Japan - Paul S
September 2023, solo trip
General tips
Bring a little coin purse or buy one there, you'll have a ridiculous amount of coins since you'll be dealing in cash a lot.
Try to have 1,000 yen bills as they're easier to work with 10,000
Some of the pachinko (gambling) spots have things where you can exchange 10,000 for 10 1,000 if you have 10,000 bills and you don't know what to do with them
Family mart, 711, and Lawson are better than any convenience store in the US. Good for late night or very early morning snacks. I had some iteration of onigiri almost every morning.
These convenience stores almost always have an ATM machine. If your card doesn’t work in one store, try another. For some reason my card didn’t work with 7Bank at 711 but I had no issue with Family Mart/Lawson
The trains and subways are on time, all the time, every time. Don't be late
Especially the shinkansen, if you're 30 seconds late it's already left
Busses and tramways that use roads can be late because of traffic (especially in Kyoto).
Pocket wifi is ok, the service is pretty good but mine had a bad charger and sometimes wouldn’t charge all night. Get a esim if you can, it'll save your butt if your pocket wifi runs out of battery. I used Ubigi and didn't have an issue with it. It looked scammy but it wasn't, very legit.
The craft beer scene is outrageous, try any local craft beer that you can.
If you're taking the bullet train down to Kyoto try to get a window seat on the right side of the train to see Mt Fuji (and if you're coming up from Kyoto get a window seat on the left side).
If you're flying in/out of Narita, take the skyliner. It's fast, easy, and comfortable.
Japanese people are really stingy with reviews, I’ve seen them write stuff like “best ramen I’ve had, I come here every time in the area. 3/5” So don’t be afraid of eating places that have 3.5 star reviews, they’re probably really good.
Don’t just eat ramen and sushi, Japanese cuisine is so varied that you’d be missing out on so much food. For the first 8-9 days I eat something different for almost every single meal (except for the onigiri in the morning)
Here’s my two favorite YouTube channels I used to planning activities
Ueno + Tokyo
Tokyo subway is the best public transit system in the world hands down.
Look up how to be a good subway rider and not stick out.
The Tokyo rush hour is real and it's intense, try to not take the subway during those hours but if you have to then be ready to experience being in a can of sardines.
If you have a suitcase then use the subway not during peak hours or else you won’t be able to get on the subway, and if you do manage to get on the subway you’ll get a lot of angry looks.
Sumo wrestling is awesome, better to go post 1 pm for the better matches.
Tokyo national museum is cool, lots of cool japanese history
There's a teahouse in the gardens in the back that has an awesome vibe, would recommend
Ueno park has some nice little shrines and is a cool vibe
Akihabara is weird, lots of girls in maid costumes trying to get people into their cafes. If you're nearby, walking through at night is an interesting experience
I don’t recommend the imperial palace as most of it is closed
Ueno is an awesome area to stay in, close to Tokyo station so you're close to the shinkansen, and multiple subway lines in the area which make for easy traveling. The Kenty Skyliner also goes to Ueno from Narita which is super convenient
Ueno Ameyokocho is an awesome street and especially at night makes you feel like you're in Blade Runner. I stayed nearby and walked around every night I was there
Asakusa is cool at night, and also nice in the morning since they open up the temple so you can see inside. I heard it's fun like post 10am when all the little shops open but didn't have a chance to check it out
Asahi beer lounge (in the Asahi HQ) is a cool spot to drink some cheap beer and have a cool view of Tokyo.
Tsukiji Outer Market is overhyped but there is some good food so if you’re planning on going I'd recommend stopping by early in the morning and checking it out . Not worth it to spend too much time there.
The Tokyo government building observatory is awesome and a must do if you're in the area, plus it’s free!
Kamakura
Kinda wish I didn't take the Daibutsu Hiking Trail and spent more time in the various temples but the hike was ok otherwise
Giant buddha is awesome
Komachi-dori is a cool street and I recommend walking from the buddha to it to get some more peaceful vibes
Tsurugaoka Hachimangū Shrine is cool
Hökokuji Temple is cool, you can walk there or take the bus. Pay extra for the included tea since it's a chill vibe with all the bamboo
Enoshima
Enoshima shrine is cool
The main street through the town is nice to walk through
Eat shirasu and drink the beer
If you can find Enoshima beer, drink it, it tastes awesome
Love bell not worth checking out
Sea Candle is absolutely worth, great view. There’s a few restaurants at the top near the sea candle too that have good views of the cliffs.
Iwaya caves were alright, if you feel up to it then check it out, but if you don't have time don't feel bad if you miss out
Ferry service ends at like 4pm
Shinjuku is a cool vibe, worth just walking around and feeling it out
Meiji Jingu in Shibuya is cool, lots of tourists but still cool to check out
Yokohama is alright, probably would've been better if I wasn't there as early as I was, the Chinatown should be fun in the evening. Walking along the waterfront was nice
Hakone
Nice break from the city
Mt Kintoki is awesome, cool views at the top, take the regular trail up and the shrine trail down
There's a nice little shop/ramen thing at the top to buy food+souvenirs+water
The boat ride across lake Ashi is cool
Didn't really check out Owakudani like I planned too but I rode the gondola across it and it was a cool view
Hike the Old Tokaido road early in the morning and hike to Amasake Tea House. I got there at like 9 am and was the only one there. The hike alone through the road + the tea shop was a magical experience
Absolutely get the amasake tea and the chikara mochi, it's tremendous
Hakone open air museum was nice
The local craft beers in Hakone are excellent, would highly recommend trying them out
Beer Bar by Gora Brewery had an excellent Belgian white
Hakone checkpoint is an interesting spot to check out, it’s a recreated checkpoint on the Tokaido road
Monta Izakaya has amazing food
Kyoto
The public transit is not as good as Tokyo, so allocate more time between destinations
Bus system can be a pain in the ass. Try to stay somewhere near the subway lines
Sangen was an awesome ryokan and Yoshi is a great host
Also stellar view of the city from the top of his place
Kyoto craft beer is awesome, Kyoto breweries 6 day session IPA tastes great (and I don’t even like most IPAs)
Kiyomizu-dera is cool, very crowded during the day but still cool. Also visit in the morning before it gets busy to see it with less people
The streets around Kiyomizu-dera are nice to walk around. Very touristy but still cool
It’s also nice to walk around in the morning
Nishiki Market is a cool place to visit (better than Tsukiji Outer Market), nice place to walk around and sample a bunch of different foods
I didn't do Kyoto Imperial Palace because it’s closed on Tuesdays but Nijo castle is a good substitute and also cool
Manga museum is cool if you're into that stuff
Heian shrine is cool and nice to walk around, not as old but built in the similar style to celebrate 1100 years of Kyoto. Big complex garden, lots of walking.
Nanzenji temple is awesome, big temple so a lot to walk around
I also stumbled upon a little temple on the way called Kochi-ij temple. It was very cool. Try to find some little temples off the major path and you might be surprised at how cool they are. They'll have less people so it feels much more personal walking around
Philosophers path is a nice walk to check out if you're hitting up the temples on the Northeast side of Kyoto
Higashiyama Jisho-ji (Ginkakuji temple) is a cool temple at the end of the philosophers path. Great view of Kyoto at the top of the garden
Fushimi lnari is awesome, I walked the whole loop to escape the crowds. There’s no view at the top but being able to walk through it with only a few people made it worth it.
The Hozugawa River boat ride is awesome, and the open air train is cool too. The bamboo forest is alright (very touristy) but the viewpoint at the top of the forest of the river is good to check out.
Ninna-ji is a nice temple to check out and Ryoan-ji is cool too
Pontocho street is awesome and has such a cool vibe, I had wagyu twice at Hamburg Labo and it was such an awesome vibe. Probably my favorite restaurant in Japan.It’s super small with only 8 seats so very cool experience being so close to the chef and the kitchen
Kamogawa River is a nice place to walk along and during the evenings, after work hours a lot of people hang out there and it's a cool vibe.
Hiroshima
Atomic bomb memorial is a must do. The museum is cool and definitely a place to spend at least an hour going through
The atomic bomb dome is a must see as well
I think Hiroshima style okonomiyaki is better than Osaka style, so try it out for yourself to compare
Hiroshima is known for their oysters, have them grilled, raw, or fried
Nagarekawa street is like Ueno Ameyokocho, so check it out and eat some food/get some drinks there. Hiroshima also has a good craft beer scene
Hiroshima castle is a nice little stop after the atomic bomb museums. The building has been reconstructed since it got destroyed but the inside is a nice museum. Shows you how big the castle grounds used to be
Miyajima island is awesome, a must do it you're in Hiroshima
I took the boat from the atomic dome, which was 2200 yen but was fast to get to the island and has nice views of the city/islands along the way
Tryout the momiji manju, Miyajima island is known for them. I liked them fried the most
The floating Torii gate and Floating Water temple are cool and a must do on the island.
The 5 story pagoda is awesome and you can walk around the inside for like 100 yen so check it out
Mt Misen was awesome, probably my favorite thing on the island. The hike took me 50 minutes to get up (I was also hustling) because the cable car was closed due to weather, but the view was spectacular at the top. You get a full 360° view of Hiroshima bay
Osaka
It’s a good hub city to use to travel to other nearby cities
Not a lot to do within Osaka itself
Nightlife is very good
Dotonbori is poppin until the late late hours. I'd recommend just walking around once in the evening to get the vibe of the place if you’re not planning on drinking. Make sure you stop by Ebisubashi Bridge, it feels like you’re in a middle of an anime
Sumiyoshi Taisha Shrine is cool, oldest Shinto shrine in Japan
Shitennoji Shrine is alright but they have cool shrines inside the courtyard with big statues and stuff
Tsūtenkaku area is alright except for the tower, very touristy but it does have a good view of the surrounding area
Abeno Harukas is awesome at night, they have a cafe at the top and open air seating area that has an awesome view of Osaka. I only went during the night but I bet the day time would also have a great view
The fee to get in is like 1,200 yen, personally I think it’s worth it
Himeji Castle
This castle is awesome, it's way bigger than you expect and it's cool that they didn't turn it into some weird museum. So you can still walk around a lot of the original-ish stuff (a lot of stuff gets rebuilt because of fires in Japan). Highly recommend doing a day trip to check it out
Osaka castle
Very meh
Looks cool on the outside but the inside is a renovated museum
View at the top is nice though
Koyasan
It's awesome, I wish I could've spent more time there
It’s nestled in the mountains and takes 2 hours from Osaka so it feels secluded
Cooler weather than Osaka since it's in the mountains
Daimon gate is cool because you also get a cool view of the surrounding mountains nearby
Danjo garen area is ridiculous, the temples and buildings are huge
Walk around and discover some stuff for yourself, it’s a very easy town to do so
Okunoin cemetery to Kobo Daishi Mausoleum is an absolute must. It's unlike any place I've ever been. Nicest/best graveyard I've ever seen haha. The little shops and stuff in that area close at like 4? But screw the shops, get to the start like 1-1.5 hours before sunset and walk through it. The light coming through the top and the lamps turning on makes it surreal
Nara
Good day trip, a lot more to do than just deer there (although there are a ridiculous amount of deer)
Went to the Aka Tombo cafe and met the super cool Australian owner, he gave me this route to do that I followed (in this order). It's a big loop so it covers most of what Nara has to offer
Sarusawa pond
Kofukuji
Yoshikien garden
Todaiji
Nigatsudo
Mt Wakakusa
Kasugen taisha
Ukimido
My favorites from that were Todaiji (giant Buddha) and Mt Wakakusa
The giant Buddha is ridiculous, it dwarfs the Buddha in Kamakura, and the wood building its house in is huge too. A must do if you're in the area
Mt Wakakusa has an awesome view of the surrounding area so definitely check it out
The deer are fun to feed, it only costs 200 yen for a stack of crackers so definitely do it a few times if you can. The way they bow is funny
Ikebukuro + Tokyo
Mt Takao is a good break from the city
Good views from the top, easy and quick-ish hike
There's food and water at the top
Take route 6 up and then take route 1 down to check out the temples. Also probably take the cable car down after the temples since you don't wanna go straight downhill for a mile since it might wreck your knees
Kawagoe is overhyped, very touristy so it doesn't feel like the "little Edo" it claims to be
I just walked around and eat the street food and hit up 1 small museum
They have a festival every year in October, so maybe then it'd be worth checking out?
Kichijöjii also isn't that cool, not much to do there other than walking around a small park and maybe hitting up the studio ghibli museum if you're into that
Although the museum might be reservation only or something? Check ahead of time if you don't want to get burned
Tokyo Dome for baseball is awesome, it's way more fun than American baseball as a spectator. If you are able to see a game then I highly recommend it
Tokyo dome isn't the only good place to watch baseball in Japan, basically any big game in a big stadium will be a good time. The home and away cheer sections cheer nonstop the entire game, it's awesome
