I loved japan - itinerary
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Day 1 — Arrival (May 14)
Land at Haneda 3pm
Evening at Mori Tower Tokyo City View for sunset and city views — https://tcv.roppongihills.com
Late night at Tokyo Confidential for drinks with a view
Alternative night views: Magnet Bar or Bellovisto in Shibuya
Day 2 — East Tokyo (May 15)
Morning: Sensoji Temple in Asakusa — go early before crowds
Asakusa shopping street for snacks and souvenirs
Afternoon: Ueno and Ueno Park
Evening: Ginza and Imperial Palace area
Night: TeamLab Planets 8:30pm — book in advance, sells out weeks ahead — https://teamlabplanets.dmm.com/en
Day 3 — Hakone Day Trip (May 16)
Train from Tokyo to Odawara Station — 1.5 hours
Buy Hakone Free Pass at Odawara Station — around $33
Do the Hakone Loop — 4 to 6 hours
Views of Mount Fuji on clear days — morning gives best visibility
Full loop guide — https://thenavigatio.com/hakone-day-trip-itinerary
Another loop guide — https://www.earthbeneathourfeet.com/post/hakone-loop-circuit-itinerary
Back to Tokyo by evening
Day 4 — West Tokyo (May 17)
Morning: Meiji Jingu Shrine — peaceful, forested, go early
Harajuku: Takeshita Street for street fashion and crepes
Omotesando Street for upscale shopping and architecture
Afternoon and evening: Shinjuku then Shibuya
Shibuya Crossing at night — non negotiable
KYOTO — May 18-20 Stay: EN HOTEL Kyoto — https://en-hotel.com/kyoto/ Also on Booking.com — https://www.booking.com/hotel/jp/court-kyoto-shijo.html Train: Tokyo to Kyoto 9:30-11:44 — around $93
Day 5 — Arrival Kyoto (May 18)
Arrive late morning
Afternoon: Nijo Castle — beautiful gardens, historic shogun palace
Evening: Walk Gion district at dusk
Day 6 — Fushimi Inari and Nara (May 19)
5:30am: Fushimi Inari Shrine — arrive before sunrise
Walk as far up the torii gate trail as you have time for
Back by 9am before crowds arrive
Day trip to Nara — 45 minutes by train
Deer Park — deer roam free and eat from your hand
Todai-Ji Temple — enormous bronze Buddha, one of the largest wooden buildings in the world
Back to Kyoto by evening
Day 7 — Arashiyama and Gion (May 20)
Morning: Arashiyama Bamboo Forest — go at 7am if possible
Explore Arashiyama — river views, Tenryu-ji garden
Afternoon: Gion district
Kiyomizu-Dera Shrine — hillside temple with sweeping city views
Ninenzaka and Sannenzaka Streets — preserved historic lanes, best photography in Kyoto
Last night in Kyoto — dinner in Gion
OSAKA — May 21-22 Stay: NEST and RISE Osaka Namba Hotel — https://www.booking.com/hotel/jp/raizuhoteruda-ban-nanba.html Train: Kyoto to Osaka — around 15 minutes by shinkansen
Day 8 — Osaka Arrival (May 21)
Afternoon: Osaka Castle — grounds free, tower entrance around $5
Evening: Dotonbori for dinner — neon lights, takoyaki and okonomiyaki
Namba area for nightlife
Day 9 — Universal Studios Japan (May 22)
Full day at USJ — book tickets in advance — https://www.usj.co.jp/web/en/us
Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey opens 12:10 — plan morning rides first
Express passes worth it on busy days
Nintendo World if you have time
FUKUOKA — May 23 Stay: APA Hotel Hakatahigashihie-Ekimae — https://www3.apahotel.com/hotel/kyushu/fukuoka/hakata-higashihie-ekimae/ Train: Osaka to Hiroshima 10:02-11:27 — around $69 Train: Hiroshima to Fukuoka 17:03-18:09 — around $60
Day 10 — Transit Day via Hiroshima (May 23)
Morning train from Osaka to Hiroshima
5 hours in Hiroshima
Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum — essential, deeply moving
Peace Memorial Park and Atomic Bomb Dome
Afternoon train to Fukuoka
Evening: Nakasu food stalls along the river — best ramen in Japan
MUST BOOK IN ADVANCE
TeamLab Planets Tokyo — https://teamlabplanets.dmm.com/en — sells out weeks ahead
Universal Studios Japan — https://www.usj.co.jp/web/en/us — book express passes too
Shinkansen tickets — https://www.hyperdia.com — book through Hyperdia or at any major station
GETTING AROUND
IC Card — load at the airport, tap on and off every train and bus in Japan
Shinkansen between cities — fast, punctual, stress free
Hakone Free Pass — buy at Odawara Station, covers the entire loop