Tokyo/Kyoto must see recommendations?

7,131 Views | 58 Replies | Last: 1 yr ago by Swarely
AggieMainland
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Heading to Tokyo/Kyoto in a couple weeks. 3 full days in each so I know I'll only be able to do so much. What are the very top attractions that I shouldn't miss? I'll be very limited on time since I'm signed up for a bunch of "experiences"/food tours. Also heading to Osaka for one day to catch the Grand Sumo Tournament. Already have a ticket but that basically cuts out one day in Kyoto unless I do something early.

I'm fine keeping attractions to a minimum and just exploring the new culture/eating...but also would be nice to knock out some big stuff. So far I only have Fushimi Inari-taisha in Kyoto on my list. Thanks
Enzo The Baker
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AG
https://www.japan-guide.com

This is the best resource to use. It has all of the up-to-date prices of entry to things and fairs and routes of the transportation. It's a life saver.

Kyoto is one of my favorite cities in the world. I'd recommend spending a day in Arashiyama in the West. Wake up early to make the most of your day. There you can visit the monkey park, bamboo groves, and a handful of awesome temples. My favorites are Jojakkoji, Nisonin, and Otagi Nembutsuji. I would break the next day up for the south and east, again starting early. The Fushimianari shrine is a must. I also really like the Nanzenji temple. The third day you can do the north or take a train to spend a day in Nara. You really could spend a week in Kyoto and leave a lot unturned though. Also, I'd highly recommend going to Gogyo for burnt miso ramen. A really unique, delicious bowl of ramen. It's also fun to check out the bars at Gion and Pontocho.

If you're lucky, you'll see some of the cherry blossoms starting to bloom.
Enzo The Baker
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AG
If you want to do something more cultural there's a neat tea making ceremony that you can do. The name escapes me but it's close to Kyoto station.
Silky Johnston
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We really enjoyed the Robot Restaurant. I am sure everything you will read will say that it is just a tourist trap, but it was a lot of fun. It is just a really fun, really over the top show that is something to see once.

Tsukiji Fish Market was also worth a visit. We did not get there early to see the auction, but we just walked around the interior and then went around the outside and looked around in the different shops. I also had the best sushi of my life in a little place that seated about 8 people. There are lots of little sushi spots and restaurants and I don't think you can go wrong with any of them.
AggieMainland
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Awesome. Thanks for the info. I put Gogyo down on my list for sure...lots of good reviews.
Random Ag
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AG
Tokyo: the fish market was awesome, I saw the tuna auction but I think it would be neat regardless. This was a fabulous tiny sushi restaurant near Shinagawa train station if you happen to be staying near there. You need reservations, cash only, and you eat what they make: Sushiryori Inose, 2-20-2 Higashigotanda | 1F, Shinagawa, Tokyo Prefecture +81 3-3443-1719

Kyoto: amazing city, just try to hit up as many temples as possible. I will see if I can find any specific recommendations
AggieMainland
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I'm happy people are recommending the fish market. I'm actually signed up for this Tsukiji tour:

https://www.airbnb.com/experiences/71924

Looks like you tour the inner and outer area...and later try the fish in the Asakusa part of town. Had great reviews.

With Kyoto, I quickly realized that there was a lot more to see than I will be able to do. I don't want to rush it so I'll pick some parts mentioned above and see how it goes. Thank you all.

BackwardsInBoots
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AG
I recommend going to Kabuki-za in Tokyo! You can buy a ticket for just one act of the performance, or for the whole thing.

If you haven't already, look into the Japan Rail Pass. It will save you a ton of money on trains if you plan to take a bullet train anywhere, and will cover all the trains within Tokyo/Kyoto, too.
AggieMainland
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BackwardsInBoots said:

I recommend going to Kabuki-za in Tokyo! You can buy a ticket for just one act of the performance, or for the whole thing.

If you haven't already, look into the Japan Rail Pass. It will save you a ton of money on trains if you plan to take a bullet train anywhere, and will cover all the trains within Tokyo/Kyoto, too.

Yes, I've received the Japan Rail Pass voucher which i understand I will need to exchange for the actual Pass either at the airport (which is what I plan to do) or one of the JR rail stations.

One question I have that you might be able to answer. The bullet trains have reserved seating only...so a ticket will need to be purchased (or really obtained since it would be "free" with the JR Pass). At what point would I obtain those specific tickets? At the same time that I pick up the Pass at the airport?
BackwardsInBoots
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AggieMainland said:

BackwardsInBoots said:

I recommend going to Kabuki-za in Tokyo! You can buy a ticket for just one act of the performance, or for the whole thing.

If you haven't already, look into the Japan Rail Pass. It will save you a ton of money on trains if you plan to take a bullet train anywhere, and will cover all the trains within Tokyo/Kyoto, too.

Yes, I've received the Japan Rail Pass voucher which i understand I will need to exchange for the actual Pass either at the airport (which is what I plan to do) or one of the JR rail stations.

One question I have that you might be able to answer. The bullet trains have reserved seating only...so a ticket will need to be purchased (or really obtained since it would be "free" with the JR Pass). At what point would I obtain those specific tickets? At the same time that I pick up the Pass at the airport?


You can get those tickets in the JR office at any station. Generally unless it's a holiday weekend the trains shouldn't be too packed, so just get to the station a little early and go into the office to get tickets for the specific departure time you want. Shinkansen also have the option to specifically reserve a seat, rather than just taking your chances in the unreserved cars. The reserved seat fee is covered by the pass, so if you tell the ticket office person you want "sh*teiseki" (stupid word filters) you should be good to go - reserved seats can sell out, though, so if you're worried you can "buy" your ticket further in advance. (Or you could upgrade to the first class seats, if you want basically your own recliner, but that would cost some extra money unless you got the green level JR pass).

I've been living in Japan for the last 4 years and grew up in Okinawa, so if you have any other questions feel free to email me at username @ gmail.com.
FriendlyAg
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That being said, one of the only trains that you can't use your JR pass on is one particular train that runs from Osaka to Tokyo that stops in Kyoto. Don't worry, there are other shinkansens that go this route, just make sure you don't get on that one train you shouldn't. I did and I got kicked off, but luckily there was a train two minutes behind that was going the same route.

Usagi for ramen/tsukemen in shibuya. Robot restaurant is touristy, but I still thought it was fun. Akihabara in Tokyo if you're into anime/manga/games. It's got 5 story arcades.

There is a ramen place in downtown Kyoto that isn't touristy that is the best thing I have ever had. I'll look up the name when I'm in front of my computer and post it for you. Tad hard to find, but worth it.

Also, don't be shy to slurp your noodles, pick up your bowl to drink, or order more noodles to finish your broth.

If you're eating rice, pick up your bowl with one hand and use chopsticks with the other.

The people are awesome and super helpful!!
FriendlyAg
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Tsurukame rokkaku off of Rokkaku Dori (side street of kawaramachi-dori).

If you like spicy, thick noodles, and a hardy thick piece of pork. Go to this place. I almost ordered a second bowl. It was the best bowl I had while over there. I want it again right now.
AggieMainland
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Great recommendations. I might eat 5 meals a day while I'm there. Everything looks amazing. haha
DallasAg 94
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Great information here.

We are planning a family trip to Japan in July and wanted to see if I could get an augment to some of what is already here.

It will be family - Me, wife, and sons ages 10-16. We're pretty laid back and not heavy on scheduling a program. One son said, "It is Tokyo, just show up and figure out what we want to do once we get there." I did that on my Honeymoon and it was almost a disaster.

Some questions... Originally, I was thinking 7 days (5 actually in country, 2 travel). I was thinking of getting a hotel in Tokyo and anchoring there and then extending out places we wanted to go, but returning back to our hotel each night. That would limit moving our luggage making us more nimble and would eliminate the whole checking out and waiting for our next place to check-in wasting days.

As I start packing more stuff and places, it seems like 5 days is too short and anchoring just won't work unless we want activities exclusively in Tokyo.

Sumo - Definitely on list. It is in Nagoya (Aichi Prefectural Gym)
Imperial Palace - Original desire was Kyoto, but Tokyo has one and might be an alternative. Kyoto could work if we do Sumo one day and then travel to Kyoto afterwards.


Thoughts?
White water rafting - Tone River, Gunma?
Azuchi momoyama bunka mura (Oda castle recreation) - Shima?
Odawara Castle, Ninja Cafe - I believe those are in Kanagawa, which looks like 2hr by rail.
Fish Market sounds cool. 4:30am doesn't. Tour link above is 18 and older. Kids love sushi.

Boys suggested
Akibahara (Akiba)- Is this something to just shop for a couple hours?
Harajuku, Nara Park (Deer Park), Shibuya Crossing, Shinjuku Park seem like things to hit in passing or for some down time.

Others
Are there things like dinner cruise or whale\shark boat tours?
City tours the boys would enjoy?
Bungie jumping?
I'm also thinking of doing a baseball game.

I'm concerned about doing more traveling and experience chasing and missing the roses. I'm 6'4" and American sized... how much of a consideration will that be? I know for Sumo you can get a box and they have normal stadium seats. At most US amusement parks the height limit is 6'2" for many rides that have an over-the-sholder type lock. On those, my shoulders are too high for the apparatus to come down to lock.

Thanks.
Seven Costanza
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AG
In the Harajuku area: Walk down Takeshi-ta (added the dash because of the stupid word filters) street. Go to the Meiji Shrine (it goes through a little forest to get there). Walk around Yoyogi Park.

The big Buddha in Kamakura is pretty cool.
DallasAg 94
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Seven Costanza said:

In the Harajuku area: Walk down Takeshi-ta (added the dash because of the stupid word filters) street. Go to the Meiji Shrine (it goes through a little forest to get there). Walk around Yoyogi Park.

The big Buddha in Kamakura is pretty cool.
Cool.
Enzo The Baker
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AG
To be honest, I would just stay in Tokyo and make a trip out to Nagoya on the shinkansen. I went to the same Sumo tournament at the Aichi Prefectural Gym. It was one of the neatest experiences ever. And if you end up going to the one on the last day of the tournament, you're in for a real treat.

It's just not enough time to see Kyoto (Nara would also be far). You would really need to reserve that visit for a different trip to truly enjoy it. Maybe do an Osaka/Kyoto trip on your next visit. But Tokyo has a lot of cultural things too that would leave you satisfied. You could even take a day trip to Kamakura if you really want to see some of the historic Japan.
Enzo The Baker
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Also for Sumo, definitely get the box! You won't regret it.
BackwardsInBoots
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All of those things are pretty far apart. You could do it, but you would get less than 1 day each in Tokyo, Kyoto, Nara, Nagoya, and Gunma, when you factor in travel time. I would either do a longer trip (though that might not be possible), pick one or two cities and only look for things to do in those areas, or get everyone to rank their top activity preferences to narrow things down a bit.
DallasAg 94
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BackwardsInBoots said:

All of those things are pretty far apart. You could do it, but you would get less than 1 day each in Tokyo, Kyoto, Nara, Nagoya, and Gunma, when you factor in travel time. I would either do a longer trip (though that might not be possible), pick one or two cities and only look for things to do in those areas, or get everyone to rank their top activity preferences to narrow things down a bit.
That's kinda what I'm thinking.

I imagine it'd be like trying to hit the Alamo in San Antonio, then going to Houston/San Jacinto and then trying to hit Six Flags in Arlington.

I think the expensive part is getting us there. I can probably take an additional day or two off work. It would be cheaper to extend the stay, than to go back again. I was going to go big on the hotel (if we anchored), but maybe I cut that in half and go more modest and double the number of days. Also, I'm considering doing airbnb instead of a hotel. There will be 6 of us traveling.

Maybe I go 14 (12 in country) days and spend 4-5 in Tokyo, 2 days in Nagoya and then 4-5 days in Kyoto, knowing some of that time will be travel?!
FriendlyAg
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I spent 5 days in Kyoto and did a day trip to Nara to see the deer and the different sites there. Definitely worth it and a little more outdoorsy.

Arikhaba or however you spell it is awesome for the boys. I am 26 and I was in awe for a few hours looking at all the video games and stuff.
Enzo The Baker
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AG

Quote:

Maybe I go 14 (12 in country) days and spend 4-5 in Tokyo, 2 days in Nagoya and then 4-5 days in Kyoto, knowing some of that time will be travel?!
This would be fantastic.

If you do end up staying in the Kansai area (Osaka/Kyoto/Kobe) 5 days, I would highly recommend going to Koyasan (Mount Koya) for a night. You can get the one of a kind experience of staying in a Buddhist guesthouse and eat delicious traditional vegetarian meals (I'm a meat eater, and this was seriously one of the best meals I've ever had). And you can even wake up and join the monks for prayer early in the morning.

https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e4900.html

Here are some of the guesthouses. I stayed at Shojoshin-in

https://www.japaneseguesthouses.com/ryokan-search-results/?area=Mt+Koya

Aside from the Sumo, I think this is the coolest thing I've done in Japan.
Enzo The Baker
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AG
Also, if your kids like amusment parks you could go to Fuji-Q Highland. It's not too far from Tokyo and it's cool because you can get good views of Fuji from the Amusement Park.

https://www.fujiq.jp/en/

Do be aware though, you'll be going during rainy season, so if you want good views of the mountain it's best to be there bright and early.
Enzo The Baker
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Quote:

I think the expensive part is getting us there.

Japan itself can also be extremely expensive. Luckily, I've been able to do most of it by staying in hostels and budget hotels, but food, transportation, and paying for all of the temples and attractions can add up really fast. I don't know what your budget is, but in case you didn't know, it is definitely one of the more pricey places to visit.
BackwardsInBoots
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AG
Airbnb will probably work out for that big of a group much better than hotels. Japanese hotels usually charge by the number of people instead of by the room, so with 6 that could really add up. If you do look for inexpensive hotels, avoid the APA chain. They are run by right-wing ultra-nationalists who support revisionist WWII history.

If you have any planning issues with info not being available in English, feel free to shoot me an email at username @ gmail.com. I've been living here for a while and can probably help out.
DallasAg 94
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BackwardsInBoots said:

Airbnb will probably work out for that big of a group much better than hotels. Japanese hotels usually charge by the number of people instead of by the room, so with 6 that could really add up. If you do look for inexpensive hotels, avoid the APA chain. They are run by right-wing ultra-nationalists who support revisionist WWII history.

If you have any planning issues with info not being available in English, feel free to shoot me an email at username @ gmail.com. I've been living here for a while and can probably help out.
Thanks.

Yeah... hotel seemed pretty expensive. But then, in the US, it can get expensive.

I appreciate the offer. We'll see what happens. As the trip nears, I may have to hit you up.
DallasAg 94
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Enzo The Baker said:


Quote:

I think the expensive part is getting us there.

Japan itself can also be extremely expensive. Luckily, I've been able to do most of it by staying in hostels and budget hotels, but food, transportation, and paying for all of the temples and attractions can add up really fast. I don't know what your budget is, but in case you didn't know, it is definitely one of the more pricey places to visit.
With projected air and hotel, the number gets pretty gaudy. If I go airbnb, it is about half the cost, so I can extend the trip and account for that portion.

I was anticipating about $1000/day for the 6 of us to eat, travel and for activities. That was about $5K for the 5 days in country. If I extend it to 12 days in country... I will likely have 2-3 down days and will cut back in other areas..

Sumo is $350/box and we'd have to get 2 boxes. Some of the other activities seem to be about $50-80/person.

We're pretty low maintenance overall, but sometimes I like to go over the top... so we can scale back, once I get a feel for where we are filling the budget. And once I officially buy tickets.
Enzo The Baker
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AG
DallasAg 94 said:

Enzo The Baker said:


Quote:

I think the expensive part is getting us there.

Japan itself can also be extremely expensive. Luckily, I've been able to do most of it by staying in hostels and budget hotels, but food, transportation, and paying for all of the temples and attractions can add up really fast. I don't know what your budget is, but in case you didn't know, it is definitely one of the more pricey places to visit.
With projected air and hotel, the number gets pretty gaudy. If I go airbnb, it is about half the cost, so I can extend the trip and account for that portion.

I was anticipating about $1000/day for the 6 of us to eat, travel and for activities. That was about $5K for the 5 days in country. If I extend it to 12 days in country... I will likely have 2-3 down days and will cut back in other areas..

Sumo is $350/box and we'd have to get 2 boxes. Some of the other activities seem to be about $50-80/person.

We're pretty low maintenance overall, but sometimes I like to go over the top... so we can scale back, once I get a feel for where we are filling the budget. And once I officially buy tickets.
Cool. Just to give you and idea, If I was there by myself for 2 weeks, I would probably spend around $1500-$2000 including housing that's $30-$50 a night, not including airfare. And I'm not a crazy spender. I can't speak for what it would be like as a family. But I can say that going to eat at Yoshinoya or convenience stores (seriously) can save a lot meal-wise.
DallasAg 94
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Enzo The Baker said:


Cool. Just to give you and idea, If I was there by myself for 2 weeks, I would probably spend around $1500, not including airfare. And I'm not a crazy spender. I can't speak for what it would be like as a family. But I can say that going to eat at Yoshinoya or convenience stores (seriously) can save a lot meal-wise.
Thanks. That helps.

Food can get crazy expensive. Two of my boys are competitive swimmers who can consume 3000 calories during swim season.

That was one area where I think we can skimp if needed. One of my sons said he thought fast food was relatively cheap. In Dallas, it will cost $50-60. However, they all love seafood and sushi. In the US, we can drop $250 for dinner in the blink of an eye.
Seven Costanza
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AG
Make sure you try a variety of foods while you're there. It doesn't have to be all sushi and it doesn't have to be all high-end. Try okinomiyaki, udon (at a chain place), yakitori, ramen, etc. I would also suggest eating at a McDonald's just to see the differences, as crazy as that sounds.

If you feel like saving some money on a couple of lunches, the 7-11 stores actually have pretty good food in Japan. Eating food from a Japanese convenience store is kind of a Japanese experience in a sense, given that it is a legitimate part of their culture these days.


DallasAg 94
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That's a great reminder.

One son has demanded we eat at a certain Ramen place, "It is the best, they give you a lot and it is really cheap." I had told them comments about how expensive food might be and he assured me that fast food is cheap in Japan.

He also affirmed there are 7-11s everywhere. I told him Southland Corporation had bought 7-11, and they were based in Japan, so it made sense.

We also do this thing where I will allow them to buy something on the side, in order to try it. I try to expand their diet without fear of ordering their meal as something they don't like. For example with Sushi, they ordered cuttlefish to try. He actually liked it, but probably won't eat it again.

We're gearing up for some exotic foods. I'll have to compile a list, if anyone has ideas.
BlueAg2003
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AG
I'm looking at planning a Tokyo trip soon. I've seen varying perspectives on how expensive it is there. Are we talking NYC expensive or Iceland expensive? Just for comparison, a fast food meal cost us $25 per person in Iceland. From what I'm seeing, Tokyo looks on par with what you encounter in any major international city like London or NYC. Am I off on this?
Seven Costanza
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Nothing comes close to the cost in Iceland, Norway, Sweden, and Denmark. Those are the worst by far. Singapore is pretty bad too.

Tokyo is much closer to NYC prices. In most of Japan, fast food is actually cheaper than in the US.

Random Ag
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AG
Besides sushi and ramen, I'd add tempura and shabu-shabu to your lists. Shabu-shabu is very fun as a group / family
Seven Costanza
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I disagree. I think shabu-shabu is terrible. "Let's dip thin slices of meat into boiling water for five seconds! Yay!" It is different and memorable, though.
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