Need help with a simple 12-day itinerary including Tokyo and Naoshima

Hi everyone,

I’m heading to Japan for the second time with my 20-year-old son. During our first trip, we spent two weeks in Tokyo and Kyoto (plus the surrounding areas). This time, we’re planning to stay in Tokyo for at least 4-5 days and then head to the island of Naoshima. I’m looking for suggestions and advice: Is getting to Naoshima from Tokyo complicated? If so, do you have any recommendations for a stopover somewhere? Given that we’d prefer not to move every day, we’d rather settle in one place and then explore on day trips... Do you think it’s possible to do something like this: 5 nights in Tokyo (Shinjuku) 3 nights in Kyoto 2 nights in Naoshima (or is one night enough??) and if one night is enough, where could I spend a second night on the way back to Tokyo? 2 nights in Tokyo (I’d love your advice on staying in a different neighborhood—last time we stayed near Ueno Park)—keeping in mind we’re flying out of Narita.

I’m considering maybe skipping Kyoto, which I love but has apparently become *very* touristy... Not really keen on Osaka... since we’ll already have done Tokyo as our "big city." I’d prefer towns where nature is present... (a bit like Kyoto, which offers all that...)

For info, we’ll be traveling by train. Thanks in advance for all your suggestions and help!

I have one last little question: Is cash still widely used in Japan, or not at all anymore?

Thanks so much,

Karine

Hi,

For your first question, I don’t know, but you’re right about Kyoto—it’s become a nightmare. Some streets are now off-limits to tourists, and there’s talk of a nightly hotel surtax that could go up to 60 € per person per night, depending on the hotel category. Personally, I love Osaka, but I’d also recommend Okayama. It’s a mid-sized city with Japan’s third-most beautiful garden, and the castle is worth seeing, along with the surrounding park. From there, you can easily visit Kurashiki (the "Venice of Japan")—just a 20-minute local train ride—and stay overnight in Okayama.

You can pay by card or cash almost everywhere, including supermarkets. The exchange rate is great right now. I personally withdraw from FamilyMart or post offices (220 yen in fees, 1.30 €), no matter the amount. Avoid 7-Eleven, as they charge a percentage-based fee.

Hello. To get to Naoshima, stop in Okayama and take a JR train to Uno Port. From there, you can take a ferry. If you've got the budget, the Benesse House hotel awaits... Plan for a full day to visit all the island's spots and museums. If you'd rather not deal with Kyoto's crowds—and I totally get it—try Kanazawa, a really nice city on the Sea of Japan coast. It's accessible by shinkansen from Tokyo and by Express train from Kyoto. It's a shame to skip Osaka—this city is really different from Tokyo, especially for a 20-year-old... maybe next time! It's always good to have some cash on hand, though credit cards are becoming more widely accepted in Japan. Have a great trip!

Hi Karine,

If you skip Kyoto or cut a few days in Tokyo, and since you want to visit Naoshima, here’s another suggestion: spend a few days in Shikoku. For example, you could base yourself in Takamatsu for a while. It’s a human-scale city by the Seto Inland Sea. From there, you can take a ferry to Naoshima—the crossing takes about 30 minutes from the city. In Takamatsu, you can visit one of Japan’s most beautiful gardens, Ritsurin Koen, and try udon, one of the local culinary specialties. For day trips, you could head to Kashima (Shikoku Mura), or Kotohira to climb the many steps with pilgrims to the shrine, where you’ll get a clear view of the valley. Nearby, there’s also the bonsai town if that interests you.

This isn’t an exhaustive list—there are plenty of other things to explore depending on your tastes.

Takamatsu is easily reachable by domestic flight from Tokyo. It’s also possible by train, but check the price and duration.

About cash: even though cards are increasingly accepted, I agree with fuchan69 that having cash on hand is still useful. However, I’ve noticed that in high-end, high-rise locations, cash isn’t accepted anymore—you can only pay by card. I experienced this at Kabukicho Tower, for example.

Dear Patrick, Thank you so much for your feedback. I see that several of you are recommending Osaka, so I’ll think about it! I’m noting Okayama! And thanks for answering my questions :-) Best regards, Karine

Hi Fuchan, Thanks for your reply. Yet another person recommending Osaka—I’ll think about it. Actually, I was a bit hesitant because of the World Expo, worried about even more tourists than usual... I’m noting Kanazawa—it was already on my list, and I even saw there’s a contemporary art museum ;-) I messed up with the Benesse House booking—you have to reserve exactly 6 months before your stay... bummer... Thanks again for your tips! Best regards, Karine

Hi Nathalie, Thanks for your reply as well. I’ll look into your suggestion. Why not indeed base ourselves in Takamatsu and explore the area from there. And thanks for the info about cash—it really does seem to be disappearing little by little everywhere... Thanks to everyone! Looking forward to chatting more.

Karine

Hi Karine, If you have time and you're looking for sightseeing ideas, check out my little website dedicated entirely to Japan. You'll find trip reports on Osaka, Kanazawa... and all over Japan. www.soleil-rouge.org Happy planning!

Thanks Fuchan, I’d already started and will go back to it as soon as I have time. Thanks again! I might come back to you if I have any questions. Have a great day, Karine

Hello Fuchan, hello everyone,

I’m sharing a draft itinerary (not yet finalized). It involves a lot of moving around, which I wasn’t initially keen on, but it also lets me visit the different places recommended by others in the discussion. Just wanted to check if this seems doable or if it feels "too much":

After 5 nights in Tokyo, which we could potentially shorten by one night Day 6: Tokyo > Osaka Day 7: Osaka Day 8: Osaka > Okayama Day 9: Okayama (possible day trip to Kurashiki) Day 10: Okayama > Naoshima Day 11: Naoshima > Takamatsu Day 12: Takamatsu > Tokyo – by plane if it’s not too expensive (?) Day 13: Return flight to France from Narita

The thing is, I’m a bit constrained by a night I’ve already booked on Naoshima Island (hotels are fully booked now) and also the fact that museums on the island are closed on Mondays...

It feels a bit "tight" to me...

Thanks in advance for your feedback!

Best regards, Karine

Hi there, Cool! Just need to book now. 😉 For the Takamatsu/Tokyo flight, budget around 60 € with checked luggage on JAL, depending on the dates—but book early.

Thanks for the info, Patrick!

I think I understand that the tickets to Japan are already booked. That’s too bad—returning via Osaka would’ve been better.

Regarding the itinerary: You can spend a week in Okayama with all there is to see in the surrounding area (much less in the city itself). So one night is enough to soak up Okayama and Kurashiki.

However, two nights total for Naoshima and Takamatsu is tight. Leaving Okayama in the morning for Naoshima and heading to Takamatsu the next afternoon works, but you’ll need to stay two nights in Takamatsu (using the night saved in Okayama). That way, you can enjoy the incredible Ritsurin Garden and visit Kotohira to see Konpira-san, not to mention the Busshozan onsen.

See my trip report: https://voyageforum.com/forum/japon-2015-vallee-iya-peninsule-noto-d7403057

For Naoshima, the must-see is obviously Benesse (especially the Oval section), but since it’s too late for that, check out the yurts at Tsutsujiso—they’re right next to the pumpkin sculpture.

So you’ve decided to skip Kyoto and go to Osaka, which doesn’t really appeal to you.

I don’t know Osaka well, but even though I’ve often read in traveler itineraries or trip reports that people only spend one or two nights there, it seems a bit short to really explore the city—especially since it’s great for day trips, which is what you wanted. Here are a few ideas for cities that seem nice for a day trip from Osaka: - Kyoto - Uji - Okayama - Sakai (https://zoomjapan.info/2025/01/voyage/sakai-fascinante-ville-art-histoire-osaka/) - Kobe - Awaji Island - Otsu (https://ichiban-japan.com/otsu/)

I agree with Masterpo—two days for Naoshima and Takamatsu is a little tight. Ritsurin-koen garden is a gem, maybe one of the most beautiful in the country. To add to Masterpo’s trip report, here’s a link to mine where I talk about it: https://voyageforum.com/v.f?post=9999591;a=9999591;

If you’re not keen on visiting two big cities—since you’ve already been to Tokyo (even though there’s still so much to see and do there)—and you’d rather discover less touristy places with a smaller-town vibe, you could consider cutting Tokyo entirely except for your return night, or reducing your time there to just 2, 3, or 4 nights.

For example, by shortening Tokyo: Day 1 & 2: Tokyo (with nights in Tokyo—note: there are overnight buses from Tokyo) Day 3, 4, 5, 6, 7: Osaka and surrounding areas (Okayama, etc.), with the 7th night possibly taking an overnight ferry from Osaka/Kobe to Takamatsu Day 8 & 9: Takamatsu and Kotohira (nights in Takamatsu) Day 10: Takamatsu > Naoshima (leave early in the morning) Day 11: Naoshima > Okayama, then train back to Tokyo Day 12: Tokyo Day 13: Flight back to France from Narita

This is just an example to illustrate my point—it’s your trip, so build it based on your tastes, wishes, and priorities.