For the last 5–6 months, Japan has been living rent-free in my head.

The trip didn't start on Day 1.

It started in January, with a flight search, a half-formed itinerary, hotel point redemptions that almost didn't work out, a credit card devaluation wave nobody saw coming, and three full versions of the itinerary before we landed on the final one.

There's a whole story there that never makes it into a trip report.

Not because of the trip itself, but because of everything that happened before it.

So I'm going back and writing it now, reconstructing the planning arc from memory, screenshots and the decisions I still remember making. Not a diary written in real time, but a deliberate attempt to document how this trip came to be, not just what happened during it.

Then I'll layer in the trip itself: the moments, the food, the chaos, the quiet bits and everything in between.

Along the way I found myself digging through things like:

• itinerary iterations debating 3 vs 4 nights in Osaka
• spreadsheets comparing Marriott, Accor and ALL point redemptions
• a Google Maps list with 200+ saved places that slowly became a realistic itinerary
• shopping lists that evolved from "I should buy a camera" to researching Fujifilm models, stationery stores, Japanese denim, pottery, towels and chopsticks
• notes explaining why I changed hotels, booked certain trains and completely dropped some places

Then there are all the little things that usually disappear after a trip:

• boarding passes
• luggage forwarding receipts
• ticket stubs
• Goshuin
• flea market finds
• expense trackers
• handwritten notes
• random screenshots that only made sense while planning

When I got back, I realised something.

Most travel albums remember what happened.

Very few remember how you got there.

So instead of making a traditional photo album, I'm trying to create something that tells the complete story from the first itinerary sketch in January to coming home in June.

Almost like a documentary in book form.

The final output will be a digital photo book built in Affinity Publisher, combining photographs, handwritten notes (once I figure out how to digitise them), maps, expense data, planning notes and reflections.

The goal is to preserve the entire journey**.**

I have absolutely no idea how it'll turn out, but I'm excited enough to give it a shot.

Has anyone here documented a trip beyond just photos/videos? Maybe through journaling, sketches, ticket collections, maps or something completely different?

I'd love to hear how you preserve your travel memories.

Trip at a glance

Dates: 15 May – 2 June 2026
Group: Myself & Wife
Flights: Mumbai to Tokyo (Narita) – ₹1,12,700 total - return flight (Booked from ANA hello blue sale in Jan 2026)
Accommodation: Mix of Marriott/Accor points + paid hotels
Cards used: Federal Scapia, HSBC Travel One, Axis Atlas, Thomas Cook Prepaid (I really got lucky & milked my atlas miles for booking Accor hotels a few days before the devaluation!)

Itinerary Overview

Day 1 : Tokyo (Haneda transit) | Arrived Narita, bus to Haneda, flew to Osaka
Day 2–5 : Osaka | Sumo Hall tournament, Dotonbori, Umeda Sky Building, Katsuoji Temple day trip
Day 6–10 : Kyoto | Gion, Fushimi Inari, Amanohashidate day trip, Ine no Funaya, Mishima Village, local cafes
Day 11–12 : Kawaguchiko (Fuji) | FujiQ Highland, cycling around the lake, Fujiyama Onsen
Day 13–19 : Tokyo | Teamlab Borderless + Planets, Akihabara, Shibuya, Ginza, leisure

Expense Breakdown (excluding shopping)

Category	Amount (₹)	Notes
Flights	₹1,12,700	Mumbai to Tokyo return, 2 pax
Hotels	₹1,31,123	Details above
Food & Drinks	₹1,02,558	Meals + convenience store runs
Excursions	₹64,539	Sumo Hall, Teamlab ×2, FujiQ, Amanohashidate day trip, others
Transportation	₹37,852	Shinkansen (Klook), buses, Suica top-ups
Luggage Forwarding	₹13,465	Yamato Transport (Osaka→Kyoto, Kyoto→Tokyo)
Taxis/Cabs	₹14,578	Occasional Uber-style cabs
SIM/eSIM	₹8,319	Got eSIM via Klook before departure
Hotel Tax	₹1,098	City tax at a couple of hotels
Total (excl. shopping)	₹4,86,232

Keeping shopping out of scope for this post since it's personal and hard to split meaningfully.

Hotels & cost

Mercure Haneda - 1 night | ₹3,867 (Accor points + Atlas)
Swissotel Nankai, Osaka - 3 nights | ₹19,305 (Accor points + Atlas)
Courtyard by Marriott, Kyoto - 5 nights | ₹16,000 (Marriott points)
FujiQ Highland Resort - 1 night | ₹15,030 (Agoda from Atlas)
Shibuya Stream Hotel - 2 nights | ₹40,800 (Agoda from Atlas)
Sheraton Grande Tokyo Bay - 3 nights | ₹33,009 (Marriott vacation club promo offer)
Ibis Styles Ginza East - 2 nights | ₹3,112 (Accor points + Atlas)
Total- 17N - ₹1,31,123

Excursions:

Sumo Hall Osaka (Klook) — ₹15,772 for 2 people
Absolute highlight of the trip. Wife wanted to wrestle a sumo & got picked during lucky draw, she was elated & thoroughly enjoyed the experience! I watched "Sanctuary" on netflix before the trip & I was beyond stoked for this as well!

FujiQ Highland — ₹10,307 total
This was my dream, I love roller coasters, I opted FujiQ over USJ & Disney for the sheer thrill & it did not disappoint!

Teamlab Borderless + Planets (Klook) — ₹11,604 combined
Both are different enough to justify doing both. Borderless is chaotic and immersive; Planets is more intimate and meditative. Book well in advance — Borderless especially sells out.

Amanohashidate Day Trip (Klook) — ₹9,848
Amanohashidate, Ine Village & Miyama in a bus with a guide, touristy but it was worth. Especially considering the time.

Food:

• Cocoichi (Osaka + Tokyo) — best curry chain I've had anywhere, went multiple times
• Kyushu Jiyangaraa (Tokyo) / Ippodo (Tokyo) / Susuraku Susuranka (Osaka) / Engine Ramen (Kyoto) / Yoroiya (Asakusa) — Had a lot of ramen, almost 60-70% of our overall meals, I miss ramen!
• Pizza Strada (Kyoto) — Incredible wood-fired pizza in Kyoto, use table log to do a reservation before you go.
• Bar Nayuta (Osaka) — One of the best speakeasy type bar experiences
• Eric South Yeasu (Tokyo - Honorable Mention) - Went here to have my birthday lunch & it was UMAIIII!
• 7-Eleven / Lawson / Family Mart — honestly some of the best meals of the trip. Onigiri, sandos, matcha everything. Budget at least ₹400–600/day per person just for these (if you are going to buy from Konbinis everyday.

Card Strategy

• Scapia for smaller costs (Konbini's or majorly anything under 5000 yen)
• HSBC Travel One/Atlas for Klook pre-bookings and big ticket items (despite the forex markup, these card gave rewards which will come in handy at a later stage)
• Thomas Cook prepaid card as a forex backup
• Most places in Tokyo/Osaka/Kyoto accept cards now, but keep ¥10,000–15,000 cash handy for temples, small restaurants, and vending machines

eSIM
Got it via Klook before departure (~₹1,500/person for 15 days). Zero issues throughout the trip. Don't bother with physical SIM at the airport — it's more expensive and slower.

Klook
Used heavily. Sumo Hall, Teamlab, FujiQ, Amanohashidate, airport transfers, Shinkansen, Suica — all booked in advance. Prices are generally 10–15% cheaper than buying at the counter, and you skip the queue.

Goshuin & Stamp Collecting
If you're into collecting, Japan is paradise. Got goshuins at Fushimi Inari, Katsuoji, and a few Kyoto temples. Also collected eki stamps at most Shinkansen stations, manhole cards in Osaka and Kyoto, and a few Michi-no-Eki stamps on the Amanohashidate route. Highly recommend budgeting ¥300–500 per goshuin (some temples charge more).

---

General Tips & Learnings:

• Add 1–2 more nights in Kyoto — 5 wasn't quite enough with the day trips
• Skip Shibuya/Shinjuku areas - I knew they would be overcrowed but apart from that it was overstimulating & not a mid or end of trip destination, if you really want, keep it right at the start of the trip so that you can absorb all that & then experience the better sides/parts of Japan lol. Tokyo has a lot of other amazing areas to explore too (Roppongi/Asakusa/Ginza/Akihabara were great & I am sure there are others too)
• Although Sheraton was a good deal, the hotel was far off from other places to explore, since I did not opt for Disney sea, it did not provide a good value.
• Japan is a sensory overload when it comes to shopping, knowing what you want to buy really helps.
• Downloaded happy cow app for finding vegan/vegeterian food (We eat chicken/eggs but not beef & pork) - that Rs. 500 investment really paid great returns in quickly identifying places to eat.

Japan was a dream for me & I am glad that I got to live the dream. The country makes you think and ponder, the experience makes you question your way of life & I like that. I tried my best to abide by the rules & principles of the Japanese people & to blend into the culture. Wishing to visit this beautiful country again. Happy to answer questions on any of this — itinerary planning, card strategy, or stamp hunting tips!

Trip at a glance

Dates: 15 May – 2 June 2026
Group: Myself & Wife
Flights: Mumbai to Tokyo (Narita) – ₹1,12,700 total - return flight (Booked from ANA hello blue sale in Jan 2026)
Accommodation: Mix of Marriott/Accor points + paid hotels
Cards used: Federal Scapia, HSBC Travel One, Axis Atlas, Thomas Cook Prepaid (I really got lucky & milked my atlas miles for booking Accor hotels a few days before the devaluation!)

Itinerary Overview

Day 1 : Tokyo (Haneda transit) | Arrived Narita, bus to Haneda, flew to Osaka
Day 2–5 : Osaka | Sumo Hall tournament, Dotonbori, Umeda Sky Building, Katsuoji Temple day trip
Day 6–10 : Kyoto | Gion, Fushimi Inari, Amanohashidate day trip, Ine no Funaya, Mishima Village, local cafes
Day 11–12 : Kawaguchiko (Fuji) | FujiQ Highland, cycling around the lake, Fujiyama Onsen
Day 13–19 : Tokyo | Teamlab Borderless + Planets, Akihabara, Shibuya, Ginza, leisure

Expense Breakdown (excluding shopping)

Category	Amount (₹)	Notes
Flights	₹1,12,700	Mumbai to Tokyo return, 2 pax
Hotels	₹1,31,123	Details above
Food & Drinks	₹1,02,558	Meals + convenience store runs
Excursions	₹64,539	Sumo Hall, Teamlab ×2, FujiQ, Amanohashidate day trip, others
Transportation	₹37,852	Shinkansen (Klook), buses, Suica top-ups
Luggage Forwarding	₹13,465	Yamato Transport (Osaka→Kyoto, Kyoto→Tokyo)
Taxis/Cabs	₹14,578	Occasional Uber-style cabs
SIM/eSIM	₹8,319	Got eSIM via Klook before departure
Hotel Tax	₹1,098	City tax at a couple of hotels
Total (excl. shopping)	₹4,86,232

Keeping shopping out of scope for this post since it's personal and hard to split meaningfully.

Hotels & cost

Mercure Haneda - 1 night | ₹3,867 (Accor points + Atlas)
Swissotel Nankai, Osaka - 3 nights | ₹19,305 (Accor points + Atlas)
Courtyard by Marriott, Kyoto - 5 nights | ₹16,000 (Marriott points)
FujiQ Highland Resort - 1 night | ₹15,030 (Agoda from Atlas)
Shibuya Stream Hotel - 2 nights | ₹40,800 (Agoda from Atlas)
Sheraton Grande Tokyo Bay - 3 nights | ₹33,009 (Marriott vacation club promo offer)
Ibis Styles Ginza East - 2 nights | ₹3,112 (Accor points + Atlas)
Total- 17N - ₹1,31,123

Excursions:

Sumo Hall Osaka (Klook) — ₹15,772 for 2 people
Absolute highlight of the trip. Wife wanted to wrestle a sumo & got picked during lucky draw, she was elated & thoroughly enjoyed the experience! I watched "Sanctuary" on netflix before the trip & I was beyond stoked for this as well!

FujiQ Highland — ₹10,307 total
This was my dream, I love roller coasters, I opted FujiQ over USJ & Disney for the sheer thrill & it did not disappoint!

Teamlab Borderless + Planets (Klook) — ₹11,604 combined
Both are different enough to justify doing both. Borderless is chaotic and immersive; Planets is more intimate and meditative. Book well in advance — Borderless especially sells out.

Amanohashidate Day Trip (Klook) — ₹9,848
Amanohashidate, Ine Village & Miyama in a bus with a guide, touristy but it was worth. Especially considering the time.

Food:

• Cocoichi (Osaka + Tokyo) — best curry chain I've had anywhere, went multiple times
• Kyushu Jiyangaraa (Tokyo) / Ippodo (Tokyo) / Susuraku Susuranka (Osaka) / Engine Ramen (Kyoto) / Yoroiya (Asakusa) — Had a lot of ramen, almost 60-70% of our overall meals, I miss ramen!
• Pizza Strada (Kyoto) — Incredible wood-fired pizza in Kyoto, use table log to do a reservation before you go.
• Bar Nayuta (Osaka) — One of the best speakeasy type bar experiences
• Eric South Yeasu (Tokyo - Honorable Mention) - Went here to have my birthday lunch & it was UMAIIII!
• 7-Eleven / Lawson / Family Mart — honestly some of the best meals of the trip. Onigiri, sandos, matcha everything. Budget at least ₹400–600/day per person just for these (if you are going to buy from Konbinis everyday.

Card Strategy
Scapia for smaller costs (Konbini's or majorly anything under 5000 yen)
HSBC Travel One/Atlas for Klook pre-bookings and big ticket items (despite the forex markup, these card gave rewards which will come in handy at a later stage)
Thomas Cook prepaid card as a forex backup
Most places in Tokyo/Osaka/Kyoto accept cards now, but keep ¥10,000–15,000 cash handy for temples, small restaurants, and vending machines

eSIM
Got it via Klook before departure (~₹1,500/person for 15 days). Zero issues throughout the trip. Don't bother with physical SIM at the airport — it's more expensive and slower.

Klook
Used heavily. Sumo Hall, Teamlab, FujiQ, Amanohashidate, airport transfers, Shinkansen, Suica — all booked in advance. Prices are generally 10–15% cheaper than buying at the counter, and you skip the queue.

Goshuin & Stamp Collecting
If you're into collecting, Japan is paradise. Got goshuins at Fushimi Inari, Katsuoji, and a few Kyoto temples. Also collected eki stamps at most Shinkansen stations, manhole cards in Osaka and Kyoto, and a few Michi-no-Eki stamps on the Amanohashidate route. Highly recommend budgeting ¥300–500 per goshuin (some temples charge more).

---

General Tips & Learnings:

• Add 1–2 more nights in Kyoto — 5 wasn't quite enough with the day trips
• Skip Shibuya/Shinjuku areas - I knew they would be overcrowed but apart from that it was overstimulating & not a mid or end of trip destination, if you really want, keep it right at the start of the trip so that you can absorb all that & then experience the better sides/parts of Japan lol. Tokyo has a lot of other amazing areas to explore too (Roppongi/Asakusa/Ginza/Akihabara were great & I am sure there are others too)
• Although Sheraton was a good deal, the hotel was far off from other places to explore, since I did not opt for Disney sea, it did not provide a good value.
• Japan is a sensory overload when it comes to shopping, knowing what you want to buy really helps.
• Downloaded happy cow app for finding vegan/vegeterian food (We eat chicken/eggs but not beef & pork) - that Rs. 500 investment really paid great returns in quickly identifying places to eat.

---

I would like to thank u/ic_97 for helping me understand and plan by sharing his experience, it really helped me curate and save big for 18 days.

Happy to answer questions on any of this — itinerary planning, card strategy, or stamp hunting tips! 🙏