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D113Check in · Tokyo · 3 nights
D0Tue 23 Jan
Landing in Tokyo
The flight up from Singapore, the Keisei line in from Narita, and a Lawson dinner in our Ginza hotel room.
Yuzawa
23 Jan – 3 Feb 2024Tokyo, Snow Country, Kyoto, Osaka
Year2024
Days12
Stops4
Stories23
- Flight
- Train
- Out & about
D1Wed 24 Jan
Harry Potter Studio Tour
The Warner Bros Studio Tour at Toshimaen: the Great Hall, Diagon Alley, the Hogwarts Express and butterbeer. Then the back streets under the Skytree, watches in Ginza and tantanmen at Hashigo.
D2Thu 25 Jan
Tuna, teamLab and tiny worlds
Up at 4:30 for the tuna auction at Toyosu and sushi for breakfast, barefoot through teamLab Planets, Small Worlds in Ariake, apple pie and the Seiko Museum in Ginza, katsu at Imakatsu.
Check in · Echigo-Yuzawa · 3 nights
D3Fri 26 Jan
Into Snow Country
The early Shinkansen to Echigo-Yuzawa and deep snow: new boots, a hot pot lunch at Yasuyoshi, the Yuzawa Kogen Ropeway, the ryokan's private onsen and hegi soba.
D4Sat 27 Jan
Gala Yuzawa
Our first day on snowboards at Gala Yuzawa, with a lot of sitting down. The outdoor bath, then yakitori at Yuzawa Shokudo Daruma.
D5Sun 28 Jan
Iwappara
Wide, gentle slopes at Iwappara with the valley below, curry rice at the base, and beef hot pot under a mound of snow at Yukiguni Gyunabe.
Check in · Kamuroan · 2 nights
D6Mon 29 Jan
To Kyoto
Two Shinkansen and Mt Fuji to Kyoto. Kamuroan, the Yasaka Pagoda, Ninenzaka's Starbucks and Yasaka Shrine, then Kinkaku-ji in the late sun, Sugari ramen and Nishiki Market.
D7Tue 30 Jan
Amanohashidate
A day trip to the Sea of Japan: the chairlift up View Land, the sandbar upside down between our legs, the boat to Kasamatsu, a walk along the pines, and tendon back in Kyoto.
Check in · Osaka · 3 nights
D8Wed 31 Jan
Kiyomizu-dera, then Osaka
Kiyomizu-dera at 7am with nobody there and a farewell breakfast with the okami. Then Dotonbori and Glico Man, Solaniwa Onsen and a wagyu box at Idaten.
D9Thu 1 Feb
Shinsekai and crab
Plum blossoms at Tsurumi Ryokuchi, the Tower Slider down Tsutenkaku, a crab course at Kani Doraku, shoe shopping, Umeda, and takoyaki by the canal.
D10Fri 2 Feb
Universal Studios Japan
USJ from opening to dark: Minions and Elmo, Power-Up Bands in Super Nintendo World, Mario Kart, Hogwarts and Hogsmeade at dusk. Tonkatsu at Katsuki.
D11Sat 3 Feb
Setsubun, bye Japan
Yakiniku at Parco, the lion head of Namba Yasaka Shrine, takoyaki twice, catching beans at the Setsubun bean throwing, then the Rapi:t to Kansai and home.
Next flight
4 months later
