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Japan 2016

Japan itinerary

Mad, mind-boggling, and futuristic are all words that come to mind when I think of our trip to Japan. From the Zen of the temples to the crazed sounds of a pachinko parlour, Japan is king of extremes.

Day 1

arrive Tokyo Narita
Narita => Tokyo
- N'EX Tokyo roundtrip ticket
Tokyo Ramen Street (SE TA) (floor map) (Rokurinsha?)
get there: Tokyo Station Yaesu South Exit underground 1st floor
night: Hotel Villa Fontaine Otemachi, Chiyoda (B TA)

Shibuya, Tokyo.

Day 2 - Tokyo

Tokyo Subway 3-Day Ticket - day 1

Tokyo day 1 - Central Tokyo
get there: Marunouchi Line from Tokyo to Ginza (3 min), then Hibiya Line to Tsukiji Station (3 min)
- Tsukiji Fish Market (TC)
  - tuna auction - be there at 3 am
  - Inner market (sushi!) - entry between 9 and 10 am (closing an 10 am)
- Ginza (JT)
  - Chuo-dori
  - 12:40 Kabuki-za: Kamakura Sandaiki (JT / Makumi seats / March tickets)
- Yurakucho (gado shita)
- Hibiya Park
  - Imperial Palace (JT / Edo Castle)
  - East Gardens (JT)
  - Chidorigafuchi Moat (sakura) - illumination 18:30 to 22:00
- Shibuya (JT, map)
  - Shibuya crossing + Hachiko statue
  - Center Gai
  - Nonbei Yokocho (Drunkard's Alley)
night: Hotel Villa Fontaine Otemachi, Chiyoda

Takeshita Street, Harajuku, Tokyo.

Day 3 - Tokyo

Tokyo Subway 3-Day Ticket - day 2

Tokyo day 2 - Western Tokyo
(consider Tokyo Free Guide / JNTO Guide ?)
- Harajuku (JT)
  - Moshi Moshi Box
  - Yoyogi Park (JT)
  - Meiji Shrine (JT)
  - Takeshita Street (JT)
  - Kawaii Monster Cafe (TO)
- Shinjuku (JT, map)
  - Mohumohu (TO)
  - Shinjuku Gyoen (sakura!)
  - Samurai Museum (TC) ?
  - 19:50 Robot Restaurant show (TA)
  - Omoide Yokocho (Piss Alley / Memory Lane) (TA)
    - Asadachi (TO)
  - Kabukicho
    - Golden Gai
night: Hotel Villa Fontaine Otemachi, Chiyoda

Akihabara, Tokyo.

Day 4 - Tokyo

Tokyo Subway 3-Day Ticket - day 3

Tokyo day 3 - Northern Tokyo
- Imperial Palace park run
- Akihabara (JT)
  - Don Quixote
  - Maidreamin (JT)
  - AKB48 Café
  - Owl nomori
  - Yodobashi Camera "Akiba" / BIC
- Ueno Park (JT) (sakura!) - illumination 17:30 to 20:00
night: Hotel Villa Fontaine Otemachi, Chiyoda

Edo Wonderland, Nikko.

Day 5 - Nikko

day trip: Nikko
- get there: metro Ginza Line from Kanda Station to Asakusa Station
  Tobu SPACIA from Tobu Asakusa to Shimo-Imaichi (change to Tobu-Nikko)
  (2 Day Nikko Pass?)
- Tōshōgū shrine
  get there: Tobu Kinugawa Line from Tobu Asakusa to Kinugawa-Onsen, then bus (15 mins)
- Lake Chuzenji + Kegon Falls
- Edo Wonderland (Henshin Costume House?)
  get there and back: free shuttle bus from JR Nikko Station at 10:00, 11:40, 13:25, to JR Nikko Station at 16:25, 17:30
- Asakusa (JT)
  - Senso-ji Temple (JG)
night: Hotel Villa Fontaine Otemachi, Chiyoda, Tokyo
- takkyubin to Osaka

Himeji Castle.

Day 6 - Himeji + Osaka

JR pass day 1

Tokyo => Himeji (morning) (ekiben!)
Shinkansen Hikari: 08:03 - 11:42 or 09:03 - 12:42
Himeji
- Himeji Castle (JT) + sakura
  combination ticket for the castle and Koko-en
- Otokoyama Hill - west of castle, best view in the area
- Koko-En Garden (JT)
- Mt. Shosha + Engyoji Temple
  get there: bus 8 from Himeji Station or Himeji Castle to the terminal stop "Mount Shosha Ropeway"
  (書写山ロープウェイ, 30 minutes, 270 yen one way, departures every 15-20 minutes)
Himeji => Osaka (evening)
Shinkansen Hikari: 18:01 - 18:38 and others (every hour) Midosuji Line from Shin-Osaka to JR Namba Station
Osaka (JT)
- Osaka Castle (JT) ? (sakura!)
- Dotonbori Dori (TA) (okonomiyaki!)
night: love hotel @ Dotonbori, Osaka (Pamplona / Adonis / Loire)

Kinkaku-ji Temple (Golden Pavillion), Kyoto.

Day 7 - Kyoto

JR pass day 2 + Kyoto One Day Bus Card

Kyoto day 1 (JT) (Route Planner / public transport info)
- get there: Train from Shin-Osaka to Kyoto Station
  - metro Karasuma Line from Kyoto Station to Kita-Oji Station (14 mins, 7 stops, platform 2), walk to Kitaoji Bus Terminal, take bus 205 to 金閣寺道（バス） (11 mins, 7 stops)
  - alt: Raku Bus 101 to Kinkaku-ji Temple (first 8:00, every 15 mins)
- Kinkaku-ji Temple (Golden Pavillion) (JT)
  get there: 20 min walk, or Raku Bus 59 to Ryoan-ji (every 12 mins)
- Ryoan-ji Temple (JT)
- Ninna-ji Temple (JT) - famous for its sakura
  get there: Raku Bus 59 to Pontocho (Shijo Kawaramachi) (every 13 mins)
- Nijo-jo Castle (JT)
- Pontocho (JT)
  from Shijo Kawaramachi: Kyoto City Bus 17 (last 23:18), Kyoto City Bus 205 (last 23:28)
  from Shijo Kawaramachi Kita: Kyoto Yoru Bus (last 23:32)
  - Nishiki Market
- Higashi-Hongan-ji Temple + Nishi-Hongan-ji Temple (JT)
- To-ji Temple (JT)
night: Hotel Shin-Osaka Conference Center, Shin-Osaka (B TA)

Fushimi Inari Shrine, Kyoto.

Day 8 - Kyoto

JR pass day 3

Kyoto day 2 (Eastern Kyoto itinerary)
- get there:
  - Train from Shin-Osaka to Kyoto Station
  - metro Karasuma Line from Kyoto Station to Imadegawa Station (10 min, 5 stops, Platform 2), then bus 102 from Karasuma Imadegawa (烏丸今出川) to Ginkaku Road (銀閣寺道) (11 min, 4 stops)
  - Raku Bus 100 to Ginkaku-ji (first 7:40, every 10 mins)
- Ginkaku-ji Temple (Silver Pavillion) (JT)
- Philosopher’s Path (Tetsugaku-no-michi)
  - Nanzen-ji
- Kaege Incline (sakura!)
- Heian Shrine - gorgeous pink hanging sakura in its huge garden
- Maruyama-koen Park (sakura!)
  - Shoren-in Temple
  - Chion-in Temple
- Yasaka Shrine
- Shirakawa Minami-dōri (Shimbashi)
- 14:15 Miyako Odori, Gion Kobu Kaburenjo Theater (JT)
- Kodai-ji Temple
- Sannen-zaka and Ninen-zaka
- Higashiyama Dori
- Kiyomizu-dera Temple (JG JT) - open 6:00 - 17:30 and 18:00 - 21:00
  - subterranean Tainai-Meguri (womb of Daizuigu Bosatsu)
    left side of the stairway leading up to the Kiyomizudera temple
- get back: Raku Bus 100 to Kyoto Station (every 20 mins, last 17:58)
  Kyoto City Bus 206 (last 23:33)
night: Hotel Shin-Osaka Conference Center, Shin-Osaka

Todaiji Temple, Nara.

Day 9 - Nara

JR pass day 4 + Kansai Thru Pass day 1

Shin-Osaka => Nara (JT) - timetable
get there:
- Midosuji Line from Shin-Ōsaka Station to Tennoji Station (20 mins, 10 stops)
- JR Yamatoji Line from Tennoji Station to nara Station (44 mins, 15 stops)
Nara Park (Nara walk)
- Todaiji Temple (JT) + deer + Nigatsu-do Hall - on the slope at its back
- Isuien Garden
- Wakakusa Hill (sakura!)
- Kofukuji Temple
- Kasuga Taisha (JT)
Horyuji Temple (JT) - magnificent treasure hall with many artifacts
night: Tenpyo Ryokan, Nara (TA)

Temple lodging at Yochi-in, Kōyasan.

Day 10 - Kōyasan

JR pass day 5 + Kansai Thru Pass day 2

Nara => Kōyasan - timetable
Kōyasan (JG)
- Kongobu-ji Temple
  - 1,200 year anniversary of Mount Koya - daily events 2 Apr - 21 May
- Okunoin Temple and cementery
night: Yochi-in, Koyasan (B) - temple lodging
- get there:
  - from Koya-San: bus to Daimon - get off at Kondo-mae stop (15 mins)
  - bus to Okunoin - get off at Senjyuin-bashi stop, walk 10 mins
- takkyubin to Hakone

Yoshinoyama

Day 11 - Yoshinoyama

JR pass day 6 + Kansai Thru Pass day 3

Koya-San => Yoshinoyama
Timetable - best: 09:35 - 12:22 or 11:12 - 13:22
Yoshinoyama (JC JG JNTO TA) - sakura!
Yoshinoyama => Kyoto
Timetable - 18:04 - 19:50, and every 30 mins
Karasuma Line from Kyoto Station to Shijo Station (3 mins, 2 stops), or walk (2,5 km)
night: Nine Hours, Kyoto

Dinner at Sengokuhara Shinanoki Ichinoyu, Hakone.

Day 12 - Hakone

JR pass day 7 + Hakone Freepass day 1

9:00 Zen Meditation Class, Shunko-In Temple (blog)
Kyoto => Odawara => Hakone (Romance Car?)
Kyoto City Bus 203 - Shijo Kawaramachi to Kitano Hakubaicho (8:00 or 8:07)
Hakone (JT)
- Hakone Shrine
- Hakone stone paved road (TA)
night: Sengokuhara Shinanoki Ichinoyu, Hakone (B TA)
- takkyubin to the airport?

Ship cruise leg of Hakone Round Course, Hakone.

Day 13 - Hakone

Hakone Freepass day 2

Hakone area
- Hakone Round Course
- Owakudani (black eggs!)
Hakone => Odawara => Ofuna (JR local)
night: Sotetsu Fresa Inn Kamakura Ofuna (TA)

Great Buddha, Hase-dera Temple, Kamakura

Day 14 - Kamakura

N'EX Tokyo roundtrip ticket (return leg)

day at Kamakura (JT)
- 9:00 Sermon and zazen (1+1h), Engaku-ji Temple
  Kita-Kamakura Station on the JR Yokosuka Line
- Daibutsu Hiking Course (RG TA)
- Hase-dera Temple - hydrangea
- Great Buddha, Kotoku-in Temple
  Enoshima Electric Railway to Hase Station (3 stops) + 7 min walk
- Tsurugaoka Hachiman-gu
- Hokokuji Temple ? - bamboo grove, caves
Kamakura => Ofuna => Narita (N'EX Tokyo roundtrip ticket)
depart Tokyo Narita 22:20

Tags

Mar 2016

travel Asia Japan Japan 2016

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