Hi everyone, I (38, M) am taking a solo trip to Japan (my first time visiting) in late May – early June.
I arrive on May 23rd at Narita and depart from Narita on June 6.
I greatly enjoy walking and exploring cities, as well as public transit.
I've been studying Japanese (with a native tutor on italki and independently with Genki, Anki, and immersion) for 2 years and looking forward to getting plenty of listening and speaking practice.
I'm hoping to get general feedback and input as well as suggestions for opportunities to alter my itinerary to explore alternatives to the most heavily touristed sites (to avoid the largest crowds but also to avoid contributing to the overtourism issue). I typically try to plan 1-2 "anchor" activities during a trip to orient myself with a game plan while leaving time to explore and improvise.
June 3rd is where I could use the most guidance. Is this a realistic plan for a transit day – and would it be too time consuming / stressful?
I should note that I plan to return with my wife in 2027, and we will likely hit some of the "gaps" in a first-time visit during that trip (Fuji and Kyoto, chiefly).
Anyways, here is my current plan:
Tokyo:
May 23 – Arrive
- Arrive at Narita (3pm)
- Transit to hotel (JR East Hotel Mets Koenji)
- Find dinner nearby, walk the neighborhood
May 24 – Tsukiji and Ginza
- Food tour at Tsukiji Fish Market
- Explore Hamarikyu Garden
- Walk around Ginza
May 25 – Akihabara
- Check out arcades in Akihabara
- Get dinner in Shinjuku (Omoide Yokocho Memory Lane)
- Check out a bar called Deathmatch in Hell
May 26 – Takao-San
- Hike Mt Takao
- See the temple and monkey park
- Get the special soba
- Hit the onsen
May 27 – Shibuya
- Scramble Crossing
- Center-Gai Street
- Shibuya Sky
- Cat Street
- Meiji Jingu
Osaka
May 28 – Transit to Osaka
- Transit to hotel (Grand Hostel LDK Osaka Shinsaibashi)
- Food tour in Dotonbori
- Explore streets
May 29 – Universal Studios Japan
- Full day at USJ
May 30 – Nara
- Todai-ji Temple
- Explore deer park
- Visit primeval forest
May 31 – Osaka City
- Osaka Castle Park
- Kuromon Ichiba Market
- Sennichimae Doguyasuji Shopping Street
Hiroshima
June 1 – Peace Memorial
- Transit to hotel (Hotel Granvia Hiroshima)
- Peace Memorial
- A-Bomb Dome
- Dinner Okonomimura
June 2 – Miyajima
- Vists the island
- Ropeway up Mt. Misen, hike down
- Daisho-in Temple
Tokyo part 2
June 3 – Hiroshima to Tokyo
- OPTION A:
- Shinkansen to Mihara Station
- Head to Okushina Island
- See poison gas museum, power plant ruins, rabbits
- Continue on to Tokyo hotel (JR East Hotel Mets Premier Gotanda)
- OPTION B:
- Easy morning in Hiroshima
- Transit to hotel (JR East Hotel Mets Premeir Gotanda)
- Explore Gotanda neighborhood
June 4
- Nakano Broadway
- Mostly to visit Gallery of Hakaba for Junji Ito manga
- Azabudai Hills
June 5
- Edo-Tokyo Open Air Architectural Museum
June 6
- Use the morning to see anything I feel I missed
- Head to Naria in late afternoon for flight home
by Hot-Plantain