the golden route in japan - From Tokyo to Kyoto to Osaka and everywhere in-between

Planning

When we told friends we were going to Japan this Spring, many asked us why? Like it would have never been on their radar. We just told them, "For fun!" When we traveled to Italy in 2019, it was mostly for me because I have always felt deep roots in my Italian ancestry. I grew up with and was very close to my Italian Grandpa, who came to the United States on a boat in 1933 and lived almost 100 years old. We had family in Italy we had never met and desperately wanted to meet and connect with, so Italy had always been something I felt a strong pull towards. Japan was my husband's "strong pull towards" a place. No, he isn't Japanese at all. Still, he grew up around Japanese stories from his Father, who lived there for a couple years when he was a young adult, his Uncles, who also lived there, and more Japanese food and culture than any kid living in the sticks should be exposed to. His family also hosted many Japanese and other Asian foreign exchange students in their home through the years.

When you plan to go to Japan, do as much research as possible and then do more after that! Though the country isn't huge, there are many different experiences, climates, and unique places to explore. The important thing is this: There is A LOT of Japanese content from influencers. Some of it is helpful advice, and some just flat-out scared me and made me more nervous than I needed to be before I went. Everyone scared me about the subway stations and trains. I thought I would get lost in a station and never find how to escape to the outside world again. You will also find many videos of "things you should never do" in Japan, or the locals will shame you and take you away to rule jail or something. Those are all click-bait junk. Is there a lot of order and unwritten rules in Japan? Yes, and they honestly make everyone's lives easier. If you follow what others are doing, you will be fine. If a Japanese person is super annoyed by something you did "wrong," you'll never know because everyone we interacted with was over-the-top polite. The language barrier is not that scary, either. We live in a time when our smartphones allow us to instantly translate any sign and get you on the correct train easily. Many signs are also in English below the Japanese writing, especially in cities. You basically need to say "konnichiwa," "sumimasen," and a lot of "arigato gozaimasu," and you can survive fine.

Ginza

We stayed in the Ginza area of Tokyo when we first arrived. It is a perfect central area but off most tourists' radar. It is where you go for Michelin Star dining and designer upscale shops. Fortunately, it isn't as expensive to actually stay there compared to the more popular Shibuya and Shinjuku areas. It was very quiet, clean, and had a chill vibe. It is close to Tokyo station, a whole city down there, and within walking distance of Tsukiji market. It will also be the closest to TeamLab Planets. I'd stay in this area again.

Asakusa

Asakusa might have been one of my favorite areas of Toyko. If you go early to Senso-ji, it will be worth it. Luckily, if you come from the US, you will have no problem going places early for a while because your body will be up at 4am, ready to start the day. You'll be lucky when your body lets you sleep until 6am instead. In Asakusa, we went to a pig cafe, went to the kitchen district for knives, went to the underground street where we ate the best yakisoba and gyozas ever, and ate melon pan with ice cream at a small market.

Ueno

I really fell in love with this neighborhood because of Ueno Park. It was absolutely beautiful. It had a mini Fushimi-Inari torii gate area, stunning gardens, lakes, shrines, pagodas, and tons of breathing space. They also had a zoo in the middle, which we didn't go to. There was plenty of beauty and food in Ueno! 

Akihabara

And then there was Akihabara. Wow! This place was mind-blowing to me. Imagine Pittsburgh was a city dedicated to cartoon character merch, arcades, and video game shops. That's how massive and impressive this neighborhood was. I must stress that when I use the word "neighborhood," it's unlike anything we use here in Pittsburgh. These "neighborhoods" are like the size of a city. They are massive and have a completely different vibe, as well as shops and buildings from the next area over. I don't care about old video games or anime (I'm a Studio Ghibli girly, though). However, I still liked checking out Akihabara and had a great time. 

Shinjuku

So there was one hiccup on our trip to Japan, and that was I got what I think was food poisoning from our plane going to Toyko; I felt awful the first 2 days after arriving, and I made Larrin go do our food tour in Shinjuku we had scheduled the second evening we were there. I was so sad to miss it, but Larrin was nice enough to return to this area one evening with me to check out the nightlife, which made me feel much better. This is the red-light district and party scene. We don't drink, so bar-hopping and staying up all night isn't something we would ever do. Shinjuku has really cool izakaya's and alleyways, which is a photographer's dream. I'm sure I annoyed Larrin that night with wanting to stop and take so many photos in the middle of very packed alleys, but I had to. I liked this area, but we didn't partake in the typical activities people go there to do.

Mount Takao and Teamlab Planets

During our last full day in Tokyo, we ditched the city. We kept our schedule very flexible throughout the trip. We had many things to do, but very few were set in stone. We weren't sure if we would be able to go anywhere in the mountains, but we were able to go twice! Mount Takao was the first. It is located about an hour outside of Tokyo. It took us about 2 hours to get there because we accidentally got on the "local train," which stopped at every damn station, and we were too scared to abandon ship at a more rural station. There were barely any tourists in the mountain areas we visited. Mostly, we shared the mountain with retired Japanese locals. If you go on a clear day like we did, a real treat will be waiting for you. We got to see Mount Fuji, and it was like staring at a painting. Stunning! Mount Takao was one of the best things we did in Japan. I recommend putting this on anyone's itinerary who is in moderately fair shape. It's also fun to ride the ski lift down after the hike up.

That evening, we went to TeamLab Planets, which was all the rage. I wish I could tell you this is a MUST do, but I'm unsure. I don't regret going to it, and I had fun, but the crowds make the experience less than ideal. This place is basically always busy, too. Unless you are going to Japan in the middle of winter, this interactive museum is like a Disney park where it doesn't matter when you go; there will always be a substantial crowd.

Shibuya

When we had to fly out to go home, we returned to Tokyo the day before for one last evening. I wasn't feeling great the day we tried to go to the Shibuya area at the beginning of our trip when I had food poisoning, so it was lucky that our last night in Japan happened to be in the Shibuya area, and we could try again. I'll be honest; Shibuya and Takeshita were not my favorite areas in Tokyo, even after returning. These areas can be crowded, and I didn't think there was anything particularly special about them. A few highlights that are worth your time are checking out Shibuya Crossing when it's busy (because YOLO) and Mawashizushi conveyor belt sushi. We couldn't believe how affordable this particular sushi place was. In fact, we were worried they added up the plates wrong because a full belly-hurting meal for two of us with pretty high-quality sushi was around $35. The Kura conveyor belt sushi place in Pittsburgh would have probably at least doubled the price of what we ordered. We also enjoyed Meiji Jingu and Yoyogi Park. It was the beginning of Golden Week when we were leaving, so many Japanese people were off work, and we saw dozens of families eating their lunches and playing that day. We just sat there and enjoyed people-watching. When we were leaving, we stumbled upon a performance by a Japanese boy band! It was like we were watching the beginning careers of BTS. 

The last thing we did in Japan was go to Shibuya Sky. It is one of the most popular things to do in Tokyo, and you must plan well in advance for this. Even with our careful planning and punctuality when we could buy tickets, we had a hard time getting them. We could only snag an evening slot after the sun had gone down. These tickets sell out within minutes if you try to go during sunrise or anywhere close to sunset. It was a madhouse when we went there as well. Many people are put through the queues and the elevators to go up. You have to get a locker if you also have anything on you. Once you get to the outside, the crowds are thinned out, and it's not as bad, as long as you don't care about one of those viral Instagram photo nooks. Would I recommend this? I am honestly not sure. The 365 view of the city is cool, but the crowds are a bit overwhelming. We didn't go to Tokyo Skytree or Tokyo Tower, so we can't compare them. 

Our big Splurge

Instead of heading to Kyoto after Tokyo, we spent one day and one night in one of the hot spring mountain towns near Mount Fuji. We went all in and decided to stay at a traditional Japanese ryokan, where they serve you dinner and breakfast. Each room had its own onsen as well as a large public one. I went to the public area, and there was no one there, so I had an indoor and outdoor hot springs pool all to myself that evening! Staying at a ryokan is all about the mind-blowing meals. Yes, it may have tested our food boundaries in some dishes. Still, I am so glad we got to experience this dining adventure. It was the fanciest meal I have ever had, hands down. The Ryokan was also the nicest place I have ever stayed. If you have the budget, do it for just one night like we did. 

Fushimi Inari Taisha and Yasaka Jinja Nishiromon Gate

We finally got to hop on the Shinkansen after leaving Hakone! We had ridden bullet trains in Italy, so I was excited to ride the Japanese version. We purchased our ekiben (lunches you can take on the trains) and watched the quickly moving countryside into Kyoto. Of course, we hit the ground running. After checking into our hotel, we headed to the famous Fushimi tori gates. They were absolute chaos, so be open-minded when visiting this area. Larrin read some bad advice about going to the Fushimi tori gates in the late afternoon when things would be starting to die down. That was definitely not the case. The Tori gates were swarming with people. We also were told if you walked a bit up the mountain, there wouldn't be that many people. It was true, but not as much as I thought the crowds would thin out. This place is too busy no matter when you go anymore. Unless you visit in winter, expect large crowds during daylight hours. It's not hard to walk up to the top, so do that if you have time. You'll get a few solo photos if you can; don't expect this place to be deserted.

In the evening, we crossed the canals to a big shopping area, where we found the Nintendo store and Pokémon Center. They were both impressive stores. We also went off the beaten path and found a 6-seater restaurant that only serves one Japanese curry. The man running the shop can only make it two at a time, and it takes about 30 minutes from start to finish. One of our favorite meals of the entire trip was a simple Japanese golden chicken curry. Then we walked over to the Yasaka Jinja gate and park. Larrin thought we shouldn't go see it at night, but I told him to trust me on this one. It is a place you 100% want to visit after the sun is down. There weren't many people, and the lanterns and lights lit up made for the better experience. It was also very close to our hotel, so we saw it a few times, including during the day.

Kiyomizu, Ryōzen Kannon, and that super popular Pagoda (Hōkan-ji)

Our bodies still hadn't adjusted to Japan's time, so we had no problem getting up at the crack of dawn to go to Kiyomizu. This place is notorious for large crowds, as well, so if you can go early, you really should. It was a beautiful area! I can understand why this area is so popular.

There are many shrines and temples near Kiyomizu, and one of the temples that blew my mind was the Ryozen Kannon and Kodaiji temple area, with its mini bamboo forest, which not many people go to. Last, we made it over to the pagoda to take some photos and check out the shops. We found our first Ghibli store, and I went crazy!

Canals, Parks, and the middle of nowhere

One of the most important things Larrin wanted to do in Japan was a knife factory tour or knife-making class. We had booked months in advance, but the booking was canceled. That's when Larrin came to me with another class that would cost 3x as much and take up one of our precious days in Kyoto. I was skeptical and didn't really want to do it, but I knew it was important to him, and he doesn't ask for much. Yes, it was expensive, but luckily, Knife Steel Nerds (Larrin's side business) paid for it, and it was one of the most fun hands-on things we did in Japan. We also got to go way outside the city to a small town, spend over 6 hours at a master swordsmith shop, and pet his cute Shiba dog! Larrin will make content for that whole experience, so I don't want to steal his thunder with the video he will make for his YouTube channel. I came away very happy we had this experience.

Kyoto has beautiful parks, just like Tokyo, with many shrines and temples inside. We went to the Nanzen-ji area, which seemed few people go to, and it was absolutely stunning. There are so many parks, temples, and shrines that Kyoto has to offer that are just as pretty as the popular places. We loved this area!

Arashiyama Bamboo Forest, Togetsukyō Bridge, and Kimono poles

After our knife-making class, we still had some fuel left in our tanks. We ONLY walked 5 miles that day, not the typical 10+ we had been while in Japan. We decided this was our last chance to do the popular bamboo forest, notorious for large crowds and a less-than-ideal experience. After the Fushimi Tori gates, we were worried it would be like that and potentially worse. After visiting the much more chill small bamboo forest near our hotel, we decided it would be okay if we were to skip the big, popular one. I don't know if we got lucky, but Arashiyama was not that bad when we pulled the trigger and went. There were people, but it was nothing like I had imagined. The forest is also magnificent and impressive. I'm glad we got both a small, intimate, and chill experience along with the grand forest with a larger crowd. The other areas around were pretty as well. This was a lovely area; I understand why it is so popular.

Mount Kurama and Kinkaku-ji Temple

Because we had such a good experience at Mount Takao, we decided we needed to do another mountain trail in Kyoto. This one was the best yet! This hike was called the Kurama to Kibune trail. NO ONE except for a few locals were on this trail the entire time we were there. It was probably my favorite place in all of Japan. Everything was so peaceful, and a shrine or temple around every corner walking up the mountain. The mountain area itself was stunning. It felt like we were in a National Park no one had heard about. I don't want anyone to know about this place. At the same time, I need everyone to learn about these areas that few have on their Japan itinerary. It wasn't a difficult trail, but it could be harsh on the knees going down.

After Mount Kurama, we saw Kinkaku-Ji (the golden temple). Wow, that place was slammed! So, I guess if you want to wake up early and take pictures of this place in the reflection of the pond, then I'd say go for it, but if you are going in the middle of the day when the reflection is gone, and 100's of people are there then I'd say skip it. I don't regret going only because we found a perfect small Szechuan beef ramen place for lunch. They have absolutely perfected this one dish they only serve in their shop. Another one of my favorite meals in Japan.

Daytrip to Nara

Larrin read and watched a ton of Japanese content like I did while planning. One channel he found was a girl named Abby, who made travel content in Kyoto. He'd send me a few videos here and there from her channel. We both liked how she seemed chill and more authentic than many Youtubers making Japanese click-bait videos. At some point, Larrin mentioned that she and her husband were photographers and did photo tours. That's when I said, "WHAT? SHOW ME!" Larrin didn't realize at that moment that I'd be more interested in any travel ideas he had ever mentioned to me thus far. So, long story short, I told Larrin we would be booking a Nara photo tour from the girl on YouTube he had been watching. It was everything I hoped it would be. She met us in the morning at the train station, and we spent 4+ hours with her as she took us all around Nara, told us about the history of places, and took authentic documentary-style photos of us. The idea of Larrin and I being in photos together was something I knew we'd have very few of in other places. The knife-making class was Larrin's big splurge and the photography day with Abby was my big splurge. I'm entirely sold on hiring a photographer on vacation, especially one that does it like Abby and gives you an itinerary for the day. After we said our goodbyes, she also walked us to a fantastic fresh tuna restaurant. So, if you go to Kyoto or Nara, do yourself a huge favor and look up Abby from Piqtour to hire for part of your day. (90% of the photos shown below are taken by Abby, not me)

Dotonburi and America-mura

What can I say? I don't want to be negative about Dotonburi because we did have a good time, but I want to be honest that this place is not for everyone. It's loud, crowded, and has tons of wild statues and lights. Whereas you can be walking in Tokyo station surrounded by hundreds of people and only hear the shuffling of people's shoes, Dotonburi has Pitbull on blast coming from one of the canal boats that seem to keep following you down the path. It's a place to check out, but go earlier than later because the most insane crowd we ever witnessed was in Dotonburi around 9pm.

America-Mura was a vibe. It's basically American hip-hop culture shoved in a few blocks. We got some waaaaay overpriced shirts that we thought were much cheaper, but oh well. It's a place you can spend an hour in and be done.

Namba Yasaka Jinja and Osaka Castle

The Namba Yasaka Jinja shrine was pretty cool, and it was in a pretty quiet neighborhood. PS: Always read the wishes people hang. You might just find a funny one!

Osaka Castle was loosely on our itinerary, and I'm glad we decided to go. It was my favorite nook in Osaka. The grounds were beautiful, and there was plenty of space. There were not a ton of people there the morning we went. We didn't go inside, but outside is plenty cool.