My time spent in Japan on my first backpacking trip.
Planning
These are the resources I used to plan my trip.
WAORYU Only in Japan — Fun Youtube channel to get excited about the diversity of things to do in Japan!
GoVoyagin — Great way to meet and do activities with locals in Japan. I did dinner at an Izakaya and Sake pub crawl and Izakaya tour, both were memorable experiences! Highly recommended.
646 Things to do in Tokyo | Voyagin
Wondering what to do in Tokyo, Japan? Discover and book Attractions, Private Guided Tour, and other experiences to…www.govoyagin.com
Food Sake Tokyo — A great introduction to the overwhelming diversity of foods in Tokyo and where to eat them. It came in handy to pick places to eat during my visit (in addition to Yelp) and set me up nicely for my culinary adventures in Japan.
Japan Guide — A great knowledge base to help plan all things for your trip including where to go, how to go, etc.
Boutique Japan — If you don’t know how to speak Japanese, I recommend their Tiny Phrasebook of Japanese words and phrases. Knowing even a few words/phrases in Japanese will make your experience way more fun. I incrementally tried harder phrases, and the people I tried them with were patient and appreciative.
Airbnb — I used Airbnb for my accommodations in Tokyo and it turned out to be affordable and comfortable. I recommend NoA as a host, she was very helpful. For Kyoto, I would recommend booking budget ryokans. I would definitely recommend booking ryokans where you can afford it, you have to experience the Japanese hospitality!
Nagomi Visit — I wasn’t able to do this because I found out about it late, but I have it on my bucket list for my next trip.
Locals — I got the best ideas from locals on things to do and places to eat. Talk to people!
SF — Shanghai — Tokyo
I had an overnight layover in Shanghai, which I spent sleeping in a hotel near the airport…
Tokyo — Day 1
Dinner with Naoki — After checking into my apartment in Harajuku, I had to meet Naoki in Shibuya. I had just arrived in Tokyo, and I was a bit confused on directions. When I asked a local for directions, he accompanied me all the way to my meeting point with Naoki! (Japanese people are so helpful!).
Naoki then took me to an izakaya in Shibuya. We ate lots of different food and drinks, including sushi, sashimi, yakitori, nabemono, biru and sake, and had a great conversation. It was a great way to kick off my trip to Japan!
With Hachikō
Tokyo — Day 2
Isetan — I was completely overwhelmed by the depachika in the basement of this convenience store. I would recommend coming when the store opens at 10am, you’ll get a gracious welcome by the store employees. I managed to get myself a bento box and some gyouza. Oishi!
Senso-ji in Asakusa — My first temple experience in Japan.
Akihabara — This time I was lost in aisles of electronics instead of aisles of food (in the depachika). Don’t forget to play UFO catcher!
Did you say you wanted to buy a camera tripod?
Sake pub crawl — Shuri took me to 3 different sake bars and izakayas and we had octopus, sashimi, shrimp, lots of wacky food, and some strong locally made sake, biru and hoppy!
Random Mini Bike
Tokyo — Kyoto — Day 3
Takeshita street — Some very interesting and fashionable shops, parts of it looked like they were out of an anime. Harajukuuuuuuu!
Yoyogi Park — Nice and peaceful park near Takeshita street, great fall colors and dogs!
Random cute bus
Kyoto!
Gion looked spectacular at night. Try to plan where to eat dinner early, I didn’t find a lot of easily approachable options nearby.
Kyoto — Day 4
I stayed my first night at the Ryokan Uemura. After a couple of very active days, it was great to get a good night’s rest. I wish I had taken a picture of the Japanese lady who was a very hospitable host and made my stay very comfortable. She even taught me some Kyoto dialect. Okini!
Kiyomizu-dera temple. This is the first time I have seen a Star Wars exhibition at a temple! While walking through the Higashiyama district, get the Matcha sweets and goodies!
Ichiran Ramen — After a lot of walking to and from Kiyomizu-dera temple and the Higashiyama district, the ramen was delicious!
Coffee! One of the best drip coffees I’ve had.
Fushimi Inari-Taisha — A great hike to the top of the mountain!
I slept in a japanese style tatami room in Yoshimizu Inn. Notice the optimal use of space with the small entrance. I also had to set up my own bedding.
Kyoto — Tokyo — Day 5
Thank you for such a hospitable and peaceful stay at Yoshimizu Inn in Kyoto. I wish I could’ve stayed there forever…
I tried some adventurous food at the Nishiki market, including Octopus and quail egg (on a stick), different kinds of pickles, fish on a stick, matcha ice cream and other bits of food.
Shinkansen back to Tokyo…
Tokyo — Day 6
Ippudo ramen!
Shopping at Tokyu Hands! (and Muji and Loft). So many small interesting things to buy. I got myself a Kinto drip coffee maker.
I had Tonkatsu at Maisen! The meat was so tender and the service was great!
More coffee at The Roastery, a hip-looking coffee place.
Tokyo — Day 7
I had the best sushi of my life at Tsukiji market (along with a fried shrimp head thanks to the chef). I think I tried about 3/4 of the ala carte menu below. I followed that up with more ramen, more coffee, more pastry (eating as much as possible on my last day in Tokyo!)
Tokyo — Delhi — Day 8
It was time to fly to Delhi…
I’ll miss the people, food and hospitality in Japan. The politeness and helpfulness of people made traveling alone a very welcoming and fun experience. It was also incredible to experience the immense thought put into everything, including the food and hospitality. The rich diversity in food meant I spent a large part of my trip eating, and I thoroughly enjoyed every single meal. It was a humbling experience to have the store employees bow and welcome you into a store. I found the the diversity of the different neighborhoods in Tokyo overwhelming but enticing. I enjoyed the temples, shrines and the traditional atmosphere in Kyoto. I also found the dialect in Kyoto very melodious, something that has stuck with me from my trip there. Finally, I cherish my interactions with the local people, which made my trip memorable.
I plan to learn more about the Japanese culture, history and language, so that I’m well prepared for my next trip. I already have several things in my bucket list! (repeat things in trip #1, Kaiseki dinner, Onsen, Mt. Fuji, Nagomi visit, Osaka, more Kyoto, more Tokyo and a bounty of other places), so I can’t wait!
All the photos from my trip are at https://goo.gl/photos/8gexSfJnpz4pjcwr5
