Longest longing destination to visit was Tokyo. When I was teenager, in the before Internet era, I was always longing to visit New York, Amsterdam and Tokyo. And for a miracle New York happened before Amsterdam. Even though, I never had special agenda when to visit particular spot, I thought: I am not getting any younger, travel & everything else doesn’t become any cheaper, so the time was now. Expectations were high, on the level that I will fall in love at first sight. Did it happen? I am not sure, but the longing to go back is higher than it was before the trip.

DAY 1-7 – TOKYO

If any tip is jumping around the Internet related to Japan, it is the one saying: do not travel through Narita Airport. Apparently because it takes 2 hours to the city. We landed at Narita, and we needed one hour to our hotel, no changes. To me this was not bad at all. In many European cities you travel longer to the airport, so according to me, this is not an issue.
Our accommodation was in the Nihonbashi area. In the end turned out to be one of the favorite spots in the city and the country. I had the feeling that it offers very good glimpse of local life, not crowded and historically speaking, it is one of the oldest areas of Tokyo.
Our first days in Tokyo went in the following order.
We arrived around 9PM, so we explored the Nihonbashi area. A lot of eateries, people in groups exiting offices, lines of locals in front of izakayas, ultra cheap ramen and gyozas, and very polite personnel in the hotel where we stayed. (and we liked the location so much that we repeat the stay on our way back)

The next day was Saturday. We read that the streets in Ginza get closed for cars, for better shopping experience and decided to spend time in this area. Our route went like this: Tsukiji Market, Ginza Shopping, Imperial Palace,
On the second day we started the stroll to SensoJi Temple, then around all viral food spots, finding hidden flea market and in a park on Sumida River. The second part of the day we went to Akihabara, in all the game parlors and tech stores.
Day 3 was reserved for Metropolitan Government Building, and then to my favorite temple of the trip the Meji ji Shrine, followed by stroll in Harajuku and Takeshita Street, and Omotesando Area. The day ended with a stroll in Golden Gai in Shinjuku, and a cocktail in Nihonbashi.
The rainy day was used for visiting the Mori Art Museum in Roppongi, and before that Hario Cafe, in a lovely park in the same area. The Tokyo Tower was looking magically on a gloomy day and the little lanterns in the restaurants of Nakameguro even nicer. This night we had our first omakase experience in a yakitori (skewers) izakya and it went great.

Yet another rainy but hot day, we started it at the Hokusai Museum at the Sumida area, followed by one greatly looking and tasting specialty coffee shop. From here we continued towards Ueno park, and the Ueno station area. Getting away from the bustling streets, ending up in the Nezu Shrine in the quiet area Yamaka. But for good food we are ready for detours, own of which was in Akasaka for a wagyu beef.
What we thought would be our last day in Tokyo, started in the Hamariky Gardens, following a visit to the Nezu Museum, and then for what we kept for last, Shibuya. The crossing is interesting but I must admit much smaller than what it seems like on photos. From here we saw the smaller parts Daikayama and Ebisu which were having European vibe, and finished the night with a very good Katsu restaurant, close by Shibuya Crossing.

Our last day in Tokyo started in the Toyosu Park, where many families were spending their weekend relaxing,. Then towards what the internet was saying it is a hidden gem – the Yoyogi station. Actually it was full of cute shops and I would say posh people. Our last stop was the Shimo-Kitzawa area. Definitively not a hidden gem, but full of vintage shops, cafes and most people in a tiny street I’ve seen on this trip
Ah, of course when we’ve spotted that we have some more time to spare, we could not skip the Jimbochoo book town before heading to our hotel to take the bags.

Hotel: Almont Inn Nihonbashi
Recommendation: Great location, tiny rooms, great staff
Breakfast included: YES
Price: $$
Payment: card

DAY 8 – Mt. FUJI

Going to Mount Fuji is possible in a few ways, most important thing is to check the weather conditions before going. The North side is not always THE side for seeing it. One option is by train. Another one is by bus alone or by bus as part of a group or the good old rent a car. International license is recommended, but anyways you need a translation of drivers license in Japanese, which is pretty smooth and costs around 25 euros.
Exiting Tokyo took us half the traveling time, and then we started first at the Chureito Pagoda, then in Shimoyoshida Town then in the famous Fuji view street, strolling around Kawaguchi Lake, and this was the most touristy sight of all the sights so far in Japan. What was the true real deal was driving around the mountain to the south side. We reached the Obuchi Sasaba Tea Plantation and we were finally able to see the mount cloudless, for whole 5 seconds. No matter the prognosis, it is all about timing,

We’ve rented the car at a Toyota rent a car, since it was for one day it was requested to return it on the same day by 19 o’clock. The highest cost of renting the car was the pay-toll, especially the ones inside Tokyo Central area, but by not taking them, you prolong your journey for much longer. Another advice is to rent a car somewhere closer to the exit of town, if possible.

DAY 9 – 11 – KYOTO – UJI – NARA

In Japan you can be very spontaneous, unless it is weekend. On Saturdays all the cars are booked, all the hotels as well, unless you want to break the bank. The overnight train is booked, and night busses luckily have some free spots, but for the price of a speed train. The busses are super comfortable for traveling, unlike the busses in Europe. So having stayed homeless, and not wanting to give around 300 to 500 euros, we opted for it.
Starting early in Kyoto is a must. Around 9 AM in the Arashiyama Bamboo Forest, there was no one, and around 12 o’clock, oh my oh my, you could not pass by on the street. Strolling around this area was dreamy, and calm, we went into less known temple with its own bamboo forest and it was great decision. No wonder all the “viral” stores were here.

Hotel: Tokyu Stay Kyoto Sanjo Karasuma
Recommendation: Great location, close to metro station and interesting area
Breakfast included: extra charge
Price: $$
Payment: card

Before checking in at our hotel, we thought of visiting the Imperial Castle, but since our focus was on level 0, we’ve skipped this and went for a coffee, and omakase sushi experience instead. On our first night in Kyoto we strolled around the Gion area, saw Geisha, saw the oldest wooden pagoda in Kyoto, the Hokan-Ji Temple. The night ended in for us totally surprising pub place enjoying okonomiyaki.
Our second day in Kyoto started with traditional Japanese breakfast and renting a bike. It was harder to ride because the bikes were not really in the best shape, but also, because you were not allowed to ride on every street, and in times you needed to ride on the side walk. We’ve used the bikes to reach the Fushimi Inari Temple, spent good amount of time there, then visited some more smaller temples in the Gion Area. Lunch was for a set menu and then continuing towards the Kiyomizu-dera Temple. The temple which lays on wooden base, and the whole temple area which was pretty crowded. In the evening we entered some local shops on the way to the hotel, and then went out to explore the little restaurants around Shirakawa Canal. The only temple of our want to see importance that we’ve missed on this trip was the Kinkaku-ji or Golden Temple.

The easiest and one of the most spontaneous decisions we brought on this trip was let’s visit Uji for half a day. The home of matcha tea. Super small, not very cute, but calm, with UNESCO heritage temple, and many tea rooms. We had great experience and were explained everything about the process of tea brewing, so in that sense yes, otherwise, you could also plan your trip for some other place. Coming back, we went to Nishiki Market, sampled on some bites, and spent the night in the not so central Nakagyo Ku area, in local eateries.
Thinking whether to go early in Osaka or use more time in Kyoto, decision was Kyoto and a stroll through the Imperial Garden. Unless you have a scheduled visit inside the Palace, I would skip this place. The streets around it were, great with many shops and cafes, so we spent our time in one of the specialty coffee shops. Then we took the slow train to Osaka.

DAY 12 – 14 – OSAKA – HIMEJI

In Osaka we used a taxi for the first and only time of this trip, as we found the metro system not so convenient, and sometimes walking was making more sense to us. Not with luggage, however. Our accommodation was in the Shinsaibashi area, which was considered not so popular and almost slam. I didn’t feel about it in that way to be honest, it was walking distance to Dotonbori the area for everything in Osaka, where we got overwhelmed by the people, food options, shopping crowds and basically everything. We walked a lot also in the Amerikamura area full of tiny bars and vintage shops. In the end decided on a bar in our area, and up to this day I still have this love hate relationship with Japanese cocktail bars.

Our second day in Osaka started with a trip to Glitch coffee, place that we wanted to visit in Tokyo, but the lines were always huge, and we had the very best coffee in our life here. Then we took the one hour train to Himeji to visit the White Castle. The city itself was very empty, only the area around the castle and the gardens was receiving some visitors, otherwise, a sleepy place. In the night we strolled a lot, taking different paths to our hotel, observing city life, people watching, ending up eating sushi from a conveyor belt as some of the must try once in a life time things. The area around Osaka/Umeda station is story on its own. I think there are 5 or 6 different shopping malls, connected in between, where you could more than easily get lost, and it felt a bit too much.

Osaka Castle was our stop for the last day, because it was on the way of Toyo Izakaya, that was the only plan. We walked a lot, enjoyed many dishes from the menu, second time talked to people, and Osaka was the only place where we actually talked to locals. So it was a good experience. Then we went to Korea Town, entered an area where I didn’t feel 100% convinced I want to be there, but apparently popular place for backpackers, Nishinari. In order to refresh from my shock, I had to eat another okonomiyaki.

Hotel: Hotel Sanrriott SHINSAIBASHI
Recommendation: Its okay for a last minute cheap stay, tiny room
Breakfast included: extra charge
Price: $
Payment: card

DAY 15 – 17 – ISE SHIMA NATIONAL PARK

After so many days in the city, I really felt the need to be surrounded by nature. A colleague of mine was telling me about this, but somehow I could not trust, until it kicked me as well. We rented a car, and we were on the Mount Yoshino and then the Ise-Shima National Park in the Mie archipelago.
We chose to drive the toll-less rout but it was a mistake, as we were constantly in town and moving super super slow. Sometimes you need to learn your lesson. Afterwards we learned that the navigation system was showing the toll per route, so we were managing the preferences easier.

The highways in Japan let you drive max 80 km/hour, and when you drive on a regional road it is even less, so once we left the city, we were having scenic ride until reaching Yoshino, famous place for observing the cherry blossoms, but also for the autumn foliage. It was a rainy day so we just made one round around the sacred temple area, and then calmly drank tea in a cafe.
Since long road was ahead of us we continued driving, and snacking konbini finds. The next two day we’ve stayed in the Nemunosato Resort and explored the area around it. The best thing about the place was that we stayed in a japanese style room, with tatami flooring and futon mattress, and that the whole room was looking like a japanese home. The area around was perfect as well, there are some options about outdoor activities, but many depend on the weather. Next to it is the luxury Amanemu resort, but you are not allowed to walk on their premises unless you have restaurant reservation. As this is not a really public bath, we were expecting that tattoos will not be a problem, unfortunately, we could not use the spa area, so we strolled around and visited some places like the Wedded Rocks, went to the capital of pearls Toba, where we’ve stayed for lunch in one of the small seafood eateries, rode all the way to the Mugisaki Lighthouse, and then to the Azuri Camp Space, reaching the ending point of Mie on this side, and I felt really jealous of the campers, looked so cozy and peaceful.

Hotel: Nemu Resort Hotel Nemu
Recommendation: nice for a short stay, if you do not have tattoos
Breakfast included: extra charge
Price: $$$
Payment: card

The next day I woke up for sunrise, and it was truly amazing. Went to the Yokoyama Observatory deck, did a little hike to all the viewpoints, and we were off to the next place to sleep, while trying to catch the scenic road. Many of the restaurants we wanted to visit on the road were not working, even though their public info was saying something else, but we’ve stumbled upon the place with the best view and enjoyed a burger in the Drive In in Soni Village, which seemed like a popular destination in this area. The hotel of choice for this night was in Sakurai, just one hour away from Osaka, where we had to return the car.

Hotel: Hotel Nara Sakurai No Sato
Recommendation: nice for a short stay, nothing to do around, super spacious rooms
Breakfast included: extra charge
Price: $
Payment: card

DAY 18 – TOKYO

After 15 days we are finally riding the Shinkansen. The best thing about it runs every 7ish minutes towards Tokyo from Osaka, and the price is fix, so you can buy ticket last minute . For our last stay in Tokyo we chose again the same hotel, as we were very happy with the stay and the area. First on the list was trying beef katsu, then a bit of souvenir shopping and in the night finally onsen. It was allowed for tattooed people to go, and it had a view on the sky tree, greatly invested time. The next morning was rainy, and we went to the Odaiba part of town, to see the giant Gundam statue. Had the most interesting public transport ride on the Yurikamome line, perfect omakase sushi lunch in Ginza and went to wave goodbye to Godzila in Shinjuku,before heading to the airport. From all the planned activities of the day I only didn’t manage to visit the Maneki Neko Temple, which was a bit off the path.

Japan was nice and intense, and overwhelming. At the same time very modern and very traditional, and very different from anything I’ve seen. As you could read, we didn’t have super concrete plan, and many days seemed not connected, but we’ve decided that we would go with the flow, and ended up wanting for more. So hoping to jump on the next flight, in more rural, more remote, and more far and wide of Japan.