tokyo):
Early evening arrival at Tokyo Haneda Airport. Get Welcome Suica cards in T3 (put Y5000 on each card). Metro to hotel (Super Hotel Premier Tokyo-eki Yaesu Chuo-guchi) near Tokyo Station, and pass out.
Monday, December 23 (Tokyo to Osaka):
Early morning walk to Tsukiji Market and explore and eat! Walk back, and then take 10AM Shinkansen to Osaka. Metro to hotel (Voco Osaka). Evening: walk through Dotonbori (omg so crowded) and then guided tour of retro Shinsekai (Airbnb Experience).
Tuesday, December 24 (Osaka):
Walk to delicious sashimi/Wagyu tasting lunch (Airbnb Experience) in Kita Ward; and then metro to delightful calligraphy class (Airbnb Experience) in Chuo Ward. Walk around Shinsekai including the Parco mall and get gifts. Walk back to hotel and sleep.
**Wednesday, December 25 (**day trip to Hiroshima):
Delicious breakfast buffet at hotel. Metro to Shin-Osaka for Shinkansen to Hiroshima, walk to Peace Memorial Museum (tickets via klook) and nearby areas, walk back to Shinkansen to Osaka. Christmas Dinner at hotel, a ridiculously creative and delicious $75 tasting menu.
Thursday, December 26 (day trip to Kyoto):
Delicious breakfast buffet at hotel. Metro to JR line to Kyoto. Beautiful morning in Arashiyama: Otagi Nenbutsuji Temple, followed by a walk to Saga Toriimoto Preserved Street, Sagano Bamboo Grove, tasty lunch at Arashiyama Tenryu Ramen, and then Arashiyama Monkey Park Iwatayama. Afternoon with inlaws (who were also in Japan) walking the Philosophers Path. Very frustrating dinner experience in Kyoto where we kept getting rejected at empty restaurants (one was about to seat us and then the manager shooed us away), and then got super rude and unsanitary service at a restaurant that finally accepted us. JR/Metro back to hotel.
Friday, December 27 (morning day trip to Nara; evening bar crawl of Temma, Osaka):
Metro (Kintetsu line) to majestic Nara: Deer Park, Todai-ji Namdaimon Temple (biggest seated Buddha in Japan), Kasugataisha Shrine (learned the Saisen prayer coin toss), and had mochi and lunch on Sanjo Dori Street. Got beautiful gifts in the stunning Nakagawa Masashichi Shoten store. Metro back to Osaka. Metro to evening Airbnb Experience of Temma Osaka – great locations and super fun! Ended night at karaoke with our new tour besties.
**Saturday, December, 28 (**Osaka to Tokyo)
Metro to Shin-Osaka. Frustrating but ultimately ok Shinkansen travel to Tokyo on the busiest travel day of the year(!!). Metro to hotel (Hotel Mustard Shimokitazawa). Super fun Shinjuku bar tour of Omoide Yokocho and Golden Gai (Airbnb Experience).
Sunday, December 29 (Tokyo):
Bagels at Sidewalk Coffee at hotel. Early morning gift shopping (matcha, face masks, and more!) at Donki in Shimokita, and lunch at Kitade Tacos (they were good)! Sweet neighborhood tour of Shimokitazawa (Airbnb Experience). GO taxi to Team Labs Borderless. Back to Shimokita where we went dancing at Counter Club and saw live jazz at music bar RPM.
Monday, December 30 (Tokyo):
Bagels at Sidewalk Coffee at hotel. Walked along the Odakyu Line Walk from Shimokita to the Bonus Track area and got onigiri at Andon, and kept walking to Gotokuji station. Informative Airbnb Experience about the Setagaya Hachimangu Shrine, Gotokuji Temple (Cats!), and Jōkōji Temple. Metro back to Shimokita where we did some vintage shopping and got a delicious dinner at Izakaya Kushiyaki Niyasai Zeroya.
**Tuesday, December 31 (**Tokyo)
Metro to Asakusa, walk through Nakamise-Dori Shopping Street to Senso-ji Temple (felt like a pilgrimage as this is the most visited religious site in the world!) Walk to nearby Asakusa Sumo Experience (super fun, more below) which included lunch. Walk to Kappabashi Kitchen Street; realized the knives are super cool but out of our price range! Walk to Ueuo Park (loved) and then Akihabara (hated). Train to Shibuya Crossing (did time lapse video) and then walk to Yoyogi Park (we wanted to go to Meiji Shrine but went the wrong way in the park; it was beautiful at dusk so all good!) Train back to Shimokita where we got dinner at Abill (one of the few places open, and they had the NYE Japanese TV program on with famous musicians, actors, and comedians, which was cool to watch!), and then went to a fun, crowded rock show at Basement Bar and New Year’s toast next door at Coaster Craft Beer & Kitchen. Walk back to hotel.
**Wednesday, January 1 (**Tokyo and depart)
GO Taki with luggage to meet up with inlaws in Roppongi, get lunch, and then GO taxi to Haneda.
LOVES
**Kyoto: Arashiyama, especially Otagi Nenbutsuji Temple! We had a beautiful time in Arashiyama. Because we were staying in Osaka, we took the metro/JR line to Kyoto Station and then a cab (there was a sign saying “foreigner friendly cabs”) to Otagi Nenbutsuji Temple. We said “Ohio Gozaiamasu” to the taxi driver which created a lot of goodwill and he pointed out places on our cab ride there (Y6000). The big highlight was Otagi Nenbutsuji Temple. Go here! It’s green, hilly, and full of hundreds of sculptures with fascinating faces. Originally built in 766, the hundreds of sculptures were added starting in the 1950s. The area is peaceful. After leaving the temple, there is a walkway towards the right that we walked down and had the most beautiful day! We walked by a quaint coffee shop (and got coffee and Chai), more temples, gift shops, beautiful homes, several Bamboo groves, before going to downtown Arashiyama where we got ramen at Arashiyama Tenryu Ramen. We loved this walk; it started so peacefully with few folks and then got more crowded as we got closer to the downtown area. We continued our peaceful walk across the bridge (and there are paddle boats you can rent!) and went to Arashiyama Monkey Park Iwatayama. I love this park. It’s a 20 minute hike (I was huffing and puffing but fine) to the top of the hill, and then you get to be near the monkeys who run wild and you have a beautiful view of Kyoto. A stunning day.
**Tokyo: Tsukiji Fish Market. I know it’s a “tourist trap” but we had a great time. Walked here on our first morning around 7am and ate delicious Wagyu skewers, sashimi, grilled mochi, and more.
**Hiroshima: Peace Memorial Museum. Profound and devastating, it’s vital to know this history and to remember the people who died and lived throughout this time. I sobbed. We had bought tickets online via Klook ($1.50 per ticket, scanned the QR code at the museum) and purchased the audio guide at the museum. Afterwards we walked to the Children’s Peace Memorial and Atomic Bomb Dome, and got a late lunch. Because it is an easy 45-50 minute walk through the city, we ended up walking to and from the Shinkansen.
**All Airbnb Experiences (guided tours) were great but shout out to three of them (no particular order) that I LOVED: 1) the Osaka Calligraphy Experience with Ryusho!! He is an excellent instructor and this was an incredibly well run 90 minutes where we learned about the Japanese language, practiced calligraphy, made our art, and ended with tea and dessert. A really special experience! 2) The Temma bar crawl with Taka in Osaka – great guide, great stops/neighborhood that I would not have explored, great food, great people. So happy we did this. 3) The Shinjuku (Golden Gai) bar crawl in Tokyo with Yoshi, who is a PRO at leading these tours, which was beyond excellent (great stops, delicious food, learned a good amount of language and culture, with a fun kind group, and food preferences/restrictions/allergies were well accomodated). Because I don’t speak Japanese, these tours are a great way to see parts of the city I …
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