Mia & Collin — Japan Honeymoon
Tokyo · Osaka · Kyoto · Hakone · Fuji · Tokyo — October 18 to November 1, 2026
Flights DBC93S ✓ booked
Hakone Gōra Karaku REBLA4209060 ✓ booked
TAVINOS Asakusa 9089858989149 ✓ booked
Trains ✓ booked · conf 2003 / 2004
Hozugawa boat ✓ booked · Oct 27 9:00
Where you're staying
| Stay | City · Area | Dates · Nights | Conf / Notes |
|---|
| HOTEL TAVINOS Asakusa | Tokyo · Asakusa | Oct 19 → 22 · 3 nights | Conf 9089858989149 (Fora) · check-in 15:00–midnight, out 11:00 · Hollywood Twin, 2 beds, room-only |
| APA Midosuji Hommachi Ekimae Tower | Osaka · Hommachi (2 stops to Namba) | Oct 22 → 26 · 4 nights | Conf 4BQBPR (RSI Vacations) · check-in 16:00, bags stored free on arrival · 4-2-9 Minamihoncho · 1 double bed |
| Moxy Kyoto | Kyoto · Nijō | Oct 26 → 27 · 1 night | Conf 89656615 (Bonvoy points) · 12 Nanseichō, Nakagyō · 1 queen · ship big bags to Hakone this evening |
| Hakone Gōra Karaku | Hakone · Gōra | Oct 27 → 29 · 2 nights | Conf REBLA4209060 ✓ · check-in 15:00 · West Wing Deluxe, open-air bath · kaiseki dinner + breakfast included · free shuttle runs from JR Odawara Sta if you skip the Tozan line |
| Hotel BaliAn Resort Shinjuku (adults-only) | Tokyo · Kabukichō, Shinjuku | Oct 29 → Nov 1 · 3 nights | Conf 73531326579831 · check-in 15:00 · 2-29-11 Kabukichō · forwarded bags arrive Fri · checkout ~11:00 Nov 1 |
🎫 Tickets & reservations
| Item | When | Conf | Ticket |
|---|
| Delta flights (DL275 out · DL274 + DL3947 home) | Oct 18 · Nov 1 | PNR in Delta app | delta.com → My Trips widget (enter PNR) |
| HOTEL TAVINOS Asakusa | Oct 19 → 22 | 9089858989149 | via Aydrian's Fora portal — no direct link |
| Nikkō 2-day World Heritage Pass | Oct 20 | UXN753840 | Pass PDF (redeem at Tobu Asakusa Sta) |
| Ueno Food Tour | Oct 20 · 10:40 | BR-1456452589 | Viator My Bookings |
| APA Midosuji Hommachi Ekimae Tower | Oct 22 → 26 | 4BQBPR | RSI/Sundance booking — conf at front desk |
| teamLab Botanical Garden | Oct 22 · entry 18:00–20:30 | NCNRNM374V47-0001 | Ticket page (QR) — live 24 h before |
| Moxy Kyoto | Oct 26 → 27 | 89656615 | Marriott reservation lookup · ✓ email confirmed Aug 23 (in Spark) |
| Hakone Gōra Karaku | Oct 27 → 29 | REBLA4209060 | Booking.com sign-in or Aydrian's voucher |
| smartEX — Nozomi 2003 (→Himeji) & Kodama 828 (Kyoto→Odawara) | Oct 24 · Oct 27 | in smartEX app | smartEX (QR at gate) |
| Fuji-Excursion 48 · Kawaguchiko → Shinjuku | Oct 29 · 17:41 | E83293 | JR Eki-net |
| Hotel BaliAn Resort Shinjuku | Oct 29 → Nov 1 | 73531326579831 | Expedia TAAP itinerary |
| Kamakura Historical Walking Tour | Oct 31 · 10:00 | 1457098067 | Viator My Bookings |
The itinerary
Day 1Sun · Oct 18Departure
- 08:00 EDT DL4897 IND → DTW (arr 09:17) · seats 11A/11B
- 13:45 EDT DL275 DTW → HND overnight · seats 41H/41G
Day 2Mon · Oct 19Arrive Tokyo
- 16:15 land HND · immigration + bags ≈ 1 h
- Optional: ship both suitcases at the Yamato counter in arrivals (~¥3,200 each, arrive hotel next day) — ride into town with daypacks. Keep power banks, meds, passports with you (no lithium batteries in forwarded bags).
- Keikyū line direct HND → Asakusa (~50 min, ~¥950)
- Hotel TAVINOS Asakusa · 3 nights
- Evening: Sensō-ji + Nakamise lit up and empty. Dinner: Ramen Yoroiya (Tabelog 3.65, 1 min from Sensō-ji). Walk-up only — no reservations (true for every ramen pick). Mon 11:00–21:00, last order 20:30 — your ~19:00 arrival works. Backup: Ramen Benkei honten (3.67, 5-min walk)
- After-dinner option: Don Quijote Asakusa — 24 hours, 5 floors of chaos. Snacks, weird drinks, souvenirs cheaper than the airport — stock the hotel room for the week. Basically next to Kaminarimon
- After-dinner option: Hoppy Street (Hoppy-dōri) — lantern-lit izakaya alley one block off Sensō-ji; cheap skewers, stew, hoppy highballs. The move if Yoroiya has a line or you want a second stop · winds down ~22:00
- Buy a goshuincho stamp book (~¥300–500) here tonight — collect hand-drawn calligraphy at every shrine and temple for the rest of the trip (menu ↓)
Day 3Tue · Oct 20Asakusa · Ueno tour · Hokusai · Palace · Ginza · Tsukiji
- Buy the Tokyo Metro 24-hour ticket ¥700 first thing — covers nearly everything today (Ginza, Hibiya, Hanzōmon lines); the two small JR hops are IC-card loose change. Bail-out points if the day runs long: skip the Tsukiji night look, or trim Hokusai — everything else is fixed by closing times
- 07:30 Sensō-ji + Nakamise at dawn — jet lag is the cheat code: empty grounds, lanterns still lit, stalls rolling up shutters
- 08:45–10:05 Asakusa wandering — Nakamise as the shops open (~9:30), Dembōin-dōri backstreets, Shin-Nakamise arcade. Dessert hits from your friends' reels: Kagetsudō giant melon-pan (the cult classic) · Chacha Futatsume TikTok-viral matcha mont blanc
- 10:10 Ginza line Asakusa → Ueno (~8 min) — meet the guide by 10:25–10:30 (check your Viator voucher for the exact corner; 10:40 start)
- 10:40–14:10 Ueno Food Tour — 10+ tastings of Japanese classics — 4.9 (339), 3.5 h, $215.98 for 2 · conf BR-1456452589 booked · free cancellation until 24 h before start · this is lunch · 🎫 voucher
- 14:15 Ueno → Akihabara (Yamanote, 2 min) → Sōbu line → Ryōgoku (2 stops) → 8-min walk to the museum (~30 min total)
- 14:45–15:55 Sumida Hokusai Museum — door ticket ¥400 + 10th-anniversary show fee. Official site. Leaves by ~16:00 keeps the palace window below
- 16:00 Hanzōmon line Kinshichō → Ōtemachi (~10 min), 7-min walk to the Ōte-mon gate
- 16:15–17:00 Imperial Palace East Gardens — free, no booking; last entry 16:30, grounds close 17:00 (the reason this slot is fixed). Tue open; inner-grounds tour needs a Kunaifu reservation — the gardens are the win here
- 17:15–19:00 Ginza — walk Ōte-mon → Yūrakuchō → Ginza (~15 min): Uniqlo 12-floor flagship → Itoya stationery (8 floors) → Ginza Six. Dinner: Ginza Shiraishi Bettei — basement kappo, fresh-caught fish, ¥7–8k, 4.8★ (167), 4 min from Shimbashi Sta, open till late, no reservation needed (call ahead only Fri/Sat; Tue fine), ~5 min from Ginza Music Bar. Lighter fallback: depachika picnic at Mitsukoshi B2 (~19:00 close). Nightcap options: Bar High Five (world-famous unmarked basement, Ginza 5-4-15 B1 — reserve ahead via AutoReserve/table-ex, no photos) or Ginza Music Bar (3,000 vinyl records, serves drinks + food plates but it's salon snacking, not dinner — opens 19:00, walk-in OK, Ginza 7-8-13 4F). Nearby wildcard: Bettenchi (7-6-10 4F, sashimi/fugu-crab all-you-can-drink course ¥7,980, walk-in, Japanese-only ordering)
- 19:05 Hibiya line Ginza → Tsukiji (2 stops)
- 19:10–19:50 Tsukiji at night — honest framing: stalls shut by ~14:00 and Tsukiji Hongwan-ji closes 17:00, so this is the empty-arcade evening look + temple exterior. Or make it a drink: BAR Akatsuki (cocktails, Tue 18:00–02:00, 5 min from Tsukiji sta) or Tsukiji Baccanale (craft beer + billiards, from Time Out's Tsukiji-after-dark list)
- 19:55 Hibiya line Tsukiji → Ginza → Ginza line → Asakusa (~25 min), home ~20:20
- Evening wildcard — Asakusa at your pace: Hoppy Street round two · river walk under the Asahi golden flame + Super Dry Hall bar · Don Quijote restock run
Day 4Wed · Oct 21Nikkō day trip
- Asakusa → Tobu-Nikkō direct on the Spacia X (~2 h, ~¥2,900) book seats this week on Tobu's English site — last Spacia X back is early evening
- ~10:45 Tobu-Nikkō → World Heritage loop bus (pass covers it) → Tōshō-gū 11:00–13:30 — Yōmeimon gate, sleeping cat, five-story pagoda; ¥1,300. Big goshuincho moment: stamp here. Lunch after: yuba (tofu-skin) set — Nikkō's specialty — in the shrine-quarter streets
- 13:45 Shinkyō bridge (photo from the riverbank is free; small fee to cross) · Rinnō-ji / Taiyū-in if energy allows
- 14:30 bus up the Irohazaka hairpins → Kegon Falls ~15:15 (~50 min; Chūzenji Free Pass ¥2,300 at the station or single fares) — elevator down to the basin, ~¥600 rt, + Lake Chūzenji viewpoint. Mid/late Oct = first real autumn color up here, it starts high
- 16:45 bus back down → Spacia X ~17:45 → Asakusa ~19:45. Miss it and any ordinary rapid (~2 h 15) is covered by the pass
- ✓ 2-day World Heritage Area Pass ¥3,000 booked (Klook) — redeem the voucher at Tobu Asakusa Sta before boarding. Covers round-trip Tobu trains + shrine-area loop buses. Spacia X seat fee is separate (~¥1,450–2,140/leg pp). Skip the 4-day All-Area Pass — it doubled to ¥8,000 in 2025 and no longer pays off · 🎫 pass PDF
- Evening wildcard — back in Asakusa ~19:45: Pixel Lab Tokyo Game Boy workshop, or keep it easy (menu ↓)
Day 5Thu · Oct 22Tokyo → Osaka 🚅
- Asakusa → Tokyo Sta (Ginza line to Ueno + JR, ~40 min)
- ✓ NOZOMI 143 · Tokyo 10:00 → Shin-Osaka 12:30 · Car 6, seats 15-D/E (2-seat pair, E = window, Fuji side) · ¥29,040 for 2 · conf 2003 booked Board with the smartEX QR ticket or registered IC card
- Luggage — no shipping needed: the hotel stores bags free before check-in (standard in Japan). Roll straight there from Shin-Osaka (~13:15), drop everything, explore from the front door. Lazier alternative: Takuhaibin from TAVINOS before checkout Thu → arrives Osaka Fri (~¥2,000–2,600/bag) — only worth it if you hate the 30-min carry
- APA Midosuji Hommachi Ekimae Tower · 4 nights · conf 4BQBPR · check-in 16:00, bags stored free till then · 2 metro stops from Namba
- 14:00–17:30 Dotonbori + Shinsaibashi-suji + Hozenji Yōkochō — lantern-lit mossy temple alley two blocks off the chaos; takoyaki stop (Wanaka Sennichimae or Kukuru); Glico Man photo; Don Quijote Dotonbori has a ferris wheel if you're feeling it
- 17:30–18:15 Shinsekai + Tsūtenkaku neon — retro Showa district 15 min south, janjan yokocho alley
- 18:00–20:30 entry window teamLab Botanical Garden Osaka — night-only digital art through a real botanical garden, Nagai Park, 15 min on the Midosuji line from Hommachi/Namba. Stay as long as you like until 21:30 close; no re-entry. ¥4,400 for 2 booked ✓ conf NCNRNM374V47-0001 · the QR/2D code appears in the ticket page 24 h before — screenshot it before you head out (no signal-dependence) · 🎫 ticket page
- ~21:00 dinner: kushikatsu at Daruma Sōhonten (Shinsekai — no double-dipping in the sauce) or okonomiyaki — 15 min back from Nagai toward Namba
- 🎲 Spontaneity — Namba/Dōtonbori (from your saved reels — tap any link): Ramen Great War — the ramen hall to prioritize [kisnisvesaire] · takoyaki crawl Wanaka · Kukuru · Atchichi Honpo [hiro_no__tabi · 1:59] · Namba Yasaka Shrine giant lion head [placestwogo]
Day 6Fri · Oct 23Osaka — market + fugu
Day 7Sat · Oct 24Himeji + Kobe lunch
- Shinkansen Shin-Osaka → Himeji (~35 min, ~¥3,300 · non-reserved is fine, or reserve on smartEX) — leave by 08:30; it's a Saturday, Himeji is busiest 10:00–14:00. Castle + Kōko-en combo ticket ~¥1,050, buy at the door
- Himeji Castle — 09:00 open, do the interior climb first, then Kōko-en garden after
- Lunch: Kobe Gyu Steak Ishida Honten — Tabelog 3.60, 17 m from Sannomiya Sta, official Kobe beef. Menu (from the form): Kobe sirloin 110/130/150g ¥10,700/12,000/13,300 · the pick: Kobe Beef Sirloin 130g ¥12,000 (or Select Kobe sirloin 110g ¥12,600 — their top marbling tier, less meat; sirloin over tenderloin, tenderloin wastes the marbling) · wagyu-tier backup ¥6,300–9,500. Booking reality: Ishida takes requests via My Concierge Japan (official partner, English form) — it's request-then-confirm, no live calendar, so empty spots on Google ≠ full. Scheduled: Sat Oct 24 lunch — 12:00 ✓ (Saturday lunch service typically ends ~14:00–15:00). Timeline: castle 09:15 → Kōko-en ~10:45 → train ~11:15 → seated 12:00. Staff check both Ishida branches and confirm the one with seats
- If Ishida can't confirm — ranked backups, all near Sannomiya: ① Bifteck Kawamura Sannomiya — teppan Kobe beef, lunch sets, online res at bifteck.co.jp (book ≥3 days out = by ~Oct 21) · ② Mouriya Honten — 4.9★ teppan, lunch from ~¥5k, own English web form · ③ Steak Land — the ¥3–5k budget classic, walk-in friendly (queue moves fast) · ④ Aone — Kobe-beef izakaya, beef sushi, casual walk-in wildcard
- Sannomiya → Osaka (~20 min)
- ~19:30 Dinner: omurice at DEARBROS. with Aydrian — the Osaka omurice institution in Namba; signature is the wagyu-sukiyaki omurice. Walk-in, casual, open late — works even if his flight runs late (lands 17:00, then customs + hotel; could be 20:00 by the time he sits)
- If Aydrian bails: Ura-Namba standing-bar crawl instead — lantern alleys behind Namba, ¥500–700 glasses, the right light dinner after a big Kobe lunch
- 🎲 Spontaneity — Himeji/Kōbe (from your saved reels): Kushiyaki Kōbe beef rice bowl in Himeji — the ~$55 backup if Ishida falls through [jessicailam · 0:32] · Kōko-en tea ceremony ¥700 pp [jessicailam · 1:11] · Mt. Shōsha ropeway → Engyō-ji — “possibly the most beautiful temple in Japan,” last ropeway down is early [jessicailam · 1:23] · Tatsuriki sake tasting 120ml pours ¥550–1,980 [tokyoweekender]
Day 8Sun · Oct 25Nara
- Kintetsu Namba → Kintetsu-Nara (~40 min, ¥680)
- 09:15 Nakatanidō first — the viral mochi-pounding show, yomogi daifuku ~¥250, right by the station; ask staff for that day's show times (they change daily) [itsgracechin · 0:07] [whatthepato — “best mochi I've ever tried”]
- ~09:45 bus from Kintetsu-Nara Sta to the Kasuga Taisha last stop — do Nara BACKWARDS [giashn · 0:14]: everyone else walks uphill 1 km; the bus drops you at the top, the deer up there are calmer, and you walk downhill all day
- ~10:00–11:00 Kasuga Taisha — thousands of bronze + stone lanterns along the forest approach
- ~11:15 walk down through the park → Tōdai-ji (¥800, opens 7:30) — the 15 m bronze Buddha. Quiet add-on: Nigatsu-dō balcony view over the city [travellingbunnies_]
- ~12:30 lunch pick: Sanshū-tei regional set menus ¥1,000–2,000 by Isuien [somtamgirl] · or Saryo Zeze — hidden tea house inside the Shisui hotel by the Nara National Museum; aburi saba sushi gozen + Uji matcha desserts, quiet even at lunch [mads.hk]
- ~13:45 Kintetsu-Nara Sta → Wakakusa Hilltop Bus → summit — only 4 buses/day, book online in advance; three viewpoints over the whole city, then hike down past two more viewpoints with wild deer on the trail [giashn · 0:22–0:50] — this is the up-first-then-down day
- 🎲 Spontaneity — Nara (from your saved reels): Salon Nara Machi matcha affogato — go at opening, waits hit hours [itsgracechin · 0:16] · Chami crème-brûlée latte [thenomadalmanac · 0:07] · Daibutsu Ichigo chocolate-strawberry mochi · Minya K ramen/tsukemen [thenomadalmanac · 0:48] · Naramachi lanes + Kofuku-ji pagoda by the station [travellingbunnies_]
- Evening: Ura-Namba standing-bar crawl — lantern alleys behind Namba, ¥500–700 glasses, izakaya snacks (moved from Day 7 for omurice night). Dōtonbori neon walk if you skipped it Thursday. Bonus: no hard exit from Nara — catch the sunset glow from Wakakusa and take a later bus down [giashn · 0:50]
Day 9Mon · Oct 26Osaka → Kyoto · Kurama + Kichi Kichi
- JR Special Rapid Osaka → Kyoto (29 min, ¥580, no reservation)
- Ship big luggage to Hakone ryokan tonight (front desk, ~¥2,600/bag, arrives Tue — ryokan holds it). Overnight bag only until Day 12
- 13:30 JST — book Kichi Kichi dinner (same-day form opens 13:30 for dinner, 9:30 for lunch; $13/seat non-refundable deposit, applied to the bill; set alarm, do it from the Kurama trail). ⚠️ Official calendar currently shows Oct 26 closed, Oct 27–28 open — if the form shows no seats: the Hozugawa boat now fills Day 10 morning, so treat this as the one shot — fallback is any good Pontocho dinner that night
- Kurama-dera → Kibune hike (Eizan railway from Demachiyanagi, ~30 min scenic)
- Pre-dinner wildcard: Okazaki Rabbit Shrine for newlywed luck · bear cheesecake at Kyo Karucha · Don Quijote curry-bread run (menu ↓)
- Dinner: Kichi Kichi omurice, Pontocho
- Moxy Kyoto · 1 night
- 🎲 Spontaneity — Kyoto (from your saved reels): Bar Brown Sugar jazz listening bar in Pontocho — same alley as Kichi Kichi, perfect post-omurice nightcap [jpwithallison] · Taiga Takahashi vintage-workwear menswear in the backstreets [jeffyamazaki · 0:09] · coffee: Weekenders · %Arabica · Ippodo tea [girlguideworldwide] · ramen: Wajōryōmen Sugari · Vegan Ramen UZU [03j90] · design run: Poj Studio · Hosoo Gallery · Ando's Garden of Fine Arts [benrich__] · also: Tsujikura wagasa umbrellas since 1690 [ldnloft]
Day 10Tue · Oct 27Kyoto → Hakone 🚅
- Early: JR Sagano (San'in) line, Kyoto Sta → Kameoka (~7:45 dep, ~40 min, ¥410) — be at the boat dock by ~8:40
- ✓ 09:00–11:00 Hozugawa River Boat Ride (Hozukawa Kudari) — $75.90 for 2, mobile voucher booked 2 h down the Hozu gorge, lands at Togetsukyō Bridge, Arashiyama. Life jackets required · canopy if rain · no restroom on board · boat can leave up to 30 min late · snacks welcome
- ~11:00–12:20 Arashiyama: bamboo grove + Tenryū-ji (or just the riverside) + quick lunch
- ~12:25 JR from Saga-Arashiyama → Kyoto Sta (~17 min) — Kodama at 13:10
- ✓ KODAMA 828 · Kyoto 13:10 → Odawara 16:09 · Car 11, seats 9-D/E · ¥24,200 for 2 · conf 2004 booked Kodama = all-stops (~3 h) — the slow-but-simple choice; free changes on smartEX if you ever want the faster Hikari
- Odawara → Gōra: Hakone Tozan railway (~55 min, transfer at Hakone-Yumoto) or the ryokan's free shuttle from JR Odawara Sta — ryokan by ~17:15, kaiseki dinner safe
- Hakone Gōra Karaku · 2 nights · onsen + kaiseki dinner & breakfast included both nights (conf REBLA4209060)
- ⚠️ At check-in: ask the front desk about a couples massage — book a Day 11 slot now while they still have times; they arrange in-room/spa treatments
- Dinner: kaiseki at the ryokan — included — confirm your seating time at check-in (~17:30/18:00 typical after a 17:15 arrival)
Day 11Wed · Oct 28Hakone
- 08:00 breakfast at the ryokan — included (last-day-of-stay Japanese or Western set)
- Couples massage — booked at check-in yesterday; slot it after the museum or late afternoon — wherever the energy is
- Open-Air Museum at 9:00 — buy online beforehand to skip the line book any time
- Ōwakudani ropeway (black eggs) → Lake Ashi pirate ship → Hakone-jinja torii
- Hakone Freepass ¥6,100 covers all local transit for 2 days
- 🎲 Spontaneity — Hakone (beyond the castle-run basics): Pola Museum of Art — world-class Impressionists in a glass-walled forest gallery Old Tōkaidō cedar highway + Sekishō checkpoint — Edo-era stone road walk · Tenzan Onsen — rustic milky-water baths, the purist's pick · Gōra Park rose garden + tea ceremony, 5 min from the ryokan
Day 12Thu · Oct 29Hakone → Mt Fuji → Tokyo
- Ship luggage from ryokan to BaliAn (front desk — arrives Fri, hotel holds it). Daypack only
- 09:07 bus from Gōra Sta (2–3 min walk from the ryokan) → Gotemba Premium Outlets 09:51 — covered by the Hakone Freepass (M route). Optional browse; free shuttle every 15 min → JR Gotemba Sta ~10:05. More shopping = a later Fuji bus ≈ an hour less at the lake (per Aydrian)
- 10:30 Fujikyū bus JR Gotemba → Kawaguchiko 12:00 (~90 min, ~¥1,750 pp, not pass-covered) — the route passes Oshino Hakkai, an easy hop-off
- 12:00–17:35 Fuji time — pick 2–3: Chūreitō pagoda (free, a few hundred steps, the classic frame) · Oishi Park north shore, Fuji straight across the water · Kachi-Kachi ropeway panorama · lake sightseeing boat · Kawaguchiko Music Forest gardens [Aydrian/Kawaguchiko.net]
- The noodle bowl from the reels: Taihō hōtō (Yamanakako) — Fuji-area comfort noodles, the only salt-based hōtō anywhere, lunch 11:30–14:00, closed Mon, no reservations. It's a detour east of Oshino Hakkai, so it only fits if you hop off there [your Mt Fuji reels — the Lake Yamanaka route, trip-videos/transcripts]
- Wildcard — swap or add: Lake Yamanaka e-bike loop (Jura Noire pancakes with Fuji, Oshino Hakkai, CYCL sauna) or a private Fuji-view onsen hour at Konohana no Yu, ~$50, walk-in, tattoo-friendly (menu ↓)
- ✓ 17:41 Fuji-Excursion 48 · Kawaguchiko 17:41 → Shinjuku 19:48 — reserved, Car 1 seats 8-C/8-D · conf E83293 booked · e-ticket, no IC registration needed · hotel ~10 min from Shinjuku sta · 🎫 eki-net
- BaliAn Shinjuku (Shinjuku-sanchōme) · 3 nights
- Late dinner: Ramen Manrai — Tabelog 3.73, open till 23:00, 15-min walk from BaliAn — made for a ~20:00 Shinjuku arrival. Walk-up only
Day 13Fri · Oct 30Omotesando · Roppongi · Ikebukuro
- Morning: Viator Private Harajuku-Omotesando Architecture Tour — 4.9 (69), ~$130 pp, 3.5 h book ~Sept 25
- Lunch ~14:00 (after the tour): Hikiniku to Come — Omotesandō — wagyu hambagu ground fresh at the counter in front of you, seared over binchōtan, you assemble it with raw egg + rice at your seat. Walk-in only: scan the QR at the door for a queue ticket, no reservations — off-peak ~14:00 keeps the wait short (your reel) · ~¥2,000–3,000 pp
- Nezu Museum (¥1,400, e-tix.jp or door; garden + NEZUCAFÉ)
- 21_21 Design Sight, Tokyo Midtown — Ando building, "Learning from Hōjōki" show
- Dinner: Tokiwatei — Ikebukuro East Exit — 0-second lemon sours + horumon (Tabelog, online reservations OK). The West-Gate branch closed May 2026 — the chain still has 11 Tokyo shops, incl. one 1 min from your hotel (Shinjuku-sanchōme)
- 🎲 Spontaneity — Tokyo west (from your saved reels): Shibuya Sky at sunset — book a slot days ahead, it sells out · Meiji Jingū early-morning forest calm · Cat Street + Omotesandō backstreet vintage · Daikanyama T-Site + Nakameguro canal stroll · nightcap 10 min from the hotel: Omoide Yokochō + Golden Gai — jazz option Pit Inn is in the Idea menu
Day 14Sat · Oct 31Kamakura + omakase
- Leave BaliAn at 08:30 sharp — ~1 h to Kamakura (Shōnan-Shinjuku line direct from Shinjuku, or Yamanote → Tokyo Sta → JR Yokosuka, ~¥950) to make the 10:00 start
- 10:00 Kamakura Historical Walking Tour with the Great Buddha — 5.0 (176), Badge of Excellence, #1 most-booked in Kamakura, ~$91 pp booked · free cancellation until 24 h before · 🎫 voucher
- After the tour: Hase-dera · Kōmachi-dōri (the tour covers the Great Buddha)
- Dinner: Sushi Hōseki omakase — Tabelog 3.78, 40F of the Bvlgari Hotel, 233 m from Tokyo Sta concierge books ~Oct 1 · backup: Manten Sushi Marunouchi, 3.61, ¥8,800 course, online booking
- 🎲 Spontaneity — Kamakura/Enoshima (from your saved reels): ride the Enoden coastal tram one stop further to Enoshima — Sea Candle lighthouse at sunset · Hōkoku-ji bamboo grove + matcha at the teahouse · Zeniarai Benten — wash your money for luck · shirasu-don (whitebait rice) lunch near the water
Day 15Sun · Nov 1Return
- Check out by ~11:00 · HND by 15:00 (taxi ~30–40 min, or Marunouchi→Ginza→Asakusa line direct, ~50 min)
- 🎲 Morning filler: Shinjuku Gyōen autumn stroll next to the hotel, or the last konbini + Don Quijote souvenir sweep before checkout
- 17:35 DL274 HND → DTW · seats 44G/44J
- 17:45 EST DL3947 DTW → IND (arr 18:59) · seats 11A/11B
Idea menu — from the group chat 🎥
Planned spontaneity: the booked stuff (trains, ryokan, boat, two tours, omakase) is the skeleton. Everything below is pick-on-the-day material — a menu, not a schedule. Mined from the 36 videos your friends sent in the DMs; wildcards in the day cards above point here.
TokyoDays 2–4 · 12–15
- 🍖 Hikiniku to Come (Shibuya, also a Kyōto branch) — wagyu-patty set: three patties, plain → ponzu → raw egg, unlimited rice. Reserve online 2 months out, or same-day slots drop 09:00
- 🕹 Pixel Lab Tokyo — build and solder your own backlit Game Boy (~2 h, you keep it)
- 🍬 Ebisu Dagashi Bar (3 min from Ebisu Sta) — ¥600 + one drink = 2 h unlimited retro snacks
- 🍕 Pizza Bar on 38 — Mandarin Oriental 38F, 8-min walk from Tokyo Sta; the 38F skyline view outside the loos is free and better than most paid decks. Join the mailing list — seats pop up 1–2 days out do at home
- ⛩ Goshuincho — hand-drawn calligraphy stamp book; buy at the first shrine (Sensō-ji, Day 2) and collect at every shrine and temple all trip. Frames beautifully after
- 🚇 Metro 24-hour ticket ¥700 — Days 3 and 13 pay for itself by the 4th ride (Tokyo Metro lines only — not JR or Toei)
- 🥪 Lawson combo — spicy chicken cutlet + egg sando; any konbini, any day
- 🎷 Jazz & speakeasy shortlist — Bar High Five (Ginza speakeasy basement, world top-tier cocktails, reserve via AutoReserve) · Ginza Music Bar (3,000 records, walk-in from 19:00) · Pit Inn (Shinjuku live-jazz institution since 1965, two sets nightly, ~10 min walk from BaliAn) · Golden Gai (Shinjuku tiny-bar alley, perfect spontaneous nightcap) · Bar Benfiddich (Nishi-Shinjuku, world top-50, farm-grown-herb cocktails, reserve way ahead)
OsakaDays 5–8
- 🍰 pognam (Nakazakichō, 2-29 Tsurunocho) — round tiramisu with hot coffee sauce poured on top, ¥850, walk-in only. Pairs with a café crawl through the neighborhood
- 🧀 Uncle Rikuro's cheesecake — the viral jiggly warm cheesecake, fresh from the oven; opens 9:30, queue moves fast (Namba-side)
- 🍜 From the friends' Osaka list (@cons_nospicyfood): Jojo ramen (JoJo-figures-themed shop) · OSA COFFEE Parks purin with ice cream on top · DogyAN (麺とかき氷ドギャン) Ghibli-vibe noodles + kakigori · Hanuru (ハヌル) wagyu yakiniku · New Babe insane juicy tonkatsu. Names pulled from the video's on-screen text
- 🍡 Hitokuchi no Shiawase (Tenmangū) — mochi ice cream ¥700, pairs with Tenjinbashi-suji shopping street
- 🦀 Ichiraku Dotonbori — crab + wagyu, 5 min from Nippombashi Sta
- 👻 Fukusaki day trip — Japan's “yōkai town”, ~1.5 h by train + rental bikes, kappa included. The quirky swap if Himeji/Kobe feels like too much
KyotoDay 9 (+ late Oct)
- 🐰 Okazaki Shrine — the Rabbit Shrine — luck-and-love bunny statues; the most honeymoon thing on this list. Near Heian-jingū
- 🐻 Kyo Karucha Café (Nakagyō) — bear-shaped chocolate cheesecake in a traditional machiya, ¥670
- 🏷 Traveler's Factory Kyōto — stationery shop with a wall of free stamps; bring a notebook
- 🥟 Don Quijote Kyōto food floor (Shimōgyō) — sweet pork buns + nationally nominated curry bread, dirt cheap, sit-down corner in the back
- 🍁 Autumn picks — Eikandō night light-up, Tōfuku-ji leaf ocean from Tsūtenkyō, Rurikō-in (reservation required). ⚠️ Peak color is mid-Nov; on Oct 26 expect first hints only
- ⏰ Crowd cheat-sheet — Fushimi Inari 5:30–7:30 or after 17:00 · Kinkaku-ji 9:00 sharp · Arashiyama before 8:00. (Your Hozugawa day already beats the crowds)
Fuji · HakoneDays 10–12
- ♨️ Konohana no Yu — private onsen room + bath with a Fuji view, ~$50/hr, walk-in, tattoo-friendly
- 🚲 Lake Yamanaka e-bike loop — quieter than Kawaguchiko: pancakes with Fuji at Jura Noire, free flower park, Oshino Hakkai ponds, salt hōtō at Taihō, sunset park. ~2 h riding, e-bike ~¥4,200
- 🚂 Fujisan View Express — Ōtsuki→Kawaguchiko scenic train ¥1,570; sit on the RIGHT for Fuji
Trains — booking the shinkansen
Book at smart-ex.jp/en — official, browser-based, works from the US.
Free account (email + credit card, no Japanese address). Charges in yen. Changes are
free and unlimited up to 4 minutes before departure; cancellation ¥320. Board with the QR ticket it emails you.
Timing from Indiana: booking hours are 5:30–23:30 JST =
4:30 pm – 10:30 am EDT. Book mornings or evenings US time — the site (and shinkansen2.jr-central.co.jp, which feeds into the same system) is closed for maintenance midday America-time.
| Leg | Date | Train | Time / fare | Where |
|---|
| Tokyo → Shin-Osaka | Thu Oct 22 | ✓ Nozomi 143 | 10:00 → 12:30 · Car 6 / 15-D,E · ¥29,040 (2) · conf 2003 | booked on smartEX |
| Kyoto → Odawara | Tue Oct 27 | ✓ Kodama 828 | 13:10 → 16:09 · Car 11 / 9-D,E · ¥24,200 (2) · conf 2004 | booked on smartEX |
| Shin-Osaka ↔ Himeji | Sat Oct 24 | Nozomi/Hikari | ~35 min · ~¥3,300 each way | optional · smartEX or walk-up |
| Odawara → Mishima | Thu Oct 29 | Kodama | ~12 min | machine / IC |
| Mishima → Kawaguchiko | Thu Oct 29 | Fujikyū bus | ~1h20 · ~¥2,700 | bus.fujikyu.co.jp |
| Kawaguchiko → Shinjuku | Thu Oct 29 | Fuji-Excursion 48 | Car 1, 8-C/8-D · conf E83293 ✓ | e-ticket — no IC registration |
Osaka→Kyoto is a ¥580 rapid (no booking). Kamakura and Nikkō are conventional lines, buy day-of. JR Pass not worth it (~¥30k of legs vs ¥50k pass). Seat tip: Tokyo→Osaka, the E seat (2-seat side, sea view) shows Fuji on a clear morning.
Luggage — shipping it (takkyubin)
Japan ships bags hotel-to-hotel overnight (Yamato "takkyubin", the black-cat logo). No reservation — any hotel front desk arranges it in 5 minutes, fill a small form, pay cash (~¥2,500–2,700 per normal suitcase, up to 160 cm and 25 kg). Bag arrives at the next hotel the next day; they hold it until you check in. Insured to ¥300,000 per bag.
Keep with you: passports, meds, anything with a lithium battery (power banks cannot go in forwarded bags).
| When | Move | Cost / bag | Arrives |
|---|
| Day 2 (optional) | HND Yamato arrivals counter → TAVINOS | ~¥3,170 (+¥660 airport fee) | Oct 20 — ride into town with daypacks |
| Day 9 evening | Moxy/Osaka front desk → Gōra Karaku | ~¥2,600 | Oct 27, ryokan holds it |
| Day 12 morning | Gōra Karaku front desk → BaliAn | ~¥2,600 | Oct 29, hotel holds it |
You only carry suitcases on the shinkansen once (Day 5). Days 9–15 travel on a daypack + overnight bag. Convenience stores with the Yamato logo also take bags (¥100 off) — but the hotel front desk is the easy move.
Booking timeline
| When | Action |
|---|
| Now | ✓ smartEX trains booked (conf 2003/2004) · remaining: Fujikyū bus Mishima→Kawaguchiko · Hakone Open-Air online ticket · Manten omakase if using backup |
| ~Sept 25 | Tabelog: fugu (Oct 23) + Ishida Kobe (Oct 24) · Viator: architecture tour (Oct 30) |
| ~Oct 1 | BaliAn concierge: Sushi Hōseki (Oct 31) · Tobu: Spacia X Nikkō (Oct 21) |
| Oct 26, 13:30 JST | Kichi Kichi same-day booking — from the Kurama trail (boat fills Day 10 morning, so this is the one shot; fallback = a good Pontocho dinner) |
Details, ratings and links: HONEYMOON-SPOTS.md · Day mapping: HONEYMOON.md · This file replaced the expired Waymark page (the old snapshot's flight/hotel data is fully included above).