what i did, what i wore: japan
06: 10 day japan itinerary (with hotels, vintage shops and bookstores) and outfit diary
If you follow me on Instagram, you may have already seen that I was recently in Japan, visiting Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka, and as a part of a big trip with a second leg in the Philippines. It was my first time being back in Asia for the first time since studying abroad in 2010-2011 in Shanghai, a program that also took us to other parts of China and also Japan, Cambodia, Thailand, Tibet and Hong Kong. I had made some incredible friends in that time in my life so it was really special to be able to experience Japan again 13 years later with two of them, who I am still good friends with to this day, along with my husband who had never been to Asia until now.
The last time we were in Tokyo, we were broke college students traveling in a big group and spent the 5 days there doing mostly touristy things and to be honest, I didn’t have the best impression of the city. In recent years, friends have raved about how much they love Japan so when I was planning this trip, I was determined to see what they saw. I’m happy to say that I did. Like when visiting any new city, I enjoyed finding the specific things that I really loved that may not always show up on “must visit” lists — in this case: its cool intimate jazz bars, late night soaks in the onsens, Japanese breakfast, the beautiful architecture houses, drinking tea out of handmade ceramic bowls that I picked out, eating around low dining tables while sitting on tatami mats, local bookstores and stationery shops I can spend hours in, and beef and tuna that melted in my mouth, to name a few.
Japan is definitely a country you can to return to again and again and not get sick of and have plenty to do. Preparing for this trip, I had SO many recommendations from trusted friends that I had to comb through and only scratched the surface of all the food I wanted to try and places I wanted to visit. It was the hardest trip for me to plan (and I’ve planned a lot!) not only because there is so much great stuff to do, but also because the city is so widespread and needs planning around specific areas to maximize your time. With that said, I hope that this 10-day itinerary is helpful as a starting off point if you see yourself visiting Japan in the near future :)
For paid subscribers, I’ll also be sharing a full list of the recommendations I received (with favorites highlighted), our original itinerary that included spots we didn’t get to but hoped to, and as always, details of all the outfits I packed and wore.
Day 1 - Tokyo
Checked into Yuen Betteir Daita, a chic, intimate traditional Japanese inn with an onsen (natural hot springs) and the most delicious Japanese breakfast. It was in the quieter part of Tokyo, which I loved as Tokyo can be busy and pretty overwhelming, and was within walking distance from train stations (make sure to add a Suica Card on your Apple wallet for transportation!) and cool coffee shops. We got dinner at Nasu Oyaji, a Japanese curry spot that’s cash only and had a local, hole in the wall vibe that I love. It was really affordable and very yummy. We then walked around Shimokitazawa, known for their vintage shops, and took a train to Golden-Gai in Shinjuku, a district with narrow alleyways full of tiny, cozy bars. When we got back to the hotel, my friend and I soaked in the onsen at the hotel.
Day 2 - Tokyo
After having our Japanese breakfast at the hotel, we went to the Meiji Jingu, one of the few touristy spots I had on the itinerary. We then tried to find vintage cameras in Shinjuku with no luck. We headed to Aoyama and Omotesando for vintage shopping at Amore, QOO and BerBerJin, as Japan is known for their incredible selection of vintage and secondhand designer, and then had pastries at Amam Dacotan before heading to the Kyu Asakura House, a traditional heritage house. In that area, there were some really cool bookstores like Tsutaya and Cow Books and independent clothing stores. We went to Nakame no Teppen Honten for dinner, a fun Izakaya restaurant where you had to enter through a small door. We loved the miso pork, whole mackerel, sashimi plate and ice cream bread. We finished the day with a bit of pachinko and another onsen soak at the hotel.
Day 3 - Tokyo
It was my birthday so we dedicated this day to what I was looking forward to most in Tokyo — their used bookstores. After breakfast, we started the day with Totoro-shaped cream puffs (I loved the strawberry!) at Shiro-Hige’s Cream Puff Factory, matcha at YOYO and book browsing at Nikkiya Tsukihi before heading to Jimbocho, a book town known for 100+ vintage and used bookshops. I loved watching little old men and women browsing books on the exposed shelves and I picked out a used book (even though it was in Japanese) with a cool cover, for my friend to give me as a birthday present. We then went to Komiyama, a family-owned bookshop of vintage photography and art books where I picked out a photography book for myself. We also went to Magnif, Bohemian’s Guild and Nanyodo. My friend found a 100+ year old tempura spot called Kanda Tempura Hachimaki, where we had lunch before heading to Ginza, a more modern part of Japan with a ton of shopping and high end restaurants. To be honest, I didn’t love the area but I did like spending time in Itoya, a multi-floor stationary shop where I browsed journals and pens. To pass time before dinner, we went to Orchard Ginza, a spot that was touristy, but still fun where you pick a fruit and the bartender makes a drink for you based on it, which is then served in a silly cup. We then had omakase at Saikoh, a beautiful sushi restaurant where we ate at the counter and were able to watch the chef prepare the sushi in front of us. I loved how fun and relaxed it was compared to other fancy restaurants that can often be too quiet and stuffy.
Day 4 - Kyoto
We took the train from Tokyo to Kyoto and checked into Maana Kyoto, a beautiful traditional Japanese home with modern appliances. One of my favorite things about Japan were the more traditional inns we slept in vs. big chain hotels. We then Ubered to the main area in Kyoto and ate at Enen, a yakiniku restaurant with tabletop grills and wagyu beef that melted in our mouths. It was one of my favorite meals of the trip. We got dessert at Maccha House (the matcha tiramisu was good) and then went to a small dive jazz bar, Jazz in Rokudenashi, which I feel like I should be gatekeeping as it almost feels wrong to share. I’m not usually one for bars — I find them loud and crowded and impersonal, at least in LA — but I found the ones we went to Japan to be exactly the opposite of that. It had limited seating and it was refreshing to see people get turned away as to not crowd the space. It seemed the owner wanted people to stay and enjoy themselves rather than have as many customers as he could, which was refreshing. The space was filled with old records and books, was smoky and had jazz playing from old speakers. We were able to have conversations amongst ourselves and with locals who frequent the bar, including an older man who had been going there for over 40 years and who later pulled out his saxophone to play for everyone there. After a few hours there, we got snacks at Family Mart to bring back to the house. This was one of my favorite days in Japan.
Day 5 - Kyoto
We checked into Nazuna Kyoto Gosho, another intimate ryokan-style hotel with gorgeous, spacious rooms and had a quick bite at Honjitsu-no before heading to donkou / kissa fang, a reservation-only library slash tea house where you spend a couple hours in peace and quiet. It was a bit out of the way, but I really enjoyed this time to write in my journal and pause and reflect on the trip so far, which is so hard to do when travel days are often packed from morning to night. Travel can feel like such a blur and it was a nice escape from that just even for a little bit. We then got an Uber to a nearby area for lunch and ate at a Kyoto-style restaurant where we had soba and fish and sat on a matted floor around a low dining table. We then walked to a nearby shrine and then got into another Uber to visit the house of artist Kawai Kanjiro, full of beautiful architecture and pottery, which became one of my favorite spots on the trip. After that, we walked to POJ Studio and then split up to do explore on our own. Ben and I walked and sat by the river before going to dinner at Tonkatsu Shimizu, a place that only seats 12 and is known for their juicy pork sandwiches.
Day 6 - Nara / Osaka
Because Nara and Osaka were fairly short train trips away from Kyoto, we visited both in one day. We first headed to Nara to visit their deer park, where there were deer roaming the streets and where you could feed them. I enjoyed it far more than I thought I would and found the deer so sweet, even though they were very assertive. It was one of the highlights of my trip. Afterwards, we walked to Nakatanidou, a traditional mochi shop where they hand make mochi with delicious red bean paste — it was the best mochi I’ve ever had.
We then got on a train to Osaka, known for its big, bright and colorful billboards and buildings and food and shopping. While my friends headed to the aquarium, I decided to spend the day scouring all of their secondhand designer shops in the Shinsaibashisuji district. There was an incredible selection and I must have visited over 20 shops, but I told myself I wouldn’t buy anything that wasn’t a 100% yes, so after some deliberation over a vintage Cartier watch and a Chanel toiletry bag, I decided to pass on both and instead opted for a Loewe cardholder that was brand new, for less than half the retail price since I was on the hunt for a smaller wallet. My favorite spots in Osaka were actually a small bookshop called Colombo Cornershop, where my husband and I bonded with the owner over cats, and a beautiful teahouse called wad, where I got to pick the ceramic bowl my ceremonial matcha came in and was able to escape the busyness of Osaka.
Day 7 - Kyoto
I had a slower morning and after breakfast went to Yugen, another beautiful teahouse with a ceramics shop on the second floor. I loved how slow and personal the experience was in picking out a tea and ceramics and having to drink the tea in-store, which is much different than the rushed to-go culture we have in the US. I got some gifts for family and then took the bus to Ujicha Kigetsudō , a matcha shop that’s been passed down for 100+ years and run by an elderly couple. Unfortunately, they were sold out by the time we got there. We also went to Nishiki Market for some food and souvenirs and then head over to Tearoom Toka / Nichinichi Gallery for a tea ceremony. I suggest just going to the gallery to visit and skipping on the tea ceremony. For dinner, we ate at Hiniku to Come and then walked to Sannenzaka, a beautiful street lined with traditional Japanese architecture.
Day 8 - Tokyo
It was my friends’ last day in Tokyo and we spent it by going to Yakumo Saryo for another tea ceremony (that I would recommend over the one at Tearoom Toka), where we were served hot tea, snacks and pastries. We then checked into Yuen Shinjuku for our last few nights, which was more central than their sister hotel that we stayed in during the beginning of the trip. Of the two, I prefer Yuen Betteir Daita as it’s much quieter and nicer. We had dinner at Narukiyo Izakaya and then went to Grandfather’s Bar for drinks, which was my favorite spot in all of Tokyo. It’s a cool jazz bar that plays only records and it was really nice to be able to sit, hang and listen to good music. We ended the night by walking through Shibuya Crossing (mostly for Ben because he hadn’t seen it yet) and last minute shopping at Don Quijote for fun flavor KitKats and beauty products.
Day 9 - Tokyo
Ben and I had a couple more days in Tokyo and this was our best food day of the whole trip by far. We went to the famous Tsukiji Fish Market and got the most incredible tuna I’ve ever had at Maguroya Kurogin. We walked around Ginza again before visiting the one-book bookstore, Morioka Shoten and then had lunch at Tsujita for tsukemen ramen that was rich and tasty. We visited the Nezu Musuem and got ice cream at Nanaya Aoyama, known for their matcha ice cream that comes in seven different grades. The highest grade, No. 7, is incredible and maybe one of the best ice creams I’ve ever had. It was so good we went back the next day. We then went back to Shinjuku for a little shopping at Uniqlo and BicCamera, where I got the Dyson AirWrap for significantly less than what it’s going for here in the US. We had dinner at a tiny spot with limited seating in Nishishinjuku at Kushiyaki Sasamoto, where we sat amongst locals and ate a ton of delicious meat skewers cooked right in front of us. It was so good and one of our favorite places we ate. When we got back, I soaked in the hotel onsen, which was much busier than our first hotel.
Day 10 - Tokyo
We had our last Japanese breakfast at the hotel before going to Heckln, a little cafe run by an elderly couple that serves purin (Japanese flan). I wish we had gone there first thing in the morning, because by the time we got there, they were sold out. We then went to Mori Art Musuem, to see the exhibit of Theaster Gates, an artist who has built incredible spaces in Chicago to give back to the Black community and has created art inspired by his time living and studying in Japan and who I first heard about in a Seen Library feature with my friend AJ! Afterwards, we read and journaled in Yoyogi Park, had ice cream again at Nanaya Aoyama and had dinner at Kameya, another local spot with limited seating that serves quick $3 soba noodles with tempura on top.
Paid subscribers will have access to the full list of the Japan recommendations I received (with favorites highlighted), our original itinerary that included spots we didn’t get to but hoped to, and details of all the outfits I packed and wore below.
What I packed
Below are the outfit breakdowns of everything I packed for Japan, including links to each piece. Because it was humid and very warm, everything had to be lightweight and breathable. I also made sure that the pieces I brought were versatile enough for the Philippines as well, so that I could outfit repeat and avoid overpacking. I tend to gravitate towards neutrals anyway, but Japan is known for their style to be a bit more understated, minimal and pared down, which is why I packed lots of black and white.
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Clothing
Reformation Dusk Knit Top: Super chic and elevates an otherwise basic outfit — my most worn top that I opted for multiple times on this trip
Vince Cotton Trousers: My most worn trousers of this trip and all of summer!!! Similar style to my most worn trousers, except in a fabric that’s lighter and airier
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