Here is my trip report from our second trip to Japan!

We are a couple in our 30's from Europe and we are already planning our third trip for this fall.

Tokyo (4 nights, 3 days)

• Ghibli Museum
• Nakano Broadway
• Akihabara
• Shibuya
• Harajuku
• Korean Town in Shin-Okubo
• Pokémon Center DX in Nihonbashi
• Daytrip to Yokohama

We stayed in Ginza, near a smaller metro station – something I recommend, as it’s much easier to navigate than the big ones. For transportation in Tokyo we bought a 72-hour metro pass, which was very convenient. JR lines aren’t included, but we only needed one JR ride during our stay.

We also took a day trip to Yokohama, where we visited Chinatown, the strawberry festival, and the Pokémon Center in Marui City Yokohama. The mall also had a large second-hand store full of Pokémon plushies, and I even won a big Chansey in a claw machine. Chinatown’s food was a bit underwhelming for me – but that might be because I’d visited China just a few months earlier, so my expectations were fresh and high.

Kawaguchiko (2 nights, 2 days)

• Chureito Pagoda
• Oishi Park
• Lake Yamanaka
• Gotemba Premium Outlets
• Oshino Hakkai

We took the bus to Kawaguchiko (the only bus/train we pre-booked during the trip), checked into our hotel, and explored Fuji-Q Highland in the afternoon. We really liked this park, it was chill and took many pictures at Naruto x Boruto hidden village of Konoha. In the evening, we picked up a rental car from Budget Rent – a great experience – so we could start early the next morning.

Visiting Chureito Pagoda at 8 am was perfect: almost no one there, and Mt Fuji was crystal clear. We also visited a nearby waterfall, Oishi Park, and peaceful Lake Yamanaka, where we enjoyed fluffy pancakes at The Park café (only a 10-minute wait).

Later we drove to Gotemba Premium Outlets, where we bought an exclusive Mt Fuji Pikachu and some sneakers, then stopped at Oshino Hakkai, a traditional village with beautiful clear ponds. It was a bit touristy, but still charming. We were lucky to have Mt Fuji visible both days, and having a car made visiting all these spots much easier.

Nagano (2 nights, 2,5 days)

• Jigokudani Monkey Park
• Togakushi Shrine Okusha (Main Shrine) Zuishinmon

We took the shinkansen to Nagano (about 4 hours) and had a relaxing evening. The next day we visited Jigokudani Monkey Park – the snow monkeys were amazing, and the hike there was fun (but icy, so wear good shoes). In the evening, we enjoyed Korean BBQ and games at Round 1.

The following day we took the bus to Togakushi Shrine Okusha, where the cedar trees were stunning. It’s worth seeing if you have time, but skippable if you’re on a tight schedule. That evening we took the train to Kanazawa.

Nagano the city was pretty dull, so I wouldn't go back here anytime soon.

Kanazawa (2 nights, 1,5 day)

• Omicho Market
• Nagamachi Samurai District
• Ishiura Shrine
• Higashi Chaya District
• Pokemon centre

We started at Omicho market, which I loved. I ate a croquette there and then went upstairs. On the second floor there are many restaurants so you can sit down for a nice meal. I had the best kaisendon here.

It rained all day, so we skipped Kenroku-en Garden. There’s a bus connecting al the touristic spots, but we walked everywhere (about 20 minutes between each). We enjoyed snacks along the way, and even with the rain, Kanazawa was beautiful – I’ll definitely return.

Fukui (1 day)

• Fukui Dinosaur Museum
• Echizen Daibutsu

From Kanazawa, we took the train to Fukui. The Dinosaur Museum and Echizen Daibutsu were fantastic. Looking back, I wish we had rented a car here – public transport was slow and infrequent, so we couldn’t fit much else in. In the evening, we took the train to Kyoto.

Kyoto (4 nights, 3 days)

• Nintendo Museum (Uji)
• Tenjuan Temple
• Nanzenji Suirokaku
• Kyoto City KYOCERA Museum of Art

In Kyoto we took a trip to Uji to visit the new Nintendo Museum. Loved just strolling around Uji, it's peacefull and charming.

The next day we bought an unlimited bus & metro pass at Kyoto Station, which made getting around easy. we explored several temples and sights such as Tenjuan Temple, Nanzenji Suirokaku, and the KYOCERA Museum of Art – this part of the city was almost tourist-free, which made it even better. Our last day, we had planned to drive to Amanohashidate, but rain was forecast, so we opted for a relaxed day in Kyoto eating and shopping.

Hotel booking tips

I mostly book hotels through Trip and Agoda – Booking isn’t always the cheapest in Asian countries. I always choose free cancellation, book at least 4 months in advance, and check weekly if prices drop. This approach gets us the best deals. On our first trip we stayed in pricier hotels, but this time we got equally good (or better) ones for less.

Total trip cost – 2 weeks, 2 people (from Europe)

€4,050 total (excluding shopping)

• Flights: €1,357
• Accommodation (twin rooms): €811 (€54/night on average)
• Transport (trains, metros, buses, car rental): €677
• Activities (entry tickets, etc.): €150
• Food: €1,120 (€80/day on average)
• Shopping: €900 (games, clothing, anime figures, Pokémon plush, souvenirs)

We got cheap flights with China Eastern Airlines. On the way back, we had a long overnight stopover in Beijing. Since we had already visited Beijing before, we didn’t mind spending another evening there.

China Eastern offers a free hotel stay in some cities. We arrived at 4 pm, took a Didi (taxi) to the hotel, dropped off our stuff, and went out to explore the city. The next morning we could sleep in, stroll around a park, check out, and head back to the airport. The hotel keeps your checked luggage for you, so the whole process is really easy and stress-free.

If you have any questions, let me know!