Japan had been on our list for years. The kind of destination you talk about until you finally stop talking and just go. We landed in Osaka late on April 30, dropped our bags, and were eating sushi on Dotonbori Street before midnight. That set the tone for everything that followed. This is Part 1, covering Osaka, Kyoto, Nara and Hiroshima. Read Part 2 for Tokyo, Mt Fuji, the Osaka Expo and Super Nintendo World.
Where We Stayed in Osaka and Kyoto
Hotel Hillarys Shinsaibashi, Osaka
Apr 30 to May 2Great location, walking distance from Dotonbori and the Shinsaibashi shopping strip. Clean, comfortable and well priced for central Osaka.
Check availability on Booking.comYADO TENKU Kyoto Nijo, Kyoto
May 2 to May 6Beautifully designed ryokan-style hotel near Nijo Castle. Quiet, refined and very Kyoto. One of the best places we stayed on the entire trip.
Check availability on Booking.comDotonbori at Midnight: Osaka's Welcome is Loud, Neon and Delicious
Arriving late at night in Osaka and finding Dotonbori already buzzing is one of those travel moments that instantly tells you a city is something special. The canal was lit up, the famous Glico running man sign glowing above us, and every street smelled incredible.
We found a small traditional restaurant tucked away from the main drag and sat down for our first proper sushi. No translation needed. Just point, order, eat. The fish was impossibly fresh, the rice perfectly seasoned. This was the sushi trip, and it started exactly right.
Osaka at night. The city does not sleep and we were absolutely fine with that.
Osaka Castle, Kuromon Market and the Most Legendary Food Day of the Trip
May 1 was one of those days that goes on a personal highlight reel for life.
We started at Osaka Castle Park in the morning. The castle sits on a raised platform surrounded by moats and trees. You can walk the grounds for free. The castle itself is worth the entrance if you want the history, and the views from the top floor over the city are genuinely spectacular. Book Osaka Castle tickets in advance via Klook to skip the queues.
Osaka Castle. Optional: dress like a samurai. Highly recommended.
Then came Kuromon Market in Nippombashi. If you eat nothing else in Osaka, eat here. The market is a 580-metre covered street lined with vendors selling every kind of fresh food imaginable. This was one of the biggest highlights of the entire trip.
What we ate at Kuromon:
- Bluefin tuna, sliced thick, melt-on-the-tongue, gone in seconds
- Sushi and sashimi at a tiny counter stall with no pretensions
- Wagyu beef skewers, caramelised and smoky
- Giant oysters, fresh and briny, served on ice
- King crab arm, steamed and completely over the top in the best way
Want a guided experience through the stalls? Browse local Osaka food tours on GoWithGuide for curated market walks with a local expert.
Kuromon Market. Budget an hour. Stay for two.
That evening we did a "Feast Like a Local" experience: a guided food tour visiting five different restaurants across the city. Sake, small plates, conversations with locals, dishes we could not name but would absolutely eat again. One of the best evenings of the trip. Find Osaka food tours on Klook.
Five restaurants, one legendary evening.
We finished the night back at Dotonbori, playing in one of the claw machine arcades. Wilson won a toy. Significant achievement.
Shopping, More Sushi and the Train to Kyoto
The morning was for shopping around Dotonbori: electronics, gifts, snacks by the bag. We had more sushi. Obviously.
We took a regular train to Kyoto, arriving late in the afternoon. Arriving in Kyoto feels like stepping into a different mood. Where Osaka is loud and electric, Kyoto is quiet and old. We checked in to YADO TENKU Kyoto Nijo and went straight to Pontocho.
Pontocho is a narrow alleyway running parallel to the Kamogawa River, lined with bars, restaurants and tiny hidden venues. We found a cocktail bar down a set of stairs that felt like a secret. Good drinks, no tourists, excellent music. Finished with ramen at a small restaurant on the strip.
Pontocho at night. Every door hides something worth finding.
Nijo Castle, Sanjusangendo and Kiyomizudera
Kyoto has 1,600 Buddhist temples and 400 Shinto shrines. We picked three and did them properly.
Nijo Castle was first. Built in 1603 as the Kyoto residence of the first Tokugawa shogun, the complex is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The interior has "nightingale floors" that squeak with every footstep, an early security system. Walking them while imagining samurai doing the same is a genuinely strange and wonderful feeling.
Nijo Castle. The floors squeak by design.
Sanjusangendo is a long hall containing 1,001 life-size statues of Kannon, the Buddhist deity of compassion. One thousand statues, standing in rows, all facing you. Not a place that leaves you indifferent.
Sanjusangendo. One thousand statues. Every single one different.
Kiyomizudera is a temple built on a wooden stage cantilevered over a steep hillside with no nails. The view over Kyoto from the main hall platform is one of the best in the city. Go in the late afternoon when the light softens. Book a Kyoto temple tour via Klook if you want a guide to bring the history to life.
The stone-paved pedestrian lanes of Ninenzaka and Sannenzaka wind down from the temple through Gion, lined with old wooden machiya townhouses, tea houses and craft shops tucked into every corner. Allow extra time to walk down slowly. It is as beautiful as the temple itself.
Kiyomizudera and the Ninenzaka lanes. Built without a single nail. Walked slowly.
Sacred Deer, Todai-ji Temple and a Traditional Japanese House
The train from Kyoto to Nara takes about 45 minutes. Go. Make it a full day.
Nara Park is home to approximately 1,200 sika deer that roam completely freely through the grounds, the streets and occasionally the shops. They are considered sacred messengers of the gods in Shinto tradition. They bow for the shika senbei crackers sold around the park, and they will walk up to you uninvited with complete confidence.
Book a Nara day trip on Klook to include a guided tour of the temples and park.
Nara deer are sacred, polite and fully aware of what you are holding.
Nara deer are sacred, polite and fully aware of what you are holding. The traditional house offered one of the quietest hours of the trip.
Todai-ji Temple houses a 15-metre bronze Buddha that took decades to build. Walking through the enormous wooden gate into the main hall properly resets your sense of scale.
Todai-ji. The statue alone is 15 metres tall.
Bullet Train to Hiroshima: Flower Festival, Peace Memorial and Gyoza
We took the Shinkansen from Kyoto to Hiroshima early in the morning. The bullet train is one of those things you know is fast and still cannot quite believe how fast it is. Smooth, quiet, punctual to the second.
The Shinkansen to Hiroshima. Smooth, fast and precisely on time.
We arrived to find Hiroshima in the middle of its annual Flower Festival. The city was filled with music stages, food stalls and thousands of locals celebrating. This was not on our itinerary. We stumbled into it and it was one of the best surprises of the trip.
The Hiroshima Flower Festival. A city celebrating life. Very deliberately.
The Peace Memorial Museum is not easy. It should not be easy. The exhibits document the atomic bombing of August 6, 1945, with photographs, personal belongings and testimony that leave you quiet for a long time afterwards. The Atomic Bomb Dome next door, one of the only structures left standing near the blast centre, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Go with time and patience.
Book a Hiroshima day trip on Klook if travelling from Kyoto or Osaka.
The Atomic Bomb Dome. UNESCO World Heritage Site. The dome stood when everything around it was gone.
Hiroshima Castle offered another layer of history, and then we found a craft and gyoza festival running nearby. Cold local beer, crispy pan-fried gyoza, festival atmosphere. Hiroshima gave us the full spectrum in a single day.
Hiroshima Castle and the craft gyoza festival nearby.
Nishiki Market, Kyoto's Kitchen, Before Heading to Tokyo
Before leaving for Tokyo we spent the morning at Nishiki Market: a narrow covered arcade five blocks long crammed with vendors selling pickled vegetables, fresh tofu, grilled skewers, dashi, mochi and every local produce imaginable. We bought snacks for the Shinkansen, ate more matcha, and headed to Kyoto Station for the bullet train east.
Nishiki Market. Go hungry. Leave very full.
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Plan my Japan tripJapan Practical Tips for Osaka, Kyoto, Nara and Hiroshima
Japan involves enormous amounts of walking: 20,000 steps on a slow day, 30,000 on a busy one. One of us brought only a pair of Vans for a 15-day trip. By the end of the first week, the blisters were spectacular. Bring proper walking shoes with cushioning and ankle support. Your feet will thank you every single day.
Street food is completely safe. Japan has exceptional food hygiene standards. Eat from market stalls, convenience stores and vending machines with confidence. The convenience store sushi at 7-Eleven and Lawson is genuinely excellent and costs almost nothing.
The Shinkansen is worth every yen. The Japan Rail Pass covers most routes and pays for itself quickly on multi-city trips. Buy it before leaving home. Pick up your beer and bento from the platform kiosks before boarding.
Matcha is everywhere and it is outstanding. Hot matcha, matcha ice cream, matcha KitKats. Say yes to all of it.
People will help you without being asked. Stand at a train map looking slightly confused and someone will walk over. This happened constantly.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is Japan expensive to travel?+
Japan is mid-range. Budget travellers can eat very well for under 2,000 yen per meal at market stalls and convenience stores. The Japan Rail Pass saves significant money on multi-city trips.
What is the best way to get between Osaka, Kyoto and Nara?+
Osaka to Kyoto is 15 minutes on the Shinkansen or 30 minutes on the Hankyu line. Kyoto to Nara takes around 45 minutes by JR Nara Line. All are easy, frequent and affordable.
When is the best time to visit Japan?+
Spring (late March to early May) for cherry blossoms is one of the most beautiful times, though it is busy. Autumn (October to November) for foliage is equally stunning. Summer is hot and humid.
Is street food in Japan safe?+
Completely. Japan has world-class food hygiene standards. Market stalls, convenience stores and street vendors are all safe.
Can you visit Nara as a day trip from Kyoto?+
Yes, easily. Around 45 minutes each way by train. A full day is enough for the park, Todai-ji and the streets without rushing.
Is the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum worth visiting?+
Absolutely, though emotionally heavy. Set aside 2 to 3 hours. The Atomic Bomb Dome is adjacent and included in the same visit.
What was the best food experience in Osaka?+
Kuromon Market was exceptional: bluefin tuna, wagyu skewers, king crab and giant oysters all in one place. The Feast Like a Local food tour was equally unforgettable.
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