Pro tips:

• No tourist visa needed for US citizens
• A lot of places take credit cards, but plenty don’t so it’s smart to get some money out of an ATM when you arrive
• To get around on public transit (a must while in Japan, it’s incredible), download the Suica card on your phone before you arrive. Here’s a guide on how to do it. I had trouble re-loading using apple pay (looking on reddit it looks like I am not alone in experiencing this issue), but it’s easy enough to find a machine at one of the subway stations to top it up (requires cash though!).
• Unless you are going to be taking trains like every other day, it’s unlikely that the train pass is worth it. They changed the price & now it’s far harder for it to pay for itself. My dad and I just bought Shinkansen or regular train tickets day of at the station to get around Japan. Definitely take the Shinkansen train at least once. It’s wild how quick & efficient they are!
• Get excited for the toilet experience in Japan!!! It’s like a spa day every time you use the restroom. You are in for a treat. Don’t miss out on trying all the different buttons it has to offer.
• Try fun snacks at 7-eleven. It’s not like the US at all. My favorite were the shelf stable pancakes with maple syrup & butter. I loved keeping them in my daypack for an emergency snack option.
• Do not miss out on doing some Onsens. This was a highlight for my dad & me! Just be aware you aren’t allowed to have tattoos in many of them so make sure to pay attention to this.
• Because Tokyo is huge, it’s hard to be “perfectly” centrally located. Instead focus on having your accommodation be near 1-2 metro stations. We used the metro system every single day so if you are near a few then it will be very easy to explore Tokyo!
• I thought the metro system was incredible easy to navigate despite being in a different language (post 2021 Olympics there is far more English signage which helps). My pro tip for navigating the metro system is to use Google maps and just focus on the color of the line you are taking & the letter & number of the stop you are trying to go to. For example: if I am taking the green line and getting on at stop H19 and need to go to H14 then those are the only three things I pay attention as I am navigating the signage at the metro stop. I ignore the name of the line & the names of the stations. But seriously, Google maps gave all the correct information every time including telling you what platform to get on, which was SO helpful.
• Don’t worry about having “too much” time in Tokyo. I spent 9 days & barely scratched the surface. I would’ve happily stayed longer.
• I was surprised at how little English was spoken in Japan. If you had told me that I would encounter more people in Laos speaking English than in Japan, I would’ve said “No way!” but this definitely was true. Have a translator app ready because you’ll need it Everyone was so kind in trying to help, but in order to get the help, you need to use a translator since most folks we interacted with spoke little to no English. I truly think in all my travels (60+ countries at this point) Japan is where I encountered the least amount of English. Not a bad thing & it didn’t affect our travels at all, but it’s just something to be prepared for.

My Japan trip was slightly different than my usual backpacker adventures for two reasons:

1. I was with people the whole time! My German friend Sonja (who I met in Thailand), Marisa (a friend from California), & my dad all joined me for parts of the trip. We even had one day where we adventured the four of us.
2. My dad joined me for 10 out of the 15 days and GENEROUSLY paid for the trip so I didn’t stay in hostels for most of my trip here. It’s also why my budget section only reflect the 5 days he wasn’t with me. It also meant I did 5 nights in Tokyo with Sonja & then Marisa before my dad arrived. Marisa, my dad & I immediately went to Kyoto after my dad landed in Tokyo. After Kyoto my dad & I said goodbye to Sonja & Marisa & headed to Hakone for 2 nights before ending the trip in Tokyo for 4 nights.

CITY: Tokyo

HOW LONG: 5 NIGHTS (with Sonja & Marisa) + 4 nights (with my dad)

ACCOMMODATION:

Hostel with Sonja: Citan Hostel This hostel was honestly great. Comfy beds, clean rooms & bathrooms, cute little kitchen & common area to eat a meal from 7 eleven. There’s a bar/cafe downstairs that sometimes has live music. Wasn’t that easy to meet people but it didn’t matter since Sonja & I were together. This is a common complaint about hostels in Japan. It seems like weirdly universally people struggle to meet people in Japanese hostels. This place was also incredible reasonable given we were there during Cherry Blossom season. It was only ~$40 USD per night per bed. Other hostels were charging upwards of $100 per night per bed.

Apartment with my Dad: Shinjuku1 this place was located quite centrally, but it was a fairly efficient, small apartment. It did the job, and was nice & clean, but I might recommend finding a hotel instead of doing an apartment. Having access to a concierge/front desk for questions is quite useful in Japan. Japan can be overwhelming to figure out all on your own.

WHERE TO EAT:

I really, truly feel like you can’t go wrong with any restaurants in Tokyo or Japan in general. We ate in a lot of hole in the wall places that didn’t really even have names and they were all amazing. But I, of course, tried some yummy brunch spots.

Flippers – big FLUFFY pancakes. So yummy! This place always has a HUGE line so if you want to go, I’d advise getting in line about 45min to 1 hr before they open. We were in the first seating, which made the wait bearable.

The French Toast Factory – this was weirdly located on the top floor inside a mall within a food court, but it was so great we went twice. There were so many fun items on the menu to try that I ordered two whole meals to myself just so I could try some of each.

Heavenly island lifestyle– My dad & I came here for breakfast before exploring the neighborhood. Cute vibes & yummy food.

Musashino Mori Diner Shinjuku Central Park – located right on a park, this place was popular! Really good breakfast options, including more fluffy pancakes.

WHAT TO DO:

Given Tokyo is literally the biggest city in the world (by population), there is soooooo much to do. Google to your hearts desire, but here are a few things we did while in Tokyo

• Shibuya crossing – Supposedly the world’s busiest pedestrian crossing, with as many as 3,000 people crossing at one time. It’s also been made famous for being featured in the movie “Lost in Translation”
• Shinjuku Gyoen Park – a lovely park all year round, but ESPECIALLY during Cherry Blossom season. It was my favorite spot to see the blossoms.
• Meiji Jingu shrine – one of the main shrines in the heart of Tokyo. It was established in 1920, to commemorate the virtue of Emperor Meiji and Empress Shoken who took the initiative to modernize Japan.
• Wander the Golden Gai neighborhood for a drink in the evening. It’s mostly filled with tourists now, but we still enjoyed stopping for a drink here. It’s a small area filled with tiny bars amidst all the alleys. They tend to hold no more than 6-10 people each. We met some fun travelers & chatted for a few hours.
• Omoide Yokocho – a bunch of narrow alleys filled with small restaurants/stalls
• TeamLab: Planets & TeamLab: Borderless – both of the exhibits were incredible cool & would recommend going to both. Tickets 100% sell out in advance so grab tickets as soon as you can. If I had to pick one I think I would do Planets because it was more fun/interactive in a playful way, but truly both were awesome. It’s an art meets play meets museum type of experience.
• Starbucks Roastery: There are only 6 Roasteries in the world. From their website: Combining the art and craft of coffee in an immersive and thoughtfully designed environment, this one-of-a-kind space features an impressive mix of bars and custom details. We needed a reservation to go (free but you do need to get it in advance). We got ours day of, but weekend reservations tend to go quickly.
• Park Hyatt bar – Do not miss going up to one of the Park Hyatt bars for a drink & taking in the most incredible view of Tokyo. Pro tip get there any hour before sunset to claim the best spot. Unfortunately they are closed until Oct 2025 for renovations though.

Overall Thoughts:

I really wasn’t sure what to expect with Tokyo, given it’s so different to anywhere else I’ve been in my entire life, but I really liked it! I couldn’t believe how clean, organized, approachable, & safe it was (given it’s the biggest city in the world!!). Most neighborhoods felt like neighborhoods, not like a huge sprawling, metropolitan city. I was also shocked about how quiet the city was; there are practically no cars, which meant no honking or traffic. Everyone seems to use the metro, which is awesome! Tokyo is rad.

CITY: Kyoto

HOW LONG: 4 NIGHTS

ACCOMMODATION:

Marisa, my dad & I stayed at Urban Hotel Kyoto Goji Premium. Fairly good location with bus stops nearby. Rooms were nice, but small (typical of Japan). There was an onsen in the hotel which was a treat! Not a ton of restaurants nearby, but that just gave us an excuse to check out different neighborhoods.

WHERE TO EAT:

I honestly forgot to write down most of the places we ate at but we loved Breizh Cafe Creperie along the Philopshers Path. We ate lots of delicious ramen & noddles so it was fun to have a crepe for a change. Literally every random place we ate at was awesome. I truly feel like you can’t go wrong with food in Japan. Even the small ramen place that happened to be next to our hotel was awesome. And don’t miss Nishiki Market for lunch or dinner (see below).

WHAT TO DO:

Once again, there is TONS to do in Kyoto so don’t think these are the only things or even the best things. It’s just what we had time for/ prioritized

• Fushimi Inari Taisha – the most famous destination in Kyoto. The orange gates must be one of the most photographed spots in Japan. This beautiful Shinto shrine is dedicated to Inari, the Shinto god of rice. Get here early!! The crowds can be suffocating and if you want a photo with know people in it – good luck lol.
• Higashiyama Jisho-ji / Gingaku- Ji – built in 1482, it’s now a Zen temple. The grounds & gardens are beautiful! This was one of our favorite stops. Don’t miss the unique dry sand garden!
• Philosophers Path – a gorgeous walk along a little canal. It’s a well known spot to see the gorgeous cherry blossoms
• Nishiki market – come hungry!! Known as “Kyoto’s Kitchen”, it’s a huge, long market with tons of yummy bites to try. Get something small at lots of stalls.
• Nijo castle, built in the early 1600’s, is the location of the rise & fall of the Shogun. Gorgeous architecture and it was cool to walk around the gardens.
• Kyoto Observation Deck – 100 meters in the sky, it’s a great way to get a 360 degree view of the city. We could even see Osaka in the distance.

We also took a day trip to Nara, which is about one hour away on a train. Here’s what we did:

• Bowing deer – I know it’s touristy and gimmicky but I low-key loved hanging with & observing the deer. Get yourself some Deer snacks (sold all around the park), and get bowing. It’s so much fun to interact with the deer, politely of course
• Todai-ji Namdaimon (Grand South Gate) 東大寺南大門 – This was a HUGE gate. The pillars are 21 meters tall. Get close and look at how long the continuous log goes for. Very cool to see & just a short walk from the bowing deer. Originally built in 752, it got destroyed in a a typhoon. The one we can see today was built in 1203.
• Isuien Garden and Neiraku Museum – beautiful Japanese garden. My dad loves checking out gardens while traveling. Very peaceful to walk around.
• Yoshikien Garden – right next to the Isuien Garden & free admission. Another pleasant garden to meander. We also sat & chatted on a bench for a bit. Lovely!

Overall Thoughts:

Kyoto & Nara were great additions to the itinerary. We loved the bowing deer, all the shrines & gardens, & running around eating tons of fabulous food. It was also fun to have my dad meet Sonja, who has become quite the frequent travel partner in crime. We already have two more trips on the books (Tahoe & Antarctica!).

CITY: Hakone

HOW LONG: 2 NIGHTS

ACCOMMODATION:

We stayed at a magical (but not cheap) hotel right on the lake in Hakone called Hakone Ashinoko Hanaori hotel. It was killer. The property was lovely. The lake views were stunning. There was a foot bath outside looking at the lake. They gave us traditional robes to wear around the property, which was very cool. The food was surprisingly good, given it was a buffet. I would highly recommend this spot if you aren’t on a backpacker budget. Pro tip – it’s worth getting the lake view rooms. We didn’t have one, & we regretted it.

WHERE TO EAT:

Often the hotels or Ryokans in this region include breakfast & dinner so we ate every meal at the hotel!

WHAT TO DO:

Hakone was my vibe! I loved being up in the mountains a bit and it was so great having lake views from the hotel. Such a treat. Here’s what we did:

• Visit the Hakone Open Air Museum: I am not a museum or art person, but one of my dad’s favorite artist’s had a piece here (Niki de Saint Phalle’s “Miss Black Power”) so off we went. I was pleasantly surprised at how awesome this museum was. It’s mostly outside, which was cool, and there were tons of really interesting, colorful, large sculptures. Fun stuff for kids as well. There was also a huge Picasso exhibit. Definitely a must see if in Hakone.
• If you get lucky (we did not), you can get views of Mt Fuji from around Hakone.
• Take the Hakone Ropeway. Pretty cool way of getting around without a car. There are a few stops where you can get off, including one where you get try a black egg, which is an egg boiled in the sulfurous waters.
• The main attraction (other than Mt Fuji) are all the onsens! My dad & I love all things hot water/spa/relaxation so we just loved going to the onsen 2-3 times per day (at least once in the morning before breakfast and once after dinner). The onsen at the hotel was indoor & outdoor so it was fun in the evening to lie in the hot water while the cool air swirled around, all while gazing at the stars. I truly loved the onsen experience!
• The other highlight was the hotel gave us traditional robes in our rooms and we were encouraged to wear them around the hotel’s property and even to dinner. We thought it was so fun & such a cultural experience for everyone at the hotel to all be dressed this way at meals. It also made transitioning to the onsen after a meal very easy! The Japanese have thought of everything.

Overall Thoughts:

Hakone was such a different vibe to the big cities of Kyoto & Tokyo. We were in nature, not a lot of lights, far less people, etc so it was nice to have the juxtaposition. We mostly got to relax, play cards, and have some quality time. I loved it!

BUDGET FOR 5 DAYS IN Japan (only including the part that I was paying for):

Accommodation: $128 (43$ per night): This is for 3 nights in the hostel; Marisa graciously let me crash with her in her hotel room for free She’s the best!

Food: $212

Groceries: $0

Activities: $53

Local Transportation: $52

Miscellaneous: $52

Total: $500 (Daily average: $100)

Transportation to next destination: FREE (flight to the US) My dad used points

Seriously a huge shoutout to the best dad there is We had such a blast exploring together & I just appreciate him so much for always being the best travel buddy. Fun Fact: he spent 3 years traveling around the world after graduating college in the 80’s and is a huge inspiration for me doing the same!