Summary of my 16 day trip to Japan

Written By Shelby Hagstrom

Saturday, November 22, 2025: Flight from Chicago

  • United/ANA flight scheduled to leave at 10:30am

Sunday, November 23, 2025: Day One in Tokyo (landing in Narita, commuting to Shinjuku, wandering around Shinjuku)

  • Arrived at Narita Airport at 3:00pm

    • Went through customs and stopped at an ATM for yen

  • 3:40pm Airport Limousine bus from Narita Airport to Hotel Sunroute Shinjuku

  • Walked around Shinjuku, stopping at the 3D Cat billboard 

  • Dinner 

Monday, November 24, 2025: Day Two in Tokyo (Showa Kinen Park and Shinjuku)

Morning 

  • Showa Kinen Park (opens at 9:30am)

Afternoon

  • Meiji Jingu Shrine (arrived around 2:30pm)

Evening

  • Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building Observation Deck (got in line around 4:20pm)

  • Walked through Kabukicho

  • Dinner at ICHIRAN Shinjuku Kabukicho (got in line at 6:00pm)

  • Drink at Omoide Yokocho

Tuesday, November 25, 2025: Day Three in Tokyo (Toyosu Area, Nezu Shrine, Ueno Park, and Asakusa)

Morning

  • Tsukiji Outer Market for a quick walk through (arrived around 8:00am)

  • TeamLabs Planets (ticket purchased for 9:00-9:30am timeslot)

Afternoon

  • Nezu Shrine (arrived around 11:45am)

  • Ueno Park

  • Walked down Nakamise Shopping Street 

  • Sumida Park 

Evening

  • Tokyo Skytree (ticket purchased for 4:00-4:29pm timeslot)

  • Senso-ji Temple at night

  • Asakusa Observatory (arrived around 7:15pm)

  • Dinner at Wagyu Yakiniku Jugemu

Wednesday, November 26, 2025: Day Four in Tokyo (Chiyoda, Bunkyō, and Shiba Park)

Morning

  • Hibiya Park (arrived around 7:30am)

  • Imperial Palace East Gardens (arrived around 9:45am)

Afternoon

  • Kitanomaru Park 

  • Chidorigafuchi Moat 

  • Yasukuni Shrine

  • Koishikawa Korakuen Garden (arrived around 3:00pm)

Evening

  • Tokyo Tower 

  • Prince Shiba Park for more photos of Tokyo Tower

  • Dinner at Sky Lounge Stellar Garden

Thursday, November 27, 2025: Day Five in Tokyo (Shinjuku and Shibuya)

Morning 

  • Meiji Jingu Gaien Gingko Avenue (arrived around 8:00am)

  • Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden (arrived around 8:30am)

Afternoon

  • Lunch at Seafood Misaki Shibuya East Exit (arrived around 12:45pm)

  • Visited Tower Records

  • Yoyogi Park 

  • Don Quijote Shibuya

  • Hachiko statue

Evening

  • Magnet by Shibuya 109 Bar (arrived around 4:30pm)

  • Shibuya Sky Observation Deck (ticket purchased for 5:20-5:39pm timeslot)

    Dinner at Fukinuki in Times Square Building

Friday, November 28, 2025: Tokyo to Lake Kawaguchiko

Morning

  • 7:10am bus from Shinjuku Expressway Bus terminal to Chuo EXPWY Shimoyoshida, arriving at 08:50

  • Left larger backpack in a locker at the Shimoyoshida Station

  • Walked to Chureito Pagoda (arrived around 9:30am)

  • Walked back to Shimoyoshida Station to grab my backpack

  • Took the Fujikyu Railway to Kawaguchiko Station

  • Walked to Fuji Lake Hotel to drop off larger bag (arrived around 11:45am)

Afternoon 

  • Took a taxi from Fuji Lake Hotel to Tenku-no Torii

  • Tenku-no Torii (arrived around 12:30pm)

  • Walk along the lake stopping at the following spots:

    • Lake Kawaguchi Maple Corridor

    • Nagasaki Park

    • Kawaguchiko Natural Living Center and Oishi Park (arrived around 3:30pm)

    • Watched the sunset from Oishi Park (4:30pm)

  • Took the Kawaguchiko Sightseeing Bus to the Fujirekuhoteru-fujihakubutsukan stop

Evening 

  • Went back to Fuji Lake Hotel to relax for a minute

  • Dinner at Cooliya (arrived at 6:00pm)

Saturday, November 29, 2025: Lake Kawaguchiko to Kyoto

Morning

  • Breakfast at the hotel

Afternoon

  • Wander around downtown Lake Kawaguchiko area

  • Head from Lake Kawaguchiko to Kyoto via a combination of bus and shinkansen travel

  • Step 1: Kawaguchiko Station to Mishima Station (90 minutes)

    • Bus ticket purchased for 11:20, arriving at Mishima Station North Exit at 12:50

  • Step 2: Mishima Station to Kyoto Station (covered by JR) (2.5 hours)

    • take the train leaving at 13:46 and arriving at 15:37

  • Check into The Machiya Ebisuya Hotel around 4pm

Evening

  • Dinner at In the Moon rooftop bar

  • Yasaka Shrine (open 24 hours)

  • Kodaiji Temple nighttime illumination

Sunday, November 30, 2025: Day Two in Kyoto. Day Trip to Nara

Morning

  • Took the 7:46am JR Nara Line from Kyoto Station to Nara Station

  • Kofuku-ji Temple (arrived around 9:30am)

  • Nara Deer Park

  • Naramachi District

  • Yoshikien and Isuien Garden

Afternoon

  • Todai-ji Temple

  • Lunch at Azekuraya (arrived just before 12:30pm with a couple of tables available. It was full by 12:40pm)

  • Todai-ji Nigatsu-do 

  • Walked up Mt Wakakusa (got to the top around 2:30pm)

  • Kasugataisha Shrine

Evening

  • Took the Kintetsu-Kyoto Line at 5:25pm from Kintetsu-Nara Station back to Kyoto Station

  • Dinner at McDonald’s in Kyoto Station

Monday, December 1, 2025: Day Three in Kyoto (Arashiyama)

Morning/Afternoon 

  • Arashiyama Bamboo Forest (arrived around 5:45am)

  • Tenryu-ji Temple

  • Jojakkoji Temple 

  • Nison-in Temple

  • Gio-ji Temple

  • Walked through Saga Toriimoto Preserved St

  • Adashino Nenbutsu-ji (arrived around 1:00pm)

  • Otagi Nenbutsu-ji (arrived around 1:45pm)

  • Monkey Park Iwatayama (arrived around 3:00pm)

  • Togetsukyo Bridge area

Evening 

  • Dinner at Gion Duck Rice (got in line around 5:30pm. Sat down around 6:00pm)

Tuesday, December 2, 2025: Day Four in Kyoto (Fushimi, Central Kyoto)

Morning

  • Fushimi Inari Shrine (arrived around 7:00am)

  • Tofuku-ji Temple

Afternoon

  • Kinkaku-ji (Golden Pavilion) 

  • Nijo Castle

  • Nidec Kyoto Tower

Evening

Wednesday, December 3, 2025: Day Five in Kyoto. Kyoto to Osaka (Gion & Higashiyama, Northern Higashiyama, and Kyoto to Osaka)

Morning 

  • Checked out and left the bigger bag at the front desk

  • Kiyomizu-dera Temple (arrived around 6:30am)

  • Walked around Ninen-zaka, Sannen-zaka & Higashiyama 

  • Took at taxi from a taxi stand to Ginkaku-ji Temple 

  • Ginkaku-ji Temple 

  • Walked Philosopher’s Path

Afternoon 

  • Shinnyodo Temple

  • Eikandō Temple

Evening 

  • Headed back to The Machiya Ebisuya Hotel to grab my bags

  • Took the Hankyu-Kyoto Line from Kyoto-Kawaramachi Station to Awaji Station and the Hankyu-Senri Line to Nippombashi Station and walked to Sotestu Fresca Inn Osaka Namba

    • In hindsight, I should have taken the Karasuma Line to Kyoto Station and the Tokaido-Sanyo Line to Osaka Station and the Midosuji Line from Umeda Station to Namba Station

      • By taking local trains, I did save about 3000 yen, though!

  • Checked into Sotestu Fresca Inn Osaka Namba around 5:30pm

  • Dinner at Namba Ramen Ichiza, located on the 9th floor of Edion Namba Main Store

Thursday, 12/04: December 4, 2025: Day One in Osaka. Day Trip to Himeji and Dotombori back in Osaka

Morning

  • Took the 9:18am train from Shin-Osaka station to Himeji

  • Mt. Shosha 

Afternoon

  • Kōko-en Garden (right next to the castle)

  • Himeji Castle

Evening

  • Dotombori & Shinsaibashi Shopping Arcade

  • Dinner at Kushikatsu Daruma in Dotombori

Friday, December 5, 2025: Day Two in Osaka (Minoh Park, Tennoji Ward, and Namba)

Morning:

  • Minoh Park (arrived around 8am)

Afternoon

  • Shitennō-ji and Tennoji Park

  • Lunch at okonomiyaki takara

  • Tsutenkaku Tower & Shinsekai 

Evening

  • Namba Yasaka Jinja

  • Hozenji Yokocho 

  • Drink at Bar Nuyuta (arrived at 5:00pm)

  • Dinner at Kaiten Sushi Ginza Onodera

Saturday, December 6, 2025: Day Three in Osaka. Osaka to Tokyo (Sumiyoshi Taisha, Sumo Ward, Kita, and Osaka to Tokyo)

Morning

  • Sumiyoshi Taisha (arrived at 7:15am)

  • Osaka Castle & Nishinomaru Garden

  • Lunch at Konamon Bar

Afternoon:

  • Nakanoshima Area

  • Umeda Sky Building & Kuchu Teien Observatory (arrived at 2:00pm)

  • Took the train back to Sotestu Fresca Inn Osaka Namba to collect my bags and check out

Evening:

  • Took the 4:50pm train from Shin-Osaka station to the Shinagawa station stop in Tokyo

  • Checked into Miyako City Tokyo Takanawa at 7:30pm

  • Dinner at 48 Fishing Grounds Shinagawa

Day 15: December 7, 2025: Tokyo to Chicago

  • Wander around Takanawa area

  • United Flight scheduled for 6:20pm from Haneda airport landing in Chicago at 3:10pm

Shelby Hagstrom
Next

Day 6: Shinjuku and Shibuya neighborhoods in Tokyo