Fourteen nights for friends who sleep late: arcades, shops and night streets.
14 nights from Tokyo to Tokyo
Before you fly, five things matter most: check your passport and visa, book your stays and tickets, buy an eSIM and travel insurance, and decide on a rail pass. Open the list for every step, with links.
5 nightsTokyo · IkebukuroPrice level ¥Find stays
About Ikebukuro Stays link to partner sites. See the note under Find stays.
A busy hub with department stores, anime shops and low hotel prices.
When to stay here. Stay here when you want a low price near a big station.
Stay here if: You want low prices and fast trains to Narita and Haneda. You like anime shopping.
Skip it if: You want a postcard view of Tokyo.
Day 1: steps for your landing time
Midday, 11:00 to 16:00
- Get an IC card. Get an IC card such as Suica or ICOCA at the airport, or add one to your phone. It pays for trains and many shops. First-day guide
- Get online. Pick up your SIM or switch on your eSIM before you leave the airport, so you have maps at once. First-day guide
- Send big bags ahead. If you have a big bag, send it from the airport to your hotel with luggage forwarding, and travel light. First-day guide
- Go to your hotel. Keep the hotel address in Japanese on your phone. If you arrive before check-in, ask if the hotel can hold your bags. First-day guide
- Drugstore run. Buy small things for the first days: wet wipes, bandages, snacks and anything that you forgot. What to buy
- A light meal or an easy walk. Keep the first day easy. Eat close to the hotel and walk around your area.
EveningOtome Road anime shops
Why it fits you. You like anime. A street of shops for anime and manga fans, with many shops for romance stories.
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MorningGhibli Museum, Mitaka
Why it fits you. You like anime. A museum of the famous film studio with a short film made only for it. Tickets sell out early.
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AfternoonSunshine City shopping and anime
Why it fits you. You like anime. A big mall with an anime store area, a character cafe and a view deck.
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EveningNakano Broadway
Why it fits you. You like anime. A mall full of small shops for anime, retro toys and collectors.
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NightIzakaya dinner and drinks
Why it fits you. You like nightlife. Order many small dishes to share. This is how many locals eat and drink after work.
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MorningHakone Open-Air Museum
Why it fits you. Big sculptures in a mountain garden, with a Picasso room and a foot spa.
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AfternoonHot spring bath with a day-use ticket
Why it fits you. Many hot spring hotels sell a bath-only ticket. A good end to a day of walking.
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MorningCup Noodles Museum
Why it fits you. You design your own cup of noodles and learn the story of instant ramen.
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AfternoonCharacter Street at Tokyo Station
Why it fits you. You like anime. A group of shops for TV and film characters, inside the station. Easy to visit before a train.
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EveningAkihabara Electric Town walk
Why it fits you. You like anime. Multi-floor shops of anime goods, games and electronics. Take your time on each floor.
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NightKaraoke night with friends
Why it fits you. You like nightlife. A private room with songs in many languages. It is easy and fun when it rains.
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MorningKanda Myojin shrine
Why it fits you. A bright shrine on a hill. Fans of anime leave picture boards here.
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AfternoonGachapon capsule toy halls
Why it fits you. You like anime. Rows of capsule toy machines with small figures. Fun for every age.
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EveningGame arcades and retro games
Why it fits you. You like anime. Play rhythm games, claw machines and old console games. Bring coins.
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NightGolden Gai bar lanes
Why it fits you. You like nightlife. Hundreds of tiny bars with six seats each. Pick one that looks friendly.
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4 nightsKyoto · Kawaramachi and NishikiPrice level ¥¥Find stays
About Kawaramachi and Nishiki Stays link to partner sites. See the note under Find stays.
The central shopping and food area, with a covered market and many bars.
When to stay here. Stay here for a trip about food, shopping and nightlife.
Stay here if: You want food and nights out within a short walk. You use buses and the subway a lot.
Skip it if: You want silence at night.
Moving to Kyoto today? You can send big bags ahead. Luggage forwarding guide
AfternoonKyoto International Manga Museum
Why it fits you. You like anime. Hundreds of thousands of manga on open shelves. You can read many on the grass lawn.
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EveningTeramachi and Shinkyogoku arcades
Why it fits you. Covered shopping streets with souvenirs, games and old tea shops. Good in the rain.
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NightIzakaya and bar hopping
Why it fits you. You like nightlife. Many small bars within a few blocks. Try local sake and tofu dishes.
MorningNishiki Market tasting walk
Why it fits you. A narrow covered market with pickles, tofu sweets and grilled seafood on sticks.
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AfternoonFushimi sake district tasting
Why it fits you. Old breweries by a canal where you can taste local sake in small cups.
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EveningPontocho alley dinner
Why it fits you. You like nightlife. A narrow alley of small restaurants by the river. In summer there are terraces over the water.
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NightLate-night ramen after dinner
Why it fits you. A bowl of rich ramen to end a night out. Many shops open until late.
MorningNara Park deer
Why it fits you. Hundreds of free deer walk in the park. Buy the crackers sold for them and bow to get one to bow back.
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AfternoonTodai-ji Great Buddha Hall
Why it fits you. One of the largest wooden buildings in the world, with a giant bronze Buddha inside.
MorningHome cooking class
Why it fits you. Make sushi or home dishes with a local teacher, then eat what you made.
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AfternoonKimono rental and a walk
Why it fits you. Wear a kimono for the day and walk in the old streets. Shops include hair and shoes.
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EveningKamogawa riverside walk
Why it fits you. Sit on the river bank in the evening. Locals walk, run and share food here.
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NightStation sky path at night
Why it fits you. A free sky walk high in the station, with a city view and light show.
3 nightsOsaka · Tenma and TemmabashiPrice level ¥Find stays
About Tenma and Temmabashi Stays link to partner sites. See the note under Find stays.
A local area with the longest covered shopping street and many small izakaya.
When to stay here. Stay here for a trip about food and local life.
Stay here if: You want to eat and drink like a local. You want low prices near the centre.
Skip it if: You want fast access to big sights.
Moving to Osaka today? You can send big bags ahead. Luggage forwarding guide
AfternoonCup Noodles Museum Osaka Ikeda
Why it fits you. The original museum where you make your own cup of noodles. Book a workshop slot.
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EveningTenma izakaya night
Why it fits you. You like nightlife. Dozens of small bars and grills, with prices lower than in the centre.
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NightCraft beer and sake bars
Why it fits you. You like nightlife. Small bars with local craft beer and sake served by the glass.
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MorningFlea markets and old goods
Why it fits you. Markets with old tools, dishes and clothes. Dates are fixed, so check the calendar.
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AfternoonAnime and game shops at Nipponbashi
Why it fits you. You like anime. A street of anime, game and electronics shops, like a smaller Akihabara.
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EveningStanding sushi and sake
Why it fits you. Small counters where you eat fresh sushi standing up for a low price.
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NightKaraoke night
Why it fits you. You like nightlife. A private room with many songs. A good plan for a rainy night.
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MorningKitano foreign houses hill
Why it fits you. Western-style houses from the 1800s on a hill, with a view of the harbour.
AfternoonKobe beef lunch
Why it fits you. A famous beef from this region. A lunch set costs less than dinner.
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2 nightsTokyo · IkebukuroPrice level ¥Find stays
About Ikebukuro Stays link to partner sites. See the note under Find stays.
A busy hub with department stores, anime shops and low hotel prices.
When to stay here. Stay here when you want a low price near a big station.
Stay here if: You want low prices and fast trains to Narita and Haneda. You like anime shopping.
Skip it if: You want a postcard view of Tokyo.
Moving to Tokyo today? You can send big bags ahead. Luggage forwarding guide
AfternoonFigure and manga shops
Why it fits you. You like anime. Floors of used manga, figures and cards. Good for rare finds.
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EveningHoppy Street izakaya
Why it fits you. You like nightlife. Open-air tables on a small street. Order grilled meat and a cold drink.
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NightLive music houses
Why it fits you. You like nightlife. Small stages with indie bands almost every night. Buy a ticket at the door.
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MorningGotokuji cat temple
Why it fits you. A quiet temple with hundreds of small lucky cat statues.
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AfternoonKoenji street and bars
Why it fits you. Used clothes, records and small bars under the tracks.
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EveningOmoide Yokocho alley
Why it fits you. Tiny grill stalls under the train tracks. You eat skewers shoulder to shoulder with locals.
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NightRoppongi bars and late food
Why it fits you. You like nightlife. An area of bars, music and late dining for visitors from many countries.
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MorningConvenience store breakfast
Why it fits you. Egg sandwiches, rice balls and hot coffee for a low price. Many visitors love it.
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What this trip costs, in levels. Stay price levels for your budget: ¥ · ¥¥. These levels are relative (one yen sign is low, three is high). Live prices come from the partner sites.