Japan - November 2023, Hints & Tips Please

[SummaLuvin]

DP and I (no kids) are going to Japan for the first time next month, we have a soft itinerary of things to do each day, but we also have time to add things in, or move things around. Our hotels are booked and it is - Tokyo - 6 days, Nakasendo Trail - 2 days, Hiroshima - 2 days, Kyoto - 4 days.

I was wondering if anyone who had visited previously has any hints, tips, must do, must see, or must eat?

Is there anything that you think is majorly overrated?

Neither of us speak Japanese, so I will do Duolingo to try and improve, but any advice on grasping basics of the language to get by would be good?

What are you most interested in? Food, Architecture, Art, Culture?

With 6 nights in Tokyo assume you might want to do some day trips out of the city - e.g. Kamakura, Nikko, Fujigoko...

I posted a reply to a recent post about walking tours with a route suggestion for a nice day taking in Shibuya, Harajuku and Omotesando.

Kyoto: We enjoy walking the Philosopher's path (Tetsugaku no michi) to Kinkakuji (Silver Pavilion). Do take some time out a visit some of the less famous shrines just off the path. Easy taxi or Subway from there to Ginkakuji.
The K36 (rooftop) bar at the Seiryu hotel has a great view of Kiyumizudera at night.

Consider hiring a MiFi device from the airport - roaming tends to be astronomical. Your phones will then allow you to translate lots. NB the iPhone phone app does not deal well with Japanese when it is written vertically (which it sometimes is on menus). The Google Translate app, however, will deal with both vertical (top to bottom) and horizontal (left to right) Japanese.

A very little Japanese will go a long way - if you can pick up some language for taxis, trains, restaurants it will go a long way. The Japanese for Busy People books are what I used to learn a little.

We're just back from two weeks in Japan...

If you wanted to share your soft itinerary, I'm happy to provide feedback.

If you have time in Hiroshima, do a day trip to Miyajima Island and climb the mountain (easy walk) for some amazing views.

How lovely, hopefully you’ll get the autumn colour.
Tip for Kyoto is that the shrines with foliage will be very busy, aim to go first thing in the morning. We made the error of hiring bikes and found it so crowded and patrolled we weren’t allowed to leave them anywhere.

6 days in Tokyo? Is it because you're using it as a base for daytrips in the area? Otherwise you don't need 6 days for it and I would suggest you allocate more time to Osaka/Kyoto instead. I wouldn't worry about not speaking Japanese, most Japanese will understand basic English.

I would bring more cash than you think you'd need. Credit cards are widely accepted but when you're out and about many of those small independent souvenir shops and little snack shops are still cash only.

We went in September and I'm still not over having to come back . Already planning our next trip. My OH has been learning Japanese for a couple of years and it was greatly appreciated - he even got a few free lessons from our guides while we were there. But most public transport has announcements and signs in English. We hired a Mifi device which was very useful.

6 days may be a bit much in Tokyo - it's huge but has no real centre - but you must at least see Shinjuku. We did a bike tour in Sasazuka - one of the residential suburbs - which was very different to Shinjuku where we stayed.

Takayama is a lovely little town - we stayed in a traditional ryokan there (guest house) which was a great experience. I imagine the autumn colours will make it even more appealing. From there we did another bike tour into the countryside - photo attached.

All the food was wonderful - do try to go to at least one food market (Kyoto and Hiroshima both have them) and try okonomiyaki - Hiroshima has a whole building dedicated to them!

Kyoto station is a jaw-dropping piece of architecture - well worth seeing even if you are not taking the train (but you must - the shinkansen (bullet trains) are fantastic - although luggage space is very limited)

Have a look at Chris Broad's videos (Abroad in Japan on Youtube). They are great fun but also very informative. He's an Englishman who first went to Japan on a teaching programme and stayed.

There is a no tipping culture, but for the guides for various trips we took a small gift - omiyage in Japanese - of 'British' items: a packet of shortbread, a small jar of Tiptree jam and a union jack pen!

I'm so envious - can't wait to go back!

Thank you everyone! I have jotted down all the little tips. I guess I should have been a little more detailed in my OP, I just didn't want to do a massive info dump.

I adore food. And am really interested in architecture and culture. I hate to sound like a philistine but generally art doesn’t really do it for me, especially modern art. Though I am thinking of booking TeamLAB Planets.

Yes, 6 days in Tokyo seems like a lot but this includes a day trip to Kamakura, a day trip to Hakone National Park, and the actual day we arrive when we might be suffering for jet lag - so only really 3 'proper' days.

We are planning a day trip to Miyajima Island from Hiroshima, and a day trip to Fushimi-inari Taisha shrine and Nara from Kyoto.

We spent 2 weeks just in Tokyo in August and could have stayed for longer. It's a huge sprawling city and there is plenty to do and see, even though we have been before. Teamlabs is excellent but I would recommend going as early as possible to avoid the feet smell!
If you go to Tsukiji fish market, the food stalls outside are aimed at tourists and are very expensive. Go into the indoor covered wet market. The prices and produce are much more reasonable, some items were less than half the price outside. If you buy fresh sushi there is an area up on the top floor you can sit to eat and toilets as well.
I would get an esim for mobile data and download the Suica travel card (go to wallets), you can use apple pay to transfer money over. Definitely check out the 7-11 type convenience stores for drinks/snacks. We used google translate for so much, especially the camera to translate labels, menus etc.

Kyoto: Treat yourselves to a massage at Nishiki Market (or anywhere really), especially when you’re tired and footsore. Take a walk along the Kamo River to Gion.
Try all the mochi at the shrine tea houses.

If you like architecture perhaps diverting to see some gassho houses would work.

Arashiyama bamboo forest is beautiful. https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3912.html