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Ultimate 9 day Japan itinerary to Tokyo, Mount Fuji, Kyoto, Osaka for First timers (March 2023)

Here is a 9-day itinerary to Japan Tokyo, Mount Fuji, Kyoto, Osaka, Miyajima, Hiroshima, and Kobe, hope this helps. Includes Tokyo to Osaka itinerary, Osaka Kyoto itinerary. 

Was Japan expensive to travel to? Best time to visit Japan?
We went in mid-March to see the Cherry Blossoms so the flight prices were relatively pricier. 
On 4th March 2023, I exchanged SGD$60.81 for 6113 JPY so Yen to SGD was reasonably affordable. 
However, the exchange rate dropped when the Cherry Blossom season approached so do exchange your SGD before the Cherry Blossom season starts. 

Costs for 2 people:
Accommodation: $691.14
Transportation: about $690.46 inclusive of the Japan Rail Pass ($301.49 per pax)
Entertainment: $260.72
Travel insurance: $89.42 (managed to claim $50 so incurred cost is $39.42)
Pro-tip: If you lose an item on the train or station, please make a report to JR online. This will serve as evidence that you are unable to find your item. 
Total damage: $1681.74 for two, per pax $840.87 excluding food/shopping/flight

Japan Budget airline 
We took the budget airline Zipair under Japan Airlines. It primarily flies to only Narita airport. 
Zipair had plenty of leg space but it had a 1h delay and they postponed our returning flight which they refunded us. There are 2 airports in Tokyo - Narita and Haneda 

Weather in Japan
The weather was very cold and windy so we brought our gloves and jackets. 

Documents to bring:
1. Notarise COVID-19 vaccination certificate (3 doses)
- you will need to show this to the airport staff when checking in
- upload this document on Japan Web

2. Visa not needed, fill up the online immigration forms at Japan Web to save time and skip queues
-before arrival, click the screenshot button to save the document
-upon arrival, officers will ask for your Japan Web screenshots
-save both QR codes in your phone so you can scan them when you reach the counter

3. JR Rail Pass physical copies
-order these tickets from Klook at least 1 month before, which will be mailed to your house
-exchange these at JR stations at airports, Tokyo, or other locations
-as the airport stations can be congested, they may ask you to go to the Tokyo station to exchange
-there are many JR service counters available which can be very confusing, do head to this JR East Travel Service center located on the ground floor

Find this service centre

Here are some instructions on how to use the JR pass. 

In exchange for the blue paper, you get this piece of SGD$301.49
green expensive paper that you have to safeguard for 7 days. 


Is the JR pass worth getting?

It depends on how many cities you are traveling to via the Shinkansen.

In our case, we saved about SGD$123 per pax from the Japan rail pass.

We activated it on Day 3.

Get the Japan rail pass here on Klook.


To collect at the airport:

  1. Unlimited Data sim card for 8 days


Transport from the airport to the city area
  1. Keisei Skyliner & Tokyo Subway Ticket 40min ride tickets from either ticket counters or vending machines

    Skyliner vending machine

    -get the pass from Klook to cover the first 2 days -the officer will collect back this ticket once you arrive

    This is a Skyliner pass card.



Skyliner gantry

Redeem your Tokyo metro pass at the Tokyo subway station with the QR code

Tokyo subway ticket
(24h/48h/72h) available
We got the 72h since it's just $3 more. 

Apps to download:

  1. Navitime -tells you which subway lines to take via the Tokyo Metro pass or Japan Rail pass
  2. Google maps
    -informs you of the different train timings so you can pick which train timing to take

Airbnb Accommodation:

3D2N Tokyo: Tokyo Design Room Dyson+Free Washer 

-Tokyo accommodations are relatively pricier than other cities

-Recommend staying at either Shibuya, Asakusa (we stayed nearer here) or Shinjuku areas

2D1N Mount Fuji: Fuji beautiful, close!! *luggage drop-off allowed*

3D2N Kyoto: Shimogyo Ward Manga *luggage drop-off allowed

4D3N Osaka: 戎204/A0719/15 min Shinsaibashi・Dotonbori

-Recommend staying near Namba or Tennoji areas 


Day 1: Tokyo itinerary
0645 Reached airport

While waiting for Tsujihan, we got Takoyaki nearby because we were so hungry.

After eating these takoyaki, I am convinced that takoyaki sold at pasar malams is a scam. The takoyaki in Japan had big octopus pieces and were massive. 😍

1100 Tsujihan ZEITAKU DON (We wanted to arrive before 10am, but we arrived at 11am and waited for 3 hours. It is overrated in my opinion, you can still choose to queue at 3pm if you arrive later.)

1500 Akihabara+ walk to Airbnb to put down the luggage

1600 Sensoji Temple + Melon Pan (Originally we wanted to get Matcha no.7 but they only allowed those with coupons to purchase their food. We had no clue what was going on.)

Sensoji temple

The famous melon pan was really good.
1800 Rest for sleep recovery 2000 Eat Sushizanmai + Don Quixote
2100 Rest

 

Day 2: Tokyo  

0530-0600 Wake up

0700 Meiji Jingu Shrine + Yoyogi Park @Meiji Harajuku Station


0900 Harajuku Takeshita street (1000 could have been better as shops open at 1000 but you can start queuing for crepes at 0930)

Marion Crepe


Zakuzaku milk ice cream  (these were so good)

We did run into some Yakuza? 

1100 Shibuya Crossing + Hachiko (Dog statue) @Shibuya Station


1130 Ramen Ichiran, Shibuya (Opening hours: 10am-6pm)

The waitress serving the Ichiran ramen (you don't get to see her face 🙃) 


1400 Ghibli Museum (prebooked 1 month before on 10th Feb at GMT +8 10am)

Book tickets at 10am on the 10th of each month on the Lawson website https://l-tike.com/st1/ghibli-en/sitetop

1630 Suga Jinja My Name staircase

1800 Go Tokyo station to activate JR pass

1900 Udon @ Ginza Dinner with Derek and a friend

2100 Book Fuji excursion tickets

Alternative popular eats:

Onigiri Bongo 11:30am-11pm

Udon Shin (11am-10pm)


Day 3: Going from Tokyo to Mount Fuji via Fuji excursion train

(It took me some time and searching to figure this out so I wrote more detailed explanations here.)


Do try to book the Fuji excursion tickets at least 1-2 days in advance because we were luckily left with just nice 2 side-by-side seats.

    -select Japan Rail Pass     -scan the QR code

    -type in your full passport number (not the last 4 digits)

    -Fuji excursion trains run at 0730H, 0830H, and 0930H at Shinkuju station 

    -look for the words "Fuji excursion" and select that train

    -this is to book free reserved seats from Shinjuku station to Otsuki station

    -From Otsuki station to Kawaguchiko Station, you would need to pay 600 yen by cash, and 1140 by Passmo card upon arrival, or entirely by cash is okay too.



0630 Tsukiji fish market (It's closed on Sundays so we chose to go on Monday.)

0900 Arrive at Shinjuku station platform 10 Fuji train 0930H

Took a picture of this Platform 10 for easy reference

Look for this purple train, please be early as they leave on the dot!  


Alternative ways to reach Mt Fuji include taking the Fujisan limited bus express but it takes 2.5 hours.

Taking the 0930H Fuji excursion would let you reach Mount Fuji at 1035H which takes about 1 hour.


1230 Reached 音楽民宿 やすらぎ荘 Yasuragiso Airbnb 

The window view of Mt Fuji from our Airbnb


looks like where Doraemon stays


1500 Arakurayama Sengen Shrine @Shimoyoshida Station

1700 Eat Hotto noodles Funari (Opening hours: 11 am–9 pm)

Local specialty Hotto noodles that can keep you warm from the cold weather. It tasted like thicker ban mian with lots of cabbage, mushrooms, pumpkin and chicken/pork. 
while walking to the Hotto restaurant, we chanced by this shop that sold Fruit Sando. 😋


Day 4: Going from Mount Fuji via a shinkansen at Mishima to Kyoto


0800 Yagizaki Park + Lake Kawaguchi 1000 Airbnb check-out Reserve on https://www.fujikyucitybus.com/en/mishimaliner/ at least 3 days in advance 1120 Take a reserved bus to Mishima to take Hikari Shinkansen to Kyoto 1245 Reached Mishima to book Shinkansen and eat lunch

Kyoto itinerary
1500 Put luggage down at Airbnb 1600 Arashiyama bamboo walk


1930 Matsuba Soba (Closed on Wednesday)
Cold soba was really good. Cold>warm soba.

I love Ado. 

2030 Kiyomizu-Dera (It's closed at night so I would suggest going in the day. We checked that the night lights would be up until 9pm but there wasn't.) Day 5: Kyoto 1000 Ouka couple kimono rental from Klook (we were told to get back at 5pm) 1045 Street food at Nishiki Market Shopping District
Daifuku 😍
1115 leave 1150 Fushimi Inari Taisha
1300 leave 1330 Uji @JR Uji Station
Masuda Chaho Matcha ice cream
-Byodoin Temple
-Nakamura Tokichi Byodo-in
-Marukichi‘s dango (We didn't have time to search for this.) 
1430 leave 1530 Nara Park
famous mochi stall on the way to Nara park

Nara deers
1600 leave 1730 Return kimono 1745 Eat 自家製麺 うどん 讃式 udon 
Udon here was so goooood 😋

A popular place that we skipped: 
Kinkaku-ji

Day 6: Kyoto->Osaka

(Singapore to Osaka)

Osaka itinerary


1045 Check out from Airbnb

1115 Kyoto station 

Book the Hikari train from Kyoto to Shin-Osaka Station

Osaka loop line is free with a JR rail pass


1130 Lunch Okonomiyaki Chitose

1430 Namba JR Namba Station


Dotonbori-signature Glico’s Running Man signboard


Uncle Rikuro Cheesecake (Must try!)


1530 Shinsaibashi-suji Shopping Street+551 Horai Butamen (Buns but not that special to us Chinese who have been eating buns all our lives) 

1545 Maidreamin Osaka Namba outlet


Kuromon Market Street food 

1730 Join queue Katsudon Chiyomatsu Dotonbori Main Store (Opening hours: 11am-3pm, 5.30pm-9.30pm, 1 hour waiting time)  

Big katsu size difference

1800 Airbnb @Shin-Imamiya Station

2000 Solaniwa onsen


A popular place that we skipped: 

Osaka Castle (9am-5pm) Entry fee: 600yen Ōsakajōkōen Station 


Day 7: Osaka Universal Studios Japan


0800 Universal Studios Japan (actually better to reach there at 7am) @Universal-City Station

-do book your tickets via Klook at least 1 month before 

-tickets are cheaper on weekdays

Nintendo World (we could only book the 5pm slot when we reached at 0815)


Harry Potter land

Butter beer

Mario pancake

1930-2050 Chainsawman cafe 


2100 Mcdonalds + Mister Donut + Uniqlo shopping

2130 Reserve seats for the Sakura train to Hiroshima (Ideally, book 2 days in advance because we ended up seating apart in the same train car.)  


Day 8: Miyajima, Hiroshima, Kobe 


0500 Wake up

0530 JR Osaka loop to Shin-Osaka, take Shinkansen Sakura to Hiroshima

In total, a 3h ride to Miyajimaguchi Station (JR Sanyo Line)

0840 Reached Miyamaguchi station 

0855 JR Ferry Miyajima Ferry station (Free with JR pass, original cost 180 yen)

-take either 0855, 0910, 0925, 0940, or 0955 to Miyajima 

-just flash your JR pass to the officer once you reach the island

0910 Itsukushima Shrine (Giant vermillion torii gate) Entry fee: 300 yen

-you can buy omamori here

1000 Lunch Yakigaki No Hayash10.30am-4.30pm (queue early) 

Food must try

-oysters 

-eel bowl

-Jakee (red bean paste cake)

We had the freshest oysters I have ever eaten in my life.


1035 leave Miyajima 

1140 Reach Hiroshima station Shinkansen Exit 2


Take the Hiroshima sightseeing bus which is free with a JR pass

-bus driver will use a camera to take a picture of your JR pass each time you board the bus

Lemon Bus Route

Lemon Bus 

Atomic Bomb dome free
Peace Memorial Park Free and Museum 200 yen

1500 Hiroshima station 

1700 Eat Kobe beef


Kobe Chinatown @Motomachi station

 Day 9: Leave for the airport


1000 Kaitenzushi Ganko Abeno Harukas Sushi Conveyor Belt



30min Haruka train (Hello Kitty train)

Go to Kansai airport at Osaka to fly back to Singapore


If you want to go back to Narita Airport or Haneda Airport, it takes about 4 hours by Shinkansen. Alternatively, take a Sunrise Izumo night bus back to Tokyo.


It was a memorable Japan trip.


Referral codes

Klook: 2FQHXF (you will get $5)


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