Ancient & Modern
Before You Go
The hotels suggested throughout this itinerary are higher-end properties — the Park Hyatt, the Ritz-Carlton, the Conrad. They're excellent, and Japan's top hotels are genuinely worth the investment if that's where your budget is. If it isn't, Japan is also one of the easiest countries in the world to travel comfortably on a more modest lodging budget. The Via Inn and JR Inn chains offer clean, well-located, business-class hotels at a fraction of the price — we've used them ourselves and booked them for clients for years. Just ask us, and we'll build an itinerary around properties that won't require robbing the retirement plan.
No Adapter Needed
Japan uses 100-volt power with the same Type A outlets as the U.S. Your phone chargers, laptop, and most personal electronics will work without an adapter or transformer. Exception: hair dryers and high-wattage styling tools may not perform correctly on Japan's 50 Hz grid (vs. our 60 Hz). A lightweight travel hair dryer is the easiest solution.
Currency
Japan remains substantially cash-dependent, especially outside major tourist centers. A useful mental shortcut: drop the last two zeros from yen prices to get an approximate dollar equivalent (¥1,500 ≈ $10). Plan to carry ¥20,000–30,000 at all times. ATMs at 7-Eleven and Japan Post are reliable for withdrawals; international cards work well. Notify your bank before you depart.
Cell Service
Your phone is essential for navigation and translation — don't rely on hotel Wi-Fi. Check with your current carrier before you leave home; most major U.S. providers offer international plans that work well in Japan and activate automatically on arrival. The alternative is a pocket Wi-Fi hotspot, which you can pick up at the JR Rail office at Haneda Terminal 3 on arrival and return in a prepaid envelope at a drop box when you leave. Either option works — the pocket Wi-Fi is worth considering if you're traveling as a couple and want one device to cover both phones.
Google Translate
Download the app and download the Japanese language pack for offline use before you depart. The camera function — hold your phone over any text and it translates in real time — handles menus, station signs, vending machines, and package labels. It won't be perfect, but it will get you fed and pointed in the right direction.
Do Not Drive
Traffic moves on the left, roundabouts work differently, roads outside cities can be very narrow, and Japan's liability laws are not structured the way American drivers expect. A minor accident that isn't your fault can create serious legal complications. Japan's public transportation is so good that you genuinely don't need to drive. Don't.
JR Rail Pass
Purchase your JR Rail Pass before you leave the U.S. — it is significantly less expensive bought abroad than in Japan. You'll receive a voucher to exchange at the JR Rail office at Haneda Terminal 3 on arrival. The pass covers Shinkansen bullet trains and most JR lines between cities. At arrival, also purchase a PASMO transit card (¥5,000 starting value) for city subway and bus systems.
Field Notes
Two companion guides are linked from the sidebar and from this page throughout. Japan Etiquette covers cultural customs — shrines, dining, tipping, bowing, what to carry — everything that will help you fit in rather than stand out. Getting Around Japan covers the rail system in depth: the JR Pass, PASMO card, navigating stations, train etiquette, and taxis. Both are worth reading before you leave home.
Tokyo
Tokyo is too big to see in three days, which is exactly the right way to approach it. Don't try to check every box. Choose your neighborhoods, go deep, and let the city show you what it is. It rewards curiosity far more than efficiency.
Haneda Arrival & Settling In
Clear immigration and customs at Haneda Terminal 3 — the process takes 30–60 minutes depending on arriving flights. From the JR Rail office, pick up your rail pass, PASMO card, and pocket Wi-Fi if you've ordered one. The Tokyo Monorail connects Haneda to Hamamatsucho Station; from there, the JR Yamanote Line loops through the city center. Save the exploring for tomorrow — the 14-hour flight has earned you an easy evening and an early bedtime.
Haneda is the better airport for Tokyo — it's roughly 30–40 minutes from the city center by monorail and train. But price and schedule sometimes make Narita the right call, and it's perfectly workable. Just plan for the longer ride in. Narita is about 60 kilometers northeast of central Tokyo, and getting to your hotel will take an hour to an hour and a half depending on your method. The Narita Express (N'EX) is the most direct option — about an hour to Tokyo Station, covered by the JR Pass — and continues on to Shinagawa, Shibuya, and Shinjuku. The Keisei Skyliner is slightly faster to Ueno and Nippori (36–41 minutes), where you transfer to the Yamanote Line; it's not covered by the JR Pass but is less expensive than the N'EX if you're paying out of pocket. Limousine buses run to major hotels and stations in about 90 minutes for less money, and are comfortable if you have luggage. A taxi is possible but costs around ¥30,000 ($200 USD) and takes 60–90 minutes in normal traffic, longer if you hit congestion — not recommended when trains are faster and cheaper. If you arrive at Narita, the JR Rail office for pass redemption is at Terminal 1 and Terminal 2; Terminal 3 (used by budget carriers) connects to Terminal 2 by a short walkway.
Shibuya, Harajuku & Shinjuku
Start at Shibuya Crossing, the world's busiest pedestrian intersection — chaotic, photogenic, and genuinely exhilarating at peak hour. The statue of Hachiko, the loyal Akita Inu who waited for his owner at the station for nearly ten years after the man's death, stands just outside the main exit. It's one of the more quietly moving things in the city.
From Shibuya, walk north through Harajuku to Meiji Jingu — one of Tokyo's most significant Shinto shrines, set in a forested park that feels genuinely removed from the city around it. Then continue north to Shinjuku: the east side for the dazzling, overwhelming neon of Kabukicho; the west side for the skyscraper district, including the observation deck of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building (free, and worth the trip for the views).
Asakusa, Kappabashi & Excursions
Asakusa is Tokyo's most traditional neighborhood — Senso-ji, its great Buddhist temple, is the city's oldest and most visited, and is genuinely beautiful despite the crowds. The temple complex and the covered shopping street (Nakamise-dori) leading to it are excellent early morning. The neighborhood around it has a different character than the rest of Tokyo — older, quieter, worth lingering in.
From Asakusa, two stops on the metro brings you to Kappabashi, the wholesale restaurant supply district — blocks of shops selling knives, lacquerware, ceramics, plastic food models, and every conceivable piece of kitchen equipment. It's the kind of place that rewards travelers who cook.
Kamakura — 50 minutes by train. The Great Buddha (Kotoku-in) alone justifies the trip — a 44-foot bronze Amida Buddha sitting in the open air, having survived earthquakes and tidal waves since 1252. The surrounding temple district extends the visit into a full day. Enoshima — a small island just off the coast near Kamakura, accessible by rail, with a shrine complex, gardens, sea caves, and clear-weather views of Mount Fuji. Odawara — a well-preserved castle town with a Samurai museum and a Ninja museum, both modest in scale and both genuinely entertaining.
Ginza is one of the world's great shopping districts — the Japanese equivalent of Fifth Avenue or Bond Street, with the added interest of architecturally ambitious flagship stores by brands that compete to build the most striking building. Akihabara is the electronics and anime district — floors of vendor stalls selling components, collectibles, gaming systems, and the latest in everything electronic. Worth a few hours regardless of whether you intend to buy anything.
Cherry Blossom Season in Tokyo
If there is a single reason to plan a Japan trip around a specific window, cherry blossom season is it. Tokyo's blooms typically open in late March and reach full bloom in the first week of April — the exact timing shifts by a few days each year based on winter temperatures, and the Japan Meteorological Corporation releases an annual forecast in January that's worth tracking if you're planning a spring visit.
The window is short — peak bloom lasts roughly a week to ten days before petals start to fall. The Japanese take it seriously: hanami (flower viewing) parties fill the parks, stores stock sakura-flavored everything, and the whole city seems to exhale. Even if you only catch the tail end of it, the effect is genuine.
Top viewing spots in Tokyo: Shinjuku Gyoen is the most expansive — a large national garden with over 60 varieties of cherry trees that bloom in stages, giving a longer season than most spots. A small admission fee keeps the crowds manageable. Chidorigafuchi, along the moat of the former Edo Castle, is the iconic postcard image — hundreds of trees reflected in the water, with evening illuminations through early April. Rowboats are available; the line for them is long but worth the wait. Ueno Park is the loudest and most festive, with food stalls and picnic crowds spread under a canopy of trees — the full hanami experience. Nakameguro transforms its quiet canal into a tunnel of overhanging blossoms, particularly good in the evening. Sumida Park, near Asakusa, is less crowded and combines well with the temple district nearby.
The full itinerary circuit from Tokyo through Kyoto and Osaka means cherry blossoms follow you south — Tokyo blooms first, then Kyoto and Osaka a few days later. Spring is also the most popular travel period in Japan; book accommodations four to six months in advance if you're targeting this window.
Nagoya
Nagoya is Japan's fourth-largest city and one of its least-touristed — which is, paradoxically, part of its appeal. This is the city as the Japanese actually live in it rather than as it's curated for foreign visitors. It's also the home of Toyota, the center of Japan's automotive industry, and the birthplace of some of the country's best regional cuisine.
Castle, Cuisine & Culture
Nagoya Castle is among Japan's finest, with the original castle towers (the donjon was reconstructed but retains historical displays) and intact Honmaru Palace — the latter with remarkable painted fusuma sliding screens. The castle grounds are a cherry blossom destination in spring.
The Atsuta Shrine is one of the most important Shinto shrines in Japan — second in prestige only to Ise — housing one of the three Imperial treasures. The forested grounds have been a place of worship for nearly 1,900 years. Serene and uncrowded compared to its Kyoto counterparts.
Nagoya's signature cuisine merits attention: miso katsu (pork cutlet with a deeply savory red miso sauce) and hitsumabushi (grilled eel over rice eaten three ways) are the must-orders. The basement food halls of Takashimaya and Matsuzakaya department stores are an excellent introduction to the regional palate.
The Toyota Commemorative Museum of Industry and Technology traces the company's origins in textile machinery through its evolution into the world's largest automaker. Well-designed, genuinely interesting even for those with no particular interest in cars, and a window into how Japan rebuilt its industrial economy after the war. Half a day.
Kyoto
If Japan has a spiritual center, it is Kyoto. The city served as the imperial capital for more than a thousand years, and it shows. Unlike Tokyo — which rebuilt itself into a forward-facing global city after the war — Kyoto held on. Its temples, shrines, traditional arts, and ryokan culture are not recreations or museum pieces. They are still in use, still alive, still practiced.
Fushimi Inari & Gion
Fushimi Inari Taisha is the iconic image of Japan that most visitors carry home — ten thousand vermillion torii gates winding up the forested hillside of Mount Inari. It is crowded at the base and progressively less so as you climb. Go early morning if you can. The full hike to the summit and back is four hours; most visitors turn around at the first or second summit viewpoint.
Gion is Kyoto's historic geisha district — the streets of Hanamikoji and Shinbashi in the evening have a quality found nowhere else in Japan. Traditional machiya townhouses, stone-paved lanes, paper lanterns. If you encounter a Geisha or Maiko in transit, do not ask to photograph her and do not follow her. The etiquette guide covers this in more detail.
Arashiyama, Nijo Castle & Traditional Arts
The Arashiyama district in western Kyoto offers the famous bamboo grove, the garden of Tenryu-ji (a UNESCO World Heritage Site with a landscape garden unchanged since the 14th century), and the Togetsukyo Bridge over the Oi River. The area is best approached by the scenic Randen tram. Arrange boat travel on the Hozugawa River if conditions permit — the descent through the gorge is beautiful.
Nijo Castle, built in 1603 for the Tokugawa shogunate, is the best-preserved example of the Momoyama period style. The "nightingale floors" — constructed to squeak when walked upon to prevent assassination — are the most famous feature and genuinely clever. The painted fusuma screens in the Ninomaru Palace are extraordinary.
Higashiyama & Tea Ceremony
The Higashiyama district is a preserved historic streetscape running along the base of the eastern hills — stone-paved lanes lined with traditional shops, teahouses, and temples. Kiyomizu-dera, the great wooden temple platform that juts out over the hillside on enormous wooden supports (constructed without a single nail), is the centerpiece. Sannenzaka and Ninenzaka below it are among the most beautiful streets in Japan, best experienced on foot in the early morning before the tour groups arrive.
A formal tea ceremony — held in an authentic machiya with an experienced host — is worth arranging in advance. The ceremony is methodical, deliberate, and quiet in a way that is initially surprising and ultimately affecting. Urasenke and En tea houses have English-language programs. Ask us to arrange it.
Nara is 45 minutes from Kyoto by express train. The former capital city (710–784 AD) is home to Todai-ji — housing Japan's largest bronze Buddha, nearly 50 feet tall, in the world's largest wooden building — and to roughly 1,200 wild sika deer that roam freely through the Nara Park grounds, considered sacred messengers of the gods. The deer bow in exchange for specially sold rice crackers. Nara is gentle, beautiful, and well worth a full day.
Hiroshima
No stop on this itinerary carries more weight than Hiroshima. The city was rebuilt after August 6, 1945, and is by any measure a functioning, forward-looking modern city. The reason to come is the Peace Memorial Park and Museum, and you should give it the time it deserves.
Peace Memorial Park & Museum
The Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum is one of the most important museums in the world. It is not easy. The exhibits — personal effects, photographs, survivor testimony — are presented without sentimentality and without editorializing. Allow three to four hours minimum. The A-Bomb Dome (the skeletal ruin of the former Industrial Promotion Hall, left deliberately unrestored) and the Children's Peace Monument are in the park grounds surrounding it.
Plan a quiet evening. The museum asks something of you emotionally, and the city's excellent restaurant scene along the Hondori covered arcade provides a good, low-key way to end the day. Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki — a savory layered pancake with noodles, egg, and toppings, distinct from the Osaka version — is the regional specialty and is not to be skipped.
Miyajima Island
A 10-minute ferry from Miyajimaguchi pier (JR Pass covers the ferry) brings you to Miyajima Island — home to Itsukushima Shrine, whose enormous orange torii gate standing in the tidal flats is one of Japan's most recognized images. At high tide the gate appears to float on the water. At low tide you can walk to its base. The island itself is small and beautiful, with forested hills, free-roaming deer (smaller and less aggressive than Nara's), and excellent street food — grilled oysters and maple leaf-shaped cakes (momiji manju) among them. A full day.
Osaka
Osaka is Japan's kitchen, and its residents will make sure you know it. The city has a reputation for directness — by Japanese standards, Osakans are practically New Yorkers — and the food culture reflects it. Kuidaore is the local expression: "eat until you drop." It is less a warning than an aspiration.
Dotonbori & Namba — Osaka's Food Culture
The Dotonbori canal district is where Osaka's food culture is most concentrated and most theatrical — neon signs, massive mechanical crabs over restaurant entrances, takoyaki (octopus balls) sizzling on griddles outside every other shop. It's loud, crowded, and tremendously alive. The food is excellent. Takoyaki, okonomiyaki, fresh ramen, and kushikatsu (battered and fried skewers dipped in a communal sauce — do not double-dip; this is serious) are the things to eat here.
The Kuromon Ichiba Market, two blocks from Dotonbori, is Osaka's covered food market — 170 vendors, enormous, and a good morning destination before the evening crowds descend on Dotonbori.
Osaka Castle & Umeda
Osaka Castle is one of Japan's most significant historical landmarks — the original was built by Toyotomi Hideyoshi in 1583 and was the largest castle in Japan. The current main tower is a 1931 reconstruction with a modern interior museum. The surrounding castle park is enormous and, in cherry blossom season, spectacular. The museum documents the Sengoku period — the era of warring states — and the unification of Japan. Three hours.
Umeda, north of Osaka Station, is the city's other commercial center — the Sky Building's observation deck offers one of the more dramatic architectural experiences in Japan, a floating garden observatory 173 meters up with 360-degree views. The Hankyu department store basement food halls, the Daimaru food halls — if you are interested in Japanese food culture, an afternoon in the Umeda basement food halls will keep you well entertained.
Sapporo
The Sapporo Snow Festival
Sapporo, the capital of Hokkaido in northern Japan, is a fine city in its own right — but the reason to extend the trip here in winter is the annual Snow Festival, held the first two weeks of February. Odori Park is transformed into an outdoor gallery of enormous snow and ice sculptures — life-sized buildings, famous landmarks, characters from anime and popular culture, all rendered in meticulous frozen detail by teams that have been competing and collaborating at this for decades. It's genuinely remarkable. The city also has excellent ramen (Sapporo-style, with rich miso broth and butter), the Nijo Market for fresh Hokkaido seafood, and day-trip access to ski resorts. Getting here from Osaka requires either a 10-hour bullet train journey or a 2-hour domestic flight — the flight is the practical choice and is not covered by the JR Pass. Add three nights.
We've been to Japan more times than I can easily count — Janet and I have traveled there together, planned it for clients, and most recently spent a Christmas there with our son Rob and his family. It earns the trip every single time. The logistics feel daunting on paper and remarkably manageable in practice. If you're considering it, call us.