First Time in Japan
Your first trip to Japan can easily turn into an attempt to see the whole country at once. Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, Nara, Fuji, Hiroshima, Kamakura, Himeji… and suddenly you're spending half your vacation at train stations.
For a first-timer, I'd build an itinerary not around hitting the maximum number of cities, but around three different sides of Japan: modern, historical, and peaceful.
1 • TOKYO — 3–4 DAYS
You don't go to Tokyo for just one specific landmark.
It's all about experiencing the contrasts:
Asakusa → the old city vibes
Shibuya → modern Tokyo
Shinjuku → skyscrapers and nightlife
Harajuku + Meiji Jingu → the city meeting the greenery
Kagurazaka / Kiyosumi-Shirakawa → more laid-back neighborhoods
Don't try to cram ten neighborhoods into two days. Tokyo is massive, and bouncing around too much will eat up your time fast.
2 • ONE DAY TRIP FROM TOKYO
Pick just one.
🌊 Kamakura
If you want temples, the Great Buddha, and the ocean.
🗻 Fuji Five Lakes area
If seeing Mt. Fuji is one of your main expectations for the trip. The mountain's visibility is weather-dependent, so it's best not to treat this day as a guaranteed "Fuji photo op."
There's no need to do both trips just to check off more boxes.
3 • KYOTO — 3 DAYS
I definitely wouldn't skimp on days here.
Day one:
Kiyomizu-dera → Sannenzaka → Ninenzaka → Yasaka Pagoda → Gion
Day two:
Arashiyama or Northern Kyoto.
Day three:
Fushimi Inari early in the morning → a more peaceful Kyoto in the afternoon.
Kyoto is especially terrible if you try to do "five temples before lunch." It's better to see less but leave time for wandering the streets, gardens, and back alleys.
THE LOGIC OF THE FIRST HALF
🏙 Tokyo 3–4 days
→ 🌊 Kamakura or 🗻 Fuji
→ 🚅 Kyoto 3 days
Right here, you've already got a metropolis, temples, old quarters, nature, and the Shinkansen.
4 • NARA OR UJI
It's super easy to take a day trip from Kyoto.
🦌 Nara
If you're looking for Todai-ji, Kasuga Taisha, the deer park, and a large historical complex.
🍵 Uji
If you want a slower-paced day: Byodo-in, matcha, the river, and smaller temples.
For a short itinerary, just pick one.
5 • OSAKA — 1–2 DAYS
I'd save Osaka for the grand finale.
After the temple-heavy vibe of Kyoto, the contrast hits perfectly:
Shinsekai → Namba → Dotonbori
Food, neon signs, vibrant nightlife, and a completely different urban personality.
And if you have an extra day, it's easy to take a trip from Osaka to Himeji for the castle and Koko-en Garden.
10-DAY ITINERARY
Days 1–3 • Tokyo
Day 4 • Kamakura / Fuji
Days 5–7 • Kyoto
Day 8 • Nara / Uji
Days 9–10 • Osaka
You end up with three home bases: Tokyo → Kyoto → Osaka.
And that's way more important than the total number of cities.
WHAT I WOULD AVOID ADDING
❌ Hiroshima for just one evening just to check it off the list
❌ Takayama + Kanazawa if it means cutting Kyoto short
❌ Doing Kamakura, Nara, Uji, and Himeji all at once on a short trip
❌ Booking a new hotel almost every single night
❌ Giving Tokyo 2 days and Kyoto 1 day just so you can squeeze in four more cities
IF YOU HAVE 14 DAYS
That's when you can start expanding your route.
For example:
Tokyo → Kamakura/Fuji → Kyoto → Uji → Nara → Osaka → Himeji → Hiroshima/Miyajima
or head in a different direction:
Tokyo → Matsumoto → Takayama → Kanazawa → Kyoto → Osaka.
But for a first trip of 10 days, I wouldn't try to prove to myself that I "completed" Japan.
Tokyo + Kyoto + Osaka plus 1–2 well-chosen side trips around them already give you several totally different versions of the country.
Most importantly, after an itinerary like this, you'll actually feel like you've been to Japan, rather than just efficiently transiting through it.