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Hows it look now? 2011/12/30 05:16
So, after some great advice on my last itinerary (how in the world did I end up deleting it!)I went back yesterday to review and make some changed, and somehow it ended up TOTALLY different to the one I started off with. But in a good way I hope.

July.
Tue 17 - Fly in, arrive at 7pm. Stay in hotel near Tsukuji.
Wed 18th - Tsukuji for breakfast, Hama Rikyu and if time permits a walk through Tsukushima. Head to Kusatsu. While here see Yubatake, Mt Shirone and Sainokawara Park in between relaxing in the onsens!
Thur 19th - Kusatsu.
Fri 20th - Kusatsu.
Sat 21st - Leave Kustatsu for Tokyo. Shibuya, Sky Tree for view.
Sun 22nd - Harajuku, Akihabara.
Mon 23rd - Mt Takaosan, Kawagoe, Ikebukuro.
Tue 24th - Day trip to Kamakura.
Wed 25th - Koishikawa Koraken, Imperial Palace Gardens, Yasukuni Shrine, Tokyo Dome City.
Thurs 26th - Day trip to Nikko
Fri 27th - Ghibli Museum, Kichijoji, Shinjuku.
Sat 28th - Edo Open Air Museum, Asakusa, Sumidagawa Fireworks Festival!
Sun 29th - Ueno, Odaiba (via the water bus)
Mon 30th - Nature Reserve, Zojoji Temple, Kyu Shiba Rikyu, Roppongi Hills, Tokyo Tower.
Tue 31st - Yanaka, Ginza, more Akihabara.
Wed 1st - Day trip to Yokohama.
Thurs 2nd - Revisit anything we want to, Fly out at 8pm.


I tried to take into account any closing days, but I may have gotten myself confused (this is the end result of SEVEN different itineraries!)

I also tried to keep things together based on location but at the same time tried not to see some 'same things' on one day.

Is there anything that I've overlooked? And is all this feasible/reasonable?

Thanks!
by Imperfect  

Re: Hows it look now? 2011/12/30 20:20
Just out of my own interest, which Hotel near Tsukiji are you staying at?
by mzui (guest) rate this post as useful

Re: Hows it look now? 2011/12/31 01:28
Please note that street performances are now banned at Akihabara during Pedestrian Heaven and the fashion scene at Harajuku in terms of people dressing up in bizarre clothes is nowhere near what it was 10 years ago (last time I went in October this year there was nobody on the bridge). I say this because it could be quite disappointing if the reason you are going to these places on a Sunday is to experience these things. If you want to go to these places to just shop, you may be better going on a weekday when it is quieter.
by Hmm (guest) rate this post as useful

Re: Hows it look now? 2011/12/31 02:21
I had the same experience in Harajuku. In 3/2005, it was packed with cosplay and in 10/2010 there was not a soul on a perfectly good day. And I doubt all the cosplay girls are Formula One fans (Japan GP was the same day).

Somewhat disappointing, but at least I got to see it 7 years ago....
by John (digs Japan) (guest) rate this post as useful

Re: Hows it look now? 2011/12/31 06:01
Umm...I try to rearrange.
Shrines, Temples and Gardens are closed by evening.The shopping quarters are O.K.
So I think you can visit, if you group together.

Tue 17 - Fly in, arrive at 7pm. Stay in hotel near Tsukuji.(you can glance at Ginza)

Wed 18th - Tsukuji for breakfast, Ginza, Otemachi, Imperial Palace, Tokyo Station.
Head to Kusatsu.

Thur 19th, Fri 20th - Kusatsu.

Sat 21st - Leave Kustatsu for Tokyo.
Meiji Shrine(the sacred place), Harajuku, Shibuya(Hachi-ko statue and crossing).

Sun 22nd - Yanaka(What a tasteful choise!), Ueno(you can watch SkyTree), Akihabara.

Mon 23rd - Mt.Takao-san, Shinjuku, Metropolitan Government Office building.

Wed 25th - Imperial Palace Gardens, Yasukuni Shrine, Koishikawa Korakuen, Tokyo Dome City.

Fri 27th - Ghibli Museum, Edo Open Air Museum, Kichijoji.(so hard?)

Sat 28th - Asakusa, Senso-ji temple, SkyTree for view, Sumidagawa Fireworks Festival!
(too crowded! secure your seat?)

Sun 29th - Hama Rikyu, Kyu Shiba Rikyu, Zojo-ji Temple, Tokyo Tower, Odaiba.
Sengaku-ji Temple is interesting too.

Mon 30th - Nature Reserve(where?), Nogi Shrine, Roppongi Hills.
Sanno-Hie Shrine is interesting.

Tue 31st - more Akihabara.

Thurs 26th - Day trip to Nikko.

Tue 24th - Day trip to Kamakura.
Wed 1st - Day trip to Yokohama, Sankei-en garden, China Town.

Kawagoe is so far, Ikebukuro and Tsukishima are what you want?
by ajapaneseboy rate this post as useful

confusion 2011/12/31 08:14
I think the OP is confused between Tokyo Edo Museum at Ryogoku, near Asaksusa, and the Tokyo Edo OPEN AIR Museum west of Shinjuku.
May help in the geography...
by fmj rate this post as useful

Re: Hows it look now? 2011/12/31 15:54
Thanks for the reply everyone.

Mzui: We are going to book in at the Tokyu Stay Higashi Ginza just for the first night. It looks really close to Tsukuji =)

Hmm and John: I am aware that it may not be 'what we would want it to be' but we want to visit these places anyway so we decided we would visit on a Sunday just in case we do see some cosplay. Crowds don't bother us in the slightest.

Ajajapenseboy: Thanks for trying to rearrange for me. I spread the day trips out because they will be so tiring for ourselves and my mother in-law who is coming with us. The Nature reserve I was referring to was the Institute for Nature Study - Nature Reserve.

And we realise it will be crowded for the fireworks, which is why we are getting there very early in the day, plus my MIL will be able to sit there for us while we explore some more if she is feeling tired =D

We like the look of Kawagoe and it's really only a short trip out of Tokyo. And the 'Art Space' and Sunshine City are a must for us in Ikebukuro =) We thought if we have time we'd look around Tsukishima because it looked interesting, but if we don't have time than I don't mind.

Fmj: I did mean the OPEN AIR museum but meant to put it at the beginning of the day.

I will have to swap Sun 29th and Mon 30th though as the nature reserve is closed on a Monday. Doh!

by Imperfect rate this post as useful

Re: Hows it look now? 2011/12/31 17:51
Tokyu Stay is a good Hotel.Before I stayed in Yotsuya.It was convenient and clean.

O.K.You have to make thoroughgoing preparations for Sumidagawa Fireworks Festival.It must beyond your expectation, a million people fill in Asakusa.And you have no elbowroom and can not stir an inch.
At the end of fireworks, Asakusa station is in panic.Many people walk slowly to the next station (Ueno, Kuramae and so on).
(It's hard to understand about Kuramae station.I often show somebody the way, include Japanese.)
I live in Asakusa, but I watched the fireworks from the riverside of the upper course.And I carelessly returned by train to Asakusa station and caged in...
So you will have to stay quite unruffled and enjoy that situation.
On 2012, it will be the 1st Festival with Sky-Tree for the background.

The Institute for Nature Study is great.When I visited, I couldn't believe that I was in Tokyo.But I'm a citizen, I'm unsure the travelers think so too.
And I can't recommend walking to Tsukishima.Because there is nothing noteworthy on the way.

BTW, I admire you have a good eye for traveling.
Excuse my persistent, I wish you have a nice trip!
by ajapaneseboy rate this post as useful

Re: Hows it look now? 2012/1/1 13:28
Thanks for the reply ajapenseboy. We are (hopefully) going to be staying in a hotel/hostel in Asakusa so we should be able to just walk back to our hotel (depending on actual location). Thanks so much for the info on it though. But I guess we won't be prepared for it no matter what people tell us! I can't wait to experience it =)I totally forgot about the Sky tree being in the sky this year. Looking forward to some really nice photos!

Glad that the Nature reserve doesn't dissapoint! It looks so pretty in the photos I can find of it so really looking forward to having a walk through it.
by Imperfect rate this post as useful

Re: Hows it look now? 2012/1/27 09:36
Hello again all,

We bought our flights (discounted night flights are the best!) and because they are not the ones I was planning on getting (they are better!) I had to redo our itinerary again.

Tue 17th: Fly in at 6 am. Head to Ueno, sit around and relax (maybe see a museum). Lunch time head to Kusatsu.
Wed 18th: Kusatsu
Thur 19th: Kusatsu
Fri 20th: Head to Tokyo (staying in either the Asakusa, Ueno, Shunjuku or Shibuya area). Shibuya, Sky Tree at night (if time permits).
Sat 21st: Ueno, waterbus to Odaiba.
Sun 22nd: Harajuku, Akihabara.
Mon 23rd: Takaosan, Edo Open Air Museum, Ikebukuro.
Tue 24th: Day trip to Kamakura.
Wed 25th: Imperial Palace East Gardens, Yasakuni Shrine, Koishikawa Koraken, Tokyo Dome City.
Thur 26th: Free day!
Fri 27th: Nature Reserve, Kyu Shiba Rikyu, Zojoji Temple, Tokyo Tower, Roppongi Hills.
Sat 28th: Asakusa, Sumidagawa Fireworks!!!
Sun 29th: Day trip to Yokohama.
Mon 30th: Ghibli, Kichijoji, Shinjuku
Tue 31: Day trip to Nikko.
Wed 1st: Yanaka, Ginza, Akihabara (because I know hubby will want to go back to spend more money!)
Thur 2nd: Spend excess money (if there is any) fly out at 8pm.


Have I missed anything important with closing days in this? It was quite hard to fit some things in!

My mother in law, who will be with us, is not the fittest person in the world. I have put Kamakura as our first day trip as I think if we had to choose one only that would be it. She doesn't know anything about Japanese culture but is interested, she just wants to see cool stuff over there. Would this be the better option? I have actually made her a 'seperate' itenerary that matches some of our stuff but is A LOT more slow paced.

I have made this itinerary very slow paced as I found on our first trip we tried to do way too much in a short amount of time but we seem to have a lot of free time! Thursday the 26 there is nothing on at all. While I am happy to leave it at that, if we felt energetic is there any day trips that people suggest? I was looking at Kawagoe, Izu Pinninsula or Hakone?

And lastly, which morning would be best for Tsukiji. We just want to have breakfast and see the shops outside the actual market. So I am thinking pretty much any morning? Would doing it on a 'day trip' day like Kamakura or Nikko be too much?
by Imperfect rate this post as useful

Re: Hows it look now? 2012/1/28 11:00
which morning would be best for Tsukiji.
It's absolutely early in the weekday morning.
In holiday, market is closed, so it's the same as other restrans in Tokyo.

She doesn't know anything about Japanese culture but is interested,
Asakusa, Imperial Palace, Yasakuni Shrine, Zojoji Temple, Nikko and Kamakura are very good choice.
And don't miss Meiji shrine in Harajuku!
I think there is the most beautiful sanctuary in Tokyo.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HmeAcr12TSk
And Hachi in Shibuya too!(^-^;)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XQ8TuxoSZeo

I have put Kamakura as our first day trip
And in Kamakura, I can recommend to walk from KitaKamakura station to Kamakura, if you can.
There are very beautiful zen-temples Enkaku-ji, Myogetsu-in, Kencho-ji and Tsuruoka-Hachiman-Gu shrine.
http://g.co/maps/9x48m

Have I missed anything important with closing days in this?
And late in July is the summer vacation season, so I recommend you make a booking as soon as possible.

And if you visit some temples/shrine, I can recommend goShuin for great souvenir in Japan.
http://www.japan-guide.com/forum/quereadisplay.html?0+88603
by ajapaneseboy rate this post as useful

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