Itinerary check – family first trip but in May.

Haven't booked anything but probably need to starting tomorrow. Told the kids on Christmas Day that we're going. There's been so much value reading the responses on this subreddit and want real advice from real people, and to pay it back I'll update after the trip with how things went.

Trip Overview:

Why Japan: Family interests, particularly 14yo, have always made Japan the dream trip.

Family (these details inform much of the trip priorities):

• 14yo girl is a creative machine since day one – always sketching, drawing, painting, making stuffed animals and clay creations. Always aligned with Japanese styles and themes – at the very top are anything Miyazaki, and she has taught herself limited vocab and Hiragana while never thinking she'd actually visit one day. Also appreciates traditional Japanese culture/values to a large degree.
• 11yo boy draws/sketches constantly, not as obsessed with the world of Miyazaki but is happy to be a part. Big into video games and plays Pokemon Go a lot.
• Dad's a (slow) runner and principal trip planner; generally I seek a balance of city and traditional/non-touristy experience on trips
• Mom has to be a little careful on pacing due to old knee injuries (gymnastics/dance) but is otherwise loves travel and happy about making core memories/getting closer together

Also:

Many itineraries are intense, packed full and constant train-riding; I've tried to minimize bases and build in downtime but might have gone too far here. I'm holding this plan loosely and really open to hearing what we should cut and what we should absolutely not miss that I've missed. Japan planning is overwhelming relative to any other big trip I've ever planned.

Just discovered that Sanja Matsuri is smack in the middle of the Tokyo time and I did not know. A little concerned about the crowds and wondering if I should avoid Tokyo until it's over (flipping the destinations, for instance).

Itinerary High-Level:

Tokyo – 6 nights
Kyoto – 5 nights
Miyajima – 1 night (ryokan)
Tokyo – 1 night before flying home

Itinerary Details:

Day 1 (May 12) – Arrive in Tokyo late afternoon, eat, sleep. Stay in Ueno or Asakusa areas.

Day 2 – Tokyo – Deal with jet lag, soft landing.

• AM: Walk neighborhood, Yoyogi Park
• PM: Depachika picnic, Meiji shrine, Harajuku

Day 3 – Tokyo – Studio Ghibli Museum

• AM: Museum visit
• PM: Kichijoji / Inokashira park boats, stationary/art store browsing

Day 4 – Tokyo – Anime, gaming, pop culture stuff

• AM: Either Akihabara (gaming/arcades/anime) or Ikebukoro (Sunshine City and Otome Road) – kids pick
• PM: Character cafe or theme shop, maybe Don Quijote, then teamLab Borderless/Planets

Day 5 – Tokyo – Kamakura day trip

• AM: Train to Kamakura, Great Buddha (Daibutsu), Hase-dera temple views
• PM: Beach walk, get back on the train before rush hour hits

Day 6 – Kyoto – Shinkansen travel day. Stay near Kyoto Station or Gion?

• AM: Head to Kyoto (get bento and dessert at Tokyo Station depachika to eat on Shinkansen)
• PM: Maybe walk Gion/Yasaka Shrine, wander neighborhoods

Day 7 – Kyoto – Arts, crafts, inspiration day

• AM: Kids get to choose. Some ideas:
  • Manga drawing class
  • Japanese painting/brush workshop
  • Calligraphy
  • Traditional crafts – fans, dyeing, etc
• PM: Kyoto International Manga Museum to sketch and browse, then a Tea Ceremony near Gion or Philosopher's Path, walk the path

Day 8 – Kyoto – Nara day trip

• AM: Fushimi Inari, Train to Nara, Todai-ji Great Buddha, feed the deer
• PM: Wander the park, eat, relax and take train back to Kyoto

Day 9 – Kyoto – Arashiyama and nature

• AM: Bamboo grove early, river walk, Monkey Park if we feel like it
• PM: Tea/ice cream shop, slow return, Samurai/Kembu sword show

Day 10 – Kyoto – Day trip to Ghibli Park in Nagoya

• AM: Shinkansen to Nagoya, transit to Ghibli Park
• PM: Visit park, eat dinner early in Nagoya, head back to Kyoto

Day 11 – Kyoto – Either Super Nintendo World at USJ or a downtime chill day

• AM: If we're up to it: Train to Osaka, either USJ/Nintendo World or street food in Dotonbori and see the Umeda Sky Building
• PM: Head back.

Day 12 – Miyajima – Go to Hiroshima, stay in Miyajima

• AM: Early train to Hiroshima, Peace Park and Museum.
• PM: Ferry to Miyajima, Ryokan check-in, Onsen, Kaiseki dinner, enjoy when the crowds leave for the evening

Day 13 – Tokyo – Himeji castle on the way back to Tokyo

• AM: Shrines and deer and such, take ferry and train to Himeji
• Noon-ish: Himeji Castle visit
• PM: Shinkansen to Tokyo, final night – grab any souvenirs we forgot about

Day 14 – Fly home

Looming thoughts (apart from anything you notice!):

• Hakone loop isn't in the plan
• Sanja Matsuri festival happens during days 4-6 of Tokyo leg…
• Missing cherry blossoms (trying to accommodate work and school schedules) and not postponing til fall – a big deal, or not a big deal… Or in other words, is post-Golden Week May – which works great for the schedule – sufficiently beautiful that we won't hit the big two spring/fall moments everyone talks about
• On the one hand, this is a first bucket-list trip – so you've got to do the big things. On the other, worried a bit about missing truly magical off-the-typical-list experiences (which often make the best moments in any trip I've ever done). Excited about overnighting Miyajima as a result, but is the balance here right…
• Too much Ghibli perhaps…
• Kyoto sounds sad and overcrowded to many on the forum to spend so much time there.

If you got this far, I wish I had a medal for you. Thanks for reading.