u/Few_Ad43

Hello all, I leave for Japan in 4 days. As the title states this is my first time traveling internationally solo. I haven’t left the country in over 12 years. My plane is booked, completed the visitjapanweb form, added suica to my wallet, Shinkansen booked,international pass from t-mobile,downloaded offline maps,booked my stays, and created an itinerary for my 10 days.
With all the prep I’ve done, I’m still feeling very nervous for when I land. Any advice or words of wisdom to pass down? Whether you’re someone who just completed there first solo trip or a veteran in the travel game. Thank you all

Hey everyone! I’ll be visiting Japan for the first time in October (10 full days) and would love some feedback on my itinerary. Im nervous!! I’m mainly interested in sightseeing, food, walking around neighborhoods, shopping, nature, and soaking up the atmosphere. Does anything seem too rushed, or is there anything you’d swap out? Also what are your thoughts on doing 2 nights at the ryokan for my last 2 days?
Tokyo (5 nights)
Day 1: Arrive at Narita (~4:45 PM), head to hotel in Akasaka, grab dinner, explore the neighborhood.
Day 2: Harajuku → Meiji Jingu → Yoyogi Park → Takeshita Street → walk to Shibuya (Scramble, Hachiko, Nintendo Tokyo, Loft, Don Quijote, Shibuya Sky).
Day 3: Odaiba & Toyosu (Rainbow Bridge area, DiverCity, Small Worlds, teamLab Planets, Toyosu/Senkyaku Banrai, Manyo Onsen).
Day 4: Asakusa → Senso-ji & Nakamise → Ueno Park & Ameyoko → Akihabara in the evening.
Day 5: Shinjuku (Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building, Omoide Yokocho, Kabukicho, Golden Gai).
Kyoto (3 nights)
Day 6: Shinkansen to Kyoto, drop bags, then Uji (Byodo-in, tea shops, matcha) → Otsu (Lake Biwa) → evening in Gion (Yasaka Shrine, Hanamikoji, Pontocho).
Day 7: Day trip to Kobe (Kitano, Harborland, Chinatown, Kobe beef) → back to Kyoto for Kiyomizu-dera, Ninenzaka, Sannenzaka.
Day 8: Nara (deer park, Todai-ji, Great Buddha) → Osaka (Dotonbori, Shinsaibashi, Amerikamura, Hozenji Yokocho, Kuromon Market, Umeda Sky if time) → return to Kyoto.
Ryokan (2 nights)
Day 9: Check out of Kyoto hotel, head to mountain ryokan, relax.
Day 10: Breakfast, hiking, onsen, kaiseki dinner.
Departure: Check out and head back to the airport.
A few questions:
● Does anything here seem too ambitious or unrealistic?
● Is there anything you think is overrated or worth skipping?
● Are there any hidden gems near the areas I’m already visiting?
● Any restaurant or food recommendations along this route?
● If you could change one thing about this itinerary, what would it be?
• Is it worth it to do 2 nights at the ryokan?
• what’s a good amount of money to have saved up for expenses on the trip excluding travel and stay?