Japan is a fantastic country to explore and I have been lucky enough to do this multiple times. Japan is divided into many islands, each of which warrant their own trips.

What to Visit When Travelling for Two Weeks

For the first time in Japan, I recommend staying in Tokyo for at least 5 days, spend 3days around Kansai (Osaka/Kyoto/Nara/Kobe/Koyasan/…) and the rest in the nature. That means depending on the season:

The classics:

  • Nikko (stay in a Ryokan)
  • Kawaguchiko (Ryokan here as well)
  • Hakone (Ryokan)
  • Or even a bit further into the mountains of nagano or similar
  • Naoshima/Teshima
  • Koyasan

Preparation Before You Travel

  • Get a Suica card on your phone link on how to do it and charge it with money. You can now easily enter/exit public transit with it. Auto-charge works (or worked?) only with Master Card cards, unsure if still true.
  • Buy an esim, personally had the best network coverage (NTT) with b-mobile: link.
  • Best travel site on Japan: https://www.japan-guide.com/
  • Japanese hotel booking site, e.g. for Ryokans: http://jalan.net/. With Ryokan bookings it’s important to book the correct food offering, which booking.com often doesn’t allow. Otherwise, booking.com is very good in Japan.

Tokyo

Museums

  • Mori Art Museum: definitely one of, if not the top modern art museum in Tokyo. Also offers a stunning view over the city. Has an observation deck, on which you can go outside - it’s basically a heli pad. Highly recommend to stand on the helipad at sunset. When you’re up in the museum, you have to lock your stuff away and purchase a 300jpy or similar priced extra ticket for the helipad which can be closed during adverse weather. museum link
  • Team Lab Tokyo: reserve in advance. recommended on bad weather. take the Yurikamome Line and sit in front.

High spots to watch the city go by

  • (east) Bunkyo Civic Center Observation Deck: chill area to hang out after the sun sets. Observation deck on the top of a local city government building. Not that high but you can see Mt Fuji. Free, go up if you’re in the area. usually no one there with beautiful panoramic windows. gmaps link
  • (east) Tokyo Sky Tree: very unique location, very high. but: its too high, meaning everything you see from it is too small; it stands alone, there are no other high rises in that area -> go for th experience, not the view (i wouldn’t recommend unless you know that you want to go/really like high buildings)
  • (center) Ginza SIX Department Store Rooftop: large area rooftop to see the scenes around GINZA / Tokyo station. Definitely visit if you’re in the area. Just take the elevator to (centre) the top. Free, bring drinks/food if you like! Lots of tiktok videos filmed here. gmaps link
  • (west) Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building: See Tokyo from above for free. Amazing spot, def go there. Amazing brutalist architecture by Kenzo Tange. gmaps link
  • (west) Mori Art Muesum Sky Deck: probably one of the best observation decks there is. You can walk around the tower and have a clear view to all sides. For an extra couple hundred yen, you can visit the helipad. Must do, by far the best high spot in Tokyo. Museum is good too!
  • (west) Shibuya Sky: Observation deck to go outside, recently completed. Pretty high, only allowed to go outside if weather permits. Reserve far in advance.
  • (west) Shibuya Hikarie: good location to see the scramble crossing.
  • (west) Shibuya Exelsior hotel: best view of the scramble crossing, but you have to cheat a bit to go up or dine in the restaurant.

Walks

Hip(ster) area stroll from Daikanyama over Nakameguro to Shibuya: gmaps link , ~2,5h, approx 4km

image_1697747796309_0.png

  • Start at Daikanyama station, if you immediately need a coffee go to monkey caffe or zeta Coffee - otherwise: wait for omnibus coffee!
  • Tsutaya Books Daikanyama: chill in the book store and look at some books. Great selection
  • Kyu Asakura House: see a traditional wealthy japanese house from the inside for 100jpy, gives an insight into wealthy japan
  • Omnibus coffee: get an amazing drip coffee or flat white etc here
  • Meguro River: walk along the river lined with cherry trees and wish you were here in the beginning of April :D
  • Starbucks Reserve Roastery: look at it and be amazed at the insanely long queues. hit me up for a reservation QR code in advance if you’d like to visit
  • Sugekari / Saigoyama Park: walk through the lower park with playground, public gardens up the hill where various flowers and many different cherry trees are located. if you’re lucky, you can see mt Fuji from here
  • Walk the streets: cross the big road across from the park and walk down some stairs to get on the lower streets. follow your desired path to Usagi ramen. The streets depict typical more affluent areas of Tokyo.
  • Usagi Ramen: enjoy insane ramen. Tan-tanmen also stellar, you can ask the waiter to leave out the meat if you want (お肉なしなしでお願いします)

Shibuya - Harajuku

  • nice route, later more. definitely deviate from cat street.

Parks

  • Shinjuku Gyoen: probably the park in Tokyo with the most variety and one of the best groomed parks generally. Closes in the afternoon. Spend a couple of hours here. Bring a beverage / bit of food to chill in the park. Afterwards, get good Tsukemen at Tsukumen Gonokami gmaps link
  • Yoyogi Park: “play” park with lots of action. Drunk parties at night, dog run and activities during the day. Worth a visit. Walk from Shibuya or after you have visited Meiji Jingu. You can only enter from the south.
  • Meiji Jingu: insanely touristic shrine, but green retreat in the city.
  • Ueno Park: must see during cherry blossoms. Go in the afternoon and flow with the crowds. Go for lunch to see groups salary (wo)men get absolutely shitfaced.

Restaurants

  • Tofu Cuisine Sorano Shibuya: geiles only tofu restaurant mit guten Drinks, machen Tofu frisch für dich aufm Tisch gmaps link
  • Shikotama: geile izakaya (und auch Gegend, in der Gegend viel französisch japanisch Fusion durch die dichte Botschaft ) für teppanyaki (stuff auf Eisen am Tisch gegrillt; Spieße) gmpas link
  • Kurumi: gleiche aera, sehr gutes okonomiyaki in nem kleine Lokal, Art jap. Pizza gmaps link
  • Kanda Matsuya: sehr geile Soba (dünne Nudeln) in einem extrem originalen und urigen Gebäude mitten in Hochhäusern. Bedienung alle über 70y. Highly recommended für zB lunch gmaps link
  • Usagi Ramen Shibuya: insane ramen/tantanmen. Owned by Nujabe’s brother and plays his tunes. Usagi means rabbit in japanese gmaps link
  • Ramen Break Beats Meguro: amazing ramen, plays smooth beats! gmaps link

Day Trips from Tokyo

Enoura Observatory

Naoshima / Teshima vibes a train ride from Tokyo away. Book in advance. You can either go before noon or in the afternoon. A shuttle bus takes you from the station to the museum.

Kawaguchiko/Mount Fuji

Ideally, stay a night to ensure a clear view of Mt Fuji at sunrise.

Kamakura / Zushi

Surfing, cafes, organic food and pottery. Also, nice temples!

Hakone

Must visit: Hakone Yuryo Onsen, close to the station.

Naoshima / Teshima Art Islands

What is it: Three islands which have over time been turned into art exhibits by famous architects and artists, largely sponsored by the corporation Benesse (main school text book company). The islands noticeably miss major tourist infrastructures, so there are not large hotels nor big restaurants available. This gives the islands a very calm and collected vibe. Therefore, I recommend visiting them after you have spend some time in the hurry of other Japanese major cities. You get to the island by boat from the port city of Uno.

Where to sleep: you can sleep on the island, but it’s for sure more expensive than staying in e.g. Uno and taking the ferry over every day. Also, eating options on the island are very limited after the sun sets. Nevertheless, it’s a nice experience and very calming to stay there, as the live really shuts down. You also don’t have to struggle with the ferry in the morning. Getting around: on both islands, definitely rent a rental bike with electric support. By far the easiest way to get around as the island is hilly and buses are infrequent. Should cost around 1500jpy per day if I recall correctly.

Naoshima must see:

(Note, Naoshima offers a lot more great stuff - check japan-guide.com for example. I’m just highlighting a few personal favourites here.)

  • *Chichu Museum (地中美術館): Chi means earth/ground and chu means within: a museum recessed into the earth. It’s kept simple, no photography and stunning expositions. Don’t want to spoil anything here. You have to book tickets online in advance and commit to a time slot. DO IT, especially if you go on weekends.
  • Art House Project: collection of art installations in houses on the east side of the island. Scattered around but well accessible by bike.
  • Minamidera (“Southern Temple”): definitely the highlight in terms of experience. You have to obtain a queuing ticket from the Honmura Lounge before going there (accessible on foot), go there 1h before you want to enter the temple.
  • All other art houses can be accessed easily by just showing up. Kadoya, Go’o Shrine (with the underground part), Kinza are the other highlights.
  • Aisunao: amazing vegan restaurant where you can have great lunch
  • Hifumiyo Coffee: stellar coffee right next to Minamidera
  • Yellow Pumpkin: right next to the Benesse House, definitely a good sight :)
  • I love yu: bathhouse which is good to relax. Looks beautiful. But is definitely one of the tourist traps of the island in terms of prices.

Teshima must sees:

You can easily reach Teshima by ferry in the mornings from Uno or Naoshima.

  • *Teshima Museum: contains of a single white building with no exhibits but serene emptiness. Truly special place - must be experienced to know. (link) -> closed on Tuesday, not on Monday, so a good hop from Naoshima on a Monday.
  • Les Archives du Cœur: heart beat exhibition in a beach house. (link)

Kyoto

General: I don’t like Kyoto as a sightseeing/experience location very much as it’s very cumbersome to get around by public transport (busses) and the crowds are insane. For example, there are way more beautiful Bamboo groves than Arashiyama which are also well accessible. Recommend to really pick what you want to see and then move on.

Fushimi Inari: go during the night/at nightfall. Bring a light. There are almost no crowds during the night, and the shrine is lit up beautifully. You can wander among the torii gates and perfectly take pictures. Going up the entire mountain takes some time - be prepared if you want to do it.

Philosophers Path: recommend to walk along it from north to south. Arriving at the southern terminal, hit up the local temples (eg Kiyomizu)

Golden Pavilion: not really worth a visit, very crowded usually.

Architecture

  • Kyoto Station: actually a pretty amazing building, explore it.

Restaurants

  • Shinpuku Saikan - Kyoto station shop: very decent ramen close to Kyoto station. Also open in somewhat ungodly hours. Prepare to line up a bit, if it takes longer than 20-30min, definitely bail.
  • Tea houses: Unfortunately, I didn’t have a change to visit the following tea houses myself yet, but they were highly recommended to me.
    • Hatoya Ryoyousha / 8108kyoto
    • Saryo Housen: more of a traditional Japanese sweets shop which also serves green tea.

Hokkaido

Please refer to my other blog here.

Okinawa

Disclaimer about my knowledge: So far, my only experience stems from a short trip over a couple of days to the main island, where we rented a car. Time-wise, it was March so before the main travel season on the island started or before Japanese people began dipping into the ocean. Moreover, we only visited the western bulge of the north of the main island, meaning north of Naha. We did not see the main Naha attractions (e.g. the famous burned down shrine). 2023-10-03-23-06-32.jpeg

Naha

  • Ramen Chanya, pretty good ramen. Not the best i’ve ever had but certainly good. Miso or local specialty flavours recommended. gmaps link
  • Ukishima Float Bar/Cafe, small cafe which turns bar in the night. Insanely friendly owner from okinawa. Great music selection (funky beats, vinyl). gmaps link

Drive to the north

  • Classic, local noodle restaurant with stellar food, good portions and cheap price: UmiChika cafeteria, gmaps link
  • Good-ish sushi, nothing out of the ordinary but definitely not bad: Jirocho Sushi, gmaps link
  • Cape Zanpa Lighthouse, a lighthouse which you can climb to overlook a stretch of sea. The coast and ground next to the lighthouse resembles Iceland, because of the raw lava shores. Softcream vendors close to the parking lot. gmaps link
  • Todoroki Waterfall, really tiny waterfall with a small Japanese style garden next to it. A nice visit but don’t expect a lot, the entire area is tiny. Funny to drive there though, road winds through a tiny town. gmaps link

Western Bulge

  • niceness, Nago City, amazing vegan restaurant. Great food, fair prices, weird opening hours. gmaps link
  • Mount Yaedake, Motobu City, mountaintop onto which you can drive. Pretty good views over the island. The drive up there is pretty lonely and unless it’s cherry blossom season (Jan, Feb.) you’re unlikely to encounter anyone. gmaps link
  • Kuni (Yamahara Shokudo / 山原食堂), absolutely insane restaurant. Tiny place serving excellent chinese style noodles and tapas. Fair price. One of the best food experiences on Okinawa. gmaps link
  • Nakijin Village Athletic Park, open access gym and fitness park next to the sea. Building built in the booming 90ties, smooth vibes for strong deadlifts or strolls. gmaps link

Yagaji Island / Kouri Island

  • Kouri Island, the trip there is great. You drive across a straight, long bridge welcomed by flowers. On Kouri Island, you find a pretty nice beach. Recommend driving around the island once to e.g. see the Heart Rock and get food at one of the many Cafe’s around the ring road. Saw a few monkeys and deers while driving around.