Spent three weeks in Japan last Autumn late and wanted to share a proper breakdown since this community helped me so much during planning

OSAKA (3 nights)

Arrived from Shanghai late so first night was just wandering Dotonbori and Shinsaibashi. day trip to Himeji the next morning, the castle is stunning and the Koko-en gardens right next door are almost empty by comparison. back in Osaka did Osaka Castle and Shinsekai in the afternoon. kushikatsu there is mandatory. second day did Nara, the deer in the park are genuinely unhinged and i loved every second of it.

KYOTO (4 nights)

Could have spent two weeks here. Fushimi Inari at 6am before the crowds is non-negotiable, keep walking past the lower gates and it thins out fast. Arashiyama bamboo grove same deal, go early. Philosopher's Path in autumn was beautiful. Kiyomizu-dera crowded but the views justify it. Gion at night, Nishiki Market for food, Kinkaku-ji late afternoon when the crowds thin a bit.

JAPANESE ALPS – TAKAYAMA + SHIRAKAWA-GO (2 nights)

The highlight of the whole trip and the part i'd seen least content about. Takayama's old town is gorgeous, slower pace, incredible Hida beef. day trip to Shirakawa-go, the gassho-zukuri farmhouses look almost fake they're so picturesque. don't skip this if you're in the area.

NAGOYA + NAKASENDO TRAIL (2 nights)

Underrated city that everyone skips. did the Magome to Tsumago walk on the Nakasendo, about 8km through the Kiso Valley with almost no other tourists. one of my favorite days of the whole trip.

MT FUJI / FUJIKAWAGUCHIKO (2 nights)

Check the visibility forecasts obsessively before going (online websites for that). woke up at 4:30am, saw a silhouette through the window, grabbed the electric bike and just went for it. spent 6 hours biking around the lake to every viewpoint. by midday it was completely covered. timing everything.

TOKYO (6 nights)

Shibuya Sky at sunset worth booking ahead. Omoide Yokocho for breakfast and Golden Gai at night in Shinjuku. Sensoji at 8am. Akihabara for the chaos. Odaiba at sunset. Tsukiji outer market for sushi breakfast. Kamakura day trip to close it out.

Get a Suica card immediately, trust Google Maps transit completely, and calculate the JR pass specifically for your route because it's not always worth it.

Planning was honestly overwhelming with so much conflicting info out there. i don't want to spam or drop links here but if anyone's deep in the planning phase and it might be useful for you DM me and I'll share the resources I used to prepare my trip

Three weeks felt like nowhere near enough