Japan · 6 days · Untravel editors
Two cities, no sprinting. The version of Japan where you actually sit in the café instead of queuing past it — three nights in Tokyo, three in Kyoto, one shinkansen between, and the rest left open for the wander that makes the trip.
6 days and 20 stops — Tokyo and Kyoto, with one move between them. It opens with west side. Every stop carries the note that put it on the list. Read it all here, no app and no account.
The 6-day Japan itinerary, day by day
Day 01 · Tokyo
West side
Bam Bi Coffee
Korean-style café near Shinjuku for the first soufflé-pancake breakfast — mango season lines up with spring. Stay awake, don't nap.
Shimokitazawa
Vintage shops, record stores, narrow lanes, zero pressure — the anti-Shibuya and the neighbourhood that quietly wins people over.
Izakaya in Shinjuku
Stay local — an izakaya dinner near your base and an early night to kill the jet lag honestly instead of fighting it.
Day 02 · Tokyo
Old Tokyo — Yanaka/Nezu
Nezu Shrine
The azalea-tunnel shrine in the part of Tokyo that survived the bombing — peak colour late April, calm any time before mid-morning.
Kamachiku
Michelin Bib Gourmand udon in a 100-year-old stone warehouse with a garden, right next to Nezu Shrine. Book ahead — the setting is half of it.
Onibus Coffee Nakameguro
Ranked the world's best independent café in 2025; grab a coffee and walk the canal as the light drops.
Banten Ebisu
Great izakaya in Ebisu, a natural fit for a Nakameguro/Ebisu evening of dinner and drinks.
Day 03 · Tokyo
One big thing, then nothing
teamLab Planets
The immersive digital-art museum — book the timed ticket days ahead, it sells out. Worth the hype.
Sensō-ji
Asakusa's great temple — but cut past the Nakamise tourist gauntlet to Kappabashi one block over.
Kappabashi Kitchen Street
Japan's kitchen-supply district — buy a knife you'll use for twenty years. Tsubaya and Kama-Asa are the shops; bring your passport for tax-free.
Anabai
Highly regarded tonkatsu — excellent pork, clean frying. The last proper Tokyo dinner.
Transfer · day 3 → 4365 km apart
Day 04 · Kyoto
Settle in
Amam Dacotan
Beautiful Kyoto bakery — sourdough, pastries, photogenic. Go early; it sells out.
Weekenders Coffee Tominokoji
One of Japan's most respected roasters, hidden behind a car park near Nishiki Market. Cash only, no takeaway — go at opening.
Nishiki Market
A slow crawl through Kyoto's covered market — snacks, pickles, knives, tea.
Beatle Momo
A tiny vinyl listening bar, the owner takes requests, 5.0 on Tripadvisor — the perfect slow Kyoto night. Book via TableCheck.
Day 05 · Kyoto
Two temples, done right
Fushimi Inari Taisha
The thousand vermilion gates — get here by 7am, before it turns into a queue.
% Arabica Kyoto Higashiyama
Iconic Kyoto specialty coffee near Fushimi/Higashiyama. Go early or accept the queue.
Arashiyama Bamboo Grove
The bamboo grove and riverside — linger, don't tick. Tea, a slow walk, the monkey park if you've got the legs.
Beatle Momo
A tiny vinyl listening bar, the owner takes requests, 5.0 on Tripadvisor — the perfect slow Kyoto night. Book via TableCheck.
Day 06 · Kyoto
Leave room for nothing
Gion
A last wander through the geisha district — the lanes are emptiest and prettiest before 9am. Final matcha and mochi.
