2-week trip report: Kyoto – Nara – Nagoya – Tokyo – Nikko – Hakone

We are at the airport waiting for our (delayed) flight, so now seemed as good a time as any. I created a somewhat busy itinerary but we did a decent job sticking to a lot of it.

We arrived in Osaka around 3pm and headed straight to Kyoto because our hotel had a special event with a maiko that evening we didn't want to miss, which was wonderful. She didn't dance or play an instrument, but she did sing, answer our questions, and pose for photos. Immediately passed out afterward.

Day 1: I broke my glasses on the plane so our plans were derailed from the get-go. We spent the morning going to JINS and getting me new glasses, which only takes about an hour, but also exploring/shopping in the area until lunch. After lunch was our kimono rental before a traditional tea ceremony at Camellia FLOWER. One of my favorite parts if I'm honest. We decided to do part of our morning plan after that and walked to Kiyamizu-dera, then dinner.

Day 2: Started early at Ginkaku-ji Temple, then an early lunch at Omen (udon!). After lunch, the plan was to just follow the Philosopher' Path, detouring off for various shrines and temples. Not the most exciting day overall though we saw several beautiful places.

Day 3: Arashiyama bamboo grove early in the morning, though even at 730am, it was still pretty busy. Then we rode the Sagano Romantic Train one way, which I enjoyed a lot. We took the Hozogawa boats back, which was also enjoyable but a little too long of a trip. After lunch were Ryoan-ji and Kinkaku-ji temples (I preferred Kinkaku-ji).

Day 4: Day trip to Nara! We fed the deer first and foremost (they can be aggressive but I liked them anyway). Then we went to Todai-ji Temple to see the big Buddha, which was gorgeous. After lunch, we wanted to go to Mt Kasuga Primeval Forest, but it was pretty far, so we ended up heading back to Kyoto and exploring there more.

Day 5: Fushimi Inari in the morning. We are both disabled so didn't go all the way to the top but did what we could. Headed to Nijo Castle grounds after that and were amused while being interviewed by some high school girls practicing their English. It was very cute. Spent the rest of the day shopping.

Day 6: Shinkansen to Nagoya for Ghibli Park! We thought we might have time to visit the castle too, but no such luck. The park is definitely for people who enjoy taking photos and the idea of being immersed in the sets of their favorite movies. I thought it was fun but i can see why some people wouldn't. After that, back on the shinkansen and on to Tokyo where we had some of the best tsukemen of our lives at a place called Yasubee in Akihabara.

Day 7: Meiji-Jingu in the morning, at which point I pronounced myself temple'd out. Found the Hachiko statue. Went to Micasadeco & Co for the souffle pancakes which were divine. Found the Godzilla head and explored that area some.

Day 8: Teamlab Borderless, which i loved. Yes, its very instagrammy but I also found a lot of the art beautiful and interactive and fun. We went to Dawn Robot Cafe next, a very cool place that hires people who cannot leave home to work who operate robots that interact with customers. The woman we spoke to has a daughter with ALS who needs constant medical care. It was a great experience. We explored Akihabara that evening.

Day 9: Day trip to Nikko! We did this through a tour group. Went to Kegon Falls, saw Chezenji Lake, had a tour of Tosho-gu (which i liked despite my temple burnout), and saw Shinkyo Bridge. With travel, that took the entire day.

Day 10: Shopping around Tokyo, went to Tokyo Kimono Shoes and Kimono Reborn where they repurpose kimono into shoes, bags, other items. I loved it. We also hit up Nakano Broadway. In the afternoon, we went to a one-act kabuki play at Kabuki-za theater, which I really liked. You can get a tablet with English translation for the show (1 is enough for 2 people to share), and it was fascinating to see. I recommend buying your ticket the day before on the website because shows do sell out especially on weekends.

Day 11: Train to Hakone. We got there in the afternoon, took the shuttle bus provided by our ryokan, and spent the afternoon enjoying the hot springs and the fancy dinner at our ryokan.

Day 12: Started the day with a soak of course, but then went to the Hakone Open-Air Museum, which we loved. Lots of great sculptures, some interactive, and we had a good time. We took the train to the cable car to the ropeway next, and got some truly excellent views of Mt Fuji! We were so excited that we got so lucky because the morning had been quite overcast but it cleared up just in time. We had a (late) (mediocre) lunch at the pirate ship place, then headed back to the ryokan.

Day 13: Last day that involved nothing but getting from Hakone to Haneda airport.

My tips:
*Pocari Sweat is a literal lifesaver, especially if you dehydrate easily. So is Coke Plus for fiber reasons.

*Nakano Broadway says it opens at 10am. That's pretty much a lie since most of the shops inside don't open til 12 noon, so don't try to go early.

*Folks aren't joking about needing a change purse. Bring one or get one.

*Enjoy carrying your trash for hours! If the cities in America didn't have trashcans, they'd be even more disgusting than they already are. Idk how Japan does it.

*Maybe it's the American Southerner in me, but I said "sumimasen" (excuse me) constantly. Definitely learn that if little else.