JJapan Trips

[itinerary review] Late Jan-Early Feb in Tokyo and Hokkaido (hiking, shopping, onsens, vegetarian food)

  • January 19, 2026

Hey all, heavily utilized this sub for planning both this trip and my previous time in Japan.

If you're so kind as to look over my itinerary, let me know any feedback!

Tokyo

1/24

  • Arrive 5 AM, drop luggage at a station in Shinbashi near my hotel, get breakfast
  • (30 min train) Shinjuku Gyoen gardens
  • Shinjuku Marui (CinGrey popup, may be sold out and skippable, will check)
  • (25 min train) Shibuya Parco shopping (Shibuya)
  • Pick up my luggage from the locker and check into the hotel after dinner

1/25

  • Azabudai Hills gallery for Look Back exhibition (Toranomon Hills)
  • (40 min train) animate Ikebukuro (CinGrey exhibit, debating skipping since it's so far out of the way)
  • (40 min train back) Hamarikyu Gardens (Chuo City)
  • Long walk through surrounding neighborhoods, eventually ending at Rainbow Bridge and the surrounding park (Minato City)

1/26

  • (30/40 min train) Asics store near Imperial Palace to rent running shoes and go for a long run (Chiyoda)
  • National Museum of Modern Art (Chiyoda)
  • Jinbocho, just walking around. Probably walking over from Imperial Palace area (2/3 mi)
  • Bumpodo (stationery store in Jinbocho, has some cute collection I found on twitter)

1/27

  • Nakano Broadway (despite the abundance of anime stuff on this itinerary, I actually want to buy a watch!)
  • Walk around Koenji

note: this section feels kinda empty to me, so let me know any things you like in the Nakano or Koenji areas!

1/28

  • ~1.5 hour train to Katsushika area, picking up convenience store food and baked goods before I leave due to no good vegetarian options I could find in the area
  • Walking down Edo River parks (Metasequoia grove to Matsudo shrine to Shibamata, ~5 miles)
  • Walking around Shibamata, have a tea house to hit and otherwise nothing planned

1/29

  • (1 hr train) Kamakura day trip, the plan is mostly to walk around. I found some places I might like just to have something to point Google maps at
    • Kencho-ji, Hasadera
  • Daibutsu hiking trail (weather dependent), head to the beach at Enoshima if there's time

Hokkaido

1/30

  • (1.5 hr flight) Arrive at New Chitose Airport at 11:35 AM
  • (1 hr train) Leave luggage at coin locker near hotel
  • Sledding/snowshoeing at Takino Suzuran Hillside Park

1/31

  • (1.5 hr train) Hoheikyo Hot Spring in Jozankei
  • Jozankei Nature Village (probably rent some snowshoes and walk around the trails here)

2/1

  • Set luggage to forward to Asahikawa, board train in Sapporo
  • If weather is nice, I'll go to Toyako first and then to my hotel in Noboribetsu
    • Might be too long of a detour, it doubles my train time from 2.5 hrs to around 5
    • Also worried about potentially getting stranded in the Toya area due to public transport infrequency (I'm not renting a car)
  • If weather is poor, just go to Noboribetsu and enjoy my hotel's baths

2/2

  • (1 hr train/bus from hotel) Jigokudani Valley hiking
  • River Oyunuma
  • Oyunuma Pond
  • Public bath at Takimotokan, time permitting

2/3

  • Arrive in Asahikawa from Noboribetsu (3-5 hours of trains, it seems)
  • Honestly I have nothing planned except some cafes, probably just decompress. Retrieve my luggage from Sapporo at the hotel here

2/4 + 2/5

  • Have a few options for these two days in place so I can adjust based on what's easy to get to and how the weather is:
    • Biei (walking around, eating mostly. Might hop on the sightseeing bus)
    • Sounkyo Onsen/Gorge hiking
    • Asahidake ropeway
  • Forward my luggage to airport hotel around now

2/6

  • 2-3 hour train to Otaru
  • I'm honestly completely unimpressed with what I've heard about Otaru, but I really want to go to Snow Miku, which is there.
  • Tenguyama ropeway if weather is good and I'm not tired of ropeways yet
  • Glass shopping, maybe. I have an aunt who likes fancy glass beads

2/7

  • (30 min train) It's the day of Snow Miku! At Wing Bay Otaru
  • (1.5 hr train) Head over to Chitose airport for my final hotel after I've had my fill

2/8

  • Early flight back home

I'm also vegetarian, so I'll leave my list of restaurants I found have at least one apparently vegetable-only item on their menu.

Tokyo:

  • mabre vegan
  • Jikasei MENSHO
  • Vegan Sushi Tokyo
  • kyushu jangara
  • Shabu-shabu Ginza Lamb Shabu Kin no Me (they have mushroom option despite the name)
  • CAFE Tarot
  • T's Tantan
  • TSUMINAKI Mapo Tofu
  • coret everyday vegan gohan
  • Kohrinbou
  • Tokimeki
  • Cafe Bali Campur
  • te cor gentil
  • Okonomiyaki/monja Shiraiwa Asakusa

Kamakura:

  • ajiwai neo kamakura
  • Onari Yokocho Kamakura

Sapporo:

  • Holistic Bio Cafe Veggy Way
  • Vegan French Restaurant L'Esperance
  • Hoheikyo Onsen's food court (Indian)
  • JYOTI The Door to India

Toyako and Noboribetsu:

  • meguriya
  • Hokuto-No-Oudon
  • Dosanko Pudding Soup Curry & Pudding Shop

Asahikawa:

  • Japanese Tea Cafe WHIZ WHIZ
  • Ygeia

Biei:

  • KINGBEAR
  • Kizan
  • byakko

Otaru:

  • Nakaya Soba

Thanks again for taking a look. 🙂

by faircure