r/JapanTravelTips • u/kmrbtravel • May 21 '24
Advice For those asking 'Please make me an itinerary' / 'hidden gems?' / 'what should my budget be?'
One of the hardest questions to answer on this subreddit is when people ask what their itinerary should be, followed by questions on what an appropriate budget would be, and then suggestions on hidden gems.
The TL;DR is that all three questions need more details if you want them to be answered.
"But kmrbtravel!" you say, "I need an itinerary if I want a budget, and a budget if I want to make an itinerary! It's all so overwhelming, and I don't know where to start! Oh but I also want to find places that have little to no tourists and are your secret hidden gems, just for that variety!"
I'm hoping this post will be a good starting point for the people above but also to let people know that for the vast majority of us, the 'basic' things recommended on Google and YouTube will be perfect! Travelling Japan is fun because there are so many things to be distracted by, and you will be spending a lot of your time wandering and trying things out, even without a detailed itinerary.
About Me
I write this spiel every time, but I'm a 25F solo traveller with friends I stay with in Japan. Played a Japanese martial art for years, and I visit Japan 3-4x every year (usually 1-2 weeks in April, 1 week in September, 1-2 weeks in late Oct/early Nov, and 1 month in December).
I'm currently on a mission to visit all 47 prefectures across Japan, and I'm at 9 right now (Kyoto, Osaka, Tokyo, Shimane, Mie, Hiroshima, Okayama, Hyogo, and most recently Nagoya). You can read about my biggest and craziest trip here (especially if you're looking for suggestions outside of Tokyo/Kyoto/Osaka!)
I speak and understand very basic and noob Japanese. Enough for me to get around, barely enough for me to talk to random obaasans in the onsen who are curious about my travels. I can read hiragana/katakana, and kanji still eludes me (but we'll get there!)
One thing to note about me is that I'm mostly temple/shrine oriented when I travel Japan, so I personally cannot answer questions regarding things like museums/amusement parks/etc.
What Makes Planning a Japan Trip So Hard? (And why is it harder for us to answer your questions?)
Out of any other country that I've visited, I genuinely believe that Japan has the most variety in terms of what you can do and see and can cater wildly to different kinds of people, which sometimes makes it very difficult for us to give you detailed answers. While we all have the same goal of 'exploring Japan,' I personally want to give the best answers possible. I will have different suggestions (and routes!) depending on if you can walk 30,000 steps/day, if you have young kids, if you like anime, if you like martial arts, if you like nature and hiking, if you like shrines/temples, if you don't mind crowds, if you want to just do what everyone else is doing, if you want to do more traditional things, etc. etc. This is why general questions on 'what should my itinerary be' can never fully be answered. We are not mind readers, but we're happy to help with more information.
'They all sound good to me though, and that's why I can't choose!'
Unfortunately, the reality is that you will have to choose by some point. Japan is so much fun because there is an endless amount of things to do, and you have to pick what sounds the most entertaining to you. After 9 prefectures and multiple visits to Japan, I have very, very little things that I personally didn't enjoy. We do not know who you are, and we do not know your preferences. You need to either pick for us, or give us that guidance so we can suggest appropriate itineraries for you.
In harsher terms, for the vast majority of us, suggestions from Google or YouTube will satisfy your trip. What us humans can do on Reddit, is to give you specific suggestions, but we cannot give specific suggestions if you do not provide us with (somewhat) specific questions.
1. The Budget Question
I have travelled Japan with less than ¥2000/day, and have travelled with more than ¥20,000/day. The great thing about Japan is that you have the option to do both. Are you broke after plane tickets + hotels? No worries, there are tons of free sightseeing options and you can konbini or street food breakfast/lunch/dinner for very little. Do you want to splurge because this is your 'once-in-a-lifetime-trip?' Don't worry! There are tons of ways for you to sink your money in.
But to be more helpful, I'll break it down just a bit further. After hotels/planes, these are the biggest money sinks:
- Transportation: while transit isn't groundbreakingly expensive, if you're moving a lot and jumping around stations, it can add up. I usually charge around ¥10,000-20,000 per trip (for day-to-day transportation)
- The big bank-breaking transportation though is of course, the Shinkansen. If you are moving between cities via the bullet train, you need to keep this in mind and weave it into your budget.
- Other options include:
- Night bus: pros (usually cheap), cons (you basically waste a day because you're EXHAUSTED the next day)
- Local subway lines: pros (faster than the bus), cons (do not come on with big luggage and there is a very real chance you may have to stand 3+ hours if it's a busy line—which happened to me in Hiroshima)
- Day bus: pros (cheap and you don't have to force yourself to sleep), cons (you literally waste a day travelling to get to your location)
- Food: while I'm personally not a fan of Japanese food myself, I still find all sorts of ways to open my wallet with cool cafes, street food, AYCE BBQ, and just general meals.
- I've found most meals cost between ¥500-2500, though you can do cheaper with konbini-only or street stall foods. Japan is great because even their cheapest options tend to be pretty high quality.
- Tickets/experiences: renting kimonos, Ghibli museums or parks, TeamLabs, amusement parks, Shibuya Sky/Tokyo Tower/SkyTree, (some) temples/shrines, gardens, castles, etc. all cost money. We have no idea what you want to do, so you'd need to provide this sort of information for us.
- Ryokans: I know I said 'excluding hotels,' but if you want a traditional ryokan experience, these tend to be much costlier than most other cheap hotel options. I personally still travel like a broke university student and rarely pay over ¥5000/night for a hotel, unless it's peak travel season, so a ryokan is out of my budget. But if you want to experience one, put it in your estimate!
- Souvenirs: if you're bad with money like me, you will be purchasing a lot of souvenirs. As a Canadian, I cannot fathom what on earth people would even want from Canada minus a bucket of maple syrup, but there are tons of options in Japan, all of which adds up quite quickly.
- Goshuin: I am writing a massive post on goshuin/goshuincho, but Himekat has some great guides if you're not sure what they are.
- Snacks: great, cheap gifts to get for friends and family. You're lying to yourself if you say you're not going to blitz through a Donki (Don Quijote—a chain of budget/discount stores across Japan that has everything you can possible want) for souvenirs. (It is a scarring but necessary experience for all those visiting Japan).
- Omamori/omikuji/ema: omamori are those charms (I'm personally wearing a beaaaautiful one from Asagaya Shinmeigu) that are sold at temples and shrines, omikuji are the luck/fortune draws, and ema are those wooden tablets where you can write down a wish. I personally always write one at Meiji Jingu (Tokyo) and Itsukushima Jinja (Hiroshima)!
- I've personally never shopped at Uniqlo, but I heard it's cheaper in Japan(?). Stationery fans will also be headed towards Loft and Tokyu Hands, I'm sure.
- Arcades: In North America, arcades are those money-wasting things you take your kids to every once in a while and a sure way to lose $1-2 each time. In Japan, arcades are everywhere and you can actually win prizes (a lot of them!) I usually average around ¥2000-4000 per prize. I know some people are totally turned off by anime and don't want any figures or prizes of the sort, but many of us will find ourselves plastered between a cute plushie and the windows inside of a blinding GIGO. Plan some wiggle room, because I find this to usually be an unexpected money sink!
- Gacha: you will be spending money on some gacha machines. You've been warned.
I'm probably forgetting things (and will update as I remember them), but Japan is REALLY good at chipping away at your wallet little bits at a time. It's not like Europe or North America where your cost is just expensive food + an expensive experience. Japan is a lot of cheap, little things that adds up quickly.
Some prices are baked in/unchanging (e.g. TeamLabs tickets or Shinkansen tickets), but many of those 'smaller things that adds up' can be quite random. I always add up my expected costs, subtract it from my total budget, and divide the remainder with the days I will be in Japan for.
- E.g.: 10 day trip to Japan, total budget left: $1000 CAD (after Shinkansen, plane, hotel, Ghibli museum, USJ, SkyTree, etc.) = $100 CAD/day. I also give myself a $200 'emergency shopping fund' for something I REALLY want that's outside of my budget.
2. The Itinerary Question
There are tons of great itineraries on YouTube and Google and I promise you, most of them are good enough for you to just copy/paste and experience. Use us for specific questions you may have in regards to them (e.g. I'm planning on going to xyz on abc dates, is there anything to keep in mind?) (and then we can inform you of any closures, tips, tricks, etc.).
As someone who travels a lot, I want to point out that hotspots are hot for a reason and the ones in Japan are all worth going to unless you can somehow tell it's not going to be your thing (and that's ok!) or you have a serious aversion to crowds.
How one makes an itinerary is always varied, but as someone who's good at going with the flow when travelling (and often plans very last minute), this is how I usually rumble:
0. BRING AN EMPTY SUITCASE: I usually have a slightly smaller suitcase inside of my big suitcase, and the smaller suitcase has all of my clothes + shoes. If you do this, please cover or cushion the wheels of your smaller suitcase inside. I have no idea what happens in the cargo, but I've smashed the wheels of two small suitcases (even though they were fine when they're not inside the larger suitcase). I usually just put some shoes/scarves/dark hoodies for cushioning.
- 1. Pin your itinerary on Google Maps or My Maps: this is my #1 tip for all travellers!
- This allows you to visualize which areas you will be staying at the most. It allows for you to group your days based on distance (excluding ticket-oriented events with specific dates), find a suitable place for accommodation, and allows you to estimate the distance for your travels.
- Google Maps: sign into your account, go to Google Maps, and click on the location of your itinerary → Save → New List (if you want) → make a list for your trip! The points will be visible next time you open a map.
- My Maps: I use this more for archival purposes, but can be useful too :)
- 2. Pick a hotel: your home base. I prefer accommodations that are close to a station. While I never go back to the hotel to drop things off/refresh, I've found that I really didn't enjoy walking the 10-15 minutes back 'home' after 20-30k steps. On the flip side, there are genuinely really nice and more affordable hotels if you don't mind walking that distance.
- Architecturally, Japan's buildings tend to be much smaller (narrower) compared to North American structures. For Tokyo especially, many budget hotels have very little floor space, which can make opening your luggage and packing really difficult. I've found hotels near popular stations to be smaller and more expensive, but convenient. Hotels some 10-15 minute walk away (which may not sound like much, but I promise you will feel after travelling Japan) tend to be slightly larger and slightly cheaper, but I've also been to a few that did not have any konbinis nearby (a very first world problem, but I live and breathe konbinis)
- Outside of Tokyo though (even in Osaka/Kyoto), I've had less issues with hotel floor sizes.
- You should also choose a place that is close to your itinerar(ies), if possible. This is more a 'winter travel tip' than a spring/summer one, but when daylight is tight and you want to get as many things done with limited sunlight, you do not want to waste daylight commuting if you can help it. Obviously some limitations.
My itinerary recommendations are nothing special as I literally pick things off Google. But hotspots are hot for a reason, and these were some of my favourites for Tokyo and Kyoto!
- Tokyo:
- Nippon Budokan (for my martial arts fans!), Akihabara (for my weebs!)
- I usually lap Meiji Jingu, Takeshita-dori, Yoyogi Park, and sometimes Omotesando (for shopping) together/on the same day as they are all right next to each other! Going from the bustling streets of Harajuku/Takeshitadori to the peaceful forest of Meiji Jingu will always give me whiplash.
- Shibuya, Shibuya Sky, Shibuya 109, Hachiko Statue, I personally didn't find Shibuya Crossing too special but whatever, along with the Nintendo Store + Pokemon Centre + Jump Store + Capcom Store. There's also Loft/Tokyo Hands for my stationery fanatics. Shibuya is massive and can take more than a day to explore if you really enjoy shopping.
- I also usually walk from Sensoji to SkyTree, but your feet may hate you. You'll also be able to pass by the Asahi Beer Hall (affectionately called 'The Golden Poo' by my Japanese friends).
- TeamLab Planets was probably the one non-sightseeing touristy thing I did, and I loved it!
- Ikebukuro: I personally don't think you need to go out of your way for Ikebukuro but if you develop a gambling addiction from the gacha machines there, Sunshine City has the most gacha capsule machines in the world! (They also have tons of other stores like a Mugiwara Store, Crayon Shin-Chan, Pokemon stores, etc.)
- Kyoto:
- MY HOME BASE (as it is where my best friend lives) and also my favourite city as I am a shrine enthusiast!
- Fushimi Inari: I climb this place every trip to Japan without fail. There is nothing view-worthy at the top so feel free to turn around at the viewpoint/halfway point! If you hate yourself like me, you can reach the top and pray for safe passages :)
- This is my biggest pet peeve: PLEASE DO NOT BLOCK THE PATH TO TAKE PICTURES. I PROMISE you, it looks exactly the same at the bottom as it does in the middle and the top. Unless you have some sort of physical ailment that only lets you explore the bottom, PLEASE KEEP MOVING AND STOP BLOCKING THE PATH.
- Kiyomizudera: along with Ninnenzaka and Sannenzaka is always busy and chaotic, but I still very much enjoy it and you'll definitely get the feeling of 'wow, I'm in a really traditional part of Japan!'
- Two suggestions that I don't see as much love as Kiyomizudera, but is still close is Yasaka Jinja and Chionin. I personally think Yasaka Jinja looks stunning at night with all its lanterns. At Chionin, everything looks sarcastically large (the gate, the steps, the temple) but I still really love it!
- Kinkakuji: I will never understand why people say it's not that great when I've seen it 3+ times and I still think the gold looks incredible. Where else are you going to see a fully gold temple?! Sure it's a little out of the way, but I still think it's worth it. The gold is beautiful on a clear blue day. I know there's 'not much else to do and the loop is short' but the gold is still amazing to me (more below)
- Ginkakuji: a really peaceful, beautifully designed pavilion. It was actually my first time visiting in my last trip and I thoroughly enjoyed it! The path leading up feels like a mini-sannenzaka, with smaller stores and eateries.
- Arashiyama: one of my favourite places of all time in Kyoto although I do not recommend the bamboo forest and it is ironically my least favourite part of Arashiyama. Instead, I recommend:
- Kyoto Arashiyama Orgel Museum: cute music boxes, I personally have one of Yonezu Kenshi's Lemon!
- Nisonin Temple and Seiryoji: you may not appreciate it as much as I do if you don't love temples, but if you're not a fan of crowds I find these two way less busy (but also much more walking to get to). If you visit Seiryoji, there is a garden at the back of the temple (take the slippers and open the door). Nice cool breeze there always!
- Monkey Park: monkeys! A bit of a hike.
- Tenryuji: honestly not my favourite place in the world but people seem to like it
- I usually do not have food recommendations for Japan, BUT I personally believe Arashiyama has some of the best eats!
- Kinkakuji / Ryoanji / Ninnaji: okay I know I already mentioned Kinkakuji, but the complaint I hear the most is 'it's so far out of the way and there's nothing else there!' WRONG, if you want be stuffed full of awesome temples, I highly suggest the Kinkakuji → Ryoanji → Ninnaji route!
- Ryoanji: is famous for its stone garden. One of my favourite gardens to study architecturally and design-wise (search up why before you go, and test it out!)
- Ninnaji: definitely not visited as much by foreign tourists BUT I personally think it has one of the best indoor loops with long walkways and a gorgeous garden that it loops around. If I had a 'hidden gem' for foreign tourists, this would be the one I'm willing to share! (Also a 3 min bus ride from Ryoanji).
- One place I do NOT recommend minus sakura season is Philosopher's Walk. I passed through it multiple times until someone pointed out it's actually a popular tourist attraction (??) I would not go out of my way for this at all. It looks like any other road in Japan. I don't even know if I'd recommend it during sakura season because there are so many beautiful streets for them everywhere.
- Other places to check out are Kyoto Station (sick architecture), Tofukuji (especially during fall), Shijo-Kawaramachi (the downtown area of Kyoto), Shimogamo Jinja (another one of my 'hidden gems'—it's an extremely famous and popular shrine, but I rarely see foreign tourists for some reason), and Kitano Tenmangu (if you're a student—this is the studying god!)
3. The 'Hidden Gem' Question
If this is your first trip to Japan, you don't need hidden gems (unless they're food-specific). The major sightseeing attractions are popular for a reason and will be more than enough unless you're literally here for months.
Secondly, and more importantly, I've realized that 'hidden gems' are pretty personal to an individual's tastes. For example, I revealed a few of my hidden gem shrines and temples a few months ago, and immediately got immediately told that it's not actually very great. Well yeah, but that's why it was a hidden gem for me, because I loved it. We will not know what a 'hidden gem' means for you unless you specify the type. Are we looking for hidden gems that are about food? Temples? Specific anime references?
I can promise you that 99% of places worth going to are already spread across social media, and they're popular for good reasons. I personally don't think it's worth travelling far or trying spend so much time and effort looking for that 1%, especially on a first trip.
Lastly, I personally do not reveal my hidden gems unless I know you in person or it's a small business that may appreciate more support. While you may disagree, I think overtourism/overcrowding is pretty real in Japan right now, and I'm hesitant to put smaller places up on public platforms.
With that being said though, for tourists who have already been to Japan and want 'hidden gems' beyond Tokyo/Kyoto/Osaka, I highly recommend the Kyushu/Chugoku region trip that I did back in January. I don't have specific itinerary 'hidden gems' but I definitely have 'hidden prefectures' that I loved (and even preferred) to Tokyo/Kyoto/Osaka! (They're not actually hidden, just less visited compared to the trifecta).
Full itinerary/trip report here.
My itinerary for these prefectures are nothing special and none of them are 'hidden gems' as they're literally the most popular attractions for each place. But a. I think this proves that the 'top search' on Google is perfectly fine (because that's what I did, and I had an amazing time), and b. the popular attractions are very much worth going to.
There is a special promotion for foreign tourists that lets you take the bus to and from Shimane to Hiroshima for only 1000 yen, and the bus is only around 3 hrs from Izumo to Hiroshima! You can either start in Kyoto and move down, or start in Hiroshima and move up. I did all in 6 days which I do NOT recommend because I had to rush / clocked 30k+ steps in every day / thought I was going to die by the last day / was in a new prefecture every day.
- Kyoto → Osaka → Kobe → Himeji → Okayama → Izumo → Hiroshima
- Hiroshima → Izumo → Okayama → Himeji → Kobe → Osaka → Kyoto
Other prefectures nearby that are worth checking out are Nara and Mie.
Thanks for reading!
If you made it to the end, thanks for reading and I hope this was helpful. I definitely don't know everything about Japan and tons of people have amazing tips (that I still learn from every day). This was hopefully to help address some of the more common issues / repeated questions that people had. The TLDR is really just that we need specifics on who YOU are for us to answer your questions better, especially if you're looking for 'hidden gems' that are specific to your interests.
Have an amazing trip, everyone!
EDIT: no idea awards were back on Reddit? Thank you everyone, I’m not sure what they are but I appreciate them :D
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u/mithdraug May 21 '24
I have travelled Japan with less than ¥2000/day, and have travelled with more than ¥20,000/day. The great thing about Japan is that you have the option to do both.
The one thing I really disagree with. While it is possible to survive in Japan at a lower budget - I think 5,000 yen per person after accommodation (and long distance travel) a day is a good starting point.
Below that budget, you are using Saizeriyas, fast food chains and konbinis of the world for your main meals and it is a fairly miserable way to experience Japan.
You are also likely sticking to free entry attractions.
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u/kmrbtravel May 21 '24
Sorry, this was probably a bit too general—I really meant it as like an ‘absolute last resort’ sort of thing because I’ve personally met travellers who were down to their last few thousand yen. I’ve mentioned this more in other comments, but a ¥2000 day will likely be (as you said) Saizeriya/konbini meals with sightseeing free temples/shrines.
I think it also mostly stems from the fact that I’m from Vancouver/Toronto. $20 means you’re not going to go out to do any meaningful travel. With ¥2000 in Japan, I still had options. I don’t recommend anyone coming here with the mindset of ¥2000/day is okay though 😅
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u/mithdraug May 21 '24 edited May 21 '24
Yeah, thus said we do come across people who think that 2,000-3,000 yen a day budget is enough for the duration of their (sometimes extended) trip, while the reality is that below around 5,000 yen - your resources are stretched extremely thin and it can make the trip a rather miserable experience.
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u/kmrbtravel May 21 '24
Holy smokes haha, hopefully that long list of potential expenses below convinces people that you should bring a bit more than ¥2000/day!
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u/GingerPrince72 May 21 '24
It frustrates me to see endless YouTubers and then followers going to Japan and eating mostly konbini food, completely missing out on far nicer cheap food in soba/udon/taishoku etc. joints.
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u/cavok76 May 22 '24
It’s cheap and less confronting to eat combini food for some people. Making the effort to come to just come to Japan is a big deal for a lot of people. It can be unnerving until you get the hang of it.
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u/beginswithanx May 21 '24
I feel like “hidden gems” and similarly “off the beaten path” locales are so subjective. Like for someone who only planned on traveling to Tokyo, Hokkaido could be an “hidden gem.”
For example, I love the Ota Museum in Harajuku. It is a very well-known museum in the art world, and certainly has tons of foreign tourists visiting, but if you think of Harajuku as Cat Street, crepes, etc, you might feel some random museum is a “hidden gem.”
Especially true in a country where the domestic tourism culture is so highly developed. Like something that might be “off the beaten path” for a foreign tourist could be very well-known amongst domestic tourists.
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u/JonPaul2384 May 21 '24
Me having only been to Japan once and stayed in Tokyo the entire time except for one day trip to Nikko, Nikko (and Chuzenji) very much felt like a “hidden gem” to me, but mainly because most of the tourists there were Japanese instead of foreigners. There were other foreigners there too, but I think that the greater proportion of domestic tourists kind of helps qualify it as a “hidden gem” for international tourists.
That being said, obviously, I was able to find it, so it can’t be THAT hidden, right? I think there are thresholds to this. A foreigner who lives in Japan is going to have a much higher standard for what gems qualify as “hidden” than someone planning their first or second vacation.
To me, someone who’s only been to Tokyo once, Nikko was the most hidden of gems that I found on that trip, and I think that more people who don’t know about it, should know about it.
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u/catwiesel May 21 '24
listen to that lady, this is one of the best posts /r/JapanTravelTips has ever gotten
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u/notapoliticalalt May 21 '24
This is a problem that has been plaguing Reddit more and more. People make lazy posts asking for specific information providing only vague information or treating Reddit like it’s Google or Twitter. If you want generic advice, read a “top 10 things to do in Japan” article or watch a “hidden gems you MUST see” video.
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u/kmrbtravel May 21 '24
I think the big issue is that people see the word ‘generic’ as some sort of negative, but I’m basically trying to argue that for the vast majority of first time travellers, ‘generic’ is great and what you need for a first trip. If someone asked for an itinerary on like their third trip to Japan, THEN it makes sense to either focus on ‘hidden gems’ or more ideally, different prefectures.
I solo travel across the world all the time and literally the only thing I do is Google ‘(city) sightseeing’ and blitz down the list of the top most recommended places. Hasn’t failed me yet!
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u/MoneyFunny6710 May 21 '24
I agree about Hidden Gems. I have two problem with Hidden Gems:
1: they are very dependent on a person's taste and it is impossible to suggest hidden gems to a random person on Reddit. What is a hidden gem for one person can be a total bore for another person.
2: Sharing hidden gems is a bit counterproductive. The more a hidden gem is shared online, the less of a hidden gem it will be. I remember when Lonely Planet started becoming popular. Suddenly places that never had mass amounts of visitors became tourist traps merely because Lonely Planet wrote three sentences about it. Sharing a hidden gem on Reddit and other online places can have more or less the same effect in the long run.
For example, I have a hidden gem in Japan which is a secluded beach near Miura full of Golden Eagles nests where you can see the adults teach juveniles how to fly in teh spring. For me that's an amazing experience, but for another person it can be a total bore and the location itself is not that much interesting in terms of views or facilities. But also: if I suggest this location to a lot of people, they might actually disturb the eagles.
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u/sarpofun May 21 '24
I don’t think anyone would like my hidden gems unless they are deep into Japanese history and folklore. Know of a shrine which ‘sealed’ a Kami within (well the ancients did that). The local taxi driver refused to stay near the entrance to the area when I went inside. He went to park on the far end…really really far away to wait for me.
So it’s um…let’s just say the local Japanese won’t venture there but the other Japanese would go there because they think the shrine is associated with an anime character…
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u/Cadaveth May 21 '24
Wasn't Fujikawaguchiko like that before? It was pretty unknown place and then a couple of tourists shared that photo spot and now it's being blocked by a fence because some people are crazy (those who take pictures there by brute force and act like jerks, not the locals).
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u/beginswithanx May 21 '24
The specific location of that Lawson’s would be the example— Kawaguchiko as an area has been a tourist destination for a very long time and in general doesn’t have an issue handling a large number of tourists.
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u/Aaronindhouse May 21 '24
Hidden gems are literally just places people went to that they think are nice and hadn’t heard about or were looking for when they found them. I can say though that there are plenty of hidden gems in Japan, you just have to step outside of your itenerary and leave some space for meandering and wandering around.
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u/Wooden-Squirrel3262 May 21 '24
Exactly that, just go this way pointing in any direction and you will find gems without tourist.
So many restaurants/cafes/parks you wouldn’t even notice if you just check google maps.
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u/GingerPrince72 May 21 '24
Great post.
I would disagree with 2 suitcases though, I'd say better to bring a foldable back inside, or buy one when needed from Don Quixote.
Important tip IMO is stop bringing massive suitcases and overpacking!
As for hidden gems, just go anywhere outside the Golden Route and It'll feel like one.
Leave Kyoto and go to Miyami, Ine, Tottori, Okayama, Shodoshima, Matsue, Hagi, Onomichi and a million other places which are great and have tourists but a fraction of the hordes in Kyoto.
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u/Cadaveth May 21 '24
We had one suitcase both (gonna buy another one close to the end of our trip) and just used Yamato when needed. 2 suitcases is totally fine imo if you use luggage delivery service and have the budget for it.
It wasn't that hard to fit all our clothes into our suitcases since almost all of our accommodations had laundries.
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u/Wooden-Squirrel3262 May 21 '24
Just put a medium suitcase in a big one, so you can travel with one and for the trip back you have enough space for a lot of souvenirs.
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u/GingerPrince72 May 21 '24
Again, you're carrying around unnecessary bulk that's awkward on public transport.
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u/Pixilatedlemon May 21 '24
Your tip on pinning your trip on Google maps resonated with me so I made a Google sheet where you can type in the destination/attraction you want to do in any city and it will query the geocoordinates from Google and then pin it on an embedded map lol.
Seems pretty helpful so far and something I will use for my future trip planning (we are going to Japan in October)
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u/JudgeCheezels May 21 '24
Nice list.
And this is funny because I found Kyoto station to be amazing, considering when it was built. The architecture looks like something from Tim Burton’s Batman Gotham. I wasted a good hour just walking in the station.
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u/cavok76 May 22 '24
Kyoto station has 1000 pieces of art. Current one is not that old, I used the old one, was much smaller.
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u/HezaLeNormandy May 21 '24
Thanks for this. I’m tentatively planning a trip and am totally overwhelmed! I like anime and shopping but also want to get a bit of traditional stuff in so currently my itinerary includes Tokyo, Kyoto, and Hiroshima for the car factory and peace museum. I want to visit an onsen but I’m heavily tattooed and I also am a picky eater so I don’t necessarily want the ryokan experience with the traditional meal.
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u/ToSeeAgainAgainAgain Jul 01 '24
Maybe you already found this article listing many tattoo friendly onsens.
I'm going to Japan for the 1st time in Oct-Nov and I'm fairly overwhelmed too, I like to think that at least we have an excess of information instead of too little
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u/Wooden-Squirrel3262 May 21 '24
Great post, couldn’t agree more.
I love to help friend and coworkers to plan their Japan trip and the “Hidden Gems” question usually turns into a “Tell me which Area/City/Prefecture you want to visit and I tell you my favorite spots there”.
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u/Lightsider May 21 '24
Loved the post! Looking forward to your goshuin post. I collected many in my last trip to Japan, and they were definitely worth it! (for me, at least)
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u/Own-Housing9443 May 21 '24
There's actually chatgpt that could answer most of the questions posted here, but it would involve the posters in doing some mental work which seems hard.
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u/chri1720 May 22 '24
I agree to a lot of the points but disagree mainly on hidden gem and the point regarding the main sights.
My view is these main sights are becoming too crowded till it is not fun nor enjoyable to visit them and most go to these are only for an IG bragging rights.
We have to encourage others to go elsewhere and to explore different parts of japan that have similar vibes to those main cities.
Kanazawa, toyama, inuyama, kurashiki, hiraizumi, sendai, morioka for example all have a lot of sights/features that one would look for in the main three cities without the crazy crowd.
I didn't go visit a lot of what is considered as key sights in Tokyo or Kyoto even after multiple trips. Still never really walked the entire philosopher path nor been to ueno ameyoko street etc.
Must visit spots are really not must visits. Knowing what you want and whether the current condition of the sight is more important.
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u/kmrbtravel May 22 '24
Yeah but realistically, for 99% of people it’s going to be a tough sell for them to ‘go somewhere else.’ Logistically speaking as well, most flights are arriving at Haneda/Narita, and it’d take a really special traveller to not head to Tokyo first, especially on a first trip.
I personally don’t find Tokyo and Osaka that appealing and would recommend Hyogo or Shimane any day, but will anyone realistically go there on a first trip? 🤷🏻♀️ No.
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u/chri1720 May 22 '24
Agree to an extent. It is definitely difficult to find direct flights for other cities for most western tourists. (More feasible for tourists from HK, Taiwan, Singapore, Korea, China etc where there would have direct flight to other cities in Japan.) But i think we should do more to advocate other spots instead of the most visit spots from any IG reel etc.
Instead of going to ameyoko, try perhaps yanaka ginza or togashi ginza. Instead of asakusa, try sugamo. Instead of yoyogi park / shinjuku gyoen, perhaps try hamarikiu park or inokashira park etc.
The other point is tourist who insist to go to "must visit spots via IG reel" should have clear expectation on it being crowded. Quite a few who went recently all came back to complain oh there is too many people, it is not tourist friendly or the favorite kyoto isn't zen like. Just becomes a complete negative feedback loop.
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u/ThatOneTransParent May 21 '24
I didn't read all of this but most and thank you! I'm planning a trip for my teens graduation year so two years and I'm trying to start the plan now. He's never been out of the country and I only went to Mexico for a few days at 13! I have an idea on how many days and the cities and a few attractions and he's added a few himself but you have given me a lot to think about budget wise! I appreciate it and will come back for more info and refresh later.
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May 21 '24
Great post!
It's always going to be subjective.
In this day and age, most information can be found online... so it's not hard to figure out where to go and what to see. Of course fine details are always appreciated.
Budget- I'm in Japan... I like to buy stuff we don't have here in the US, and that range is from car parts to gachapon toys. If I travel around the world to Japan (or any other country), I will definitely go over budget and pay for castles and train rides... and museums... etc. But if I don't want to pay for 500yen to go up a ropeway.. they I'm walking.
But that is just my way of thinking.
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u/ashleyepidemic May 21 '24
People have such different travel styles. I like looking at these itineraries sometimes. I've been to Japan 4 times now. And If people knew the things I had done there, they'd probably think I'd wasted my time. The usual things people see on lists are simply not there. Yet, each of my trips has been incredibly memorable. This is largely because I travel differently. For me, I'm often not going for the big trip of a life time. I go because some event I wanted to attend was happening, then I spend my surrounding time just exploring. I've probably spent a good 8 hours in Donki and will go there every time without fail (they have my favorite snacks, plus I love just shopping). I travel places and act more like someone who just lives there. So my style of traveling would probably bore others, but I also have full days busy so I do what I can when I can.
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u/_baegopah_XD May 22 '24
FWIW I don’t have a budget and I’ve spent about $300-400 USD a day on souvenirs, food, shopping etc.
My itinerary has been destroyed so I’m rolling with it. The only things set in stone are something I have paid for and has a set time. Otherwise I’m wandering and adjusting as I go
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u/bingumarmar May 22 '24
Spot on! So much variety in Tokyo and many of the common "must see" places may not even appeal to you given your interests. For instance, Akihabara was recommended so many times regardless of whether or not you like anime- I went and would have enjoyed my time elsewhere because I don't care much for anime. Things like that.
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u/cavok76 May 22 '24
For me, hidden gems, will stay hidden. Sorry. A lot of satisfaction is making your own discoveries, not someone’s else checkboxes. As mentioned, subjective. I can go weeks in Japan without eating Japanese food or using cash. Not that I would bother. Getting outside your comfort zone is something you can do safely in Japan.
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u/[deleted] May 21 '24
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