Tokyo - 7 days

Lodging

• Hotel Yuni Star-Club
• A very comfortable place to stay and in a convenient location. The staff is extremely friendly and always looking for ways to help during your stay. Though not large, the beds were the most comfortable during our entire Japan trip. It was extremely quiet at night, fantastic for a good night of sleep. Everything you'd expect for the shower and bathroom, with all toiletries (even toothpaste) and slippers included. One thing worth noting is there is no shower curtain, so the bathroom floor and sink get wet. This required deliberate logistics with the slippers and drying of feet to prevent the room floor from getting wet when walking out of the bathroom.
• This room was more spacious compared to the average in Tokyo. It is only blocks away from multiple metro lines, a grocery store, and multiple restaurants. There is also a laundry room on the bottom floor of the hotel with multiple coin-operated washers and dryers. This was perfect for doing laundry at the midpoint of our trip before leaving for Osaka.
• Overall, a highly recommended and affordable option for Tokyo.
• Sotetsu Fresa Inn Ginza Sanchome
• Because it is close to Tokyo Stations, this hotel was great for the last night in Tokyo at the end of the trip before departing home the next day. They allow for early check-in of luggage to go exploring without your luggage.
• The location is much more central near Tokyo Station, and it's nice, but the rooms are much smaller than Hotel Yuni Star-Club.

See and Do

• Meiji Jingu shrine
• Located in a large and peaceful park to walk through, this was a nice shrine to visit. Walking through the park was very relaxed and as enjoyable as seeing the shrine.

• Explore the indoor shopping, like Daimaru Tokyo
• This was one of the memorable aspects of visiting Tokyo. The density and volume of stores and restaurants, assembled into indoor shopping malls, was really fun to explore. Daimaru alone is 13 floors of shopping and food and was an absolute maze to try navigating - almost overwhelming but in a really fun way!
• Great option for rainy days.
• Omoide Yokocho (Piss Alley)
• Fun tiny alley to visit for dinner and bars. Yokitori is a popular option here, but you may need to wait a while to be seated.
• Walk Shinjuku City
• Main streets decorated with bright lights and anime billboards, small streets (like Piss Alley and Golden Gai) peppered with bars and hole-in-the-wall restaurants. Lots to see and explore here.
• Don't miss Godzilla lurking behind you!

• Walk Chua-dori in Ginza
• Chuo-dori, Ginza's main shopping street, is closed to cars from 12–6 PM on weekends and national holidays. From October through March, the closure is from 12–5 PM. This area is called "pedestrian heaven".
• This is a very nice street to walk, people watch, and explore the stores as you go.

• Walk Marunouchi Naka-Dori Ave
• A pretty street closed to cars 11AM to 3PM on weekdays and from 11AM to 5PM on weekends and holidays.
• Home to art, shops, and food.
• Walk the Imperial Palace grounds
• Head towards the Imperial Palace through the Kokyo Gaien National Garden for a beautiful route to get to the grounds.
• Don't miss the famous Nijubashi Bridge.

• Visit the Harry Potter store
• Fun store to visit for all Harry Potter fans. Try on the Sorting Hat!
• There are reviews online that say you need a reservation or ticket, which looked to be true for the main front entrance because there was a long line outside. However, if you go to the right side there is another entrance people can walk in freely. It was not clear what the other entrance is for.

• Walk the sloped Sakurazaka street
• Scenic street for cherry blossoms and holiday lights.

• Walk through Ameyoko
• A fun spot for dinner and drinks, this pedestrian area packed with shops, restaurants, and people was memorable. It was unique to see restaurants and outdoor dining directly under the train track infrastructure.

• Shibuya City
• Lots to see here, just walk all over. The Nintendo store, Shibuya Crossing, Tower Records, Disney store.
• Walk Nakamise-dori
• Brimming with visitors, you'll find no shortage of shops and street food. Start at Kaminarimon and make your way to the Sensō-ji temple. Be sure to explore the covered alleys that criss-cross with the main path.
• Walk Akihabara
• Be ready to play some arcade games. Lots of arcades and vending machines for toys and figurines. There are a number of stores that sell retro video game consoles like Sega, Nintendo, and Gameboy. Don't miss the Mandarake Complex for many floors of anime and manga collectibles, books, and more.

Food

• Uogashi Nihon-Ichi - standing sushi bar
• Loved this place. The fish was very good, portions were filling, and was under $10 per person! Ate one time standing, and another time sitting at a table.

• Curry bread from 7-Eleven
• Like a curry-filled savory donut. SO good.

• Ohagi and ice cream at Kanmi Okame
• Traditional Japanese desserts, this place is a hidden gem!

• Due Italian | Ramen-Italian fusion
• This was too intruiging not to try, and it was good. Interesting combination of two fantastic cuisines. The flavors went surprisingly well together, though still preferred traditional ramen over this.

• Shabu Shabu at Nabezo
• A favorite from this trip, possibly the best meal. Buffet style and great for meat, veggie, and ice cream lovers! Not a cheap meal, but SO worth it.

• Beef tendon curry
• Run by a very nice husband and wife, serving a tasty and filling curry dish in a true hole in the wall for a great price! Seating for about eight people and very local.

• Unagi at Unatoto
• A quick stop for a tasty eel and rice bowl for a very affordable price.
• Ramen at Menya Shono
• Awesome ramen for a very affordable price, and the predecessor of the famous Mensho Tokyo in San Francisco!

Transportation

• The metro system and some walking is all you'll need to get around. Life is much easier with a Suica card or Pasmo Passport card so that you don't have to purchase individual tickets. Narita International Airport sells both. They are both very similar, see more on that here. The big thing to plan for is you can only refill these cards with cash, so be ready with enough cash throughout your trip to keep funding your card.
• Tickets for the bullet train can be purchased online (though wasn't able to get it to work) and in Tokyo Station. You can purchase the day of your trip, however seating will likely be less available so it's recommended to purchase a couple days in advance to get seats together. Credit card is accepted when purchasing with the machines at the station.

Tips

• Other than for metro rides, credit card is accepted just about everywhere. One noteable exception is some restaurants use a ticket vending machine to order your food before sitting down, and these were sometimes cash only.
• ATMs are plentiful to keep cash on hand. Use a no-fee debit card like the Charles Schwab debit card (more on that here).
• As part of the very respectful and polite culture of Tokyo, it is considered rude to speak loudly on metro rides.
• When walking or using stairs and escalators, stay on the left side.
• Don't cross streets when the lights are red, the traffic lights are strongly obeyed.
• When exploring the malls, allocate extra time to find specific stores inside. Google Maps is not always clear, and they are often mazes so it may take some time to find places.
• If you're taking the bullet train from Tokyo to Osaka or Kyoto, sit on the right side of the train to see Mt. Fuji!

Osaka - 2 days

Lodging

• Exe Higashi-Shinsaibashi
• This was a very nice and comfortable "hotel". It felt more like an Airbnb because there is no front desk, or staff in general managing the property. You just enter with a code and get your key from a lockbox, which was great. The room was really nice as well. Spacious and modern rooms with a full kitchen and a large bathroom, which was the highlight due to the large walk-in shower.
• The location was very convenient with the metro about four blocks away.

See and Do

• Walk Dotonbori
• This was a really fun and busy place to walk around at night. Lots of people, stores, and food to check out.

• Osaka Castle
• One of the Osaka highlights, this castle was beautiful and the overall park was really pleasant to walk through. Inside is a museum with many floors of historical exhibits and an observation deck at the top.

• Shitenno-ji
• Check out this Buddhist temple on your way to Shin Sekai. Don't miss the statues welcoming you through one of the entrances.
• Walk Shin Sekai "New World"
• Another decorated and busy area to walk around and explore stores and food.

• Walk Umeda
• Nice area to walk around. It really stood out at night with the lighting through the streets in November.

Food

• Matasaburo
• This is a higher end restaurant for very good beef - splurge meal. You can order from some pre set meal options or order a la carte. The mid-price pre set option was very good, with a variety of beef options. Standouts were some of the thin beef slices and the desserts (standouts for the whole trip).
• You'll want to make a reservation in advance, not sure if walk-ins are allowed.
• Limited English speaking staff, but got by fine with Google Translate.

• Melon Bread
• Another standout dessert, this melon bread ice cream sandwich was SO good.

• Hanakujira honten
• Oh boy, now this was a standout meal from all of Japan! Extremely local hole in the wall place for delicious oden. Try everything, it was so tasty. Expect a long wait to get in and pay with cash.

Transportation

• Similar to Tokto, the metro system and some walking is all you'll need to get around. Use your Suica card or Pasmo Passport card so that you don't have to purchase individual metro tickets.

Tips

• Most places accept credit card but have cash available for the occasional cash-only restaurant and for refueling your transit card.
• Osaka was distinctly different from Tokyo's norm of being quiet on the metro - speaking normally was common here.
• ATMs are plentiful.

Kyoto - 4 days

Lodging

• Resi Stay Mayu Grace Hotel
• A comfortable, modern, and more traditional hotel in that it had a receptionist and lobby area where you can sit. The room was very quiet for a great night of sleep and spacious with a full kitchen.
• A highlight was the large dedicated bathtub room (separate from the sink and toilet). Nothing like a good soak after a long day of walking!
• Safe place to leave your luggage before checkin or after checkout.
• Blocks away from fantastic ramen (see below), convenience stores, metro stop, and 20min walk to the Nishika Market area.
• Momijiya Honkan Takaosansou
• This is not a cheap stay, but worth experiencing a ryokan
• There were highlights and lowlights to this stay. The staff was very friendly and helpful, rooms were spacious and comfortable, beds were very comfortable, and rooms were peaceful with a nice view of nature.
• The private open-air hot spring bath was very relaxing and fun. Being naked and outside in a hot-spring bath looking into the mountains was a really nice experience. Be warned though, the water is very hot.
• The hotel also provides shuttle transportation to a metro station when you're departing, as well as pickup to get to the hotel but a bus was more convenient for getting there from the main area in Kyoto.
• What was disappointing was the food. Meals are all-inclusive during the stay, but it was the worst food during this Japan trip - every meal. Hopefully this was just an unlucky couple of days, but this was supposed to be one of the highlights.

See and Do

• Walk Nishiki Market
• Come with room in your stomach to graze as you walk. A very dense and narrow market of food and other shops to browse through. Make your way to the Shijo-ohashi Bridge.

• Walk Hanamikoji Street
• From the bridge, walk through the historic district with traditional buildings and restaurants. You may even spot a geisha on the go.
• Yasaka Shrine and Maruyama Park
• Balance out the shops and urban walking with some green space checking out the shrine and then walking through the park.
• Arashiyama Bamboo Forest
• This is touristy, but it's a nice change of pace and scenery. A pleasant park to walk through.
• See the temples
• Kinkaku-ji - a beautiful temple and surrounding grounds, this was one of the standout temples in Kyoto.
• Kiyomizu-dera - a unique temple with an iconic view.
• Eikan-dō - very picturesque grounds to walk around.
• Nanzen-ji - large complex, be sure to see the distinct Nanzen-ji Sammon Gate.

• Fushimi Inari Taisha
• Cool and unique shrine to hike through. Lots of uphill but a nice challenge to conquer.

• Spend a night at a ryokan
• Don't miss the unique experience of staying in a traditional Japanese inn with the tatami-matted rooms and nemaki clothing. Taking a hot bath during your last night in Kyoto after all of the walking will feel great.
• See lodging above for details on Momijiya Honkan Takao Sansou Mountain Villa Ryokan and do your research to find the best option for you.

Food

• Gouriki
• Hands down some of the best ramen, contender for best meal of the trip. They serve a Tan Tan Ramen (Tantanmen) which is a Japanese ramen noodle soup adapted from the Chinese Sichuan dan dan mian.
• The main ramen dish comes with a side of dry rice, meat, and egg to mix with the broth leftover from the main dish. Everything was just fantastic.
• Cash only using a vending machine for ordering at the entrance.
• Was good enough to eat here twice during the short time in Kyoto. 🤯

• Okonomiyaki Katsu
• Very friendly family-run restaurant serving unique dishes and cooked right in front of you. You eat right off of the stove depending on where you sit!

• Kew custard donut
• This place is a little more posh and involved, but the donut is worth it. Reservations are typically required but it's possible to get a seat without one. They won't let you order anything to go, you must eat there and you must order a drink as well. Despite that, get the donut if you can because it was fantastic.

• Sushi no Musashi - Kyoto Station conveyor belt sushi
• One of our favorite meals in Kyoto. The sushi quality was great, it was a very fast and convenient meal, and the price was very good for how much you can eat. Not cheap, but still a good deal.

Transportation

• This was the one city where in addition to the metro and walking, the bus was needed for some destinations.
• The bus was always extremely crowded, so it may be difficult to get a seat. You also pay at the end when you get off, and it is cash only. The first time we road, we didn't know this and didn't have any cash but they just let us off.
• Similar to Toyko, tickets for the bullet train can be purchased online (though wasn't able to get it to work) and in Kyoto Station. You can purchase the day of your trip, however seating will likely be less available so it's recommended to purchase a couple days in advance to get seats together. Credit card is accepted when purchasing with the machines at the station.

Tips

• There are many temples and shrines. Consider spacing them out with variation between each, like with walks through nature, taking a break to eat, shop, or explore other types of destinations. This may help keep the novelty when visiting the many temples and shrines.
• Have cash available. ATMs were less plentiful than in Tokyo and Osaka but not that difficult to find.
• When walking or using stairs and escalators, stay on the right side. It is the opposite of Tokyo, which took a while to adjust back to.

Travel Day - 1 day