四月 ✦ 日本 ✦ 二〇二六年
Two Weeks in the Land of the Rising Sun
1 April — 14 April, 2026
"In the cherry blossom's shade, there's no such thing as a stranger."
— Kobayashi Issa, 小林一茶
Arrive Narita or Haneda. Pick up JR Pass, pocket Wi-Fi, and IC cards at the airport. Narita Express (53 min) or Limousine Bus into Shinjuku. Check in and decompress — jetlag is real.
Walk into the Shinjuku chaos. First ramen — pick a tiny joint with a ticket machine, order the tonkotsu, slurp loudly (it's polite).
Enter the towering torii gate and walk through old-growth forest into Meiji Jingu. Write a wish on an ema board together. The contrast between this silence and what comes next is wild.
Jeffrey's pilgrimage begins. Takeshita Street first for the vibe, then backstreets where the real heat lives.
Upscale boulevard with flagship stores. Cat Street for indie sneaker shops + vintage. Coffee at % Arabica or Blue Bottle.
3,000 people crossing at once. Hachiko statue. Shibuya Sky rooftop for 360° sunset/night views (book ahead).
Tokyo's oldest temple: the giant Kaminarimon lantern, the incense cauldron (waft smoke over yourself for good health), the five-story pagoda. Arrive before 9am. Browse Nakamise-dori for traditional snacks.
1,000+ cherry trees in full bloom. Grab bento, onigiri, beer, and strawberry daifuku from a combini. Find a tarp and just sit under the blossoms. This is hanami — Japan's most beautiful tradition.
Multi-storey arcades, claw machines, rhythm games, retro game stores, and sensory overload of neon signs.
634m — Japan's tallest tower. Views across Kanto at dusk. Then Chidorigafuchi or Meguro River for yozakura (night cherry blossoms) — trees lit from below, petals drifting over water.
Arguably the most romantic sakura spot in all of Japan. 800+ cherry trees arch over the canal, petals landing on the water. Walk hand in hand through the tunnel of pink.
Tsutaya T-Site — the world's most beautiful bookshop. Browse art books, Japanese design, and music. The whole neighbourhood is quiet, chic, and gorgeous.
The Austin/Fitzroy of Tokyo: thrift shops, vinyl record stores, tiny live-music venues, vintage fashion. Best neighbourhood for getting genuinely lost.
One of Tokyo's most romantic dining areas. Quiet, intimate, incredible food.
Hundreds of food stalls in narrow lanes. Eat your way through everything.
Tokyo's most upscale district. Dover Street Market Ginza is essential — 6 floors including exclusive sneaker collabs.
Cross the Rainbow Bridge to Tokyo's futuristic island. Night views of the skyline.
JR to Odawara (35 min), then Hakone-Tozan Railway — Japan's only mountain switchback train. Check in to a traditional ryokan: tatami floors, futon beds, yukata robes.
Pirate ship cruise on Lake Ashi with Fuji behind. Hakone Shrine — the lakeside torii gate is one of Japan's most photographed spots.
First proper onsen soak — hot mineral water, steam rising into cool mountain air. Then kaiseki dinner served in your room — 8-12 courses of seasonal art on plates.
Wake before sunrise, soak in the open-air bath as mist clears from the mountains. Fuji emerges from haze. Complete silence except birds. This is the moment you'll talk about for years.
World-class sculpture garden with mountains as backdrop. Picasso collection, Rodin, Henry Moore — all outdoors. There's a footbath onsen inside the museum.
Second kaiseki dinner. Evening soak under the stars. Tomorrow: bullet train to Kyoto.
"The bamboo that bends is stronger than the oak that resists."
— Japanese Proverb
Board at Odawara — Mt Fuji flies past the window (right side, Row A). 2 hours later: Kyoto. Check in near Gion or Higashiyama.
2km stone canal path lined with hundreds of cherry trees — the definitive Kyoto sakura walk. Links Ginkaku-ji to Nanzen-ji.
Geisha district: cobblestones, machiya houses, paper lanterns, geta sandals. You may spot a maiko hurrying between engagements.
10,000 vermillion torii gates winding up Mt. Inari. Go at dawn for empty tunnels. Full summit hike ~2 hours. Fox statues guard every turn.
Kyoto's 400-year-old "kitchen" — narrow covered arcade packed with food stalls.
Kinkakuji — gold leaf reflected in mirror pond. Ryoan-ji — 15 stones arranged so you can never see all 15 from one angle.
Towering bamboo stalks in every direction, creaking overhead. By 10am it's selfie sticks — go at first light.
Tenryu-ji — UNESCO garden using the mountains as scenery. Jojakko-ji — moss-covered steps, hilltop pagoda.
Iwatayama Monkey Park — 120 wild macaques on the hilltop. Feed them through wire mesh. Walk the Oi River under sakura canopy.
45-min train. Exit station, within 5 min you're surrounded by 1,200 sacred deer. Buy shika-senbei (deer crackers, ¥200) — they bow before eating.
Todai-ji — 15m bronze Buddha inside the world's largest wooden building. Kasuga Taisha — 3,000 stone and bronze lanterns through primeval forest.
2.5hr limited express from Kyoto. Check in to ryokan — yukata, geta sandals, and wristband for all 7 public baths.
Stroll the willow-lined canal in yukata, hopping between 7 public bathhouses. Each has a different character. The entire town is the spa.
Canal lanterns light up. Walk between baths in robes. Tajima wagyu and matsuba crab for dinner.
Hit the baths you missed. Mandara-yu has the most beautiful rotenburo. The ryokan breakfast will be incredible — grilled fish, miso, rice, pickles, tamagoyaki.
Kinosaki to Osaka via JR (~2.5hrs). Kyoto was zen; Osaka is chaos, noise, neon, and food. Check in near Namba/Dotonbori.
Osaka Castle — 16th-century fortress surrounded by a moat and sakura park. Museum inside, city views from 8th floor.
Glico Running Man, giant mechanical crab, neon reflecting in the canal. Osaka's motto: kuidaore — eat until you drop.
Osaka's American Village — blocks of streetwear and sneakers. Jeffrey's last chance for that grail pair. Then 600m covered Shinsaibashi Arcade.
"Osaka's Kitchen." Eat your absolute fill.
Haruka Express to KIX. Last-minute duty free. Board the plane. Dream in Japanese.
"Even the moon, our closest companion, hides half its face in shadow."
— Yoshida Kenko, 徒然草
"The hot spring soothes wounds the eye cannot see."
— Onsen Proverb · 温泉のことわざ