@@dd19892 statistically, most people do. i.e. over tourism issue, literally Kyoto. And Japanese doesn't (except for those dudes who try to get you into their 10,000yen izakayas) but the Nigerian mafia does in Kabukicho be careful.
Advice for Kyoto. Wake up at 5am, do your hikes and bamboo forest etc. Then go get some killer food while everyone else slept in and is catching up to you. Worth it.
to ca. 80% also my trip. Kyoto was a bit longer for me so we had a few more temples and the monkey park on the list. Visiting Eikan Doji on a saturday gave us some try out stations of the different bells and gongs which was a cool plus to the roundway. Therefore less time spend in Osaka.
It is part of the "JR pass bucket list" route. So most do it that what. I just came back from Japan, I did Osaka, Nara, Kyoto, Gifu city, Takayama, shirakawa-go, Matsumoto, fujikawaguchiko and then Tokyo. Honestly like everything from from gifu city to fujikawaguchiko much better, almost no tourists, ability to take a bicycle and drive in the mountain valleys or country side.
I visited that iconic Gion alleyway in Kyoto at nighttime as well as daytime. During the day, it is SO crowded as the video says 4:09. But at night time, most shops close surprisingly early, and when I went (a little after 8PM, mid November) the entire place was completely devoid of all humans, while there are still small street lights. Very peaceful feel. So if your goal for visiting this alleyway is to take some nice photos or to take a stroll and absorb the aesthetics without buying anything from the shops, I recommend going at night after everything is closed. It's a whole different feeling compared to hustle and bustle of daytime.
I've visited twice, done the things everyone does. Now I'm ready to go visit rural towns, hike the mountains, see the slower parts of Japan. Last time I went I visited Mitake and Biwa-ko, probably my favorite things I did the entire time.
There are so many places. Just do it. For me its best to "take your time". Cause a day "off" in a parc making a picnic or something like this really helps to enjoy the holiday more. Or stay 2-3 nights in a hotspring town. Sounds boring, but really feels beautiful. Like you said. Hiking ist allways a good idea. I even liked hiking the fuji, and im so stupid, i would do it again...
Yo bro that's my plan too. Visited Japan for the first time last year, did most of the things from this video and then some, but for the second trip I'd like to visit more rural areas and get off the beaten path. Basically skip the cities and spend time in the nature. Feels like it's a good plan because the first trip gives you an idea of how things work and makes you more confident about exploring the country deeper.
@@dorian6021 in my case I focused on doing the popular things during my first visit in Japan because planning everything from home is overwhelming so it's easier to build an itinerary around known stuff rather than going off the beaten path. But it's definitely something to consider for your second or third visit.
First trip to japan is next week for two weeks. Pretty much doing Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, and back to Tokyo. It may be generic but its my first time and I wanna experience the highlights. Planning to travel more north for our second trip.
nothing wrong with doing the highlights. feels like some people view having the same plan as someone else very negatively but its all about your own experience and having fun with what you do. being worried about being “generic” is a recipe for unhappiness
If you want to see bamboo without crazy crowds, try the Kodaiji Temple in Kyoto. It's smaller but still offers great photos with fewer people. There are also tori gates at random temples around Tokyo with low crowds. Not as many as at Fushimi Inari, but enough to get some good photos.
I spent 2 weeks in Tokyo the year before covid and I did almost everything you mentioned on this trip. The difference is I also went to almost every temple in Tokyo as well as hitting the Imperial Palace in Tokyo and Kyoto, God I got to go back
@subburbias I went overseas solo for the first time in may and it was awesome if you need some extra help search on google 2 weeks in Japan itinerary and there is a page by invisible tourist and that is what I used to make my plan for my trip and it gives you basically a full guide on the best way to see everything and from that you can change what you want to do as well
For people considering this itinerary, I’d consider adding a day trip to Kamakura from Tokyo and a night in Hakone to enjoy hot springs. Also, Osaka and Kyoto are very close by train so no need to have two hotels. Stay in Kyoto and day trip to Osaka.
I recently had my first trip in Japan - 3 weeks. Started in Sapporo, took trains to new towns southbound each day for an entire week. Met with a friend in Ibaraki for two nights, then flew from Narita to Okinawa, stayed with another friend for 5 nights and traveled the main islands. Flew to Osaka and stayed in Kyoto for 4 nights as a home base, went to Osaka and Nara out from there. Took the riverboat to Arashiyama, highlight there lol. Ended the trip by taking the shinkansen to Tokyo and stayed 3 nights. Knew I would spend more time in Tokyo on my next trip, whenever that may be. I backpacked the country solo & would have only changed a handful of things differently. Loved every minute & wish i could go back.
For one week may be better to fly into Osaka and work your way up north. Nothing wrong with these attractions for a good taste of Japan. You’re a tourist so enjoy and get it out of your system.
great list, you're bang on with the content! this is indeed the generic japan trip to the t... nothing wrong with that, especially for those on tight schedule or first timers
We did this but included Osaka Castle and we actually drove around Shizuoka and back Yokohama in a rental kei car. It was an absolute blast to have our own car. Id recommended it but ONLY in the mountains. As soon as we got into Yokohama it was really difficult to drive and i LOVE driving!!!!
i've been in Japan for the first time in March 2024 and that was just a surreal experience, the itinerary was almost the same as the one mentioned in the video and it's the trip EVERYONE does for a reason, it's just a great mix of traditional and modern, you'll feel "overwhelmed" with all the Tokyo lights in a good way, the relaxing feeling of cycling around Kyoto's temples and shrines, the hikings to get to some not so popular spots, overall it's just beautiful. I've stayed for two weeks and that's the ideal amount of days to enjoy and not feel that rush to do things at specific times or set timers to be in a certain place, for example, some people spend an entire day in Shibuya - in my experience, i got there around 6pm, had dinner in Sushiro, crossed the scramble crossing a few times, saw Hachiko, went to Shibuya Parco and finished the night just chilling in Miyashita Park untill the time of the last train back to Akihabara (where i was staying). Surely you can spend a whole day there, there's certainly things to do and places to visit but my point is, having two weeks allows you to be free in a way where you don't really feel that pressure to be in a certain place in a certain time or anything of the sort which is awesome 'cause even though you're having the trip that "everyone" does, you're experience will always be different that way.
I have been to Japan 8 times, we’ll be going again in two Months. The first five times I never left Tokyo…the last time (2020) I was there for two months and even worked a little in Nagasaki.
Oh c'mon, i was in japan 5 times now, and you just exactly basically told everything i've ever done there (except that one big tour in Kyushu, that was phenomenal (and different)... i really loved Beppu and Nagasaki. Even met a japanese girl in Beppu that literally works 5 minutes away from my home in switzerland and just visited her family. She did speak swiss-german perfectly. That was awesome). Anyway..... i dont care how "generic" it is... this november is drinking time in the Asakusa sidestreets again... i love that moments way too much to not repeat it over and over. Oh and Miyajima. Miyajima was great too. We slept in a Ryokan on the island.
My opinion is that once you are able to go to Japan at least 1-2x, you will then be able to visit places off the beaten path. Im planning my upcoming trip #3 and thats my experience. When I was in Kyoto for trip #2, I opted to just stay there for the four days and forego Osaka. Ill be back in Kyoto again and still no plans for Osaka. This time I will do alot of day trips from Kyoto and Tokyo.
Going on my first trip soon- I opted to stay in Tokyo, Kanazawa, and Okayama, and just take day trips to Osaka and Kyoto for the one or two things I actually want to do in those cities
I went to shimane prefecture on my first trip (though I stayed in matsue/izumo) and did plenty fine! Don't feel that it's out of reach. It helps to book day trips with guided tours (make sure it's actually good though.. also some don't have english speaking guides) a few times. Or you can be me and get abandoned by the bus in wakkanai at the end of november in like 0C and just go for a 4km super scenic walk while simultaneously not being dressed warm enough and taking refuge in every seicomart to not die xDDD of course that's an exaggeration but the wind that day was bad!! oh well. i expected that to happen actually lol, it livened the experience!
Bro ☠️ we did all that! 🍙 but we went for two weeks and also made it to Nikko from Tokyo, Otsu from Kyoto and Himeji-Hiroshima from Osaka which we also enjoyed! I miss my days there, Japan is an another world.
Bonus locations if you have more time like Kamakura, Nikko, Yokohama, Fuji (we hiked it 😂), Kobe, Uji, Hiroshima, Miyajima are also worth it. Although my girlfriend and I spent 5 weeks so we had planty time to see this extended version of the golden route. It's maybe my personal opinion but I prefer Osaka to Tokyo, not for the things that you can do but Tokyo is huge af and there's people everywhere, while Osaka aside from Dotonbori was pretty chill to go (absolutely loved Shinsekai). I do recomend taking cultural activities as well, those are the ones we enjoyed more, like sumo wrestling (that depends on the month you're going), geisha show, cooking class, japanese whiskey and sake tasting, going to a hot spring and sleeping in a ryokan. It's the best trip that I've ever done in my life and I can only think of going again and seeing the north of Japan and the Alps
Great presenting style mate, you should be more popular. Keep at it. Maybe do a follow up to this video. What to do on Week 2 of your Japanese Holiday: Miyajima, Takayama, Hakone, Nikko etc
It's insane how accurate this was but 2 stops we headed to which wasn't on there was actually Fujiyoshida and Nagoya. Fujiyoshida had the BEST hotel we've ever been in (it was a Ryokan onsens both private and public) while Nagoya castle and the Ghibli Park were fantastic sites to visit not to mention the Miso pork cutlets and the Miso Nikomi udon were DELICIOUS. So yeah, HIGHLY RECOMMEND going to both if you have time in your itinerary.
@@maydaysan The Ryokan was actually one of the highlights of the trip. It really felt like a luxury 5 star hotel experience, they served us a wonderful dinnner banquet for us and even a wonderful and filling breakfast. As I'm typing this, my mouth is still watering from remembering the A5 Kuroge Beef they served us along side the fatty tuna, salmon and mackerel. For the group of 7, we spent £2,190 (roughly $2750) for three nights and my god it was it was so worth it!
I did a week in Japan with a friend and we had a packed itinerary lol although we stayed mostly in Tokyo. We did a day trip to Kyoto and did the Fushimi inari, a traditional tea ceremony and the bamboo forest. The town just before the forest is such a beautiful area and I'd say I enjoyed the town more than the forest itself.
Been this summer, and I did this exact trip + Ishigaki Island. Had 15 days: 6 Tokyo, 2 Kyoto, 1 Nara, 1 Osaka, 4 Ishigaki, back to Tokyo 1 day and then home. Must say it was extraordinary, and for me also very good with timing. If you want to go to USJ (we didn't manage, but we went to Disney) then remove 1 day from Tokyo and add 1 to Osaka, but it was our first time so we wanted to experience Tokyo at the very best. Ishigaki was stunning, never been in such a beautiful place
I went to Japan three times and, if I may, I would add Nikko as a city to visit. It's not that far from Tokyo and you can visit a bunch of temples. You have far less tourists and so everything is more enjoyable. If you have the time, perhaps plan two days there and visit the Kegon falls as well. Visiting that city remains one of my favourite memory of my 3rd trip.
@@dumspyrospero for the temples, the nature, and the peacefulness of the city in itself. There isn't many shops or even hotels (I don't remember any, I stayed at a guest house) but it was lovely to do after Tokyo (that I absolutely adore but it's far more draining)
I went to Nikko and I wouldn't say you have far less tourists. Nikko Tosho-gu was as busy as Senso-ji. I spent there half a day including Kegon falls and TBF it's one of two places I visited in Japan I wouldn't have returned to.
I would strongly recommend one day in Hiroshima and Miyajima- the Atomic dome and museum and castle in Hiroshima, then the afternoon in Miyajima for the floating tori gate and deer. That way you can skip Nara and still get your deer fix while eating some of the best oysters on the planet.
i try and do "less touristy" things but honestly, felt like in Japan this is the trip worth doing for your first time. then in the future you can always add extra things. i also went to hiroshima (really worth going to), miyajima (nice enough, very scenic) and a day trip to a fuji viewpoint (honestly, just worth it for an instagram photo but the journey took forever) i spent quite a lot of time thrifting/shopping also tbh next time i hope to visit Okinawa and a few other less major cities. maybe even get to a sumo tournament.
If you want another experience Sado, Gunma and Wakayama are great! We especially enjoyed Sado. We traveled for three weeks and did most of the golden route aswell.
I would also say going to Nagoya would be worth it, u have Ghibli park & the Toyota car museum & they're a train stop apart. u can do it in a day but I did it in 2
Tried other places like Fukuoka and Hokkaido the last time I went to Japan... it was a refreshing experience after going to Tokyo/Osaka the past 5 times I've been because it's not crowded 24/7. Also driving in Japan is quite a pleasurable experience.
I went June 2024 and basically our iteniery but we found so many other things to just walking around the cities but tiktok, IG helped us find alot of "lowkey" things to do. A samurai katana class, temples in the mountain side of Osaka, Ikebureko (wrong spelling most likely) Arcades, food shows etc. Cant wait to go back and expand but Thailand first
we started in Okinawa, then flew to Osaka, had a day trip to Minoh, then went to Kyoto, then Tokyo then did a day trip to Hakone. it was just over 3 weeks we packed a LOT in, probably the best trip I've ever taken.
if you have more time i think tokyo - sapporo - hiroshima - kyoto - osaka is the best trip you can do. i spent only $5500 AUD for the entire month of dec for the trip.
I never went to Japan before my exchange and at first I was sad about it, but now I'm so happy that my time frames are much broader and I can explore more things at a slower pace.
The one or two places we went that were off this list ended up being the best parts of our trip. I strongly feel like people should make their first visit with the popular tourist spots but then make a second trip going somewhere much more remote for the true authentic experience
I strongly agree that you just gotta do the golden trip once. After that you can start exploring other parts, which are relatively same-ish unless ur looking for a specific thing. Was thinking about making a video titled :should you go off the beaten path in Japan?
In April 2025 I am going to be hiking from Osaka to Tokyo. I am very excited and I think its a bit more of a unique trip compared to what others tend to do in japan for their first time.
@@maydaysan We're traveling the great Tōkai Shizen Hodō trail, from Osaka to Tokyo. We are sort of inexperienced as hikers so we will be taking it at our own pace. Taking breaks in the small towns as we deem fit. I am very excited.
I stayed in Tokyo for about 5 days this past July, and I'm not surprised at those places you show within the first minute being where my roommate and I ended up visiting... all after the first day's recording session. Then again, this video is supposed to be a "generic" guide, so I had quite a few of my own things done (like the recording session and getting lost in a Bic Camera store).
Literally everyone I've ever talked to that has traveled to Japan has had pretty much this exact itinerary. It's a little frustrating, partially because there are so many more interesting places, and also because some of these locations are suffering severe over-tourism issues, so I want to try and encourage some more niche spots that are much more eager to receive foreign tourists. I'm actually traveling Japan right now, and I'm challenging myself to find good spots by trying to collect items from as many prefectures as possible, and specifically forbidding myself from entering the cities of Tokyo or Kyoto for any reason.
It's a balance I think between finding the tourist spots but also going just far enough away from them to find really interesting spots. I found a 4 person standing bar only in a tiny back alley of Osaka that was about a 5 min walk from Dontonbori right near Namba walk station.
@@maydaysan I guess it depends on what you value in a trip. Personally, I'm quite fond of interacting with locals and getting a feel for the culture and lifestyle. I'm really not that interested in seeing attractions or monuments, and I tend to find most displays of culture in these locations to be a performance at best, so even when I do seek out these places, I prefer to discover them on my own, since I don't see a point in visiting a crowded place that already has a billion pictures and videos from other people online. I understand that there is an experience to be had in seeing these locations in person, and I'm not going to say that people are wrong in their destination choices, but it can be a little frustrating when the rampant over-tourism in these locations is getting severe enough for the government to start imposing restrictions, and even this video acknowledges the problem by being titled "The Japan trip everyone does" and then highlighting how difficult it is to even see some of these places at times that they're not swarmed by crowds. Meanwhile there are attempts to promote tourism to other locations that are desperate to host people that are seemingly ignored. Also to be clear, my preference for smaller local destinations over large attractions is something I generally do with every country I've ever visited. For any trip longer than a few days, the primary tourist destination is typically the location I spent the least amount of time in, if I go there at all. I recognize that this is generally a personal preference, and is largely due to me being a somewhat experienced traveler.
There's nothing wrong with seeing the typical touist stuff, at least for architecture and nature etc. It's popular for a reason, you wouldn't go to Paris and skip the Eiffel tower for example. Any food place you see on social media is usually overrated.
We’re trying to do different things on our trips to Japan. We’ve done the Golden Route a couple of times and have seen most of Tokyo, Osaka and Kyoto. Did Hiroshima a couple times and always seem to go for the oysters there. But we’ve also done Nagano, Takayama, Matsumoto, Kanazawa, Fukuoka and Kobe and on our last trip, we stayed in Inuyama. Our next planned trip in April, we’ll stay in Toyama and try to go on the Kurobe Gorge excursion. The big cities have their place and we enjoy the food in Osaka, plus with the JR Pass not being as good a deal, flying into Osaka instead of Tokyo means less train travel. The rural parts of Japan that we’ve visited have very friendly, but reserved , people and some beautiful countryside.
How did you find getting around without Japanese to these rural parts? I feel confident no matter where i go because I can speak it, but i imagine its intimidating for tourists
@ Lots of Google Translate and at restaurants that either had the examples in the window or pictures on the menu, a LOT of pointing. LOL. And if there was a website in Japanese, we translated that before going and saved it so that we had the English version of the menu, or at least what the translate function was able to handle. We found the people in the country to be generally more helpful than in the city, probably because it is a lot less frantic pace.
Very good video, having been to Japan and all those places I fully agree with the assessment. To me it seems a bit 'boring' though to just visit the cities as per the "golden trip". I did some days at Kumano Kodo last time, it was fantastic and a great opportunity to see a more rural, natural setting of Japan.
I went to Fushimi Inari around the time you made this video, at the literal crack of down. Started going up at around seven and there were some people but not many. Plenty of opportunity for the shots everyone wants to make. Just a couple of people make it to the top, so it will be even quieter there, though the gates are a bit further apart which doesn't allow you to make the "tunnel" pics. When I came back down and checked the entrance around 9.30, it was already supercrowded with groups. My advice is to either go around 7 (or earlier in summer) or go after dark. It's even emptier and atmospheric and even a bit creepy then. As a reference, I did almost the exact same trip as described here, but I stayed in Tokyo for 2 weeks, in and around Kyoto for 6 days and took 2 days of Kanazawa in between. I still felt like I was rushing through Tokyo. There's so many things to do and see in so many different places. It's like 15 different cities in one. Just take your time for Japan. I'll be back for sure.
I've planned my first trip starting in Tokyo, immediately heading north hitting up the Fukushima/Miyagi/Yamagata prefectures, then straight shotting for Hokkaido. I don't have much interest in the cityscapes of Japan, I much prefer the countryside, seeing the shrines, the rice fields, the local restaurants, etc. My main goal for this trip is seeing the Unkai Terrace and I will let nothing stop me.
Props for the non-pretentious, non-hipster recommendation! Also agree on Tokyo being the food centre. Japan just want to give Osaka some meibutsu assignment, so they just overhyped it. Personally, I always look for ryokan and onsen or nature walk - so places like Hakone, Nikko can be inserted into the trip. My advice for first time visitor to Japan in this age and year is... don't take photos for the sake of it, don't chase the spot, especially if you are in this typical Japan's first timer route. Honestly, Tokaido is everyone's route, and everybody has seen it, it won't make your instagram any less boring. Take meaningful photos for your personal memory keepsake instead, so you can spend more time vibing - you know in places like in Asakusa, Shibuya, or Shinjuku. There are many spots like Gion, Kyoto - the ones in Takayama, Kanazawa, or Kurashiki are much more pristine and enjoyable. Sika deers exists almost everywhere, not just Nara. Lines of Torii gates are also nearly everywhere in Japan too - you don't have to fight with the crowds in Fushimi Inari Taisha.
It is only crowded about half way up the Fushimi Inari shrine because most tourist are out of shape to go to the top same reason for the Nara overlook of the city. Also 2 days at Kyoto is far to little, minimum should be 4 days
I recommend Yokohama city and Kanagawa prefecture as a whole. Still interesting, but doesn't feel nearly as busy as Tokyo. An "easy" hike I recommend is Mt. Takao. You can get some nice photos. Also, make note that most places on average don't open till like 9-10 am or so. Don't feel guilty about going to American fast food restaurants in Japan. It's a fun thing to compare and contrast. Make note that convenience stores are generally more expensive relative to grocery stores. I understand the need to do things on the go, but if you are near a grocery store, I recommend checking it out. Also there sales on premade foods in the evening at grocery stores. Great video.
Yup that was sort of my first trip last year! I've been twice this year, exploring more (Hokkaido, Kyushu) and heading over again in 2025. What I didn't realise is how close Osaka and Kyoto are. They're basically in the same urban area so for next year I have 6 days in Osaka and will day trip to Kyoto (13 mins on the Shinkansen), Nara, Kobe etc. One of my Kyoto days on my first trip was a rain washout so I never got round to the bamboo forest or golden temple etc
I just went with some friends and I found that Nagoya, despite being one of the biggest cities in Japan, had actually not that many crowds. We went to Legoland there on a weekday and there were so few people! Even the biggest roller coaster had only about a 5 minute wait!
it’s VERY out of the way-but, if you love peace and quiet, Iya Valley. Shikoku is beautiful, and not very touristy. I met a family who were on their 5th or so Japan trip that had been travelling all over the island and they loved it. Iya Valley is the only place I went that was ever “quiet”-meaning, like, genuinely not a single soul out past 5pm quiet. It’s touristy during the day, sure, in the random country town kind of way, but if you get out of the hotel before 1pm, you can enjoy the vine bridge before the tour buses come in. And anywhere away from the vine bridge is practically empty. Takamatsu, too, is a nice city without many tourists. I didn’t get to explore it much as I went to Naoshima but my sister was a big fan. For somewhere more traditional, Takayama, again is very touristy but it is less painful than Kyoto. I hated Kyoto because it was just TOO many people (went there on a day trip). Takayama is certainly bustling but it provided the same kind of energy as Kyoto for me but on a more lowkey level! And there’s hot springs, a limestone cave, and shirakawago just an hour or so away :) So, while I don’t have anywhere to recommend that doesn’t at least have Tourists, they’re certainly a breath of fresh air from a fellow Crowd Hater 😄
I went to Japan and I’m planning a second trip there. My biggest advice would be to try not to book your vacation in the peak of summer 😩 got heat exhaustion twice lol
Did a similar itinerary for my first trip a few years back, hit most of the same spots but did Osaka -> Kyoto -> Tokyo (took flights into Osaka and out of Tokyo). Would love to explore further out, eg. up towards Sapporo - I have a return trip planned in April but might only have time to do Tokyo on that one unfortunately
Me first trip to Japan was: Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, Nara, Kobe, Himeji, Miyajima, Kamakura. Second one: Osaka, Kyoto, Koyasan, Nagoya, Korankei, Kanazawa, Shirakawa, Takayama, Tokyo.
I’m going to Japan for the following Cars, Food and the Beauty of the countryside and mountains. So Hokkaido for the underground drifting scene. Actually my plan is to save up so I can go to Japan and visit an auction to buy and import my car there. I think I will find great food and great sceneries anywhere I go to Japan.
We rented a car and did a roadtrip from Tokyo to Osaka with a lot of stops in between then took the Shinkansen back. Perhaps a bit much but it was definitely a great experience. Especially the more "countryside" places.
in my Opinion you can skip Osaka completely if you have been to Tokyo and there is nothing you really want to see there. Dotonbori is nice in the evening but you can go there easyly from Kyoto if you stay relatively close to the Train Station there. From Kyoto Train Station you can also do Day Trips to Hiroshima or even half Day Trips to Himeji or Kobe.
I did Tokyo-Kyoto-Osaka in 2011, and then Osaka-Kyoto-Tokyo in 2016. There is a reason why it's so popular! Only ventured out to Himeji, Kobe, Nara, Takayama, and Shirakawa-go in 2018. I did my first solo trip this year, besides Tokyo (for a week) I also visited Nikko, Yamagata, Ichinoseki, Kamakura, and Yokohama. Going on another solo trip next year, starting with Fukuoka and Hiroshima. Staying in Kyoto and Osaka for a few nights to use it as a base to explore Wakayama and Mie prefectures, spending a night in Kinosaki Onsen, and ending in the trip in Nagoya (mainly for Ghibli Park).
i only went to japan to hike Mt.Fuji. everything else was extra for me. even tho everyone does this exact itinerary, its still a must do lol. it just gives me a reason to take a second trip back and do something different :D ( ALSO: the fushimi Inari is best later at night! i went aorund 7 pm, and there was maybe 10 people in the entrie place!)
Amerikajin desu. We went to Hiroshima. On one hand going to Miyajima is the most touristy thing you can do, but on the other hand seeing Hiroshima as an American I feel is humbling.
I have also been to the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam and the Holocaust museum in DC and Hiroshima is maybe the third most depressing place I have been to. I live in a city called Pittsburgh, which is a mid-sized US city on some rivers, and Hiroshima reminded me of home a lot.
Ok, Japan is on my bucket list, but what about party life, is there any in Japan, and what to do the next day when you wake up at 1 pm and everything is already crowded 😅
@maydaysan "Ok, thanks for your response. We just have one last question. If we are visiting three cities, spending at least one day in each, and returning to the first city during our trip, do you have any advice on how to juggle accommodations, like hostels or hotels? I usually end up staying in one place when traveling abroad, so I’m curious about your tips."
Lol, thanks for planning on my itinerary for the upcoming two week trip in the summer. In fairness to us we don't know better and we need that least the triangle to know what we don't like for the second time around.
I have goals for a trip to Japan. I haven't made a lot of plans but I'm getting there. I'm hoping I'm gonna have some friends in the country at the point to take me to any of their local places. I also will go to the tourist places but only if my friends don't have a place that is better. I do want to go to the USJ but also both Disney's. I really want to get my own traditional items. I want my own Kimono and Yukata. Also I would like to go to the special One Piece statues and see the Going Sunny.
We went to Fushimi inari at night to avoid the crowds! Which worked, but there were signs about wild boar and monkeys which scared us into not climbing all the way up
Did Tokyo for a week, three days at mount Fuji, then couple at Kyoto and Osaka for my first trip there. Tokyo feels endless so feel free to take your time there. Mount Fuji is a great contrast in that it's so serene. I would recommend two days there just to enjoy the quiet and spirituality (I'm not very spiritual, but even I felt it as you arrive in the valleys around the volcano). In Kyoto I arrived extremely early in the day and did fujinari first. What he said is true, if you're there at first sunlight it's still relatively quiet, but after the first hour of sunlight everyone is there. Climbing higher will reduce people and give you some empty shots here and there, but only for short periods. The golden shrine felt to commercial for me, it is a relatively small spot with higher cost to enter. What I recommend in Kyoto is what I usually recommend in Japan: be sure to wander around. Japan is amazing in it's details. Why only visit the large busy shrines when you can find amazing small shrines that exude atmosphere with noone around a couple of streets over with no markings. Kyoto is great for that. Plus, the best food I had in Japan was in a kyoto yakitori restaurant so I do also recommend that! Osaka on the other hand was a bit overrated. The claim of the kitchen of Japan was nonsense to me. Everything there felt like something you could find in Tokyo. The few things that were more original: Osaka castle and USJ. There is also a large viewing platform on the other side of the station, although it's a bit expensive. If you go at night there is a very romantic platform there where people meet. Making for amazing pictures! And between the city Centre and the main station there are a couple of streets where you notice the Yakuza-like adult nightlife atmosphere. Wouldn't take pictures there with random bunny ladies showing around corners due to the bouncers probably not liking it. But it's very fun to walk through and see that part of Japan! (Don't worry too much about that last part, Japan feels extremely safe, even there. Just don't expect to get into one of those clubs as they'll refuse you to avoid you causing problems by not being able to communicate)
Thanks you for the input. It’s mostly about the ease of access to things you “must see” in a short amount of time. Most people don’t have 2-3 weeks to explore Japan in one go, but your trip seemed fine. Also Osaka yeah, you can find everything it offers in Tokyo. The people are a little warmer though!
When you browse r/JapanTravel and every itinerary is a cookie cutter copy of this one 😂 I’m glad I’ve been able to go more than once to see things beyond the “greatest hits.”
I don't have unlimited time or funds to travel, I had a lot of fun on a similar itinerary. Had about 6 weeks to plan the trip given that I was supposed to visit Israel in October 2023... you don't win any awards for going to more obscure places. Let people have their fun.
Those are great places! In Kanazawa our first non travel day we went to Shirakawago which inspired Studio Ghibli movies and is a Unesco world heritage site. If you go there, make sure the pudding shop is open! We ate dinner at Kami in Kanazawa. The chef made our food right in front of us and once most of the patrons left he spent time to chat with us. Very kind man. We spent a day in Kanazawa's Samurai, Geiko(Geisha) District, and traveled to Kyoto that evening. Kyoto became our base for day trips to Himeji Castle, Nara and Inari shrine. Last day we finished site seeing in town. From there we spent two nights in Hakone at a hot spring! During the day, we went to see Mt Fuji. On our last day in Hakone, we traveled to Tokyo, got settled in, and went to Team Labs. Each day after we went somewhere new: DisneySea, Kamakura, Disneyland, Asakusa/Akihabara, Meji Shrine/Harajuku/Shinjuku/Shibuya Crossing, and last day was a free day. Btw there's a smaller more peaceful bamboo forest in Kamakura ♥️♥️♥️ Enjoy your trip!!!
Lads. Here's an idea. Try Kyushu. I went to Japan for the first time literally before the world ended in 2020, then went back in 2023 to Kyushu. 2025 I'm spending 60 days in Kyushu. It's so unknown to tourists that it's insane. Really recommend going. Nobody knows about Kyushu lol. Do something unique! Go!
@maydaysan every part. I went to Fukuoka, kumamoto, Kagoshima, saga, Nagasaki, Miyazaki, and the surrounding areas. I loved it so much I just had to go back in a few months!
I feel like that would actually be a pretty good first trip, to just get to know the country a bit. If you go again you can visit the lesser known locations.
Ill be going to Japan in April for 7 Days. It will be my first time actually doing something on my own like that. Would you say only staying in tokyo (except hopefully traveling to mt fuji) is stupid? Or is there enough to see / do / experience in tokyo itself for 6 days (1 day for fuji obv)
I disagree on fushimi inari. Don't get here early or on the morning/afternoon; but go there after dinner! It's one of the rare place in japan open 24/24 (most tourist spot close early in japan ) and there where nearly noone here on the evening, it's one of the best place i've visited because it's empty! Seriously i film a video of 8 minutes here and i meet 0 people during the filming! Mind you that it wasn't that late, i was sleeping in Osaka and i needed to take my train/metro before it was too late.
@@maydaysan Yeah no sun i agree but why no pictures? You can took picture during the night especialy because fushimi inari have light along the way but i guess that if you have a cheap phone/camera it doesn't work well. PS: for the sake of explanation, i went here last year with a Pixel 7a, not the most costly phone by far but it's a good one for photo i suppose.
I did part of this generic Japan trip (Kyoto + Tokyo) last March and I dont regret it because both cities I visited definitely had things that I would regret if I didn't see. I have to admit I was at some point frustrated with the crowds especially in Kyoto but there are ways around this. For example in Kyoto I visited the Kodaiji Zen Temple which also comes with a small bamboo forest and there was almost noone there (I even made a video about it). I am returning for my 2nd trip to Japan soon, any recommendations for places off the beaten path are welcome...
i went to a maid cafe once, the Steins Gate one. not the overly cute moe type. came across it by chance as i was walking to the shrine just north east of akiba main street. still havent seen Gojira yet. not osaka yet. Kyoto, Hiroshma and Saga prefecture. still got many plans for Saga prefecture t complete. enjoyed Shibukawa for the Initial D related areas, also Nikko for the touge road though i was a passenger.. Yutoku Inari shrine in |Kashima is very beautiful. first trip was a golden tour in a group. the next 2 visits were solo. got plans for 3 more trips, all focusing on Saga prefecture.
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Not all people go to those places and no, Japan doesn't scam tourists like this guy said
@@dd19892 statistically, most people do. i.e. over tourism issue, literally Kyoto. And Japanese doesn't (except for those dudes who try to get you into their 10,000yen izakayas) but the Nigerian mafia does in Kabukicho be careful.
Advice for Kyoto.
Wake up at 5am, do your hikes and bamboo forest etc. Then go get some killer food while everyone else slept in and is catching up to you.
Worth it.
thanks
Chef!! What are you doing here lol
5AM is TOUGH but I guess jet lag helps!
@@CHEFPKR i would amend it in " go to kyoto in the lowest season possible"....
Fr!! i did this and randomly ended up at kitchi kitchi omurice
I’m crying this is my EXACT trip lmao
The GOLDEN TRIP MY GUYYYY
to ca. 80% also my trip. Kyoto was a bit longer for me so we had a few more temples and the monkey park on the list. Visiting Eikan Doji on a saturday gave us some try out stations of the different bells and gongs which was a cool plus to the roundway.
Therefore less time spend in Osaka.
It is part of the "JR pass bucket list" route. So most do it that what. I just came back from Japan, I did Osaka, Nara, Kyoto, Gifu city, Takayama, shirakawa-go, Matsumoto, fujikawaguchiko and then Tokyo. Honestly like everything from from gifu city to fujikawaguchiko much better, almost no tourists, ability to take a bicycle and drive in the mountain valleys or country side.
@@adexplorersWhere did you ride in the mountains? isnt it too far drives?
I visited that iconic Gion alleyway in Kyoto at nighttime as well as daytime. During the day, it is SO crowded as the video says 4:09. But at night time, most shops close surprisingly early, and when I went (a little after 8PM, mid November) the entire place was completely devoid of all humans, while there are still small street lights. Very peaceful feel.
So if your goal for visiting this alleyway is to take some nice photos or to take a stroll and absorb the aesthetics without buying anything from the shops, I recommend going at night after everything is closed. It's a whole different feeling compared to hustle and bustle of daytime.
I've visited twice, done the things everyone does. Now I'm ready to go visit rural towns, hike the mountains, see the slower parts of Japan. Last time I went I visited Mitake and Biwa-ko, probably my favorite things I did the entire time.
Were you thinking this time?
There are so many places. Just do it. For me its best to "take your time". Cause a day "off" in a parc making a picnic or something like this really helps to enjoy the holiday more. Or stay 2-3 nights in a hotspring town. Sounds boring, but really feels beautiful. Like you said. Hiking ist allways a good idea. I even liked hiking the fuji, and im so stupid, i would do it again...
Shimanami kaido is excellent. Rural japan is a whole other world and the infrastructure is excellent
Yo bro that's my plan too. Visited Japan for the first time last year, did most of the things from this video and then some, but for the second trip I'd like to visit more rural areas and get off the beaten path. Basically skip the cities and spend time in the nature. Feels like it's a good plan because the first trip gives you an idea of how things work and makes you more confident about exploring the country deeper.
@@dorian6021 in my case I focused on doing the popular things during my first visit in Japan because planning everything from home is overwhelming so it's easier to build an itinerary around known stuff rather than going off the beaten path. But it's definitely something to consider for your second or third visit.
First trip to japan is next week for two weeks. Pretty much doing Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, and back to Tokyo. It may be generic but its my first time and I wanna experience the highlights. Planning to travel more north for our second trip.
I spent 50 days in Japan last year Tokyo - Kyoto - Kanazawa - Nagano - Sendai - Akita - Sapporo. Going north is sweet.
This was the exact itinerary we did for 2 weeks as well and it was perfect!
nothing wrong with doing the highlights. feels like some people view having the same plan as someone else very negatively but its all about your own experience and having fun with what you do. being worried about being “generic” is a recipe for unhappiness
You are going to love it!
If you want to see bamboo without crazy crowds, try the Kodaiji Temple in Kyoto. It's smaller but still offers great photos with fewer people.
There are also tori gates at random temples around Tokyo with low crowds. Not as many as at Fushimi Inari, but enough to get some good photos.
But the PHOTOOOOOO
I loved you changing accents lol! The great Buddha in Trump accent! a sudden british innit. Great video!!
We have fun out here
I spent 2 weeks in Tokyo the year before covid and I did almost everything you mentioned on this trip. The difference is I also went to almost every temple in Tokyo as well as hitting the Imperial Palace in Tokyo and Kyoto, God I got to go back
I’m gonna need more details on your temple run-
going for the fiRst time ever SOLO and clueless and i literally have taken notes from this, THANK YOU!!!
@@suburbias I’m glad I now have a Japan tips video to o
@subburbias I went overseas solo for the first time in may and it was awesome if you need some extra help search on google 2 weeks in Japan itinerary and there is a page by invisible tourist and that is what I used to make my plan for my trip and it gives you basically a full guide on the best way to see everything and from that you can change what you want to do as well
I did my solo trip doing all the things from this video and then some, you will have a good time just following the main attractions
For people considering this itinerary, I’d consider adding a day trip to Kamakura from Tokyo and a night in Hakone to enjoy hot springs. Also, Osaka and Kyoto are very close by train so no need to have two hotels. Stay in Kyoto and day trip to Osaka.
Hakone and Kamakura recommend I would as these if you had a second week!
This is a classic trip. Did it twice now!! Going North next time
why did you do it twice? curious.
North as in, actually north in Tohoku or skip everything and go straight to hokkaido, north?
All those places he mentions are terrific and well worth seeing, I would just add Osaka Castle as a must see when in the vicinity.
Thanks, yeah I can't believe I forgot to include Osaka Castle lol. Good news is that its included in my Osaka video!
I recently had my first trip in Japan - 3 weeks. Started in Sapporo, took trains to new towns southbound each day for an entire week. Met with a friend in Ibaraki for two nights, then flew from Narita to Okinawa, stayed with another friend for 5 nights and traveled the main islands. Flew to Osaka and stayed in Kyoto for 4 nights as a home base, went to Osaka and Nara out from there. Took the riverboat to Arashiyama, highlight there lol. Ended the trip by taking the shinkansen to Tokyo and stayed 3 nights.
Knew I would spend more time in Tokyo on my next trip, whenever that may be. I backpacked the country solo & would have only changed a handful of things differently. Loved every minute & wish i could go back.
this sounds like the dream! I would like to do this, but with less ability to crash at friends. But north to south for sure
this was epic to read!
For one week may be better to fly into Osaka and work your way up north.
Nothing wrong with these attractions for a good taste of Japan. You’re a tourist so enjoy and get it out of your system.
This makes sense as KIX has opened up more!
great list, you're bang on with the content! this is indeed the generic japan trip to the t... nothing wrong with that, especially for those on tight schedule or first timers
It is the perfect introductory tour
My trip is fairly similar. Though adding day trips to Hiroshima, Yokohama & Mt Fuji to keep it fresh.
Love the video man cheers.
We did this but included Osaka Castle and we actually drove around Shizuoka and back Yokohama in a rental kei car. It was an absolute blast to have our own car. Id recommended it but ONLY in the mountains. As soon as we got into Yokohama it was really difficult to drive and i LOVE driving!!!!
i've been in Japan for the first time in March 2024 and that was just a surreal experience, the itinerary was almost the same as the one mentioned in the video and it's the trip EVERYONE does for a reason, it's just a great mix of traditional and modern, you'll feel "overwhelmed" with all the Tokyo lights in a good way, the relaxing feeling of cycling around Kyoto's temples and shrines, the hikings to get to some not so popular spots, overall it's just beautiful. I've stayed for two weeks and that's the ideal amount of days to enjoy and not feel that rush to do things at specific times or set timers to be in a certain place, for example, some people spend an entire day in Shibuya - in my experience, i got there around 6pm, had dinner in Sushiro, crossed the scramble crossing a few times, saw Hachiko, went to Shibuya Parco and finished the night just chilling in Miyashita Park untill the time of the last train back to Akihabara (where i was staying). Surely you can spend a whole day there, there's certainly things to do and places to visit but my point is, having two weeks allows you to be free in a way where you don't really feel that pressure to be in a certain place in a certain time or anything of the sort which is awesome 'cause even though you're having the trip that "everyone" does, you're experience will always be different that way.
100% man. spent 2 weeks there and it just felt so relaxing and not pressured for anything.
It obviously depends what you want to visit and where you stay.
If you stay in Osaka, Kyoto and Tokyo in 2 weeks, it might be short in time…
I have been to Japan 8 times, we’ll be going again in two
Months. The first five times I never left Tokyo…the last time (2020) I was there for two months and even worked a little in Nagasaki.
Tokyo is that vast!
I've been once, we did Tokyo, Nagoya, Nagasaki, and Kagoshima. Nagasaki is probably my favourite city in the world. What a beautiful place.
@@hotsaucecity yes, it has everything…the sea, the mountains…one of the best views and very friendly people.
Oh c'mon, i was in japan 5 times now, and you just exactly basically told everything i've ever done there (except that one big tour in Kyushu, that was phenomenal (and different)... i really loved Beppu and Nagasaki. Even met a japanese girl in Beppu that literally works 5 minutes away from my home in switzerland and just visited her family. She did speak swiss-german perfectly. That was awesome). Anyway..... i dont care how "generic" it is... this november is drinking time in the Asakusa sidestreets again... i love that moments way too much to not repeat it over and over. Oh and Miyajima. Miyajima was great too. We slept in a Ryokan on the island.
My opinion is that once you are able to go to Japan at least 1-2x, you will then be able to visit places off the beaten path. Im planning my upcoming trip #3 and thats my experience. When I was in Kyoto for trip #2, I opted to just stay there for the four days and forego Osaka. Ill be back in Kyoto again and still no plans for Osaka. This time I will do alot of day trips from Kyoto and Tokyo.
I agree with this. Give Osaka at least a half day to pass through while you see the other prefectures!
@@maydaysan I will one day 🤗. I know Osaka will have great experiences and food to offer.
Going on my first trip soon- I opted to stay in Tokyo, Kanazawa, and Okayama, and just take day trips to Osaka and Kyoto for the one or two things I actually want to do in those cities
I went to shimane prefecture on my first trip (though I stayed in matsue/izumo) and did plenty fine!
Don't feel that it's out of reach. It helps to book day trips with guided tours (make sure it's actually good though.. also some don't have english speaking guides) a few times.
Or you can be me and get abandoned by the bus in wakkanai at the end of november in like 0C and just go for a 4km super scenic walk while simultaneously not being dressed warm enough and taking refuge in every seicomart to not die xDDD of course that's an exaggeration but the wind that day was bad!! oh well. i expected that to happen actually lol, it livened the experience!
Why would you wanna go to Kyoto again in the first place? Why nit just stay somewhere in Kyushu or Shikoku man
Bro ☠️ we did all that! 🍙 but we went for two weeks and also made it to Nikko from Tokyo, Otsu from Kyoto and Himeji-Hiroshima from Osaka which we also enjoyed! I miss my days there, Japan is an another world.
Bonus locations if you have more time like Kamakura, Nikko, Yokohama, Fuji (we hiked it 😂), Kobe, Uji, Hiroshima, Miyajima are also worth it. Although my girlfriend and I spent 5 weeks so we had planty time to see this extended version of the golden route. It's maybe my personal opinion but I prefer Osaka to Tokyo, not for the things that you can do but Tokyo is huge af and there's people everywhere, while Osaka aside from Dotonbori was pretty chill to go (absolutely loved Shinsekai). I do recomend taking cultural activities as well, those are the ones we enjoyed more, like sumo wrestling (that depends on the month you're going), geisha show, cooking class, japanese whiskey and sake tasting, going to a hot spring and sleeping in a ryokan. It's the best trip that I've ever done in my life and I can only think of going again and seeing the north of Japan and the Alps
Great presenting style mate, you should be more popular. Keep at it. Maybe do a follow up to this video. What to do on Week 2 of your Japanese Holiday: Miyajima, Takayama, Hakone, Nikko etc
It's insane how accurate this was but 2 stops we headed to which wasn't on there was actually Fujiyoshida and Nagoya. Fujiyoshida had the BEST hotel we've ever been in (it was a Ryokan onsens both private and public) while Nagoya castle and the Ghibli Park were fantastic sites to visit not to mention the Miso pork cutlets and the Miso Nikomi udon were DELICIOUS.
So yeah, HIGHLY RECOMMEND going to both if you have time in your itinerary.
Thanks for watching and I'm glad you went to a Ryokan, those things are amazing!
@@maydaysan The Ryokan was actually one of the highlights of the trip. It really felt like a luxury 5 star hotel experience, they served us a wonderful dinnner banquet for us and even a wonderful and filling breakfast. As I'm typing this, my mouth is still watering from remembering the A5 Kuroge Beef they served us along side the fatty tuna, salmon and mackerel. For the group of 7, we spent £2,190 (roughly $2750) for three nights and my god it was it was so worth it!
@ oh dude 100%. An average ryokan will match or exceed a Tokyo 5 star. Especially for a first time traveler they’re amazing.
What Ryokan in Fushiyoshida did you stay at? Would love to know
@@CloudpupI believe it was called Maruei. It was a modern building but had amazing rooms.
I did a week in Japan with a friend and we had a packed itinerary lol although we stayed mostly in Tokyo. We did a day trip to Kyoto and did the Fushimi inari, a traditional tea ceremony and the bamboo forest. The town just before the forest is such a beautiful area and I'd say I enjoyed the town more than the forest itself.
That's a great route, I love the Fushimi Inari!
Been this summer, and I did this exact trip + Ishigaki Island. Had 15 days: 6 Tokyo, 2 Kyoto, 1 Nara, 1 Osaka, 4 Ishigaki, back to Tokyo 1 day and then home. Must say it was extraordinary, and for me also very good with timing. If you want to go to USJ (we didn't manage, but we went to Disney) then remove 1 day from Tokyo and add 1 to Osaka, but it was our first time so we wanted to experience Tokyo at the very best. Ishigaki was stunning, never been in such a beautiful place
Ishigaki!! Ive always wanted to go there
That shibuya scramble is the scam. Hachi doggy was a treat!
ahaha
I went to Japan three times and, if I may, I would add Nikko as a city to visit. It's not that far from Tokyo and you can visit a bunch of temples. You have far less tourists and so everything is more enjoyable. If you have the time, perhaps plan two days there and visit the Kegon falls as well. Visiting that city remains one of my favourite memory of my 3rd trip.
Oh sounds like a good idea. Is Nikko as a city interesting, or you would mostly visit there for the nature?
@@dumspyrospero for the temples, the nature, and the peacefulness of the city in itself. There isn't many shops or even hotels (I don't remember any, I stayed at a guest house) but it was lovely to do after Tokyo (that I absolutely adore but it's far more draining)
@@camillesch7297 sounds like I place I would enjoy a lot! Thank you very much for the information :)
I went to Nikko and I wouldn't say you have far less tourists. Nikko Tosho-gu was as busy as Senso-ji. I spent there half a day including Kegon falls and TBF it's one of two places I visited in Japan I wouldn't have returned to.
@@greenee04 Oh i see! Are there any other sim3 places you would recommend to visit instead ?
I would strongly recommend one day in Hiroshima and Miyajima- the Atomic dome and museum and castle in Hiroshima, then the afternoon in Miyajima for the floating tori gate and deer. That way you can skip Nara and still get your deer fix while eating some of the best oysters on the planet.
Hiroshima is a shout! Wouldn't skip Nara for the deer because then you can;t say you went to Nara to see the deer-
i try and do "less touristy" things but honestly, felt like in Japan this is the trip worth doing for your first time. then in the future you can always add extra things.
i also went to hiroshima (really worth going to), miyajima (nice enough, very scenic) and a day trip to a fuji viewpoint (honestly, just worth it for an instagram photo but the journey took forever)
i spent quite a lot of time thrifting/shopping also tbh
next time i hope to visit Okinawa and a few other less major cities. maybe even get to a sumo tournament.
Sounds like a plan!
If you want another experience Sado, Gunma and Wakayama are great! We especially enjoyed Sado. We traveled for three weeks and did most of the golden route aswell.
Where’s Sado?
@maydaysan Exactly! Sado Island in Niigata :)
I would also say going to Nagoya would be worth it, u have Ghibli park & the Toyota car museum & they're a train stop apart. u can do it in a day but I did it in 2
Might be! But getting that ticket is a year in advance affair for the park.
actually really informational video
great to have that one generic thing everyone does in one spot nicely summarized.
thank you so much
Thank you! I’m glad this helped.
Tried other places like Fukuoka and Hokkaido the last time I went to Japan... it was a refreshing experience after going to Tokyo/Osaka the past 5 times I've been because it's not crowded 24/7. Also driving in Japan is quite a pleasurable experience.
You’re living the dream!
I went June 2024 and basically our iteniery but we found so many other things to just walking around the cities but tiktok, IG helped us find alot of "lowkey" things to do. A samurai katana class, temples in the mountain side of Osaka, Ikebureko (wrong spelling most likely) Arcades, food shows etc. Cant wait to go back and expand but Thailand first
Yeah I'm just giving the basics so you can go wild from there
we started in Okinawa, then flew to Osaka, had a day trip to Minoh, then went to Kyoto, then Tokyo then did a day trip to Hakone. it was just over 3 weeks we packed a LOT in, probably the best trip I've ever taken.
Whoa an Okinawa Start! I always try to go there, but the weather does not permit
Great video. I like that you talk fast...lots of info in such little time. haha.
if you have more time i think tokyo - sapporo - hiroshima - kyoto - osaka is the best trip you can do. i spent only $5500 AUD for the entire month of dec for the trip.
thats alot though
@@jonesabrahamsen5030 compared to almost anyone else who travels to japan for even half the length that is extremely cheap
I never went to Japan before my exchange and at first I was sad about it, but now I'm so happy that my time frames are much broader and I can explore more things at a slower pace.
There ya go! Japan is endless once you're past the golden route
The one or two places we went that were off this list ended up being the best parts of our trip. I strongly feel like people should make their first visit with the popular tourist spots but then make a second trip going somewhere much more remote for the true authentic experience
I strongly agree that you just gotta do the golden trip once. After that you can start exploring other parts, which are relatively same-ish unless ur looking for a specific thing. Was thinking about making a video titled :should you go off the beaten path in Japan?
In April 2025 I am going to be hiking from Osaka to Tokyo. I am very excited and I think its a bit more of a unique trip compared to what others tend to do in japan for their first time.
drop the itinerary!
@@maydaysan We're traveling the great Tōkai Shizen Hodō trail, from Osaka to Tokyo. We are sort of inexperienced as hikers so we will be taking it at our own pace. Taking breaks in the small towns as we deem fit. I am very excited.
@@SpinninWaffle Okay ive never heard of this and it seems like an amazing adventure!
I did'n know that octopuses had balls, are they tasty?
I stayed in Tokyo for about 5 days this past July, and I'm not surprised at those places you show within the first minute being where my roommate and I ended up visiting... all after the first day's recording session.
Then again, this video is supposed to be a "generic" guide, so I had quite a few of my own things done (like the recording session and getting lost in a Bic Camera store).
It is generic! Haha, you did your own thing!
Amazing work on this video bro!
Thank you! Been trying to replicate this :(
Literally everyone I've ever talked to that has traveled to Japan has had pretty much this exact itinerary. It's a little frustrating, partially because there are so many more interesting places, and also because some of these locations are suffering severe over-tourism issues, so I want to try and encourage some more niche spots that are much more eager to receive foreign tourists.
I'm actually traveling Japan right now, and I'm challenging myself to find good spots by trying to collect items from as many prefectures as possible, and specifically forbidding myself from entering the cities of Tokyo or Kyoto for any reason.
Interesting can be subjective but I think it’s mostly cuz they’re must see sights and we didn’t spend a couple grand to not see them energy
It's a balance I think between finding the tourist spots but also going just far enough away from them to find really interesting spots. I found a 4 person standing bar only in a tiny back alley of Osaka that was about a 5 min walk from Dontonbori right near Namba walk station.
@@maydaysan I guess it depends on what you value in a trip. Personally, I'm quite fond of interacting with locals and getting a feel for the culture and lifestyle. I'm really not that interested in seeing attractions or monuments, and I tend to find most displays of culture in these locations to be a performance at best, so even when I do seek out these places, I prefer to discover them on my own, since I don't see a point in visiting a crowded place that already has a billion pictures and videos from other people online.
I understand that there is an experience to be had in seeing these locations in person, and I'm not going to say that people are wrong in their destination choices, but it can be a little frustrating when the rampant over-tourism in these locations is getting severe enough for the government to start imposing restrictions, and even this video acknowledges the problem by being titled "The Japan trip everyone does" and then highlighting how difficult it is to even see some of these places at times that they're not swarmed by crowds. Meanwhile there are attempts to promote tourism to other locations that are desperate to host people that are seemingly ignored.
Also to be clear, my preference for smaller local destinations over large attractions is something I generally do with every country I've ever visited. For any trip longer than a few days, the primary tourist destination is typically the location I spent the least amount of time in, if I go there at all. I recognize that this is generally a personal preference, and is largely due to me being a somewhat experienced traveler.
There's nothing wrong with seeing the typical touist stuff, at least for architecture and nature etc. It's popular for a reason, you wouldn't go to Paris and skip the Eiffel tower for example. Any food place you see on social media is usually overrated.
@kevinj9270 yeah imagine skipping the Eiffel Tower :(
We’re trying to do different things on our trips to Japan. We’ve done the Golden Route a couple of times and have seen most of Tokyo, Osaka and Kyoto. Did Hiroshima a couple times and always seem to go for the oysters there. But we’ve also done Nagano, Takayama, Matsumoto, Kanazawa, Fukuoka and Kobe and on our last trip, we stayed in Inuyama. Our next planned trip in April, we’ll stay in Toyama and try to go on the Kurobe Gorge excursion. The big cities have their place and we enjoy the food in Osaka, plus with the JR Pass not being as good a deal, flying into Osaka instead of Tokyo means less train travel. The rural parts of Japan that we’ve visited have very friendly, but reserved , people and some beautiful countryside.
How did you find getting around without Japanese to these rural parts? I feel confident no matter where i go because I can speak it, but i imagine its intimidating for tourists
@ Lots of Google Translate and at restaurants that either had the examples in the window or pictures on the menu, a LOT of pointing. LOL. And if there was a website in Japanese, we translated that before going and saved it so that we had the English version of the menu, or at least what the translate function was able to handle.
We found the people in the country to be generally more helpful than in the city, probably because it is a lot less frantic pace.
Other than osj and Disneyland this covered 90% of what I did on my first trip haha. Still very much worth it
What was off?
@maydaysan I also went to Nikko and Himeji (castle and mt Shousha) - both of which were one of my favourite memories.
Very good video, having been to Japan and all those places I fully agree with the assessment. To me it seems a bit 'boring' though to just visit the cities as per the "golden trip". I did some days at Kumano Kodo last time, it was fantastic and a great opportunity to see a more rural, natural setting of Japan.
I went to Fushimi Inari around the time you made this video, at the literal crack of down. Started going up at around seven and there were some people but not many. Plenty of opportunity for the shots everyone wants to make. Just a couple of people make it to the top, so it will be even quieter there, though the gates are a bit further apart which doesn't allow you to make the "tunnel" pics. When I came back down and checked the entrance around 9.30, it was already supercrowded with groups. My advice is to either go around 7 (or earlier in summer) or go after dark. It's even emptier and atmospheric and even a bit creepy then.
As a reference, I did almost the exact same trip as described here, but I stayed in Tokyo for 2 weeks, in and around Kyoto for 6 days and took 2 days of Kanazawa in between. I still felt like I was rushing through Tokyo. There's so many things to do and see in so many different places. It's like 15 different cities in one. Just take your time for Japan. I'll be back for sure.
There ya go! This sounds nice and balanced
I've planned my first trip starting in Tokyo, immediately heading north hitting up the Fukushima/Miyagi/Yamagata prefectures, then straight shotting for Hokkaido. I don't have much interest in the cityscapes of Japan, I much prefer the countryside, seeing the shrines, the rice fields, the local restaurants, etc. My main goal for this trip is seeing the Unkai Terrace and I will let nothing stop me.
That's a great trip!
My cousin and I are going for 2 weeks at the end of may and early june and we are legit so excited!
Gonna do the golden trip?
Props for the non-pretentious, non-hipster recommendation! Also agree on Tokyo being the food centre. Japan just want to give Osaka some meibutsu assignment, so they just overhyped it. Personally, I always look for ryokan and onsen or nature walk - so places like Hakone, Nikko can be inserted into the trip.
My advice for first time visitor to Japan in this age and year is... don't take photos for the sake of it, don't chase the spot, especially if you are in this typical Japan's first timer route. Honestly, Tokaido is everyone's route, and everybody has seen it, it won't make your instagram any less boring. Take meaningful photos for your personal memory keepsake instead, so you can spend more time vibing - you know in places like in Asakusa, Shibuya, or Shinjuku.
There are many spots like Gion, Kyoto - the ones in Takayama, Kanazawa, or Kurashiki are much more pristine and enjoyable. Sika deers exists almost everywhere, not just Nara. Lines of Torii gates are also nearly everywhere in Japan too - you don't have to fight with the crowds in Fushimi Inari Taisha.
You should add in Kumadera north of Kyoto.
You gotta do this trip yknowwww
I love coming back to Hoppi Dori whenever I'm in Tokyo, such a vibe.
Hoppi Doory is fun, but I remember getting shunned out by WASHIST shop :(
@@maydaysan Oof happened to me a few times as well, they dont want to serve cheapskate white boy when there's a chance a japanese salary man comes by.
It is only crowded about half way up the Fushimi Inari shrine because most tourist are out of shape to go to the top same reason for the Nara overlook of the city. Also 2 days at Kyoto is far to little, minimum should be 4 days
Going to Tokyo tomorrow I'm so excited
Where you going
I recommend Yokohama city and Kanagawa prefecture as a whole. Still interesting, but doesn't feel nearly as busy as Tokyo. An "easy" hike I recommend is Mt. Takao. You can get some nice photos. Also, make note that most places on average don't open till like 9-10 am or so. Don't feel guilty about going to American fast food restaurants in Japan. It's a fun thing to compare and contrast. Make note that convenience stores are generally more expensive relative to grocery stores. I understand the need to do things on the go, but if you are near a grocery store, I recommend checking it out. Also there sales on premade foods in the evening at grocery stores. Great video.
Great Tips! I've lived in Kanagawa for 7 years. Wondering if I should make a video on ittttttt
@maydaysan Thank you. I'm actually living in Kanagawa right now for my study abroad.
We're doing Osaka -> Kyoto -> Tokyo with visits to Nara and Hiroshima.
Basic + 1
Close! All of these and like 5 small cities aswell :3
Yup that was sort of my first trip last year! I've been twice this year, exploring more (Hokkaido, Kyushu) and heading over again in 2025.
What I didn't realise is how close Osaka and Kyoto are. They're basically in the same urban area so for next year I have 6 days in Osaka and will day trip to Kyoto (13 mins on the Shinkansen), Nara, Kobe etc.
One of my Kyoto days on my first trip was a rain washout so I never got round to the bamboo forest or golden temple etc
Heck yeah!
I want to know the trip to do if you hate crowds. What are the best alternate places to go that aren’t full of tourists.
I guess the best trip is to stay at home! 😂
I just went with some friends and I found that Nagoya, despite being one of the biggest cities in Japan, had actually not that many crowds. We went to Legoland there on a weekday and there were so few people! Even the biggest roller coaster had only about a 5 minute wait!
it’s VERY out of the way-but, if you love peace and quiet, Iya Valley. Shikoku is beautiful, and not very touristy. I met a family who were on their 5th or so Japan trip that had been travelling all over the island and they loved it. Iya Valley is the only place I went that was ever “quiet”-meaning, like, genuinely not a single soul out past 5pm quiet. It’s touristy during the day, sure, in the random country town kind of way, but if you get out of the hotel before 1pm, you can enjoy the vine bridge before the tour buses come in. And anywhere away from the vine bridge is practically empty. Takamatsu, too, is a nice city without many tourists. I didn’t get to explore it much as I went to Naoshima but my sister was a big fan.
For somewhere more traditional, Takayama, again is very touristy but it is less painful than Kyoto. I hated Kyoto because it was just TOO many people (went there on a day trip). Takayama is certainly bustling but it provided the same kind of energy as Kyoto for me but on a more lowkey level! And there’s hot springs, a limestone cave, and shirakawago just an hour or so away :)
So, while I don’t have anywhere to recommend that doesn’t at least have Tourists, they’re certainly a breath of fresh air from a fellow Crowd Hater 😄
Consider Mongolia instead?
@@AUBREYMAFIA Thanks for the suggestions!
Do you think Hakone is worth a visit? I’ve heard it is famous for its onsens and you can see a good view of Mount Fuji
Definitely worth a visit. I plan on making a video about it!
@ wonderful!! Thank you! Planning my first trip in April :)
The one I did was Tokyo (Ginza) -> Kyoto -> Osaka - > Hiroshima -> Fukuoka (Back to Tokyo)
Golden Trip +2
I went to Japan and I’m planning a second trip there. My biggest advice would be to try not to book your vacation in the peak of summer 😩 got heat exhaustion twice lol
😭😭
Yeah planning on making a video of when to travel to Japan
If it's anything like Houston, spring or late fall are the best times to visit. March time in Houston is pretty close to heaven.
@@LyricsQuest who is willingly visiting houston?
love this! Alright do japan again but for someone who likes fishing, national parks more nature
Nature spam version hmmm
Did a similar itinerary for my first trip a few years back, hit most of the same spots but did Osaka -> Kyoto -> Tokyo (took flights into Osaka and out of Tokyo).
Would love to explore further out, eg. up towards Sapporo - I have a return trip planned in April but might only have time to do Tokyo on that one unfortunately
Tohoku is cool if you know what you're looking for.
headin to japan next year. this time im focusing on the northern parts im so excited
TOHOKU TACTICS!
Me first trip to Japan was: Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, Nara, Kobe, Himeji, Miyajima, Kamakura.
Second one: Osaka, Kyoto, Koyasan, Nagoya, Korankei, Kanazawa, Shirakawa, Takayama, Tokyo.
SOUNDS pretty generic with extra steps-
I’m going to Japan for the following Cars, Food and the Beauty of the countryside and mountains. So Hokkaido for the underground drifting scene. Actually my plan is to save up so I can go to Japan and visit an auction to buy and import my car there. I think I will find great food and great sceneries anywhere I go to Japan.
That's a vibe!
We rented a car and did a roadtrip from Tokyo to Osaka with a lot of stops in between then took the Shinkansen back. Perhaps a bit much but it was definitely a great experience. Especially the more "countryside" places.
Wow! It’s rare that people have the confidence to drive that
in my Opinion you can skip Osaka completely if you have been to Tokyo and there is nothing you really want to see there. Dotonbori is nice in the evening but you can go there easyly from Kyoto if you stay relatively close to the Train Station there. From Kyoto Train Station you can also do Day Trips to Hiroshima or even half Day Trips to Himeji or Kobe.
I agree for the most part unless you want to visit Unversal studios or the World Expo later on this year.
Yeah
I did Tokyo-Kyoto-Osaka in 2011, and then Osaka-Kyoto-Tokyo in 2016. There is a reason why it's so popular!
Only ventured out to Himeji, Kobe, Nara, Takayama, and Shirakawa-go in 2018.
I did my first solo trip this year, besides Tokyo (for a week) I also visited Nikko, Yamagata, Ichinoseki, Kamakura, and Yokohama.
Going on another solo trip next year, starting with Fukuoka and Hiroshima. Staying in Kyoto and Osaka for a few nights to use it as a base to explore Wakayama and Mie prefectures, spending a night in Kinosaki Onsen, and ending in the trip in Nagoya (mainly for Ghibli Park).
This sounds lovely!
i only went to japan to hike Mt.Fuji. everything else was extra for me. even tho everyone does this exact itinerary, its still a must do lol. it just gives me a reason to take a second trip back and do something different :D ( ALSO: the fushimi Inari is best later at night! i went aorund 7 pm, and there was maybe 10 people in the entrie place!)
Amerikajin desu. We went to Hiroshima. On one hand going to Miyajima is the most touristy thing you can do, but on the other hand seeing Hiroshima as an American I feel is humbling.
Interesting! how was the sad dome?
I have also been to the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam and the Holocaust museum in DC and Hiroshima is maybe the third most depressing place I have been to.
I live in a city called Pittsburgh, which is a mid-sized US city on some rivers, and Hiroshima reminded me of home a lot.
Ok, Japan is on my bucket list, but what about party life, is there any in Japan, and what to do the next day when you wake up at 1 pm and everything is already crowded 😅
Shibuya
@maydaysan "Ok, thanks for your response. We just have one last question. If we are visiting three cities, spending at least one day in each, and returning to the first city during our trip, do you have any advice on how to juggle accommodations, like hostels or hotels? I usually end up staying in one place when traveling abroad, so I’m curious about your tips."
Lol, thanks for planning on my itinerary for the upcoming two week trip in the summer. In fairness to us we don't know better and we need that least the triangle to know what we don't like for the second time around.
No problem! Of course there’s more to do but this is the baseline
Beretta chilling in the background 😄
OH I FORGOT ABOUT THAT
I have goals for a trip to Japan. I haven't made a lot of plans but I'm getting there. I'm hoping I'm gonna have some friends in the country at the point to take me to any of their local places. I also will go to the tourist places but only if my friends don't have a place that is better. I do want to go to the USJ but also both Disney's. I really want to get my own traditional items. I want my own Kimono and Yukata. Also I would like to go to the special One Piece statues and see the Going Sunny.
You are gonna have a blast!
Fun fact
In my 17 day trip to Japan
We hardly visited popular destinations
We went to offbeat places like Hakodate
Hakodate is LIT, one of my favorite spots
Excellent info!
We went to Fushimi inari at night to avoid the crowds! Which worked, but there were signs about wild boar and monkeys which scared us into not climbing all the way up
yeah but night time photos are better than daytime or what?
I did everything he mentioned. I feel so basic.
Basic is fine!
Did Tokyo for a week, three days at mount Fuji, then couple at Kyoto and Osaka for my first trip there. Tokyo feels endless so feel free to take your time there. Mount Fuji is a great contrast in that it's so serene. I would recommend two days there just to enjoy the quiet and spirituality (I'm not very spiritual, but even I felt it as you arrive in the valleys around the volcano). In Kyoto I arrived extremely early in the day and did fujinari first. What he said is true, if you're there at first sunlight it's still relatively quiet, but after the first hour of sunlight everyone is there. Climbing higher will reduce people and give you some empty shots here and there, but only for short periods. The golden shrine felt to commercial for me, it is a relatively small spot with higher cost to enter. What I recommend in Kyoto is what I usually recommend in Japan: be sure to wander around. Japan is amazing in it's details. Why only visit the large busy shrines when you can find amazing small shrines that exude atmosphere with noone around a couple of streets over with no markings. Kyoto is great for that. Plus, the best food I had in Japan was in a kyoto yakitori restaurant so I do also recommend that!
Osaka on the other hand was a bit overrated. The claim of the kitchen of Japan was nonsense to me. Everything there felt like something you could find in Tokyo. The few things that were more original: Osaka castle and USJ. There is also a large viewing platform on the other side of the station, although it's a bit expensive. If you go at night there is a very romantic platform there where people meet. Making for amazing pictures! And between the city Centre and the main station there are a couple of streets where you notice the Yakuza-like adult nightlife atmosphere. Wouldn't take pictures there with random bunny ladies showing around corners due to the bouncers probably not liking it. But it's very fun to walk through and see that part of Japan! (Don't worry too much about that last part, Japan feels extremely safe, even there. Just don't expect to get into one of those clubs as they'll refuse you to avoid you causing problems by not being able to communicate)
Thanks you for the input. It’s mostly about the ease of access to things you “must see” in a short amount of time. Most people don’t have 2-3 weeks to explore Japan in one go, but your trip seemed fine. Also Osaka yeah, you can find everything it offers in Tokyo. The people are a little warmer though!
Awesome vid. I'll be back in Japan in April and traveling around for about 2 1/2 weeks with friends.
That sounds like a great trip! What's the plan?
When you browse r/JapanTravel and every itinerary is a cookie cutter copy of this one 😂 I’m glad I’ve been able to go more than once to see things beyond the “greatest hits.”
Haha it’s popular for a reason! What did you see instead?
I don't have unlimited time or funds to travel, I had a lot of fun on a similar itinerary. Had about 6 weeks to plan the trip given that I was supposed to visit Israel in October 2023... you don't win any awards for going to more obscure places. Let people have their fun.
This right here
@@maydaysan word, and sorry this isn't directed at you. Lots of pretentious people in the comment section.
Other locations I’m planning to visit besides those is Yokohama, Kamakura, Kanazawa and Hakone!
Nice choices!
Those are great places!
In Kanazawa our first non travel day we went to Shirakawago which inspired Studio Ghibli movies and is a Unesco world heritage site. If you go there, make sure the pudding shop is open! We ate dinner at Kami in Kanazawa. The chef made our food right in front of us and once most of the patrons left he spent time to chat with us. Very kind man. We spent a day in Kanazawa's Samurai, Geiko(Geisha) District, and traveled to Kyoto that evening.
Kyoto became our base for day trips to Himeji Castle, Nara and Inari shrine. Last day we finished site seeing in town.
From there we spent two nights in Hakone at a hot spring! During the day, we went to see Mt Fuji.
On our last day in Hakone, we traveled to Tokyo, got settled in, and went to Team Labs. Each day after we went somewhere new: DisneySea, Kamakura, Disneyland, Asakusa/Akihabara, Meji Shrine/Harajuku/Shinjuku/Shibuya Crossing, and last day was a free day.
Btw there's a smaller more peaceful bamboo forest in Kamakura ♥️♥️♥️
Enjoy your trip!!!
@@maydaysan now I’m scared to over plan locations and get tired halfway through haha
@@zeldababe1 thank you so much for sharing all the locations you’ve been to and I’ll be sure to check out the smaller bamboo forests in Kamakura!!
Lads. Here's an idea. Try Kyushu. I went to Japan for the first time literally before the world ended in 2020, then went back in 2023 to Kyushu.
2025 I'm spending 60 days in Kyushu. It's so unknown to tourists that it's insane. Really recommend going. Nobody knows about Kyushu lol. Do something unique! Go!
What part of Kyushu?
@maydaysan every part. I went to Fukuoka, kumamoto, Kagoshima, saga, Nagasaki, Miyazaki, and the surrounding areas. I loved it so much I just had to go back in a few months!
I feel like that would actually be a pretty good first trip, to just get to know the country a bit. If you go again you can visit the lesser known locations.
Exactly why it statistically happens
Yes I want all the generic photos it’s my first time
ain’t no shame in that! What photos do you want?
Ill be going to Japan in April for 7 Days. It will be my first time actually doing something on my own like that. Would you say only staying in tokyo (except hopefully traveling to mt fuji) is stupid? Or is there enough to see / do / experience in tokyo itself for 6 days (1 day for fuji obv)
I have a video on a Tokyo itinerary as well! Lots to do in tokyo
I disagree on fushimi inari. Don't get here early or on the morning/afternoon; but go there after dinner! It's one of the rare place in japan open 24/24 (most tourist spot close early in japan ) and there where nearly noone here on the evening, it's one of the best place i've visited because it's empty! Seriously i film a video of 8 minutes here and i meet 0 people during the filming! Mind you that it wasn't that late, i was sleeping in Osaka and i needed to take my train/metro before it was too late.
But no sun or pictures :(
@@maydaysan Yeah no sun i agree but why no pictures? You can took picture during the night especialy because fushimi inari have light along the way but i guess that if you have a cheap phone/camera it doesn't work well.
PS: for the sake of explanation, i went here last year with a Pixel 7a, not the most costly phone by far but it's a good one for photo i suppose.
You forgot to add a tower to see the views from in Tokyo! Shibuya sky or Tokyo Skytree etc :P
You can do that on the last days back!
Man I just want to go up to Hokkaido and chill with the snow monkeys in a nice traditional ryokan onsen.
Heck yeah! Don't you mean. Nagano?
I did part of this generic Japan trip (Kyoto + Tokyo) last March and I dont regret it because both cities I visited definitely had things that I would regret if I didn't see. I have to admit I was at some point frustrated with the crowds especially in Kyoto but there are ways around this. For example in Kyoto I visited the Kodaiji Zen Temple which also comes with a small bamboo forest and there was almost noone there (I even made a video about it). I am returning for my 2nd trip to Japan soon, any recommendations for places off the beaten path are welcome...
Aye hidden gems with similar landscapes might be the play
"Don't clap the dog" 🤣
B r u h
I plan to go to Japan next year. It's basically going to be this standard trip but I will try to also go to Mount Fuji and to Hiroshima
Haha nice! I recommend Fuji in winter to see it and summer to climb it
Nice to see you posting again.
Thanks for watching!
i went to a maid cafe once, the Steins Gate one. not the overly cute moe type. came across it by chance as i was walking to the shrine just north east of akiba main street. still havent seen Gojira yet. not osaka yet. Kyoto, Hiroshma and Saga prefecture. still got many plans for Saga prefecture t complete. enjoyed Shibukawa for the Initial D related areas, also Nikko for the touge road though i was a passenger.. Yutoku Inari shrine in |Kashima is very beautiful. first trip was a golden tour in a group. the next 2 visits were solo. got plans for 3 more trips, all focusing on Saga prefecture.
You are a cultured individual.