Travel to Japan in June- too hot?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Day 1- arrive. If you take the direct flight from IAD you’ll get in at noon. You’ll get to your hotel around 3pm. Wander around hotel. Take in the sights. Department stores, go up and down all the floors. Wander around the labyrinth of stores around and inside the train station. Look for some tucked away shrines or temples. You’d be surprised where they turn up.
Find your local convenience store and stock up on snacks, drinks and onigiri (rice balls). You will wake up at odd times and having something to eat or drink will save you!

Day 2 Tokyo not much guidance about what to see since so much depends on your likes and dislikes. But you can’t miss Akiharaba or Harajuku

Day 3 Tokyo

Day 4 early train to Kyoto. Spend the afternoon and evening wandering around. Stay in a Ryokan. We loved Ryokan Montonago. It allows co-ed usage of the communal (but private) bath area. The food was amazing! Plan to eat dinner and breakfast there. Expensive, but worth it. And you can order Japanese or Western meal (set menu). It is close enough walk to Kiyomizu-dera Temple. Just be careful because there are lots of tourist shops that you could waste all your time at.
http://www.motonago.com/en/top.html

The room won’t be available until after 4pm. But they will hold your luggage. I would drop off your luggage when you arrive (take a taxi from the Shinkansen station. Bring a map of the hotel from their website. Japan doesn’t have addresses like most other countries). Then go to places the furthest from the Ryokan. I love Kinkakuji (gold temple) and Nijo Castle with the nightingale floors. Work your way back to the Ryokan. Eat dinner there (make sure to order ahead and schedule you bath). Learn the etiquette for using a shared bath in japan.

Day 5 Eat breakfast at the Ryokan. It was so worth it. have to be checked out by 10 or 11, leave luggage at the front desk. Walk to Kiyomizu. Do a little shopping. Eat lunch around the temple. See if there are other sightseeing things you want to see in this part of town. Go back to pickup your luggage. There is a cute little cafe across from the Ryokan. Have a little Japanese ice cream sundae and enjoy the koi pond. Take a taxi to the Shinkansen station. I would suggest going back to Tokyo in the late afternoon. Buy bento box and snacks in the station and eat dinner on the train.

Day 6 Tokyo

Day 7 Tokyo

Day 8 Leave get to the airport early. The little shopping mall in the airport had some great souvenirs. More expensive than in your local stores. But some really cute stuff. Plus, duty free.

Have fun!!

Wanted to add a few things in case someone stumbles across this post

The Ryokan Montonago is near a few temples/shrines. You can walk 7-8 blocks to get to the bus to take you to other temples/shrines across town.

If you want to eat lunch between the Montonago and Kiyomizu-Dera (one of the most famous) I highly recommend Okutan Kiyomizu. Might be hard to find. So ask the hotel staff and bring a map with its location so you can ask for help along the way.
https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g14124527-d1172900-Reviews-Okutan_Kiyomizu-Higashiyama_Kyoto_Kyoto_Prefecture_Kinki.html

You can buy lots of presents and souvenirs on the walk to Kiyomizu. It’s not the cheapest, but also not too expensive.

Also some great, less touristy stuff to buy along Shijo Street
http://www.motonago.com/en/location.html


If you are going to Kyoto, my advice is to check out of your hotel in Tokyo, but leave your luggage at the hotel (they will keep it for you). Just take a backpack with your essentials. Much easier to get around.

As for a hotel in Tokyo, we stayed at the Sunroute Plaza Shinjuku. (Go out the South entrance, it’s only 3-4 blocks)
http://en.sunrouteplazashinjuku.jp/

But pick a hotel close to all the stuff you want to see. If you are going to Kyoto, you might want to stay near Tokyo station since that’s were the Shinkansen leaves from.

In Tokyo, go to one of these restaurants. It’s a chain, but the gyoza is almost as good as my Japanese Mom’s

https://www.ohsho.co.jp/english/