Tokyo
Spend a day around Shibuya and Shinjuku, or pair Asakusa’s temple streets with Ueno’s parks and museums. Pick a base that works for the airport and your next departure.
Start with a city, find a nearby day trip, or pick up practical advice on hotels, trains, food and staying connected.
Compare 7 day trips from Tokyo without a car, from Kamakura and Hakone to Miura and the Boso coast.
Spend a day around Shibuya and Shinjuku, or pair Asakusa’s temple streets with Ueno’s parks and museums. Pick a base that works for the airport and your next departure.
Take JR to Yokosuka Station for the harbor promenade at Verny Park, then walk to Dobuita Street for lunch and embroidered jackets.
Take Keikyu to Misakiguchi for a tuna lunch at Misaki Port and a walk on Jogashima. Look up the buses between stops and back to the station.
Travel to Kanaya for Tokyo Bay views and the stone Buddha at Nihon-ji. The ropeway and temple have separate hours. Choose the train or cross the bay by ferry.
Arriving at Kansai International Airport? Compare trains and buses by hotel area, including what to do when the last connection is tight. Kansai Airport arrival guide
Start with Higashi Honganji near Kyoto Station or take the JR Nara Line to Inari. Keep a separate outing for the lanes and temples of Higashiyama.
Spend an evening along the Dotonbori canal and try takoyaki or okonomiyaki. From Osaka-Namba, make a day trip to Nara Park and Todaiji.
Start with Ohori Park or an evening around Tenjin, then make time for Dazaifu. For the airport subway, international arrivals first transfer to the domestic terminal by shuttle.
Use Hakata as a rail starting point for places such as Kumamoto and Nagasaki. Look up the return journey before deciding whether to go for the day or move hotels.
Keep Tokyo as your base. Give western and eastern Tokyo a day each. Pick Yokosuka for a shorter waterfront outing, Miura for lunch and coast, or Boso for a full day. Leave a free day so weather can decide when you go.
Spend the first few nights in Tokyo, then take the Shinkansen to Kyoto. Stay near Kyoto Station for easy rail connections or downtown for evening walks. Continue to Osaka for food and a Nara day trip, or visit Osaka from Kyoto if you’d prefer one Kansai hotel.
Explore these regions with Japan National Tourism Organization’s destination guides.