📅 20-Day Itinerary
June 5 – 23, 2027 · Tokyo → Hakone → Nagoya → Kyoto → Osaka → Tokyo
Transit: Haneda → Tokyo Big Sight ~25-35 min limousine bus (¥1,000). Walking: minimal — airport terminal walk + Big Sight → DoubleTree (~5 min walk, ~400m) + any konbini runs (5 min each way). Realistic step count: 4,000-6,000 steps (just hotel + nearby konbini).
Three neighborhoods on the Yamanote line (1-3 stops apart). Speedrun mode — hit each area's top 2-3 priorities. Bring water, portable fan, comfortable shoes. Realistic step count: 18,000-22,000 steps (~12-15 km). Total door-to-door: 12 hours. Daughter's MUSTs: SEGA Store (Shibuya), Hatsune Miku Store (Harajuku), 2D Café (Shin-Okubo).
Transit legs (trains): DoubleTree → Shibuya ~25 min. Shibuya → Harajuku 4 min (1 Yamanote stop). Harajuku → Shinjuku 4 min (1 Yamanote stop). Shinjuku → Shin-Okubo 2 min (1 Yamanote stop). Shin-Okubo → DoubleTree ~28 min. Walking per area: Shibuya ~5,000 steps · Harajuku ~4,500 steps · Shinjuku+Shin-Okubo ~8,000 steps.
⚠️ NOT BOOKED — rebook around April 2027 (2 Adults + 1 Junior). Moved to MONDAY for 2027: a rainy-season Monday is the year's crowd floor, with attendance down 30–50% and indoor waits roughly halved. Fantasy Springs zones (Frozen, Tangled, Peter Pan) opened June 2024 — totally new since your 2023 visit. Premier Access required for Anna and Elsa's Frozen Journey + Peter Pan Never Land Adventure — book in app the morning of, sells out by 10 AM. Park hopper not needed (DisneySea only).
Shonen Jump (Bleach, Naruto, Dragon Ball, JJK, MHA, Demon Slayer, Saint Seiya) · Gundam + Transformers · Vocaloid + Project SEKAI · Zelda + Splatoon · Ranma + Sailor Moon · Pokemon · Copic Markers (Tools Ochanomizu)
Akihabara-wide Hatsune Miku takeover during your visit! Two merch venues (AKIBA FAN CUBE + 22 Curry), stamp rally across 6 shops, 100-store shopping campaign, life-size photo spot panels. KAITO merch at both venues. Stamp rally exchange at GiGO Akihabara 3rd Building.
No overnight in Hakone — this is a packed day trip hitting the highlights (volcano, shrine, food trail), then Shinkansen to Nagoya for 2-night stay at Marriott Associa. 8 food stops, zero sushi/ramen. Hakone Free Pass covers all Hakone transport.
⚠️ NOT BOOKED. Tickets release two calendar months ahead on the 10th at 2 PM JST — APRIL 10, 2027 for June dates (midnight Apr 9 Denver time). Global virtual queue, use multiple devices, passport required at entry. Apply for Jun 12 FIRST — the Saturday is harder to win. Weekday Premium ¥7,300 / weekend ¥7,800. Covers all 5 areas: Grand Warehouse, Valley of Witches, Dondoko Forest, Hill of Youth, Mononoke Village. 2-day Ghibli plan: Day 1 focuses on the Grand Warehouse (the biggest zone, 2-3 hours alone) + Hill of Youth + Mononoke Village. Day 2 covers Valley of Witches + Dondoko Forest + revisit favorites. Park opens 10 AM weekdays.
Option A — Meitetsu Direct Shuttle Bus ⭐ EASIEST: Meitetsu Bus Center 4F (connected to Nagoya Station, 2 min walk from Marriott). ~40 min direct, ¥1,200 one-way. Cashless only (IC card/credit). Weekday departures: ~8:20 AM, then roughly hourly. Return buses until ~4:45 PM. Option B — Subway + Linimo: Higashiyama Line → Fujigaoka (30 min, ¥310) → Linimo → Ai-Chikyuhaku-Kinen-Koen (15 min, ¥360). Total ~46 min, ¥670. Runs every 5-15 min all day — more flexible for return. Recommended: Bus there (simple), subway back (flexible schedule).
⚠️ NOT BOOKED — see Day 7. Jun 12 is a SATURDAY (¥7,800 and the harder lottery), unavoidable because the Hakone → Ghibli → Kyoto order is geographically fixed. Day 2 focuses on Valley of Witches (Howl's Castle + Kiki's Bakery) and Dondoko Forest (Totoro's house), plus a quick Grand Warehouse revisit. Leave park at 3 PM for the JJK Exhibition in Sakae (on the subway route home — not a detour). Then ekiben + Shinkansen to Kyoto. Checkout from Marriott Associa by 9 AM — luggage forwarded to Kyoto.
Transit: MIMARU → Keihan Kiyomizu-Gojo Stn (3 min walk) → Keihan direct to Fushimi-Inari Stn (15 min, ¥270) ⭐ fastest route. Inari → Kiyomizu-dera ~20 min bus + walk. Kiyomizu → Gion: walk downhill 15 min (~1.2 km). Walking within sites: Fushimi Inari climb to Yotsutsuji viewpoint 30 min uphill each way + stairs (~2 km round). Kiyomizu approach is uphill 10 min. Sannenzaka / Ninenzaka slopes are cobblestone + stairs. Gion walking loop ~2 km. Realistic: 16,000-20,000 steps (~12-14 km) with significant elevation. Brutal in 32°C — hat, towel, water. Do Fushimi at 7 AM before heat peaks.
Transit: MIMARU → Kinkaku-ji ~35 min (Karasuma Line to Kitaoji + Bus #205). Kinkaku-ji → Ryoan-ji 15 min walk (~1.2 km) or 5 min bus. Ryoan-ji → Kyoto Station (for teamLab) ~30 min bus/taxi. Kyoto Stn → Nishiki 15 min subway + walk. Nishiki → Arashiyama (HOSHINOYA) ~25 min JR Sagano Line + boat. Walking inside sites: Kinkaku-ji loop ~500m, Ryoan-ji veranda + garden ~400m, teamLab Biovortex ~1 km internal, Nishiki Market ~800m covered arcade. Realistic: 9,000-11,000 steps (~6-7 km). More transit than walking.
1-Day Studio Pass × 3 adults + Express Pass 5 (Race & Minecart Special, ¥22,900/person) + Express Pass 4 (4-D & Backdrop, ¥13,800/person). Inquiry #USJ-P1X000000AZQP0. All timed slots locked in — follow the schedule below exactly. Weather expected: 33°C / 26°C — hottest day of the trip.
Miss your Mario Kart window at 12:20 and there is no make-up. Set phone alarms 15 minutes before each timed slot. Do NOT skip Hippogriff for Villain-Con — Hippogriff is on the daughter's list, Villain-Con is not.
Morning: knock out the 2023 Osaka Castle miss. Afternoon: Den-Den Town (Osaka's Akihabara) — Cinnamoroll Café, Super Potato, Mandarake, Animate, gashapon. Evening: NOZOMI 40 to Tokyo, DoubleTree Ariake (round 2). Yamato luggage shipped ahead so you only carry daypacks.
Transit legs: DoubleTree → Tokyo Station ~25 min (Rinkai → Osaki → JR Yamanote). Tokyo → Shimbashi 3 min JR. Shimbashi → Daiba ~15 min Yurikamome (~¥330). Daiba ↔ Decks Tokyo Beach 5 min walk. Daiba → DoubleTree ~20 min Yurikamome back. Walking: Tokyo Station underground ~2,000 steps. Odaiba area ~6,000 steps. Joypolis internal ~3,000 steps. Realistic: 10,000-12,000 steps (~7-8 km).
Three options based on energy and mood. Option A is the recommended full-day plan (Shibuya morning + Asakusa afternoon). Options B and C are half-day alternatives. Mix and match — do B morning + C afternoon, or just pick one and take it easy.
You've covered Ghibli Park already. Today: Tokyo's two iconic towers bookending teamLab Borderless at Azabudai Hills (near Roppongi). Borderless is different from Planets (which you did in 2023) — digital art museum with no fixed route. Also: Solamachi mall at Skytree base for shopping. Check collab cafe calendar for any Vocaloid/Project SEKAI pop-up cafés this week.
Keep it simple. One neighborhood (Ginza). Make your shopping list tonight. Confirm Limousine Bus departure time. Set 10:00 AM alarms for tomorrow. Start packing after dinner.
Return flight Haneda → Denver on Wed Jun 23 is not booked yet. The 2026 Delta tickets became eCredits — book with them, then update this card with the flight number and time. Plan to be at Haneda 3 hours before departure. The Limousine Bus from Tokyo Big Sight takes ~35 min.