hello friends, here are my japan notes. hope it helps and enjoy your trip!! 📸👀

logistics for first-timers

  • assuming you’re going for about two weeks, I would recommend flying into either Osaka or Tokyo, taking the shinkansen to the other city, and then flying out of that city (instead of booking a return flight).
  • I reckon visit Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, and Nara, and then maybe choose a day trip or two if you have time (e.g. Mt Fuji and/or Snow Monkeys)
  • Osaka/Kyoto/Nara are commuting distance from each other (about an hour by train). I would pick one as your base to avoid the check in/check out hassle. Osaka’s cheaper than Kyoto and more convenient if you’re flying in/out of it, but Kyoto seems to have more going on
  • the JR pass is very likely not worth it cost-wise. there are several train companies in Japan since their services are privatised, so the JR pass is not an “all-in-one” deal
    • The JR pass might be useful for going long distances - though you should consider getting the 7-day one instead of the full 14-day one. Or doing the calculations and seeing if it’s cheaper to just buy every ticket separately.
  • you’ll want a SUICA card to get around Tokyo. it’s like an opal card and works with the whole subway + train system (unlike JR passes). they are also low in stock right now - try to get one off someone before you go if you can or set up a digital one if you’re on iPhone
  • I relied on free wifi + data with an esim. used airalo.com (referral code: ADA4308)
  • For accommodation, I stayed in a combination of Airbnbs, hotels, and ryokans. Mostly Airbnbs, optimised for location and cost rather than the hotel experience.

tokyo

  • main touristy districts: shinjuku, shibuya, ginza, akihabara, harajuku, odaiba - all worth a visit
    • shibuya/shinjuku - this is the quintessential tokyo you see in movies, lots of good ramen bars and sushi. book an omakase. go street karting
    • harajuku - cute area, mostly centred on takeshita street ft. animal cafes, crepes, and shops
    • akihabara - great if you’re into anime, manga, video games, electronics,,, maid cafes. visit super potato for nintendo nostalgia
    • ginza - the bougie shopping district, nice at night, also where park hyatt from lost in translation is located. bought a bunch of gifts from tokyu hands.
    • odaiba - very flat area, can bike around and see the massive gundam statue, statue of liberty, and national museum of emerging science
  • some alt districts: shimokitazawa, koenji, kichijoji
    • shimokitazawa - the newtown of tokyo, lots of thrift shops, cafes, etc + good live indie rock music scene (something on almost every night)
    • koenji - comes to life at night too, good music + food under the train station
    • kichijoji - where the ghibli museum is, also a fun area to explore
      • the ghibli museum is defs a highlight, but getting tickets is very competitive. it’s worse than buying taylor swift tickets. opens 10th of each month for the next month on their website.
  • team lab - interactive museum that’s all over insta/tiktok. I found it pretty cool and worth it
  • if you’re into bouldering/rock climbing, there are many gyms. lots of swimming pools too.

mt fuji

  • first time we did as a day trip from tokyo and went to lake kawaguchi (omg so beautiful) - lucked out with the weather, it was not cloudy and we got to see mt fuji!
  • second time we stayed in odawara, took a train to hakone and did the tourist loop around lake ashinoko - it was very cloudy and we did not see mt fuji (at all)… still had a lot of fun!

nagano

  • stayed in KURA guesthouse in Suzaka: it was amazing! the hosts were so friendly, drove us to the station when it was snowing, and hosted a takoyaki night with some of the other guests. also got lots of local recommendations.
  • the snow monkey park at jigokudani was a highlight - went in march and there was still snow! you can also do this as a day trip from Tokyo. not sure if it feels the same without the snow.
  • stopped by shibu onsen town on the way back… felt like a scene out of a Ghibli film
  • cycled from Suzaka to the nearby town of Obuse and went to the hokusai museum (you know the wave painting 🌊) + ate some good chestnuts

osaka

  • oretachino-curry (maps): top notch japanese curry. small counter shop, order at the ticket machine, sit and watch the chefs make the food, good portions. WOULD RECOMMEND.
  • hire a bike and cycle around, then go dotonbori at night
  • eat all the “yaki” foods: okonomiyaki, takoyaki, yakisoba…
  • we stayed in shin-imamiya in 2023. don’t do it.

hiroshima

  • did this as a day trip from Osaka. the JR Kansai-Hiroshima pass is cheaper than getting straight return tickets from Osaka to Hiroshima, and some sites have special freebies and deals (eg. we got free okonomiyaki, some gift vouchers, and other discounts with klook)
  • talk to the survivor in front of the Atomic Bomb Dome! they speak good english and will tell you their life story + give you the full exposé on the history of the peace museum and what’s included/not included/been taken out over time. also interesting hearing their takes on how it compares with the Nagasaki peace museum.
  • did i mention i love okonomiyaki (there’s a whole building full at okonomi-mura 🤝 )

kyoto

  • hire bikes and cycle along the kamo river in gion
  • kyoto railway museum - aimed at kids but fun for train enthusiasts too
  • 1000 torii gates - go at sunset or night-time and walk all the way up (the actual peak is not that exciting, but there are views of kyoto along the way)
  • lots of temples, palaces, and tourists

nara

  • lots of deers at nara park and maybe an equal number of tourists depending on when you go
  • skip the tourists and hike up mt wakakusa! according to wikipedia, it is not a mountain, but a humble hill. calm walk and the views at the top are nice. bring some crackers for the deers :)
  • mochi is yum

nagoya

  • Kiso Valley - Nakasendo Trail - part of edo-period samurai route. we did this as a day trip from Nagoya and walked from Magome to Tsumago. very leisurely, even in the rain, would recommend!
  • Ghibli Park - forgot to get tickets on time (RIP), but walked around the expo 2005 commemorative park anyway… big sydney olympic park energy
  • Legoland - aimed at kids, but we impulse bought tickets after we realised we did not get Ghibli Park tickets on time. was a fun day!

misc notes

  • if you’re booking a shinkansen between osaka and tokyo, choose your seat strategically so you’re on the side with mt fuji!
  • would recommend getting a bento box to eat on the shinkansen 😎
  • some of the train stations are MASSIVE - look at the station exit when trying to navigate
  • there are no bins on the streets! you need to take your trash home :) there are sometimes bins at the station, maybe a convenient store, but that’s about it
  • convenient stores are indeed very convenient, but don’t eat too many meals there… you can get a good breakfast set for 500 yen