First time going to japan!

[Sped2424]

Feel free to notify me if this is in the wrong area, but I have found myself in a lucky enough position to be able to plan a 2 week vacation to JAPAN! Naturally I'm going to spend 3 of those days at TDR and I just wanted to know if anyone here has some must see's/do's in that immediate area and any and all tips and advice are more than welcome!

 

[PiratesMansion]

I'd try to spend some of your time in Kyoto. It's the traditional heart of Japan and it really is something that should be seen and experienced, with a totally different vibe from Tokyo. You can get there in about three hours on the bullet train/Shinkansen. If you're headed in that direction, you should look into the Japan Rail Pass.

Regarding the Tokyo area, I really enjoy and recommend the Tokyo National Museum. It's a great collection of different pieces of Japanese culture and heritage, and if you are a museum goer, there are several others in the immediate vicinity. Otherwise, we really enjoyed the Kawaii Monster Cafe (the Robot Restaurant I believe is similar, also highly regarded by many) for a fun only-in-Japan experience.

 

[Animaniac93-98]

I'd try to spend some of your time in Kyoto. It's the traditional heart of Japan and it really is something that should be seen and experienced, with a totally different vibe from Tokyo. You can get there in about three hours on the bullet train/Shinkansen. If you're headed in that direction, you should look into the Japan Rail Pass.

Regarding the Tokyo area, I really enjoy and recommend the Tokyo National Museum. It's a great collection of different pieces of Japanese culture and heritage, and if you are a museum goer, there are several others in the immediate vicinity. Otherwise, we really enjoyed the Kawaii Monster Cafe (the Robot Restaurant I believe is similar, also highly regarded by many) for a fun only-in-Japan experience.

I'd second both Kyoto and the Tokyo National Museum. I actually enjoyed the sightseeing more in Kyoto than Tokyo. There's more historical/scenic sights to visit and the city is smaller and easier to navigate.

 

[BrianLo]

https://www.japan-guide.com is basically the best comprehensive resource.

Traditionally most first timers on your type of timeframe do a week in around Tokyo (a few days of Disney, a few days of Tokyo and usually a side trip to Hakone for Mt. Fuji). The second 7 days you can get a JR Rail pass (for 7 days) and build your trip around Kyoto. The primary Shinkansen you'll be using is Tokaido.

I'd pick a central area like Kyoto for the second 7 days when your rail pass is active and just maximize the rail pass for lots of little day trips (Nara). Often Hiroshima for the historical context with Himje/Miyajima. The rail network makes traveling up to 600km for a 'day trip' rather feasible.


This is a packed starter 14d itinerary: https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2400_best.html

Since you'll be doing multiple days in Disneyland I'd recommend cutting the whole Northern jaunt (Kanazawa, Takayama etc.) and just staying strictly on the Tokaido line to go straight back to Tokyo. Probably cutting the Nikko side trip too unless you really will be satisfied with like two days max in Tokyo and Kyoto.


Once you settle on some generalized itinerary and destination plans I can offer a bit more specific advice.

I don't know if I have given Kyoto a fair enough shake, I thought it was ok, but Tom Bricker @WDWFigment practically is colonizing the place. His blog (Disney tourist blog) has waaaay too much Kyoto info for your needs.

 

[Sped2424]

I'd try to spend some of your time in Kyoto. It's the traditional heart of Japan and it really is something that should be seen and experienced, with a totally different vibe from Tokyo. You can get there in about three hours on the bullet train/Shinkansen. If you're headed in that direction, you should look into the Japan Rail Pass.

Regarding the Tokyo area, I really enjoy and recommend the Tokyo National Museum. It's a great collection of different pieces of Japanese culture and heritage, and if you are a museum goer, there are several others in the immediate vicinity. Otherwise, we really enjoyed the Kawaii Monster Cafe (the Robot Restaurant I believe is similar, also highly regarded by many) for a fun only-in-Japan experience.

Adding that museum to my list thank you! We love museums! Right now I have the digital art museum on our list as well! OHH The monster cafe is something I am trying to convince my group to see! Let's hope it pans!

 

[Sped2424]

https://www.japan-guide.com is basically the best comprehensive resource.

Traditionally most first timers on your type of timeframe do a week in around Tokyo (a few days of Disney, a few days of Tokyo and usually a side trip to Hakone for Mt. Fuji). The second 7 days you can get a JR Rail pass (for 7 days) and build your trip around Kyoto. The primary Shinkansen you'll be using is Tokaido.

I'd pick a central area like Kyoto for the second 7 days when your rail pass is active and just maximize the rail pass for lots of little day trips (Nara). Often Hiroshima for the historical context with Himje/Miyajima. The rail network makes traveling up to 600km for a 'day trip' rather feasible.


This is a packed starter 14d itinerary: https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2400_best.html

Since you'll be doing multiple days in Disneyland I'd recommend cutting the whole Northern jaunt (Kanazawa, Takayama etc.) and just staying strictly on the Tokaido line to go straight back to Tokyo. Probably cutting the Nikko side trip too unless you really will be satisfied with like two days max in Tokyo and Kyoto.


Once you settle on some generalized itinerary and destination plans I can offer a bit more specific advice.

I don't know if I have given Kyoto a fair enough shake, I thought it was ok, but Tom Bricker @WDWFigment practically is colonizing the place. His blog (Disney tourist blog) has waaaay too much Kyoto info for your needs.

Thank you again for taking the time to write! I am adding all of this to my research! We definitly want to check out our options outside of tokyo so I am going to rack it up with my friends and see where we land. But this info is really helpful so thank you again!!

 

[Lunair]

My sister and I have been to Japan/Tokyo Disney twice now, and we ABSOLUTELY love it.

Tips on the Tokyo Disney side of things:

1) If you're buying multi-day tickets, they MUST be consecutive (for example: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday). Make sure to check out a crowd calendar. Generally, crowds are horrendous on the weekends. Plan all of your days on the weekdays! (But double check the crowd calendar to make sure).

2) Disneyland tips: you have to ride Pooh's Honey Hunt, and after that Monster's Inc. I would run to Monster's first thing in the morning to get a fastpass, and then get in line for Pooh ASAP. The rest of the day just be smart about always having a new fastpass lined up since they do the old-school paper system (so you can really capitalize if you're smart about it). The noodle shop (China Voyager) in adventureland had really good noodles, while the curry shop (Hungry Bear Cafe) has really good japanese curry. For a fun dessert, check out the alien mochi in the pizza restaurant in Tomorrowland (it also has a really....interesting video playing throughout the restaurant). You NEED to see their nighttime parade. Look up any festivals that may be going on during your trip, since they have a lot.

3) DisneySea tips: Mysterious Island is absolutely incredible (I loved both rides there). You probably want to prioritize fastpass for Journey to the Center of the Earth, but I also really loved 10,000 leagues, Indiana Jones, and Sinbad. The whole park looks great at night. Look up unique snacks and treats that you might be interested, although some are seasonal. We only ate at Vulcania, but it had a really unique atmosphere and good food. Also check out any festivals they might have, and look up the "lottery" system for reserving seats for some shows (same for Disneyland). We really enjoyed Big Band Beat (which requires a lottery, or going to the first showing). In general, you can easily walk to the Disneyland entrance while DisneySea requires a bus or monorail to get to (as far as I know). Also, fair warning: the monorail costs money in Tokyo Disney.

Tips on the Japan side of things:

1) Tokyo tips: check out the teamLab Borderless digital art museum in Odaiba. Incredible, incredible dynamic optical illusion art that you can interact and walk through. I really liked the Ueno region and park. There's an awesome bread shop near the train station that has all kinds of unique Japanese breads. Buy the Japan Rail Pass. You can use it on the Yamanote train line which goes through all of the major stops in Tokyo which will save you a LOT of money. You can also use the pass to go throughout the rest of Japan (such as to Kyoto), but make sure you know which train is applicable for the Rail Pass. Asakusa had a lot of good street food and an impressive shrine. At all of the shrines, you can buy a "Goshuin" prayer book which has blank pages. At each shrine, you can have the priests draw ink prayers (which are unique to each shrine) in a page, and collect them for the various shrines. Really awesome. Also, expect the trains to be PACKED during rush hour, ridiculously so. Just mentally prepare yourself. Akihabara is a place to go if you're into "anime" culture.

2) Kyoto. We didn't spend much time here, but definitely check out the street food street, Nishiki Market. Try out Takoyaki and any black sesame desserts.

3) Osaka. Also didn't spend much time here, but this is THE food capital of Japan. Check out Dontonbori street for incredible food and awesome building sculptures.

4) Nara. GO HERE. Seriously. The entire town is full of domestic deer that you can interact with. The deer near the city center can be aggressive, but if you go towards the forest, they're a lot calmer. Lots of great shrines and tourist places to visit. If you're up for it, I highly, highly recommend the Deer Park Inn (a "hostel" in the middle of the park). It has shared bathrooms and not the most luxurious living quarters, but it's extremely cheap and well-maintained. The people that run it speak English and are always incredibly friendly. You'll wake up in the middle of the park with deer outside your window. It's great.

Generally, Japanese people are incredibly polite and you should be polite with them too. They have a lot of strict and sometimes strange rules, but try to follow them. Sorry for the wall of text. I...really enjoyed Japan. Good luck!

 

[Sped2424]

My sister and I have been to Japan/Tokyo Disney twice now, and we ABSOLUTELY love it.

Tips on the Tokyo Disney side of things:

1) If you're buying multi-day tickets, they MUST be consecutive (for example: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday). Make sure to check out a crowd calendar. Generally, crowds are horrendous on the weekends. Plan all of your days on the weekdays! (But double check the crowd calendar to make sure).

2) Disneyland tips: you have to ride Pooh's Honey Hunt, and after that Monster's Inc. I would run to Monster's first thing in the morning to get a fastpass, and then get in line for Pooh ASAP. The rest of the day just be smart about always having a new fastpass lined up since they do the old-school paper system (so you can really capitalize if you're smart about it). The noodle shop (China Voyager) in adventureland had really good noodles, while the curry shop (Hungry Bear Cafe) has really good japanese curry. For a fun dessert, check out the alien mochi in the pizza restaurant in Tomorrowland (it also has a really....interesting video playing throughout the restaurant). You NEED to see their nighttime parade. Look up any festivals that may be going on during your trip, since they have a lot.

3) DisneySea tips: Mysterious Island is absolutely incredible (I loved both rides there). You probably want to prioritize fastpass for Journey to the Center of the Earth, but I also really loved 10,000 leagues, Indiana Jones, and Sinbad. The whole park looks great at night. Look up unique snacks and treats that you might be interested, although some are seasonal. We only ate at Vulcania, but it had a really unique atmosphere and good food. Also check out any festivals they might have, and look up the "lottery" system for reserving seats for some shows (same for Disneyland). We really enjoyed Big Band Beat (which requires a lottery, or going to the first showing). In general, you can easily walk to the Disneyland entrance while DisneySea requires a bus or monorail to get to (as far as I know). Also, fair warning: the monorail costs money in Tokyo Disney.

Tips on the Japan side of things:

1) Tokyo tips: check out the teamLab Borderless digital art museum in Odaiba. Incredible, incredible dynamic optical illusion art that you can interact and walk through. I really liked the Ueno region and park. There's an awesome bread shop near the train station that has all kinds of unique Japanese breads. Buy the Japan Rail Pass. You can use it on the Yamanote train line which goes through all of the major stops in Tokyo which will save you a LOT of money. You can also use the pass to go throughout the rest of Japan (such as to Kyoto), but make sure you know which train is applicable for the Rail Pass. Asakusa had a lot of good street food and an impressive shrine. At all of the shrines, you can buy a "Goshuin" prayer book which has blank pages. At each shrine, you can have the priests draw ink prayers (which are unique to each shrine) in a page, and collect them for the various shrines. Really awesome. Also, expect the trains to be PACKED during rush hour, ridiculously so. Just mentally prepare yourself. Akihabara is a place to go if you're into "anime" culture.

2) Kyoto. We didn't spend much time here, but definitely check out the street food street, Nishiki Market. Try out Takoyaki and any black sesame desserts.

3) Osaka. Also didn't spend much time here, but this is THE food capital of Japan. Check out Dontonbori street for incredible food and awesome building sculptures.

4) Nara. GO HERE. Seriously. The entire town is full of domestic deer that you can interact with. The deer near the city center can be aggressive, but if you go towards the forest, they're a lot calmer. Lots of great shrines and tourist places to visit. If you're up for it, I highly, highly recommend the Deer Park Inn (a "hostel" in the middle of the park). It has shared bathrooms and not the most luxurious living quarters, but it's extremely cheap and well-maintained. The people that run it speak English and are always incredibly friendly. You'll wake up in the middle of the park with deer outside your window. It's great.

Generally, Japanese people are incredibly polite and you should be polite with them too. They have a lot of strict and sometimes strange rules, but try to follow them. Sorry for the wall of text. I...really enjoyed Japan. Good luck!

Thank you for this! After reading all the good things about Kyoto I'm gonna have to schedule some days there! IS Nara the place where the deer bow for cookies!????? If so I might have to bump that onto week 2 plans!!

 

[PiratesMansion]

Thank you for this! After reading all the good things about Kyoto I'm gonna have to schedule some days there! IS Nara the place where the deer bow for cookies!????? If so I might have to bump that onto week 2 plans!!

I don't know about bowing, but there are deer and deer cookies, and watching them is tremendously entertaining!

 

[PiratesMansion]

For Kyoto and nearby, I recommend:
-Ginkakuji (Silver Pavilion): Not actually silver, but beautiful, peaceful grounds around a zen temple. I missed this my first time around, and it was the highlight of my second.
-Fushimi Inari: You may have seen this in movies or pictures, but this is a shrine on a mountain with thousands of torii gates stacked side by side. If you're a hiker, I recommend doing the climb to the top of Mt. Inari, but it is super long with a ton of stairs (twice we asked people coming down if we were close to the top; both times, said people just laughed). Or you can through a few rounds of these before taking another path down to the bottom fairly quickly.
-Kinkakuji (Golden Pavilion): Overrated and always busy, but one of the iconic sites of the city.
-Nijo Castle: Japanese castles fascinate me because they were built to protect against very different strategies and tactics vs. European castles. Very, very different from anything you would see anywhere else. I wouldn't call Nijo the best castle I've visited (that would be Himeji Castle, which is on the way to Hiroshima), but it is distinct from the other castles I've been to in Japan and not terribly hard to get to.
-Byodoin (Phoenix Hall): This is actually in Uji, which can be visited on your way to or from Nara (which I recommend), but it's another beautiful temple that is quite distinct from any others you will see in the country. They were just starting renovation work on it this month, so maybe take a look and see if it'll be covered with scaffolding during your trip, in which case you might hold off. Otherwise, Uji is famous for tea and also has a museum focusing on the Tale of Genji (the world's first novel).
-Arashiyama Bamboo Grove
-Iwatayama Monkey Park-near Arashiyama (neighborhood of Kyoto), this Monkey Park was enthusiastically recommended by a student who had previously been on our foreign term, and everyone who went loved it. After quite a hike up a mountain (not nearly as bad or as long as if you were to do all of Fushimi Inari, however), you reach an area with hundreds of at least semi-wild monkeys. You can watch the monkeys, feed them, or just enjoy the stunning view of the city from the top. More memorable than it would seem on paper.

But there are quite a few more temples, shrines, museums, attractions, etc. These only scratch the surface of things to do in the area.

I didn't love Osaka, but you are fairly close from Kyoto if you see anything that interests you.

I also highly recommend a visit to Hiroshima if you can fit it into your schedule. The museum, park, and dome are sites that everyone should see. Approx 2 hours from Kyoto via Shinkansen.

 

[Lunair]

Thank you for this! After reading all the good things about Kyoto I'm gonna have to schedule some days there! IS Nara the place where the deer bow for cookies!????? If so I might have to bump that onto week 2 plans!!

Yep! The nice ones will bob their heads up and down like a bow. The more aggressive ones may be a bit more pushy haha.