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Tokyo, Japan
## Stuff to do on day 1
- Buy a Suica or Pasmo card (not welcome suica or pasmo passport)
- Install SmartEX mobile app for booking Shinkansen trains
## Tori no Ichi festival!!!
At the Tori-no-dera Temple or other otori temples
5th of November - https://torinoichi.jp/
Also happening on the 17th and 29th so we might catch it in some other city.
## Food
- 8 flavor ice cream (most important one to get :'))
- Sushi at a high end restaurant - can be pricey, esp. for someone who doesn't drink - book at https://omakase.in/en
## Other
https://blog.gaijinpot.com/unfiltered/all-ages-the-hardcore-scene-in-japan/
## Plan
- Day X: Day trip to mount Fuji (or more like to lake Kawaguchiko & Chureito Pagoda): https://khyatimaloo.com/mt-fuji-day-trip/ & https://www.reddit.com/r/JapanTravel/comments/11tjuml/trip_report_lake_kawaguchiko/ & https://livejapan.com/en/in-tokyo/in-pref-fuji_mountain/in-mount_fuji/article-a0004124/ & https://theawkwardtraveller.com/1-day-trip-to-mt-fuji-fujiyoshida-japan/
- Day X: Day trip to Kawagoe
- Day trip to Hakone: https://www.sunrise-tours.jp/en/plan/detail/130SUETA001JG056S/
# stuff to see:
Meiji Shrine: especially before 8am so it is not packed with tourists.
Hamarikyu Gardens: relatively close the Imperial Palace and has a nice tea house in the middle.
Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden: massive place that makes you forget that you are in the middle of one of the largest cities int he world.
Yoyogi Park: another big park, but this one also has a place a few blocks away that you could rent a dog to take for a walk!
Ueno Park: another great area to visit, this one is full of museums and other activities you can do.
Sensoji Temple: this is a tourist trap but it will feel a lot more culturally immersive. The street leading up to the temple (Nakamise-dori Street) is lined up with shops and stands that sell souvenirs and food
Tsukiji Market & Toyosu Market: The former is where the fish market used to be. All the shops are still there and there is a ton of good food you can try in this area and the latter is the new location of the fish market and they recently opened the market area for the tourists. I saw feedback from some YouTubers that the Toyosu Market is charging "tourist prices" for things. Honestly, Tsukiji has been charging tourist prices as well for a long time so it's still the same (old fish market vs. new fish market).
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Nagano, Japan
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Matsumoto, Japan
Train to Nagano where we will stop to visit then train or bus to Matsumoto where we will spend the night (https://japantravel.navitime.com/en/booking/jr/express/shinano/)
OR Train directly from Tokyo (Shinjuku) to Matsumoto: Limited Express ‘Azusa’
IMPORTANT: Go to Matsumoto bus terminal (JR Ticket Offices or Travel Service Center) and purchase the 3 star route pass (bus pass for Takayama-Shirakawa-Kanazawa)
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Takayama, Japan
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Shirakawa, Japan
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Kanazawa, Japan
# TODO
Buy the Hokuriku Shinkansen 1-way Pass from JR West (6,500 YEN) to go to Kyoto (trains: Hokuriku Shinkansen then JR Thunderbird Express, change at Tsuruga) - https://www.kkday.com/en/product/141363-japan-transportation-one-way-ticket-jr-limited-express-train-thunderbird
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Kyoto, Japan
Gion Odori - 1st to 10th of November
https://www.discoverkyoto.com/event-calendar/november/fall-dances-geiko-maiko/
Take the kyo-train garaku when going to Osaka!! Timetable here https://www.hankyu.co.jp/kyotrain-garaku/en/service/
## Plan
- Day 1: Northern Kyoto
- Day 2: Arashiyama
- Day 3: Northern Higashiyama (eastern Kyoto) - Article + Demachimasugata Shopping Arcade + Imperial Palace + Shimogamo Shrine
- Day 4: Southern Higashiyama - Article + Kuromon market + Nishiki Market + Shinkyogoku + Teramachi + Kiyamachi + Pontocho + Kennin-ji
- Day 5: Marayuma park + Fushimi Inari + yasaka shrine and Gion Odori (if we didn't see it in a previous day) - mostly a chill day tho
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Osaka, Japan
## Plan
- Day 1: Shinsekai, the Kaiyukan, and Tenjinbashisuji
- Day 2: Day trip to Himeji
- Day 3 (and 4?): Nara (Nara park (deers), Tōdai-ji and Yakushi-ji, Kasuga Taisha Shrine, Nigatsu-do, Isui-en, Yoshiki-en, Kofuku-ji, Horyu-ji temples (in order of priority)), if we have time: Shiga Naoya's former house - Also lots of good food in Nara
- Day 4: Umeda Sky Building + Shinsaibashi-suji & Dotonbori & hozenji and other close streets (Namba (food), Amerika Mura, Orange Street)
- Day 5: Kaiyukan +
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Beppu, Japan
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Fukuoka, Japan
- Half a day trip to Yutoku Inari shrine
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Kumamoto, Japan
Kumamoto Castle
If we have time and depending on the weather, maybe go to Mt. Aso (use the Aso Boy train). Maybe do so on separate day?
In Aso: Aso Shrine, volcano craters (check https://www.aso-volcano.jp/eng/ for safety issues first)
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Fukuoka, Japan
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Fukuoka, Japan
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Nagasaki, Japan
Also visit Shimabara
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Fukuoka, Japan
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Kitakyushu, Japan
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Shimonoseki, Japan
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Busan, South Korea
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Gyeongju-si, South Korea
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Busan, South Korea
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Seoul, South Korea
Free guided walking tours: https://english.visitseoul.net/walking-tour
For accomodation: read that Sinchon-dong or hondae are very cheap