There is plenty of stuff to do in Tokyo and its surroundings. It's also a good city to use as a base to explore the surrounding region. That said, 1 month is a bit too long for me - i think that would exhaust all the touristic spots (however minor)?
4 weeks is enough to do the traditional Tokyo-Osaka-Kyoto route with many stops on the way such as Hakone, Mt Fuji etc.
I barely scratched Kyoto, the manager of the hotel I stayed said you need at least 3 days, if you are doing 10 you got time to leisurely explore Kyoto, Osaka and include Nara
As somebody who used to live in Tokyo and then Yokohama, you could stay in just those two cities and have plenty to do. However, there are some very amazing day trips to do from there and you could do like one a week or something just to get out of the city — like going to Takao, or Chiba, or Tochigi.
Don’t let this sub give you FOMO and overschedule yourself in a way you don’t want.
The worst that happens is you get there, realize after two weeks that you’d like to go somewhere else, and you do.
There are tons of beautiful parks, museums, and interesting little areas to visit and randomly find in Tokyo.
I’d include Yokohama also just because they really do blur into each other.
It’s ok to want a slow, mostly unscheduled trip. Probably better even.
Most people overschedule themselves and go home exhausted. A month will go by fast, but also slowly, and I think you’ll have a better time than many others.
I always travel with a framework of things I really want to do, and leave lots of space around those things for the cool stuff I find along the way. It’s left me available for some really cool experiences I wouldn’t have otherwise had.
I have always skipped the questionable zoo, but have seen a lot of questionable zoos in Japan nonetheless. I love Takao, especially on weekends when there are extra snacking options open. I hike from the bottom on the trail to the summit, eat at the noodle place, take some pics, and then snack my way back to the cable car and take it back down.
Beautiful views, and still doesn’t feel that crowded even when it’s busy (until you get on the cable car)
Hey I feel like I’m hijacking here but what are some things to do at Takao?, I’m gonna be going back to Tokyo in like 2 weeks and wanted to include it, but I’m not really sure what to look for
The best experience is go to on a weekend. It will be busier, but not necessarily unpleasantly so. On the weekend, they have many vendors in different areas selling food and drinks (alcoholic and non). They sell grilled mitarashi dango that are my favorite, but sometimes you get less grilled ones bc it’s just so busy — still tasty though! There is also ice cream, ice cold cucumbers, pickled things, souvenir snacks, and the small conbini at the train station has some things you don’t always see elsewhere, as do the shops along the way back to the train station.
You can hike from the train station (the little town has shops also) to the very top. It’s a lot of stairs actually. Or you can walk to the cable car station from the train station and take that halfway up and hike the rest or just go to the temple and walk around and be done. There are more places to eat and drink and see views at the top top though and it’s worth seeing if the weather is good.
I’m not there now, so not sure what the cherry blossoms are like on Takao, but they are later than Tokyo so probably not out yet. But it’s the huge cedars that are the stars of the trees there.
There is the aforementioned sketchy zoo too. I haven’t been in it because I’ve seen enough sad and sketchy zoos in Japan.
The temple sells various charms too.
It’s a pretty easy train ride from Shinjuku station as there’s a limited express that goes right to takaosanguchi usually. Going back, I think you have to transfer like 2-3 stations into the ride….but not always. Google maps can tell you though.
The noodle place at the summit is tasty and worth waiting a few minutes if you have to.
Thanks man, I don’t think I’ll get to go on a weekend but I’ll try for a friday, you did gave me an idea now of how to explore it, the temple at the top and the cable car sounds like my kind of thing
I went to Mount Takao yesterday, and so far no Cherry Blossoms yet. I went 2 days ago to the Ueno park and there like 2-3 cherry blossoms trees to be seen, but the locals are saying they will be ready probably next week.
Ueno is really my favorite spot. There used to be (and probably still is) the very best ever castella cakes in one of the food stalls near the temple. I don’t know why theirs are better than anywhere else I’ve tried in Japan, but they are. I went there multiple years specifically for them 😂 They are great with a highball fwiw
…now I want some
Minatomirai is a really trendy area in Yokohama, and has a lot of new stuff since I last lived there (that also blocks the awesome view of fujisan I had, good thing I moved before that lol). It’s where the red brick warehouses are, and queen’s tower (looks like Orthanc), a nice bayside park, and lots of other things, too.
You could spend a lifetime in Tokyo and not see it all.
However, Japan is full of amazing places apart from Tokyo, for a first trip I would definitely look to experience onsens, the countryside, some volcanos etc.
One tiny question: do you come from a big city? And I mean a very big city.
Because if you come from a small town or, like me, the countryside, one month is too much. Trust me. I'm exhausted after two weeks every time I go there. There's just people everywhere, all the freaking time. It's definitely not the right city to be really chill.
If you're used to having many people around you all the time, I guess it's ok though.
It can totally work staying in Tokyo for a month. Using Tokyo as your base and taking day-trips, and bringing a rucksack and staying in capsule hotels etc. is also mint.
Then I suggest you take frequent breaks to the country side. There's no shortage of mountains there and it's very easy to just do a day trip here and there. That's what I do every time I'm there. Mt Takao is very accessible for instance.
Just about right for slowly exploring Tokyo and its surrounding areas. 18 days for things within Tokyo and 12 days for other towns/cities within 2-3 hours train rides.
I always go for a couple of months, but I'm also the kind of traveler who is perfectly happy spending a day reading a book in a coffee shop on occasion.
That's plenty of time to explore other places as well. I'm sure you could spend all of it in Tokyo and still find new things to do/see, but unless you want to immerse yourself in the day-to-day life of the locals, you should definitely visit some other areas.
It is really up to you - you have plenty of time to do other cities if you want. But if you want a less packed itinerary and to just experience life, time will go quickly and there is plenty to do in Tokyo as well. You can also do a lot of day trips from Tokyo as well if you would like.
Personally, I like your plan - I find it much more relaxing to stay put for a while rather than travel about. You end up doing/experiencing a lot of non-touristy parts and if you find some areas/restaurants you like, you can go back a few times.
Tokyo is a massive city in itself, more an amalgamation of several cities - you won’t be bored!
I know you said you want a really chill time but I highly suggest you at least do the usual that most first timers do and spend some time in Osaka/Kyoto!
Osaka felt like a mini Tokyo so personally I recommend staying some days in Kyoto. A day trip to Kyoto is just not enough to even scratch the surface of what it has to offer, plus staying in Kyoto gives you opportunity to make easy day trips to Osaka and Nara, as well as other amazing places nearby!!
Why do you want to come to Japan?
Depending on your answer… I think you should see other parts of the country. Tokyo ≠ Japan. It’s the most international city, so arguably the least Japanese.
Definitely travel around. If you were working or going to school in Tokyo for a month I’d say it would be ok to just do a few day trips, but I think it’s too much if you’re there to explore. Really, in a month you could visit most of the country and not feel too rushed.
In my biased opinion, if you only stay in Tokyo you’ll missing the best parts of Japan.
I’m flying into massive Tokyo (only) for 10 days via Haneda by next week 3/26 -4/4. I’m pretty sure 10 days to see and do all what I want, ain’t enough .
What are you applying for jobs lol? Having not traveled much before it’s hard to say what your style of travel is but I personally think a month in a single city, especially when it’s your first time in that country, is crazy. I would go do some research and see what else interests you.
My question to you is why did you decide to stay in Tokyo for a month? If you feel that’s you want to do, do it!
A long stay will probably give you a cheaper deal at an accommodation, and you have freedome to travel in and around Tokyo, there are plenty to do.
Yes and no. No if this will be just your FIRST trip to Japan and you really want to experience all Tokyo specifically has to offer. Yes it's too long if you don't know if you'll ever go back to Japan and are just staying in Tokyo because it's easy.
I go to Japan for a few weeks at a time, up to a month. But that's cuz I have family there I barely get to see, and I wanna stay with them a long time when I do end up going.
31 days is too long. Staying at just Tokyo is going to be restrictive to move around.
You can do three or more regions maybe like Kyushu, Kansai-7days, Kanto-7days.
Plan more and you will see a lot more in 30 days rather than chilling and missing out.
31 days is long. Unless you’re the type of person that is happy just sitting for hours and watching people. Sights. Or reading a book. There is a lot to do in Tokyo area but it can be a lot of similar feeling things in the main hub.
I’d recommend heading to Osaka Kyoto. Or north and check out Hokkaido.
I’m sure there’s enough to see and do in Tokyo for a month but I was pretty ready to travel around after a couple days there. Lots of day trips from Tokyo and very easy to get to Osaka and Kyoto.
It is just depends on what you wanna do while you are in Japan. If you want to stay one spot and enjoy food and shopping, just stay whole month in Tokyo.
It really depends on you. What is your goal? What are your interests? For me that's way too long to be in one city, even though there is a ton to do. I would recommend visiting other cities to get a better feel for the country. Check out Okayama or Himeji. Go up to Aomori. Just staying in Tokyo for a month will keep you busy but you won't really see the "real Japan" as they say
We spent 10 days near Tokyo as we were visiting family, and still did not see everything I wanted to see.
There are some nice day trips you can do, Kanagawa, Hakone...
If you'd said "three weeks," I would say not to worry about it. With a month's time, I'd say at least see Kyoto.
It sounds like this is your first international trip? I’m curious why you chose Japan - not questioning your choice whatsoever (it sounds like it could be a nice chilled vacay) but I was wondering how you landed on Japan, especially being a primarily non-English speaking country. You would be ok with Tokyo - it’s fairly easy to get around once you get the hang of using the trains and subway etc.
Tokyo is massive and there's always something to do and find... just depends on your interests.
But even with that month long stay, you can easily go on day trips to Chiba, Yokohama, Hakone, Enoshima, Yokosuka, Kawagoe, Saitama...etc..
But I could easily spend a month in Tokyo just exploring... soo much to do and see.
If you have the time I would spend a few days in Nikko where the tomb of Tokugawa is and visit the temple complex and the waterfall, its amazing. It's a couple hours north of Tokyo on the Shinkansen.
Tokyo is massive and there are plenty of good options for day trips here and there.
I reckon you’ll have a great time either way. Other places feel very different from Tokyo, of course, but Tokyo is great.
It depends on what type of traveler you are.
I would stay in Tokyo but also make optional plans to one or more cities. You have choices if you want to change things up.
Even if you stay in Tokyo, you could stay in different parts of the city. Book a hotel/hostel for the first few days. Stay or move if you feel like it.
You should definitely check out other places too there's so much beauty to see and a month is a good amount of time to see some dope shit. But I went for 21 days and sad I didn't book another week or two so it depends on what you wanna do.
I absolutely LOVE Tokyo - and if you're a city lover like me, one month won't even scratch the surface but it is ample time to enjoy! In my 10 days there, I focused on one neighbourhood each day - returning depending on how much it intrigued me - so I explored 'iconic' areas first (I'm a first-timer!) such as Shinjuku/Shin-Okubo, Shibuya, Ikebukuro, Tokyo Station, Harajuku, Akihabara, Asakusa (my favourite), Ueno, Skytree area. There is no shortage of places to see. Absolutely every stop I checked out had me excited about something...I can't wait to go back to Japan to explore more. Start with the Yamanote Line and have a blast!
Chill traveler here like yourself and I just finished a 60 day trip to Japan. I could have EASILY spent the whole time in Tokyo and been really happy. I spent a total of 2 weeks there and feel I just scratched the surface.
I did 3 weeks in Japan last year and hit Hiroshima (3 days), Universal Studios Japan (2 days), Osaka (2 days), Kyoto (3 days), Tokyo (4 days), Tokyo Disney (4 days), Sapporo (3 days). It felt rushed in most cities, but I was glad to see so much of the country.
Even if you did 2.5 weeks in Tokyo and split the remaining time in Kyoto/Osaka, that could be worth it. Lots of good day excursions around all those cities. If you feel like going farther away though, Hiroshima and Miyajima are amazing.
Go day trips to Enoshima, Kamakura, Hakone, Nikko and Mt Fuji area. ( Recommended to do on a weekday, less crowd )
Maybe take the bullet train and stay a night in Kyoto or Osaka.
I’ve done almost a month now in Tokyo while working remotely and I don’t regret it one bit :) I’ve been chipping away at different towns that I’ve seen a lot of them without the pressuring itinerary.
If you want to just live like a local and even do nothing on some days, I’d suggest it.
However, Parkinson’s law - A little bit of pressure might keep you disciplined to make best use of your time.
If you aren't likely to come back here - I'd suggest two weeks Tokyo, one week Kyoto, one week Osaka.
Also if you want to save money the japan buslines pass is way less expensive than the train pass, you can take night busses (which save a night's hotel cost) and the new "Reborn" seats are similar to business class flights! (They are included for free with the japan buslines pass but NOT the willer pass - so be careful which one you buy!)
Also the pass can be used over a whole month nonconsecutively (so for example the 3 day pass is any 3 days in a month, not 3 days in a row - allowing slower travel, staying longer etc.)
You really should go check out some other places in Japan. Tokyo can get overwhelming at times. I was ready to leave after 7 days there.
There is tons to do in Tokyo, but if I was you i would spend a week there and then travel to other parts. Maybe come back for another week in tokyo at the end of the month.
For a month, I'd do the big 3 Tokyo/Kyoto/Osaka.
I did a month in October with 1 week each in Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, then back in Tokyo. I had no itinerary and had plenty of time to do whatever I wanted. I also had a car pretty much the whole time, which helps.
My fave part of my current trip was Shizuoka and Fuji area, so gorgeous and not packed full of people. Although we had a car to get around so it was nicer
Is this a once in a lifetime trip? Then I would suggest to do the 'golden route' Tokyo - Kyoto - Nara - Osaka - Himeji - Hiroshima - Miyajima.
This way you have the 'standard' japanese experience, a mix of everything.
Is this going to be one of more trips, then I would pick at least 1 other destination besides Tokyo, the rest of japan is really different from Tokyo.
Osaka is already a different vibe and a good base of travel for a lot of other good destinations (Kyoto, kobe, Nara, Himeji)
Look into the tourist train pass, if you are going to explore, the Shinkansen’s make it easy and quick to get anywhere in Japan. Plus with this pass majority of the JR trains are free
I went to Tokyo last year for two weeks and basically did way to much, still missed a lot and felt pretty exhausted when going back home. I am going back this year for another 3 weeks and have so far planned only a day trip to Nara and 3-4 smaller things I wanna see in Tokyo. I personally get more out of a place by going slow and really experience it rather that getting blasted with the tourist experience.
I would travel to Osaka, Kyoto, even far down to Hiroshima to learn about history from the other viewpoint (highly recommend). Also, you need to try out the Okonomiyaki between Osaka and Hiroshima!!
yea too long. Obvi you can explore tokyo and it does have a lot to offer. But it's also very busy in the city centre, more expensive, and overall draining at times. Take the opportunity and go to other places.
There will always be Fomo but 1 month is a little too much in Tokyo. You can plan day trips/overnight trips at neighboring prefectures/cities for hotsprings etc. 1-2 nights in other cities, using Tokyo as your "base".
I once stayed there for 2 months, with no plans. you wont be bored. its nice. you kinda get the feeling of living there if you stay longer.
and if you get tired of it, you can always do day trips or go somewhere else a couple of days.
31 days is a lot - you won’t be bored in Tokyo but id still recommend going to see other places in Japan (you’d have the time to see Fuji/Kyoto/osaka/nara if you want, plus any smaller places that interest you)
Aside from other places though, there are many great day trips from Tokyo you can do - kawagoe, kamakura, nikko, yokohama, mt. takao, etc
Kyoto is my absolute favorite city in the world. Steeped in culture if you want to visit shrines. Plenty of nature for hikes. Pontocho Alley for Bars and restaurants. The "balance" of the city is quite literally a little something for everyone. If I had to choose 1 place to stay for a month it would be there. PLUS it is only a short train ride to Osaka, and quite a cool to see destinations. I think it would make a better "base" than Tokyo would.
take the bullet train to kyoto or osaka for a couple of days, kyoto is great for nature and cultural experiences while osaka has amazing food and night life. both have amazing architecture and is worth a visit even if for just a day.
While you could stay for 31 days and not see it all, as a tourist, I would never choose to stay there for 31 days. Much more to Japan than Tokyo and Kyoto.
Make a plan and get reservations for accommodations. The big cities are extremely busy so you will want to find a calming secure spot to recharge. Japan is a hard first international destination in some respects as you will need Google Translate and Maps and constant, reliable connectivity in order to get past language challenges. On the other hand, anywhere in Japan is immensely more safe than Western countries. The Japanese people are kind and helpful. The food is good and generally made to a very high standard. Transportation is clean, fast, and not horribly expensive.
We just enjoyed a quite varied month in Japan and only scratched the surface, spending time both in cities and rural areas on Honshu, Kyushu, and Shigoku. Would return in a heartbeat to Kyoto and Shigoku, along with plenty of other spots we enjoyed immensely.
Things we would not do again: a) carry fancy clothes b) stay in the more intense areas like Shinjuku or Dotonburi c) make the error of staying in rural areas without having dinner reservations because we learned fast that not having reservations meant another dinner from 7/11!
Part of our trip included 1100 miles in a rental car. Driving let us get to areas that we would never have been able to see via the superb train system. Despite driving on the other side of the road, I found it much easier to drive in Japan than driving at home. The roads are far better, the drivers are
rarely impolite or inattentive or unsafe.
A month is not at all too long.
I got tired of Tokyo on day 6. But that’s me, grew up in China, lived in Korea, I’m not fascinated with 7-11 and anime merch, used to gachapons and used to most Japanese brands being in abundance where I live. Besides the big districts , it’s just a huge megacity, wires, crossroads, Staabakkusu, all of that for kilometers across with occasional vending machines.
I would explore a bit more because you are already in the country and in position to do so. You can certainly fill a month in Tokyo area.
Spend a few days in Kyoto. Spend a Friday or Saturday night in Osaka. At the very least!
One month in Tokyo is perfecty. I did it in both 2005 and 25006. One tip though, make sure you get a lot of variety. Especially in the 2005 trip i kinda fell in to a pattern and repeated some of the things I did a bit too much.
Day trips for example would be great.
That's not even enough to see all the products in Donki.
Priorities
Hahahahahahahaha no lie there
What is donki
It's the place in Tokyo where there isn't enough time to see everything inside, even if given a month.
Don Quixote, a chain of stores that are somewhere between Target and Salvador Dali.
lol Dali
Don Quixote
Yeah, you'll find enough to get 31 days out of Tokyo alone. Enjoy.
Way too long. Go elsewhere for a bit.
There is plenty of stuff to do in Tokyo and its surroundings. It's also a good city to use as a base to explore the surrounding region. That said, 1 month is a bit too long for me - i think that would exhaust all the touristic spots (however minor)? 4 weeks is enough to do the traditional Tokyo-Osaka-Kyoto route with many stops on the way such as Hakone, Mt Fuji etc.
Yeah I’m currently looking into doing a 10 day trip between Kyoto and Osaka
That's a start, also throw in Kanazawa for a few days since it's cheap so you'll save some money there.
You could also do a day trip to Hiroshima from Osaka. Hiroshima sits an hour and thirty minutes from Osaka
The no limit parade song at universal studios japan in Osaka’s still in my head. I think its worth a visit
I barely scratched Kyoto, the manager of the hotel I stayed said you need at least 3 days, if you are doing 10 you got time to leisurely explore Kyoto, Osaka and include Nara
As somebody who used to live in Tokyo and then Yokohama, you could stay in just those two cities and have plenty to do. However, there are some very amazing day trips to do from there and you could do like one a week or something just to get out of the city — like going to Takao, or Chiba, or Tochigi. Don’t let this sub give you FOMO and overschedule yourself in a way you don’t want. The worst that happens is you get there, realize after two weeks that you’d like to go somewhere else, and you do. There are tons of beautiful parks, museums, and interesting little areas to visit and randomly find in Tokyo. I’d include Yokohama also just because they really do blur into each other. It’s ok to want a slow, mostly unscheduled trip. Probably better even.
That makes me feel more assured about my lackadaisical approach
Most people overschedule themselves and go home exhausted. A month will go by fast, but also slowly, and I think you’ll have a better time than many others. I always travel with a framework of things I really want to do, and leave lots of space around those things for the cool stuff I find along the way. It’s left me available for some really cool experiences I wouldn’t have otherwise had.
Takao is one of my favorite places in Tokyo. It seldom gets mentioned though. But, you can't go wrong with a mountain top temple and questionable zoo.
I have always skipped the questionable zoo, but have seen a lot of questionable zoos in Japan nonetheless. I love Takao, especially on weekends when there are extra snacking options open. I hike from the bottom on the trail to the summit, eat at the noodle place, take some pics, and then snack my way back to the cable car and take it back down. Beautiful views, and still doesn’t feel that crowded even when it’s busy (until you get on the cable car)
Hey I feel like I’m hijacking here but what are some things to do at Takao?, I’m gonna be going back to Tokyo in like 2 weeks and wanted to include it, but I’m not really sure what to look for
The best experience is go to on a weekend. It will be busier, but not necessarily unpleasantly so. On the weekend, they have many vendors in different areas selling food and drinks (alcoholic and non). They sell grilled mitarashi dango that are my favorite, but sometimes you get less grilled ones bc it’s just so busy — still tasty though! There is also ice cream, ice cold cucumbers, pickled things, souvenir snacks, and the small conbini at the train station has some things you don’t always see elsewhere, as do the shops along the way back to the train station. You can hike from the train station (the little town has shops also) to the very top. It’s a lot of stairs actually. Or you can walk to the cable car station from the train station and take that halfway up and hike the rest or just go to the temple and walk around and be done. There are more places to eat and drink and see views at the top top though and it’s worth seeing if the weather is good. I’m not there now, so not sure what the cherry blossoms are like on Takao, but they are later than Tokyo so probably not out yet. But it’s the huge cedars that are the stars of the trees there. There is the aforementioned sketchy zoo too. I haven’t been in it because I’ve seen enough sad and sketchy zoos in Japan. The temple sells various charms too. It’s a pretty easy train ride from Shinjuku station as there’s a limited express that goes right to takaosanguchi usually. Going back, I think you have to transfer like 2-3 stations into the ride….but not always. Google maps can tell you though. The noodle place at the summit is tasty and worth waiting a few minutes if you have to.
Thanks man, I don’t think I’ll get to go on a weekend but I’ll try for a friday, you did gave me an idea now of how to explore it, the temple at the top and the cable car sounds like my kind of thing
I went to Mount Takao yesterday, and so far no Cherry Blossoms yet. I went 2 days ago to the Ueno park and there like 2-3 cherry blossoms trees to be seen, but the locals are saying they will be ready probably next week.
Ueno is really my favorite spot. There used to be (and probably still is) the very best ever castella cakes in one of the food stalls near the temple. I don’t know why theirs are better than anywhere else I’ve tried in Japan, but they are. I went there multiple years specifically for them 😂 They are great with a highball fwiw …now I want some
When I read questionable zoo I thought questionable like they have sketchy practices
Yokohama is beautiful! We ventured there from Tokyo to see the big Gundam. I didn’t know the city would be so nice!
Minatomirai is a really trendy area in Yokohama, and has a lot of new stuff since I last lived there (that also blocks the awesome view of fujisan I had, good thing I moved before that lol). It’s where the red brick warehouses are, and queen’s tower (looks like Orthanc), a nice bayside park, and lots of other things, too.
Unfortunately yhe gundam stuff is closed end of this month
No. I stayed 4 weeks and it wasn't enough. I hate spending my vacation moving from city to city.
It depends on what you want to do. For me, 1 month isnt enough for Tokyo alone.
You could spend a lifetime in Tokyo and not see it all. However, Japan is full of amazing places apart from Tokyo, for a first trip I would definitely look to experience onsens, the countryside, some volcanos etc.
One tiny question: do you come from a big city? And I mean a very big city. Because if you come from a small town or, like me, the countryside, one month is too much. Trust me. I'm exhausted after two weeks every time I go there. There's just people everywhere, all the freaking time. It's definitely not the right city to be really chill. If you're used to having many people around you all the time, I guess it's ok though.
No I came from a small rural town. I mean 400 people mountain town.
It can totally work staying in Tokyo for a month. Using Tokyo as your base and taking day-trips, and bringing a rucksack and staying in capsule hotels etc. is also mint.
Then I suggest you take frequent breaks to the country side. There's no shortage of mountains there and it's very easy to just do a day trip here and there. That's what I do every time I'm there. Mt Takao is very accessible for instance.
I think there's lots of places to chill, gardens and temples for example
Not at all. Tokyo has surprises in each district. But you could take some day trips outside the city center to mix itnup
Just about right for slowly exploring Tokyo and its surrounding areas. 18 days for things within Tokyo and 12 days for other towns/cities within 2-3 hours train rides.
I always go for a couple of months, but I'm also the kind of traveler who is perfectly happy spending a day reading a book in a coffee shop on occasion.
This is why I take such long holidays as I love having days where I’ll just chill and read a book 😂
That's plenty of time to explore other places as well. I'm sure you could spend all of it in Tokyo and still find new things to do/see, but unless you want to immerse yourself in the day-to-day life of the locals, you should definitely visit some other areas.
It is really up to you - you have plenty of time to do other cities if you want. But if you want a less packed itinerary and to just experience life, time will go quickly and there is plenty to do in Tokyo as well. You can also do a lot of day trips from Tokyo as well if you would like.
Yeah that’s then plan I had but was worried I was limiting myself too much
Personally, I like your plan - I find it much more relaxing to stay put for a while rather than travel about. You end up doing/experiencing a lot of non-touristy parts and if you find some areas/restaurants you like, you can go back a few times. Tokyo is a massive city in itself, more an amalgamation of several cities - you won’t be bored!
I know you said you want a really chill time but I highly suggest you at least do the usual that most first timers do and spend some time in Osaka/Kyoto! Osaka felt like a mini Tokyo so personally I recommend staying some days in Kyoto. A day trip to Kyoto is just not enough to even scratch the surface of what it has to offer, plus staying in Kyoto gives you opportunity to make easy day trips to Osaka and Nara, as well as other amazing places nearby!!
I am staying in Tokyo for 2 weeks, with occasional day trips to Fuji-san/Hakone and nearby areas but I think a month is too long.
Why do you want to come to Japan? Depending on your answer… I think you should see other parts of the country. Tokyo ≠ Japan. It’s the most international city, so arguably the least Japanese.
Definitely travel around. If you were working or going to school in Tokyo for a month I’d say it would be ok to just do a few day trips, but I think it’s too much if you’re there to explore. Really, in a month you could visit most of the country and not feel too rushed. In my biased opinion, if you only stay in Tokyo you’ll missing the best parts of Japan.
It's obvious up to you, but if I were you I would go across the entire Japan, from Kyuushu to Hokkaido, instead of spending a month entirely in Tokyo.
I’m flying into massive Tokyo (only) for 10 days via Haneda by next week 3/26 -4/4. I’m pretty sure 10 days to see and do all what I want, ain’t enough .
What are you applying for jobs lol? Having not traveled much before it’s hard to say what your style of travel is but I personally think a month in a single city, especially when it’s your first time in that country, is crazy. I would go do some research and see what else interests you.
I would be in heaven but why not go out to Kyoto and Osaka for at least a week?
My question to you is why did you decide to stay in Tokyo for a month? If you feel that’s you want to do, do it! A long stay will probably give you a cheaper deal at an accommodation, and you have freedome to travel in and around Tokyo, there are plenty to do.
Yes and no. No if this will be just your FIRST trip to Japan and you really want to experience all Tokyo specifically has to offer. Yes it's too long if you don't know if you'll ever go back to Japan and are just staying in Tokyo because it's easy.
It's not too long but I think you should go Yokohama at least. I have visited Tokyo for 9 days and that was not enough tbh
I go to Japan for a few weeks at a time, up to a month. But that's cuz I have family there I barely get to see, and I wanna stay with them a long time when I do end up going.
31 days is too long. Staying at just Tokyo is going to be restrictive to move around. You can do three or more regions maybe like Kyushu, Kansai-7days, Kanto-7days. Plan more and you will see a lot more in 30 days rather than chilling and missing out.
31 days is long. Unless you’re the type of person that is happy just sitting for hours and watching people. Sights. Or reading a book. There is a lot to do in Tokyo area but it can be a lot of similar feeling things in the main hub. I’d recommend heading to Osaka Kyoto. Or north and check out Hokkaido.
I’m sure there’s enough to see and do in Tokyo for a month but I was pretty ready to travel around after a couple days there. Lots of day trips from Tokyo and very easy to get to Osaka and Kyoto.
If you’re going to work here and have friends then no.
1 month is a little long for tokyo, but not long enough for japan. Take the trains and check out a ton of other awesome places.
It is just depends on what you wanna do while you are in Japan. If you want to stay one spot and enjoy food and shopping, just stay whole month in Tokyo.
It really depends on you. What is your goal? What are your interests? For me that's way too long to be in one city, even though there is a ton to do. I would recommend visiting other cities to get a better feel for the country. Check out Okayama or Himeji. Go up to Aomori. Just staying in Tokyo for a month will keep you busy but you won't really see the "real Japan" as they say
We spent 10 days near Tokyo as we were visiting family, and still did not see everything I wanted to see. There are some nice day trips you can do, Kanagawa, Hakone... If you'd said "three weeks," I would say not to worry about it. With a month's time, I'd say at least see Kyoto.
It sounds like this is your first international trip? I’m curious why you chose Japan - not questioning your choice whatsoever (it sounds like it could be a nice chilled vacay) but I was wondering how you landed on Japan, especially being a primarily non-English speaking country. You would be ok with Tokyo - it’s fairly easy to get around once you get the hang of using the trains and subway etc.
Tokyo is massive and there's always something to do and find... just depends on your interests. But even with that month long stay, you can easily go on day trips to Chiba, Yokohama, Hakone, Enoshima, Yokosuka, Kawagoe, Saitama...etc.. But I could easily spend a month in Tokyo just exploring... soo much to do and see.
If you have the time I would spend a few days in Nikko where the tomb of Tokugawa is and visit the temple complex and the waterfall, its amazing. It's a couple hours north of Tokyo on the Shinkansen.
Tokyo is massive and there are plenty of good options for day trips here and there. I reckon you’ll have a great time either way. Other places feel very different from Tokyo, of course, but Tokyo is great.
It depends on what type of traveler you are. I would stay in Tokyo but also make optional plans to one or more cities. You have choices if you want to change things up. Even if you stay in Tokyo, you could stay in different parts of the city. Book a hotel/hostel for the first few days. Stay or move if you feel like it.
You should definitely check out other places too there's so much beauty to see and a month is a good amount of time to see some dope shit. But I went for 21 days and sad I didn't book another week or two so it depends on what you wanna do.
I absolutely LOVE Tokyo - and if you're a city lover like me, one month won't even scratch the surface but it is ample time to enjoy! In my 10 days there, I focused on one neighbourhood each day - returning depending on how much it intrigued me - so I explored 'iconic' areas first (I'm a first-timer!) such as Shinjuku/Shin-Okubo, Shibuya, Ikebukuro, Tokyo Station, Harajuku, Akihabara, Asakusa (my favourite), Ueno, Skytree area. There is no shortage of places to see. Absolutely every stop I checked out had me excited about something...I can't wait to go back to Japan to explore more. Start with the Yamanote Line and have a blast!
Not at all, I just went for 2 weeks and wish I could live there forever
Chill traveler here like yourself and I just finished a 60 day trip to Japan. I could have EASILY spent the whole time in Tokyo and been really happy. I spent a total of 2 weeks there and feel I just scratched the surface.
I did 3 weeks in Japan last year and hit Hiroshima (3 days), Universal Studios Japan (2 days), Osaka (2 days), Kyoto (3 days), Tokyo (4 days), Tokyo Disney (4 days), Sapporo (3 days). It felt rushed in most cities, but I was glad to see so much of the country. Even if you did 2.5 weeks in Tokyo and split the remaining time in Kyoto/Osaka, that could be worth it. Lots of good day excursions around all those cities. If you feel like going farther away though, Hiroshima and Miyajima are amazing.
Go day trips to Enoshima, Kamakura, Hakone, Nikko and Mt Fuji area. ( Recommended to do on a weekday, less crowd ) Maybe take the bullet train and stay a night in Kyoto or Osaka.
I’m trying for 3!
Tokyo is bigger than most tourist think! Definitely not too long, just take the train and go explore different areas of Tokyo!!
I’d also recommend a 2/3 day trip to Fujiyoshida and the surrounding towns there!
Some people live in Tokyo all their lives. Is that too long?
I would break it up maybe fly to Fukuoka $70 then Osake $40 then back to Tokyo $40 that would make a good month in Japan 😍 Have a great time 🥳kompai🍻
I’ve done almost a month now in Tokyo while working remotely and I don’t regret it one bit :) I’ve been chipping away at different towns that I’ve seen a lot of them without the pressuring itinerary. If you want to just live like a local and even do nothing on some days, I’d suggest it. However, Parkinson’s law - A little bit of pressure might keep you disciplined to make best use of your time.
Nope
Get out of Tokyo, go all the way to hakata then all the way back up to Sapporo.
Stayed for three months cumulatively. Still not enough to see everything.
A week or two I can definitely understand. A month is a bit ridiculous unless it’s your third or fourth time and you know what you like
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If you aren't likely to come back here - I'd suggest two weeks Tokyo, one week Kyoto, one week Osaka. Also if you want to save money the japan buslines pass is way less expensive than the train pass, you can take night busses (which save a night's hotel cost) and the new "Reborn" seats are similar to business class flights! (They are included for free with the japan buslines pass but NOT the willer pass - so be careful which one you buy!) Also the pass can be used over a whole month nonconsecutively (so for example the 3 day pass is any 3 days in a month, not 3 days in a row - allowing slower travel, staying longer etc.)
You really should go check out some other places in Japan. Tokyo can get overwhelming at times. I was ready to leave after 7 days there. There is tons to do in Tokyo, but if I was you i would spend a week there and then travel to other parts. Maybe come back for another week in tokyo at the end of the month.
Yeah trust me that's wayyy too long. Take your time to explore at least Osaka. Kyoto, Yuji, Kobe, etc.
For a month, I'd do the big 3 Tokyo/Kyoto/Osaka. I did a month in October with 1 week each in Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, then back in Tokyo. I had no itinerary and had plenty of time to do whatever I wanted. I also had a car pretty much the whole time, which helps.
My fave part of my current trip was Shizuoka and Fuji area, so gorgeous and not packed full of people. Although we had a car to get around so it was nicer
Is this a once in a lifetime trip? Then I would suggest to do the 'golden route' Tokyo - Kyoto - Nara - Osaka - Himeji - Hiroshima - Miyajima. This way you have the 'standard' japanese experience, a mix of everything. Is this going to be one of more trips, then I would pick at least 1 other destination besides Tokyo, the rest of japan is really different from Tokyo. Osaka is already a different vibe and a good base of travel for a lot of other good destinations (Kyoto, kobe, Nara, Himeji)
Look into the tourist train pass, if you are going to explore, the Shinkansen’s make it easy and quick to get anywhere in Japan. Plus with this pass majority of the JR trains are free
I went to Tokyo last year for two weeks and basically did way to much, still missed a lot and felt pretty exhausted when going back home. I am going back this year for another 3 weeks and have so far planned only a day trip to Nara and 3-4 smaller things I wanna see in Tokyo. I personally get more out of a place by going slow and really experience it rather that getting blasted with the tourist experience.
I would travel to Osaka, Kyoto, even far down to Hiroshima to learn about history from the other viewpoint (highly recommend). Also, you need to try out the Okonomiyaki between Osaka and Hiroshima!!
yea too long. Obvi you can explore tokyo and it does have a lot to offer. But it's also very busy in the city centre, more expensive, and overall draining at times. Take the opportunity and go to other places.
There will always be Fomo but 1 month is a little too much in Tokyo. You can plan day trips/overnight trips at neighboring prefectures/cities for hotsprings etc. 1-2 nights in other cities, using Tokyo as your "base".
I once stayed there for 2 months, with no plans. you wont be bored. its nice. you kinda get the feeling of living there if you stay longer. and if you get tired of it, you can always do day trips or go somewhere else a couple of days.
Osaka must bro, way better than Tokyo
Get the hell out of Tokyo and at least see the Tohoku or Kansai or Kyushu regions. Japan has much more than just a big city with maid cafes…
31 days is a lot - you won’t be bored in Tokyo but id still recommend going to see other places in Japan (you’d have the time to see Fuji/Kyoto/osaka/nara if you want, plus any smaller places that interest you) Aside from other places though, there are many great day trips from Tokyo you can do - kawagoe, kamakura, nikko, yokohama, mt. takao, etc
Kyoto is my absolute favorite city in the world. Steeped in culture if you want to visit shrines. Plenty of nature for hikes. Pontocho Alley for Bars and restaurants. The "balance" of the city is quite literally a little something for everyone. If I had to choose 1 place to stay for a month it would be there. PLUS it is only a short train ride to Osaka, and quite a cool to see destinations. I think it would make a better "base" than Tokyo would.
Everyone who visits Japan goes to Tokyo, central Tokyo. See the country outside of Tokyo and Kyoto.
take the bullet train to kyoto or osaka for a couple of days, kyoto is great for nature and cultural experiences while osaka has amazing food and night life. both have amazing architecture and is worth a visit even if for just a day.
While you could stay for 31 days and not see it all, as a tourist, I would never choose to stay there for 31 days. Much more to Japan than Tokyo and Kyoto.
Not at all even a few months won’t cover all of it. So much to do & sooo much to eat! You are so lucky.
Make a plan and get reservations for accommodations. The big cities are extremely busy so you will want to find a calming secure spot to recharge. Japan is a hard first international destination in some respects as you will need Google Translate and Maps and constant, reliable connectivity in order to get past language challenges. On the other hand, anywhere in Japan is immensely more safe than Western countries. The Japanese people are kind and helpful. The food is good and generally made to a very high standard. Transportation is clean, fast, and not horribly expensive. We just enjoyed a quite varied month in Japan and only scratched the surface, spending time both in cities and rural areas on Honshu, Kyushu, and Shigoku. Would return in a heartbeat to Kyoto and Shigoku, along with plenty of other spots we enjoyed immensely. Things we would not do again: a) carry fancy clothes b) stay in the more intense areas like Shinjuku or Dotonburi c) make the error of staying in rural areas without having dinner reservations because we learned fast that not having reservations meant another dinner from 7/11! Part of our trip included 1100 miles in a rental car. Driving let us get to areas that we would never have been able to see via the superb train system. Despite driving on the other side of the road, I found it much easier to drive in Japan than driving at home. The roads are far better, the drivers are rarely impolite or inattentive or unsafe. A month is not at all too long.
I got tired of Tokyo on day 6. But that’s me, grew up in China, lived in Korea, I’m not fascinated with 7-11 and anime merch, used to gachapons and used to most Japanese brands being in abundance where I live. Besides the big districts , it’s just a huge megacity, wires, crossroads, Staabakkusu, all of that for kilometers across with occasional vending machines.
I would explore a bit more because you are already in the country and in position to do so. You can certainly fill a month in Tokyo area. Spend a few days in Kyoto. Spend a Friday or Saturday night in Osaka. At the very least!
One month in Tokyo is perfecty. I did it in both 2005 and 25006. One tip though, make sure you get a lot of variety. Especially in the 2005 trip i kinda fell in to a pattern and repeated some of the things I did a bit too much. Day trips for example would be great.