30 Day Itinerary: "Feast of the East"

Hello all! Everything is almost set in stone - May/June 2026 will be my second trip to Japan! I originally had composed an itinerary for 42 days, going as far north as Sapporo and as far west as Fukuoka. After a lot of revisions/thought, I ended up shrinking down my trip to just 30 days, and changed things around so I could ensure I get the most out of my trip as possible.

The biggest change was eliminating anything west of Tokyo (with the exception of Hamamatsu). I think I like Eastern Japan more, especially Tohoku, and I'm willing to save places like Kyushu for next time. I've still kept some days as Free Time/Wild Card so I can make day-of decisions and wander around the city. And, of course, my goal is to strike a balance between urban and rural spots.

Here's what we're looking at:

DAY 1:
- Fly out of America.

DAY 2:
- Arrive at Haneda Airport and check into AirBnB.

DAY 3:
- Senso-ji Temple, Nakamise Street, Museum of Nature & Science

DAY 4:
- Nakano Broadway, Zojo-ji Temple, Tokyo Tower

DAY 5:
- Day Trip to Kamakura/Enoshima! Tsurugoaka Hachimangu, Hokoku-ji Temple, Kotoku-in, Hasadera, Enoshima Island

DAY 6:
- Kiyosumi Gardens, Kawai Omotesando Sheet Music Store

DAY 7:
- Day Trip to Hamamatsu! Hamamatsu Castle, Museum of Musical Instruments, Gyoza & Unagi Exploration

DAY 8:
- WILD CARD

DAY 9:
- Day Trip to Katsuura! Tomisaki Shrine, Katsuura Morning Market, Ubara Beach

DAY 10:
- WILD CARD

DAY 11:
- Day Trip to Utsunomiya! Oya History Museum, Futaarayama Shrine, Gyoza Exploration

DAY 12:
- Day Trip to Nikko! Nikko Toshogu, Taiyu-in, Rinno-ji, Nikko Pudding Store

DAY 13:
- WILD CARD

DAY 14:
- TRAVEL DAY! Take the Shinkansen to Sendai, check out the Sendai Morning Market hours, and settle into hotel.

DAY 15:
- Day Trip to Matsushima! Zuigan-ji Temple, Entsu-in Temple, Sightseeing Cruise, Kanrantei Tea House

DAY 16:
- I actually still need to figure out some stuff to see in Sendai. Maybe the Dai Kannon and the Umino-Mori Aquarium? Feel free to leave suggestions.

DAY 17:
- Day Trip to Yamadera! 1015 Stone Steps of Yamadera, Risshaku-ji Temple, Godaido

DAY 18:
- TRAVEL DAY! Take the Tohoku Shinkansen to Aomori. Do an apple cider flight at A-FACTORY, see the Nebuta Museum and the Aomori Tourism Center, walk along Aomori Bay, and check into hotel.

DAY 19:
- Day Trip to Lake Towada! Towada Shrine, Local Cuisine Lunch, Sightseeing Boat/Cruise.

DAY 20:
- Day Trip to Hirosaki! Hirosaki Castle, Tsugaru-han Neputa Village, Hirosaki Cider Brewery Kimori, Hirosaki Apple Park

DAY 21:
- TRAVEL DAY! Take the Hokkaido Shinkansen to Hakodate, explore Fort Goryokaku, and check into hotel.

DAY 22:
- Hakodate Morning Market, Hakodate Hachimangu, Mt. Hakodate Observatory

DAY 23:
- Day Trip to Oma! Take the Tsugaru Kaikyo Ferry to Oma, then eat a bunch of tuna sushi.

DAY 24:
- TRAVEL DAY! Take the Hokuto to Sapporo, see the Sapporo TV Tower and Odori Park, then check into hotel.

DAY 25:
- Nijo Seafood Market, Hokkaido Jingu, Mt. Moiwa Observation Deck

DAY 26:
- Sapporo Beer Museum, Ganso Ramen Alley, Susukino Entertainment Street

DAY 27:
- Day Trip to Otaru! Music Box Museum, Kitaichi Glass, Stained Glass Museum, Otaru Canal

DAY 28:
- TRAVEL DAY! Fly to Haneda Airport from Sapporo-Chitose Airport and check into hotel.

DAY 29:
- WILD CARD (and last minute souvenir shopping)

DAY 30:
- Check out of hotel and fly back to America!