I visited Japan for the first time around Thanksgiving 2019 for a two-week trip with my parents. Since it was our first time in Japan - we explored the most popular spots in the main cities.

Cities Visited (in-order):

• Osaka
• Kyoto
• Himeji
• Kobe
• Nara
• Tokyo

Lodging:

We mainly stayed in Osaka for most of the trip (at the Osaka Marriott Miyako Hotel) which was also an easy 40-min train ride to Kyoto. Luckily, the JR train station was at the bottom of the hotel and had direct trains to Kyoto Station. Once we flew into Narita Airport in Tokyo, we went straight to Osaka to check-into the hotel.

We chose to mainly stay in Osaka throughout most of the trip since it's very central to many other cities, as well as being close to Kyoto. Around Osaka were <1 hr train rides to Kyoto, Himeji, Kobe, and Nara.

Once we were in Tokyo, we stayed at an AirBnb for a few days in the Shin-Okubo district in Shinjuku.

Places Visited:

Kyoto:

My favorite part of the trip was exploring Kyoto. The most beautiful and unique places were in Kyoto and they provided the quintessential Japan experience.

• Fushimi Inari Shrine (i.e. red torii gates)
• Arashiyama Bamboo Grove
• Yasaka Pagoda
• Iwatayama Monkey Park
• Kinkaku-ji (i.e. golden temple)

Osaka:

Osaka is mainly known for eating and shopping and you can find many malls and eateries around the city. There are also famous historic sites like Osaka Castle as well.

• Osaka Castle
• Dotonbori (popular eating/shopping area that runs along a canal)

Himeji:

We took a day trip from Osaka to visit Himeji mainly to explore Himeji Castle - one of the most famous landmarks in Japan. Himeji Castle is worth exploring if you have an extra day to travel outside Osaka.

• Himeji Castle

Kobe:

On the train ride back from Himeji to Osaka, we took a quick stop in Kobe (en-route) to try Kobe beef in Kobe (ended up trying Steakland Kobe-kan).

Nara:

Similar to Himeji, Nara is a quick day trip from Osaka known for it's deer. You can buy crackers from local vendors and feed them to flocks of deer.

• Nara Park
• Todaiji Temple (one of the largest wooden temples in the world)
• Nakatanidou (famous mochi-pounding shop)

Tokyo:

On the last leg of our trip was Tokyo where we spent just a few days. Tokyo reminded me of a more 'New York' New York, with bigger crowds, more ad displays, and more of everything.

• Shinjuku District
• Tsukiji Market (famous seafood market)

Japan Travel Tips:

1. Mobile Hotspot - Renting a mobile hotspot makes it easy to use WiFi on the go for multiple devices. These can be rented/returned at the airport
2. Unlimited JR Pass - Unlimited JR Passes are available for visitors to Japan (we rented a 7-day JR Pass. Make sure to buy/pick these up in your country before flying)