Japan Beyond Tokyo
CreatorDavid Newlun
DateMay 14, 2026
Stardrift makes travel planning effortless by finding flights, hotels, and experiences that match your travel preferences. Learn more.
Day 1
Oct 25
- Arrive in Osaka and check in around Namba or Umeda.
- Keep the first evening low-pressure: wander the food streets around Namba and end with the lights of Dotonbori.
- Restaurant picks: Takoyaki Doraku Wanaka Dotonbori or Honke Ootako for takoyaki; Mizuno for a sit-down okonomiyaki meal.
Day 2
Oct 26
- Morning: graze through Kuromon Market — grilled seafood, scallops, tuna, uni, wagyu skewers, and sweets.
- Afternoon: continue toward Shinsekai.
- Dinner: Kushikatsu Daruma Shinsekai Sohonten for the classic first-timer choice, or Yaekatsu for a more old-school kushikatsu stop.
Day 3
Oct 27
- Use this as a flexible Osaka day: cafés and small shops in Nakazakicho.
- Chawan/tableware stop: SenNichiMae DoguyaSuji cookware Shopping Street for kitchenware, ceramics, and reasonably priced matcha bowls.
- Matcha stop: Shinsaibashi Ujien honten for Japanese tea and matcha gifts. Dinner idea: Fukutaro in Namba for negiyaki/okonomiyaki.
Day 4
Oct 28
- Morning: train from Osaka to Kinosaki Onsen.
- Afternoon: check into a ryokan, walk the willow-lined canal, and ride Kinosaki Onsen Ropeway if timing is good.
- Dinner: book a ryokan dinner; if available, prioritize a Matsuba crab kaiseki. Standalone option: Okesho Sengyo & Dining Room Kaichuen.
Day 5
Oct 29
- Morning: relaxed breakfast in Kinosaki, then travel to Nagoya.
- Afternoon: arrive around Nagoya Station and check in.
- Evening: head to Sakae. Restaurant picks: Maruya Honten JR Nagoya Station for hitsumabushi, or Yabaton Nagoya Station Esca for miso-katsu.
Want to tweak this itinerary?
Day 6
Oct 30
- Morning: visit Atsuta Jingu and eat nearby at Miyakishimen Jingu, or go bigger with Atsuta Houraiken Main Store for hitsumabushi.
- Afternoon: browse Osu Shopping District for street snacks, arcades, vintage shops, and temples.
- Dinner: Furaibo Sakae or Sekai no Yamachan for Nagoya tebasaki wings.
Day 7
Oct 31
- Choose your day trip based on mood: Gifu Castle and the Nagaragawa River, or Inuyama Castle.
- If buying a special chawan is a priority, make this a Tajimi/Mino ware day instead: Oribe Street and Tajimi Souzoukan.
- Restaurant picks: Shokudo Koyori in Gifu, Indigo Home Kitchen Yamateras in Inuyama, or return to Nagoya for dinner.
Day 8
Nov 1
- Morning or midday: fly from Chubu Centrair to New Chitose, then train into Sapporo.
- Afternoon: check in and keep sightseeing light.
- Evening: dinner and nightlife around Susukino Street. Crab splurge: Kani-Shogun Sapporo Main Store or Hyousetsu No Mon.
Day 9
Nov 2
- Take the train to Otaru for the day.
- Make lunch the main event around Sankaku Market: Ajidokoro Takeda or Takinami Shokudo for seafood bowls, crab soup, and fresh Hokkaido seafood.
- Afternoon: canal walk and glassware/music-box shops, then return to Sapporo for dinner.
Day 10
Nov 3
- Extra Sapporo buffer day before Taiwan.
- Use this for a slower Hokkaido food day: Sapporo Central Wholesale Market Curb Market or Nijo Market in the morning, then Odori Park / café time in the afternoon.
- Dinner: one last crab, soup curry, miso ramen, or jingisukan night in Sapporo.
Want to tweak this itinerary?
Day 11
Nov 4
- Fly from Sapporo/New Chitose to Taipei/Taoyuan.
- Keep this as a travel-and-reset day rather than trying to over-plan it.
- Evening: if arrival timing works, do an easy first Taipei meal near your hotel or a light Ningxia Night Market stroll.
Day 12
Nov 5
- Morning: ease into Taipei with coffee, breakfast, and a central neighborhood walk.
- Afternoon: choose a museum, shopping district, or tea stop depending on energy.
- Evening: make Raohe Night Market the main food event; prioritize Fuzhou Black Pepper Bun, herbal pork rib soup, fried chicken, and bubble tea.
Day 13
Nov 6
- Morning: explore Taipei Dadaocheng for old streets, tea shops, dried goods, and architecture.
- Afternoon: continue to Lungshan Temple and stop at Lin Mao Sen Tea Co. for Taiwanese loose-leaf tea.
- Restaurant picks: Wang’s Broth for stewed pork belly rice, Zhouji Meat Porridge for a very local casual meal, and tea/snacks around Dihua Street.
Day 14
Nov 7
- Day trip to Jiufen Old Street for teahouses, hillside lanes, and views.
- If you want a fuller day, add Shifen Old Street for the railway-town atmosphere.
- Food plan: taro balls at A Gan Yi or Lai A Po Yu Yuan, plus a tea break at A-MEI Tea House or Yu Zai Fan Shu Teahouse.
Day 15
Nov 8
- Keep the last day flexible for departure timing.
- If you have most of the day, do Beitou Hot Springs Resort in the morning and Tamsui Old Street for a riverside afternoon.
- If you still want teaware, stop at Old Teapot on Yongkang Street. Food plan: Ai Zi Cai Braised Pork Rice in Beitou, then snack-style eating in Tamsui.
Personalize this trip with Stardrift.