7 Days in Tokyo / Kyoto for a First Time Japan Noob.

coota1268 on 11/10/2017 - 12:27

Hi, My wife and I are looking at visiting Japan for the first time. We are about as noob as they come (grew up in a regional town, it was rare to see or be a part of any Asian culture etc). We have travelled before, but within English speaking countries only.

We are looking at a short trip to get a taste/overview/experience the culture (And the culture shock!). Flexible with Dates, but Ideally ~5-7 days in length. This would be a budget holiday where possible, but we don’t mind spending $$ if needed.

We are young and fit, so walking/doing a lot isn’t an issue. But at the same time, we’d like a bit of time to “sit back and take it easy/take it all in”.
Here is a rough outline of what interests us/what others have recommended (In no particular order):

Tokyo: ~3 Days
• Shinjuku (Shibuya Crossing & Robot Restaurant)
• Walk from Shibuya to Harajuku
• A view of Tokyo from Gov Building (Free and hopefully less busy than Tokyo Tower)
• View Mt Fuji (Maybe from a Japanese Garden near the base of it)
• Onsen
• Ikebukuro (Pokemon Center, Kit Kat store etc)
• Akihabara ( For all the Electronics, Nerd/Cartoon Appeal etc)
• Imperial Palace
• Cat or Maid Café
• 100 Yen Shop (Souvenirs)
• Buy Whiskey
• Baseball Game?
• Experience Love Hotel?
• Capsule Hotel? (Need to find one that allows Females).

Bullet Train: Tokyo > Kyoto

Kyoto: ~3 Days
• Fushimi Inari
• Bamboo Gardens
• Kinkakuji
• Gion
• Ryokan (1 Night)
• Yamazaki Distillery Tour?

Other things we want to do:
• Just walk around and enjoy how unique it is
• Try the Unique Vending Machines
• Taste Weird Snacks/Fancy Bakery Food
• Buy some Japanese Whiskey (Yamazaki, Hibiki, Hakushu)
• Try Wagyu/Kobe/Hida Beef
• Visit The Monkey/Deer Park
• See Small Selection of Palace/Temple/Shrine(s)

I did consider going to Hiroshima (Mainly for the Memorial and Miyajima), But due to the short length of the Trip, I will probably stick to Tokyo and Kyoto only. I know people will say “Spend all your time in either one or the other”, but as I’m only new to Japanese culture, I feel I don’t need to go that in-depth in both cities (Plus, I want to go on the Bullet Train).

Not Interested in: Disney, Multiple Palaces & Temples (1 or 2 will be enough) or Arts.

Are there any other suggestions for a very in-experienced first timer that they should see in Japan?
The next step is to try and allocate some activates to each day and go from there.
Thanks

Travel

Comments

  • QW3RTY on 11/10/2017 - 12:38

    https://www.japan-guide.com/

    The only website you'll need. (Other than OzBargain, of course).

  • onetwothreefour on 11/10/2017 - 13:09

    Sounds fun, have a great time and don't forget to send us a postcard.

  • Gauntlet on 11/10/2017 - 13:16

    I really enjoy this YouTuber if you're in to that kind of thing. https://www.youtube.com/user/cmbroad44

  • pantsparty on 11/10/2017 - 13:48
    +2

    For 7 days your itinerary looks good. There is so much to see and do in Japan that different people will have different suggestions to what you should do. For only 7 nights Tokyo and Kyoto are good choices - gets you a taste of modern and older Japan. Definitely recommend staying in a ryokan in Kyoto if possible, for all 3 nights (normal hotels are kind of boring!). I can recommend Ryokan Motonago - it is in the Gion area. Includes an awesome dinner each night if you wish to eat in. You can reserve the traditional bathing area for a time of the day so you and your partner can use it together in privacy.

  • crentist on 11/10/2017 - 14:03

    capsule hotels tend to be divided into gendered floors, with little common/relax area. many are crappy budget places, but 9hrs goes for future aesthetic. i stayed with some others recently in kyoto which was just okay, but the shinjuku one looks nicer. just keep in mind you might be largely separated from each other while you are there. for us, we basically didnt see each other between check in and check out, everyone of different floors etc. the sleep is alright

    I would highly recommend renting a bike to get around some areas though. walking shinjuku to shibuya is great, but theres so much hidden stuff that the bikes can reveal

    • crentist on 11/10/2017 - 15:07

      also on the gov building thing. I haven't been there, but the park hyatt hotel in shinjuku (featured in lost in translation) has a cafe and bar at the top. free to go up to, then sit around and have an expensive coffee or beer with a great view in a posh environment.

      as a quick alternative to baseball, look around for batting centres. pay 1000yen for a machine to fire baseballs at you while you try and score home runs. fun stuff

  • IIGnomeII on 11/10/2017 - 14:03
    +1

    We went over for the first time at the beginning of this year for our honeymoon.
    This is my view of your itinerary against some of the items, but please if you have your heart set on certain things still do them. Some of this comes from a friend living in Kyoto/Tokyo for the past 10 years.

    Tokyo-
    * Don't waste your time at the robot restaurant, waste of money and it isn't anything special.
    * Mt Fuji is actually a bit out of Tokyo so you may be spending half your day just on seeing it.
    * Onsen - Worth the experience!
    * Akihabara - Very cool what they sell inside the buildings, go to Yodobashi Camera.
    * Cat or Maid Café - I would do the cat cafe over the maid but there are a lot of dodgy ones around.
    * 100 Yen Shop (Souvenirs) - Don Quijote!!! Best place for souvenirs.
    * Buy Whiskey - Go to the Yamazaki distillery between Kyoto and Osaka. It is located at the back of this little town but you can buy whisky that is not sold in a typical bottle shop there. I mistakenly spent $320 on a Hibiki 21year old there… worth about $1000 here luckily!
    * Baseball Game? - We didn't get the chance to do this due to time but would have liked to have seen it.
    * Experience Love Hotel? - Didn't go to one but it is used by japanese men and their girlfriends for quickies during the day or somewhere private away from family at night.

    The rest of your time in Kyoto looks good!

    Other pointers:
    * Buy your bullet train (shinkansen) ticket before you go as you can't buy them there. They can be used on metro lines as well and you will definitely save money
    * Wifi is everywhere but you can pre-purchase a hot spot to use over there. Check out globaladvancedcomms
    * Get off the main streets and buy food out of touristy areas. Food is cheap, clean and delicious wherever you go.
    * Beer is taxed higher than whisky for some strange reason but you can buy spirits cheap most places.
    * Breakfast food over there can be really bizarre. 7eleven and Family mart are everywhere in Tokyo, you can buy breakfast food there and alcohol from the vending machines out the front.
    * Speaking of the vending machines, blue strip shelves are cold items and red strips are hot. Coffee sucks over there unless you love instant coffees.
    * Try Strong Zero!!! Best alcoholic drink ever!
    * Download google translate to your phone and the japanese pack. Test it out before you go to get used to it, the camera translator was priceless.

    • kerfuffle on 11/10/2017 - 17:01
      +1

      Buy your bullet train (shinkansen) ticket before you go as you can't buy them there. They can be used on metro lines as well and you will definitely save money

      Did you mean a JR Pass? You can buy shinkansen tickets at the station like Shin-Osaka

      • IIGnomeII on 11/10/2017 - 22:55

        Sorry yes, you can't buy that JR pass in Japan

        • smpantsonfire on 20/10/2017 - 16:51

          You can now, but its slightly more expensive

  • nubix on 11/10/2017 - 14:32

    just some random thoughts:

    • Fuji is visible from the Tokyo Metro Building if you are very lucky with the weather
    • Get used to the rubbish UX that is tabelog
    • Monkeys are quite far away, would be an entire day from Tokyo and even then, a long day
    • Stay at a ryokan, some will have onsen for guests, some will have onsen in the room, some will have outdoor onsen in the room with a view of Fuji
    • For good value whiskey, you can find BIC basically everywhere. For rarer ones, there's a store under Tokyo Station but I've forgotten the name. Unfortunately they don't do duty free though
  • MrRobot on 11/10/2017 - 14:37
    +1

    Boss Coffee is the best, just look for vending machines with Tommy Lee Jones on them.

    If you're going to be out and about all day and don't want to waste time sitting down somewhere for a meal, I suggest going to a Family Mart and picking up some onigiri rice balls (they actually look like triangles). They're cheap, filling and can be eaten with one hand. Speaking of food, even the crummy sushi is way better than what you can find here in Australia. One of my favourite places is Genki Sushi…it's a chain you can find at multiple locations so it's not the best but it's cheap and it's designed for quick in-n-out style eating. Again, if you're on the go and want something fast, be on the lookout for Genki. From what I understand they have a few locations in VIC, but they're not considered very good. Don't let that put you off when in Japan!

    If you want to squeeze in a baseball game, go to a Giants game at the Tokyo Dome. They're really passionate about baseball, it's a fun environment.

  • kawinuyo on 11/10/2017 - 19:56

    I just got back from Japan and my highlight of the trip was the ninja class in Kyoto (also my first time in Japan). Hubby and I did the 2 hour class and there were only 3 people in the class. It seems the 10am-12 session is not as fully booked. In the 2 hours they teach you a lot of different techniques and you actually practice them, swords, throwing stars etc. Was amazingggg. Highly recommended.

  • John on 11/10/2017 - 21:06

    For 3 days in Tokyo, definitely take out Mt Fuji from the list as it will take the whole day on its own. You will have a hard time exploring Tokyo itself in 3 days. I would recommend going to Odaiba at night to see the Rainbow bridge (very romantic) and visit Tsukiji Fish Market in the morning (dont have to go to auction - just explore the market)

    Definitely try to find a Ryokan in Kyoto for a more traditional feel. Also visit Nishiki Market.

  • NIfti on 13/10/2017 - 13:23

    If you do go to Kyoto find the Philosphers Walk, its a lovely walk at the back of some house with a small stream running alongside, some of the gardens in the houses are beautiful

  • tank17 on 13/10/2017 - 14:56

    I use to live in Tokyo and i tell you quick the plan i had with my family when they came to visit me,
    Land in tokyo and travel straight to Kyoto, Visit Fushimi Ianri - kinakuji - ginkakuji- KYOMIZUDERA (don't forget!)
    Gion. It is doable in 3 days and it can be done very relaxed.
    Go to Tokyo and just enjoy it! Ueno-shinjuku-shibuya-harajuku-yoyogi- Yokoham is cool if you have time….Tokyou tower …then depend on what you like and just go with the flow! I am a bit of antiquary book geek so i spent a lot of time in Jinbocho

  • pat0809 on 13/10/2017 - 23:06

    Would you consider staying in just one city for the entire 7 days? there's so much to do in and around Tokyo that you can easily spend 7 days there. Same with Kyoto/Osaka. I know you probably want to see as much of Japan as possible but I would rather have a decent stay in one city than a very short stays in several different cities.

  • FattyHope on 21/10/2017 - 12:10

    I went to Japanese and going to the Universal Studios is a must do and going to feed deers are also really fun, I havent been to the Osaka Aquarium but I really wanted to so I guess thats also a good place to go and see

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