Gion Duck Rice

A hotel room with an epilepsy warning? An omakase course of tea-based cocktails? I can't say for sure these are hidden gems, but after months of seeing everyone and their moms go to Japan since COVID reopening, I can say these were some of my favorite spots that I seldom saw people visit. Hi! I'm a Brooklyn-based tech journalist-turned-corporate comms editor. Early in my career I spent a stint as a luxury travel planner and writer specializing in Asia, and if I can toot my own horn, I'm often the friend everyone says "wth Natt, how do you find all these cool spots, drop that itin." (Fine, they don't say it like that, but you get the point). Travel planning is a great hobby for me, and I am writing this as both a journal to remember my trip by and to share with friends, hence the overly familiar tone you might find below. If you discovered this on the Thatch platform, consider giving my guide a shot and hopefully you'll find it useful for an adventuresome visit to Japan! This guide includes: ✈️ Pre and post-arrival pro-tips 🛌 Hotel, restaurant, and activity suggestions with some personal anecdotes (we vetted any Instagram vs realities!) 📍 Resources, databases, and things to make your journey more efficient and economical It is not: 📆 A list of daily itineraries ❓ "Beginner's guide to Japan" i.e. how to book JR trains, basic etiquettes, how to transfer from airport to city 🔝 The absolute best of the bests - opinions here totally my own

Explore this map, I made as the ultimate Japan guide, to get inspired and discover the places that will become the highlight of your next trip. Many of the places in this map will have helpful booking links and/or links to social media posts with more inside information. I see all my Guide Maps as perpetual works in progress and will do my best to add to and update them as my knowledge expands. Use my Klook promo: ACKUGARTE for 10% off for new users and 3% off for returning users.

Two week guide to Japan: Osaka->Kyoto->Tokyo This itinerary is designed to hit the major highlights of Japan and visits the top three cities of Japan for first time visitors. To get the most out of your travel time I suggest flying into Osaka and out of Tokyo. You can also of course flip this itinerary around and start in Tokyo and end in Osaka. This trip only has you riding the Shinkansen (the bullet train) one time, between Kyoto and Tokyo, and thus does not require you to purchase a JR Rail pass. Use my Klook promo: ACKUGARTE for 10% off for new users and 3% off for returning users.