Sunday, August 17, 2025
We arrived at Tokyo Haneda at 3:25pm. We picked up our JR rail passes and took the monorail from Haneda to Hamamatsucho, then the JR Yamanote line from Hamamatsucho to Shinagawa. We checked into Prince Sakura Tower Tokyo (Autograph Collection) for two nights. After checking in, we took the JR Yamanote line from Shinagawa to Shibuya. We used the A8 exit for Hachiko Square and crossed Shibuya Scramble Crossing. We walked down Center-Gai and up Supein-zaka, then took the pedestrian tunnel to Miyashita Park. Returning to the station, we took the JR Yamanote line to Shinjuku. We exited Shinjuku Station through the East Exit to see the 3d Cat Display. Walk to Kabukicho and entered the Subnade (underground mall) for dinner at Tonkatsu Wako Subnade. After dinner, we took the JR Yamanote line back to Shinagawa.
Day 1 Photos: (1) view from hotel room, (2) Shibuya Crossing, (3) Shibuya Center-Gai, (4) Shibuya Center-Gai, (5) Shibuya Center-Gai, (6) Shibuya Crossing, (7) 3d Cat Display, (8) Kabukicho
Monday, August 18, 2025
We took the JR Yamanote line from Shinagawa to Tokyo Station, visiting Marunouchi Square and GranRoof on the Yaesu side. Then we took the JR Yamanote line from Tokyo Station to Kanda, transferring to the Ginza line from Kanda to Asakusa. We enjoyed Senso-ji Temple. We took the Ginza line from Asakusa to Ueno, walk down Ameya Yokocho. We took the JR Yamanote line from Ueno to Shinigawa. After resting at the hotel, we headed to Odaiba for dinner, taking the JR Yamanote line from Shinigawa to Shimbashi, transferring to the Yurikamome line from Shimbashi to Daiba Station. We ate dinner at Yamashita Honki Udon with outdoor seating and views of Tokyo. We returned on Yurikamome line from Daiba to Shimbashi, and then JR Yamanote line from Shimbashi to Shinagawa.
Day 2 Photos: (1) Marunouchi Square, (2) Hozomon Gate, (3) Senso-ji Temple, (4) Ameya Yokocho (5) view of Tokyo from Odaiba
Tuesday, August 19, 2025
We made an early morning trip to Harajuku to visit Meiji Jingu. Then we took the Shinkansen from Shinigawa to Hiroshima with a transfer at Shin-Kobe. We checked into Sheraton Grand Hiroshima for one night. We took the Hiroden line 6 from Hiroshima Station to Genbaku Dome-mae. We walked through the Peace Memorial Museum. Then we visited Orizuru Tower. We took the tram back to Hiroshima Station and ate dinner at Ginza Lion at Hiroshima Station.
Day 3 Photos: (1) Meiji Jingu, (2) Atomic Bomb Dome, (3) Orizuru Tower, (4) Orizuru Tower (5) Orizuru Tower, (6) Orizuru Tower
Wednesday, August 20, 2025
We checked out of the hotel early and stored our luggage at the hotel. We took JR Sanyo line from Hiroshima Station to Miyajimaguchi and ferry to Miyajima. We visit Itsukushima Shrine and Momijidani Park. We ate okonomiyaki at Hiroshima Style Okonomiyaki on Miyajima Omotesando Street. We took the ferry and train back to Hiroshima, collecting our luggage, and then taking the Shinkansen from Hiroshima to Shin-Osaka. We checked in at Holiday Inn & Suites Shin-Osaka Station for two nights. We took the Midosuji line from Shin-Osaka to Namba. We walked around Dotonbori, trying some takoyaki. We walked to the Namba Parks and ate at a restaurant in the mall. After enjoying the rooftop terrace, we took the Midosuji line back from Namba to Shin-Osaka.
Day 4 Photos: (1) Miyajima, (2) Miyajima, (3) Miyajima, (4) Momijidani Park (5) Dotonbori, (6) Dotonbori, (7) Dotonbori
Thursday, August 21, 2025
We took the Shinkansen from Shin-Osaka to Kyoto. We took the JR Sagano line from Kyoto to Saga-Arashiyama. We walked through bamboo forrest to Tenryu-ji Temple. We walked to Togetsukyo Bridge. We took the JR Sagano line back to Kyoto Station. We took the Karasuma Line from Kyoto Station to Shijo. We ate sushi in Nishiki Market. We returned to Shin-Osaka and ate dinner at Saizeriya across the street from our hotel. We took the JR Osaka Higashi line from Shin Osaka to Osaka Station. We went up the Umeda Sky Building for views of Osaka from the Kuchu Teien Observatory.
Day 5 Photos: (1) Arashiyama Bamboo Forest, (2) Arashiyama Bamboo Forest, (3) Arashiyama Bamboo Forest, (4) Tenryu-ji, (5) Tenryu-ji, (6) Togetsukyo Bridge, (7) Nishiki Market, (8) Osaka Station, (9) Kuchu Teen Observatory
Friday, August 22, 2025
We woke up early and took the Shinkansen back to Kyoto, and then the JR Nara line from Kyoto to Inari. We walked through all 10,000 torii gates at Fushima Inari. We returned to Shin-Osaka, checked out of our hotel, and took the Shinkansen from Shin-Osaka to Shinagawa, checking back into Prince Sakura Tower Tokyo (Autograph Collection) for two nights. We took the JR Yamanote line from Shinagawa to Harajukum, walking down Omotesando Avenue to Tokyu Plaza Harakado. We ate dinner at Zetteria on Takeshita street. We took the Yamanote line from Harajuku to Shibuya, walking across Shibuya Scramble and down Center-Gai to MegaDon. After shopping, we chilled at the top of Miyashita Park, watching a large group play rugby in the sand court.
Day 6 Photos: (1) Fushimi Inari, (2) Fushimi Inari, (3) Fushimi Inari, (4) view of Kyoto from Fushimi Inari, (5) view of Omotesando Avenue from Tokyu Plaza Harakado, (6) Takeshita Street, (7) Shibuya Scramble Crossing
Saturday, August 23, 2025
We took the JR Tokaido line from Shinagawa to Ofuna and then the Shonan Monorail from Ofuna to Shonan-Enoshima. We walked across the bridge to Enoshima Island. We walked back to Katase Higashihama Beach, eating at a restaurant on the beach. We swam in the ocean. We took the Enoshima Electric Railway from Enoshima to Hase and walked to the Great Buddha. We returned to Tokyo. Before dinner, I visited Akihabara and purchased a 3,000 JPY suitcase to help us pack our various purchases from the trip. We ate dinner at Nadaman Takanawa Prince, a fancy Japanese restaurant in our hotel. For our final night in Tokyo, I went back to Shinjuku, walking through Kabukicho, to the pedestrian bridge with views of Shinjuku Station and Kabukicho, and finally to Penguin Square.
Day 7 Photos: (1) Enoshima, (2) beach across from Enoshima, (3) beach across from Enoshima, (4) beach across from Enoshima, (5) Great Buddha in Kamakura, (6) Akihabara, (7) Kabukicho, (8) view from pedestrian bridge in Shinjuku
Sunday, August 24, 2025
On our last morning in Tokyo, I walked through Ueno Park before we checked out of the hotel and took the airport limousine bus from our hotel to Narita Airport. We arrived back in Omaha at 4:30pm.
We will return to Japan in 2027.