our winter Japan itinerary 08/12/14 to 21/12/14

This is something of a whirlwind trip, but it allows you to take in some of the best that Honshu has to offer. Day 1 – 8/12 (MON) Arrived at Tokyo - checked in hotel – rest - explored nightlife at Shinjuku – Plenty of love hotels here!!! Went into a cat cafe, what an experience! If you don't like having 40 cats roam around while you're having a drink..then forget it. It's not a cafe for everyone. For dinner we had the best shabu shabu (Jap hot pot). Day 2 – 9/12 (TUES) 1. Tsukiji Fish Market:  got there before 9am to see all the action. Had the freshest Sushi and sashimi in a restaurant inside the market. Turn up at 4.30am if you wish to register for viewing the tuna auction. Take oado subway directly from Shinjuku station to Tsukiji shijo station. 20 mins ride cost 260yen 2. Asakusa : to see Senso-ji temple Look out for a panda bus free 40 mins ride around asasuka area ride from asakusa. Here you can pay to get dressed in a kimono and walk around for the whole day (fun! Lots of tourists may ask for a picture to be taken with them!) .  Night time you can go to Tokyo sky tree because it’s only 20 mins walk 5 mins train from Asakusa. 3. Akihabara : cheap electronics, Manga, anime… Café @ home (Maids Café) 5th floor Donquixote Akihabara. 4-3-3 Sotokanda Chiyoda-ku Tokyo Day 3 – 10/12 (WED) Mt Fuji: Fuji five lakes – better view from lake kawaguchiko. We decided to join one day tour with tokyotravelpal www.tokyotravelpal.com . This tour includes lake ashi and hakone national park. Took us all the way to the 5th station (best view here) they say if you are lucky enough to see the tip of Mt Fuji, you will have a lucky year. Day 4 – 11/12 (THURS) Explore Shibuya (young hipsters, famous crossing) – had whale for lunch @ Kujira Ya restaurant! Located behind the Shibuya 109 building Imperial palace (closed sun & mon) See robot show in the evening in Shinjuku (the one and only show you don’t want to miss!!!) Day 5- 12/12 (FRI) – (cancelled due to time constraint) Hakone (85 mins by train): traditional Hot spring, Hakone Kowakien Yunessun Resort, coffee spa, sake spa, Green tea spa 85 mins non jr train, get day pass from shinjuku station. Here I heard you can taste the black sulphur eggs of Owakudami, believed to add a few years to your life span. Day 6 – 13/12 (SAT) Yokohama (Chinatown, cup noodle museum, 0.5 hr south of Tokyo station) wandered around the cosmo clock 21 area until dusk. Why go to Sky tree & Tokyo tower which will cost you money. We went to Tokyo Metro Govt Building instead (free entry) for night view of the city located on observation deck 4th floor Day 7 – 14/12 (SUNDAY) Departed for Kyoto by shinkansen (bullet train) – Kyoto city, got to Kyoto Gion Corner early so we could see Geisha show at 5.30pm (lined up at the door before show time for tickets – 2000 yen, show lasted for about one hour. After the show, we were given time to take pictures with the Geishas) Had a peep inside one of the newly open capsule hotels nearby after the show. Very clean. Most of the capsule hotels are for male only. Range from 2000yen to 4000yen per night. DAY 8 – 15/12 (MON) Arashiyama bamboo grove (checked out the snow monkeys up on the mountain (Arashiyama Monkey Park), abt 20 mins walk uphill, 500 yen entry fee),  Fushimi inari taisha -thousand torri gates (missed this one too I suggest you do this one on your way to Nara as it’s on the same train) DAY 9 – 16/12 (TUES) NARA: saw bowing deers roaming in the Nara Park (42 km from Kyoto) & the oldest Todaiji wooden temple, golden temple and Big Buddha DAY 10 – 17/12 (WED) Departed for Osaka by shinkansen (Bullet train) Osaka Castle ( similiar to the Forbidden City in Beijing), Osaka Museum of History… DAY 11 – 18/12 (THURS) Osaka aquarium 2300 yen (the biggest in the world apparently!!!– started on the 8th floor and slowly spiral down floor by floor around the central tank.   DAY 12 – 19/12 (FRI) Am: Departed to Hiroshima very early in the morning by shinkasen– visited the atomic bomb dome and the Hiroshima memorial park. Pm: Took ferry to Miyajima : famous for its Torii gate float on water (Unesco world heritage site) DAY 13 – 20/12 (SAT) Osaka: explored more places, free and easy, more shopping. Dotonbori (the best place for shopping, eat and play) sampled the city’s famous octopus balls, Japanese cheesecake, pancakes etc Had Wagyu beef and sushi train here (oh heaven!) Our last stop : from 8pm-12am midnight - World Spa (one stop after Namba station) – for Stone saunas, onsen (hot springs) DAY 14 – 21/12 (SUN) Checked out hotel. Sayonara Japan! Had so much fun! We left Japan with so much fond memories. Will definitely go back again to see Sakura (Cherry blossom) in Spring 2016 or 2017.