Japan 10-day Itinerary [Tokyo, Nagano & Kyoto]

First built in the 600s to house a statue of Kannon said to have been fished out of the nearby Sumida River by two brothers.

Today, Sensoji in Asakusa is one of Tokyo’s most important and liveliest temples, dedicated to the Bodhisattva of compassion.

It’s also its oldest and most visited – it’s one of the world’s most widely visited spiritual sites with an estimated 30 million visitors a year.

The stall-lined approach is a bit touristy, but if you had time for just one temple in Tokyo, the giant gateways, five-storied pagoda, and vast main hall here make Sensoji the best choice.

Look out for the Kaminarimon (Thunder Gate), the temple’s outer gate, as you go in.

Ueno Park’s best museum, and Japan’s oldest museum, is one of the largest art museums in the world.

The museum collects, preserves and displays collections of artworks and cultural objects from across Asia, with a focus on Japanese art. It holds over 110,00 cultural artefacts and artworks, including 89 National Treasures.

For anyone interested in Japan’s fascinating past of emperors, shoguns, samurais and more, this is a must-see. The museum collection includes everything from ancient Buddhist sculptures, to samurai armour and even tea ceremony utensils.

If a day of museum hopping is your idea of heaven, look no further than Ueno Park in northeastern Tokyo.

Home to the Tokyo National Museum and its unparalleled collection of Japanese art and artefacts, plus five other museums, there isn’t a better concentration of cultural sites anywhere in the city.

With a boating pond, temple and other attractions, the park itself is a pleasant spot to linger. In late March and early April, when it’s all decorated pink by the annual wave of cherry blossoms, Ueno Park becomes one of Tokyo’s most popular sites for hanami (cherry blossom) parties and picnics.

Having avoided damage from the great quake of 1923, the bombs of World War Two and the attention of developers, the Yanaka neighbourhood retains a mellow and somewhat rickety ‘old Tokyo’ feel.

The narrow streets here are home to small temples and family-run stores, but also the occasional historic building repurposed as a hip cafe, bar or gallery.

A good starting point is the Yanaka Ginza shopping street, before branching off into the alleyways to find arty spots like the Asakura Museum of Sculpture and the uber-contemporary SCAI The Bathhouse gallery.

Alternatively, stop for craft beer in the renovated townhouse that houses the Yanaka Beer Hall.

After, walk on to Nezu Station to see the lovely Nezu Shrine or stroll to Ueno for the park and its museums.

Most of the ‘inner’ part of this famous wholesale fish market – where massive tunas are lined up for sale – has moved to Toyosu island, but much of it still gets delivered back to Tsukiji and the ‘outdoor’ part remains a bustling and vibrant food market.

With its narrow lanes filled with stalls and shops, the market offers a wide variety of fresh seafood, fruits, vegetables, and traditional Japanese delicacies. Sample sushi, sashimi, street food, and local snacks as you browse – perhaps even take a sushi breakfast.

A swanky retail complex in Ginza – a plush district in the heart of the city, home to high-end department stores and boutiques.

As the capital of a country where shopping counts as a legitimate hobby, Tokyo has all the retail bases covered.

When it comes to fashion, many boutiques and department stores carry imported goods, but to get a sense of local trends head to youthful fashion hubs like Harajuku or Shibuya.

Or take a shopping deep-dive into otaku culture in the Akihabara district – the place to pick up manga and anime-related goods, or gadgetry.

For something traditional, Japan produces superb crafts, such as Edo kiriko glassware, Wajima lacquerware and Bizen pottery.

And don’t skip the slick urban complexes – Roppongi Hills and Tokyo Midtown were the forerunners, but from its design through to its stores, Ginza 6 epitomizes contemporary Japanese style.

A classical expression of Japanese hospitality that can last for hours in its most elaborate form, the tea ceremony has been practised for centuries. Every aspect, from where the most important guest is seated to how the host wipes the utensils, has significance. Every movement is choreographed, and for kimono-dressed practitioners, the nuances take years to perfect.

Full versions (around 4 hours) are only for die-hards; shorter versions are available down to a mere 30 minutes, but the shorter it is, the less traditional. There are usually special options for children, and some will include sweet-making.

Even the shortest versions, though, are a great way to experience traditional Japanese culture and formality.

On the opposite side of Harajuku to the colourful teen fashions of Takeshita-dori and swanky boutiques of Omotesando-dori, Meiji Jingu provides the ultimate contrast to the city’s modern concrete jungle image.

Built in the 1920s to enshrine the Meiji Emperor and Empress, the Shinto shrine blends naturally into the 170 acres of lush forest that surround it.

An hour here is an opportunity to not just have a calm break from the hectic city, but to take in traditional shrine architecture and get a sense of how Shintoism is still important in modern-day Japan.

Whenever you visit, you’ll see visitors praying at the main shrine and writing wishes on votive tablets before hanging them in the inner shrine’s courtyard.

You might see a traditional Shinto wedding procession too – Meiji Jingu attracts lots of tourists, but it’s still a fully functioning shrine.

The place to come to discover the latest urban street fashions on Cat Street, as well as the colourful teen trends on the narrow and frequently ram-packed Takeshita-dori (street).

Like a thousand-person scrum, this is purportedly the world’s busiest road crossing – with as many as 3,000 people crossing at any one time. Grab a photo from above at the Crossing View observation deck.

Hundreds of cherry trees, combined with an entrance fee and no-alcohol policy, make the lawns of this park a great hanami spot for families.

A ramshackle collection of alleyways crammed with tiny bars, Golden Gai in Shinjuku is a low-rise 1960s throwback that has somehow managed to escape Tokyo’s thirst for redevelopment. It’s an atmospheric spot to soak up an authentic Tokyo cultural experience.

Some bars here specialize in cocktails, whiskey or craft beer, for others is a type of music or even a theme – try Deathmatch in Hell if you are a horror film fan or Bar Plastic Model to relive a 1980s childhood.

Other foreign-friendly, but not touristy bars to look out for are the gothic Albatross and English-speaking Ace.

Whizzing around Japan at up to 320 km/h, Japan’s world-famous ‘bullet train’ (shinkansen in Japanese) isn’t just quick, convenient and incredibly punctual – a journey on one is a bucket list experience in and of itself.

From the regimented cleaning crews who whip through the train before boarding to make the carriages spotless, through to bowing conductors, it’s a very Japanese affair. It’s very safe too; in 50 years, carrying over 10 billion passengers, there has not been a single injury.

With comfy reclining seats and, in most cases, regular trolley services selling snacks and drinks, it’s also very relaxing – especially if you watch Japan go by from the window while tucking into a bento and sake. Just as importantly, the Shinkansen can get you across large parts of Japan’s main island, Honshu, but also connects to Kyushu out west and Hokkaido up north.

It connects Toyko, Kyoto, Osaka, Nagano and many other major cities. So if you are planning to visit multiple destinations on your trip, make the Shinkansen part of your itinerary.

Japan is a mountainous country, jam-packed with volcanoes – and where there are volcanoes, there are hot springs. The underground geothermal activity heats water, that rises to the surface creating warm (even boiling), mineral-rich pools of water – fantastic for bathing in, if the temperature is right.

It’s estimated that Japan has over 3,000 hot springs – known as onsen – across the country. Good for health, especially skin, relaxing and sociable, it’s not surprisingly, then, that over the centuries a soak in an onsen has become an integral part of Japanese life and culture.

Many naturally occurring onsen have been converted into indoor (noten-buro) or outdoor (roten-buro) pleasure baths. They can be public or private facilities and sometimes contained within your hotel or ryokan.

For the real deal, you need to get out of the major cities to the natural sources of water. Public hot baths in cities, known as sento, don’t quite hit the spot.

Shiba Onsen is famed for its hit springs, and this traditional ryokan is in the middle of them all.

The simple but clean rooms come with the classic tatami mat floors and traditional futon bedding, but also some mod-cons: TVs, minibars and tea/coffee makers.

There are two restaurants on-site serving locally-inspired cuisine, but no kaiseki-ryori dinners.

The hotel has its own spa and hot-spring baths, but staying here, or at any of Shibu Onsen’s inns, also gives access to the nine public baths scattered around town – guests get a master key that unlocks them all. A free shuttle from Yudanaka Station is available upon request. Just ask the kimono-clad staff.

The inn is also close to the Jigokudani Snow Monkey Park, home of the world-famous, onsen-bathing red-faced snow monkeys, so you can tick off two bucket list experiences in one.

The Jigokudani Monkey Park in Nagano is famously home to a colony of red-faced Japanese macaque monkeys – that soak blissfully in the natural hot-spring baths.

The enigmatic monkeys and their startling, human-like bathing behaviour were first propelled to international stardom by the BBC’s world-renowned wildlife documentaries; now every guidebook to Japan has a photo of them.

The area is mountainous and volcanic – heating the baths geothermally. In the winter, you can witness huge plumes of steam emanating from the hot springs that pool around this region. It’s a fairly bleak place – an hour watching the monkeys is usually enough.

Whizzing around Japan at up to 320 km/h, Japan’s world-famous ‘bullet train’ (shinkansen in Japanese) isn’t just quick, convenient and incredibly punctual – a journey on one is a bucket list experience in and of itself.

From the regimented cleaning crews who whip through the train before boarding to make the carriages spotless, through to bowing conductors, it’s a very Japanese affair. It’s very safe too; in 50 years, carrying over 10 billion passengers, there has not been a single injury.

With comfy reclining seats and, in most cases, regular trolley services selling snacks and drinks, it’s also very relaxing – especially if you watch Japan go by from the window while tucking into a bento and sake. Just as importantly, the Shinkansen can get you across large parts of Japan’s main island, Honshu, but also connects to Kyushu out west and Hokkaido up north.

It connects Toyko, Kyoto, Osaka, Nagano and many other major cities. So if you are planning to visit multiple destinations on your trip, make the Shinkansen part of your itinerary.

First built in 1397 as a shogun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu’s retirement villa, but then transformed into a Zen temple upon his death in 1408, no sight better highlights the former capital’s glory than this gilded temple casting a shimmering reflection into its islet-studded pond.

Taking in the view while strolling Kinkakuji’s garden pathways is a timeless experience. So, despite having UNESCO World Heritage status, it can be a surprise to hear that the current structure only dates to 1955. That’s when Kinkakuji was rebuilt after being burnt down by a crazed monk in 1950.

Hats off to the artisans who painstakingly recreated it – it’s stunning

Translating as The Temple of the Dragon at Peace, this Zen temple’s cryptically designed rock garden is considered one of the finest surviving examples of ‘dry landscape’ Japanese Zen temple garden design featuring distinctive larger rock formations arranged amidst a sweep of smooth pebbles. A UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Walking through the towering bamboo grove of Arashiyama (aka Sagano Bamboo Forest) can be an almost meditative experience. The emerald canopy beautifully filters shafts of light. Leaves rustle and stalks creak. Even when selfie sticks are swaying in tandem with the bamboo, it’s otherworldly.

With the grove’s walkway being just 500 metres long, it’s also brief. To get more from the trip, stop by Tenryu-ji Temple for its gorgeous, landscaped garden and then check out the opulent Okochi Sanso Villa.  Built by a silent movie star, it features traditional architecture, garden teahouses and sweeping views over the city.

This temple near the famous bamboo grove in Arashiyama is worth admission for its 700-year-old Zen garden. Although built around a central pond, it’s also a classic example of a garden that employs shakkei (borrowed scenery), with the surrounding mountains adding depth to each scenic point.

Founded in the late 700s, this World Heritage temple in the Higashiyama area is best known for its five-story pagoda and main hall, the latter of which features a photogenic veranda jutting out over a maple-covered hillside.

The shrine that protects the Gion geisha district is one of Kyoto’s most distinctive sights. Entered through a roofed gateway painted a vivid vermillion, its grounds include a striking dance stage – used for performances during festivals – that’s adorned with several hundred lanterns lit each evening.

This extremely popular spot near Gion has a giant weeping cherry tree that’s illuminated at night, plus loads of food stalls.

Geishas (translation: artist) are female performance artists trained in dance, music, singing, conversation and hosting. Famous for their distinctive appearance – dressed in colourful kimonos, complimented by elaborate hairstyles and oshiroi make-up, they’ve been entertaining Japan’s wealthy and well-connected for centuries.

Kyoto’s historic Gion quarter, one of the world’s best known geisha districts, is the place to see them. The world of geishas is exclusive and mysterious, but a walk around Gion gives fleeting glimpses into their lives and this remarkable, uniquely Japanese tradition.

The most famous of Gion’s streets, the flagstone-paved Hanami-koji, is a beautiful relic, lined with old wooden chaya (teahouses) where many geishas entertain. While chaya are off-limits without an invitation, you can stroll Gion in the early evening and spot geisha heading to work in their finest kimonos.

Also stop by the Gion Corner Theatre for the nightly one-hour shows. They’re touristy but fun, and include geisha dancing, traditional music, flower arranging and more.

Japan’s first permanent capital, from 710 to 794, the city of Nara is calmer, greener and more historic than Kyoto, and it’s home to some of Japan’s finest historical sites.

UNESCO recognises eight locations making up the ‘Historic Monuments of Ancient Nara’ World Heritage site, including 5 Buddhist temples, one palace, one Shinto shrine and primaeval forest. See the full list on Wikipedia.

Most people start at Todaiji, a temple built in 752 that houses a 15-metre-high bronze statue of Buddha, then walk through the leafy expanse of Nara Park to Kasuga Taisha. The stone lantern-lined approach to this shrine passes through ancient forest, before reaching a vivid red main building decorated with hundreds of bronze lanterns.

On the way, look out for the park’s thousand or so wild-roaming deer. You can get close and even feed them.

One of Japan’s most famous and historically significant temples. It was built in 752 as the head of all provincial Buddhist temples, and instantly became a seat of power to rival the shogun. Today, it’s also renowned for the 15-metre-high bronze statue of Buddha (Daibutsu) in the main hall.

This UNESCO World Heritage site dating back to 768, is the shrine of the once-powerful Fukjiwara clan and an outstanding example of kasuga-zukuri architecture. Nara’s most important shrine is also renowned for hundreds of bronze lanterns, donated by worshippers and lit twice a year during for lantern festivals.

Meaning ‘garden founded on water’, Isuien is a gorgeous Japanese garden dating back to the 17th century. It’s filled with ponds, colourful acer trees and a smattering of traditional tea houses.

Stretching along five shop-lined blocks, Kyoto’s oldest food market immerses visitors in Kyoto’s culinary heritage. Over 100 stalls and restaurants offer all and anything food related.

A classical expression of Japanese hospitality that can last for hours in its most elaborate form, the tea ceremony has been practised for centuries. Every aspect, from where the most important guest is seated to how the host wipes the utensils, has significance. Every movement is choreographed, and for kimono-dressed practitioners, the nuances take years to perfect.

Full versions (around 4 hours) are only for die-hards; shorter versions are available down to a mere 30 minutes, but the shorter it is, the less traditional. There are usually special options for children, and some will include sweet-making.

Even the shortest versions, though, are a great way to experience traditional Japanese culture and formality.

The succession of artistically presented dishes that comprise a kaiseki-ryori dinner has come to represent the pinnacle of Japanese cuisine.

Featuring anywhere up to 12 fixed courses that focus on in-season produce, kaiseki will include some familiar elements, with sashimi early in the dinner, delicate tempura later, and maybe a few mouthfuls of wagyu as a centrepiece. The rest, however, can be wonderfully indecipherable.

Being such an exalted cuisine, kaiseki dinners don’t come cheap – expect to pay at least £100 a head. Or, go for lunch, when many restaurants offer taster sets at a fraction of the price.

Just reserve well ahead – even though Japan has plenty of kaiseki restaurants, they always book up quickly.

They are often served at ryokans (traditional Japanese inns). For a real flavour of traditional Japan, book in for a night at one, and tick off both bucket list experiences at once.

To stay a night at one of Japan’s ryokan (traditional inns) is to immerse yourself in living history – the oldest hotel in the world is a ryokan, established in 705 and still going strong 51 generations later.

Ryokan can be modest or uber-luxurious, but there are defining traits.

Almost all have tatami mat rooms and futon beds, staff wearing traditional attire like kimono, and an air of calm and quiet. Many have in-house onsen baths, and serve traditional kaiseki-ryori dinners (if not the full 12-course extravaganza, then at least simpler multi-course dinner that focuses on local produce and specialities).

But it won’t be for everyone. Kids can find ryokan a bit dull – and the food challenging. The service, though often superb, can also be inflexible, with mealtimes locked into narrow windows and many mid-range and above ryokan not offering room-only stays. The best approach is to stay for just one night.

In business since 1818, this classic ryokan, in a quiet side street close to many of Kyoto’s central attractions, ticks all the traditional boxes – tatami-mat guestrooms, sublime 12-course kaiseki-ryori dinner, kimono-clad staff, and an air of tranquillity.

It’s easy to see why it has long been a haunt of dignitaries and Hollywood A-listers – Elizabeth Taylor, Charlie Chaplin and many more make an appearance in the sixth-generation owner’s family album.

When it comes to the 28 rooms, for spaciousness and an old-Kyoto ambience, request one of the four original ground-floor rooms with private gardens. For something sleeker, opt for a room in the newer, but traditionally crafted annex.

Whichever room type, the Hiiragiya is best for travellers who want their hotel to be an integral part of the experience. A ryokan is a place to unwind and slowly absorb Japanese culture.

A sprawling mountainside shrine complex with trails covered by thousands of vermillion-coloured torii gateways, Fushimi Inari has become one of Japan’s most photographed sites.

Founded in the 8th century, but with most of the spread-out buildings dating to the 1500s, the shrine is one of the most sacred in Japan. It’s dedicated to Inari, the god of rice, sake and prosperity, and functions as the head of some 40,000 Inari sub-shrines nationwide.

It’s a wonderfully eerie place to explore, and a pleasing way to soak up traditional culture while getting some fresh air and exercise.

One of Japan’s better-known sake brands, Gekkeikan was founded in Kyoto’s Fushimi district in 1637, and while they now produce most of their sake on a large scale in Fushimi.

Their Gekkeikan Okura Sake Museum is the perfect primer for anyone interested in Japan’s national tipple. Housed in a renovated wooden brewery dating from 1909, the museum’s exhibits document the history of sake, its varieties and how it’s made. Better still, at the adjoining Sakekobo mini-brewery, visitors can see small-batch sake being brewed with traditional methods. If that triggers a thirst, no problem – the tasting area has several Gekkeikan’s brews for sampling.

Whizzing around Japan at up to 320 km/h, Japan’s world-famous ‘bullet train’ (shinkansen in Japanese) isn’t just quick, convenient and incredibly punctual – a journey on one is a bucket list experience in and of itself.

From the regimented cleaning crews who whip through the train before boarding to make the carriages spotless, through to bowing conductors, it’s a very Japanese affair. It’s very safe too; in 50 years, carrying over 10 billion passengers, there has not been a single injury.

With comfy reclining seats and, in most cases, regular trolley services selling snacks and drinks, it’s also very relaxing – especially if you watch Japan go by from the window while tucking into a bento and sake. Just as importantly, the Shinkansen can get you across large parts of Japan’s main island, Honshu, but also connects to Kyushu out west and Hokkaido up north.

It connects Toyko, Kyoto, Osaka, Nagano and many other major cities. So if you are planning to visit multiple destinations on your trip, make the Shinkansen part of your itinerary.