Day 1 (3/15): Tokyo
Flight from Toronto arrives at 4PM on this day from Narita, so I don't want to plan any activities, as getting from NRT to the city may take some time.
Activities:
- n/a
Planner's Notes: We'd arrange a car pick up for you on this day, and on the last day, as buying individual tickets for all of your family members would actually cost around the same amount as having a private car pick you up.
Day 2 (3/16): Tokyo
For this day, I wanted to arrange a guide for at least your temple visit, and also to help you guys with trains from your hotel to Asakusa and back, as it can be very helpful to have a guide on your first real day of travel to ask questions to, and also get answers about anything that you guys may be worried about. Your guide will also help you with purchasing IC cards for smaller train trips, and we could also use this day to print out all of the tickets that you guys will need for the rest of your trip. As such, the actual experiences have been kept to a minimum, and located in the same neighborhood.
Asakusa is very much Showa-era Japan. You will, no doubt, see a few different temples and shrines along the way and so this first stop (Sensouji Temple) is a good one, because it will help you and your children learn to differentiate between the two during your trip. On the temple grounds there is a small shrine that gives you a perfect picture of how different the two belief systems are, and yet how harmoniously the two coexist with each other. SkyTree was on your list (I definitely suggest this one over the one in Shibuya), and it is very close by, so this stop won't add a tremendous amount of time to your itinerary.
Activities (w/guide):
- Sensouji Temple visit
- Tokyo SkyTree
Planner's Notes: I wanted to keep as much free time in the itinerary as possible. With the way that this version of the itinerary is arranged, there's now an extra day in Tokyo at the end of your trip, and my goal was to spread activities out in a way to where you'll have minimum planned activities on each day while in Tokyo. Visiting both locations doesn't take much time at all, and so you should have plenty of free time afterwards, and also don't have to rush to experience anything on this day.
Day 3 (3/17): Tokyo
I wanted this day to highlight some of the "futuristic" sides of Tokyo. As such, the focus is on Odaiba, which is a man-made island in Tokyo Bay. I've added a small stop to MIRAIKAN which isn't far from TeamLab Planets as I thought it would be a good stop for your kids. Below is a small video that is a bit older, and doesn't do the spot 100% justice, but kind of give you an idea of what the location is like:
Basically it's a places that houses tons of interesting concept tech, and also teaches kids about robots, the environment and science in an interactive fun way. It's a very cool stop while you are in Odaiba.
TeamLab needs no introduction, especially since it was already in your itinerary. It is such a nice place, I've personally been many times, and we take all of our school trip kids there while they're in Japan. The yakatabune is something that I would like to add to this day as it is also something that is nice to do in or around the Tokyo Bay area. Basically it is a small, very traditional boat (think tatami mats, and hourigotatsu), that looks like a small house floating on the water. It's a great way to see Tokyo at night, and the meals provided are very traditional Japanese meals (sashimi, tenpura, chawanmushi, etc.). There's also usually a karaoke machine on the boat if you are interested in singing with your family.
Activities:
- MIRAIKAN
- TeamLab Planets
- Yakatabune dinner (tentative addition)
Planner's Notes: Similar to Day 2, all of this day's activities are centrally located in the Odaiba area, thus you won't have to do too much moving around. No guide needed on this day.
Day 4 (3/18): Tokyo
Sumo is a really fascinating "sport" when you know the history. Jujutsu actually derived from a "militarized" version of sumo wrestling, but the martial art (sumo) was first a Shinto divination ceremony reserved for Japan's aristocracy. I love sumo, and so the person we use for sumo stable tours is a retired sumo wrestler and his wife who organize these experiences for us. Visiting a sumo stable is an amazing way to get a glimpse of how sumo wrestlers live, and what their daily routines are like. Every morning most rikishi will do what is called "keikou" practice with all of the other members of their stable. This will include basic exercises, and practice matches. The matches are really spirited though, and in my opinion is almost better than visiting a tournament, because you get to sit right next to the action. Also visiting a sumo stable during this time gives you an idea of just how unbelievably strong some rikishi are. I once saw a sumo wrestler doing squats with another sumo wrestler on his back when visiting.
Activities:
- Sumo Stable visit (relatively early morning experience)
Planner's Notes: While planning this, I'm trying my best not to "over-plan" the trip and so I wanted to stick to a single experience on this day that would end early, so that you guys would have the rest of the day available to you for free time.
Day 5 (3/19): Tokyo --> Kyoto
This day is dedicated to Nikko, which is the resting place of the shogun that unified Japan. As such it is one of the most ornate shrines in the entire country and is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Nikko is also blessed with bountiful nature, and is very beautiful. There are massive cedar trees that surround the mausoleum, and add to its majesty.
The area is also famous for its onsen hot springs, and a really fun open-air museum / theme park called Edo Wonderland. It's difficult to describe. It's almost like being on the set of a historical film about Edo era Japan. Everyone is dressed in period costumes, there are impromptu sword battles in the streets, areas where you can learn traditional Japanese crafts like creating Daruma dolls, and even places to learn how to throw ninja stars. It's a very quirkly and lovable place that I personally really enjoy, and kids also love.
Activities (w/guide):
- Nikko Day trip
- Edo Wonderland Open-air museum / theme park
- Onsen hot springs visit
Planner's Notes: Please note that at the entrance of Edo Wonderland, there is a section where you can choose to dress up in period kimono while there if you wish. I remember you mentioning it during one of our phone calls, so I wanted to be sure to mention it. There is a fee, but I do believe it is more reasonable than most other places. There would be a bit of traveling on this day, and so of all of the days where I would like to plan a private car, this is top of the list. It would also be great since you are traveling to Kyoto on this day as well. The car could pick you up in the morning, you could load all of your bags into the car, and then when the day is over, the driver could take you directly to the train station, which means you wouldn't have to worry about storing your bags anywhere on this day. It would be the most seamless option. Also, Nikko's public transportation is a bit irregular, and so having a car to drive you from location to location while there would be extremely helpful, especially if you do decide that you want to visit an onsen while here.
Day 6 (3/20): Kyoto
Today will be a simple itinerary, with only one structured activity, to account for the travel time from Tokyo to Kyoto. Continuing with the martial arts theme, I wanted to arrange a short kendo martial arts lesson. The instructor would teach you the history of kendo, and follow that up with putting everyone in full kendo armor to teach you all the basics of kendo. This will be followed by a short "tournament". All of this would take place in a dojo.
Activities:
- Kendo Samurai Experience
- Nishiki Market
- Pontocho Alley
Planner's Notes: This is a relatively long travel day, and so I wanted to keep the activities minimal. Also, a slightly early departure from Tokyo would be best for this day.
Day 7 (3/21): Kurama
When we spoke on the phone you mentioned that your family is quite active, and that you wanted a hike somewhere in the itinerary if possible. I think that Kurama is a perfect location as it isn't too far from Kyoto, and the paths include mountains, rivers, shrines, and a small village where you guys can have lunch. In total, the hike would be round 4 hours.
The place that I would like to suggest for lunch after the hike, is called Hiroya. It's technically a small hotel, however the meals here are very traditional Kyoto-style kaiseki course meals. I'm going to include a link to their menu to give you an idea of what it's like:
https://kibune-hiroya.com/cuisine/
Lastly, you mentioned Gion, and the geisha district. There are many different types of geisha experiences available, but one of them is kind of "bundled" into a show with many other traditional Japanese performances. I thought that it may be nice to get a glimpse of multiple art forms all at once. Here is a (slightly quirky) video to give you an idea of what that looks like:
https://www.kyoto-gioncorner.com/global/en.html
Activities:
- Mt. Kurama area hike (w/a guide)
- Hiroya lunch (if desired)
- Gion Corner traditional show
Planner's Notes: This day would be one of the longer days in the itinerary, but I do think that it would be worth it, especially the hike in Kurama. Please be sure to wear good boots for the hike as the surfaces you'd be hiking on can be uneven or slippery.
Day 8 (3/22): Nara
Today will be mostly dedicated to exploring and learning about Japan's ancient capital, Nara. The highlight of this day will definitely be Todaiji Temple, and Nara Park. The park is essentially the temple grounds, and it is surrounded by free-roaming deer. The temple is also home to the largest Buddha statue in the nation.
Osaka was something that was on your list of places to visit for a day trip, however I do think that Osaka is best experienced at night when it really starts to come alive. The city's nickname is "Japan's Kitchen", and so I thought that a street food tour would be a good way to see the city, and possibly a cruise along the Dotonbori Canal.
Activities:
- Tea Ceremony (w/ a tea master)
- Day Trip to Nara
- Todaiji Temple
- Nara Park
- Osaka Street Food Tour (on this day or Day 9)
Planner's Notes: I'd like to leave the itinerary slightly open on this day, as I think that we can fit more activities into it, if that is alright with you. I think that having a guide for Nara would be very nice on this day, but isn't 100% necessary. The tea master we typically use is someone who operates out of a temple in Kyoto. He speaks English fluently as he used to live in New York City, and he knows the history and significance of the tea ceremony extremely well. I think that he is our first choice, however there are other tea ceremony experiences that we could plan in Nara. In Nara the tea ceremony isn't as... "ceremonial". I hope that makes sense, it's a much more casual style there. Logistically speaking, it would add a little time to your overall itinerary to visit the temple in Kyoto for the tea ceremony, but I do think that the tea ceremonies there are typically in better alignment with what people are expecting when they imagine a tea ceremony.
Day 9 (3/23): Kyoto
This is your traditional sites day, that includes the temples and shrines that you listed on your initial itinerary list. These are the classic sites of Kyoto. Please be aware that a lot of these sites are going to be pretty packed around the time you're visiting. One of the best ways to avoid the crowds is to visit some of these places either very early in the morning or late at night. The one to be mostly concerned about is Fushimi Inari, as it is literally the most popular shrine in all of Japan. If you're up to it, a trip there early in the morning would help to balance the day out, and also create a more relaxed pace for the remaining visits.
Activities:
- Fushimi Inari
- Kiyomizudera
- Kinkakuji
- Tenryuji Temple (Arashiyama Bamboo Grove)
Planner's Notes: I really wanted to keep to a non-packed pace for these days, however it was very difficult to make sure everything in your itinerary fit into these days. If I'm being 100% honest, I would skip Kinkaku-ji. This comes from years of guiding groups there, and it always being incredibly packed with tourists, so it kind of becomes difficult to enjoy. For this day, ideally, I would suggest visiting Fushimi Inari either very early in the morning (around 6AM), or later in the evening (around 7PM) as this is a shrine that never actually "closes". Kiyomizudera is a must-see, and is nice for kids to visit. Arashiyama, unfortunately, is quite far from the city center. Usually when we put this area into an itinerary, we dedicate an entire day to it. There's a really cool monkey park that is also a very quick hike and gives you the best view of Kyoto in that area as well. Since Fushimi Inari is a great early morning experience, alternatively, you could visit there in the morning of Day 10 before leaving for Nagoya as well for a more relaxed pace on this day. A private car on this day would be ideal, but isn't 100% necessary.
Day 10 (3/24): Kyoto --> Nagoya
This will be a free day for you to spend with your friend in Nagoya
Activities:
- n/a
Planner's Notes: I'd like to schedule an early train departure to maximize the amount of time you'd have in Nagoya. If we scheduled a train departure around 8:30AM, we could have you in Nagoya at around 9:20AM to spend a full day there.
Day 11 (3/25): Nagoya --> Hakone
This will be a free day for you to spend with your friend in Nagoya
Activities:
- Free day
Planner's Notes: We could plan a late departure from here to Hakone to, again, get a full day in Nagoya before leaving. We could arrange a departure around 6:00PM that would get you to Hakone around 8:50PM, so that you can wake up there on Day 12, and have the full day.
Day 12 (3/26): Hakone
This will be a free day for you to spend in Hakata.
Activities:
- Free day
Planner's Notes: n/a
Day 13 (3/27): Hakone
This will be a free day for you to spend in Hakata.
Activities:
- Free day
Planner's Notes: n/a
Day 14 (3/28): Hakone --> Tokyo
I'd like to keep this day free for you guys since you'll be traveling from Hakone, and also checking into your hotel.
Activities:
- n/a
Planner's Notes: A 9:32AM departure from Hakone will get you to Tokyo (Shinjuku Station) around 11:00AM.
Day 15 (3/29): Tokyo
As the trip comes to an end, I wanted to make sure that there was enough free time for any activities that you may not have had the time to organize in Tokyo, earlier in the trip. Thus, there is only one planned activity for this day, and it starts rather early in the morning, which means that you'll have plenty of free time later on in the day to do anything else you'd like to do. A fish market tour is something that you mentioned wanting to do. Currently I have it planned as a tour of Toyosu Market where you would pick out fish that you can later learn to filet and make sushi with. The guide would get you access to the wholesale area of the market. If you would prefer to only do a tour, that is also possible.
Activities:
- Toyosu Market Tour
- Sushi-making lesson
- Tokyo Giants Baseball game (possibly on this day)
Planner's Notes: The morning activities for this day would end early afternoon. I've tentatively added a baseball game to this day, as I do believe the Giants will be playing at Tokyo Dome, however we still need to wait to get a confirmation.
Day 16 (3/30): Tokyo
No planned activities for this day currently.
Activities:
- n/a
Planner's Notes: Again, as buying individual train tickets to the airport would cost about the same as a private car, we'd like to arrange a car pick up from your hotel at around 2:15PM to get you to the airport at around 3:30PM for your 6:55PM departure.
