Wanted to share my experience as I have just returned from 12 days in Japan and know I got a lot of info here before I left and would like to pass it on ;-)
My brother, niece (16) daughter (16) and I all travelled to Japan mid-Feb for a 10 day organised tour. Flew with Qatar airways. Cannot fault them. Flights were full on all legs and a delay on the way out had us running for the plane in Doha to make the Narita flight. Flight time was 9hrs from Doh-Narita on the way out and 13hrs Narita -Doh on the way back. Flight to Doha roughly 7 hours each way, bit longer on the return.
Japan is not long open to visitors since Covid lockdowns and it showed. Getting through Narita was a massive pain as they check all certs etc. We had pre-registered on the app and had screenshots of all barcodes etc but it was not enough and I had to get internet access to make it all work. Took about 1.5 hours to get to the baggage belt after arrival but a big plus is that our bags were waiting for us. I booked an airport hotel for the night cos I had zero interest in dragging teenagers into Tokyo on a late Friday evening after travelling for so long.
I lived in Japan a long time ago so for me it was just fantastic to be back again. For the rest of my group it was a totally new experience. The first day I took the teenagers to Tokyo Disneyland. It’s a fun place but like everywhere else in Japan it was packed. Hours of queues for everything. I shipped the bags from the airport to our hotel and just took enough stuff to get me through to the next day as the bags take 24-36 hours to be delivered. Did this a few times on the trip with all our bags and it is such a lifesaver not hauling bags on public transport in Japan.
We had 3 days in Tokyo. Did all the highlights, Shibuya, Shinkuku, Yoyogi Park, Harajuku, Akihabara, Odiba, Ginza etc. the teenagers loved the shopping - one loves anime and was in her element. It is a consumer nation so every turn had shopping and vending machine opportunities. We also had amazing food, visited a cat cafe, went to Joypolis (Sega adventure park) and went to Karaoke etc. loved all of it - including Tsukiji fish markets and the Imperial palace. The craziness was intoxicating and it was amazing to be back. We wore masks all the time there. Everybody does.
On day 4 we travelled to a Nikko- a small town in the mountains. Took hours from Tokyo by train but so worth it. We stayed in a traditional inn which had its own onsen. Glorious and so lovely after our daily visits to temples, shrines and snowy peaks. On the second day we hiked again through the snow and spent the afternoon loving the hot springs. Glorious few days - it was cold at night (-7) but the days were fresh and bright. Loved Nikko. Great spot and amazing udon noodles.
Day6-10 we spent in Kyoto. Loved it there. We went to all the highlights and spent a great afternoon wandering around Gion - the girls all wore the kimonos that we rented for the day. They looked so beautiful. We got the Shinkansen which was an adventure all itself. Loved every minute of Kyoto. So beautiful and we had lovely weather. Had sushi, teppanyaki, ramen and tempura there. Love Japanese food.
spent our final evening in Tokyo after travelling back from Kyoto. Again on the Shinkansen - this is where we left the group behind. We had joined them on day 2 in Tokyo and 15 of us had been on the adventure together. Have to say joining up with the group was fab as we had a guide who was very knowledgeable and experienced! Great way to see the country and made some amazing friends from all over the world.
The last night we pushed the boat out and stayed in Shinagawa, Tokyo in a 5 star hotel. We did more shopping and we went for Shabu Shabu with some of my old friends. It was lovely to finish the holiday on a high note.
Any questions at all just ask. We had the best time and I am happy to share any tips etc for those interested in the trip.