Japan Trip Recommendations – Mylene

Hey Mylene! Here's a (larger than I expected 😅) list of recommendations for you to explore on your trip to japan. Hopefully you will have wonderful experiences visiting some of these places and trying some of these foods and leave Japan with the same fond memories I do.

It seems like your main route is Tokyo --> Kyoto --> Osaka, so you’re definitely on the standard route with many amazing things to see and do!

Ultimately my objective for you is to help you get off the typical rails a little bit for something a little more unique!

Begin info dump…

Destinations on your "Main Line" Itinerary:

Here's a list of some recommendations that are within the places you're alredy planning to visit.

TOKYO:

  • Shinjuku Sky requires reservations – Do not expect there to be tickets left to purchase there.
    • If you miss this and try to go without a ticket, go on my self-guided "Shibuya Donut Tour" instead!
  • Ueno Park is very lively, worth a visit. During the right season, also good for Cherry Blossom viewing.
    • Also the market area near and underneath Ueno station is a great spot many people miss. Very lively and interesting. There's even a ramen shop right under the train station where your bowl of ramen will shake a little every time a train passes.
    • Nakemeguro area is a part of Tokyo that most people never visit. Much lower key, a great place to get a glimpse into authentic daily urban Japanese life.
      • Home to a great parfaiteria called "Initial Nakemeguro"
      • Lots of great old-school ramen shops around here too.
  • Interesting meal style / food called "Chonko Nabe", which is the sumo-friendly mega-hotpot meal. It is expensive though! MASSIVE portions. (Find this in the Ryogoku area)

KYOTO:

  • Arishayama Bamboo Forest is hyper-touristed, but it’s still worth a visit.
  • The Higashiyama Jisho-ji Temple is pretty cool, has a nice garden too
  • “Philosopher’s Walk” along a canal is scenic and nice, near the temple mentioned above.
  • Obviously the Fushimi Inari Taisha (the famous thousand red gates walk) is super cool and worth visiting. The higher you climb, the less people there will be. Even going up for just ~10 more minutes will have very few people left (most people only stick the bottom of the path for pictures)
  • Nice “Arcade” style market street

OSAKA:

  • Dotonbori is the big street food spot, which begins right at the bridge with all the signs / ads.
  • Nice “arcade” style market street.
  • There’s a neighborhood between the Osaka Tower and near Namba area which has lots of old toy stores. Kind of interesting to poke your head inside.
  • Great hostel called “Hostel Furoya”. It’s a little out of the way, but good for a night’s stay if you’re planning to visit the Osaka castle. It’s a multi-generational Hong Kong-chinese family that bought and old Onsen bathhouse, converted it into their home, then turned it into a hostel. The whole family is super welcoming and wonderful! (I had Chinese New Year dinner with them last year)
  • Near Osaka castle is a big park, also you can find the “Osaka International Peace Center”. Great little + short museum about Osaka history during WWII.

Alternative Locations to Explore

Here’s a list of some alternative locations you might consider visiting that are mostly along your main line, but a little off the standard path:

YOKOHAMA:

  • Easy day-trip from Tokyo
  • The Yokohama waterfront Yamashita Park there has a really wonderful atmosphere.
    • There’s also this new-age wooden boardwalk park further past the waterfront that is a wonderful place to watch the sunset.
    • Also has the Giant Gundam Factory if you're into that. Pretty cool to see, even from a distance without going in 🤷‍♂️
  • Home to the Ramen Museum + the Cup Noodle Museum.
  • Amazing chinatown area.

FUJIKAWAGUCHIKO:

  • On the "backside" of the Mt. Fuji area.
  • Still quite touristed (but significantly less than the coastal side most people visit like Mishima, Fujiyoshida),
  • Obviously weather dependent, but the best place to have a great shot at Mt. Fuji with an up-close view in clear weather (especially amazing at sunset + sunrise at the end of Lake Kawaguchi)
  • This area also has lots of interesting caves, like the "Ice Cave", "Bat Cave", etc.
  • Quiet, kind of sleepy. But very pleasant and calm.

KOBE:

  • Quick train ride from Osaka, easy for a day-trip.
  • They have a cute waterfront area with an interesting monument to victims of the most recent major earthquake.
  • There’s a nice open-air food market here that is WAY less touristy and most original than the ones you’ll find in the typical cities people visit.
  • Also has an Amazing Chinatown section too.
  • Go here for your famous Kobe Beef dinner. There is a specific restaurant I will recommend you for this as well: (Steak Aoyama)
    • Expect to pay around ~$60 USD (¥ 5,000 – ¥7,000) for your dinner. It is very worth it!
    • You’ll need the help of a local / Japanese speaker to call them to make a reservation for you. It’s very exclusive, and they only seat 4 people per night.
    • When you see the couple who runs the place, tell them “Trevor from Nat Geo with the big camera” says hello!

HIMEJI:

  • Quick train ride from Osaka, easy for a day trip
  • Come here for the Himeji Castle, considered the “best preserved” castle in Japan (also the most extensive / largest)
    • Castle also has nice zen gardens to the side included in admission.
  • Don’t need too much time here.
  • If you’re here at night, I do recommend walking on the “other side” of the train station more toward the residential half of the city. There is a water canal walk route that leads quite deep into residential neighborhoods. Very quiet and sleepy, but a nice place for some introspection and a breather where you can feel actually alone amidst the commotion of your trip.

Food to Seek Out:

Many of these will be obvious, but all of them are worth of trying, sampling, and comparing!

  • Tonkatsu Curry (CoCo Ichibanya makes the best IMO)
  • Limoncello glazed donut at Higuma Donuts in the Shibuya area of Tokyo (one of the best donuts I’ve ever had in my life)
  • Japanese Parfait. Kind of a big deal over there! (One with lots of fruit)
  • Visit a fish market (ideally not the Tsukiji fish market in tokyo, too touristed)
  • Look for something called “Sea Pineapple” at one of the fish markets / restaurant. It’s… interesting.
  • Obviously lots of Ramen, but do try to find different varieties that would normally be from different prefectures of the country. (Tonkotsu, Shio, Miso, Shoyu, Tskumen, Asahikawa, Soba-style noodles, etc etc etc)
  • Get an order of Gyoza at every ramen spot
  • Try Yakiniku / Teppanyaki style restaurants.
  • Crepes are kind of a big deal in Japan. And they do them well!

A Note About Onsens...

Definitely seek out some Onsens while you’re there! But make sure you follow the general onsen etiquette though... otherwise you will definitely get weird looks.

General rules:
  • Shower before entering the onsen pool,
  • Women are expected to put their hair up into a bun so hair does not get into the onsen water.
  • Don’t put your small “modesty towel” into the water — keep it to the side or rest it on top of your head instead.

Otherwise, don’t overthink it! Just strip down and realize it’s 100% not weird at all.

If you need more details or want specifics, let me know!

Enjoy your trip to Japan! ✌️🇯🇵