CHRISTY: Vancouver & Seattle Lifestyle, Travel, Fashion, Beauty, & Food Blogger ❀

Being in Tokyo during the cherry blossom season has always been on my bucket list! Travelling to Tokyo again in March just after visiting Sapporo in January is quite ambitious. The main reasons were to catch the cherry blossoms in Japan for the first time, to drive for the first time in Japan, and to check off some new cities to visit this year before life gets busy.

Areas Stayed:

• Namba – We wanted to mainly visit Dotonbori in Osaka and this was the closest to the station and Dotonbori
• Gotemba – For Hakone, we stayed here which was close to Fun2Drive, Fuji Speedway, and Nissan-Rent-A-Car car rental place
• Gotanda – For Tokyo, we stayed here as it was close to the Nissan-Rent-A-Car car rental place as well to return the car

Some things to bring: Sunscreen (even during winter), cash (for some of the food stalls, shrines), most places did take card and transit pass if you have Apple Wallet you can pick Suica or Pasmo and refill on your phone!, wifi – I used eSim Airalo which was very simple, umbrella (in case it rains), dress in layers (it gets hot indoors), comfortable shoes – lots of walking! Use the tablelog restaurant app to book places such as omakase spots!

Some foods to try in Osaka & Kamakura (see old posts for more Japanese food recommendations):

• Osaka: Okonomiyaki, takoyaki
• Kamakura: Fish cake, blue jeans ice cream?, bacon croquette, octopus senbei (rice cracker)

Quick tips: Some Japanese cashiers and servers know a bit of English and there are usually English menus as well. Remember to book shinkansen and car rentals in advance!

🗓 DAY 1 – Osaka

This time, my husband and I started in Osaka and stayed there for just one night. He has never been there before, so the first area to check out was definitely Dotonbori. I have been to Osaka back in 2019, so it was so refreshing to see Dotonbori again in-person and also visit Kuroman Ichiba Fish Market. The view of Dotonbori at around 7pm was amazing – the river was lit up by the many food stalls along both sides of the streets.

We were starving so we picked a random restaurant that had somewhat of a lineup. Turns out it was a popular place in Osaka and the okonomiyaki was delicious! Okonomiyaki is a grilled pancake usually made with cabbage, meat, and sometimes seafood. They had a wide selection of different toppings to choose from. We picked the one that had everything!

🗓 DAY 2 – Osaka, Kyoto

• Morning
  • If you have more time, you should stay another day in Osaka. We were in a rush so we checked out around 9am and left our luggage at the front desk to get delivered to our Gotemba hotel!
  • Breakfast: Takoyaki in Dotonbori
  • Kuromon Ichiba Fish Market: The fish market opens early so it’s a great spot to grab a quick breakfast! We picked up some tuna toro and a very soft daifuku.
  • Nipponbashi Denden Town: If you are a big anime fan, check this area out! It’s similar to Akihabara in Tokyo.

• Afternoon
  • Kyoto Station: We headed for Kyoto which was about an hour train ride away. I love this station! There’s a super long escalator and the architecture is breathtaking.
    • We picked up our bullet train tickets at a designated area. There is a line for foreigners to pay and pick up. I ordered it online Smartex instead as it takes more credit card options.
    • There are a lot of buses outside of the station, however, they usually have long lineups.
  • Nishiki Market: While walking to the market, we grabbed a drink at a blueberry-themed cafe. Nishiki Market is a fish market in Kyoto. We picked up some scallop and unagi skewers and a coffee, and then headed towards Gion.
  • Gion: is a famous geisha district and you can see so many traditional teahouses and shops. There aren’t too many restaurants in the alleys so you might have to head back out to the main streets.
  • Fushimi Inari Taisha: One of the most iconic spots in Kyoto. This is my second time here. I loved walking along the shopping street that was filled with yummy dessert and snacks. I picked up a matcha soft serve and grilled squid. You’ll want to finish your food as you shouldn’t be eating at the shrine area.

• Evening
  • We headed back to Kyoto Station to catch out 6pm bullet train ride! But first, we went to grab some bentos at the convenient stores – there were very cute ones! They should be able to stay out for a few hours.
  • Gotemba: After about two hours, we made it to Gotemba! It is near Hakone and Mount Fuji.

🗓 DAY 3 – Gotemba, Hakone

• Morning
  • Fun2Drive Ultimate Hakone Tour: Started at 9am until about 2pm. We caught a bus at Gotemba Station that went to there directly. It comes every 20-30 minutes though so you don’t want to miss it. Other people rented a car to drive up but our car rental was the next day since they close around 6pm.
    • Make sure to bring cash and your license, International Driver’s License, and passport.

• Afternoon
  • We drove through the Hakone Turnpike, Ashinoko Skyline, and Hakone Skyline. The weather turned out quite bad even though we were hoping for clear skies and cherry blossoms.
  • If you’ve never driven in Japan before, you’ll want to get familiar with the signs. We stuck to Google Maps on our phone but other people use Yahoo Maps. Common mistakes are usually steering towards the left and also not shoulder checking the right side when turning right. There were quite a lot of cars to follow and it can be slow with traffic.
  • Fun2Drive made the experience very straightforward and kept an eye out for everyone along the way!

• Evening
  • After finishing driving, we caught the bus back to the station and picked up our car rental at Nissan Rent-A-Car. There’s also Toyota Rent-A-Car but we preferred the Nissan one as the return location was closer to our hotel.

🗓 DAY 4 – Hakone, Tokyo

On this day, we kicked off our mini road trip from Gotemba to Tokyo! It is about a 1-hour drive there.

• Morning
  • Fuji Speedway: We picked up some buns for breakfast and then drove to Fuji Speedway. It was honestly so beautiful inside and out. They have a hotel and a race track. I loved resting at their souvenir store and cafe!
    • There’s also a museum that costs about US$25.

• Afternoon (Yokohama)
  • We visited the Nissan Engine Museum and had actually wanted to go to the Nissan Heritage Collection instead which was further away in Kanagawa.
    • We ended up driving an hour there to find out that we needed a reservation – should have realized! The next available slots were for April.
  • Drove back all the way to Gotanda in Tokyo, dropped off our car rental, and took a break at our hotel. Meguro River was close to our hotel and it was nice to finally see some cherry blossoms!

• Evening
  • Dinner: Tried sukiyaki at a restaurant beside our hotel.

🗓 DAY 5 – Tokyo, Yokohama

This day involved mostly driving another car rental to Yokohama.

• Morning
  • We rented a car from Only JDM and it was a smooth experience besides not getting our first and second choices. They have a Haneda airport location.

• Afternoon
  • Drove to Yokohama and visited the Chinatown there.
    • It’s the largest one in Japan!
    • I also found a pikachu manhole beside the Yokohama Marine Tower.
    • Visited Yamashita Park

• Evening
  • Drove to Daikoku PA but had to leave early. Grabbed a quick dinner and had yakiniku back in Gotanda!

🗓 DAY 6 – Tokyo

On the second last day, we were done driving around and wanted to be more relaxed.

• Morning
  • Breakfast: We left around 10am and decided to line up for Mukai which opens at 10:45am. The tuna rice bowls sell out fast so you have to get there early. It was so fresh and delicious and I love that I could pour their clam soup into my rice after!
  • Yoyogi Park: The restaurant was near the park and so many people were walking towards it. I grabbed a kinako mochi to eat at the park while watching the beautiful cherry blossoms.

• Afternoon
  • Nakano Broadway: So many shops to browse for vintage watches and anime goods! We spent a good two to three hours there.

• Evening
  • Shibuya: Went here to visit the Pokemon Centre again.
  • Dinner: Found a Japanese hot pot restaurant that is known for their oysters.

🗓 DAY 7 – Kamakura

Kamakura is a coastal area near Tokyo that has been on my bucket list. It’s been compared to Kyoto for it’s shrines and bamboo forest. It was so fun and I highly recommend it! There are also beaches and potentially a nice view of Mount Fuji in the background.

• Morning
  • Since it is somewhat on the way to Yokohama, we made a stop at the Nismo Omori Factory that seems to be only open on the weekends.
  • Took the train to Kamakura which took about an hour.
  • Komachi Street: Tried a premium matcha soft serve, mentaiko fish cake, and bacon croquette.
  • Took a bus to the Hokokuji Bamboo Forest but you can also walk 30-minutes. There is a small cash-only entrance fee. It was very peaceful and not crowded at all!

• Afternoon
  • Took the Enoden Line Train to Enoshima. The view was so nice as it went by the water! There are long lineups for the train so be aware.
  • Enoshima Island: We walked the long bridge towards the island. There is a food and shopping street along the way towards the shrine. I wanted to go to the cave but it actually closed at 5pm.

• Evening
  • We grabbed an octobus senbei (rice cracker) before heading back to our hotel. The coastal view was amazing even though the sky wasn’t clear enough to see Mount Fuji.

Other Links:

• 🍴 Check out my foodie account @christyenjoys for more!
• Going Tokyo? Read my Tokyo Itinerary
• Going Fukuoka? Read my Hiroshima and Miyajima Itinerary
• If you have time to go Osaka or Taipei nearby, I have a 4 Days In Osaka Itinerary or 5 Days In Taipei Itinerary!
• See the full summary of my Asia trip