Hello folks of Van flight deals! Wondering if anyone has suggestions on must see/do's in Japan. Will be flying into Tokyo at the end of March and have 3 weeks to explore and immerse ourselves in whatever we choose fancy. Would love to hear feedback from anyone who has traveled in and around Japan. Thanks!

There's a pretty good thread down a little ways if you want to check that out but my recommendation for that amount of time is to head to Gujo Hachiman, a tiny (but freaking gorgeous) town, just a few hours bus ride from Kyoto. This town is famous for creating the wax foods you see at all Japanese restaurants and you can make your own. The instructors are awesome and the experience is unlike anything you have ever done! https://www.tripadvisor.ca/Attraction_Review-g1019682...

This sounds great! Thanks!

Kyoto

Kyoto, much nicer than Tokyo, easy to get there

Karen

Perfect timing to catch beautiful cherry blossom season
Kyoto is pretty with cherry blossom maybe try kimono rental
I loved Ritz-Carlton Kyoto, I have great concierge there, let me know if you are going to stay!

Thanks! I'll let you know!

Get a JR pass for unlimited long distance travel. Spend a few days each in Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka. Tokyo is a big city but is still very fascinating. Kyoto is the old capital so you can see a lot of historical places there.

Beth Cleland Kyoto not Tokyo

Tokyo & Kyoto are both very different cities. As much as I agree that Kyoto is beautiful, I noticed a significant difference in the tourists in Kyoto, with a lot of tour buses who take over shrines, many of them very rude and loud. Had a guy shove me out of the way so he could get his picture taken.

Oh no!

there should be cherry blossoms that time! find a nice park to walk around!

To add to the Kyoto recos, I also say go to Kyoto! Tokyo was an amazing place to be (my favourite area was Harajuku for all the vintage shopping) but as a Vancouverite I connected with Kyoto's climate, intimate little shops and back streets, and most of all the amount of space to breathe in and wander. I stayed with some friends in an awesome capsule hotel (6 of us shared one family room, not sure how the other rooms are) called Hotel Centurion Cabin & Spa for relatively cheap, plus it included in indoor jacuzzi/sauna rooms ("onsen"). Sadly I did not have time to venture out to find any real outdoor onsens, but according to friends they're highly recommended (just do your research on proper rituals to follow). We also did a *free* 2 hr walking tour one morning with a ukrainian fella named Yuri; he was informative and gave a good deal of historical background on some shrines, cultural shops and rituals, and the Geisha of Gion. Wandering the back streets of Kyoto became my favourite acticity. It's also very flat terrain and cheap to rent bikes. Not a lot of places spoke english, so do some research as well on helpful travel apps for japan, i have deleted mine but there's a lot of helpful ones for translating as well as navigating restaurants and cities. Gurunavi was great. Also 100% look into getting the JR Rail Pass. It saves you a lot of money if you're travelling through Japan by bullet train, but you must purchase and pick up your voucher at the Fairmont Vancouver, to be redeemed upon arrival in Japan. The Fushimi Inari Tori Gates are a beautiful hour-ish hike.
Don't be afraid to wander into restaurants and just point to photos, or say Omakase! Also, be prepared for either getting heated toilet seats with bidets, or squatting toilets in the ground.

https://www.vrbo.com/455977ha?unitId=1085220&guests=2...

This was an excellent place to stay. Superb location and super clean. Owner speaks English. Excellent deal. Sleeps 2.

Tokyo can (easily) take a week to explore. Kyoto 3 days. The rest of the time you should consider a Japan Rail pass if you will be there three weeks total.

Definitely considering the JR pass - sounds like an experience in and of itself and the best way to get around in a quick way!

I know Kyoto is very popular sightseeing place, however, I recommend to visit Nara - it's not far from Kyoto ( you can get there from Kyoto by train) but bit quieter. You can feed deer there, but they are used to people and they are also protected, so that they can be bit aggressive. But it's fun to do so. I am Japanese living in Vancouver, I am going back to Japan in early March for 3 weeks as well. Since my parents live in Tokyo, I usually stay there and not much going anywhere to explore, but Tokyo entertains me greatly! 3weeks in Tokyo is totally doable.

Yes, Nara for sure.

Kyoto is very nice. It has a lot of history, but I prefer Tokyo. So much more to see. Endless possibilities! Kanazawa is a another great city to visit. There is a beautiful castle and one of the nicest Japanese gardens in Japan. They also have a Geisha and Samurai neighbourhood with gorgeous old buildings. Two and a half hours from Tokyo with the Shinkansen!

I'm living in Tokyo right now, if you are here be sure to visit Yokohama, great harbour city, and beautiful sunset! It's only thirty minutes from Tokyo too!

Hi Toby - Thanks for your advice! Do you have any recommendations on restaurants or bars in skyscrapers that have the best view of Tokyo? Thanks!

Kat Bee definenelly check out roppongii hills! Best view of Tokyo tower and the city !

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I just did three weeks in August and hit up Tokyo, Kyoto, and Kanazawa. I also did a few day trips from Kyoto to Nara, Hiroshima, and Koyasan. It was amazing. It will be impossible to have a bad time on your trip, whatever you do!

Do not miss Shinjuku! The Golden Gai is a must see

Hakone, Nikko motohakone, and lake Nara are amazing!

Japan is amazingly diverse

William Sterzik

Robot restaurant for a show like no where else in the world... http://www.shinjuku-robot.com/sp/

if you have a JR pass, check out miyajima (near hiroshima) as well - it has free roaming deer similar to Nara but there's a bit more to see and do in my opinion. you should also check out the arashiyama bamboo forest in Kyoto - lots to do in that area and it's very pretty!

Second this. We stayed overnight and it was so peaceful and quiet. Saw maybe 10 people after the ferries stopped!

Thanks! I was looking at the bamboo forest online - looks stunning! What are some must do's in Miyajima? Did you spend a few days? Week there when traveling?

I stayed the whole day in Miyajima so I got to see the floating torii gate at both low and high tide. I also took a cable car up Mount Misen and the view was fairly nice. There are hiking trails in the area for better views, but I went in July when it was really hot so I didn't get a chance to explore them. I don't think I'd stay there for a long time, but it's a good day or overnight trip!

My sister and I hiked Mt. Misen while my parents walked around. It was nice in April as there was a light rain on the way up. Took us only a few hours up and down and the views on the way up and at the top were really nice. There's a few routes based on distance and difficulty depending on how you feel or the tram as mentioned. It's just a charming small town with the deer walking around the beaches. Some really nice temples too! My only advice is if you stay on the island, prepare dinner plans (go back to Hiroshima) or find a restaurant ahead of time (a lot closes after the ferry shuts down)

Debra any suggestions after being there for so long??

You should try onsen and go early to the fishmarket. There is much to see in both the inner and outer market.

Try and make it to Kyoto and Hiroshima! The people, sights and history are like no where else.

Annie, some tips for your trip.

Thank you

Following

Has anyone rented a car while in Japan? Will be purchasing a JR pass but thought it would be nice to rent a car for some side trips.

I rented a car in Japan when I was there. To get directions from the GPS (since it is Japanese), you enter the phone number of the destination. The car allows me to visit a lot of places out of the beaten path and my family enjoyed it. There is a lot of tolls on the highway but it is fairly inexpensive. Where it does get expensive is in certain cities where (the GPS I am using) tended to direct me to toll road even though I disabled it. In cities like Tokyo, you have to know where the gas stations are as there are not visible from the streets and tended to be hidden in parkades. Overnight parking in general is inexpensive compared to North America standard and is in the Cdn$20 range - in the smaller places you can park for free. I would not advise using a car within Tokyo just because of the hassle of parking. The Japanese car rental website (and true for hotel as well) tends to be cheaper - use google translate to help you. Hope this helps.

I looked into this- you need to have an international driver's license!

I did get an International licence from BCAA

Driving might be necessary/easier to get around, if you are in the country side, but most of the big cities has great public transportation system. I believe tourist can even purchase either SUIKA or PASMO. They are cards like Compass, but more comparable (you can use train, subway, bus with all in one card, but depending on the company, you have to use certain one). You have to pay non-refundable deposit to get this card. This is also rechargeable, so you can charge the card as you go (you can do it at train/subway station using machines!) You can even use for shopping at some stores (!), so it's less hassle than dealing with cash. I don't even drive in Japan, because transportation is just great! The app/website called "Norikae-Annnai (Japan Transit Planner)" will be super helpful to check which way will be easier/faster/cheaper to get around.
https://world.jorudan.co.jp/mln/en/?sub_lang=ja

Yoshimi Thank you Yoshimi - this will be super helpful! Jason Santeford!

No Problemo! Happy to share the info!!

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Can anyone recommend the best restaurant/pub with a view of dt Tokyo? I've heard there are stunning places to enjoy dinner/drinks with views but would love to get feedback from someone who has lived/traveled there!

One of my very favourite restaurants in Tokyo is New York Grill in the Park Hyatt in Shinjuku. The bar where they filmed Lost in Translation is the floor below. You have a great view of Tokyo. They have a brunch that runs weekdays and weekends. You might think it is pricey, but for what you get, in my opinion, a good deal. Tokyo does not have one downtown, so you can get good views of the city from several different areas in Tokyo. Atago Hills restaurants should have good views as well as Ropponig Hills. Roppongi Hills has a viewing area (you have to pay.) Sometimes it can be very overcast in Tokyo and when it is, not the greatest views. Also the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building has free viewing areas. Again, clear days are best!!

Thanks Linda - I'll make a point of waiting for a clear evening!

The view from the top of Shinagawa looks stunning!

You can't go too wrong in Tokyo, it's all an adventure. Shinagawa is a tad out of central Tokyo, but it's all basically one big city.

I was about suggest same thing as Linda
I'll add mandarin oriental, the view is incredible

Thanks Chika for the suggestions!

Love these suggestions. We'll be in Tokyo soon too!

Don Storry take a peek at these accommodation options...

Aneil take a look

I think a week (maybe a bit more) around the Osaka, Nara, and Kyoto was perfect! In Osaka, I recommend you get the Osaka Amazing Pass as it allows you to get into specific Osaka tourist sites, unlimited Osaka transit, and discounts to some places (available in 1 or 2-day passes).
I won't get too much into the specifics of where to go, but just don't go to Tennoji Zoo AT ALL. If you're an animal person, I suggest you try out the pet cafes (owls, lizards, cats, dogs, etc.) and my personal favourite was Dog Tail cafe.
Nara is very well known for their deer, so I suggest you go straight to Nara Park for that where you'll see little kids taunting deer and getting chased for it!
In Kyoto, the main attractions there are Arashiyama and Fushimi-Inari Shrine. The general area of Arashiyama has a lot of other cool things around it so I'd suggest making an itinerary around that area. Fushimi-Inari is a 3 kilometre hike so don't be afraid to dress a little lighter as you'll sweat a little bit from the repetitive stair hike, but there are great views of the city as you go up.
Tokyo is a very busy place and it's best to split your days in Tokyo centered around specific areas, but my favorite areas were the main stations near Shibuya Station: Shinjuku, Harajuku, etc. Reserve a whole day for shopping in Tokyo as Harajuku, besides the very busy main street you're faced with after exiting the station, has many shopping corners full of different low-key brands, thrifts, and etc. It's conveniently connected to Omotesando if you're more into designer brands!

This is all great information and advice. Thank you so much!

Amanda Victoria this is a very helpful thread for Japan, check it out!

We travelled to and spent a week in Osaka. Loved walking all around the city and really enjoyed taking the fast train to Nara Park; the deer bow to you

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Best map of Japan yet; thanks!

We just came back from a trip in Japan, including Kyoto, Osaka, Nara, Yamanouchi, and Tokyo. I highly recommend all those places and we did them in 8 days, though it would've been ideal to do it twice that time. Out of all of them, Yamanouchi was my fav (small town feel with lots of onsens and the largest attraction is the monkey hot springs). Kyoto is great for temples, Osaka is great for shopping/sightseeing, Nara is great because of all the deer, and Tokyo is great for a true city feel of Japan. Feel free to ask me for more details/restaurant recommendations.