I’m heading to Japan from late May till mid June and I was wondering if anyone has any recommendations on places to go, places to eat, and maybe even a few weird/interesting things to see?
Cities I’ll be visiting (in order):
Hiroshima
Kyoto
Osaka
Tokyo
Thanks!
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Hakone is well worth a visit; I’d suggest staying overnight in a ryokan and visting some onsen spas if you can. Also from Kyoto you can do some great mountain hikes.
My restaurant recommendations will be well out of date by now but I will say consult some guide books, because the best places to eat tend to be pretty hidden away down alleyways and back streets.
Oh, and the Shinkansen bullet trains are super expensive but well worth it. 300kph in smooth comfort.
Oh, and try to visit the Nakasendo trail if you can.
I would just only say that, if you have the chance, go see the Mount Koya (Koyasan) area from Osaka or Kyoto, at least for a day, and if you can go sleep in one of the monasteries or do some hiking in the Kumano Kodo area nearby.
Also, in Hiroshima, unless you are a big fan of WWII stuff, just skip and go straight to Miyajima, the island nearby => most of my customers came quite deceived with the city itself
I would recommend visiting Nikko if you have time, just north of Tokyo. It was a lovely hike and trip, and they had something amazing to eat called Manju!
Otherwise, in Toyko the Government building has an amazing view for free.
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It’ll make planning a hell of a lot easier as my partner only provided me with a laundry list of places to eat
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I was there in late May and got to see a sumo tournament. One of the most unique things ever.
Also, the baseball games are fun there too.
I’d recommend Matsumoto; awesome castle, interesting museum and access point for the stunning Japanese Alps scenery
@shoby I just came back from a tour that did all the cities in your list and it was spectacular! Our tour also include Hakone and Takayama. Much smaller towns but full of culture and history. For example all the sake breweries in Takayama. And in Hakone we got to see Mount Fuji 
For getting around Japan, I used the Japan Rail Pass.
If you’re just sticking to a certain region, JR regional passes might make more sense.
Michel
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I think I am also take this tour @roann It seems very nice 
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I just watched some train routes in Japan yesterday on YouTube. They seems incredible! @TravelNotes
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Indeed, train travel in Japan is quite an experience.
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@TravelNotes Absolutely! Japan’s train system feels like a journey in itself — not just a way to get from A to B.
The precision, the rituals, and the scenery along the way make it a truly unique experience.
Thanks for sharing this, really inspiring for future trips.