7 Day Japan Itinerary

As usual, Hassan and I had one week to cram a new travel destination in.  Hassan is a lover of sushi and all things Dragon Ball Z so it was only a matter of time before we hit up Japan. Truthfully, Japan had never really been on my bucket list so it wasn’t a place I knew much about, but now I’m so glad it was on Hassan’s.  Although we stayed on the move to see as much as we could I definitely wish we had more time in Japan, there’s just so much to do!  Each city is completely different than the next and while we spent 7 days there I would recommend at least 10 if you’re planning a trip.

When to Go/What to Wear:

A few years ago we had visited the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens right around cherry blossom season so I knew that when we finally did make the trip to Japan I wanted it to be during Sakura.  Timing such a trip is tricky since the blossoms are not exactly predictable and this year they had bloomed early, but thankfully we caught a beautiful festival in Osaka.  With this in mind we went to Japan the first two weeks of April and the weather was crisp requiring a light jacket everywhere we went.  If you plan your trip in April there was also light rain although I wouldn’t waste packing space on umbrellas when you can just buy some cheap ones on the street.

Tokyo:

We landed in Tokyo and when we went to check in, found out that I had booked the hotel as if we were arriving a day prior. For all my intense itinerary planning, I had cut our already short 2-day stay in Tokyo to one.  Can’t believe I had forgotten that traveling to that side of the world meant I would lose a day ugh. Needless to say, I was worried and a little devastated that the little planner in me had made such a boo-boo.  Hassan took it all in stride though and gave me absolutely no grief about it (note to self: next time he makes a mistake, just roll with it).  We quickly got ready and around 9pm went to the Park Hyatt Hotel since I’d read about the gorgeous views from the bar which can be seen in the movie Lost in Translation.  The ambiance was just as I had imagined with a live jazz band playing, but after a few minutes we were itching to see a more authentic Japan.

That night we strolled the streets near the Shinjuku station and found several restaurants that were frequented by local businessmen after work.  We had our first sushi after a lot of “No you tell me where you want to eat” and walked around some more. We stumbled upon the alleyways of Golden Gai- the Golden District.  This area has an older charm compared to the modern skyscraper architecture of the rest of Tokyo. There are more than 200 small eateries and bars with most venues only able to hold approximately 10 guests.  This creates a friendly environment with the few others who are visiting that several times include other travelers and ex-pats. While we were there we met people from London, Sydney and Mumbai- receiving their recommendations on places not to miss in Japan.  Golden Gai is one of those experiences not to be missed when visiting Tokyo.

Our only real day in Tokyo we woke up early and went to the Tsukiji Fish Market, the biggest fish market in the world.  We couldn’t wait to try the fresh fish and had sushi for breakfast.  There are tons of different stalls with all kinds of seafood that we ate up too.

After getting our fill we took the subway to Sensoji Temple.  We used public transportation for most of the trip and the train schedules were easily accessible via Google Maps.  Sensoji is the famous red temple and we decided to only visit one temple since we didn’t think visiting multiple would be feasible.

From Sensoji we went to Akhibara.

Akhibara is the district of anime and video games- aka Hassan’s dream land.  Hassan played a few games at the Sega arcade while I people watched. Afterwards we went to a few of the collectible stores to buy Dragon Ball Z figurines as gifts for our siblings.  We had so much fun picking out the different characters and even though I don’t watch the show I was getting into it too.

For lunch we ate Ramen at Afuri in Harajuku. There was a line out the door so we knew it was going to be good.  The place is tiny, but the line moved fast as you order from a ticket vending machine and watch while they make your ramen. We then went into the streets of Harajuku, an area known for its colorful shops and fashion.

Continuing our jam-packed day, we went to the famous Shibuya Crossing known to have more people crossing at any given time than any other intersection in the world. We ended the evening at the Kawaii Monster Café, which I personally felt was overrated and a tourist trap.

Our last morning in Tokyo we went back to the Tsukiji Fish Market- it’s really that good! We followed this by going to the Sky Tower, which I would skip next time as it’s just another tall building.  We went to the Tokyo Midtown area and walked through the parks, reminding me a little of Central Park with the views of skyscrapers around you.  After looking up some lunch spots we were delighted to find Matsurokuya in Roppongi.  If you can make it here for lunch it is so worth it! 2000 yen (less than $20)  will get you an A5 Wagyu lunch set.  They only serve 30 bowls a day for lunch and we luckily didn’t have to wait in line. For reference, this same meal at dinner time costs 14080 yen (about $130).  So make sure to make it to Matsurokuya!

From Tokyo we took the Romance Car (an express train) at Shinjuku Station to Hakone.

Hakone:

In the late afternoon we arrived at Hakone, a beautiful area about 2.5 hours outside of Tokyo, known for Lake Ashi and nearby Mount Fuji.  I booked our night at Manatei Hakone to experience the ryokan (traditional Japanese inn) and onsen (natural hot spring bath).  I opted for a private onsen, but there are public baths as well that are separated by gender.  You shower before you enter the onsen and some facilities ban persons with tattoos for those of you considering the onsen experience.  Manatei Hakone was peaceful, surrounded by waterfalls and greenery.  We changed into yukata, a cotton kimono, once we arrived and left it on for the remainder of our stay.  The first night they provided us with a Kaiseki dinner: a multi-course meal with local, seasonal dishes.  It was not like any Japanese food I had ever tried before and definitely not for those with a weak stomach. We went back to our rooms and slept on futons (sleeping quilts); waking up to the mountain scenery as we sipped on tea. 

After breakfast, also provided by the hotel, we took a bus that stopped near the hotel for about a half hour to Lake Ashi.  I mentioned that two years prior Hassan and I had visited the Brooklyn Botanic Gardens, we talked about one day visiting Japan after seeing the makeshift garden and replica torii gate they have there. When we saw the actual Hakone shrine at Lake Ashi it was incredible.  I wish we had more time to explore this scenic and peaceful part of the country. There are so many layers to Japan and if you can take some to visit the Hakone region, it’s absolutely beautiful.

Osaka/Kyoto:

Last leg of the trip we traveled on the trains again to Osaka and stayed close to Tennoji station.  We enjoyed Osaka a lot and at night went to the Dotonbori area. Osaka is close to Kobe so the beef in the region is to die for. We ate all evening at the different stalls and finished up our first Osaka night at a Karaoke spot.  The next day I wanted to go see the cherry blossoms and luckily, we were there during the Hanami (flower viewing) held by the Osaka Mint Bureau.  Over 100 varieties of cherry trees can be viewed and it’s open to the public for one week in April.

A short walk away is Osaka Castle.  We took a tour of the inside but it has been renovated several times through the years so personally I felt seeing the outside was enough. 

From there we went to an owl café.  This was pretty cool, we were up close to the different owls and in a different room would sip on our coffee.  I even saw an owl that looked like Hedwig from Harry Potter! If cats are your animal there are so many similar spots that you can play with them too.

Day 2 in Osaka was actually a day trip to Kyoto. We again used the bullet train to get from Osaka station to Kyoto Station.  The first top in Kyoto was the Fushimi Inari Taisha shrine.  This is where the famous torii gates are.  There are so many people here, but with thousands of gates it’s possible to get the picture you want and still enjoy the walk which took us about 2 hours.

From there we went to the Arashiyama Bamboo Forest- you’ll get lost standing in the midst of the bamboo grove and a sense of stillness and calm envelops you.  The bamboo stalks reach towards the sky with hints of sunlight peeking through.  We walked through the maze and back in front of the station indulged in some matcha ice cream.   After the bamboo grove we went to Gion- this is the geisha district!  I wanted so badly to see a geisha, but this was apparently high season for them and due to all their appointments, they weren’t exactly walking the streets.  There is a show at Gion Corner which looks a bit theatrical that I saw several tourists head towards.  This wasn’t the experience I was looking for though, so next time I visit Kyoto I will definitely try and book a tea ceremony in advance.  Walking through the streets of Gion I felt like I was in a movie set, that entire district transports you to another time. 

We headed back to Osaka and couldn’t have asked for a better meal to end the night with.  Walking the streets of Namba in Dotntonbori Hassan actually let me pick a restaurant and so I chose Matsusakgyu Yakiniku.  What a treat this place was!  We learned that Matsusaka beef is considered the finest beef in Japan.  While we have all heard of Kobe beef, Matsusaka is only served in certain restaurants in Japan and what the Japanese themselves prefer.  We loved our server, he had spent some time in Canada so was really able to explain what we were eating and how it should be cooked.  If you’re in Osaka, I would definitely go here to eat!

All in all, I can’t say enough about Japan.  I thought the people were warm, inviting and so polite. Any train we went on someone always stood up to make room for the elderly, this is something that I rarely see in NYC.  Language is a slight barrier, but when you are looking for directions on the subway there are several staff members ready to assist and some have iPads open that they use a translation app on. The food was incredible, no gimmicks with the sushi or the beef- just delicious pieces.  The toilets, on the other hand, do have a lot of gimmicks, you can even push a button to listen to some music. There are no garbage cans to be found, and surprisingly no garbage on the streets either.  Anytime you eat from a stall you actually hand the food back to the vendor and he throws it out for you.