Japan: Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, and Everything Between
Japan is the most organized country on earth — trains run to the second, convenience stores sell better food than most restaurants elsewhere, and a 7-day rail pass costs $236.
In This Post
- Japan: Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, and Everything Between
- Getting Around
- Where We Stayed
- Food: Eat Everything
- The Mt. Fuji Day Trip
- Real Budget Breakdown
- What Surprised Me Most
- Practical Tips
- Find Flights to Tokyo
- Related Reading
- What Made This Particular Trip to Japan Different
- Gear and Guides We Recommend
- Frequently Asked Questions
We went in 2023, two weeks split across Tokyo, Kyoto, and Osaka, and Japan is the most organized, cleanest, and most quietly fascinating country I have ever visited. Everything works exactly as it should. Trains run to the second. Convenience stores sell better food than most restaurants in other countries. And then you turn a corner and find a thousand-year-old shrine tucked between skyscrapers, and it all makes sense somehow.
Getting Around
The Japan Rail Pass is worth it if you are moving between cities. Ours ran $236 per person and covered all the bullet trains between Tokyo and Osaka. Buy it before you leave home — it cannot be purchased in Japan at the same price. Once you land at Haneda, the fastest and cheapest way into the city is the Tokyo Monorail from the airport to Hamamatsucho, then the JR Yamanote Line to Tokyo Station — the whole thing takes about 35 minutes and costs under $4. Get your JR Pass activated at the JR East Japan Travel Center on 2F of the Terminal 3 arrivals lobby before you leave the airport. Then add a digital Suica or Pasmo IC card to your iPhone wallet — it handles subways, local trains, buses, and konbini purchases without touching cash. This combination covers 95% of your transit in Japan.
Where We Stayed
Book hotels: Search Booking.com hotels
We used Marriott Bonvoy points for all four hotels and the total cash value was significantly higher than what we paid in points — worth knowing if you have points sitting unused.
- AC Hotel Tokyo Ginza (2 nights) — Ginza is central, walkable to everything, and the hotel is well-designed without being pretentious. The Ginza 6 shopping complex is a block away and the rooftop restaurant there is a good first-night dinner. Cash rate ran around $300/night; we paid points.
- Prince Sakura Tokyo Tower Autograph Collection (1 night) — The Tokyo Tower views are real and worth one night in Takanawa/Minato area. Good restaurant, quieter neighborhood than Ginza.
- Moxy Kyoto Nijo (2 nights) — Nakagyo-ku is a good base for Kyoto. Not a luxury property but functional and well-located. Cash rate ~$220/night.
- Fairfield by Marriott Osaka Namba (2 nights) — Namba is exactly where you want to be in Osaka. Everything is walkable: Dotonbori, the food streets, the train connections. Cash rate ~$200/night.
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Total hotel cost at cash rates would have been roughly $887 per person for the 7 nights. We paid a fraction of that in points. If you travel internationally more than twice a year, the Marriott/Chase points ecosystem is worth understanding.
Food: Eat Everything
Conveyor belt sushi, ramen at midnight, convenience store onigiri at 7am — Japan made me rethink what food can be. A bowl of tonkotsu ramen at a tiny eight-seat counter near Shinjuku Station cost about six dollars and was one of the best things I have ever eaten. The konbini (convenience stores) are excellent. 7-Eleven in Japan is not the same as 7-Eleven anywhere else on earth.
The Mt. Fuji Day Trip
We booked a guided Mt. Fuji day trip out of Tokyo for $80 per person. The tour covers the 5th Station on Fuji, Lake Kawaguchiko, and typically a stop at Oshino Hakkai (the spring ponds at the base of the mountain). One honest caveat: Fuji is frequently cloud-covered, especially in summer and spring. We got partial views. The mountain itself can disappear entirely behind clouds for the entire day and there’s no refund for bad weather. Check the forecast before you commit a full day.
The 5th Station at around 2,300 meters is worth seeing — the scale of the mountain only becomes clear when you’re on it. The walk around the station area takes about an hour. If you want to summit, that requires a full overnight separate trip and is done July through September only.
Mt. Fuji tours from Tokyo on Viator — book in advance, the good guides sell out weeks ahead.
Real Budget Breakdown
- Hotels: ~$887/person for 7 nights (cash rate — we paid points)
- JR Pass: $236/person
- Mt. Fuji day tour: $80/person
- Food: $40-70/person/day (mix of high-end and konbini)
- Flights from JFK: variable — we used points for business class. Cash economy runs $900-1,400 round trip depending on season.
What Surprised Me Most
The silence. Not quiet exactly — cities are loud — but there is an absence of confrontation, chaos, and unpredictability that makes Japan feel like the most relaxing place to travel despite being one of the most densely populated. Nobody is trying to sell you anything. Nobody honks. Strangers will go out of their way to help you navigate if you look confused, and then bow and walk away before you can thank them properly.
Practical Tips
- Get a pocket wifi or SIM at the airport. Google Maps in Japan is more reliable than anywhere else in the world. You will use it constantly.
- Cash still matters. Many small restaurants, shrines, and rural businesses are cash-only. ATMs at 7-Eleven and Japan Post accept foreign cards reliably.
- Shoes you can slip on and off. You will remove your shoes constantly — temples, traditional restaurants, some ryokan. Laces are annoying.
- Book popular restaurants in advance. The best ramen spots and izakayas fill up fast, especially in Tokyo and Kyoto.
- Rush hour on Tokyo trains is real. Avoid the subway between 7:30 and 9am if at all possible.
Tours: Japan tours on Viator
Travel Insurance: We use SafetyWing for travel insurance on every international trip. It covers medical emergencies, trip interruptions, and lost luggage starting at $45/month with no fixed end date — perfect for multi-country itineraries.
Find Flights to Tokyo
Cheapest Flights to Tokyo
| Departure at | Return at | Stops | Airline | Find tickets |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 August 2026 | 14 September 2026 | Direct |  |
Tickets from 683 |
Book on Klook:
- Japan Rail Pass (JR Pass)
- Mt. Fuji Day Trip from Tokyo
- teamLab Borderless Tokyo Tickets
- Fushimi Inari and Nara Day Tour
Related Reading
What Made This Particular Trip to Japan Different
Japan reopened to independent tourists in October 2022 after being completely closed to tourism for over two years during COVID. The country we visited was noticeably different from the pre-pandemic Japan that travel blogs still described. Fewer international tourists meant shorter lines at temples in Kyoto — Fushimi Inari at sunrise was almost empty, something that would have been impossible in 2019.
The yen was historically weak during our visit, making Japan surprisingly affordable. A bowl of ramen that would cost the equivalent of $15 in New York was $6 in Tokyo. Omakase dinners that Michelin-starred restaurants in the US charge $300 for were $80 in Ginza. This window of affordability has been slowly closing as the yen recovers, so if you went when we did, you got a deal that may not exist by the time you read this.
We caught the tail end of the autumn foliage (koyo) season at several temples in Kyoto. The Japanese Meteorological Agency actually publishes detailed forecasts of when the leaves will peak at specific locations — and the maples at Tofuku-ji were at 90% color on the day we visited. The monks have been recording the first bloom of cherry blossoms and the peak of autumn color at this temple for over 600 years, making it one of the longest continuous phenological datasets in the world.
In Osaka, we ate at a tiny six-seat yakitori place in Shinsekai that had been open since 1965. The owner told us (through Google Translate and a lot of hand gestures) that he was the third generation to run it and that the grill had not been replaced once. The fat from sixty years of chicken had seasoned the metal in a way that, according to him, could never be replicated.
The Shinkansen (bullet train) hit its 60th anniversary of operation in 2024, and in all those decades, the average delay across the entire system is 54 seconds. Not 54 minutes — 54 seconds. We tested this: every single train we took arrived within a minute of the scheduled time. The platform markings for where each car door will stop are accurate to the centimeter.
Gear and Guides We Recommend
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- Lonely Planet Japan – Still the most comprehensive single guidebook for first-timers.
- Osprey Farpoint 40 Travel Backpack – Fits carry-on and doubles as a day bag.
- Anker Nano Power Bank – Essential for long days of navigating with your phone.
- eSIM International Data – Works across Japan without swapping SIM cards.
Book Activities in Japan:
- Japan tours and experiences on GetYourGuide
- Japan attractions and passes on Klook
- Japan rail and transport tickets on 12Go
Compare flights on Skyscanner — and grab an Airalo eSIM before you land so you have data the moment you arrive.
Related: Best Tours in Japan That Are Actually Worth Booking
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does two weeks in Japan cost for two people?
We spent approximately $4,500 total for two people over 14 days, including flights, hotels, food, trains, and activities. The 7-day Japan Rail Pass was $236 per person and covered all bullet train travel between Tokyo and Osaka.
Is the Japan Rail Pass worth it?
Yes, if you are traveling between cities. A single round-trip Shinkansen ticket from Tokyo to Osaka costs more than the 7-day pass. Buy it before you arrive in Japan for the best price.
What is the best time to visit Japan?
Spring (late March to mid-April) for cherry blossoms and autumn (November) for foliage are peak seasons. We went in late spring and the weather was perfect with manageable crowds.
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Written by Jenna Fattah
I have visited 25+ countries across 6 continents, attended 7 Formula 1 races, and spent 4 years writing about what actually works and what I would do differently. Every recommendation on this site comes from trips I planned and paid for myself. Read more about me