Planning the Trip to Japan (aka a post for Kayla)

My friend Kayla requested a trip about the details of what went into planning for Japan so here goes!

So after doing a few trips with the kids: Western Canada, an epic trip to Universal in Florida, Costa Rica, and Italy, we had to decide what part of the world we wanted to travel to next.  The trickiest part is that since we are planning this around March Break, we are very limited on where we can choose as not everywhere is good to travel in March.  We also knew this was going to be our last chance to do a 2 week trip because next year Joel will be in University and his breaks will be different than Owen and Anna’s.  So we will have to figure out a new travel strategy, but it’s pretty clear that we won’t be able to do 2 weeks.  So we bounced around a few ideas with the kids and we landed on Japan!

And then I got to do my favourite thing which is start to piece together a 2 week trip across Japan!  I know I am absolutely crazy with how much time and effort I put into the planning.  It’s my favourite hobby.  I definitely put over 100 hours in.  I do enough in the spring/summer so that I can book my flights because I like to do that early. I like to lock down my airbnbs early too.  Then I usually take a break until we close up camp and get back to it in the late fall to nail everything down and start booking things.

My methods have changed SO much since the days when I planned our 9 week backpacking trip across Europe.  In those days I used Guidebooks and while there was some information online, it wasn’t the main source of info.  I booked many B&Bs in those days from a small paragraph in a guidebook that said: “XYZ B&B offers 4 cozy double rooms with a bathroom down the hall.  It is clean and well-maintained although the rooms are tight and the windows don’t open so they can get a bit stuffy.”  I’d send an email to ask to reserve one of those rooms and print out the confirmation and bring it with me.  There was no Google maps to look it up on.  No website to see pictures. No reviews to read.

I did buy a couple of guide books to Japan and although I flipped through them, I honestly didn’t use them at all.  It’s so different these days!  These days I used:  1.  Chat GPT.  2.  Youtube.  3.  Google Maps.  4.  Websites.

I knew a couple of things going in.  First, I didn’t want to do more than 3-4 hotels.  Moving hotels is extremely time consuming and inefficient. Packing up everything, then walking to a train station with our luggage, taking the train, finding a place to store our luggage (because our next Airbnb is not available for check-in until 4pm, and then getting there, unpacking everything, figuring out where there’s a grocery store nearby to get some groceries, cream for coffee etc.  It wastes a lot of time.  And so we much prefer to stay in one place for several days and side-trip from there.  Our toothpaste is already at the sink when we get back to our room, our shampoo is in the shower, our chargers are plugged in and ready to go, our fridge has breakfast items for several days.  It’s way better.

Second, I knew we wanted to do at least one day at Disney and one day at Universal.  We’ve had a ton of fun at theme parks and we love those days.  Universal in Osaka has Super Nintendo World which we’ve never been to and it is extremely highly rated.  There are 2 Disney theme parks in Tokyo.  One has a lot of overlap with Magic Kingdom so we elected to skip it.  The other (DisneySea) is one of the most highly rated Disney Parks and has almost no overlap with any other Disney Parks. What a wild chance to get to do a Disney Park where all of the Disney Characters speak Japanese!  Haha!

Third, we wanted to do a significant amount of things outside of the huge cities like Tokyo and Osaka.  So we wanted to plan daytrips to smaller, areas where we would be more in nature.

Fourth, I want to embrace the weird and cute and true Japanese things and do a Karaoke booth, arcades, weird shopping, robot cafes, cat cafes, etc.

Fifth, Trev and Owen wanted to do a couple of climbing gyms, so we fit those in.

Sixth, we never do a round trip and fly out of the same airport we fly into.  I’m actually not sure if I’ve ever done a trip in all the trips we’ve done where we’ve flown out of the same airport we landed in. So we would fly into Tokyo and fly out of Osaka.  This way we don’t need to backtrack back to Tokyo and stay in a hotel in Tokyo again the day before our flight.

So with all of that, I started using Chat GPT as a starting point.  I would start simple: Give me a detailed itinerary for a group travelling to Japan for the first time.  We will Start in Tokyo and end in Osaka.  We will arrive March X and fly out March X.  We will be travelling with 3 teenagers and 2 adults.

And then from there I’d start the iterations to make it fit our travel style more.  

• We want to leave our room between 8am and 9am and we want to be back by 8pm

• We don’t want to eat breakfast out and about.  We will eat before we leave for the morning

• We want to do a pretty busy travel pace

• We aren’t interested in a lot of time for shopping

At any time you can get it to change what it told you by giving it feedback:  “We aren’t interested in the Samurai Museum.  Take that out and re-optimize the itinerary.”

PS Chat GPT gets stuff wrong all the time.  I asked it the other day: Can you use the interactive wands at Universal Japan that were purchased at Universal Orlando?  It said no and had a full description of why, stating that they used different technology.  I thought that was weird so I did a couple of web searches and found that you absolutely can use them.  I went back to chatGPT and said, “I think you actually can use them.”  And it comes back and says, “You are right!  You can use them!”  So it’s a good starting point for planning days and it generally does a good job but I verify everything after with more research.

As soon as we pick a Country to travel in, I join a bunch of Facebook Groups and my feed starts to get inundated with posts about that location. I joined a few Japan travel pages, a Japan with kids travel page, a Universal Japan page and a Tokyo Disney travel page.  So every time I open Facebook, there are 3 or 4 posts about people’s hints and tricks or questions or itineraries.  So I start to gather info.  Someone posts…”I learned a lesson today.  Book tickets in advance for site XYZ.  We travelled all the way there and tickets were sold out!”  I immediately add that to my notes.  Someone mentions a cool site they saw and posts pictures…I add it to my itinerary (and probably ask Chat GPT where it makes sense to slot it in).

One thing I did this time is ask Chat GPT to give me a list of the best side-trips from Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka.  I had a list of about 15 places and then I moved to YouTube.  I’d watch a bunch of videos (and if you know me well you know I was watching them all at 2x speed!) and noting which ones looked interesting and which ones didn’t.  So I watched a bunch of videos, showed a few to Trev and we picked a few day trips and locked those in.

I really try to do things that fit in with what WE like to do and are not just things on a list of things you should do in Japan.  We are definitely probably going to do less shopping than the average tourist.  We are skipping some things that some people probably would not skip like a Mount Fuji daytrip (very weather dependent, not super easy transit wise and I didn’t find it a must do for us), Golden Palace in Kyoto (it didn’t work well in our itinerary and so we just decided to skip it instead of trying to force it in).  But we also are visiting several places that others might choose to skip.  Some of our daytrips are to lesser known places for hiking.  We are doing a Harry Potter Studio Tour, we are hitting a couple of Climbing Gyms, etc.

Note about the Harry Potter Studio Tour - I was so torn booking this.  We have spent so much time engrossed in the Harry Potter Universe and introduced our kids to Harry Potter and they loved it as much as we did.  And then JK Rowling decided to make it her life’s work to campaign against Trans rights.  Of the things she could choose to put time, effort and money into, she has chosen to be on the wrong side of this one.  I really don’t want to spend a dollar of my money in a way that will benefit JKR and her crazy online rants.  But this is a really cool opportunity to visit a very unique Harry Potter exhibit, of which there are only 2 in the world…Tokyo and London.  Honestly the London exhibit (along with doing a bunch of Harry Potter themed stuff) was one of the draws when we planned our first European trip with the kids.  We had to cancel that trip due to Covid and never got to do the Harry Potter Studio Tour (or anything else from that trip).  So this was one thing the kids really wanted to do in Tokyo.  After much debate we decided to do the tour and then donate an amount equal to our admission to a Trans/LGBT charity.

Once we had an overall basic itinerary, this is where I go way more crazy than everyone else.  I research every site.  Are there tips and tricks for that site?  How do you get there and how long does it take?  What time are they open?  Do you need to buy tickets in advance?  How long do people normally spend there?  What days of the week is it most crowded?  Is it better in the morning, afternoon or evening?  What entrance do I go in? So for example at a temple I want to know in advance how you get tickets when you get there, that there is a little gong that you can use to call the spirits before a prayer, that there is a little pond that is supposed to have healing waters that you can splash on your face, that there is a place to purchase fortunes and what you do with them.  To do this I might watch some youtube videos of people visiting that site and make some notes.  And I’d ask ChatGPT.  And I might add some notes that I’d seen posted in some of the Japan forums . And that would give me a good plan for that site!  And then onto the next one!

One thing I did for this trip that worked really well (since I don’t have Rick Steves walking tours), is I would say to ChatGPT.  “You are a tour guide.  You are very detailed.  Give me a walking tour that points out points of interest and walks me through a visit to Meiji Jingu Shrine.  I will arrive around 9am and want to spend about 2 hours there.  Be detailed and include stops not to miss, costs, prices, etc.”  And it would throw back something like this:

Stop 1 — 9:30-9:35 Western Torii Gate (Sangubashi Gate)

Coming from Yoyogi, you enter through a quieter, more residential-facing gate.

What to look for:

• First large wooden torii (still impressive, though not the “main” one from Harajuku)

• Dense forest canopy overhead

• A wide gravel path that immediately isolates you from city noise

Stop 2 — 9:35-9:47 Forest Walk to the Main Shrine Complex

This is one of the best parts of coming through the Yoyogi side: the forest walk feels more isolated.

What’s interesting:

• The trees were planted in 1920 and donated from across Japan

• You’ll pass smaller sub-paths and wooden signboards explaining the history

• This path leads you toward the central shrine plaza where several key things are located.

Stop 3 — 9:47-9:55 Main Courtyard & Temizuya (Purification Font)

As you approach the main buildings:

• Stop at the temizuya (water purification basin)

• If you want to observe or participate: rinse left hand → right hand → mouth → left hand again (don’t touch the ladle to your lips).  Free of charge

• The large plaza is ideal for photos of wooden architecture and the copper rooflines.
  
  

Stop 4 — Main Shrine 9:55-10:25 (Honden & Haiden)

Watch visitors pray: bow twice → clap twice → bow once

Make an offering at the hall (optional coins; usually ¥5 is symbolic)

Look for weddings on weekends — they happen often (free to observe respectfully)

Optional: Buy an ema wish plaque (~¥500) and hang it on the rack, or purchase an omamori charm (~¥800–¥1,500).

  

Etc.  So I find that really helpful and include it in my itinerary, despite others probably thinking it’s overkill.

In addition to researching the specific itinerary, I also like to research all kinds of other topics.

How does the transportation system work in Japan?  How do you get tickets?  How do you use train station ticket machines?  How do you enter the turnstiles?  Do you need to tap in and then tap out at the other side?  What about buses?  How would you take a taxi?  Are there taxis that would fit 5 people?  How do you get from the airport?  Are there tips and tricks for getting through the airport easier (spoiler alert…there are!  Fill out the Visit Japan app before you leave!).  How do I survive a 14 hour flight?  How do I deal with Jetlag after a 14 hour time difference?  What sorts of foods are not to miss in Japan?  How does conveyor belt sushi work?  What should I know if there’s an earthquake?  etc.

Could I survive if I just showed up and hadn’t done any of this research?  For sure!  But the trip would be less efficient and I would find it stressful.  And I would miss out on all the fun I had researching and planning! Other people would find it stressful to arrive in Japan with pages and pages of notes an an itinerary to follow. And I get that. But I'm not them! ;)

For flights, we booked in August or September for March I think.  We did pay extra for the Bulkhead Row seat. It is yet to be seen if this is a good decision or a bad decision (more space but higher chance of babies in that row).  For AirBNBs I spend a lot of time finding the right place for us.  Number 1 priority is distance from a subway station.  I don’t want anything more than a 3-4 minute walk from the closest station.  This comes from experience.  We walk over 20,000 steps per day and at the end of the day when we are getting back to our room, an 8 minute walk can seem like FOREVER!!!  I also want 4 proper beds (not pull out couches). Again, we have learned that for our family, when the kids share beds, nobody gets a good sleep and everyone wakes up crabby.  So this is needed.  Other than that we don’t need fancy, but it needs to have good reviews on AirBNB! I did try to find places that had a bit of Japanese flair.

This trip Trev and I did Duolingo for about 8 months to learn a bit of Japanese.  We gave up recently because we were getting into weird units that were useless to use: “My oldest son is a lively lawyer.”  So we will just memorize about 15 phrases that we will use. But we can recognize a decent amount of words and phrases and understand a bit about Japanese Grammer now!

We also found a couple of Youtubers that we had fun watching.  PiqTour is an American tour guide/photographer who lives in Kyoto who had lots of videos about areas of Japan plus daytrips and I used a lot of her plans for visiting sites on a daytrip when planning my days.  And then we found a Youtube channel called TabiEats where a couple of Japanese guys eat every type of food in Japan and Trev and I love watching all the crazy food they have there and adding notes to our lists of food not to miss!

So that’s about it I think.  When people ask for my itinerary I’m a bit embarrassed to send it to them because I know it’s a crazy amount of detail.  But honestly I’m not sure too many people get so many hours of enjoyment for one trip because I truly get a whole year or enjoyment out of the planning and research part of it and it really does add to my enjoyment of everything!  So after all that, here is our itinerary!

1. Saturday March 7 - Leave Toronto

1. Fly out at 12:35pm.  14 hour flight.

2. Sunday March 8 - Arrive in Tokyo at 4:30pm

3. Monday March 9 - Tokyo

1. Senso-ji Temple, Nakamise Shopping Street, Cat Café MoCHA, teamLab Planets

4. Tuesday March 10 - Daytrip from Tokyo to Mount Takao

1. Mountain Hike, Mount Takao Trick Art Museum, Ichiran Ramen, Karaoke

5. Wednesday March 11 - DisneySea

6. Thursday March 12 - Daytrip to Kamakura

1. Komachi-dori,  Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine, Hokokuji Temple, Japanese BBQ, Kōtoku-in, Hasedera Temple, Kamakura Beach

7. Friday March 13 - Tokyo

1. Warner Bros Harry Potter, Climbing Gym/Cat Café Nyankoto

8. Saturday March 14 - Tokyo

1. Meiji Jingu Shrine, Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden, Harajuku / Takeshita Street, Hachiko Statue, Shibuya Crossing, Shibuya Sky, Pepper Parlor Robot Restaurant

9. Sunday March 15 - Kyoto

1. Shinkansen, Ekiben, Nishiki Market, Kiyomizu-dera Temple, Sannenzaka & Ninenzaka Stroll, Yasaka Pagoda (Hōkan-ji Temple), Nene-no-Michi, Maruyama Park, Yasaka Shrine, Hanamikoji Street, Shirakawa Canal Area, Dinner in Pontocho Alley

10. Monday March 16 - Daytrip from Kyoto to Kurama and Kifune

1. 
   

2. Hike Kurama and Kifune, Yaska Shrine (lit up), Shirakawa Canal Evening Stroll

11. Tuesday March 17 - Arashiyama

1. Arishiyama Bamboo Grove, Nonimiya Shrine, Tenryu-ji Temple, Kimono Forest, Togetsukyo Bridge, Monkey Park Iwatayama, Rent Bikes, Adashino Nenbutsu-ji & Otagi Nenbutsu-ji

12. Wednesday March 18 - Daytrip from Kyoto to Nara

1. Higashimuki Shopping Street, Nakatanidō, Kōfuku-ji (grounds), Tōdai-ji, Nigatsu-dō, Kasuga Taisha, Fushimi Inari Taisha

13. Thursday March 19 - Osaka

1. Osaka Castle Grounds, Shinsekai, Tsūtenkaku Tower, Billiken statue, Namba Yasaka Shrine, Dotonbori Canal, Dotonbori River Cruise

14. Friday March 20 - Universal Studios Japan

15. Saturday March 21 - Osaka and fly home

1. Kuromon Ichiba Market, Hozen-ji Temple, Airport and Home.  Flight from Osaka 4pm to Tokyo 5:15pm.  Tokyo 6:50pm to Toronto (6pm).

Interesting that we leave Tokyo at 6:50pm on Saturday and arrive in Toronto at 6pm on Saturday so technically after being on a flight for 13 hours, we travel back in time and arrive in Toronto before we left Tokyo :) 

By the way, one things that makes things very interesting when booking things and researching in Japan is dealing with the Japanese language on websites, emails etc. For example this is a confirmation that I got after reserving a restaurant.

 Sometimes translations work well and sometimes they don't. I find a lot of Japanese websites use images instead of text a lot and the translations won't translate the images. So for example I often see websites like this with a lot of information translated to English, but many things (often including key information or buttons or form titles you need to fill out) that are still in Japanese!