10 Days in Japan- Itinerary Review
 

My husband and I will be in Japan for our first time from May 18-28th and will be flying into to Tokyo and out of Osaka. We really want to stay in a Ryokan with an Onsen- is one night sufficient to get the experience? Does this itinerary make sense? Any recommendations or advice would be great!

May 18- Arrive in Tokyo @ 3:35 (Hubby is set on going to a Giants baseball game this night)
May 19- Tokyo (wake up early for the Tsujiki Market)
May 20- Tokyo
May 21- Tokyo
May 22- Early Train to Kyoto
May 23- Kyoto
May 24 - Kyoto
May 25- Morning train to Kinosaki (stay in Onsen Ryokan)
May 26- Afternoon Train to Osaka
May 27- Osaka (another baseball game possibly)
May 28- Spend the morning in Osaka and fly out at 4:15pm.

Your itinerary makes sense logistically and is doable. What are your interests? It is hard to make recommendations not knowing what you like and dislike and what are your goals for your trip. For example, I really like temples and gardens and would trade the time in Osaka for more time in Kyoto, but I suppose you like cities more.

I agree with tripplanner001.

As for a ryokan, yes, IMO, one night is sufficient for the experience.

Enjoy!

Good point. We're big on food and we're wanting to do a food tour and maybe a cooking class. We also plan to see a Sumo show and baseball game. We definitely want to see temples and gardens but to a certain point. Not really that interested in museums or history. I don't know how to put this but we just want to have "experiences" that we can have in Japan... I actually don't really like cities that much but if we spend less time in Osaka will we even get to see any of it?

Why do you want to see Osaka? (I'm not saying you shouldn't; I just don't know what is it about Osaka that appeals to you.)

The experiences that many of us find prototypic of our time in Japan are visiting temples, shrines, and gardens -- which can be surprisingly different from one another. Or staying at a temple on Koya-san.

If you haven't already done so, you might want to spend some time with japan-guide.com.

If you are not big in cities I would miss Osaka completely. Perhaps those days would be better spent visiting the Hiroshima / Miyajima area; you could visit Himeji Castle along the way. Another Japan-only experience is Mount Fuji, weather permitting; perhaps you could look at your ryokan stay in the Hakone area on your way from Tokyo to Kyoto. The link kja provided you will give you some more ideas to consider.

What time do baseball games start? Your flight arrives at 3:45 pm, and it usually takes me about an hour to clear customs and immigration and get tickets on the train or Limo bus. Add in an hour to get into Tokyo, time to get to your hotel from the train station or Limo drop off, check into your hotel and then get to the stadium.

One night in a ryokan is fine, though two nights is better, especially in an onset town like Kinosaki, where it's fun to put on your yukata and wander the town. To make the most of one night, get there at the check in time so you'll have time for a soak before dinner. Same in the morning. Either get up early for a soak before breakfast or plan for one between breakfast and checkout time.

If you're not going to a baseball game, or doing a cooking/food tour in Osaka, I'd cut one day off Osaka, but otherwise your itinerary is good. I find Osaka's got some great places to eat and "do" if I have specific plans, but don't enjoy just "soaking up the atmosphere" there as much as I do in Kyoto or somer cities like Kinosaki.

..."smaller" cities like Kinosaki!

>>see a Sumo show

By that, I hope you mean the Grand Sumo Tournament in Tokyo.

Good luck getting to the Giants game. It starts at 6PM and I doubt that you will make it.

Instead of that game, I would plan on the Swallows game the next night at Jingu Stadium. Get tix in right field in any case.

I recommend that you stay in Kyoto on the 25th. You can go to a baseball game on the night of the 24th or 25th from Kyoto. You can get to the Hanshin Koshien station that is 2 minutes from the ballpark. It would take less than an hour.

My nephew and I went to a Tigers night game from Kyoto. Am pretty sure we used JR Koshienguchi station (not the Hanshin train to Koshien). I remember passing Tachibana station which is on the JR line (Tachibana is the name of my fav restaurant in McLean,VA).

Hanshin Koshien station is closer to the stadium than JR Koshienguchi station.

One night in a ryokan is sufficient provided you arrive not too long after whatever time earliest check in is, so you have time to enjoy the kaiseki meal, the onsen and the beauty of the ryokan itself. You'll probably leave not long after breakfast, though can usually get in one more onsen soak before you do.

With just 10 precious days to play with I wouldn't allocate any of them to Osaka, but that's personal - I just didn't warm to it on either our first or our second trip (we went back to see if I could work out what I was missing given that other travellers I know in real life seemed to rave about it). Your Kyoto time is very limited, so you could add there.

Or take the suggestion to visit Hiroshima and overnight on Miyajima.

Another option for your ryokan experience is to choose one in Kyoto - there are some with beautiful baths, even if they may not be technically onsen (spring water), the experience is much the same.

Or Nara, we stayed in a beautiful historical ryokan there, perfectly located for sightseeing too. https://www.kaveyeats.com/2013/01/ka...o-in-nara.html

Osaka is the capital of food in Japan. I could not imagine any itineraries dropping Osaka for you. This article on cooking schools also nominates Osaka over Kyoto and Tokyo. https://www.tripadvisor.com/Travel-g...und.Japan.html

There are many types of food in Japan: Sushi (Edomae is famous. The areas around Tsukiji), Yakiniku (Kobe beef is famous), Ramen, Tempura, Sashimi, Karaage, Curry Rice, Yakitori, Yaki Gyoza, Tonkatsu, Syabu-syabu, Udon, Sukiyaki, Yakisoba, Takoyaki, Onigiri, Yakizakana, Unaju, Nabe,... Just try as many as possible.

There should be many cooking schools, but here are some.
http://washoku-hc.com/
http://minayoshi.net/cooking_school/lessons.html

Sumo: Fortunately, the May tournament is on at Kokugikan when you are in Tokyo.
http://www.sumo.or.jp/EnTicket/year_schedule

Here is the list of baseball games, which could fit your itinerary. Among them, I recommend one of the three games at Koshien for Tigers - Giants. You could do Koshien even from Kyoto.

May 18 18:00 Tokyo Dome Yomiuri Giants - Yakult Swallows
18:15 ZOZO Marine Lotte Marines - Seibu Lions
May 19 18:00 Yokohama DeNA Baystars - Giants
18:00 Jingu Swallows - Hanshin Tigers
18:30 ZOZO Marine Marines - Rakuten Eagles
May 20 14:00 Yokohama Baystars - Giants
14:00 ZOZO Marine Marines - Eagles
18:00 Jingu Swallows - Tigers
May 21 13:00 Yokohama Baystars - Giants
14:00 ZOZO Marine Marines - Eagles
18:00 Jingu Swallows - Tigers
May 23 18:00 Koshien Tigers - Giants
18:00 Kyosera Dome ORIX Buffaloes - Eagles
May 24 18:00 Koshien Tigers - Giants
18:00 Hotto Kobe Buffaloes - Eagles
May 25 18:00 Koshien Tigers - Giants
18:00 Hotto Kobe Buffaloes - Eagles
May 26 18:00 Koshien Tigers - Baystars
May 27 14:00 Koshien Tigers - Baysters

http://npb.jp/bis/eng/2017/calendar/index_05.html
http://npb.jp/bis/eng/2017/games/gm20170518.html

If you want to see the game on May 18 from the beginning, you would have to leave NRT with a fastest Keisei Skyliner around 16:30 to get arrived at the Tokyo Dome at 18:00.

Tsujiki Market might be better on the other day, not after the night game.

I keep reading that Osaka is the food capital of Japan and it's certainly true that Osaka residents consider themselves serious foodies. It's one of the reasons we revisited on our second trip even though we didn't love it on our first... we wanted to be sure we weren't missing out. I am hugely food-focused when it comes to travelling...
But in our trips, we did not find that the food we experienced in Osaka was any better than elsewhere. There are a few local specialities, for sure, but the vast majority can be enjoyed elsewhere in Japan without really missing out.
Hence, my personal opinion - unless you have a particularly strong obsession with takoyaki, Osaka-style okonomiyaki or offal yakiniku, you could relegate Osaka to a day trip from Kyoto rather than a key stop on your itinerary.
Personal opinion only! :-D

Thanks guys! You have been very helpful! We've decided to stick to the same schedule but take out one day in Osaka and add one to Kyoto. Now, I need to book some restaurants!

For Tokyo, Kyoto, and Osaka, here is one guide.
http://gm.gnavi.co.jp/restaurant/list/tokyo/