In 2020, my family planned a trip to Japan, a cruise around the islands. That was obviously canceled when the world closed. The trip was tentatively rescheduled for 2022, but Japan didn’t reopen, so it never moved forward. Here we are in 2024, and the trip is booked, finally.
I was in Japan once before, in the early days of The Royal Tour. On that trip, I did the “normal” first time itinerary: Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, and wrote about it here. Well, as I’m the only repeat Japan traveler of the six of us going, the itinerary will be very similar. And I’m not upset at that. There is a ton I haven’t done in those places, as well as a lot to do again but with my newer writing style that has developed more since that trip. Plus, this time we will (in theory) be there for cherry blossoms.
The basic itinerary is below, and is a lot more filled in than many of my itineraries, as a group trip like this will be more heavily scheduled. Just note that some things might change due to any number of reasons, so please don’t hold me to it.
As for articles I plan to write? I have no idea so far. We will see what inspires me, and what I haven’t written about. My hope is to get 6-10 articles out of the trip, but beyond that, we will all just have to wait to see. They will come out starting in late spring or so. In the meantime, you can follow my Instagram for daily (or most days) photos from the trip as it happens.
Day One – Los Angeles to Tokyo
It’s a long flight, and one that gets me into Narita (about an hour from the city) in the evening, so it’s customs, getting to the hotel, some food, and sleep.
Day Two – Tokyo
A first day with a jet-lagged family will be a light day. The plan is the fish market and a nearby garden, and probably a nap to deal with the time change and lack of sleep on the flight.
Day Three – Tokyo
The first cherry blossom experience (barring there being some at the garden the day before) is the national gardens in Shinjuku.
Day Four – Tokyo
Today I am visiting the national history museum and another cherry blossoms area nearby.
Day Five – Tokyo
The two highlights of the day are lunch at Nakiryu, home of the best ramen I’ve ever had (and one of the best things I’ve ever eaten) and a cool art installation in the afternoon.
Day Six – Yokohama (Tokyo)
While I’m not changing hotels, I’ll be spending the day in the nearby port city of Yokohama. There’s a ramen museum, a cool Chinatown, and some neat pop cultural sorts of things.
Day Seven – Tokyo to Odawara
It’s a fairly short train ride, so after checking into my new hotel, it’s just going to be wandering the city.
Day Eight – Hakone (Odawara)
While I’m staying in Odawara, I’m mostly spending my time in nearby Hakone. This is my day to see Gora Park and experience a traditional tea ceremony.
Day Nine – Hakone (Odawara)
Today is the day for my onsen, a Japanese spa. Relaxation is hard work!
Day Ten – Odawara to Kyoto
Off to the Kansai region, where I’ll spend the rest of the trip.
Day Eleven – Kobe (Kyoto)
A day trip to Kobe for Kobe beef and an afternoon of sake tasting. Again I’m overwhelmed at how hard life is at times.
Day Twelve – Osaka (Kyoto)
Last time, I saw Osaka Castle but didn’t go in, so that will be my first stop. Then it’s an afternoon of food and exploration of Japan’s second city.
Day Thirteen – Kyoto
Finally I’ll be staying in Kyoto all day, first seeing the Fushimi Inari shrine and then experiencing Japanese whiskey.
Day Fourteen – Nara (Kyoto)
Nara was my favorite day of my last trip to Japan, and I am thrilled to go back. Sacred deer and the largest wooden temple make Nara Park a perfect day trip from Kyoto.
Day Fifteen – Kyoto
Kinkaku Ji temple in the morning, the Arashima Bamboo Forest in the afternoon: a good day in Kyoto.
Day Sixteen – Kyoto to Los Angeles
A train back to Tokyo, then one back to Narita, and a flight that gets in before it technically left thanks to the international date line.
So that’s the trip. I hope it is exciting for you to follow, and that the content I produce helps to make you feel like you were along for the ride. If you have any questions or suggestion, feel free to let me know.
Below is a map of the three cities I’m staying in, and their rough locations on Japan’s main island. From left to right: Kyoto, Odawara, Tokyo.
