How to Spend 14 Days in Japan - A Japan Travel Itinerary

[Music] japan the land of the rising sun from make a city of tokyo to the mountainous region of the japanese alps japan is full of diverse and unique places waiting to be explored for many japan resides on the top of the list of places to visit and i was no different japan is one of my favorite countries to explore and i had the pleasure to visit once more i'll be traveling for this amazing country visiting seven different cities and trying to cram all the essentials into a two-week itinerary and i'll be sharing it all with a goal to help you explore this fascinating country here's how i spent 14 days in japan here's an overview of the journey ahead we arrive in osaka the kitchen of japan a city famous for love food and nightlife we didn't head to the secluded temple town of khoyasan where we'll be staying overnight at a buddhist temple afterwards we visit the city of nara famous for the nara park and austere population from nara we head to kyoto the ancient capital of japan rich in culture and traditions after kyoto we jump on the train and head up to kanazawa renowned for its goalie production and housing one of the three great gardens in japan we then continue to the mountains region takayama where we explore the old town and relax at the japanese bunsen and finally our two-week journey ends with tokyo while in the city we spend the remaining time visiting the most essential spots before we begin here's a few things you will need to know we decided to visit japan in november during the autumn season and is by far my favorite season to visit due to the beautiful autumn foliage and mild weather conditions public transportation will be the main way to get around for that you'll need to get your hands on an ic card ic cards are rechargeable travel cards that can be used to pay for fares and even buy goods in some stores they work in most major cities but for more remote areas you'll need to purchase a specific global ticket a quick word on the japan railroad pass you follow this itinerary strictly you will not be needing the jr pass ajr pass is great if you're planning to do a round trip since it will cover the return trip expenses but since this is a point-to-point trip meaning we're starting osaka and finishing tokyo is actually more affordable going with single fare tickets for navigation i've always been using google maps in japan it works well and even tells you the connections you need to make for more detailed information and planning ahead i recommend checking out the website hyperdia we begin our journey in osaka osaka is known for being the kitchen of japan with many of the nation's favorite dishes originating from the city it's a modern and lively place where the focus is on having a good time people just seem to speak louder here eat louder and drink more not that i'm complaining we arrive quite late in osaka and head towards our hotel after dropping off our belongings we immediately head to the dortonbori area in downtown osaka the air is known for the illegal man sign and being a busy tourist spot with neon lights shops and plenty of food options we explore the area and pick up a few treats along the way but it was time for a meal and we head to the ever popular ichiran ramen for tonkatsu ramen it was lisa's first time here and she definitely approves the next day we spend the morning at the namba yasaka shrine it's a small shrine famous for its lionhead stage if you plan to visit a lot of shrines and temples in japan then it's always a good idea to know how to pay your respects here's a quick how-to first ring the bell if there is one bow twice clap twice and bow once after finishing up at the shrine we arrive at the osaka castle the castle is one of japan's most famous landmarks and it played a major role in the unification of japan during the 16th century [Music] for over 40 years american mural has been known for being the center of japanese youth culture in osaka similar to harajuku of tokyo it's here you'll find the latest trend setting fashion in osaka we opted to do a little bit of shopping to see if we could find something interesting to get a better view of the city we decided to visit the umeda sky building while here you can access its famous observation deck which provides a great view over the entire city of osaka [Music] as dinner time arrives we head archival to my favorite okonomiyaki shop in the city okaru rokonomiyaki are these savory japanese pancakes made of flour eggs cabbage and the protein of your choice my go-to is the seafood version don quixote is a well-known discount chain in japan but what's unique about this one in osaka is its ferris wheel which you can actually take a ride on it's rather a gimmicky experience but it does provide a view over doneboy if you find yourself with more time in osaka then here's a few more things to do the osaka aquarium shinsekai an old neon lit neighborhood south of minami there's also the universal studios the temposan ferris wheel near the aquarium and the shinsaibashi shopping district [Music] koisan is the name of his secluded and small temple town nestle away in the mountains of wakayama it's more commonly known as the center of japan's shinkang buddhism and home to over a hundred temples in which 50 of them allow for overnight stays we decided to purchase the koyasan world heritage ticket which covers the entire trip to koyasan it takes almost two hours to reach coruscant from osaka the cable car ride from gokurakubashi station to coruscan is clearly the highlight of the two-hour trip [Music] after reaching the temple town we check in at our temple lodging named saizen inn the rooms are traditional japanese rooms with tatami floors sliding doors and shared bathroom facilities so this is our temple's day for the day and night a lot more luxurious than i imagined the first place to visit was the danjou garden temple complex it was one of the first complexes built by kobodaishi and houses around 20 temples and buildings including kanpung daito the great pagoda [Music] not far from the complex you'll find the great daimon gate this was the original entrance to koyasan but also now serves as the end destination for the old choicey michi pilgrimage trail from daimong gate we head to kongkopuji the head temple of shingon buddhism in koyasan we explore its many halls and corridors as well as banurite japan's largest rock garden which supposedly should resemble a pair of dragons emerging from a sea of clouds we grab a quick snack from the local convenience store and then decide to head to the main attraction okinoin cemetery this misty and mossy cemetery is japan's largest stretching over two kilometers and is home to over two hundred thousand graves it's a serene and peaceful place and i highly recommend taking an hour so to simply explore [Music] okinawan is also home to the kopo daishi this is where kovaldisi is said to be in an internal meditation there are no photos or video allowed after the bridge so you just have to visit yourself to see as the evening hours arrive we head back to our temple lodging where we're greeted with a traditional buddhist meal the meal itself is strictly vegetarian and resembles that of the traditional kaiseki styled dinner [Music] if you decide to stay at a temple then don't forget to attend the morning ritual to complete the experience [Music] next we head to nara a city nestled between osaka and kyoto the city is most known for its park with the very same name and the many deer that roams the surrounding area if you're interested in feeding one or two crackers can be purchased from local vendors around the park the deer will politely thank you for it the first place to visit the nara is the great temple of todaiji it houses the buddha statue nala daipatsu which is the largest bronze statue in the world while exploring the temple we also come across this square hole in a pillar known as buddha's nostril it's said to bring good health and luck if you manage to crawl through it as we explore the park further we come across kazuka taisha a shinto shrine known for its hundreds of bronze lanterns many of which have been donated by worshippers throughout the years the lanterns are only lit twice a year during two lantern festivals one in february and one in august we decided to get a little bit of exercise and climb mount wakakuza a 342 meters tall hill located in the park this is climbing little hill or mountain here nara lisa's right behind me it's quite a little climb but nothing too tough and well worth like a little climb to get an excellent view over the city and the nara park [Music] after walking around so much we needed a quick bite and you can't come to nara without witnessing the famous mochi pounding show from this small mochi shop the mochi was also excellent for more things to do in nara try the following is garden the nara national museum and the old merchant district of naramachi [Music] kyoto the ancient capital of japan home to a number of important temples shrines houses and gardens the city is therefore a major tourist destination second only to tokyo we board an early morning train to arashiyama an area known for its natural scenery [Music] the first place to visit here is the arashiyama bamboo grove [Music] right next to the bamboo grove you'll find tenuji one of the most important temples in kyoto as well as having one of the finest gardens in the entire city [Music] from tenuji we walk along the katsura river the main river that runs through arashiyama from there we take a short walk up to the lovely senkochi temple this is arguably a bit of a hidden gem in arashiyama the temple provides a great view as well as a chance to meet the local temple dog [Music] one cannot visit arashiyama without coming across the iwatayama monkey park home to over a hundred japanese snow monkeys [Music] as we finish up with arushiyama we also make a quick stop at kinkakuji currently a temple it was formerly used as a tournament villa for a shogun [Music] for dinner we craved a bowl of ramen and one of the best places in kyoto is ramen senokaze it's quite a well-known ramen shop so do expect eq during dining hours we start the next day exploring the initiative market a well-known food market in kyoto there are over 100 stalls and shops in ishiguri selling local dishes seafood and produce lyon is the traditional entertainment district of kyoto and one of the major tourist areas the best way to explore gyeon is to simply walk the many historic streets such as nina saka and sannenzaka [Music] in addition hanamikoji is a street famous for tea houses and the place to catch a glimpse of a working geisha the next morning we head to another popular destination the fushimi inari shrine it's a shrine dedicated to inari the shinto god of rice and is famous for its thousands of tory gates as you can see it gets extremely crowded but the further you walk up the lesser the crowds become [Music] we heard that temples are usually great places to watch the autumn foolish first up is nansenji famous for the large aqueduct and the surrounding temple area [Music] next door we find aikanto temple a famous autumn foolish spot thanks to its pristine garden [Music] the last place we visit while in kyoto is the small alley of ponton jo famous for its atmospheric dining area filled with restaurants and bars we decided to grab our last meal here and tried some very expensive beef and yes it was definitely worth the price got more time in kyoto well here's a few [Music] extras [Music] to reach our next destination which was kanazawa we had to board the jr thunderbird limited express it would take around two hours to reach kanazawa this was the perfect opportunity to try out the many bento box train meals which were sold at the various stations across japan [Music] kanazawa is often called little kyoto and one can see why since the city has maintained many well-kept historic districts the city is also renowned for its gold leaf production being responsible for over 99 of japan's output throwing some great art museums and one of the best gardens in the country and kanazawa is quite the hidden gem although most of the main sites are essentially located meaning walking is doable buses are still the main way to get around you can use an ic card on the jr machi bus line but other lines require a local one day pass or paying for the fare we decided to visit the omicho market since it was close to our hotel the market has a 300 year history dating back to the edo period now it's a popular food market with over 170 stalls earning its title the kitchen of kanazawa we opted for a quick lunch at the very popular morimoti sushi a well-known conveyor belt sushi restaurant residing in the market boring like many other places in japan is done through a tablet or you can simply grab a dish from the conveyor belt itself kanazawa has plenty of museums the one that caught my attention in particular was the dt suzuki museum the museum was opened to celebrate the life and work of suzuki daiset prominent zen buddhist a more popular museum and one of the big attractions in kanazawa is a 21st century museum of contemporary art it's a much larger museum compared to the dt suzuki and you can easily get lost for hours exploring the many halls and exhibits [Music] the belgium upon all of whom [Music] for dinner we decided to visit a small cozy sushi shop called sushi ipe the restaurant was run by an elderly couple and the elderly woman was especially friendly and attentive explaining any noteworthy sushi pieces this shadowfish nothing another place no soy sauce [Music] our goal for the following day was to visit the last essential places on our kanazawa to-do list we start off visiting the oyama shrine during our visit we were lucky enough to witness a wedding ceremony being held at the shrine [Music] from the shrine we took a short walk up to the kanazawa castle a partially restored castle which was the seat of the powerful maida clan [Music] after walking through the castle grounds we reach the ken roken garden the garden is particularly known for these protective ropes which are tied in a cone shape around the trees to provide support when the season shifts to winter it's one of the most beautiful gardens in japan and arguable also one of the best places to see the change of seasons also in the park you can find this small japanese tea house where you can experience a traditional japanese tea ceremony if you're [Music] interested right outside the park you can also find hakuichi who sells the gold leaf covered soft serve being in kanazawa i had no option but to try it higashichaya is one of the three historic tea house districts in kanazawa here geishas used to entertain the wealthy of the city with traditional dancing music and tringer games while many of the buildings have been converted to restaurants and shops it's still a place to visit when in kanazawa [Music] while researching kanazawa i heard about this place which served a black miso ramen and being a ramen lover myself i just knew i had to give it a try it's a small ramen shop specialized in miso ramen you can get the miso in three different flavors and colors i opted for the black miso which uses squid ink [Music] as we walked back to our hotel the last place we stopped by was at the zuzumi gate the iconic red gate and unofficial symbol of kanazawa here you can often find live stream performances as we experience during our trip [Music] tagayama is a small city located in the mountainous heater region of gifu the small city is especially known for its carpentry as well as its famous heat of beef and sake due to its location it's also a place near many onsen hot which was the main reason for our visit we started the day exploring the old town where there was a daily morning market we also visited the tagayama jinja an old government building and former headquarters of the hida province [Music] we then ended up at san majitsuchi a quaint historic neighborhood filled with traditional immersion houses and sake breweries it's the place to try the city's famous sake if you're interested takayama is often a popular stop on the way to the famous shirakawa go if you however don't have the time to visit like us you can instead visit the hida folk village which is an open air museum that displays very similar mountain village houses found in chiroko it was now time for us to head to our ryokan we took a bus to okihida onsen and arrive at our ryokan for the night the ryokan comes with traditional japanese rooms with the option of having your own private onsen as well as access to a rooftop onset before we took a dip we head down for dinner which was a japanese kaiseki a multi-course meal heading back up to our room after dinner we were pleasantly surprised with the room being prepared for a good night's sleep i know this is a customary thing in a ryokan but still i thought it was nice but instead of calling it a night we head up to the rooftop onsen there are two separate onsens to try and we had it pretty much all to ourselves despite this light rain and clouds covering the night sky it was still a decent experience [Music] next morning we decided to wake up early and enjoy our last moments with our onsen [Music] the morning light did a great job in revealing the beautiful landscape that we missed during last night [Music] we then headed down for a quick breakfast before checking out before we embark on our long trip to tokyo we decided to visit the shinhotaka roadway it's one of the most popular sightseeing spots in all of gifu the roadway ascends nearly 1 000 meters to a mountaintop observatory offering panoramic views of japan's northern alps a place i'm looking forward to revisit on another date [Music] we board the shinkansen bullet train and head to our final destination of this trip tokyo skyscrapers bright lights busy and efficient there isn't much to say about tokyo which hasn't already been said it's a modern super city packed with sights and activities that would keep any traveler busy for weeks [Music] during her time in tokyo we stayed at the tokyo sen capsule hotel while i've stayed at capsule tells before this place was a bit more unique inspired by traditional japanese rooms each capsule was afforded a lot more space than your regular capsule which made the stay more comfortable the hotel came with the expected amenities so overall it was an enjoyable stay on our first day in tokyo we decided to visit the meiji shrine the entrance is marked by a large tory gate and leads into a forced area where the shrine resides the shrine is dedicated to the deified spirits of emperor meiji and his wife it's one of the most popular shrines in japan and welcomes over 3 million visitors a [Music] year not far from the shrine you'll find harajuku the center of harajuku is takashida street with its many side streets lined up by trinity shops fashion boutiques and fast food stores all geared towards the trendy youth of tokyo [Music] within harajuku we decided to visit a small cafe where the main attraction is spending some time with micropigs it's my first time being in such a cafe but animal-centric cafes are very common in tokyo just don't expect too much from the beverage list which to be honest isn't really the point of visiting cafes such as this for mipe cafe we head down to the famous shibuya crossing a popular scramble crossing in shibuya and at peak hours thousands of pedestrians scramble across what many believe to be the world's busiest crosswalk to get a better view of the crossing we head up to the max park building where you can get access to an excellent rooftop view of the crossing below [Music] as hunger strikes we dive into the popular sushi chain obey sushi known for its budget friendly prices and conveyor style system [Music] so the following day we decided to spend the entire day exploring akihabara tokyo's famous electric town it's a buzzing commercial area mostly famous for being the center of geek culture in japan anime manga video games and main cafes are in full display here whether you're into this or not is still an area worth exploring first try out the many arcades in akihabara [Music] bust out your favorite dance moves or maybe win a prize if you're lucky there's also a lot of shopping that can be done here so who knows you might find your perfect souvenir [Music] on our last day in tokyo we decided to visit team lab board list [Music] a digital art museum with several unique exhibits on display here are some highlights borderless world for its waterfall inspired artwork [Music] there's also the crystal world which features thousands upon thousands of colorful led lights the forest of lamps is probably the most popular display here in the borderless museum so do you expect long queues [Music] i also want to give a quick mention to the nt house which displays a digital artwork on your tee [Music] after team lab we head to one of many popular and atmospheric alleyways of tokyo amoyde yokocho also known as memory lane it's a narrow and atmospheric alleyway filled by small eateries paper lanterns fake maple leaves and the grilling smell of yakitori my advice is to explore the many izakayas and try anything that might interest you if you have more time or just looking for different things to do here's a short list the iconic tokyo tower a symbol of japan's post-war rebirth [Music] the ancient sensoji temple the oldest temple in tokyo [Music] kapukicho the famous entertainment district found in shinjuku [Music] there's also the tokyo skytree the new relocated fish market the nesu shrine and the famous garden of shinjuku yohen now this video wouldn't be complete without a full budget breakdown the total cost for two people during this two-week trip was around 3100 us dollars so that was my two-week trip to japan i don't think i'll ever get tired of visiting this country and i hope things get better around the world soon so we can all travel again but more importantly i hope this video was helpful or at least gave some inspiration if you're planning a trip to japan yourself but if you have any questions or feedback then do leave them in the comments below and i'll try to get back to you but until then stay safe out there and here's hoping for a better year ahead [Music] you

Channel: Allan Su

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Keywords: 14 days japan, 14 days in japan, japan travel guide, japan itinerary, japan travel, japan, two weeks in japan, japan itinerary 14 days, how to travel japan, allan su, japan trip, japan 2 week itinerary, japan 14 days itinerary, travel japan, japan travel tips, things to do in japan

Id: IuTDuvYr7f0

Length: 38min 9sec (2289 seconds)

Published: Sun Feb 28 2021