Japan: Best itinerary for a first-time visit to Tokyo and Kyoto and more

by Irene Daria

Planning a trip to Japan can be overwhelming. So many choices about what to see and do! So many confusing temple, street and store names! So many blogs that tell you: See Pontocho Alley! See Nanenkaza! See Sanezaka! but don’t tell you where those places are in relation to anything else.

Great news! We are about to make planning your trip to Japan easier. We will help you get oriented in Tokyo, Kyoto, and four other cities. You’ll get a lay of the land and itineraries that group popular sights together by geographic location to minimize the amount of time you need to spend traveling from spot to spot. You’ll know what the neighborhoods around the main sights are like so you can plan what else you’d like to do in the area. You’ll get walking tours and background info on the main attractions. Plus, we share links to other websites that provide great explanations of train and currency logistics or do deep dives into cool places to see and foods to eat. There is SO much information online about what to do in Japan and we’ve gathered the best of it in this article. Having everything at your fingertips will make planning your trip easy and fun.

Keep scrolling for info on:

• Tokyo

• Kyoto

• Hakone

• Nara

• Osaka

•  Kanazara

Tokyo

Getting oriented: Tokyo is a MASSIVE city that is divided into wards that are then subdivided into districts in the same way New York City is divided into five boroughs and then subdivided into various neighborhoods (think Brooklyn subdivided into Williamsburg, Prospect Heights, Bed Stuy, etc.) Once you are in Tokyo, you won’t need to know the names of the districts, but they are important to know when you are choosing your hotel or Airbnb location.

Of the main districts first-time visitors would be interested in, Sumida ward is the furthest east. That is where Tokyo Skytree is. Taito ward is just west of Sumida across the Sumida River. The district of Asakusa is in Taito ward and Asakusa is where one of the two temples you’ll want to see in Tokyo (Senso-ji) is located. Taito is also home to the lovely Ueno Park which, in turn, is home to the Tokyo Zoo, as well as the Tokyo National Museum and other cultural attractions. It is an elegant park whose buildings are impressive in the way that Museum Row on New York’s Fifth Avenue is impressive.

The other busier, more commercial and flashier districts you’ll probably be checking out as a first-timer are Shibuya and Shinjuku. Those are in western Tokyo. Other sights are north or south of these main districts and we will give you the most efficient itinerary for visiting them. The tourist areas in Tokyo are quite crowded, but the city also has lovely, peaceful neighborhoods where you can take a pretty riverside walk or relax at a lovely waterfront cafe or restaurant after a full day of sightseeing. (Think of it as going to the West Village for dinner after touring Times Square.)

Where to stay in Tokyo: I wanted to stay in Asakusa, but when I did an Airbnb search for that area all of the Airbnbs were in Sumida City, which is just across the river. Click here to see the one we chose and for more on Sumida City, photos of the area, and what you need to know to decide if Skytree is worth a visit if you are not staying near it.

If you are exploring other parts of Japan and returning to Tokyo for the night before your flight home, I recommend choosing a hotel over an Airbnb for that leg of your stay. Hotels will hold your bags for you after you check out so that you can explore more of Tokyo during the day without having to schlep your luggage with you. (We saw many people rolling their wheeled luggage around the city and now we know why. Most Airbnbs will not hold your luggage.) We stayed at The Tourist Hotel on our last night and loved it. We were able to get a room that comfortably fit three people, they held our bags, and the breakfast was delicious. Note: You have to reserve breakfast when you book your room. You can’t buy it on the day-of.

This is the breakfast room at The Tourist Hotel. The breakfast was delicious. You can choose a western style breakfast of an egg and bacon sandwich or a Japanese breakfast of salmon, salad and miso soup.

Choosing your airline and flight time

We took ANA to Tokyo and United Airlines back home. ANA was WONDERFUL. So gracious and hospitable and the seats—even in economy—were so much more comfortable than United’s. The United Airlines flight was staffed by a crew that went through the motions and never smiled once. They all acted like they would rather be somewhere else. If you can choose ANA for your flight, definitely do so. The food was over-the-top better too. (The gracious hospitality we experienced on ANA carried over to the rest of our trip. Even in fast food restaurants, workers call out a warm welcome to you when you enter and many smaller, private restaurants will call out a thank you and goodbye when you leave.)

We took a 1 pm flight out of JFK airport and landed at around 5 pm the following day. I HIGHLY recommend that time of arrival (as opposed to taking a flight that gets you in early in the morning) because you will have time to stretch your legs and then fall into bed at around 9:30 pm, sleep like a baby, and wake up relatively refreshed. The other option gets you in at around 5 am, and you will be exhausted when you land and still have a whole day ahead of you.

Getting to your hotel or Airbnb from the airport

The trains in Japan are great, and you can certainly take one to your hotel or Airbnb. We took a taxi from Hanada Airport because it was quicker, and we wanted to have time to explore and didn’t want to deal with our luggage on the train. Uber exists in Tokyo and, through the Uber app, you can call either a taxi or an Uber car. The taxis are cheaper than the Uber cars and the taxis tend to be really nice, large black vans that comfortably seat 4 or 5 passengers with room for luggage. They feel quite luxurious and comfortable.

Tip: Language can be a huge issue in Japan. Make sure you have the address of where you are going to written out in Japanese so that you can show it to your driver or to someone at the train station should you need to ask for directions.

This was our Tokyo itinerary, including what we recommend and what we would do differently if we could do over again:

 Day 1 (Arrival day):

• Arrive and get settled in your accommodation in Asakusa/Sumida City.

• Walk to Tokyo Skytree.

• Explore Tokyo Sky Tree and the mall underneath it called Tokyo Solamachi.

• If you are staying at an Airbnb, stock up on groceries at the wonderful supermarket called Life that is across the street from Tokyo Skytree.

Click here for more info on Sumida City and Tokyo Skytree and Life Supermarket. We would repeat this day exactly as we did it.

Day 2:

Visit Senso-ji Temple

If you are staying in western Sumida City, you will be able to walk to the temple and will cross a bridge that takes you over the Sumida River. Sumida Park. Skip is basically a swath of greenery that runs along the wide Sumida River. Nice, but nothing to go out of your way for. We enjoyed the walk to the temple and I noticed right away how bicycle-friendly Tokyo is. Traffic is minimal on the side streets and I don’t think we heard a car horn once the whole time we were in Tokyo. Click here for more details and a walking tour of Senso-ji. After you see the temple, exit through its garden and walk to Ueno Park. (It will take you 30 minutes, as long as the train ride takes.)

Stroll through Ueno Park

This is a very large, lovely park that is great for strolling. Even if you don’t go into them, you will enjoy seeing the elegant-looking cultural institutions scattered throughout it. You’ll find lots of greenery, flowers, museums, and a great Starbucks with outdoor seating by a pretty fountain. You can use the restroom at the Tokyo National Museum (restrooms are to the right of the ticket booths) or at Starbucks. Click here for a map of the park. Click here for more info on the park, on museums and zoo located in it, as well as on the best place to see cherry blossoms there.

Take the train to Ginza

Ginza is a fancy shopping area, and it’s fun to check out the vast and beautiful food halls the department stores have in their basements.

The most impressive food hall is in the Mitsukoshi Ginza department store, see photo above. You’ll find many different vendors with beautifully displayed provisions, but the stars of the show here are definitely the desserts. One worth trying is strawberry fruit sando from a stand called Meruhenk. A fruit sando is a sandwich made from fruit, whipped cream and white bread. Fruit sandos are sold throughout Tokyo, and Meruhenk’s one is the best. (I have no idea how they make the strawberries taste so good, but they are amazing.) Meruhenk’s booth can be hard to find because the name is written in Japanese. Show someone the photo below, or look for the teddy bear logo you see on the sandwiches in the picture.

Tip: You can’t eat on the food hall floor, but bring your purchases up to the ninth floor where there are both indoor and outdoor sitting areas.

While you’re in Ginza, check out Itoya, possibly the most amazing stationery store in the world. You may also want to see the Uniqlo flagship store. The 12-story store is so popular that you are allowed to take only four items into the dressing room so that other people will not have to wait a long time. If you want to try on more than four items, you have to get on line again. The store has a cool exhibit showing how Uniqlo recycles plastic bottles into clothing. For a list of other major stores in Ginza, as well as suggestions on where to stay and eat, click here.

Eat Ramen at Ippudo

We had planned to sample different foods for lunch but found that the yakitori place we wanted to eat at was open only for dinner. (That is true of many places in Japan so make sure you check a restaurant’s hours of operation before hearing there!) Luckily, Ippudo was open for lunch. Ippudo is a large, world-wide chain for a reason. It is really good! We had the Akamaru Modern bowl, which was flavored with miso and garlic and loved it.

What we would skip if we had it all to do over again

Tsukiji Outer Market

There is a lot of hype and old information online about this market. Some travel blogs say a live tuna auction still happens here, but it does not. The live tuna auction now takes place in Toyosu Market, the world’s largest fish market. If you want to see that auction, here is a great blog post on about how to make the most of your visit to Toyosu: At Tsukiji, the auction is gone and so is the large indoor wholesale market. What is left basically consists of outdoor vendors selling food to tourists. You will primarily find raw fish or fish that is grilled and not seasoned in a particularly interesting way. The food was nothing special, and we felt it was not worth the visit. The food market in Kyoto is MUCH nicer and a definite must see. (More on that in our Kyoto post.)

But we all have our own personal lists of interests and must-sees and if Tsukiji is on your Japan bucket list, here is an excellent writeup on what to see and do at Tsukiji Outer Market. We finished up at Tsukiji much sooner than expected and had time to kill before our dinner in Ginza. We hopped in a cab to…

Odaiba

This artificial island in the middle of Tokyo Bay is a very popular date spot in Tokyo. It has a very nice waterfront park and a beach. There are lots of shopping malls, places to eat, and entertainment venues like Madame Tussauds and Legoland. There is even a lifesize replica of the Statue of Liberty. We took a nice walk along the river but wouldn’t recommend going out of your way to visit unless you are spending lots of time in Tokyo. Click here for more info.

The Imperial Palace

We decided not to visit since you are not allowed to see the palace itself (except on the Emperor’s birthday and one other day) and can only see the grounds. But if you are interested in going, this would be a good day to do it location-wise. Click here for info on the palace. Make sure to note the days it is open and the closing times.

Where I would have gone instead…

Shibuya

If I had it all to do over again, I would have skipped everything we did after ramen at Ippudo and would have headed to Shibuya Crossing and Shinjuku instead. (See Day 3, below.) You will blitz through the sights in Shibuya very quickly. I mean, how long can it take to see the world’s busiest intersection, but you’ve got to see it, right? (You do. The way that intersection works reveals a lot about life in Japan. More on that below.) Although we had a pleasant afternoon, we could have seen many more interesting things on our first afternoon in Tokyo.

OR…

Yanaka

Another option is seeing Yanaka today. I was my absolute favorite neighborhood in Tokyo. Yanaka is one of the few areas of Tokyo that escaped being bombed during World War ll. Because of that, it is full of lovely, historical charm and architecture.

A house in Yanaka

We got great wasabi flavored rice crackers here

A flower shop and cafe in Yanaka

We went to Yanaka on the last day of our 14-day trip but, logistically, the best time to see it is after Ueno Park since Yanaka is just a 15 minute walk north of the park. You will probably be hungry at that point in your day, and Yakana Shopping Street has the best street food in Tokyo. It was this blog post that made me decide to see Yanaka. I found that post on one of the last days of our trip and I am so happy I did. When planning this trip, the only write-up on Yanaka I had found focused on the town’s love of cats and it made it seem like the whole place was cat-themed. That cat write-up on Yanaka actually made me put it on our “Skip in Tokyo” list. I am so glad I didn’t! The residents do love cats, but that is just one small fact about that lovely area. Click here for a fantastic write-up on Yanaka that I found only after we visited but sure wish I had seen beforehand! It gives you a great walking tour to follow.

Day 3

This is what we did on our third day in Tokyo. It was a perfect itinerary and it was my favorite day in Tokyo!

You will visit:

• Meiji Shrine. Set in a beautiful forest, yet just a few blocks away from Takeshita Street.

• Takeshita Street. The fun and funky hipster fashion street.

• Cat Street. A quiet, mostly pedestrian street lined with independent boutiques and cafes. Very quiet and pleasant to walk on even if you are not interested in shopping.

• Omotesando Street. Often referred to as the Champs-Elysees of Tokyo.

• Shibuya Crossing and all of its attractions including the famous Hachiko dog statue and the most over-the-top Don Quixote store in all of Tokyo!

• Nakamegaro. One of my two favorite neighborhoods in Tokyo. Chill and funky, it is Tokyo’s most expensive place to live.

Meiji Shrine

The shrine is located inside a beautiful 170-acre forest, yet is just a five-minute walk to famous and very busy Takeshita Street.

There are several entrances to the shrine. If you are taking a taxi there, make sure you are let off at the Harajuku Station. The main entrance to the shrine is directly across a pedestrian plaza from Harajuku Station. If you enter this way, and continue on the forested path you will see the famous saki and wine barrels. It is a beautiful walk. (See walking tour link, below.)

This is Harajuku station, located across a pedestrian plaza in front of the main temple entrance.

Click here for a walking tour of Meijo Shrine and more info on it. After you see the shrine, exit the same way you entered—through the shrine’s main gate next to Harajuku Station. Walk towards the Harajuku train station entrance (pictured above) cross the street, and turn left.

On the left side of the street you’ll see railroad tracks stretching in front of the Meiji Shine forest. The right side of the street is lined with stores like Uniqlo and H&M as well as unique places like Baby Tapi a bobba store that is an OBSESSION among the young crowd in Japan—starting with kids in their strollers and going up to people in their 20s. Click here to see there! In total, it will take you less than five minutes to reach…

Takeshita Street

This pedestrian-only street used to be the place where Japan’s trendiest youth decked themselves out in extreme fashion. You’ll see some vestiges of that, but you’ll also find shops selling food and trinkets and can visit a few animal cafes where you can hold and snuggle with baby pigs or dogs.

The baby pigs in this cafe are VERY cute. You can sit on the floor inside and hold them, or you can watch people doing that through the window like we did. The little pigs were very at peace and a few were napping on the laps of the people holding them. This is a GREAT place to take little kids!

Takeshita Street street is only 1/5th of a mile long and it would take you less than 10 minutes to walk its entire length without stopping.

Cat Street

Cat Street is a very nice, mostly pedestrian-only street lined with independent boutiques and cafes and a few big-name stores like Patagonia and Coach. It begins near Takeshita Street.

Walk along Cat Street and then go…

Eat Ginza at Harajuku Gyoza Lou

We enjoyed the ginza (thin-skinned dumplings) here. Like most restaurants in Japan, this one is small and you can see the cooks make your food. Sitting at the counter gives you a front row seat and is fun.

This is the front of the dumpling place. Like most Tokyo side streets, this one is very quiet and pleasant.

The restaurant is popular and you may have to wait, but the line moves quickly. After lunch…

Head for Shibuya Crossing

When planning this trip, I couldn’t decide whether to walk along Cat Street or Omotesando Street to Shibuya. I had read that Omotesando Street was initially built to serve as an elegant approach to Meiji Shrine. Today, it is a main shopping artery known as the Champs-Elysees of Tokyo. That sounded pretty impressive. But Cat Street sounded fun. Then I realized we could see both! Read on for how to get to Shibuya Crossing from Meiji Shrine and see the best of both worlds—Omotesando Street and Cat Street.

This is Omotesando Street. The greenery you see at the end of it is Meiji Shrine’s forest

To experience both Omotesando and Cat Streets, head back to the Meiji Shrine entrance you used earlier this morning. (It is a very short walk.) That is the very beginning of Omotesando Street.

Walk along Omotesando Street

Look for these key landmarks:

1. Tokyu Plaza Omotesandō Harajuku:

• Don’t Miss: The mirrored kaleidoscope entrance! Take the escalator to the rooftop terrace for views of Omotesandō and Harajuku.

2. Omotesandō Hills:

• Designed by Tadao Ando, this upscale shopping center blends modern architecture with natural design elements. The interior spiral walkway is worth seeing, even if you don’t shop.

3. Architecture Gems:

• Marvel at stunning flagship buildings like Prada Aoyama (sleek glass exterior) and Dior Omotesandō(minimalist design).

Keep an eye out for the Ralph Lauren store. As you face the Ralph Lauren store, Cat Street is on the left side of the building and intersects with Omotesando Street there.

Walk across this pedestrian bridge to reach Cat Street on the other side of Omotesando.

This is Cat Street on the other side of Omotesando.

Cat Street eventually merges into the Shibuya area near Meiji-dori Avenue. At the end of Cat Street, you will see the fancy shopping mall below. Follow signs for Shibuya or Shibuya Scramble Square (look for the towering skyscrapers ahead).

The area will get busier and busier and, soon, you will see…

Shibuya Crossing

What fascinated me about the crossing was not how busy it was, but how ORDERLY it was! All the cars stopped at the same time and all the people crossed at the same time. Then all the people stopped at the same time and all the cars drove at the same time. In Manhattan, cars would have been trying to turn into the various pedestrian crossings as people were walking, people would have been jaywalking as the cars were driving, and there would have been food delivery people on bicycles going every which way. In New York, horns would have been blaring. At Shibuya Crossing, not a single horn blared. Yes, there were a lot of people crossing but it, honestly, was no big deal. At least not while you were in the middle of it. It’s a lot more impressive when you watch it from the windows of the neighboring Starbucks. It is the busiest Starbucks in the world because so many people go up there to see the busy crosswalks below.

Hachiko Statue

The statue commemorates a very loyal Akita dog named Hachiko. The dog was born in 1923 and was adopted by a professor at the University of Tokyo. Every day, Hachiko would walk with his owner to Shibuya Station and wait there for him to return from work. Sadly, in 1925, the professor died of a stroke and never came back. Hachiko continued to wait at the station every single day for nearly 10 years, hoping for his owner's return. Local commuters noticed his loyalty and started feeding and caring for him. His story of love and devotion spread across Japan.

In 1934 a bronze statue of Hachiko was erected at Shibuya Station, with Hachiko himself attending the unveiling. He passed away in 1935, and his remains were preserved at the National Science Museum in Tokyo.

It will be hard for you to take a good look at the statue unless you are willing to wait in a very long line since SO MANY people wait on a VERY long line to take photos with Hachiko.

This is just part of the line of people waiting to take a photo with Hachiko.

Today, the statue is one of Tokyo's most famous landmarks and Hachiko’s story is told worldwide, inspiring books and movies, including “Hachi: A Dog’s Tale” (2009) starring Richard Gere. I watched the movie after we returned home, and was surprised that it was set in Rhode Island and RIchard Gere portrayed an American music professor. The story was Americanized to give the movie more global appeal. I was disappointed that the movie wasn’t set in Japan and didn’t tell the story of the real professor. But, still, the movie is very moving and brings the phenomenal loyalty of that dog to life. Watching the movie before you travel to Japan will definitely augment your experience of seeing Hachiko! It may actually be too sad for young children though, so be advised. There is also a Japanese movie of the story called Hachikō Monogatari which I have not yet seen.

Location: The statue is located on the Shibuya train station side of Shibuya Crossing. It is in a plaza just outside Exit #8. That exit is also known as the Hachiko Exit.

Don Quixote

Don Quixote is the name of a chain of discount stores that is famous in Japan. Hugely successful, it prides itself on being chaotic and overstimulating. It has narrow aisles, blaring speakers, and garish lighting. Think of it as indoor version of Manhattan’s Canal Street on steroids.

The Don Quixote in Shibuya is especially crowded and hyper-stimulating. (Someone who visited it with me said, “This must be a CIA torture site.” and fled for the exit.) The Shibuya branch may be worth seeing just for its over-the-topness but, if you’re serious about buying something, visit one in a less crowded, less touristy area. You’ll enjoy shopping there more and will find every product imaginable. We picked up matcha-flavored Kit Kats and discovered Meiji chocolate at Don Quixote. Meiji is to Japan what Hershey is to the U.S., except Meiji is richer tasting. It is really good.

Nakameguro

Often referred to as “Tokyo’s center of cool,” this is one of my two favorite neighborhoods in Tokyo. “Naka” means inside and Nakameguro is an area “inside” the larger ward of Meguro. The neighborhood has lots of beautifully designed cafes, restaurants, and boutiques, and is set along the picturesque Meguro River, which is lined with cherry trees on both sides and is especially popular during the cherry blossom season. The trees are beautiful to see during the day and also at night when they are lit up. Visit and you will see why Nekamaguro is one of the most desirable—and expensive—places to live in Tokyo. Put “Starbucks Reserve” into your GPS and make sure you walk alongside the river to get to it. On the way, pop into any shops, restaurants or cafes that interest you. Click here for a guide to the best things to see and do in Nakagemuro. You may also want to check out Daikanyama, another hip neighborhood bordering Nakameguro.

If you are like most people, Kyoto will be the next area you visit. On your way to Kyoto, make sure to spend one of two nights in…

Hakone

Hakone is on the way to Kyoto. It is part of Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park. It’s a popular weekend destination for Tokyo residents who flock there for the hot springs and to see (if you are lucky and the sky is clear) a view of nearby Mount Fuji.

I had never heard of it and was skeptical about visiting. But my son’s friend lives in Tokyo and said it was a must-see. Now that I have been there, I agree with him. There is no other place in the world like it.

Hakone’s main street is full of shops giving out free samples. This one offered free samples of fish that you grill yourself.

When you step off the train, you will discover a really fun small town with lots of hotels and food options. Head up the mountain and the experience is like a Disneyland for nature lovers, with various forms of transportation—cable car, tramway, boat, and bus—taking you on a fun loop of the most beautiful sights.

We took the Romance Car from Tokyo. It was a really nice train (significantly nicer than the bullet train) and experience. Here is a great blog post on Hakone. The blog perfectly outlines what to see and do in Hakone and her map of the sights you will be seeing is excellent. It gives you a perfect lay of the land..

Kyoto

Next stop is Kyoto. Let me start by saying this—I LOVED Kyoto, but it was COMPLETELY different from what I imagined and from the way that many blogs portray it to be. I had read that it was a place of geishas, and lantern-lit streets, and sunsets and dinners by the river. I imagined the river being small and romantic and was beyond shocked to see how built-up and busy it is. There are a few streets in the historic part of Kyoto that are similar to what you imagine Kyoto to be, but be prepared to be in a VERY big, but very nice, city.

Getting Oriented

Note: There is lots more to come on this post, but so many people have asked for help planning their trips, that I am putting up the info I have so far and will continue updating.