when I arrived at NRT earlier this month, some people were still filling/using the physical arrival card..
I totally forgot to do the digital arrival card, so I just took the physical arrival card, filled it, and gave it to the immigration officer on my turn..

I'd say be as detailed as possible..
for example, are you okay with places far from those big cities you mentioned? if yes, Fukuoka, Nagasaki, and Hiroshima are good options..
or what kind of food do you want to explore? if it's seafood, Kanazawa and Sapporo are also good options..
or what do you define as interesting (as it can vary a lot between people)? if it's onsen experience, Hakone, Matsuyama, and Beppu might be your alternatives..
from my experience, Japan has a lot to offer outside of the cities you mentioned, but we just really need to know what we want..

This post has been edited by vankodoq: May 24 2024, 03:37 PM

ah, if you want to travel with parents, then it also takes into account how healthy your parents are..
for example, if they are still fine with walking and stairs, then going to smaller cities like Kanazawa is probably alright, as Kanazawa is also known for its culture (e.g. teahouse districts, the castle, Kenroku-en)..
near the Kanazawa Stn., you can also find Neo Yatai Street, which is like a short stretch of food stalls (much shorter stretch than Jalan Alor, mind you) or Omicho Market for the seafood (bit pricey here)..
Kanazawa also has an annual big festival called Hyakumangoku Matsuri, but that's at the start of June, so might not be in line with your plan..

This post has been edited by vankodoq: May 24 2024, 05:40 PM

come to think of it, Kanazawa might still be a good option, as a lot of public transportation there is on bus, so minimum interaction with stairs..
btw, if you need to take subway in any cities, GoogleMaps has the feature to show which exit is with escalator or elevator..

if you're bringing kids and old folks, the Cup Noodles Museum in Yokohama might be a good idea..
the make-your-own-cup-noodles experience might be a fun activity for the kids and the excitement from the kids can be contagious..
after the museum, you can just walk around and enjoy the pier scenery and if you walk eastward from the museum, you will find the iconic Red Brick Warehouse..

yeah, Yokohama is another good option.. just came back from there a couple of weeks ago and I prefer it to Tokyo (probably because I don't really like crowds)..
if it's your first time to Yokohama, then I suggest checking the routes of Akai Kutsu and Bayside Blue..
those two are city buses that go around Yokohama and with stops at sightseeing places..
once you check their stops, you can probably pick out which places that are suited to your travel preferences..

for the other places you mentioned (except for Kanazawa), I don't really have recommendations as I haven't been to Shizuoka or places near Mt. Fuji..

This post has been edited by vankodoq: May 27 2024, 11:49 AM

oohhh!! Toyama!?
I went to Toyama last year, but since it was only for short visit to meet a friend, I didn't research more about the city..
looking at the photos, I should've gone here as well!!

oooohhh!! thanks for sharing this info..
seems to be a good option to spend some time (or even the night?) at CTS..
gotta keep this in mind for my next trip, just in case..

is this going to be your first time in Osaka/Kyoto? if so, the typical tourist spots are quite nice to visit..
Osaka has Osaka Castle, USJ, Dotonbori, and a lot of foods.. Kyoto has Arashiyama, Kinkakuji, Kiyomizu-dera, Fushimi Inari, etc..
what I'd suggest is not to be too ambitious.. for example, if you're going to USJ, I'd suggest locking 1 day for it and not trying to add additional activities/spots in that day..
also for Kyoto, I'd recommend spreading the activities/spots for two days..

from my experience, Osaka is easier to navigate with trains compared to Kyoto..
depending on your itinerary, you might take more buses than trains in Kyoto..