10 Days in Japan: Tokyo to Osaka the Right Way

Japan is one of those rare destinations where the gap between a mediocre trip and an extraordinary one comes down almost entirely to specificity. Not more sights, not better hotels — just knowing which neighborhoods to walk at what hour, and where to eat when the guidebook-famous places are packed with tour groups.

This itinerary covers the classic corridor — Tokyo, Kyoto, Nara, Osaka — but with neighborhood-level detail and the kind of practical advice that makes the difference between a trip you survive and one you talk about for years.

Before You Go: The Logistics That Actually Matter

Get the Suica card first

Before you think about cherry blossoms or temple schedules, your first task at Narita or Haneda airport is picking up a Welcome Suica IC card. As of March 2025, tourist Suica cards are valid for 180 days — buy one at the airport arrival hall, load ¥5,000, and you're set. This card pays for every subway, city bus, and urban rail journey in Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto, and Nara. It also works at convenience stores, vending machines, coin lockers, and most taxis. Carry it like a wallet.

Skip the JR Pass (for this route)

This will be controversial, but for a pure 10-day Tokyo–Kyoto–Osaka trip, the 7-day JR Pass (¥50,000 / ~€300) does not pay off. Two one-way Shinkansen tickets — Tokyo to Kyoto and Kyoto to Osaka — cost around ¥28,000–30,000 combined. The pass only makes sense if you add Hiroshima or Kanazawa. Buy point-to-point tickets instead, or consider the Kansai Thru Pass for getting around Kyoto and Osaka on private rail lines.

One note on trains: the Nozomi is the fastest Shinkansen (Tokyo → Kyoto in 2h15m) but is NOT covered by the JR Pass. The Hikari takes 2h40m and is. If you're buying tickets anyway, the Nozomi is worth the extra few minutes of your life.

Book accommodation early. Really.

Japan hit 36.8 million international visitors in 2024 — record numbers, and 2025 is tracking higher. Good ryokans in Kyoto book out months in advance. If you're targeting cherry blossom season (late March to early April in Tokyo; late March to mid-April in Kyoto), start booking 5–6 months out. For other periods, 3 months is reasonable but tight for the top properties.

Days 1–3: Tokyo

Three days in Tokyo is not enough. It's also plenty. Here's how to use them well.

Day 2: Shimokitazawa and Yanaka

Resist the pull of Shibuya and Harajuku on your first full day. Instead, take the Odakyu Line 10 minutes from Shinjuku to Shimokitazawa — Tokyo's bohemian counterpart to Barcelona's Gracia district. This is the city's heartland for vintage clothing (Chicago, Flamingo), independent record stores, and live music. The recently opened Shimokita Senrogai development and Ogawa Coffee Laboratory anchor a stretch of cafes and food stalls worth a slow morning. Shirohige's Cream Puff Factory — the official Studio Ghibli bakery — is two minutes from the station: Totoro-shaped choux pastries, no irony intended.

In the afternoon, head to Yanaka, Tokyo's best-preserved pre-war neighborhood in the Taito ward. Walk Yanaka Ginza (the retro covered shopping street), duck into Kayaba Coffee — a century-old kissaten townhouse — and end with dinner at Hantei, a traditional multi-floor building serving refined kushiage skewers.

Day 3: Tsukiji and Shinjuku

The Tsukiji inner wholesale market moved to Toyosu in 2018, but the outer market remains fully operational. Arrive before 8am — stalls begin winding down by noon. Sushi Dai has long queues and is worth them; Tsukiji Kagura Sushi Annex is known for old-style red vinegar rice. This is a breakfast and morning activity.

Spend the afternoon around Omotesando, then end the day in Shinjuku. Skip Kabukicho. Instead: tempura at Tsunahachi (established 1924), then Bar Benfiddich for what Tokyo consistently rates its finest cocktails. Reserve ahead.

Day 4: Travel Day to Kyoto + Fushimi Inari at Dusk

Take the Hikari or Nozomi Shinkansen from Tokyo Station — depart around 10–11am, arrive Kyoto by early afternoon. Check in, leave your bags, and head directly to Fushimi Inari.

The thousands of vermillion torii gates are one of Japan's most photographed sights, and they're extraordinary. The trick is when you go: at sunset on a weekday, the lower gates thin out and the light through the tunnel of red lacquered wood is unlike anything else. The full hike to the summit takes 2–3 hours; most tourists turn back at the first saddle (Yotsutsuji, ~45 minutes up) — going higher means dramatically fewer people and increasingly good views of Kyoto below. The shrine is open 24/7 and free.

Days 5–7: Kyoto

Day 5: Arashiyama (Early) + Nishiki Market + Pontocho

The Arashiyama bamboo grove is genuinely spectacular and genuinely crowded. The solution is simple: arrive before 7am. The path itself is only 400 meters — it's not a hike, it's a corridor — but in early morning light with almost no one else around, it feels like stepping into a woodblock print. Tour groups arrive around 9am. Take the JR Sagano Line to Saga-Arashiyama Station (15 minutes from Kyoto Station) and combine with Tenryuji Temple's exceptional Zen garden (¥500 entry) and, if time allows, a short boat ride on the Oi River.

Back in the city by lunch, walk through Nishiki Market — a 400-year-old covered arcade of 130 shops where Kyoto's chefs actually shop. Go before 10am to beat the crowds. Buy pickled vegetables, fresh tofu, grilled skewers, tamagoyaki. This is not a tourist market wearing the clothes of a local market. It's the real thing.

Dinner in Pontocho alley, running parallel to the Kamo River: narrow stone corridor, red lanterns, entirely un-glamorous izakayas where the food is excellent. Order whatever the chalkboard recommends.

Day 6: Higashiyama and Gion

Walk the Higashiyama corridor from south to north: Fushimi Inari direction gives way to Sannenzaka and Ninenzaka (stone-paved lanes lined with craft shops and tea houses), then up to Kiyomizudera temple. The view from the wooden stage is one of Kyoto's iconic vistas — arrive by 7:30am or expect crowds. The temple stays open late on certain evenings when it's beautifully illuminated.

Coming down from Kiyomizudera, head north toward the Philosopher's Path — a 2km canal walk from Nanzenji Temple to Ginkakuji (Silver Pavilion), flanked by cafes, small shrines, and in spring, an unbroken tunnel of cherry trees. Budget two hours.

In the evening, walk through Gion. The main Hanamikoji street is overcrowded at all hours — pause there, then move on quickly. The real Gion experience is the quieter cross streets around dusk, when the ochaya teahouses light up and you occasionally glimpse a geiko or maiko on the way to an appointment. Note: private ro-ji alleys in Gion are now closed to visitors (¥10,000 fines for entering, enforced as of 2024). Respect this and everyone's experience improves.

Day 7: Nara Day Trip

Take the Kintetsu Limited Express from Kintetsu-Kyoto Station to Kintetsu-Nara (~35 minutes) or the JR Nara Line (~45 minutes). Arrive by 8am to beat the main crowds.

Nara Park is free, home to approximately 1,200 sika deer that are considered sacred and have learned that humans carry food. They're bold — keep bags close, especially near the main entrance gates where they're most accustomed to tourists. Deer crackers (shika senbei, ¥200/pack from official vendors only) will make you extremely popular.

The essential sights: Todaiji Temple (the Great Buddha Hall houses a 15-meter bronze Buddha, one of the largest in the world; ¥600 entry), and Kasuga Taisha Shrine, a UNESCO site famous for its thousands of stone and bronze lanterns. Going further into the park toward Ukimido Pavilion and Sagi Pond means fewer crowds and a genuinely peaceful landscape.

Be back in Nara station by 3–4pm and either return to Kyoto or head directly to Osaka to check in.

Days 8–10: Osaka

Osaka operates at a different frequency from Kyoto. It's louder, prouder, and organized around eating. Locals have a phrase — kuidaore — which roughly translates to "eat until you drop." They mean it as a civic value.

Day 8: Arrive + Dotonbori Evening

Check into your hotel (the Namba/Shinsaibashi area is the best base), then head to Dotonbori in the evening when the canal-side strip of giant neon signs is at full voltage. This is the place for: takoyaki (octopus balls, pressed to order in cast-iron pans), okonomiyaki (the Osaka-style savory pancake, different from Hiroshima's layered version), and fresh crab at Kani Doraku. The Glico running man sign is unavoidable. Take the photo and move on.

Day 9: Kuromon Market, Shinsekai, Food Crawl

Start early at Kuromon Ichiba Market — 200 years old, ~150 shops, known as "Osaka's Kitchen." Most stalls open by 8am but start winding down around 2pm; some close entirely on Sundays. Buy wagyu skewers, fresh uni, seasonal fruit, and eat standing at the market stalls. This is not a place to rush.

Afternoon in Shinsekai — Osaka's retro neon district, a little rough around the edges, and all the better for it. This is the spiritual home of kushi-katsu (deep-fried skewers of meat, seafood, and vegetables). The iron rule: do not double-dip into the shared communal sauce. Order-as-you-go, breaded and fried to order, eaten standing at the counter. Tsutenkaku Tower is the retro landmark worth a quick look.

For the evening, return to Dotonbori for a food crawl that prioritizes what you didn't eat the night before. Consider Futomasa for fugu (blowfish) — try the tecchiri hotpot if it's on the menu.

Day 10: Osaka Castle + Departure

Osaka Castle is worth a morning. The castle itself is a post-war reconstruction, but the park surrounding it is one of Osaka's best spaces — especially under cherry blossoms in spring. The interior museum is well-curated and gives real context for the Warring States period.

From Osaka, you can fly home directly from Kansai International Airport (KIX) — served by Iberia and other European carriers — or take a Shinkansen back to Tokyo for a Narita or Haneda departure.

The Season Question

Cherry blossom season (late March–early April) is when Japan is at its most viscerally beautiful, and also its most crowded and expensive. Tokyo typically peaks around March 29–April 2; Kyoto around April 5–10. The viewing window including partial bloom and petal-fall (hanafubuki) spans about three weeks total.

If you go during cherry blossom season, book everything 5–6 months out, plan all Kyoto activities for before 8am, and accept that the trade-off is worth it. If you're more flexible, early November (autumn foliage, fewer crowds, cooler temperatures) is equally beautiful and significantly less hectic.

A note on 2025: Osaka is hosting Expo 2025 (April 13–October 13), which means higher hotel prices in Osaka during that window and additional crowds. This isn't a reason to skip Osaka, but factor it into your budget.

Practical Snapshot

Cash: Japan is still largely cash-dependent. 7-Eleven and Japan Post ATMs reliably accept foreign cards. Always carry ¥5,000–10,000.
Connectivity: Buy an eSIM before departure (IIJmio, Alosim) or rent a pocket WiFi at the airport.
Tipping: Don't. Ever. Anywhere.
Shoes: You'll remove them at ryokans, many restaurants, and temple halls. Wear shoes you can slip off easily.
Onsen: Wash thoroughly at the shower station before entering any communal bath. Check tattoo policies when booking — ryokans with private baths sidestep this issue.
Visa: Spanish and EU citizens enter Japan visa-free for up to 90 days. No pre-registration required (Japan's JESTA authorization system won't launch until 2028).

Budget guide (mid-range, excluding flights):

Accommodation: €60–100/night (business hotel), ¥15,000–25,000/night (ryokan with meals)
Food: €30–50/day eating well without splurging
Total 10-day trip: approximately €1,500–2,200 per person
Flights from Spain: €500–900 low season; €900–1,400+ during cherry blossom

Planning a trip to Japan but uncertain whether to go independent or with a group? Viatsy organizes small-group tours along this corridor — A Passage Through Japan and Japan of a Thousand Wonders — with local guides who know the 7am Arashiyama from the 10am version. Browse the departures or reach out to discuss a tailor-made itinerary.