My boyfriend (27M) and I (26F) will be traveling to Japan for the 1st time at the end of July. We figured that we would try to avoid the heat and crowds by heading farther north (I know that completely avoiding the heat and crowds will be impossible no matter what). We also both enjoy nature and would love to enjoy the beautiful scenery in Japan! At the same time, I am interested in visiting historical shrines and temples and shopping for local products and goods. My boyfriend has a tattoo, so we are not going to visit any onsen during the trip. We will mostly be staying in chain hotels.
Day 1 – 2 : Tokyo (Asakusa)
– Land around 12, then head to Asakusa for our hotel. We will either walk around a little bit and go to a cafe or find dinner, but not head for any major sights day 1.
– Visit Senso-ji early on day 2, then explore around Asakusa and Ueno for the rest of the day. I'm not set on anywhere particular, but would rather walk around and see what we find.
Day 3-6 : Tsuruoka, Yamagata
– The train to Tsuruoka is about 4 hours (including a transfer in Niigata). We may stop in Niigata for lunch and some sightseeing, but I'm not sure what is near the station / worth doing.
– In Tsuruoka we will visit the Kamo Aquarium and maybe sake and tsukemono museums / shops. We could also visit Yura Onsen's beaches.
– Visit Mt. Haguro and Mt. Gassan. We will probably do these on two different days. Unfortunately, busses to Mt. Gassan only seem to run on weekends, so we will need to book a taxi there and back.
– We might visit Sakata (~40 min from Tsuruoka) (maybe to eat one night?) and see the Sankyo warehouses, Homma residence and Homma art museum. We might skip this and just hang out in Tsuruoka for an extra day.
Day 7-11 : Sendai, Miyagi
– Take a bus to Yamagata (about two hours), then continue by train to Yamadera. Visit the temple and have snacks / lunch. Continue to Sendai. We will stay near Sendai station.
– We will need some time to explore Sendai, including Zuihoden and other temples and shrines. Any recommendations for neighborhoods and areas to wander?
– Potential day trips to Hiraizumi, Matsushima, Naruko Gorge, Geibikei Gorge, and Kakunodate. We will maybe only visit two or three of these, depending on whether we feel like getting on the train again! Which of these do you think are the best options?
Day 12-13 : Tokyo (Ueno)
– Return to Tokyo and spend the last full day completing souvenir and gift shopping. We will probably stay near Ueno Station for easy transfer to Narita on the final day.
I would love recommendations for any things to do that I may have overlooked or missed near Tsuruoka or Sendai! Also, I know that our time in Tokyo is too short – I am sure we will be back in the future to spend more time in the city!
by ednamodel