JAPAN- Osaka, Kyoto, Tokyo, Mt Fuji, Nara, Kobe, Himeji

Raj
Jun 10
13 min read

This article has been meticulously written by Rajeev, my beloved husband. Rajeev is the one who planned and 100% executed this trip after countless hours of research!

I implore you to check out our entire trip on Instagram Highlights.

Click on the links below

OSAKA- The street food capital of Japan

Areas to stay: Dotonborri, Namba or Umeda. Basically stay close to a metro station to minimize your commute. Staying close to Namba or Umeda stations allows you to connect to almost all of Osaka’s metro and train lines.

Our hotel

We chose to stay at Mercure Osaka Namba which is a hop, skip and jump from Dotonbori (Osaka’s busiest tourist spot-more on this later). The hotel has rooms that are larger than average (which is a rare occurrence at most hotels in Japan) and has every service and amenity you would need during your stay including a full sized washer and dryer, utensils, an electric hob and microwave in every room!!!!. Trust me, for a trip to Japan, this is a game changer.

What we did in Osaka

Guided walking tour

A must when visiting any city for the first time. A walking tour enables you to explore a megacity like Osaka or Tokyo more deeply. We book our walking tours on Guruwalk, which is a tip-based platform. Similar tours are also found on GetYourGuide or Klook, which are to be booked and paid for in advance. As Osaka is one of the bigger cities in Japan, we recommend doing a couple of different walking tours that are dedicated to different areas of Osaka.

Dotonbori & Shinsaibashi

Dotonbori is a lively entertainment district that unsurprisingly gets tons of visitors every day and is jam packed in the evenings. This is also where you will find a lot of Osaka’s sights like the Glico running man sign, the Ebisu bridge and the Ebisu Ferris Wheel. Restaurants and izakayas (small Japanese casual eateries) are always packed but there are so many to choose from that you are bound to find something that salivates you. Shinsaibashi is a shopping street with every brand and store you can imagine. There are tons of cafes and restaurants to explore too.

Sumo show

at Sumo Hall Hirakuza: One of the highlights of our Osaka trip was the

Sumo show. The show introduces you to the history of Sumo through a stylized story and well choreographed performances by the Sumo wrestlers. All the wrestlers on this show are former Sumo wrestlers and are highly entertaining to watch. The best part of the show is when they select 3 members from the audience to put on Sumo suits and try to fight one of the wrestlers. Please note that this is a SHOW and not a real Sumo fight. The bouts between the wrestlers are practiced and choreographed but the intensity feels every bit as real. There are Sumo dojos in Osaka where wrestlers train and wrestle for real if you want to dive further into the art of Sumo.

Osaka Castle

Osaka’s iconic landmark with impressive Japanese architecture

Umeda: Osaka’s largest rail and metro junction at Umeda is an experience in itself. With multiple storeys of shopping, entertainment and food as well as surrounding shopping malls and museums, it’s fairly easy to spend a day or two to fully explore this area of Osaka.

Himeji & Kobe (day trip from Osaka)

Himeji is one of the oldest cities of Japan. Himeji Castle is a magnificent castle that is considered to be the most beautiful in all of Japan. Be sure to book a free tour of the castle conducted by the castle’s volunteer guides. Our guide was an elderly gentleman who was a retired teacher and he made the tour informative and interesting, pointing out all the design features as well as quirks and secrets of the castle. Kobe (famous for the world renowned Kobe beef) is a short drive from Himeji. Be sure to check out Chinatown for street food, the Kobe Herb Gardens and Ropeway for amazing views of the city and Kobe Harborland, a waterside entertainment area with shopping, restaurants and impressive modern buildings and sculptures.

Other things to do and places to see

Universal Studios

Museums- in addition to museums for science, natural history and culture, there are uber niche museums for things like piggy banks, trains, cup noodles and manga

Katsuoji Temple

Coffee with butter bread is a very Japanese breakfast. We looooooooved their butter bread!

Cafes and Restaurants in Osaka

Here are the ones we tried during our time in Osaka:

Kazuya Ramen

Kamakura Ramen

Sushi Hiro

Kamin Coffee

Komeda’s Coffee

LiLo Coffee

Pizza Catharsix Factory

Melt Chocolate

Literally hundreds of okonomiyaki and takoyaki eateries around Dotonbori

Kyoto- Cultural Capital of Japan

One of the most beautiful cities Sia and I have visited (and understandably crowded), Kyoto is the cultural and religious capital of Japan. Every street has multiple Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples to explore and experience. It is also a bustling student city with around 10% of the population being university students and around 50 universities in the greater Kyoto region. Be sure to take the Hankyu cultural train if travelling from Osaka to Kyoto. This train runs only on weekends and every train car is beautifully designed. Try to grab seats as soon as you get on board as there’s no reserved seating and the train gets understandably busy.

Areas to stay

Gion and Kawaramachi areas are the best places to stay in Kyoto. Gion is the idyllic part of Kyoto with temples and shrines dotted all over the district. Kawaramachi is the center of Kyoto with several spots for shopping, restaurants and markets. Unlike Osaka and Tokyo that have excellent metro connectivity around the city, Kyoto relies on its buses to move people around the city. So staying close to major bus terminals or around the handful of train stations is a must.

Our hotel

Gion Elite Terrace was hands down the best hotel we stayed at during this trip. It is located in the back alleys of Gion, close to the geisha district (more on geishas later). Every room features an electric stove, microwave and get this, a sauna!!! Yes, a sauna in every room. This was the best part of staying at Gion Elite Terrace. Toasting ourselves in the sauna after a hard day of walking, eating and exploring was vital to refresh ourselves and help our bodies recover and get ready for the next day.

What we did in Kyoto

Walking tour of Kyoto

We booked this tour on Guruwalk. Our guide was a Physics Phd student who showed us around the major sights of Kyoto including the geisha district in Gion, Chionin temple and Maruyama park. We learnt the difference between Buddhism and Shinto religions in Japan and how to visit and pray at a Buddhist temple or a Shinto shrine.

Yasaka Shrine

Another beautiful shrine in Kyoto that is best seen after sunset as the shrine lights up with lanterns.

Geisha walking tour in the evening

Geishas are female performing artists that are skilled in various art forms such as song, dance, music as well being excellent conversationalists and hosts. After the tour, the allure and mystique surrounding geishas was increased ten-fold in us. We were also lucky to spot two geishas during our stay in Kyoto.

Nara (day trip from Kyoto)

The idyllic town of Nara is home to yet more stunning temples and shrines and the iconic Nara park is where you can feed deers that roam the park freely.

Traditional tea ceremony at a tea house

A must do when in Kyoto. The ceremony took place in a traditional tea house with views of a stunning zen garden. The tea master skillfully prepared bowls of matcha tea for us and we got a chance to try our hand at making matcha tea and ask questions about the ceremony and its significance.

Kodaiji temple and bamboo forest

This temple is conveniently located near Gion district and has its own mini bamboo forest.

Other things to do and places to see

Arashiyama Bamboo Forest

One of the must see spots in Kyoto. Unfortunately we could not visit this spot as we encountered heavy rains during the day we had planned to visit. Nevertheless, Kodaiji temple offered us a mini bamboo forest close to Gion.

Fushimi Inari Shrine

This shrine is dedicated to the Shinto god of rice. This beautiful shrine has a thousand torii gates and is a sight to behold. Be sure to arrive before 6am to beat the crowds and have a peaceful time exploring the area.

Kinkaku-ji temple

A tranquil temple with a stunning golden facade.

Restaurants in Kyoto

Takehana, Gion: amazing soba noodles

Koisus: Japanese curry and tempura

Musoshin: Michelin guide ramen restaurant

Bullet train from Kyoto to Tokyo

A Shinkansen (bullet train) ride is a must when you come to Japan for the first time. Dashing through the countryside at nearly 300 kph while sitting in complete silence and comfort is exhilarating and calming at the same time. We took our shinkansen from Kyoto station and arrived at Tokyo station in about 2 hours and 15 minutes. Here are a few things you can do to make your journey a real highlight.

Book your shinkansen tickets on Klook.com and be sure to select the D or E seats. On a clear day, these seats will give you a view of Mt. Fuji when travelling between Osaka/Kyoto and Tokyo.

Get to your departure station early and pick up a bento box. Most train stations sell them, although the major stations like Kyoto, Osaka and Tokyo have a lot more variety. A bento box is basically a packed meal that is of the highest and freshest quality. Bento boxes generally have a theme and you can get boxes that are special to each city. A bento box will generally have a few items including sides, mains and dessert. When you get a bento box for a train journey, it’s called an ekiben (eki=train, ben=bento).

Use the departure board at the station to find out your platform number and get there early. Bullet trains mostly stop for about 2 minutes only and obviously you have to wait for people to get off the train before boarding (Yes Japan is that organized and punctual).

If you are carrying oversized bags, you will have to reserve seats that are next to luggage racks. But I have seen locals carry regular checked baggage on other seats and the overhead racks are large enough to accommodate them.

Shinkansen trains are very smooth to ride and extremely quiet so keep your chatter to a low volume. Talking on the phone and playing loud music/videos is a strict no.

If you want to really geek out during your journey, download a GPS speedometer on your phone and see the speed of your train in real time. Our train hit a max of 290 kph on our journey. That’s the fastest we have travelled on land ever. We also found out that Japan is working on mag-lev trains for the future that will reach speeds of 600 kph. They really don’t believe in resting on your laurels.

Tokyo - World’s largest megacity

Arriving into Tokyo for the first time can be overwhelming and a total sensory overload. Exploring this megacity can be challenging for first timers but can be fulfilling if you organize your days in Tokyo by neighborhoods.

Areas to stay

As long as you stay close to a metro station, you really cannot go wrong in Tokyo. Ginza, Shibuya, Shinjuku, Akihabara, Asakusa, Roppongi are some of the major neighborhoods of Tokyo with excellent metro connectivity.

What we did in Tokyo

Asakusa walking tour

We booked this tour on Guruwalk. Highlights of this area are the magnificent Senso-ji Buddhist temple and the Kappabashi Kitchen street where you will find Japanese knives and cutlery, ceramic utensils and everything kitchen related.

Shibuya walking tour

Shibuya is most well known for the iconic Shibuya scramble intersection where more than 3000 people cross every 2 minutes. It’s baffling to see that many people cross an intersection in perfect harmony. Another must visit spot is Shibuya Sky (an observatory with views of Tokyo and an open air platform with glass walls to really feel on top of Tokyo). Close to Shibuya crossing is the Meiji Jingu shrine and Yoyogi Park that are worth visiting as well.

Shinjuku

The largest entertainment and shopping area of Tokyo. Shinjuku station is the world’s busiest rail station handling 2 million passengers EVERY SINGLE DAY. We highly recommend doing a night tour of Shinjuku. Our guide not only took us around to the must visit spots but also showed us the dark side of Tokyo, the underbelly of the Yakuza (Tokyo’s mafia) controlled businesses. Think bars to drink the night away, red light districts, gambling parlors, love hotels, host clubs and shops and businesses dedicated to fulfilling your wildest fetishes and fantasies.

TeamLab Borderless

TeamLab is a digital art exhibition that has 2 exhibits in Tokyo- Borderless and Planets. The exhibit is filled with dark rooms with amazing displays of lights, sounds and sensations. There’s no guide or maps to follow inside. Just roam around and discover the art and its substance for yourself. While you are here, definitely explore Roppongi and Azabudai Hills districts (picture below) which have amazing restaurants and luxury shopping.

Akihabara

This is a must visit place for people who love to geek out about manga and anime. There are cat and other animal cafes, maid cafes, gaming arcades with retro and modern machines, trading card shops and huge multi-storey tech stores.

Mt. Fuji day trip from Tokyo

Mt. Fuji is easily visited from Tokyo as a day trip by booking a coach tour. Unfortunately on our day, there was heavy rain and snow in the area so we couldn’t visit Mt. Fuji itself but the towns around Mt Fuji were still charming and beautiful to see even in the snow. If you’re in the area, try the grapes and strawberries from any fruit vendor. These are grown in the volcanic soil of Mt. Fuji.

We must have had this twi-three times within 2 days. Too good!

Restaurants in Tokyo

Kura Sushi, Asakusa- conveyor belt sushi

I’m donut? and Mister Donut

Ichiran for ramen

Pizza 4P’s

Rec Coffee, Shibuya

Izakayas in Shinjuku

Asakusa Sushi Bar Hinatomaru, outside Tokyo station

Maidreamin cafe, Akihabara

Where to shop and what to get in Japan

The shopping experience in Japan for tourists is the most efficient process we have ever encountered. You are entitled to receive a VAT refund of 10% when shopping for over 5000 yen. And the VAT refund is fully deducted at the time of payment. Which means there’s no faffing around with refund forms and showing your items at customs desks at airports. Simply show your passport (copies or scans on your phone won’t work) when shopping for over 5000 yen and you will instantly receive your refund.

Here are our recommendations for shopping in Osaka, Kyoto and Tokyo.

Don Quijote (or Donki for short)

This is a mega store with everything under one roof. We left this store with 3 big suitcases (also bought at Donki) full of skincare, souvenirs, toys, electronics and anything that tickled our fancy. Account for at least 4 hours to properly browse the store.

Pre-loved shopping in Shinsaibashi street in Osaka and pre-loved stores in Tokyo

Sneakers: Onitsuka Tigers are the most comfortable sneakers I have experienced and are a steal in Japan with a 5% store discount and 10% VAT refund. Even brands like Adidas and Nike are better priced in Japan than anywhere else.

Most clothing stores like Zara and Adidas have Japan-exclusive items that won’t be found elsewhere.

Uniqlo and GU are budget clothing stores with excellent quality for the price. Definitely get multiple pairs of denims from these stores.

Stationery: Japan has excellent stationery at top notch quality. I bought stuff like pens, pencils, staplers, greeting cards, envelopes, notebooks and a multitude of items from small boutique stationery shops and large department stores like MUJI and Itoya in Ginza.

Japanese knives: One thing my mother asked to bring for our house was good quality kitchen knives. You can get knives from as little as 500 yen and all the way up to tens of thousands of yen. We bought knives from Donki and Muji and our cook couldn’t be more satisfied.

Sweets: Definitely try Japanese sweets like mochi but also brands like Wittamer and Gramercy New York for amazing chocolates.

Stores like Yodobashi and Bic have multiple floors of tech products that will have anything and everything you would ever need.

Gacha machines are found all over Osaka and Tokyo. They are vending machines that give out little orbs that have toys or trinkets in them. The machines will have pictures of what’s inside but you will not know what you will get until you open the orb that's dispensed to you. Gachapons (the items inside the orbs) have become serious collectors’ items. People in Japan try to collect all items of a series and dedicate hours to finding the machines that have their desired gachapons.

Department stores like MUJI and LOFT

Nintendo and Pokemon stores will have fans salivating with their collections.

General tips and tricks for your trip to Japan

Before you travel to Japan, fill up the arrival form on the VisitJapanWeb portal. This will save you some time on arrival.

Get an e-sim from Airalo or any other e-sim websites. You won’t need to faff around with physical sims at your arrival airport.

Use Google Maps to navigate public transport. Google Maps shows train and metro departure times, stops, platforms, station gates and even which metro car to get on for a faster exit from your destination station.

Google Translate works excellently when trying to translate text like signs and labels on products.

Carry a lot of cash. Even though Japan is a developed nation, people rely heavily on cash. Cards and mobile wallets can be used for public transport and in most major cities and stores but some small izakayas or bars may be cash only. Also get a couple of yen coin organizers from a Daiso store. Your wallet will be overflowing with loose change otherwise. If you do have to exchange currency, try to find an exchange that is staffed. Japan has exchange machines in major spots, supermarkets and convenience stores. Though convenient, these machines almost always have inferior exchange rates.

Carry your passport at all times. It will be required when getting a tax free invoice for purchases over 5000 yen.

Get a physical metro card in Osaka and Tokyo. They can be bought at major rail stations and are easy to reload. They have a long validity period so you can use them when you visit Japan again. They can also be used to pay for your shopping and also make great souvenirs. The card is called ICOCA in Osaka and SUICA in Tokyo.

Konbinis or convenience stores like 7-Eleven, Lawson and Family Mart have hot and cold food options that are amazingly fresh. I can’t remember how many meals and snacks we had from these stores after a long day of exploring. Lawson was by far our most frequented konbini. The egg mayo sandwich from 7-Eleven and the cream puffs and onigiri from Lawson were our favourites.

Luggage forwarding services are a life-saver in Japan. You can send your large suitcases from your current hotel to your next one using a company called Yamato. Prices depend on the size of your luggage and your bags will reach your hotel safely by the next day. Your hotel reception will help you fill out the form and once you hand over your luggage to your current hotel, they will take care of everything. Not having to lug around massive suitcases on trains is a liberating feeling. When we forwarded our luggage from Kyoto to Tokyo, there was a slight delay on the day because of rains in Tokyo. Our hotel reception in Tokyo got in touch with Yamato and kept us updated on the status of our luggage throughout the day.