Fellow travelers;
I'm travelling to Japan for two weeks in late March/early April. I was thinking to do Tokyo, Kyoto (day trip to Osaka), Hiroshima and I will be flying back from Tokyo. I'm open to exploring other areas if they're really incredible but my time is limited. The plan is to purchase a one week JR pass which I will use outside of Tokyo.
Any tips on foods, sights, transportation, restaurants, experiences, accommodations? I'm not huge on crowds so I wouldn't mind wandering off the beaten path to see some hidden gems.
Thanks in advance!

I’d definitely recommend checking out Miyajima when in Hiroshima. Also, Okonomi-mura which is 3 floors of Okonomiyaki restaurants.

Alison would you recommend staying in Miyajima for a night or just a day trip would be sufficient?

Aria You can do a day trip. It's not far.

In Tokyo I loved the Robot Restaurant. In Kyoto, the Railway Museum was amazing. It's very close to the aquarium there also.

There is an incredible amount to explore! You could easily spend your entire two weeks in Tokyo and barely scratch the surface. Definitely make the most of your time and don't lose too many days to travel once you're there.
Expect crowds in most places, but thankfully most crowds are quite orderly and not pushy.
Here are some highlights from my last trip.
Tokyo:
- We stayed in Asakusa and got to walk by the Sensoji temple every night on the way back to our hostel and it was stunning to see it so quiet.
- Poke around in a Don Quixote for lots of fun gifts and goodies.
- Shin-Okubo is Tokyo's Korea-town. Delicious Korean food!
- Robot Restaurant is considered overrated by some, but I had a blast and loved the amazing interior decor and fighting robots.
- Ghibli Museum is always a lovely experience if you're a fan of the movies. Be aware that tickets must be purchased in advance and sell out very quickly, you can google the protocol for obtaining tickets.
- Memory Lane, a famous tiny alleyway in Shinjuku is quite a nice evening experience. Lots of tiny eateries to explore.
- Avoid Takeshita Street if you hate crowds, it's absolutely packed. Famous location, has some clothing shops, candy shops and crepe stalls. Yoyogi Park is nearby and a stark contrast, very nice nature walking path.
Kyoto:
- Fushimi Inari is beautiful. It's packed at the bottom but clears out as you walk higher into the mountains.
- Kinkakuji is a sight to be seen as well, stunning.
- Kiyomizu-dera at night is another stunner.
Also great:
- Arashiyama bamboo forest. Busy but the further you go, the more off-beaten it becomes and you can explore some beautiful nature.
- Nara - giant Buddha and friendly, feedable deer! Really fun spot to spend an afternoon.

You can do a full week in Tokyo alone. My advice is to make a Google map of the city and put down pins in restaurants and attractions you want to see, then break up the city by locations/subway stops.
The transit system is very comprehensive and the subway booth staff all mostly speak English. Train travel is a bit more hit and miss if you need assistance, so sticking to the city is good in that regard.

Check out @Japanfoodsnbooze with Manami. It's amazing!
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Japan is my favourite! Kyoto is beautiful and lots to see maybe staring 2-3 days is good. We used this as our base to do day trips to Osaka, Nara and Kobe

U need to try Ichiran ramen- it’s quite busy but worth the wait.

Following! Going back to Japan myself soon too and would love to have some recommendations. For my last Japan trip, I loved every little bit of Kyoto, especially the temples and gardens and little streets off Gion district. Definitely leave more time for Kyoto if you’re into temples and gardens and the traditional side of Japan. For Tokyo, aside from what’s already mentioned, checked out Shinjuku Gyoen

We just got back from Tokyo.... spent the weekend there and felt that was enough.....the fish market was amazing

Emily Kerr
Greg Kerr! Following!

Following too. You shouldnt miss Kinkakuji in Kyoto. Hiroshima museums can be done in one day, but I only had the afternoon so I didnt explore the city. I'll visit Osaka this March

Also following!

Make sure you go to the fish market in Tokyo.

Do you know what the market was called? I heard one of the markets closed down.

Derek Tsukiji Market

Just read that it closed in October. I was there last spring. The new one is called Toyosu. Not sure where it is in Tokyo.

following!

Staying overnight at a temple stay in Mount Koyasan was an amazing experience. Definitely off the beaten path but still only around 2 hrs from Osaka. If you decide to go I’d recommend booking at least 4-6 weeks in advance.
https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e4905.html
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Koyasan Travel: Temple Lodging (Shukubo)

Following

This was awesome
https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e5909.html
JAPAN-GUIDE.COM
Takayama Travel: Takayama Festival (Takayama Matsuri)

Kerstin Yes, we stayed there for the festival two years ago at a ryokan.

Following. Because Japan was awesome and going back soon

Hopefully you’ll catch cherry blossoms

I did a similar trip in 2016, a few days in Tokyo, then used the JR pass to get to Kyoto, Hiroshima (we were there for the anniversary of the bombing, such a surreal experience), Mt. Koya, and Osaka. My husband and I will also be there at the end of March so I'm looking forward to hearing others' recommendations!

7 eleven for some cheap food (trust me the sushi they sell.is better than what you would.have back home!) Check out mt Fuji if.you have time, I took bus from Tokyo to there there is some pergola to visit where ucansee Sakura.....

Great food in the basement food courts of department stores

I did a similar trip, would highly recommend Kanazawa which is a pretty easy trip from Tokyo, might also add the very beautiful Nara or Hakone.

Zain HasanHannah DarvinGarud Iyengar

F

Vincent Sai Lei Loh

I traveled to Japan around the same time last year and the favorite part of my trip was the hike up Mt. Misen in Hiroshima. The views at the top are spectacular! You have to take a short ferry ride to the island, but if you have a JR pass, you can use it for the ferry too.

Nara is very beautiful

Calculate to see if it JR pass is worth it, it might be cheaper to go without. Hyperdia (http://www.hyperdia.com) is the site to use for that. That said, the JR pass also works for some subway lines!
What sort of stuff are you looking to do? Shopping, cultural, sight seeing, geeky, food?
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Aria we're going too, around the same time as you! I'll be following this thread as well. We are also likely renting a car from Tokyo to drive to Mount Fuji and the 5 Lakes area. Does anyone have experience with this?

Following

I’ve done this trip 3 years ago . PM me for details

Kamakura while in Tokyo and Nara day trip from Kyoto. It all depends what you like but download google trips for some general main attractions.

Those are all the places that I went too! I did a day trip from Osaka to nara as well. You will love Japan! I was there for 2 weeks but I only got the jr pass for one week and I activated it in the middle of my trip when I was travelling to areas that were further away. The jr pass works for some trains in Tokyo too.

You must try sukiyaki, shabu shabu, takoyaki and tebasaki chicken wings

In Osaka the local "fast food" is takoyaki. I lived on it at one time. You'll love Nara and Deer Park, but the deer are aggressive and will eat cookies from your pocket if you're not careful. I worked at Expo 70 in Osaka and have been back several times. Enjoy yourself.

Perfect time for Sakura

Vivian Wei

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Hi OP! I did exactly two weeks - with one week in Tokyo and one week outside Tokyo covering 9 cities (with the JR Pass!). It was amaazing! PM me and I’ll send you the details

Hey rikesh can u dhare details of ur trip? Thanks

I did the same trip/time as you in 2012! If you like ‘off the beaten path’ you must check out Mt Koya- if I remember correctly, you can get there with your JR pass. Getting there involves a furnicular or vertical train up the mountain to an ancient monastery with incredible little gems.

Also being there during Sakura is amazing. If you are lucky enough to be in Tokyo, go to Ueno park in the morning before the crowds. Everyone is in such high spirits when the blossoms come, it’s great!

Following

Following

Hi all,
What are best options for cellular data services?

I have a post about tokyo on budget if you are interested. http://familytravelbugs.com/category/asia/japan/ It is incredible time to visit and there are tons of festivals going on at that time, including sumo, assakusa dragon etc

Timothy Nguyen