Japan Trip Report and Advice

Why Japan?

For our honeymoon, Alecia and I decided on Japan. Maybe not the most typical choice, but we wanted a mix of a new culture to experience, great food, and a combination of urban and rural settings. We also wanted to travel somewhere safe and easy to explore on our own. Japan offers all of this and more in an incredibly convenient package. And if you time it right and get a little lucky, you can even experience the famous sakura (cherry blossoms) without huge crowds.

Timing

Cherry blossoms at Kurama-dera in the hills outside Kyoto

Given our availability of time off from work, we knew we were looking at a two-week trip. To avoid the sometimes oppressive summer heat, humidity, and rain, we felt the shoulder seasons would be best. We landed on spring for the chance to see sakura and the mild weather perfect for exploring on foot.

Because so many locals and international tourists head to parks to see the sakura, there is tremendous interest in sakura forecasts. Before our trip, I studied sites such as this one to see when the trees were most likely to be in bloom. But I also learned that during peak season, prices go up, hotels get booked, and places become packed.

Rather than fight those conditions during the peak blossom period of early April, we decided to shade toward the end of the month. The key there, we learned, was to leave Japan before the onset of Golden Week, when many Japanese go on holiday and, again, prices go up and trains and airports become packed. So we settled on April 13 - 28, which we felt would give us a chance to see the sakura but would have us heading out literally the day before the Emperor's Birthday holiday that kicks off Golden Week.

Most of my research on timing, including learning about sakura forecast resources and the travel considerations around Golden Week, came from studying trip reports and comments on reddit's Japan Travel forum, which I highly recommend.

Approaching the Details

As we started to think about where and how we wanted to spend our time Japan, we organized our decision making around a few goals and principles:

• Spend enough time in places to let them sink in; don't rush constantly between destinations
• Experience a variety of environments--both urban and rural
• Seek authentic experiences

We did a great job with the latter two. The first one I probably didn't stick to well enough.

Inspiration

In addition to the Japan travel forum linked above, we got inspiration from friends who have traveled to Japan or lived there, but also from some great websites and YouTube channels.

Japan Travel sites:

• Chris Rowthorne's websites InsideKyoto.com, TrulyTokyo.com, and InsideOsaka.com
• Great for suggested itineraries, day trip suggestions, hotel and restaurant recommendations. Include helpful customized google maps.
• Japan-Guide.com
• Easy to read format and very nice customized local transit maps

Youtube Channels:

• Paolo from Tokyo
• I absolutely adore this guy. His neighborhood and restaurant guides are indispensable when planning a trip to Tokyo. His videos are professional, his attitude and love for Japan (especially its food) is contagious, and I honestly still watch almost everything he puts out just because it's so fun. 
• TokiYuYu
• This YouTuber provides instructive and informative videos about Tokyo and Japan. Lots of reviews of Japanese products (especially beauty products), but I skip those and head to her videos with really informative travel guides and tips. 
• Life Where I'm From
• Less about travel and more about life in Japan. Takes a look inside a family with a Canadian dad, Japanese mom, and bilingual multi-cultural kids. Great context and help in understanding Japanese norms and culture. 

Our Itinerary

Four nights in Tokyo (Airbnb in Harajuku)

We decided to go with Airbnbs in Tokyo over hotels. Mainly, this was for price and convenience. But staying in Airbnbs also allowed us to see what locals live like versus just seeing the inside of another hotel. This Airbnb apartment was literally a two-minute walk from Harajuku Station.

I think Harajuku is a perfect base location for exploring the western side of Tokyo. Most importantly for a first-time visitor, Harajuku doesn't feel overwhelming. It's scale and size is very approachable. Harajuku Station is small and easily navigable. It's a walkable district unto itself, with the youth fashion center of Takeshita-dori as its focal point. It's also adjacent to Yoyogi Park and Meiji Shrine, and it's just a couple of minutes to Shibuya or Shinjuku on the Yamanote Line.

Highlights from our first four days based in Harajuku:

• Early morning (jet lag!) walk through Meiji Shrine
• Nezu Museum 
• People watching and eating desserts on Takeshita-dori 
• Exploring Shibuya and the famous crossing 
• Eating amazing Ramen in Harajuku and Shinjuku
• Tokyo Government Building observation deck for a view of the city
• Authentic Korean BBQ in Tokyo's Koreatown near Shin-Okubo Station
• Walk through Gyoen National Garden
• Visit thrift markets and the Totoro Cafe near Shimo-Kitazawa Station

Had the awe-inspiring Meiji Shrine grounds nearly to ourselves at 7 a.m. Free to visit, but make an offering at the shrine.

Also awe-inspiring: the view from the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building. Free to visit.

One night at Takaragawa Onsen (Osenkaku Annex Building)

For our onsen experience, we chose a place highly recommended by a close friend who has been to Japan many times. Nestled in a narrow river valley in the mountains north of Tokyo is Takaragawa Onsen. The setting and ambience of this place is pure bliss, and makes it completely worth the 1.5 hour trip from Tokyo (1 hour on bullet train, 30 minutes on hotel shuttle).

The highlights are basic here!

• Soak and relax in natural hot springs next to the river
• Traditional Japanese dinner and breakfast
• Sleep on traditional futon
• Notice that the hillsides are dotted with still-blooming cherry trees

Takaragawa Onsen. Cool mountain air + roaring river + hot springs = bliss

Four nights in Kyoto (Airbnb in Higashiyama)

For Kyoto, we decided again to stay in an Airbnb. We chose an apartment at Higashiyama Station, which would give us easy walking access to the major shrines and temples of the area, the Gion district, and the Pontocho area, and would also give us quick access via subway to other areas of interest.

• Explore the major temples of eastern Kyoto
• Hike up Fushimi-Inari through the endless red torii gates
• Walk the streets of Gion at night
• Eat in a 500-year-old soba shop
• Eat more *really* amazing ramen
• Explore Nishiki Market
• Visit the Train Museum
• Visit the bamboo grove and temples of the Arashiyama district
• Especially impressive was Tenryuji Temple and its gardens
• Take the train to Kurama and hike up to the temple, where cherry blossoms are still in full bloom (see photo above)!

Looking out over Kyoto from Kiyomizu-dera

The atmospheric streets of the Gion district at night

Morning at the Arashiyama bamboo grove

One night in Osaka (Hotel Cross)

The one night in Osaka was fun, but maybe not really worth it given all the time we had spent (and still would spend) in Tokyo. All we did here was walk the Dotonbori district on a busy Friday night and enjoy some okonomiyaki. The next day, we headed back out for Shirakawa by way of Kanazawa. In retrospect, the one night here was probably a bad move. On the plus side, the hotel where we stayed--really the only hotel we used for the whole trip--had an incredible breakfast buffet. Way, way better than necessary. If you're looking for a great hotel in Osaka, Hotel Cross might be it.

• Try okonomiyaki
• Explore the Dotonbori district at night
• Enjoy a way-better-than-necessary breakfast buffet

Okonomiyaki in Osaka. I thought it would be crisp or crunchy, but it was mostly a delicious gooey mess.

One night in Shirakawa-go (Shiroyamakan)

If forced to pick just one experience as the highlight of the trip, it's this. The family who run Shiroyamakan are the friendliest, most hospitable people ever. And the kaiseki meals they served us for dinner and breakfast remain the singular best dining experience of my life, hands down. Every element of the multi-course meals was exquisite. An absolutely sublime experience.

• Stay in an authentic ryokan
• Enjoy the cool mountain air and rustic setting
• Learn about the unique culture of a UNESCO World Heritage Site farming village
• Have traditional kaisei style dinner and breakfast
• Tour of the town by hotel owner
• Soak in indoor onsen down the street after dinner

Overlooking the small farming town of Shirakawa, a UNESCO World Heritage Site

Dinner at Shiroyamakan = Heaven

Four nights in Tokyo (Airbnb in Ginza)

Because our first stay in Tokyo was focused on exploring the western parts of the city (Shibuya, Harajuku, Ebisu, Shimo-Kitazawa, Shinjuku), I felt we should choose a more eastern home base to explore that side of the city during our final stay. I chose Ginza because it's central, gave us easy access to destinations north and south, and seemed like a fun district to explore on foot given all the shopping. The only real disappointment here was the Airbnb apartment we rented was really, really small. After the great and relatively affordable hotel in Osaka, I felt like I should have just paid a few more bucks for a roomier and more comfortable hotel in Ginza. Ah, well. 

• Explore department stores of Ginza
• Visit Asakusa market and temple
• Stroll through Roppongi and stumble across great dessert places
• Short day trip to Yokohama Chinatown for dim sum and walking the waterfront
• Explore Tokyo Station and Imperial Gardens

Fancy department store in Ginza incorporates Japanese aesthetic

At Asakusa's Senso-ji Temple

Top Highlights and Reflections

If I had to pick the top highlights from this trip, they would be:

• The entire experience at Shirakawa, but especially the hospitality and food served by the family at Shiroyamakan
• The temples and shrines of Kyoto, especially Tenryuji
• Takaragawa Onsen; sitting in the hot spring while the river roars by and the mist floats along the hillside dappled with cherry blossoms
• Strolling through Kenroku-en in Kanazawa, one of the Three Great Gardens of Japan

Kenroku-en in Kanazawa. I did not know gardens could be this beautiful.

All in all, for our first trip to Japan, I think we did a great job of putting a fun and memorable vacation together. Doing a fair amount of research made a big difference, and revealed things I wouldn't have otherwise found. We didn't do everything. We completely skipped Tsukiji Market in Tokyo. In Kyoto, we passed on the Golden Pavilion of Kinkaku-ji in favor of smaller temples that were closer to where we already were. But as we sat at the airport waiting to board our flight home, we were in complete agreement that this would have to be multiple return trips in the future; both to explore more deeply the places we'd visited as well as to see areas further out from the central Tokyo/Kyoto area.

Tips and Practical Things

If you're traveling between cities a bunch, you'll want to figure out if a JR Pass--which allows unlimited travel--is cheaper than buying individual tickets. Several websites have calculators that can help you estimate this; I like this one from japan-guide.com. We were happy buying our rail passes through JTB, which was recommended by friends. They mailed us our vouchers promptly. We did splurge for the Green Car upgrade, which I actually do recommend if you're traveling a bunch. You will appreciate the big, comfy first class seats.

The transportation system in Japan is a thing of beauty, and the crown jewel is the Shinkansen

The large, comfy seats in the first-class Green Car. About $150 extra for a two-week JR pass. 100% worth it.

When you arrive in Japan with a JR Pass voucher, you'll have to exchange it at a JR office for the actual pass and get it activated. With the Green Car upgrade, you'll also have to make seat reservations for the specific trains you want to take and get tickets for those. Since we had all of our exact travel details planned ahead of time we got our tickets printed all at once at the outset, eliminating the need for multiple stops at a JR office. (With a Coach Class unreserved JR Pass, you would skip this step.)

Our Green Car seat reservation tickets

A note on exchanging your JR voucher for the actual pass: Most people seem to do this at the JR office in their arrival airport. Depending on the time you arrive, you might the office busy with a very long line. When we found what I estimated to be at least an hour wait at the Narita Airport JR office--after a 10+ hour sleepless red eye flight--I decided to go another route. Because our trip was a day longer than the 14-day rail pass, we knew either we'd pay extra for the first Narita Express trip in to the city or the return trip back to the airport. So we decided to buy single tickets for the trip in and activate the pass on our second day in Japan.

This allowed us to show up at the Shibuya Station JR office about 15 minutes before it opened, and be seen in just minutes. Something to consider!

Google Maps was a lifesaver in Japan, both with great street-level data but also with transit instructions. They even have pretty good station diagrams that can come in handy when you're in labyrinthine Shibuya or Shinjuku stations. Pro-tip: You can click the different floors of the station to see the layout for each; I'd never seen this in the U.S. before.

In Google Maps, zoom in and click the numbers on the left to view different floors of train stations, malls, etc.

I highly recommend studying the subway map in Tokyo before you go. It helps so much to have a sense of the layout of the city and where your destinations are in relation to each other.

Understand that popular restaurants often have waits during lunch. The wait is worth it. Just hang in there!

I hope this helps and thanks for reading!

-Kevin