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Hi! I'm visiting a traditional family-run Japanese katana shop in the outskirts of Tokyo this October.

The owner has been incredibly kind to me and has also invited my wife and me to attend the Jidai Matsuri with special viewings and sears, so I'd like to bring some omiyage from Germany as a small way of showing our appreciation. It's not really about trying to get on their good side — I'd just like to thank them properly for their hospitality and the invitation.

I'm thinking of bringing a small assortment of German things that the staff or family members could share, i.e.:

• Niederegger Marzipan

• Knoppers / Hanuta

• Toffifee

• Haribo ( unique ones like fruity fruits that are not found in Japan)

• German Winterpunsch tea/ herbal or fruit tea

• Maybe Löwensenf mustard

I've also seen people suggest things like German drugstore products. Would something like good but inexpensive multivitamins from DM/Rossmann be appreciated, or would vitamins/health products feel strange or too personal as omiyage?

I'd much rather bring a few thoughtful German things than an expensive gift.

For Japanese people here: what would you personally be happy to receive from a visitor from Germany? And is there anything you'd specifically avoid?

My wife(28f) and I(30m) will be travelling from Germany around Japan for about three weeks from 22 October to 13 November for the first time, and I’d love some feedback on our itinerary.

One bit of context for recommendations: I'm South East Asian, and neither my German wife nor I are particularly interested in tourist-oriented “Japanese culture sampler” activities like chopstick-making workshops or yen ring making or Uji matcha hunting. If we're doing a workshop, we'd much rather it be connected to a specific Japanese craft or tradition — hence things like traditional wax-dyeing already being on our itinerary.

Likewise, big modern attractions aren't really our thing. teamLab, Tokyo Skytree, observation decks, or making Shibuya Crossing an attraction in itself aren't things we're looking to add. We'll obviously pass through places like Shibuya, but we'd much rather spend our time on an interesting neighbourhood, old shopping street, specialist shop, market, workshop, shrine, good meal, etc.

We’ve done quite a bit of planning already, but before we lock everything down I mainly want to check whether the overall pace and travel days make sense and whether there’s anything obvious we should change. #swarmintelligence

We enjoy walking and exploring and are happy to start early when it makes sense, but we also don’t want the entire trip to feel like a race.

Day 1 – 22 Oct | Tokyo

• Arrive Narita around 1:40pm

• Immigration + train into Tokyo

• Staying around Kanda

• Easy dinner and explore Kanda in the evening

Day 2 – 23 Oct | Tokyo – Shibuya / Harajuku / Shinjuku

• Early Shibuya about 7am to see morning empty crowds

• Meiji Jingu + Yoyogi Park

• Omakase sushi lunch

• Betty Smith jeans workshop in Ebisu for wife's jeans

• Explore Shibuya and Shinjuku

• Dinner somewhere around Shibuya

Day 3 – 24 Oct | Tokyo – Tsukiji / flea market / Ginza

• Tsukiji Outer Market

• Oi Racecourse / Tokyo City Flea Market

• Ginza shopping and wandering

• Unagi lunch

• Izakaya dinner around Kanda

Day 4 – 25 Oct | Machida + Tokyo

• Morning trip to Machida

• Visit a traditional Japanese sword dealer to buy nihonto to ship back to Germany

• Possibly see the Machida Jidai Matsuri 2026

• Return to central Tokyo

• Akihabara in the afternoon/evening

Day 5 – 26 Oct | Tokyo + Machida

• Morning disaster-prevention experience in Sumida

• Return to Machida for more time at the sword shop if necessary

• Lunch/thrifting around Machida

• Optional Ikebukuro afterwards

This day may become lighter if everything at the sword shop can be done on Day 4.

Day 6 – 27 Oct | Tokyo – Asakusa / Kappabashi / Ueno

• Breakfast around Asakusa

• Senso-ji

• Explore the traditional shops around Asakusa

• Kappabashi kitchenware street (not planning on buying knives here but later in Sakai on Day 8)

• Ueno shopping afterwards

• luggage forwarding to Kyoto for Day 11

Day 7 – 28 Oct | Tokyo → Osaka

• Shinkansen to Osaka

• Arrive around lunchtime

• Custom pillow appointment

• Some shopping around central Osaka

• Staying around Namba / Kuromon

• Dotonbori in the evening

Day 8 – 29 Oct | Sakai + Osaka

• Morning trip to Sakai for traditional knife/craft shops

• Lunch in Sakai

• Return to Osaka

• Osaka Aquarium in the afternoon/evening

• Depending on energy: Amerikamura / Kuromon / Tenjinbashisuji / kitchenware streets

We definitely don't expect to do every optional Osaka area listed above if we're tired.

Day 9 – 30 Oct | Nara day trip

• Early train from Osaka

• Breakfast in Nara

• Nara Park / temples / wandering

• Lunch + snacks

• Return to Osaka around late afternoon

• Free evening

Day 10 – 31 Oct | Osaka → Koyasan

• Breakfast in Osaka

• Travel to Koyasan

• Arrive around lunchtime

• Explore Koyasan

• Overnight temple stay

• Temple dinner

Day 11 – 1 Nov | Koyasan → Kyoto

• Temple breakfast

• Slow morning in Koyasan

• Travel to Kyoto around late morning

• Staying around Shijo-Karasuma

• Nishiki Market / casual wandering after check-in

Day 12 – 2 Nov | Kyoto – Higashiyama / Gion

• Very early start for Kiyomizu-dera around sunrise with our own bought 2nd hand kimono from Day 7 or 8, so not renting kimono

• Breakfast around Gion

• Explore Higashiyama/Gion

• Private tea ceremony

• Possibly Shojuin Temple depending on logistics

• Back to the hotel in the afternoon for a nap/rest

• Easy evening

Day 13 – 3 Nov | Kyoto

• Intentionally slower day

• Picnic together along river

• Kyoto Botanical Gardens

• Wandering / anything we missed

Day 14 – 4 Nov | Kyoto – Fushimi Inari

• Early start

• Full Fushimi Inari hike rather than just the lower section

• Finish around lunchtime

• Nishiki / shopping / flexible afternoon

Day 15 – 5 Nov | Arashiyama

• Early trip towards Kameoka

• Hozugawa River boat ride into Arashiyama

• Lunch in Arashiyama

• Explore the area

• Traditional wax-dyeing workshop in the afternoon

• Dinner around Arashiyama

• Back to central Kyoto

Day 16 – 6 Nov | Kyoto

• Mostly flexible / buffer day

• Rest, shopping, food, or anything we missed earlier

Day 17 – 7 Nov | Kurama / Kibune

• Travel north from Kyoto

• Kifune Shrine

• Ohitaki Fire Festival around 11am

• Kurama/Kibune area and temples

• Return to Kyoto later in the day

Day 18 – 8 Nov | Kyoto → Kinosaki Onsen

• Morning in Kyoto

• Considering the Hitaki Fire Festival at Fushimi Inari or Arashiyama Momiji Festival

• Travel to Kinosaki Onsen afterwards

• Overnight in Kinosaki

This is probably the day we're least certain about — we may skip the festival and head straight to Kinosaki instead.

Day 19 – 9 Nov | Kinosaki Onsen

• Full day in Kinosaki

• Onsen, walking around town, food and generally taking it slowly

• Staying in the town centre

Day 20 – 10 Nov | Kinosaki → Osaka

• Slow morning in Kinosaki

• Onsen / breakfast / final wandering

• Travel back to Osaka

• Staying around Namba

• Easy evening / glasses shopping

Day 21 – 11 Nov | Osaka

• Flexible Osaka day

• Shopping

• Japanese denim

• Tenjinbashisuji Shopping Street

• Food and wandering

Day 22 – 12 Nov | Osaka

• Final full day

• Intentionally flexible

• Shopping, food, anything we missed, packing

Day 23 – 13 Nov | Departure

• Early morning from Namba to Kansai Airport

• Flight around 10am

Our travel style

We're quite interested in traditional Japanese culture, crafts, food and shopping, so some of the itinerary probably looks a little different from the standard first-time Japan route.

We're especially interested in:

• Local/regional food and smaller family-run restaurants rather than chains

• Traditional crafts and workshops

• Japanese knives and swords

• Vintage/antique markets and flea markets

• Denim and locally made clothing

• Older shopping streets and neighbourhoods

• Temples, shrines and seasonal festivals

• Finding places by wandering rather than only visiting famous attractions

We’ve purposely kept this trip fairly close to the classic Golden Triangle/Golden Route rather than trying to cover more of Japan. We’re already planning a separate three-week road trip through Shikoku, Chugoku and Kyushu in March/April 2027, so we don't feel the need to squeeze places like Hiroshima into this itinerary just because they're nearby.

For this trip, we'd rather spend more time properly exploring Tokyo, Kansai and the places in between than keep adding cities.

We've also built in a few intentionally lighter/flexible days, particularly during Kyoto and our final few days in Osaka.

Accommodation areas

For rough geographic context, we're staying around:

• Tokyo: Kanda

• Osaka: Namba / Kuromon

• Koyasan: temple lodging

• Kyoto: Shijo-Karasuma

• Kinosaki: central Kinosaki Onsen

• Final Osaka stay: Namba

Things that are relatively fixed

A few experiences already have reservations or are tied to specific dates:

• Japanese sword shop visit in Machida

• Disaster-prevention experience in Tokyo

• Custom pillow appointment in Osaka

• Koyasan temple stay

• Private tea ceremony in Kyoto

• Hozugawa River boat + craft workshop in Arashiyama

• Festival dates

• Kinosaki accommodation

So we're mainly looking to adjust everything around those anchors.

Would love some feedback

Does the overall pace and route look reasonable, or are there any days that immediately look too packed or inefficient?

We're also very open to recommendations for small neighbourhoods, old shopping streets, markets, traditional crafts, local food or other places along our existing route that seem like they'd fit our interests.

And if you've travelled these areas in late October / early November, we'd love to hear if there's anything seasonal you'd particularly recommend — or anything on our itinerary you'd personally skip.

Thanks in advance!