17 Day Solo Trip Report: Tokyo, Kanazawa, Takayama, Suzuka F1 Race, and Kyoto

Hello, r/JapanTravel!

I recently returned from a 17 day trip to Japan, my first time visiting. Suffice to say, it lived up to my expectations. The public transportation, food, and hospitality may have spoiled me for future travel elsewhere. My trip window (March 29th to April 14th) was perfect timing to see the sakura bloom all the way through.

Day 1: Arrival at Haneda**

I arrived at a cold and rainy Tokyo Haneda airport at 4 pm. Customs was simple enough and I only had a carry on and a backpack, so no need to wait for baggage. My AT&T international phone plan kicked in and worked with no issues. I prebooked a private transport via Get Your Guide.

The van dropped me off right at my first hotel, Remm Akihabara. I was really pleased with the room, which had a great view of the surrounding city, and a massage chair!

I went out to find dinner with what little energy I had left. On my first walk out of the hotel I stumble on a JDM car meet in front of all the lit up buildings in Akiba and had my first "wow I'm really here!" moment.

I go to Sushiro for my first meal , as I am a sucker for belt sushi. It was freaking packed. the machine said it would be a 55 minute wait, but as I was solo, my number was actually called right away. I sat down and had sushi to my hearts content. the total came to just over $10 US.

Day 2 Akihabara and Ueno

I am a huge fan of the Steins;Gate anime and games and have always wanted to visit Akiba so I set out to find real life locations from the show. As it was Sunday, they closed down the main street and it became a pedestrian zone, which was pretty cool. I also found a pop up shop for the 15th anniversary of Steins;Gate!

The cherry blossoms were in full bloom so I walked to Ueno park and Nezu Shrine for viewing.

For dinner, I scheduled an Ueno bar hopping tour with Best Tours Japan. This was one of my highlights of the entire trip. We hit up four locations, including two standing bars, yakiniku, and a ramen shop. We were served a huge variety of local food and drinks and the tour guide Aki was extremely funny and informative. The ramen at our final stop which I believe was named Kaguraya was the best ramen I have ever had. It was a luxurious creamy chicken ramen that was just to die for.

Day 3 Shinjuku Gyoen, Asakusa

The train station is basically right underneath my hotel, so I just walk downstairs and take a 15 minute train ride to Shinjuku Gyoen for more Sakura viewing. It was my first train ride and I couldn't believe how easy it was. I slept in though and waited until after the morning rush, so I'm sure that helped. It was cold and rainy but I still enjoyed the park.

Had a late tempura lunch at Tendon Tenya which was total comfort food. I go by the Nier/Square Enix cafe gift shop which happened to be their final day before closing.

At night I went to Asakusa for a Senso-ji and Sumida Park walk using the Tsukuba Express train. Seeing the Sakura lit up with the Skytree behind was really magical.

Day 4 Tokyo to Kanazawa

Shinkansen to Kanazawa. Really picturesque ride!

Had an early dinner at Shogun Burger at the station. I read great reviews of their Wagyu burgers but it was honestly pretty terrible.

Check in at Hotel Nikko Kanazawa. Really nice place for just over $100 a night. I was invited up for a complimentary welcome cocktail at their 25th floor Skybar, which had an unreal view of the city. Sitting by the window looking out over the city lights sipping my cocktail, I couldn't help but feel a little like James Bond. Another one of my highlights of the trip.

Day 5 Kanazawa

Started the day off walking through Omicho Market, and the Samurai District. The highlight of the day is Kenrokuen Garden. Without a doubt the most sprawling and beautiful garden of the trip. Entry was free for the day due to the sakura bloom and there was plenty of good food and festivities taking place. Had some great chicken karaage skewers while looking over the next stop, Kanazawa Castle. I spent quite a while exploring the castle grounds and found a spot under a large grove of sakura to rest. I was feeling really exhausted after 5 days of exploring and decided to cut the day short and go back to the hotel. I love Indian food so decided to try an Indian place with good reviews near the hotel, but it was unfortunatey terrible.

Day 6 Shirakawa-Go, Takayama

Booked a Limon bus via GetYourGuide to Shirakawa-Go which was excellent. Surprisingly there were only two other people on the bus. We arrived at Shirakawa-Go which was still covered in snow. The town was picturesque but unfortunately just overrun with people. It felt like a theme park. Instagrammers were blocking the streets setting up tripods in the middle of the road. Kids were running all over peoples private property. Drones were flying through the air. I felt bad just being there. I actually got back on the bus early after grabbing a hida beef bun. Our next stop was Takayama where I had a two night stay booked.

Takayama was freezing! I checked in to Hida Takayama Ouan. The hotel was pretty ok. Shoes come off at the door. Hot spring on the roof. Free noodles at night.

Finding dinner was tricky. Place after place had closed signs out saying they were full. Reservations only was the norm. after a bit I stumbled on Hida Kitchen. I poked my head in and they asked if I had a reservation. I said no but they said thats ok! and found me a spot. The staff was so attentive and welcoming. I was freezing cold and being brought a hot towel and an Asahi was just heaven. I ended up getting a wonderful Hida steak that was melt in your mouth good.

Day 7 Takayama

The day starts off with a surprisingly varied hotel breakfast featuring local Takayama dishes. Not bad!

Walked through the old town morning markets, trying some hida beef nigiri and had great coffee at Falo Cofee Brewers. The Higashiyama walking course was up next, full of interesting shrines and a huge graveyard in the forest which was kind of eerie. The city center was packed with tourists, so it was nice to hit this trail with barely anyone else around.

I hopped on a city bus from the terminal to Hida Folk Village next. It was nice seeing a small version of Shirakawa-Go with much fewer tourists. Unfortunately the town didn't really look like the pictures as all the grass and trees around were brown and dead looking. It almost felt like a wild west town.

For dinner, I had my heart set on Naniwa Sushi near my hotel after reading great reviews here. I got there early and waited for them to open but the opening time came and went.. after a while of waiting they finally put out a sign that they were full for the night…

So I end up at… Hida Kitchen!!

They welcome me warmly and I have a great dinner once again. Loved these guys!

Day 8 Nagoya

Rode a limited train to Nagoya from Takayama station with spectacular views of the countryside. Just lovely!

Arriving at Nagoya Station there is a Formula 1 pop up event with a Red Bull racing car on display. Started to get excited for the race!

Check in at Super Hotel Nagoya Station. I was bracing for this hotel to be the worst of my trip, as the only room left when I booked was a smoking room, and it looked pretty small, but it ened up being a really nice stay. The girl at reception seemed excited to practice her english with me. She took out big cue cards and gave a whole presentation of the layout of the hotel, which was super cute. I had to do a double take when she pointed out the open bar. All the alcohol bottles were out and she said guests were free to make whatever kind of drink they want between a certain time (!) Luckily she found me a non smoking room too.

I spent the rest of the day doing laundry at the hotel, making cocktails, and exploring the surrounding area. There was tons of shopping and I found a great tempura spot.

Day 9 Formula 1 at Suzuka Circuit

I pre-booked an express bus through the Suzuka Circuit site that picked up at Nagoya Station. Even though I had an e-ticket, I had to join a large queue to exchange the e-ticket for a paper ticket and then queue up again to exchange the paper ticket fo rthe bus ride. The bus was quite comfortable but ended up taking nearly three hours to reach the track. We arrived an hour past the original estimated arrival time and missed the pre-race festivities. Oh man the queues for food were INSANE. I got in line for karaage skewers and after waiting forever, the person in front of me got the final order and the booth put out a sold out sign. I started hearing cars on the track and had to run to my seat still hungry. Luckily I had a few 7/11 snacks in my bag.

I had a great seat and hearing the cars roaring around the corner for the first time was exhilarating. A fan sitting next to me snuck in a bottle of sake and poured me a large cup! Princess Akiko was there to hand out trophies at the end.

After the race we boarded the buses once again and here is where things really unraveled. After boarding we were held in the parking lot for 2 hours without moving. After the buses were let out we sat in bumper to bumper traffic moving literally inch by inch for 2 more hours. It took almost 4.5 hours in total to get back to Nagoya. I was so tired when I got back and it was so late I ended up just having a 7/11 dinner in my hotel room.

I enjoyed the race but I would not recommend it as it is too far out of the way. A 12 hour day for 90 minutes of racing just was not worth it.

Day 10 Kyoto/Gion

Grabbed a shinkansen to Kyoto Station which was super easy. I checked in at the Dormy Inn Premium.
The hotel looked brand new and was nice and clean. Just a couple minutes from the station. Had coffee at Tsumugi Cafe and explored Higashi Hongan-ji Temple which was surprsingly not busy at all.

That night I explored the Gion district which was totally wild. There were a ton of people, but the sakura was in full bloom and seeing the trees lit up next to the river at night was a sight to behold. I stopped at several standing bars and enjoyed drinks and snacks and spent the rest of the night just taking in the sights. Definitely a highlight of the trip and one of the coolest places I have ever been.

Day 11 Kyoto/Arashiyama

The next morning I had a prebooked tour through Magical Trip for the Arashiyama area that is supposed to specifically avoid the crowds. Our guide took us through several private gardens and quiet temples adjacent to the bamboo forest area, which were just wonderful. The tour included a traditional lunch in serene restaurant surrounded by gardens and sakura. Strong winds started around this time and the sakura petals started falling outside the windows. This really felt like Japan from the movies, maybe my favorite moment of the trip.

Day 12 Kyoto/Fushimi Inari

I booked another tour through Magical Trip for Fushimi Inari where that took us hiking up an alternate route to avoid the crowds. On the way up we went through a really cool bamboo forest with literally no other tourists around. I had planned to go to Kiyomizudera after, but It was a long day of hiking. i was exhausted and ended up resting in the hotel room for the rest of the day.

Dinner was Katsukura at Kyoto Station, which was awesome.

Day 13 Shibuya

Pre-booked a shinkansen so I could get a seat on the Mt Fuji side, but it was total cloud cover that day. Zero visibility.

Checked in to Shibuya Tokyu Excel after having a hell of a time finding the place. I had a 24th floor room with a view of Shibuya crossing. Pretty cool. There was a Jojos Bizarre Adventure tie-in happening at the hotel and there was Jojo stuff all over the place.

I hit the town and honestly the night was kind of a blur. Stopped at several random bars and drank and ate tons. The final stop was at a Karaoke bar which I wasnt really planning, but I ended up singing my heart out to classic Green Day lol. I was really glad I brought my umbrella as it started pouring halfway through the evening.

Day 14 Harajuku/Shinjuku

Seemingly walked all over town this day. Started down Cat St which seemed oddly deserted and smelled like sewage the whole way through. Omotesando, and Harajuku were next. Takeshita St was busy but still kind of fun.

One of my most anticipated tours I booked of the trip was a 6 mini bowl Ramen tour by 5am Ramen. I met the guide in Shinjuku and it was just me and a couple from India. First up was classic ramen joint where we sampled Tokyo style and Spicy ramen. Next was Tsukemen that was outstanding. We traveled to Akasaka for the last stop at MENDOKORO TOMO Premium and had italian inspired dishes including creamy chicken and pesto ramen.

Day 15 Meiji Jingu

Big walking day. Hotel breakfast was on the 25th floor with a spectacular view of the city. Hit Yoyogi Park, which was full of revelers enjoying the weekend. Meiji Jingu Garden was next, which was a peaceful spot among all the crowds.

Had lunch at Tendon Tenya again. Yum

Finished the night at Lost Bar in Shibuya whose somewhat secret entrance is accessed by pushing a vending machine to the side. The staff was fun and made awesome cocktails.

Day 16 Yokohama/Daikoku

As I am a car guy, on Sunday I had a tour guide booked to go to cars and coffee at Daikoku in Yokohama. I was so excited for this trip but unfortunately a total downpour ruined the day. It was a total washout. We went to the Nissan Omori Factory instead which only had a few cars but were still cool. We also stopped at Autobacs, which is like an Autozone except much cooler. There was a ton of cool JDM merch and parts and even a library. I was like a kid in a candy store.

Day 17 Depart from Haneda

After checking out I decided to stop at the hotel's coffee shop which I wasn't aware had a bar seating area right over Shibuya crossing. I had coffee and a special pizza from their Jojo's Bizarre Adventure menu.

Today was my big shopping day before heading home. Hit up the Mega Don Quijote Flagship in Shibuya for snacks and gifts. Uniqlo, Tower Records, Muji, etc.

Hung out at Miyashita park for a bit and then boarded the Airport Limousine Bus right from my hotel to the airport. Pretty convenient!

Final Thoughts

Overall I had an amazing time. I was extremely fortunate to hit the sakura at maximum bloom at almost every stop. Halfway through, I was already planning my next visit! I will definitely have to visit Kyoto again and will go to Hiroshima, Osaka, and Hakone next time.

My highlights of the trip were Arashiyama, Gion, Akiba, and Ueno. I was slightly underwhelmed by Shirakawa-go, Takayama, and Suzuka. Shibuya was ultimately too busy for my tastes. I grew very weary of navigating the throngs of people.

Upon returning home I find myself missing the public transport and conbini the most! I luckily was able to find a store near me that stocks Asahi Super Dry though!

Thanks to everyone on this sub and JapanTravelTips for helping me plan everything. I can't wait to go back!