Hey Reddit! I'm spending about a month in Japan. Some stretches will be solo, others with friends. I have a decent idea of what I want to see in each place, but I'd love recommendations. I've dropped questions in parentheses throughout — if you have input on any of them, feel free to comment! (I also used AI to fix grammar and make my post more readable but my rough draft was written by me)

ACT I — Solo Traveling

(Only carrying a backpack with clothes, electronics, and camera, lots of public transport on purpose)

Day 1 — Land in Tokyo at 1500 and spend the day exploring around Tokyo Station, then catch a midnight bus to Kanazawa at 21:50. (Thinking about seeing the Imperial Palace? Also debating storing luggage for 7 days at Tokyo Station to pick up later, vs. shipping it ahead to my Matsumoto hotel and have it stay there for 7 days while I explore just with my backpack)

Day 2–3 — Spend these days in Kanazawa, lodging near Kenroku-en. Explore the Higashi Chaya district, the market, and other cool areas. (Any recommendations for Kanazawa staples I should try?)

Day 4 — Spend the morning in Kanazawa, then travel to Shirakawa-go for 3–4 hours of exploring, before continuing on to Takayama for the night — maybe book a sake tasting this night.

Day 5 — Takayama day: temple walking course, old town, general exploring. (Is Hida Folk Village very different from Shirakawa-go — worth seeing both?) Take a bus around 17:00 directly to Tateyama, checking into the hostel there around 21:00–22:00.

Day 6 — Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route day :D! See Shomyo Waterfall, then spend the day on the Alpine Route, including Kurobe Dam, before taking the train from Omachi to Matsumoto.

Day 7–8 — Matsumoto (no plans yet — need recommendations!). Maybe a Kamikochi day trip if no other plans, plus the castle. Also considering cancelling my hotel reservation in favor of an onsen/ryokan stay if nothing else pans out here. End of Day 8, head back to Tokyo to meet up with friends.

ACT II — FRIENDSHIP ERA

(Golden Route exploration, meeting up with friends in Tokyo)

Day 9–10 — Tokyo, staying in Shibuya. Exploring, shopping, eating with friends, Shibuya Sky, maybe a fireworks show.

Day 11–17 — Tokyo, staying in Shinjuku. Loose itinerary — whatever sounds fun that day. Maybe one of the Tokyo teamLab locations (planning to do the Kyoto one too), a Nikko day trip, and Ramen Festa. (Any reservation-only experiences you'd recommend?)

Day 18–22 — Kyoto, staying in Gion. Bamboo forest, Fushimi Inari's thousand gates, Sanjusangendo's thousand statues, and the teamLab Biovortex. (Same question — any reservation-based experiences worth booking?)

Day 23–25 — Osaka, staying in Namba. Eating our way through the city, exploring the markets, maybe a club/karaoke night, and possibly the Osaka Aquarium.

Day 26–27 — Miyajima/Hiroshima, staying overnight on Miyajima. Planning to buy the JR Kansai Hiroshima Area Pass and see Fukuyama Castle on the way there or back. Most of Day 26 on Miyajima; Day 27 for Hiroshima's historical sites and local food, then back in Osaka by the end of Day 27.

ACT III — The Journey Home

(Down to 2 of 5 friends — slow trip back to Tokyo with day trips to interesting cities and off-the-beaten-path neighborhoods)

Day 28–30 — Osaka home base, staying in Kita. Planning day trips to neighboring cities plus more time in Osaka — Nara is a must. (Any day trips from Osaka you'd recommend, ideally reachable with the JR Kansai Hiroshima pass? Link) Maybe ending with a stop near Mt. Fuji on the way back to Tokyo. Arukiyana Sengen park overrated? or Hakone?

Day 31–33 — Ending in Tokyo, staying in Shinjuku. Finishing up with shopping before heading home, maybe exploring areas outside central Tokyo. (There's so much to do in Tokyo — would love recommendations for areas outside the center. Might also book an amusement park day if nothing else comes up.)

Day 34 — Flight home from HND around 20:00. Enjoying the last day in Tokyo and picking up souvenirs for friends and family.

Thanks in advance for any tips — especially on the Matsumoto stretch and the Osaka day-trip options!