Limited time in Japan? I recently spent 9 full days in this beautiful country filled with the friendliest & well-mannered locals, temples, shrines, parks, monkeys, futuristic districts and flashing lights – Japan is much like their fashion, cuisine and lifestyle; anything & everything goes! With limited time to visit Tokyo, Osaka & Kyoto, we dedicated 5 days to the capital.
Tokyo is the perfect place to not feel guilty about having a sleep in; this city is on the go 24-hours a day so you can roll out of bed at any time and still have the whole day and night to explore. You can read my further in-depth blog here or read on for my guide below.
Which area to stay?
Shinjuku! Mainly for the atmosphere & night life, this city will keep you on your feet as you wander the streets addicted to the neon lights – It gives you the real Tokyo vibe.
Must See’s?
It’s always hard to know where to start, what to explore first & what to miss. Below is my view on the top must-see’s of Tokyo (in no particular order). Also, if you’re in Tokyo at the right time of year, I recommended getting tickets to the Tokyo Sumo Tournaments.
Meiji-Jingu: Shrine and surrounding gardens
Shinjuku: Kabukicho area, Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building
Harajuku – Pedestrian-only street
Harajuku – Takeshita Dori & Harajuku girls.
Omotesando – Tokyo’s ‘Champs-Elysees’
Akihabara – The electronic district
Asakusa – Senso-Ji Temple, Tokyo Skytree,
Ueno – Tokyo National Museum
Chiyoda – Imperial Palace
Roppongi – large shopping mall, street art of a giant spider (eek!) & bunny cafes
Ginza – Upmarket, New York-feel shopping district & nearby stroll to Tsukiji Fish Markets
Best mode of transport?
A JR pass (for non-Japanese visitors only) is a perfect carefree way to get around Japan however, if you don’t plan to jump on the bullet train across to Osaka, Kyoto or somewhere else, the high-price tag won’t be worth it. If you are only visiting Tokyo, you will be better off purchasing one-way tickets which will cost you around 200-500 yen. Keep in mind that JR passes need to be purchased BEFORE you enter Japan as they don’t sell these passes in the country. We ordered ours from JTB Australia – www.japantravel.com.au and they set us back $306 each.
Where to eat?
Anywhere that contains a vending machine. No, don’t look shocked. The food isn’t actually stored & suspended from the machine itself. Basically it cuts out the middle man – You flick through the Japanese-filled menu, using your best judgement of the photos supplied to select your meal (unless of course you understand Japanese!). Insert your money into the machine, choose your option & a ticket is printed out. Present this to the chef who will cook it up fresh to order! Results? Deliciousness! You know these places are good when locals are spilling out of them & most dishes are under ¥600. Foods to try?
Udon, Ramen & Soba noodles
Tempura prawns, vegetables or anything really!
Gyoza – Japanese Dumpling. Perfectly matched with a nice brewed beer!
Sashimi & Sushi – It doesn’t get any fresher than Tsukiji Fish Market.
Yakitori – commonly chicken skewers
Horumonyaki – a GIANT step from your typical Yakitori, Horumonyaki include skewers of parts of the animal you wouldn’t normally eat like heart, tongue, birth canal (?). More about this in my Tokyo post.
On to the next destinations….
The remainder of our 4 days were spent on bullet trains, heading across the country past Mount Fuji, coastline views & beautiful regions that sat amongst a lush green mountain range with the fog hugging them in. We were headed for Osaka & Kyoto! With such a short amount of time, we made the most of our stay. The time spent gave us a great insight into the beautiful regions giving us more reason to return to Japan! If you are limited on time like us, my best advise would be to base yourself in either Osaka or Kyoto – not both. Reason being? If you split your accommodation into both locations, you may be wasting most of your time in transport with luggage, checking out of hotels by 10:00 am then waiting for check-in at 2:00 pm. Sounds like a lot of effort for a few days! The best part is that Kyoto & Osaka are only 40 minutes to 1 hour apart from each other via the Shinkansen (Japanese bullet train) so day trips between the two are easily accessible. We opted to spend our 3 nights in Osaka, spending only 1 day in Kyoto (sad face) but you really should dedicate more time if you can.
Osaka has this amazing vibe filled with friendly locals, amazing food, sights to fill your days yet down to earth & a world away compared to Tokyo. I think 3 days would be perfect to explore the city as we did! But of course, your own judgement will always suit yourself. Read more about our trip to Osaka here otherwise here’s a summary:
Where to stay?
My suggestion would be anywhere near the Osaka Loop Line. Osaka is relatively small & easily navigated compared to bustling Tokyo and by staying close to the loop line you’ll be in the best location to get around with your JR pass! (If you opted to buy one).
Must See’s?
Osaka Castle
Universal Studios Japan & THE WIZARDING WORLD OF HARRY POTTER!! Can you tell I’m excited ecstatic?!
Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan
Pokemon Centre
Umeda Sky Building
Dotonbori District
Grand Front Osaka – Shopping centre / food hall near Osaka station
Best mode of transport?
As mentioned above, your best mode of transport is by train on the Osaka Loop Line. From the loop line, you can easily swap trains once to reach places such as USJ & the aquarium. Walking to all the other sites are easily accessible from nearby stations.
Where to eat?
Unlike Australia, the food surrounding train stations in Japan especially Osaka station are AMAZING! We found ourselves exploring these places daily, always resulting in delicious meals. The must-eat dishes in Osaka include, but are not limited too:
Takoyaki – more commonly known as Octopus Balls!
Okonomiyaki; a pancake-like savoury dish.
We sampled a few including pork, squid & mixed seafood!
Yakitori – while we enjoyed these in many places in Tokyo, the boys stumbled across this hole-in-the-wall restaurant in Osaka’s Fukushima district, the only Michelin-Starred Yakitori restaurant in Osaka. They scanned the menu, surprised when they noticed Torisashi, the Japanese word for chicken sashimi!
Kyoto was beautiful, from what we experienced. Once the capital of Japan, this city packs a whole lot including many temples and shrines. It was rumoured that Kyoto is a hard city to get around, so instead of trying to cram all the sites into one day, we decided to step down the pace and concentrate on one main district – Arashiyama that you can read about here. I personally think at least 5 days is needed to see Kyoto and truly experience this traditional-feeling district.
Where to stay?
As we based ourselves in Osaka, we didn’t stay in Kyoto so I can’t advise the best area to stay. If anyone has a suggestion I would love to hear for next time!? As Kyoto really is more than just a day trip destination.
Must see’s?
Arashiyama has many sites itself, located west of Kyoto. The sites we fit into one day include:
Bamboo Groves, Arashiyama
Tenryuji Temple & gardens, Arashiyama
Togetsukyo Bridge, Arashiyama
Iwatayama Monkey Park, Arashiyama
Fushimi Inari Shrine, Kyoto
Best mode of transport?
Arashiyama is easily accessible by JR rail. From Kyoto station, jump on the JR Sagano line to Saga-Arashiyama station. From here, it’s a 10 minute stroll. Fushimi Inari Shrine is also easily accessible by JR rail. From Kyoto Station, jump on the JR Nara line to Inari Station for a short 2 minute stroll. The rest of Kyoto is meant to be navigated by long-awaited buses with temples being that bit too far apart to walk. We were advised to rent a taxi for the day to take you to the sites.
Where to eat?
The main street in Arashiyama is filled with freshly cooked foods, spices & green-tea ice creams! Be sure to give them a try!
Many friends told me that Japan becomes addictive and now that I’ve experienced it first hand, I can see why. When summarising our time in Japan, a few things come to mind like ordering meals from vending machines, futuristic taxi doors that close themselves, 14-story karaoke buildings on every corner, delicious pastries, pizza bread & iced-coffees for breakfast, train stations that sing their own tunes, overuse of the peace sign that was oh so popular amongst Japanese teens, monkeys, temples, shrines, shinkansen bullet trains, bento boxes, sumo tournaments, Japanese mascots & their happy yet quirky advertisement and toilets with such a complex yet logic system that play music, spray perfume, flush themselves & even wash your front or back bum at the push of a button! I love Japan! & I’m sure when you visit you’ll understand the same love that most people develop.
Happy planning!
ONLY HAPPY WHEN I TRAVEL 