Visiting Japan has always been a dream I thought was out of reach—almost too good to be true…
I’m lucky to live in Düsseldorf, where Japanese culture is quite present (hey, we even have our own Japantown and I regularly try out local Japanese restaurants), but Japan is still a faraway and expensive destination. And here we are… one week before departure! We’re going to visit Japan for two weeks!
In this article, I’ll explain what we prepared in advance for our two-week trip and what we’re planning to do. And if you’re a regular reader of the blog, you already know: Travel means giveaway! You’ll have the chance to receive one of six postcards I’ll be sending from Japan—but more on that at the end of the article.
Our preparations for Japan
- We booked our plane tickets well in advance (December 2017 for a trip in March 2018) and took advantage of a special Air China offer for flights between Germany (where we live) and Japan. Our flight includes a 2-hour layover in Beijing. That doesn’t bother us at all—especially considering the price!
- We reserved our accommodations (mainly hotels—along with one ryokan and a camping cabin) during February. That was actually a bit late, as we later realised we’d be traveling during Golden Week, the week when the Japanese take vacations. Prices rise quickly, and availability is limited. We used Trivago to compare prices but booked everything through Expedia (I get 10–15% off since I work for the group). Make sure to check beforehand if there are any public holiday that might impact your trip!
- We booked our Japan Rail Pass and portable Wi-Fi box through the German website of Japan Rail Pass (since we live in Germany). We chose a two-week pass that allows us to travel all over Japan, and we’ll never be without internet access (very useful for Google Maps… and Instagram/Twitter). We ordered online and received everything by mail a few days later. We’ll exchange our voucher for the JR Pass at the airport and pick up our Wi-Fi device there as well.
- We double-checked that our passports were valid and up to date (it’s silly, but it happens!).
- We made a simple plan of the cities we wanted to visit and the duration of our stay in each city. That made it easier to divide our days and book accommodations. For that, nothing beats a Google Sheet. It allows us to share our itinerary with friends (some of whom have already been to Japan and helped us optimize our trip) and to edit or consult it anywhere. As you can see, we’ll be moving around a lot!
Our budget for Japan
In total, before any on-site expenses, our trip cost us €2850 for two people. This includes round-trip plane tickets (with checked luggage), the Japan Rail Pass (which was nearly the most expensive item…), the Pocket Wi-Fi, and hotel stays. On top of that, we’ll need to add food and souvenirs. We haven’t set a precise budget yet, but I’ve been saving for a long time to treat myself to this dream trip so… And yes, Japan is expensive, but I have to admit, I expected it to be even more expensive!
Our rough itinerary
We’re going for a mix of touristy and local experiences. We’ll of course be visiting the must-see sights for a first-time trip to Japan, but we’ll also be traveling with friends who have lived in Japan for four years (one of my best friends, whom I met during my studies in Porto—he’s Portuguese and lives in Tokyo with his Japanese girlfriend). We’re planning to stay quite a while in Tokyo so we can take day trips to nearby areas and soak in the Tokyo atmosphere.
We’ll then head to Nagoya, Osaka, and of course Kyoto, before returning to Tokyo. In these big cities, our plan is to visit temples, meet up with friends, and most importantly, eat all the local specialties (I have a whole Google Sheet just for that). And then… we’re spending a day at DisneySea, Tokyo’s Disneyland!
For our trip with friends, we decided to go to Yamanashi, a city known for its wine and located near Mount Fuji, before heading to Fujikawaguchiko. There, nothing fancy—we’ve rented a cabin in the woods and plan to have a barbecue by Lake Kawaguchi, with a direct view of Mount Fuji. In short, we’re going to spend quality time together!
And there you go, I hope you’re as excited as I am!
Feel free to leave me a comment if you have any questions. See you soon on the blog!