Your first and second day in Tokyo is too packed though. Considering you only reached Tokyo in the late afternoon, i doubt you'll even finish either Shibuya or Harajuku. For the second day, by the time you finish with Ameya Yokocho (Assuming you skip Akihabara), it will already be at night if you're fast enough.

i don't think it's a good idea to jump multiple location within 9 days
1. u won't be able to experience fully of 1 place
2. spend too much time on transport instead of exploring
3. cost way too much(JR pass)
4. basically just touch & go(pointless)
why not just stay the whole period in tokyo?
or split half and half with tokyo and osaka/kyoto and discard hokkaido

This post has been edited by MR_alien: May 14 2019, 08:44 AM

Hi Waliu, your travel period is a peak season, Japanese also will having their long holiday, hence chances of shinkansen overly booked is also a concern.

1) If you can read Chinese, you can refer to this video and imagine roughly how crowded the Tokyo will be during that season. If you cant, you still can watch based on body language.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2URDCwcuHX4

2） You don't have to go that far (Hokkaido) just to ski, Nagano prefecture also can ski during late December. They are tour groups picking up people (according to my friend who study there, I never experience it yet but you can google it) from Tokyo Station.

3) Tokyo has many beautiful christmas illumination, especially in Caretta Shiodome near Shinbashi station.

4) For your first day, we definitely know it is very hard to make it, because shops in Tokyo close very early, as early as 8pm or 9pm even in Shibuya and Shinjuku, only Izakaya (Japanese bar) and 24 hours shop open till late.

4) if the trip too packed, you can do side trips like Kamakura (also known as Kanto Kyoto), Kawagoe (Cute Edo themed old town in Saitama Prefecture), Hakone (onsen), Kawaguchi and Fujisan area (1/3 chances to see Fuji peak depends on weather)

1st time? if yes, not recommended.
try google Osaka > Hokkaido > Tokyo n see how long it takes. (i assume u will use train since u mention JR pass)

I have the same thoughts too last time, tried to cover Tokyo and also Kansai area in one trip but realised its too rushing. Now in the midst of arranging my itinerary in Osaka (5 nights) and Kyoto (7 nights).

Agree with the touch n go, some places might really take time to explore like dotonburi, shinsaibashi and shinsekai. In kyoto, I would really like to take my time to wander the streets of Gion; Hanamokoji Dori, Ninenzaka & Sanenzaka, Gion Shirakawa and the nearby Yasaka Shrine. Kiyomizudera is nearby too but I read its still under construction so I might give this a miss..

Ohh not to mention the beautiful Pontocho Alley!

This post has been edited by -kytz-: May 14 2019, 10:24 AM

kiyomizudera is under renovation on the outside, from what i read, still can enter
i'll still be going on oct

depend to ppl, dotonbori, shinsaibashi n shinsekai has very lil to offer, unless u like shopping.
Ninenzaka+Sanenzaka is very crowded. most likely u go see n quickly want to get away. unless u visit it on wee hour, but the shop will be close.
Hanamokoji Dori+ Gion Shirakawa, its ok, since usually visit em during night time.
Pontocho is ok, coz most ppl choose to walk along Kamogawa.

Kiyomizu main hall under reconstruction. i din go there last year knowing it was covered up. 3 years ago went there but the temple (the place where most ppl snap pic of the hall from) was reconstruction.

Noooo, don't miss Kiyomizu-dera. They are doing restoration work on the exterior but you can still go in and explore.

This is how it looked like back in October last year:

Shin-Osaka to Kyoto (15mins) by Shinkasen, what do you think I take the unreserved seat or reserved is better (2k yen extrac)? is On Sunday morning around 10am, will it there be crowded?

Distance between Kyoto and Osaka is Like KL go to other parts of klang valley.

Normal JR rapid train is only 600-700 yen one way, 27 minutes. Not necessarily take shinkansen or other limited express that only save 10 minutes but triple cost

why not 9 minutes more and u saved more than 50%?

https://www.osakastation.com/traveling-from-osaka-to-kyoto/

My family are not really shopaholic.. and hence many places we go are just to look around and eat
Also I have adjusted my itinerary taking account of travelling time and possibility the crowd during peak season..
However I am considering of getting 7 Days JR pass to cover Tokyo -> Osaka -> Kyoto -> Nagano.
Thanks alot for the feedback btw!

Hi, I totally forgot that its peak season when I'm there! Crowd is crazy! Thanks to your recommendation, I have decided to go to Shiga Kogen for ski.

Yes.. Thanks for your opinion.. I took some places out as I also think that during the peak season it wouldn't be easy to travel around... Especially the subway

Guess I'm too ambitious, trying to cover one whole japan in 9 days lol.. I'll give Tokyo a miss and focus on Osaka/Kyoto more and reserve two days to ski at Nagano. Definitely needed a couple more trips to Japan to discover more

Waliuuu, is a JR Pass worth it with your itinerary? First galnce tells me no but you can check below for a rough estimate:

https://www.japan-guide.com/railpass/

Or use Hyperdia to get a more accurate figure.

if he still return to Tokyo for his flight back is worthy already.

He mentioned that he is giving Tokyo a miss in his last post, hence my question to him.

emm.... if u drop Tokyo, y not drop Nagano skiing n choose closer option?

sry, kinda miss tat post.
tho... y drop tokyo n go Nagano skiing?

Sorry.. I actually meant that i will skip some places in Tokyo because we traveled there before.
One more is that we have never experienced snowing andski-ing before so we are really looking forward for the skiing experience.. Hence Nagano.. If Hokkaido is not an option ..

You can take a trip to Gala Yuzawa which is an hour away from Tokyo for ski. Hence you can do a one day trip instead. Techincally Chirstmas is not a Public HOliday in Japan. People still work but since its close to year end holidays, ppl tend to take the extra days as well. Hence the travel peak will be around the New Year period instead.

You can also try hot spring in Nagano.
After hotspring, a bottle of hot milk bring highest refresh for you