Japan 21 Days Solo - Oct/Nov 2026

Shinjuku Granbell Hotel

Day 1. Base for the Tokyo stretch. Keep the first evening easy around Shinjuku.

Takeshita Street

Day 2. Harajuku's chaotic teen fashion street, quick first-timer look.

Shibuya Scramble Crossing

Day 2. The famous scramble. Fun at street level, even better from above.

Meiji Jingu

Day 2. Serene forest shrine, go early before the crowds.

Shibuya Sky

Day 2. Book a sunset slot well in advance, one of the best views in Tokyo.

Hachiko Statue

Day 2. Quick photo with the loyal dog.

Omoide Yokocho

Day 3. Tiny smoky yakitori alleys next to Shinjuku Station.

Senso-ji

Day 3. Tokyo's oldest temple. Early morning or evening beats the midday crowds.

Ginza

Day 3. Polished shopping district. The depachika food halls are worth a look.

Tsukiji Outer Market

Day 3. Go early and hungry. More tourist food market than tuna-auction icon these days, but still a great graze.

Golden Gai

Day 3. Two hundred micro bars in six alleys. Go late, check for cover charge signs.

Mizno Hotel

Day 4. Lakeside hotel with Mt Fuji views from the rooms and rooftop terrace, plus onsen. Arrive for sunset.

Oishi Park

Day 5. Classic Fuji view over flower beds and the lake.

Mt. Fuji Panoramic Ropeway

Day 5. Quick ride up Mt Tenjo for the lake and Fuji panorama.

Maple Corridor (Momiji Kairo)

Day 5. Maple tunnel along the canal. Peak color is usually mid November, expect only early color in late October.

Nagasaki Park

Day 5. Quiet sunrise Fuji viewpoint on the north shore of Lake Kawaguchi.

Kawaguchiko Music Forest Museum

Day 5. Quirky European-style music box museum with a Fuji backdrop.

Chureito Pagoda

Day 5. The postcard Fuji shot. About 400 steps up, clearest air early morning.

Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden

Day 6. Calm landscaped garden, a great slow morning.

Akihabara Electric Town

Day 6. Arcades, retro game shops and electronics browsing.

Daikoku Parking Area

Day 6. Legendary Wangan car meet spot, busiest on weekend nights. Only reachable by car, pairs perfectly with the GT-R night tour.

Hasedera

Day 7. Hillside temple with a great view over Sagami Bay.

Komachi Street

Day 7. Snack street leading up to Tsurugaoka Hachimangu.

Goryo Shrine

Day 7. Small shrine where the Enoden train rolls right past the torii.

Kotoku-in (Great Buddha)

Day 7. Kamakura's 13m bronze Great Buddha.

Tsurugaoka Hachimangu

Day 7. Kamakura's grand shrine at the top of the town axis.

Gen Hakone Gora

Day 8. Onsen ryokan night with kaiseki dinner. Recovery time.

Hakone Shrine

Day 9. Lakeside shrine. Expect a queue for the floating torii photo.

Owakudani

Day 9. Steaming volcanic valley on the ropeway line. Try the black eggs.

Lake Ashi

Day 9. Cruise the lake between Togendai and Moto-Hakone, Fuji shows up on clear days.

Hakone Gora Park

Day 9. French-style garden a short walk from Gora, easy add-on.

Hakone Open-Air Museum

Day 9. Sculpture park with the Picasso pavilion, if energy allows.

Hakone Museum of Art

Day 9. The moss garden with maples is the star, one of Hakone's best autumn scenes.

Pontocho Alley

Day 10. Atmospheric lantern-lit dinner alley along the Kamo River.

Kamogawa Delta

Day 10. Stepping stones and locals hanging out at dusk. A lovely low-key Kyoto moment.

Hanamikoji Street (Gion)

Day 10. Gion's main geisha district street. Be discreet, no photos of geiko on private property.

Hozugawa River Boat Ride

Day 11. Traditional boat down the rapids from Kameoka back to Arashiyama. Reserve ahead.

Saga Torokko Station (Sagano Railway)

Day 11. Sagano Scenic Railway departure. Reserve seats ahead, car 5 is the open-air one.

Arashiyama Bamboo Forest

Day 11. Go at dawn. By 9am it is packed.

Okochi Sanso Garden

Day 11. Paid villa garden at the top of the bamboo grove, matcha included. Escapes the crowds instantly.

Otagi Nenbutsu-ji

Day 11. 1200 moss-covered rakan statues, each with its own expression. Quiet, quirky and wonderful.

Togetsukyo Bridge

Day 11. Arashiyama's landmark bridge, nice at sunset.

Arashiyama Yoshimura

Day 11. Soba lunch with a view over Togetsukyo Bridge. Expect a wait at peak times.

Sannenzaka

Day 12. The other preserved slope, prettiest early morning before the shops open.

Kiyomizu-dera

Day 12. Opens at 6am. Go at opening, the stage and the view are worth the alarm.

Ninenzaka

Day 12. Preserved slope street below Kiyomizu.

Gekkeikan Okura Sake Museum

Day 12. Sake brewery museum with tasting, in the atmospheric Fushimi canal district.

Yasaka Shrine

Day 12. Free, open late, lantern-lit at night. Gateway between Gion and Maruyama Park.

Fushimi Inari Taisha

Day 12. Late afternoon into dusk works well, crowds thin dramatically past the first gates.

Philosopher's Path

Day 13. Canal-side stroll between Ginkaku-ji and Nanzen-ji.

Teramachi Street

Day 13. Covered shopping arcade, connects to Shinkyogoku and Nishiki.

Ginkaku-ji

Day 13. The Silver Pavilion. The sand garden and moss garden are the real stars.

Nishiki Market

Day 13. Kyoto's kitchen. Go hungry, most stalls close around 5pm.

Todai-ji

Day 14. The Great Buddha hall. Immense in person, photos do not prepare you.

Nakatanidou

Day 14. Famous high-speed mochi pounding. Eat the yomogi mochi warm.

Kofuku-ji

Day 14. Five-story pagoda right by Kintetsu Nara Station, first stop.

Kasuga Taisha

Day 14. Lantern-lined forest approach, quieter than Todai-ji.

Nara Park

Day 14. The bowing deer. Buy crackers away from the pushy gangs near the entrance.

Naramachi Koshi-no-Ie (Lattice House)

Day 14. Free traditional lattice townhouse in Naramachi's slow old streets.

Kurama-dera

Day 15. Mountain temple up the Eizan line. Start of the ridge hike over to Kibune, about 1h30.

Kifune Shrine

Day 15. The lantern staircase shrine. Try the water fortune slips in the stream.

Dotonbori

Day 15. Neon madness, the Glico sign, street food dinner. Osaka says hello.

Hozenji Yokocho

Day 15. Quiet lantern alley one street from Dotonbori. Splash water on the moss-covered Fudo statue.

Hyoue Cafe

Day 15. Riverside break in Kibune after the hike.

Osaka Aquarium Kaiyukan

Day 16. One of the world's best aquariums, whale sharks in the giant central tank.

Tempozan Ferris Wheel

Day 16. Quick bay views right next to the aquarium.

Orange Street

Day 16. Horie's hip boutiques, furniture stores and cafes.

Den Den Town

Day 16. Osaka's Akihabara. Retro games, anime, electronics, cheaper and calmer.

Namba Yasaka Shrine

Day 16. The giant lion head stage, one of Osaka's most photogenic shrines.

Amerikamura

Day 16. Streetwear, vintage shops and youth culture.

Umeda Sky Building

Day 16. Floating Garden Observatory, best at dusk.

Minoh Falls

Day 17. Easy 45min riverside walk from Minoh Station, momiji tempura stalls on the way. Color peaks mid to late November.

The Sumo Hall Hirakuza Osaka

Day 17. 5:30pm sumo show in Namba, book ahead.

Osaka Castle

Day 17. Photo stop from the park. The interior is a modern museum, skippable if short on time.

Kuromon Ichiba Market

Day 17. Seafood grazing market, lunch before the hotel break.

Ueno Park

Day 19. Museums, shrines and easy strolling for the wind-down days.

Ueno First City Hotel

Day 19. Final Tokyo base near Ueno.

Ameyoko Shopping Street

Day 19. Market street under the Yamanote tracks, good for souvenirs and snacks.

Kakurenbo Yokocho

A maze-like cobblestone alley threaded between Kagurazaka Naka-dori and Honda Yokocho, its name means 'hide-and-seek lane' because anyone who slips in vanishes from view. After dark the black wooden fences of the old ryotei swallow the light and only paper lanterns and the glow leaking from sliding doors survive, doubling beautifully in wet stone. Shoot down the curve so the lanterns recede into blackness, expose for the puddle reflections, and wait for the rare silhouette of a kimono cutting through the frame. This is still a working hanamachi with around 25 geisha, so the Showa-quiet is real and not staged. #tokyobynight

Ginza Black Heart Alley

銀座ブラックハート — cyberpunk pipe-choked alley hiding the Black Heart bar, Ginza 6. #tokyobynight

Tokyo International Forum (Glass Hall)

東京国際フォーラム — spaceship glass hall, cavernous & silent late at night (go inside). #tokyobynight

Atago Shrine Otoko-zaka (Stairs of Success)

On Edo's old highest natural hill, an almost vertical flight of 86 stone steps, the legendary 'stairs of success,' rockets straight up to a small shrine ringed by old trees, with glass office towers rising directly behind. After dark the contrast is the whole picture: the colored lights of modern Minato throw moving shadows through the ancient trees while the stairway falls away into black below. Shoot from the top looking down to make the steps a dizzying chute of wet stone, or from the base to stack the torii, lanterns, and skyscrapers in one collision of eras. Lit and publicly accessible at night, unlike most shrines. #tokyobynight

Yurakucho Gado-shita

The archetypal salaryman under-girder eatery strip, tiny yakitori and motsu joints built into the brick arches beneath the elevated Yamanote tracks between Ginza and Marunouchi. After dark the akachochin, open-air grills, rising steam and suited drinkers packed under the rumbling viaduct make it a long-running street-photography mecca for a reason. Shoot the smoke catching the warm lantern light against the dark riveted ironwork, and use the brick arches as natural frames around each glowing counter. Trains thunder overhead for an easy long-exposure streak above the scene. #tokyobynight

Ebisu Yokocho

#tokyobynight

Shibuya Nonbei Yokocho

#tokyobynight

Gunkan Higashi-Shinjuku (Battleship Building)

Coordinates: 35.6985,139.7058

Yayoi Kusama Museum

Coordinates: 35.7026196, 139.7264548

Aoyama Technical College (Gundam Building)

Makoto Sei Watanabe's 1990 debut building, a bristling mass of bolted-on fins, pods and antennae that locals nicknamed the Gundam Building because it reads as a giant robot lurching out of the residential hillside. After dark the bizarre mecha silhouette goes near-black against the sky, and the few lit windows and street lamps pick out its metallic protrusions. Shoot from the slope below with a wide lens to exaggerate the looming robot read, and use a long exposure to let passing car lights rake across its industrial skin. #tokyobynight

Hokokuji Temple Bamboo Groove

Fujiyoshida View of Fuji

Coordinates: 35.4916,138.8032

Itchiku Kubota Art Museum

Coordinates: 35.5273,138.7598

Hahanoshirataki Shrine

Coordinates: 35.5355,138.7826

Meigetsu-in

Fujiyama Twin Terrace

Livecam: http://124.255.231.177:50000/live/index.html

Sasuke Inari Shrine

佐助稲荷神社（神奈川県鎌倉市佐助・連なる赤鳥居）

Enoura Observatory

Need booking!

Oshino Hakkai

There are eight springs at Oshino Hakkai Springs. At one time, what we now know as Oshino-mura used to be a lake. Mt. Fuji erupted many times, gradually filling the space between Fujisusono and Mt. Misaka. This abraded and drained the area so that, over long period of time, the lake finally dried up. However, some springs that received water from Mt. Fuji's underground water reservoir remained. Oshino Hakkai is one of the representatives of those springs.

Zeniarai Benzaiten Shrine

Gango-ji

Gio-ji Temple

祇王寺

Nanzenji

Mo-an Café

Kōdaiji Temple

Kitano Tenmangu Shrine (River Walk)

北野天満宮

Yasaka no To Pagoda

Tsutenkaku

Coordinates: 34.6525,135.5063

Chao Chao Sanjo Kiyamachi

Coordinates: 35.0084,135.7706 #gyoza

Tsuruhashi

Tsuruhashi is the center of Osaka's Korea Town, and it is well known for its many Korean restaurants, Korean shops, and Korean super markets.

Katsuō-ji Temple

Coordinates: 34.8651,135.4916

Kayashima: The Tree Station

Mmm, there is a tree still growing inside the station. By night, from outside, seems better.

A-PIT Super Autobacs Shinonome

Legendary JDM car-parts megastore in Tokyo Bay. Demo cars, tuning culture, and the parking lot itself is a show some evenings.

Nissan Crossing

Free GT-R and heritage car showroom in the middle of Ginza. Easy add to the Day 3 walk for a car fan.