We're taking our first trip to Japan in mid-November and will have 9 days in Tokyo/surrounding areas. We're looking to build a great itinerary of things to see/do in and around Tokyo.

We would like to see as much of the city as we can, but would also love to take some trips to places outside the city. We enjoy museums, wilderness, and would love to see some great old architecture and temples, etc.

Where should we go?

Help!

Thanks!

Hi,
1. Check out www.japan-guide, especially the forum.
2. If you take a look here: http://www.japan-guide.com/forum/exp...tml?aID=100030
you can take a look at my Japan Blog. Maybe give you some ideas...

Have fun!

Another good place to go is www.jnto.go.jp especially this page:
http://www.jnto.go.jp/eng/RTG/PTG/index.html
Look in the Kanto section and in Special Interests.

Nine days would be enough to spend a few days in Kyoto.

You should visit Meiji Shrine on a Sunday that you are in Tokyo.

Hello gerrettmurray,

If you have interest in old temples which are accessible from Tokyo, as one-day trip, I recommend you to go
(1.) Nikko city (Toshou Temples)where you can enjoy nature at the same time
(2.) Kamakura city (Hachimangu Temple and "Daibutsu" i.e. big buddah)
You can have transportation info at your hotel wherever it would be.

For your information, I'd like to let you know that you have chance to enjoy many fab concerts/lives by world-wide famous artists, here in Tokyo.
In Nov-mid, the highlights shall be;
(1.) Nov.15 & 16 : Jamiroquai (at Budokan)
(2.) Nov.18 : Oasis (at Yoyogi Gymnasium)
(3.) Nov.25 : Electragride (at Makuhari Messe)
Tickets for all of them are still available, and will be so when you come here.
I especially recommend (3.) Electragride which is one of the biggest all-night festivals in the world. This year Underworld is scheduled to be starred.

Have nice holidays!

If you have time to get to Hakone, which is about an hour and a half from Tokyo, you can do the nature, temple, and onsen thing. You could do a day trip, or stay overnight.

I just stayed at an onsen hotel there, which was reviewed on Japan-zone.com Here is the link:
http://www.japan-zone.com/omnibus/onsen.shtml
The food was amazing and it was very relaxing.

Check out this site about Hakone for hiking courses and things to do in the area: http://www.hakone.or.jp/english/index.html

Hope that helps,

DG

Hi garrettmurray

Maybe you have left already but I'll give it a try anyway My wife and I went to Japan in May this year. We had about 2 weeks so we got to visit Tokyo, Kyoto, Hiroshima etc. I have posted a trip report with pictures, links etc on my personal homepage http://gardkarlsen.com . Maybe you can find some useful information there. Have a great trip

Regards
Gard
Stavanger, Norway