Day 1 (12/28): Tokyo
Since you guys are arriving quite early, I would like to plan a few things on this day. I've taken the liberty of looking up how far your AirBnB is from these activities, as I didn't want to plan anything that would take too long on the train to reach (Sky Tree is about 15 minutes away from where you're staying). I really like to start people off at Tokyo Sky Tree, because it is the easiest and best way to get an idea of how truly massive Tokyo is. It looks like never-ending urban sprawl from up there.
Sensouji isn't far from Sky Tree, and is a good chance to see a historically significant temple and shrine. The main path leading up to the temple is completely lined with shops for sweets, and other goods. It is a very good place to visit for your first temple. If you guys are up to it, I could even schedule a workshop for you guys to make your own traditional wagashi sweets, or take a tour of some of the better sweets shops in the area that are not on the main path leading to the temple (there are a lot of traditional shops in the area that do really interesting foods like maccha gelato, or dango). Depending on how you think you and your party will feel after landing it may be possible to arrange for both of them.
Activities:
- Visit to Tokyo Sky Tree
- Sensouji Temple visit
- Wagashi sweets making lesson
- 'street' food tour of the Asakusa area (optional, tour is mainly focused on traditional eats and sweets)
Planner's Notes: I've planned the 'welcome' dinner for Day 2 in order to not bombard you guys on the 1st day, but I could also plan for a yakatabune dinner on Tokyo Bay if you think that you guys would be up for it. It's dinner on the river near Tokyo Bay, and there are plenty of places that we could arrange that wouldn't be too far from where you're staying, again, to keep things relatively reasonable for your first day.
Day 2 (12/29): Tokyo
I wanted to plan a trip to Odaiba for this day. The manmade island is home to a lot of very 'futuristic' places and events. In fact one of the science museums there is literally called the building of the future. However the trip there is mainly for the TeamLab Planets experience. We explained it to you briefly on the phone call that we had, however I've also included some pictures of it in the gallery below. It really is an amazing experience, and one that I don't think you'll find an equivalent to anywhere else on Earth. It's also hard to describe. It's like being in art. It's also a bit trippy. Odaiba itself has a lot of other really fun things to explore after visiting TeamLab Planets. There are concept halls, shopping centers, museums, and a really big arcade that has games and VR experiences. I would like to leave the space between TeamLab and dinner open for you guys.
For your trip, you said that you wanted two special dinners with your group. I wanted to separate them as a "welcome" dinner, and an "end of trip" dinner, if that makes sense. I would have put this dinner on the first day, but it's kind of a lot to deal with when people may still be jet-lagged. This is an all-you-can-eat wagyu steakhouse. I've personally been MANY times, and it is excellent. You would think that since it is all you can eat, that the quality of the steaks would be lower, but it isn't. They are amazing. This is the best place to go for trying A5 quality, real wagyu steaks.
Activities:
- Day trip to Odaiba (on automated monorail)
- TeamLab Planets
- Ginza Steak dinner
Day 3 (12/30): Tsuruoka
Hike Mt. Kinbo, in preparation for the New Years Festivities + Geisha experience (or just one of them). For this day, I would like to present two options for the day. The first option is to do a small hike of a mountain in the town where the New Year's festivities will take place. The hike would be guided by a yamabushi mountain ascetic, who could tell you guys a bit more about Shugendo, which is the belief system of the yamabushi. The yamabushi were one of the reasons I was fascinated with Japan growing up. A lot of characters, from movies, tv shows, and anime are based on the mystical powers that the yamabushi supposedly possessed in a bygone era. I'm making this suggestion, because I wanted to give you guys the option of knowing a bit more about the yamabushi tradition before experiencing the Shoureisai Matsuri.
The second option is to visit a tea house that is operated by geisha and maiko. Doing this here is quite special, as this tea house is one of the few remaining in this region. I wanted to plan a bento lunch here with the activity. They have unagi, and 'kaiseki' (variety) options that we could plan for you guys in advance. There are typically three performances done by the maiko, and they change depending on the season.
Planner's Notes: I'm currently looking for a route that will get you guys there in time for the geisha show, should you choose that option. I think that if you do, it may be necessary to leave the night before, as the show starts in the afternoon. If you do choose the former option of hiking Mt. Kinbo, I was thinking that having lunch at Shinchaya (a small, but relatively famous restaurant), would be nice. However, you will have the chance to eat there the following day before the New Year's events, pending them being open. Along with being the home of the yamabushi, this region is also the only one in Japan to have received a UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy Award for its food. It is the only one in Japan to have received such an award.
Activities:
- Geisha performance at a tea house
- Unagi or kaiseki bento lunch
- Hike of Mt. Kinbo
- Shukubo stay with yamabushi (depending on whether you wish to stay with them)
Day 4 (12/31): Tsuruoka
Today will be completely dedicated to the Shoreisai festival, however I wanted to make a food recommendation for this day as well. Saikan is one of the ryokan that is actually on Mt. Haguro. The food served here not only perfectly exemplifies some of the reasons why Tsuruoka was chosen for the UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy award, but it also is an excellent example of shojin-ryouri. The style is different from the vegetarian meals that you would have in Kyoto, or other places (even though the name is the same). There are heirloom vegetables that have been passed down through generations that are unique to this region, like the dadachamame variety of soybeans, and the gomadofu dish (sesame-flavored tofu served with ankake). Both of which can be had here. The matsuri festival activities will start around 3PM at the top of Mt. Haguro and go on throughout the night. I would suggest heading up slightly early and stopping here for lunch (pending them being open).
The Shoreisai Festival is one of Japan's oldest, and coolest, New Year's fire festivals! It has been taking place on New Year's Eve nearly every year for over a millennium at the top of Mt. Haguro. It is run in conjunction with the conclusion of the Winter Peak Ritual (Fuyu-no-mine-iri), in which two Yamabushi from the town pray for a bountiful harvest and prosperity over the course of 100 days. The festival itself is said to ward off a demon called Soranki as well, so there will be many events throughout the day dedicated to that ritual. At 3pm there is a ritual called Tsunamaki in which the straw effigy of Soranki is symbolically sliced dead. Here the straw Soranki is split into two giant mounds, and then some of the rope that made up Soranki is further cut into pieces about 50cm long that symbolize harvest mites. The Matsuhijiri (the two heads of the ceremony) then throw the harvest mites into the crowd. Be careful here as it can get violent! If you do manage to catch one, ask them to tie it so that it can be placed at the entrance to your house and used to ward off demons. If you didn't catch one, don't worry. You still have a chance to sumo wrestle someone for one!
The matsuri will end with the burning of an effigy that is meant to represent the demon, that will start towards the end of the year at 11PM, but there are many miniature events in between. Having a guide on this day will be helpful, but isn't entirely necessary. The day will be filled with food and sake as most matsuri are.
Activities:
- Shojin-ryouri meal at Saikan on Mt. Haguro
- Shoreisai Matsuri
Day 5 (1/01): Tokyo
Heading to Tokyo first thing in the morning. Rest day, as things won't really be open today. This will give you guys a chance to recover.
Day 6 (1/02): Tokyo
This day will be completely dedicated to spending time at Disney Sea.
Day 7 (1/03): Nikko
Nikko is a quick day trip from Tokyo, and it is a very special place, as it serves as the final resting spot for the shogun that used to rule Japan. The shrine that houses his spirit is by far the most beautiful that I have ever seen in Japan. It's really spectacular in every sense of the word, and is a place that is fully deserving of the UNESCO World Heritage Site designation that it has received. This particular activity is best experienced with a proper guide to give you guys the history and significance of the shrine.
Edo Wonderland is almost the complete opposite. Based on our call, and your answers to our 'survey', I could tell that visiting theme parks was towards the top of your list. As you will be visiting both Disney Sea, and USJ, I really wanted to put a smaller one in your itinerary that was more "Japanese" if that makes sense. It's both semi-historical, and kind of comical at the same time. It's basically a theme park that is a small recreated Edo-era town. Everyone speaks in Edo-era Japanese, and wears appropriate period clothing. There are impromptu sword battles in the streets, places where you can do Japanese crafts, learn to throw ninja stars, shows (one of the shows has amazing fight choreography). It's a very Japanese addition to the list of theme parks visited, should you wish to have it.
Activities:
- Nikko Day Trip w/ guide
- Toshogu Shrine visit
- Edo Wonderland theme park
Day 8 (1/04):
(I would like to leave this day unplanned)
Day 9 (1/05):
The Studio Ghibli Museum will only be open from the 3rd of January. This is why I've put more of the free days in the Kanto region around this period. If we weren't able to secure tickets for this day, we could get them for another day around this time. As of now, the tickets do seem available, but my concern is simply that there are 9 of you, and so I wanted to leave some leeway for the possibility of making sure we could get all 9 tickets.
Day 10 (1/06): Osaka
Train from Tokyo to Osaka. I think that perhaps a small activity like a visit to Osaka Castle would be good.
Activities:
- Osaka Castle visit
Planner's Notes: I think that this is the day that I struggled not to plan the most. Again, as I'm sure there are things that you guys have in mind that you wanted to do, I didn't want to over plan the 3 days that you will have here in the Kansai area. We can however come up with a plan for this day if you would like us to! This day would also be a good day to visit some of the temples and shrines in Kyoto.
Day 11 (1/07): Osaka
This day will be completely dedicated to enjoying USJ in Osaka.
Day 12 (1/08): Kyoto
Today we wanted to plan some more cozy activities for you guys. All of today's activities are slower paced, but relaxing, and dreamy.There is a beautiful valley river just outside of Kyoto, where there are teams of people who will take you down it on a 3-man boat. This is actually the river that many people used to travel between Osaka and Kyoto in bygone eras. One of the best ways of reaching the area is the beautiful open-air train that travels along the river to get you there.
It's a very nice way to start the day, and is super refreshing. You see a lot of deer along the river too, and there is a really cool boat that pulls up next to you guys (also a traditional boat) with a grill that sells octopus or squid, and beer. The ride is really relaxing and cozy. It ends in the Arashiyama district.
Tenryuji is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and has what is considered one of the most beautiful zen gardens in the entire nation. It's located in Arashiyama. The area that is known for its temples and shrines, and the picturesque bamboo thickets behind Tenryu-ji temple (I'm sure you've seen pictures of it without noticing... I'm going to include a picture of it below in the small photo gallery). I'd like to have this portion of your day guided, as it is always better to have someone who actually knows the location with you when visiting historic sites. There are so many temples and shrines that are worth visiting here, but one of my favorites is a small temple that rarely ever gets visited. It has hundreds of statues, and each of them was made by a completely different person. One of the former head monks decided that he would teach sculpting to anyone that visited the temple and wanted to learn (this was in the 80's, I believe). All of the sculptures are spread around the temple grounds, and because he gave his students carte blanche with their designs, you'll see some of the ojizou statues wearing headphones, and holding a walkman or other contemporary paraphernalia. It is a site that is unlike thing else in Japan.
I'd also like to use this day to arrange a tea ceremony for you guys as it is something that you mentioned you'd enjoy on our phone call. There is an excellent place here for that.
Activities:
- Open-air valley steam-engine train
- Hozugawa Kudari (traditional river boat ride)
- Traditional tea ceremony
- Short hike up Iwatayama (mountain where the monkeys roam freely, excellent view of Kyoto from there)
- Arashiyama tour (with a guide)
- Tenryuji Temple Zen Garden
- Otagi Temple (temple with uniquely carved statues)
- Bamboo thicket visit
- Dinner reservation in Kyoto
Planner's Note - For this day, we wanted to reserve a spot at one of Kyoto's banzai restaurants. The restaurant is a platform of tatami mats that have been suspended on top of a river, and the food changes for every season. We thought it would be a good candidate for the 'going back home' dinner, however it is slightly north of Kyoto proper, and so there may be a bit of rushing to get there. There are many other similar restaurants in the city that hover over the Kamogawa River (their location is walking distance from the hotel that we suggested), which also do banzai style meals as an alternative. Also, although this day seems crammed, a lot of the activities are all centered in the Arashiyama district, so it won't take a lot of time to experience them all.
Day 13 (1/09): Tokyo
Return to Tokyo and fly back to the states (flight departs at 4:50PM).
BOOKINGS OVERVIEW:
12/28/22 - Tokyo SkyTree: https://goo.gl/maps/89QQKBB2Y4DASkSa9
(yet to be booked, as you can only book tickets a week in advance, however the tickets should be valid for the entire day, so we won’t be booking a specific time slot, however I think it may be best to visit around sunset after your wagashi lesson)
12/28/22 - Wagashi Sweets Making Lesson: https://goo.gl/maps/AAUmXSv52Heh72KF8
3PM
12/29/22 - TeamLab Planets: https://goo.gl/maps/wArPWGLFoDwUDTCAA
You can arrive at anytime between 11:30 - 12:00 (noon). Please use the link below to gain access to the event (it will only be activated at midnight the day before).
https://teamlabplanets.dmm.com/en/mytickets/3637163779f85ebe97
https://teamlabplanets.dmm.com/en/mytickets/c120c63779e91959c9
12/29/22 - Ginza Steakhouse: https://goo.gl/maps/KcvkqJZgq5AiCExC8
5PM
1/2/23 - Tokyo DisneySea: https://goo.gl/maps/463tXgjGMYYstBBN6
All-day tickets
1/3/23 - Edo Wonderland: https://goo.gl/maps/zinTobjg6A7W4adY7
All-day tickets
1/5/23 - Studio Ghibli Museum: https://goo.gl/maps/MrAeoHsx4MFGQSjp6
We were able to book all 9 tickets for 1PM. This, unfortunately, would be extremely difficult to change. I will send the tickets out to you as soon as they arrive. However, given the mishap with the other package, I was hoping that I could send them to your Airbnb in Japan. Please let me know ASAP.
1/7/23 - USJ: https://goo.gl/maps/zJo6J8Xqcnx3RaSDA
All day tickets
1/8/23 - Arashiyama guide: https://goo.gl/maps/mHARoF12nh71UKqi6
The link above is for the main bridge in Arashiyama. We’ve booked your guide for this day, however they have yet to send us the itinerary. We plan on asking them to meet you at the bridge though. Once we’ve received it from them, I will send you a message with all of their instructions, their plan for that day, meeting time/location, etc.
