Without further Ado - Here's the itinerary for our 8 day trip
Day 2 - Shinjuku, Yoyogi Park, Meji Shrine, Harujuku
- Walk to Shinjuku station to pick up rail pass
- Passed convenience store - tried boba pre-package
- Fuunji Ramen
- Walked to Yoyogi park, visited Meji Shrine
- Walked to Takeshita St. (Harajuku), stumbled into mosh pit
- Walked to Omotesando Hills area
- Harajuku Gyoza-ro (gyoza only restaurant)
- Dominique Ansel Tokyo, got two frozen smores on a stick
- Takoyaki at Gindaco Takoyaki
- Coco bubble tea - roasted tea
- Tried pachinko machines
- Shibuya Crossing
Day 3 - Cherry Blossom Season in Tokyo
- Cherry Blossom Picture Day
- Cherry Blossom Boats - Chidorigafuchi Park
- Hanamaru - cheap conveyor belt quality sushi - Train to Tokyo Station
- Wait time around 1 hr
- Matcha tea powder self serve with hot water tap at each seat
- Explored Tokyo Station Underground - ran into a whole world of food shops and underground mall
- Search for Tokyo Ramen Street
- Lantern Festival at Ebisu - Miguro River - Cherry Blossoms at dusk
- Ramen at Tokyo Ramen Street
- Senmon Hirugao
Day 4 - Traditional Japanese Ryokan, Onsen Hot Springs Hakone
- Bullet Train to Odawara
- Bus to Hakone
- ○Matsuzakaya Honten Ryokan Check-in
- Remove outside shoes, change into bamboo sandals (small shoes) - Sakura Tea - salty
- Exploring Ryokan natural springs - mens - womens sections -
- Toe socks and checkin dinner at 7:30pm
- Exploring Hakone Shrine
- Taking photos at the Tori's that leads in the water
- Lawson snack stop: shopping spree (junk snacks, fried chicken (nuggets and spicy chicken patty), ice cream)
- 7:30pm traditional japanese dinner (Kaiseki meal)
Day 5 - Kyoto Station, Pontocho, Gion District, Sleeping Pods
- Breakfast at ryokan (Kaiseki meal) Best Tofu - traditional beef
- ○ H bus back to Odawara station
- Train from Odawara to Kyoto
- Mister Donut - donut sampling - Matcha donut
- Sushi no Musashi at Kyoto station
- Storage in Kyoto station locker
- Walked around Kyoto station
- Sumire Ramen Kyoto Ramen Street
- Taxi to 9 hours Kyoto - pod hotel, lockers to store luggage, women / men locker rooms
- Walked around Kyoto (Pontocho, Gion)
- Saw geishas, lots of women in kimonos
Day 6 - Arashimaya Monkeys, Bamboo Forest, Nishiki Market
- Following Strictly Dumpling Video
- Nishiki Market
- Seeing the Octopus on the Stick
- Shops closed during early morning had to return multiple times
- Standup Udon Noodle - Miyako Soba Shijo
- Return to Nishiki Market
- Tried the shrimp paste covered stand
- Strawberry Mochi
- Type A/B Omni Beef
- Takoyaki
- Soymilk softserve
- Arashiyama Monkey Park
- Feeding Monkeys
- Views of Kyoto
- Views and markets of Arishymaya area
- Best Matcha Soft-Serve Place
- Arashiyama Bamboo Park
- Reenacting Kardashian Photoshoot
- Pod #2 Check-in Centurion Cabin- Hotel & Spa
- Yakinku Restaurant - Korean BBQ run by Japanese spot - 2F
Day 7 - Fushimi Inari Shrines, Nara Park Deer
- ○ Kyoto station
- ○ 551 Horai - pork baos, siu mai, gyoza
- ○ Sushi no Musashi again
- ○ Sizuya Kyoto Station - bakery
- ○ Fushimi Inari-taisha shrine (red gates), climbed mt inari halfway
- ○ Bought souvenirs (magnets, tori, bookmark)
- ○ Street food by shrine (takoyaki, orange with a straw in it, chicken yakitori)
- ○ More souvenirs (toe socks)
- ○ Back to Kyoto station, train to Nara
- ○ Mochi at Nakatanidou (man beating on green mochi intensely in youtube videos)
- ○ Walk to Nara Park / Tōdai-ji Temple (didn’t get to go in because too late, got there at 6pm temple closes at 5:30pm)
- ○ Fed deer throughout Nara (leaves and then deer cookies)
- ○ Walked through Higashimuki Minamimachi
- ○ Bought souvenirs at Daiso (bandanas)
- ○ Back to Kyoto
- Ippudo ramen
Day 8 - Akihabara Tokyo - Anime Manga, Shinjuku Area
- ○ Back to Tokyo
- ○ Sizuya Kyoto Station - bakery
- ○ Sushi-No Musashi to-go
- ○ Checkin to Hotel Wing Premium
- § Upgraded to ‘double’ room- still just as small
- ○ Akihabara area -Animate - anime shops
- § Retro Gaming stores - nintendo cartridges galore
- § Passing by Maid Cafe’s
- § Manga and Manga adult/adult film sections
- § Goku and Figurines
- § Donquijote Souvenir shopping
- □ Assorted souvenirs, mochi, matcha
- § Casino/Pachinko/Sega Machines - smoky and loaded with players
- § Photoshoot with all figures - playing and losing pachinko machines
- ○ Nabezo Shinjuku Sanchome Restaurant - shabu shabu AYCE
- Piss Alley Shinjuku Walktrhough
Day 9 - Tsukiji Fish Market - Ueno Park
- ○ Tsukiji Fish Market
- ○ Pressed Octopus Chip - $4
- ○ Seafood sampler on a clam seashell - $10
- ○ Egg Omelet - $1
- ○ Fresh Tuna - $25
- § Chu-toro bowl (medium fatty tuna)
- § Tuna roll
- ○ Mango cream and matcha mochi - resting hurt feet
- ○ Sushi Zanmai - over the top sushi chef - high ratings
- § Sushi Sampler Tuna
- § Double Miso Soups
- § Clam Miso Soup
- ○ Ueno Park - overbloomed cherry blossoms
- § Lotteria Bakery featuring panda pastries (chocolate cake and pastries)
- ○ Ueno Mori Sakura Temple Area shops
- ○ Ameya Yokocho
- § Watching street swap meet like areas
- § Doner Kebabs and chinese food
- § Matcha soft serve and tea
- ○ Nakano Broadway Street
- § Uniqlo
- § Madarake Shops - “Collectors’ Haven”
- ○ Shibuya - Coco Boba
- ○ Shinjuku Area -
- § Walkthrough Piss Alley
- § Ramen Takahashi
- ○ Park Hyatt - Skyviews
- § New York Bar $25 Cover
- § $20 drinks
- Smoke-friendly zone with jazz music