Japan - Tokyo, Kyoto, and Osaka - Where to stay, what to do?

I didn't stay in Tokyo, I stayed in Tachikawya, and Fussa. I took the train into Tokyo

Things to see... The emperors palace, the EDO (Toykos name before the big fire that burned it down) museum, The sumo museum (you really get an idea as to how big these guys are). Actually try to see a match. Check out the various temples around town. Go into the downtown area.. lots of shops, Christian Dior and some boutiques etc. I saw natalie portman wondering around.

ENJOY..

I would second the going to see a sumo match -- if you can, get floor seats, take an obento lunch and prepare to have salt thrown on you. It's like some weird badge of honor if they throw salt on you. Good fun, for sure!

I just sent an email to a friend with this info (her friend was heading to Japan and wanted some recommendations), so I"ll just copy it here for you One thing I will say - SKIP OSAKA!!! I've been there twice because the first time I was just convinced I did it wrong. I didn't. It's awful - dirty, stinky and hard to get around. In fact, the first time I wound up just heading to Kyoto a few days early. Spend more time in Kyoto or go somewhere else (Hakone). Osaka is not worth your time. I tend to stay in Tokyo a few days as a base and do day trips from there before heading on. Tokyo itself is just another big city. But, there are some cool places close by so it's a nice place to stay so you don't have to keep packing/re-packing.

Here's the email I sent:

From Tokyo:

Kamakura is absolutely gorgeous. There's a Giant Buddha (Daibutsu) that is spectacular. Looking at the map, Hasedera Temple might be the one I loved. If so, it is one of the very best in Japan. It sits on the side of a mountain so the grounds keep climbing and climbing until there's an overview of the ocean. Absolutely spectacular.

Yokohama is also a neat little town and a good possibility if there's an extra day to kill while in Tokyo but not necessarily a must-do. There's a China Town there that's completely different than any American China Town. There's also a Landmark Tower that has some great views - on a clear day you can see Mt Fuji from there.

In Tokyo Akihabara (the electronics district) is a sight to see. The Asakusa temple is my personal favorite for picking up souveniers. If they're into upscale shopping, Ginza is the place to be.

Between Tokyo and Kyoto is Hakone. I absolutely recommend stopping here if possible. It's the town Fuji is located in. My cousin and I did a really cool loop there - the details are on the site I linked to but you take a cable-car, a ropeway and a pirate ship and it makes a big awesome loop of the area. There's an open-air museum at one of the stops. Really cool! If they're adventurous they could also hike Fuji while there.

Kyoto is a must do. From there, spend a day at the deer park in Nara (I'm sure the park has a more formal name but it's really known as the deer park). There is another Daibutsu here that is actually larger than the one in Kamakura but it's indoors! The deer are amazingly friendly and will bow to you if you bow to them.

Also while in Kyoto, there are tons of spectacular temples and shrines. The Golden Pavillion (Kinkakuji) is the one you see on all the pictures and a must-do, but the Ginkakuji (Silver Pavillion) grounds are much more gorgeous.

That's what I can think of off the top of my head. I know there were some other awesome places, but these are the ones that stand out the most.

I haven't been in almost 10 years now but each time I went I bought a JR Rail Pass. It was a few hundred dollars and allowed use of all JR system trains (except the Narita airport express) including the bullet train. It's the easiest way to get around and it goes most everywhere.

I hope this helps!

Oh hotels! I think I stayed at the Sakura Ryokan in Tokyo for a few nights. It's a bit out of the way but a traditional room and it was so comfortable. The futon was amazing, it was like sleeping on a cloud! The other hotels didn't leave any sort of impression any which way. Rooms there tend to be really small, so expect that. But, they are very clean.

Thanks Erin! That was very helpful!

I'm not the one who wants to go to Osaka. I hadn't heard anything about it. My boyfriend said he wanted to go... for what exact reason I'm not sure. Maybe I can sell him on not going. Then we can use that time to go to the deer park or something.

All right, Osaka is OUT!

A day trip to Mt Fuji from Tokyo is IN!

AWESOME!!! A much better option in my opinion And it's on the way from Tokyo to Kyoto so it's not really any extra time traveling.

We hiked up and down Mt. Fuji and it was one of the highlights of my trip there in 2002. It was more than a day trip though. We got to the town the night before, spent most of the whole day going up and down and then went back to Tokyo the next day.

I'm not sure we can hike up/down in October. But we are going to go there and see some sights for sure!

Sounds like you had an amazing trip!



Edited by KSH 2013-08-16 8:04 AM

Yeah. I'm sure you can find some resources online about hiking Mt. Fuji and whether the weather will be good in October. My husband and I are actually planning on visiting in October too (Sept 28 - Oct. 20 tbd). Our plan is to go bike touring though.