From Piss Alley Laughs to Onsen Bliss: Your Ultimate Guide to an Epic Adventure—Kinda Planned, Mostly Spontaneous, Always Jaw-Dropping!
I just spent the most magical nine days in Japan, and I can’t wait to share my journey with you! From bustling Tokyo streets to serene Kyoto temples, this trip was filled with unforgettable experiences that will forever be etched in my memory. Traveling with one of my best friends, Teddy, made every moment even more special. We set out to explore everything from temples and izakayas to vibrant arcades and interactive museums. If Japan has been on your bucket list but the overwhelming options have left you feeling paralyzed, don’t worry! Here’s my perfectly crafted itinerary that packs an incredible amount of adventure into just nine days.
Japan: A Unique Experience
Tokyo is the largest city in the world. In fact, it’s estimated that over 41 million people live in the Tokyo Metropolitan Area, and nearly 500 million tourists visit each year. Believe me when I tell you it’s busy! But the craziest part is that it’s far from chaos. Tokyo is the most unique place I’ve ever visited because, despite being the biggest city in the world, it is spectacularly clean. Everyone is exceptionally well-dressed (I highly recommend trying some new fashion trends while you’re there), and the people are friendly and very helpful. Even though English is not commonly spoken, you’ll be breaking out your translator app and leveling up your charade skills!
On this trip, we also visited Osaka, which Teddy and I dubbed the Las Vegas of Japan because of its lively atmosphere, loud and eccentric locals, flashy lights, and Pachinko—Japan’s version of slot machines, even though gambling is illegal. Osaka is also known as “The Kitchen of Japan,” and I highly recommend the food tour we did.
The third city we got to visit was Kyoto, only a 10-minute bullet train ride from Osaka but quite literally the opposite in every way you can imagine. When you think of Japan with its traditional culture, kimonos, and beautiful architecture, you’re picturing Kyoto. We were there for two nights, staying one night in a traditional Japanese hotel called a Ryokan, and then the next night more in the city center.
Kyoto is fascinating because you can be on a bustling city shopping street with Zara and luxury shopping, then walk 10 minutes and find yourself in a quiet, beautiful neighborhood. Walk another 10 minutes, and you might end up at an ancient Buddhist pagoda temple or shrine. For Kyoto, I highly recommend bringing cash, as most places are cash-only, and we had issues using our ATM there, even though there were no problems in Tokyo. Luckily, I had cash and could exchange it for yen at machines all over the city.
While I mentioned that nine days is not enough to see everything, you will never have a dull moment and will constantly be amazed. For a trip like this, it’s important to let yourself wander and have some free time to explore with no plan. You’ll be surprised at what you discover! I’ll put some recommendations below on specific spots, but when it comes to food, almost everything is incredible. Google Maps ratings can’t always be trusted; sometimes, if a meal is loved by locals, they will intentionally tank the reviews to deter tourists from visiting.
Let’s Get Into It!
Day 1: Tokyo
I recommend flying into Haneda Airport as it’s much quicker to get to the city than from Narita.
Before you arrive, if you have an iPhone, add the Suica card to your Apple Wallet and load some yen onto it. I added about 10,000 yen for my whole trip, which was less than $75 USD. You can use your Suica for the metro, and if you have extra, you can also use it at convenience stores. When using it for the metro, you don’t even have to unlock your phone; just wave it over the gate sensor, and it automatically scans, deducting the trip price when you scan out after your ride.
Also, for the subways, use Google Maps! It tells you what station, what route, what platform, times, costs, transfers, subway exits, and more. It’s so simple to get around the city since the subway lines are color-coded, and the platforms and signs are easy to follow. You can do it!
We stayed in Akasaka, a pretty central but much quieter area, perfect for relaxing after a long flight. We were just a few minutes’ walk from the subway and surrounded by endless options for food, drinks, and shopping. We loved our little Airbnb; it was affordable, spacious, and in a great location for our introduction to the city.
We popped into a fast-food restaurant called Yoshinoya for dinner because it has one of my favorite dishes—Gyudon (a rice, beef, and onion bowl) for only $3, and it comes out faster than Jimmy John’s.
Teddy wanted to explore, so I took him to the lively streets of Kabukicho in Shinjuku, which is a great area for nightlife. It’s vibrant, packed with bars, restaurants, karaoke, and one of my favorite drinking spots called Golden Gai. Golden Gai (aka Piss Alley) is mostly cash-only, but it’s worth checking out because there’s nowhere else like this in the world. It’s a few tight blocks with a few hundred bars that are unique and so tiny (fitting 3-10 people max) in each one. You can bar hop, but beware—some charge cover fees, and the drinks are a bit more expensive than traditional bars and izakayas, but it’s hilarious, so you have to go.
Also, in Shinjuku, check out some of the arcade and claw game spots—they’re everywhere and insanely popular! You can win fun plushies and so many cute (kawaii) trinkets. My favorite spot for this is Tokyo Kabukicho Tower because there are izakayas (drinking and appetizer spots) that are all neon lights and overall cool to experience. You can then go up a floor to play many arcade games and try your luck at the claw machines.
I recommend spending some time wandering around here and popping in and out of places. No amount of Google searching will be as good as just wandering and seeing what catches your eye. Make sure to find the Shinjuku Cat and Godzilla while you’re there! I task you with this scavenger hunt; they’re basically impossible to miss.
Day 2: Tokyo
Sightseeing and Wandering!
We started our day in Shibuya to experience the insanity of Shibuya Crossing. On average, 2.4 million people cross Shibuya every single day—how insane is that!?!
This area has tons of shopping, restaurants, arcades, etc., and you’re surrounded by massive skyscrapers, akin to feeling like you’re in Times Square but cooler.
After wandering for a few hours and hopping in and out of some stores, we went to Takeshita-Dori Street for more shopping. This street has some incredible thrifting and fashion options. It also features some animal cafes, including mini-pigs, otters, fennec foxes, hedgehogs, and more. You have to wander this street. It’s packed, but it’s so worth checking out.
We then went to a famous temple called Senso-Ji, the oldest Buddhist temple in the capital. While it is insanely beautiful, I have to say I hate this place because I have now received my second bad luck fortune, and I refuse to return! If you want a guided tour to learn more information, I recommend this one. You should go, but don’t get a fortune, lol. Teddy, of course, got the best fortune there is, and I got the worst, so I had to cleanse my bad fortune in the holy water and with incense. Spend some time walking around the grounds of the temple and the surrounding market (also mostly cash), where you can find insanely good food spots. You can try the viral creme brulee sweet potato, candied strawberries, and more.
Also not too far from the temple is an incredible conveyor belt sushi restaurant called Sushirō. It was the best one I found! You order your pieces from an iPad at the table, and then they’re brought by conveyor belt to your table. Such a fun experience, and the fish was delicious and affordable. 10/10 recommend!
That night, we finished in Odaiba, which is near the water, for a lantern festival. While it was cool, I was disappointed that the lanterns didn’t fly; it was just a design in the sand. Still cool, though! They have festivals all the time in Tokyo, which you can find a calendar of here.
For a video recap of our first 48 hours in Tokyo, you can watch my vlog here!!
Day 3: Osaka
We woke up early and headed to Tokyo Station to hop on our Bullet Train (Shinkansen) to Osaka. It’s about a 2.5-hour trip and costs as low as $90 USD one way. You can buy these tickets at Tokyo Station following the Shinkansen signs, or I recommend booking ahead using Klook if you want reserved seating and a view of Mt. Fuji.
When we arrived in Osaka, we were tempted to go to Universal Studios because it’s in the city but opted to explore instead since we didn’t book in advance and wouldn’t have been able to experience Super Mario World. It looks so fun, though, so if you’re going to Osaka and have an extra day to spend there, definitely book those tickets in advance with the Super Mario World reservation!
We stayed at Villa Fontaine Grand Osaka Umeda, which I highly recommend. It was less than $200 for the night but was in the perfect location, with free access to the bath (onsen-type spa) and hot stone sauna & cooling rooms. There were two saunas, both of which were unlike anything I’ve ever been in. You go in clothed (in what they provide for you) and choose one of the healing rocks to lay down on, and it felt sooo good. The gender-separated baths were also very lovely and were great after our busy days.
While in Osaka, I recommend just picking a direction, walking, or taking the subway and wandering around. I can’t stress this enough—you will never be bored.
Definitely check out Dōtonbori Street, which runs parallel to a small canal and has so much great food and nightlife. We ate at Ichiran, which had good ramen (although I think you can find better), but the experience is unique because you sit in little individual booths and don’t have to speak to anyone, not even the servers. You order and pay on a machine before grabbing your seat, and it prints you a little ticket that you give to the person behind your screen. They also have little cards where you can make requests without speaking.
At night, we did a walking food tour, which I cannot recommend enough! It was about $90 a person, but for the amount of food and experience, it’s so worth it. We visited three unique restaurants and had soooo much food. Two of the restaurants we ate at were completely local spots, and one was a standing-only restaurant, but the food was some of the best I’ve ever had. You might be a little scared to try some things, but I urge you to grow up and just taste it. I thought some of the best things I ate were not so eye-appealing but exploded with flavor. I wish I could tell you what we ate, but I genuinely don’t know, and I think that’s part of the fun! It was a mix of sushi, vegetables, and who knows what. I do know we tried Minke whale, which I didn’t know until after I ate it, but oh well… apparently, it’s not endangered (fingers crossed).
At night, you can go karaoke hopping, drinking, or try your hand at Pachinko (gambling, but only kinda). While gambling is illegal in Japan, we learned that you can play Pachinko and win marbles, which you can trade for prizes. Then, you can go next door to an unafiliated pop-up pawn shop (which has no signs, just a small hole) to exchange your prize for cash. So funny! Unfortunately, we didn’t get to try it because when we went to play, we sadly found that they close at 11 PM.
Day 4: Kyoto
Catch the Shinkansen to Kyoto (around $9 USD and less than 15 minutes to Kyoto Station).
Our first night, we stayed out of the city center in a traditional Japanese-style hotel called a Ryokan. They are definitely more on the expensive side, but it’s so worth it. We stayed at the Kyoto Arashiyama Onsen Kadensho, and it was INCREDIBLE.
When you arrive, you put your shoes in a locker since the entire property is shoeless, and they have slippers and socks for you in the room. You also get to pick out a Yukata robe—essentially a less fancy kimono—to use and wear throughout your stay. They also provide comfy pajamas and a jacket for your Yukata if you get chilly. You can wear the PJs or the Yukata around the property and to the onsens.
The onsens and private baths are included in your stay. Because I have small tattoos that I didn’t want to cover with band-aids or tape, I opted out of the public female onsen and used the private baths. There were five, and I used all five within 24 hours! Each one was different from the last, and you had a dry room, a shower room, and then the bath. Three of the five were open-air, which was so nice, and the first one also had a private sauna attached. I wasn’t feeling the best and had a bit of a cold, so I was so glad to take five baths and just relax at our amazing hotel.
At 10:30 PM, they had a free noodle hour with delicious simple ramen, and we also had a traditional Japanese breakfast included in our stay, which was one of the craziest experiences ever. It consisted of about 50 different foods on your tray, including fish, fermented vegetables, soup, rice, and who knows what. All I know is I liked 99% of the items, and I only really didn’t love the fermented date and hated the natto, which is a fermented sticky bean.
If you choose to leave this hotel, you’re surrounded by nature, local restaurants, and shops, right off a beautiful river. You can hike, explore the Monkey Temple, and walk to the Bamboo Forest or even across the street to more shops and bustling daytime restaurants. For a tour recommendation, I suggest this one!
Day 5: Kyoto
We checked out of the Ryokan and moved more into the city to stay in another unique hotel, The Screen.
When I booked it, I had no idea what it really was. I just liked it for the price, location, and a few pictures of cool rooms, even though I was a bit confused.
I came to find out that this hotel is the first personalized boutique hotel in Japan and consists of only 13 rooms, each completely unique and designed by a different famous designer.
Before we arrived, I looked it up and was hoping we would get room “102,” and somehow I manifested it—it did not disappoint! It was designed by Naoki Ishibashi, and the theme is “tatami tea room.” It felt like we were living in a luxury Japanese room from the 80s. I loved it soooo much, and if you’re going to Kyoto and have the opportunity, you should stay here.
Another traditional Japanese breakfast was included, and although it didn’t have as many items as the day before, it was still out-of-this-world delicious.
We spent the rest of the day wandering and randomly happened upon the Hokan-Ji Temple (which is worth seeing) and walked around the streets, which felt like we were in Spirited Away. We liked this area at night because it was empty of people. Although the shops were still open, it was cool to see it without the crowds.
For food, we ate dinner at Tai Sushi (cash only) and omakase-style, meaning it’s chef’s choice. It was a small family place, seating 15-20 people total, and you sat at the sushi bar on the floor, which was so fun! It had thick cuts of sushi, and we thought the price was reasonable.
We didn’t get to try it, but we walked past a ramen spot called Musoshin, which had a long line and smelled insanely good. It would probably be worth the wait, and I think it was actually Michelin recognized.
Day 6: Kyoto / Back to Tokyo
We visited Fushimi Inari Shrine, which ended up being almost a full-day activity because one of my creator friends posted a video a while back on how to skip the crowds and have parts of this spectacular place all to yourself.
To be honest, the alternate route he presented was not entirely clear, and I don’t think we did as he suggested, but we did skip almost all the crowds. We took an insane hike through the woods and bamboo forest, wandered through Japanese cemetery shrines, and popped out at the top of Mt. Inari, then walked down through the main shrine with so much of it free of other people!
I wish I could explain exactly how we did it, but I don’t have the actual route. Just know that when you get to the main gate, instead of going into the beginning of the shrine, go left and walk against the crowd. Keep veering left and up, and if you see trails into the woods, go that way and keep hiking up.
It was incredibly peaceful, and at the top, we had a great view and a lot of the orange gates to ourselves for some photos. It took around 3 hours, so make sure to wear good shoes and bring water.
After the shrine, there are others you can visit in Kyoto, or you can just wander around the city as we did and stumble upon them.
We then caught a city bus to the main station and bought tickets for the Shinkansen back to Tokyo. It was a little less than 2 hours and $90.
We then headed to Roppongi to check into Act Hotel Roppongi (my second time staying here—I love the location!). It’s about $100 a night, but be warned that the rooms are small… although they all are in Tokyo unless you spend a lot of $$$.
We quickly got ready and then headed to dinner down the street at Gonpachi Nishi-Azabu. This restaurant is izakaya-style but on the “expensive” side because it was actually featured in Quentin Tarantino’s Kill Bill! It was a really fun place, although it’s definitely a tourist destination. The food was delicious, and they played 80s hits.
Day 7: Tokyo
Free Day! Wander!!!
Pick an area on your map, hit the subway, and just explore. We met up with some of my friends and went to Ginza, a rich neighborhood full of luxury shopping, and it’s overall really beautiful.
We visited this Art Aquarium Museum, which only had goldfish, but they were all in these crazy glowing art installations. It was way cooler than it sounds, and each little exhibit was more impressive than the last. We had a great time here, and I would go back again.
We finished the day trying the dish Shabu Shabu. You can find this offered around the city, but we were lucky enough to be treated to a very special place in Roppongi (shout out to Teddy’s friend Moto—thank you again!).
This was wagyu steak served extremely thin and raw; you quickly dip it into boiling water and move it through the water to “make it swim” and quickly cook the meat, then dip it into your sauce of choice. Halfway through, some veggies are added to the pot, and at the end, you’ve basically created a stock and finish with a noodle soup from your boiling water. The meat was delicious and melted in your mouth—this was by far the best meal we ate on our trip. It was similar to a hot pot but 100x better in my opinion. I loved the whole cooking experience and the fact that you essentially made yourself a soup broth throughout your meal that you got to finish off enjoying.
After dinner, Moto recommended we check out a not-so-easy-to-find jazz bar called Maduro, located in the Grand Hyatt in Roppongi Hills. It was such a cool find, and they had a great band playing. It’s very much on the nicer side, so make sure to dress up a bit, as you feel like you’re in a Bond movie. You can smoke cigars inside as well!
Day 8: Tokyo
While in Tokyo, you absolutely MUST visit TeamLabs. It’s an immersive art experience, and you’ve definitely seen videos of it on social media. But if you haven’t, don’t even look it up—just buy a ticket to TeamLabs Planets and prepare to have your mind completely and utterly blown.
There’s another location that’s very different called Borderless, but if you only have time for one, I recommend Planets. Book your tickets in advance and let yourself be surprised! Try not to look up videos and photos, although even if you do, nothing prepares you for being there in person.
We spent a few hours there, but last time I went with my girlfriends and we took a lot of photos—we spent 4+ hours there. It’s the coolest place. ENJOY!!
After TeamLabs, if you haven’t already visited some sort of animal cafe, I recommend skipping the cafe ones and heading to Daiba to visit this Capybara Cafe. You don’t need a reservation; it doesn’t get too busy, and you literally get to hang out with capybaras, meerkats, lemurs, monkeys, and so much more. I love capybaras, and you can pet them in their little bathtubs or as they walk around. The meerkats were my new favorite because they were just so funny to watch and were obsessed with my shoes, so I got to pet them and just laugh at the whole experience.
In this area, there are HUGE malls, an aquarium, a massive Gundam, a mini Statue of Liberty, a beautiful view over the ocean and Tokyo, and so much more. Just pick a direction and walk around—you’ll stumble upon some crazy things, I’m sure!
At night, we met my Japanese sister, Shiho, for some shopping around Shibuya and then drinking at a local izakaya. We were there for a few hours, drank a lot, and the total bill was $40.
Izakaya is the traditional way people go out in Tokyo. It’s not so much clubs (although they do have them), but people usually just grab their friends and go izakaya hopping, which includes delicious bar food—skewers, edamame, yummy unlimited soy sauce cabbage (10/10 recommend), gyoza, and more.
We had to run home to pack before getting too drunk, but since we were staying in Roppongi, known for its clubs, we decided to see one. Honestly, we weren’t impressed, but I just don’t think we knew where to go, so we went back to Shinjuku to wander the streets and people-watch.
Shinjuku is so crazy at night, full of clubs, karaoke, izakayas, bars, and lots of drunk people. It’s the only trashy place in Tokyo, but by morning, it’s cleaned and spotless again! It was so funny to watch, and you can grab drinks at convenience stores and walk around. It’s open container in Japan, and sours or beers are less than $2 a can at 7/11, Lawsons, or Family Mart, which are quite literally everywhere.
Also, what’s crazy about this area is that even though it’s wild, it’s still completely safe. As a solo female, I could be so drunk that I could sleep on the sidewalk, and no one would bother me, assault me, or rob me. I love Japan so much… Americans could never.
It’s good to note that the last trains for the subways can be as late as 12 AM for some routes and then resume around 5 AM. Taxis and hotels are expensive, so often people just stay out until the morning trains come back. If this happens to you, don’t worry—you can pop into a convenience store and buy new clothes, including nice collared button-downs, ties, hoodies, boxers, and more.
Day 9: Tokyo
Teddy and I both had late-night flights, so we had the whole day to spend in the city. We woke up hungover, with five hours of “sleep,” and had no idea what to do.
He hadn’t seen the fish market yet, so I took him to Tsukiji Fish Market (get there before noon, as everything has closed or run out by early afternoon). The earlier you can go, the better the crowds will be and the more options you will have! We wandered, and Teddy got an oyster bigger than his hand, taking multiple bites to eat. We also got some eel on a stick, and then I wanted to try this Wagyu pastrami burger I saw on Instagram in a different part of town, so we hopped on the subway to Marunouchi.
UNFORTUNATELY, the burger was already sold out! But if you can, try to get there right as it opens—it looks amazing. The restaurant is called NY BISTRO by NO CODE, and the chef is Michelin recognized. The little spot is in a huge high-rise full of amazing restaurants and has beautiful panoramic views of the city.
Teddy then needed to find some anime gifts for friends, so we went to Akihabara Station to visit a store called Mandrake. It’s a resale anime, hentai, and figure shop, and it had some wild finds! When we stepped out into Akihabara Electric Town, we were shocked to find that the six-lane street is entirely closed off during the day to cars, allowing you to walk up and down the street. It was so cool, and every shop had insane anime. It’s a dream for nerds (no offense; I love you and am one of you, just maybe not so intense). We had so much fun exploring the area!
We then met up again with my Japanese sisters, Airi and Shiho, for a last meal, some arcade games, and a proper send-off by taking photos in these photobooths that hilariously edit your face. You need to try one but be prepared to be shocked at how they make you look! The filters are wild and definitely look better on Asian people than on Westerners.
We said our hard goodbyes to my sisters and headed back to Roppongi to grab our bags and head to Haneda Airport, where Teddy and I said another hard goodbye as he went back to San Francisco, and I continued on to Indonesia.
I’m currently waiting to board my flight to Bali and plan to stay for a few weeks around Indonesia, monitoring the weather until I can go to the Philippines… or who knows! My solo adventure of no-plans traveling through Asia begins!
I hope this helps you plan your upcoming trip to Japan and inspires you to visit. This nine-day action-packed adventure was one of the best trips of my entire life, and I want to end it by saying that it’s not just the journey or the destination; it’s the people.
Thank you to Moto for the recs and our new friendship, thank you to my sisters, Airi and Shiho, for being the best guides in Tokyo again, and thank you, Teddy, for the trip of a lifetime. There was never a dull moment, and I don’t think we could have executed this trip any better.
My Advice to All: Grab a friend, book a ticket, and start exploring. The world is magical!