WHAT TO SEE IN JAPAN ON YOUR OWN
On this occasion we would like to share with you what to see in Japan after our trip for free traveling part of the country. We were a total of 14 days during which we were able to see the most important cities and tourist sites. If you know us a little, you know that We love making the most of trips and taking advantage of every minute to get to know the destination. Below we will give you all the details about our experience in Japan with a detailed itinerary and tips for your trip.
What to see in Japan: itinerary to travel on your own
It is clear that an itinerary through Japan may vary depending on your tastes and number of days. However, we believe that the tour we took on what to see in Japan can give you a little bit of everything: modernity, tradition, nature, local gastronomy, culture and, above all, unique experiences. In the next lines we detail the itinerary that we did of 14 days and 13 nights to discover Japan for free. If you want more information about each destination, you just have to click on the links.
✔ Japan what to see in 14 days
- Kyoto, 3 nights. We tell you our advice on what to see in Kyoto and where to eat
- Koyasan, 1 night. Known Koyasan and what to do
- Hiroshima and Miyajima: 1 night. Here you have our tour of what to see in Hiroshima and Miyajima
- osaka, 2 nights. Here we tell you what to see in Osaka
- Shirakawa-go and Takayama, 1 night. Discover what to see in Shirakawa-go and Takayama
- Tokyo: 5 nights. We tell you everything what to see in Tokyo. The largest city in the world needs several nights to discover each neighborhood and its gastronomy
As we told you, you can expand information about what to see in Japan at each stop on our itinerary. We have a detailed article about each place we sleep and/or visit. That is to say, what to see in Tokyo, what to see in Osaka, what to see in Kyoto and other stops we made in the country thanks to the wonderful JR Pass. Is about Super detailed posts with recommendations for eating, hotels, transportation within each city or destination, etc.. Finally, At the end of this article we give you some tips for traveling to Japan on your own., so we recommend that you go all the way to the bottom.
What to see in Japan: tips if you are going to travel on your own
1. Buy your Japan Rail Pass or JR Pass
The JR Pass It is an exclusive train "pass" for tourists visiting Japan. This will allow you to benefit from a fixed price per day to use Japan Railways lines. If you are going to do a 14-day itinerary similar to ours, you can use it on all trains, except on the route from Kyoto to Koyasan (+€23) and from Takayama to Shirakawa-go (+€76). The rest of the trips, included within cities like Osaka and Tokyo, we did them ALL with the JR Pass. When we traveled in 2019 it was 100% worth it. Check the current prices on their website.
On the other hand, It is important that you reserve seats at your nearest JR Pass office for non-subway journeys in cities. Likewise, on the train that goes to and from the airport, Narita Express, it is essential to reserve seats in the JR offices. It cannot be done online. Finally, the JR Pass can only be purchased in your home country and with some advance notice. That is, do not wait until you arrive in Japan to buy it, since it is not possible.
2. Take out travel insurance. Basic advice for every trip
Whenever we make an international trip, we take out travel insurance with IATI insurance. It is hired easily and quickly online. Besides, You have a 5% discount if you book through this link or by clicking on the image below. Luckily we didn't have to use it. We hope you don't either. In any case, it is super economical and you not only have medical coverage, but also for flight delays, lost luggage, etc.
3. Get an eSIM with unlimited data for Japan
When we traveled, these technologies did not exist and we rented what was called pocket WIFI and there you could connect several devices. Nowadays, with eSIM operators with unlimited data like Holafly everything is much easier. We have used it in other destinations and it works great. In addition, we have a 5% off for our readers.
4. Get a universal travel plug adapter
From the moment you land in Japan, this advice will help you, since even on the Narita Express train that takes you from Tokyo airport you can charge your devices. In this country they use other types of plugs, exactly like the one in the United States.
We took the one you see in the following photo from Herschel and allowed you to charge two USBs and an electronic device at the same time. Look here for the universal plug adapter for your trip.
5. Take a raincoat
In 14 days in Japan, be sure that at least one day it will rain, we had a few and taking a good raincoat was the best thing we did. Especially if you travel in the months from June to September. If you even had a liner for your suitcase, you'll appreciate it. Since many times you get caught in the rain on the way to the station or your hotel and it can be good for you.
6. Tips for traveling to Japan on your own: get around by bike.
In all the places we visited in Japan they are more than used to getting around by bike. We loved the experience of renting a bike in Kyoto and exploring the city. We recommend it 100%. You will notice how many mothers and fathers even take their two children on bikes, it's amazing!
7. Breakfast in Japan: Family Mart, Seven Eleven and Lawson
Breakfasts in Japan are based on fish, soup and/or rice. If you are not used to it like us, a recommendation is that you go to any supermarket / 24 hours Lawson or Seven Eleven or Family Mart to get your breakfast. Here you can buy coffee to go, sandwiches, cookies and bananas if you're lucky. We are fond of Japanese "rice sandwiches." That is, rice, seaweed and tuna or salmon or chicken. These supermarkets are open all day, so they are also suitable for any quick lunch or dinner.
In the same way, in big cities you have franchises Eggs n' Things where you can eat some good eggs Benedict. Otherwise, you will always have Starbucks... We show you two examples of our breakfasts in Japan: poor option (€5) and rich option (€15).
8. What to see in Japan, but… what to eat?
In addition to what to see in Japan you have to know what to eat. In general, eating in Japan is cheap compared to Spain, many times you can eat for €10 per person or even less. Of course, if you are going to eat sushi or good meat, things change.
You can't leave Japan without try sashimi, sushi, tempura, gyozas, takoyaki, udon, miso soup, tonkatsu, wagyu, hida, kobe, ramen, okonomiyaki, edamame, mochis, yakitori , matcha green tea and all the desserts and ice creams that are made with it…
Surely we missed some, but without a doubt you can't miss the Japanese pizza, which you may have barely heard of. It's Okonomiyaki. Below we show you the one we tested in Okonomimura, Hiroshima. It is a building where only this dish is sold in different restaurants and on each floor. It is a typical Hiroshima dish. The base is noodles, it also has dough, egg, sauce, dried squid, cabbage and either chives or spring garlic...
9. Stay in a Ryokan or Shukubo
If you are going to visit Japan you should experience staying in a Ryokan. That is, traditional Japanese accommodation. We experience it in Koyasan (Shukubo Jokiin), although here they are especially called Shukubos as they are Buddhist temples. Normally you sleep on a tatami, you cannot wear shoes inside, the walls are made of paper, they have thermal baths called onsen. An experience that you can only live in Japan.
10. Find the best connection to squeeze in what to see in Japan
To make the most of everything to see in Japan, sometimes it pays to arrive through one city (Tokyo) and return through another (Kyoto or Osaka) and it can even be cheaper to make stops before returning to Spain or your country of origin. . We travel directly from Madrid with Iberia and then within the country we moved by train with the Jr Pass.
We hope that this post about what to see in Japan and tips for traveling independently have been helpful to you. If you have any questions, leave us a comment below, surely your question can help other travelers.