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Travelling to Japan for eleven days in May. Stay in Kyoto or Osaka other than Tokyo?
Heading to Japan with my wife for the first time in May. We're having trouble deciding whether to stay in Osaka or Kyoto. We'll stay in Tokyo for about 5 days and then Osaka or Kyoto.
Not interested much in nightlife or partying. But we do enjoy a good cocktail bar and good food. Also planning a day trip to Nara. Any other recommendations about day trips along with any other tips would be appreciated. The amount of places to explore in Japan seem to be endless and I am quite sure we will be planning multiple trips in the future.
But I want this one to be special because it is also our first wedding anniversary. Thanks guys.
I made a longer comment about a short itinerary in Japan. You can check it out if you want general tips or more information, but I'll repost the bits for Tokyo, Osaka, Nara and Kyoto, which should hopefully help.
I'll write up a week long itinerary (making the assumption you're American so it's a week, sorry if that's not true). The food is great, the people are lovely, the culture is fantastic, and it's a relatively cheap holiday if you're using USD.
(Skip past the Tokyo section to get to bullet points for each location - Tokyo's only so big because it's the biggest city in the world.)
Suggested Itinerary
Start: Tokyo
Time: The rest of your lives. But if you've got limited time, 2-3 days when you're fully awake.
Accomodation: Recommend Nestay Inn 101, 202 or 303 in a suburb called Otsuka. AirBnB is illegal now in most of Tokyo, and I've had a few major strikeouts last time I was there. They are really cracking down. Nestay started up as a way to fill the gap in the market for short stay accomodation. The apartments are the size of Tokyo apartments, have all the furnishings and fun shower/toilet room you'd get from an authentic Tokyo apartment, with the benefit that you don't have to pretend to be someone's brother and sister in law if asked by nosy neighbours who will definitely report you to the cops.
Otsuka is a great place to stay because it's right at the top of the city's main rail line, the Yamanote line. Very convenient and super chill, with great food and drink around. Plus the station complex has a great drug store, and a Uniqlo for the inevitable things you need/forgot, plus delicious Japanese pastries for breakfast/a pick me up. Be very careful though - sometimes what looks like cream cheese or custard is actually mayo. If in doubt, get something with sugar on it! There's good Japanese siphon coffee at Cafe Colorado, and the best yakitori (grilled chicken) I've ever had is at an izakaya called Yakitori Kuroutadori. The owner/chef is a lovely man. It's one of the few izakayas to have craft beers in Tokyo, and as long as you show him 'no organs/offal/heart/livers' on Google translate, he'll look after you.
Tokyo doesn't have a central city - it's a collection of five major cities. Of those, the coolest/most fun is Shibuya.
From Shibuya Station: Shibuya station is the home of the famous scramble crossing (you can get a really good photo of it from the world's busiest Starbucks), the 109 building, which is home to some of Japan's most popular brands, and it's also got some really cool boutiques. The Hachiko Statue is a really great meeting point, and getting a photo with him brings good luck.
Fashion: If you like feminine presenting clothes, you'll probably find it pretty hard to find anything to fit you, but there are some great women's shops in the three blocks all around Shibuya Station. My wife had some luck at some of the boutiques where things were one off pieces and a little longer. It's fun to window shop and try things on, even if they're hilariously short. If you like masculine presenting clothes, I'd recommend BEAMS if you want to get some cool Japanese streetwear. Just be mindful that you'll be cooler than any man in America, so use responsibily.
Drink/Eat: Shibuya has a lot of izakayas (traditional Japanese pubs that serve food), but they're not that great. Recommend getting a drink at one of the hotels/cafes overlooking the Scramble crossing, and then going on to Izumizushi. I have eaten sushi almost everywhere in Japan, and this is, by far, the best place - far better than the Michelin starred places you have to book months in advance. When you go, ask for 'omokase', which means 'I leave it up to you [the chef]'. You'll get a selection of the day's best. This is worth splashing out for.
From Harajuku Station: Harajuku is gateway to some really cool cultural experiences, and is genuinely the coolest places in Tokyo. It's also a funnel into the city's largest tourist trap. The most important advice I can convey is do not walk down Takeshita Street, opposite the station. This is the only place in the entire country where you risk getting scammed. It's not that it's that dangerous, it's just a gross, packed, tacky street in an otherwise beautiful part of the city.
Make sure you start off by walking down Omotesando. Omotesando is the name of the main street, but it's grown to become it's own suburb/culture. It's like... where actual Japanese people shop for luxury goods/go to have a nice time (as opposed to Roppongi, which is where Westerners/white expats go and pay twice as much).
Omotesando has beautiful little streets, branching off of it, like the famous Cat Street. The main street has every big luxury brand store you can imagine, so at the very least it's fun to have a look around. There's a very chic shopping complex called Tokyo Plaza Harajuku - some cool shops, nice cafe, a lot of people just go there to hang out after a long day's shopping. My favourite coffee shop in Omotesando is Lattest, which serves the best coffee I've ever had (the signature Lattest), and is just really nice and chill. If you wander around Omotesando Hills, you'll see where the really rich and famous live in Tokyo. The houses are small by our standards, but by Japanese standards they're mansions. It's always fun to see how people manage to squeeze supercars into tiny parking spaces.
Meiji Jingu Shrine is really special, and just over the road to the west of Harajuku station. It's a good way to end a day around the area, especially close to closing time of the shrine when the crowds have dissipated. It's dedicated to the Emperor Meiji, who modernised Japan, and it's the biggest/most impressive and peaceful large shrine in Tokyo. It's also really close to my favourite ballpark, Meiji Jingu Stadium, so check the schedule and see if the Tokyo Swallows are playing.
Other Tokyo Activities/Sights:
If you get off at Tokyo Station, you'll see i) a very beautiful, restored station that was once the biggest in Japan, ii) and ii) you'll be right next to the Imperial Palace. Naturally, most of the palace is closed off to the public, but a tour of the gardens is really nice, and they'll show you what buildings they can. Touristy, but pretty neat, especially because the current emperor is a really nice man.
Tokyo National Museum has more beautiful prints, ink art, armor, swords, ancient bronze buddhas, and neolithic stone carvings than you can possibly take in in one day. It makes the Met's Japan section look hilarious, cause the Met is like 'oooh this print is from 1895!', produced for Western diplomats, whereas the National Museum in Tokyo holds the country's Designated National Treasures, going back thousands of years. If you have any apetite for art, sculpture, design or the artistry of Japanese weapons or armor, it's well worth a visit. Plus, it's in a big, nice park called Ueno (kiiinda like Tokyo's Central Park, but less pretty), which is a nice place to walk around.
I hate gardens, plants are boring, etc, but Rikugien, a centuries old feudal warlord Japanese garden, is such a special place to go. It's not the world's oldest Japanese garden, but it's extraordinarily beautiful, and peaceful. The founder of Mitsubishi bought the gardens from an old samurai family, restored them, and donated them to the Tokyo Metropolitan Government. Sitting by the lake drinking tea is really, really nice - as is the fact that it's not just a tourist attraction, people go there to have a walk with friends, take their kids out, etc. It's a magic place.
Senso-Ji, in Asakusa, is the largest/most impressive shrine outside of Kyoto and Nara. I like it better because outside of festival periods, there are way less other tourists. Most of Asakusa has little shrines and temples around it, so it's as close as you can get in Tokyo to seeing some Shinto and Buddhist stuff (apart from small local shrines, which are really special).
Shinjuku is as close as Tokyo gets to 'the city'. It's the centre of some major businesses and the hub of national government. Although it has a boring name, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building offers the only free really high-rise view looking out to Mt Fuji. I really liked it the first time I went, but I had a very clear day and it was sunset - your mileage may vary.
Osaka:
It's the Chicago of Japan. It's dirtier and grittier than Tokyo, but it is on the main Shinkansen line going across the country, so it's an easy stop off. I kinda don't like Osaka as a town, but there are two reasons I stop off there most times. The castle is the only Japanese castle that's actually cool to visit (unless you wanna go waaay off track), and people go nuts over the street food.
Osaka Castle was the biggest, baddest, craziest castle at the end of Japan's warring states period (around 1600). It got bombed during the WWII, but because of that, they rebuilt a painstakingly accurate replica that's more beautiful than most of the preserved castles around. The best thing about it is, because the insides are rebuilt, they turned it into a museum and actually explain what happened at the castle, how it was used, and make it less boring. The preserved ones are just empty wooden beams, so I way prefer visiting here. Plus, I just think it's the prettiest, but Himeji is also on your way, so you might like that better. Osaka Castle was where people ruled from, and Himeji was just a backwater hick castle, so depends what you're into.
Dotonbori is where Osaka's famous street food mostly is. It gets pretty rowdy at night with the drunk after work crowds and sex workers, but the drunk guys are not aggressive, and the prostitutes won't bother you. If you go during the day, you can skip that part, you'll just miss the 80's neon lights. Osaka's most famous for takoyaki (balls of batter filled with little bits of octopus) and okonomiyaki (literally, 'whatever you like', a savoury pancake with... whatever you like on it). Plus there's all sorts of delicious food on a stick in Dotonbori, so if you're into food, it might be worth a stop.
Nara!: Nara's the ancient capital of Japan, and I think it's way more beautiful than Kyoto to base yourself in. Kyoto is only 50 minutes away by train, so by staying in Nara, you can cycle around, see all of the beautiful old shrines, palaces, and temples, feed the deer, and escape having to pay Kyoto prices for accomodation/food.
Rent a bike: Best way to see the city. It's small enough that you can cycle anywhere, and it's a great way to see beautiful ancient buildings without having to get the bus.
Feed the deer!: Nara's deer park is world famous, but you'll probably see deer curled up around the temples and shrines as you're biking around. You can buy little packs of deer cookies from street vendors for 300yen (about two bucks), and the deer are friendly guys.
Kyoto: Cards on the table, I am not a huge fan of Kyoto. It's the only place in Japan that is genuinely overcrowded, hectic, full of tourists everywhere you go, and annoying to get around. Every year the city struggles to deal with more and more tourists, and hasn't come up with an answer. The transport network is mostly buses rather than having a good subway or train system, which is a pain in the ass. Staying there means extremely jacked up prices, for worse quality accomodation and food than you'll find in Nara (or any other city in Japan).
Fushimi Inari and Kinkakuji are the only things on this list of top attractions that (I think) are better than other ones you'd see in other parts of Japan, and both are unique and beautiful enough to put up with the hoardes. With Fushimi Inari, I usually take people really close to closing time, so that they can get their iconic picture without other tourists in the way. It's also quite beautiful and peaceful doing the walk through the torii gates without people around.
Gion is the famous Kyoto old town, where the imperial court and shoguns would be entertained by geishas. This still happens, but it's the Prime Minsiter and CEOs, and it costs them hundreds of thousands of dollars. So, that's out of your price range, but you can try fugu (pufferfish), and Yasaka-Jinja is a beautiful shrine at night time. If you see any women in geisha make up, they are young, trainee geisha. It's considered extremely rude to take photos, distract them, etc. Every tourist bus/tour gets told this, and most of them ignore it. Other tourists will be following them around, so you'll probably see them from a mile away. Use your peripheral vision if you encounter a travelling pair. It's not like they bite or anything, they'll just be exhausted from having phones shoved in their faces all day and having to be polite.
Activities: If you want to try traditional Japanese art forms like ikebana (flower arranging), cha-no-yu (tea ceremony), pottery, or archery (kyudo), Kyoto is the most accessible way to do it. You can book a class through TripAdvisor if any of that stuff interests you. I've done a few with friends and they've been pretty cool, but not like, life changing spiritual experiences. Just good fun.
General Tips
Buy a Japan Rail pass. The most important thing for enjoying Japan in a short period of time is being able to get around, whenever you like! You can get these from many sites, and you redeem it when you arrive in country at some of the major stations. The easiest are probably Shinjuku Station, Shibuya Station, or Tokyo Station, as there's lots of signage. Don't hesitate to ask JR staff for help locating the JR EAST Travel Service Centre in those stations to claim your pass, as the stations can be very confusing. This pass guarantees you unlimited travel on all JR (nationally owned) railways, simply by holding up your pass at the gate. You can also book seats on any non-first class shinkansen car, which means you don't have to book flights/trains in advance. Given that each shinkansen seat is approx 50USD, and Tokyo trains are around 15USD a day, you'll make your money back very quickly.
Travel by shinkansen (bullet train): I'd recommend booking a seat the afternoon before you intend to go. You can just rock up and hope there's a seat, but sometimes (rarely) you'll miss out, so if you've got limited time I'd suggest that.
Don't sleep on convenience stores (konbini): Kinda like New York bodegas, with waaay more stuff. 7/11, Family Mart and Lawson have delicious meals ready to eat, snacks for the day, coffee in a can (although there are 4 million vending machines in Japan, so you should be good). They're not like American convenience stores. Lots of the Japanese populace go to konbini for a healthy, tasty lunch or dinner if they're tired from work - the quality is great. Definitely stock up before a train trip. Also, konbini are some of the few places in Japan that have trash cans. There aren't public trash cans in the streets, because people are expected to be responsible and carry their trash with them, so it can make it annoying if you are walking around. Konbini are your saviour.
Language: Nobody's gonna expect foreigners to have good Japanese, but they'll be absolutely delighted if you try. Especially with greetings and saying thank you, they'll think you are the best people ever. Use arigatou for regular interactions with servers and customer service people (they bring you a different size/bring you food/after you've ordered), arigatou gozaimasu for the end of an interaction (paying etc, saying goodbye), and arigatou gozaimashita if you want to really convey your sincere thanks (if someone gives you directions, if you've had an excellent meal). Chuck in a little bow if you're feeling confident, and they'll faint. If food is really good, it's kinda good manners to say 'oishi!' (o-ee-shee) within the hearing of the staff and chefs so they know they've done a good job. This can be done with your mouth full - in fact, it's more polite, cause it means the food is so delicious you can't even wait to finish your first bite. Usefeul for restaurants where you're sitting opposite the chef.
The Japanese for English is 'eigo' (eh-go). Most Japanese people can read and write English very well, but are extremely shy/bad at conversation. Writing things in Notes and using Google Translate will help a lot.
I saw your original post and had it saved it up since the last few months. Been telling my wife about how amazing that post was every time we sit down and do some research, so thanks a lot. Thank you for the general tips and recommendations.
The Nestay Inn that you linked is not available around my travel dates unfortunately so will take a look at some other places. My wife wants to stay in Shibuya, Shinjuku or Asakusa. But I am still leaning towards Otsuka. Also I've heard there's been a shortage of Suica cards so looking into alternatives.
If you have an iPhone AND a non visa credit card you can just use the apple wallet suica. Otherwise for android you need a Japanese google account.
I've just come across your reply by chance. Thank you for the general tips ! I’m going to need them in a few months for my first trip to Japan.
Love your recommendations, I am using it as a draft to outline our trip. I notice you don't recommend anything north of Tokyo. Is their a reason or do you have recommendations? We're considering two weeks.
My husband suggests self mummified monks in Sakata if you want to see something Wierd . He recommended the coast on the Sea of Japan. Sendai is a city he recommends with a local specialty of beef tongue. Fireworks in Niigata if you are there then. National parks and onsens. @fastpicket
Also Aomori
If you can go to Hokkaido, do it, it’s a beautiful and unique place, even to the rest of Japan. And that’s in all seasons, although of course it’s known for snow. It’s out of the way though. Has some of the best food in Japan, and that’s saying something.
In terms of like Sendai or Aomori, there’s plenty of cool things to do and see but it’s probably not right for first time Japan visitors.
They're only about half an hour away from each other on the train, so whichever you choose won't exclude the other.
Osaka is great and there's tons to do, but it feels like more of a concrete jungle than Tokyo. Kyoto is more picturesque and has a lot more "old Japan" so might be more appealing to explore if you've already stayed in Tokyo. There's also the option to stay in a traditional townhouse in Kyoto, if you don't need hotel services.
I guess just as a subjective counterpoint to the current top post, I really love Kyoto. I think it just has a charm that Osaka and Tokyo don't. There are a lot of tourists, although I'd note most of them are Japanese - you'll often see throngs of school children, for instance, at the more famous shrines. Doesn't necessarily make it better, but is at least a different experience if you're thinking of a case where the Eiffel Tower has more English than French speaking people around it.
If you just go a bit further you often lose the crowds. For example, Kiyomizu-dera is one of the most famous shrines in Kyoto, but if you keep going down the path you'll get to a more forested area, with a cemetery and an another little shrine that no one goes to.
Or Otagi Nenbutsu, which could come right out of Princess Mononoke or something, and has just a handful of tourists at any time because it's so off the beaten path.
On the other hand, I found Osaka pretty whatever. It's a slightly wilder and looser Tokyo. The main thing you'll notice is that people stand on the right side of the escalator. Things like Dotonbori are fun, I guess, but it feels like to me just general Asian city fare, nothing I couldn't see in Seoul, or Shanghai or something.
I just like Kyoto. I think it has a uniquely janky Japanese feel to it. It's nice to walk around in.
Thank you for your impressions. I think we'll end up staying in both places for a bit.
I would personally suggest Kyoto- a bit easier to get to Nara from Kyoto- but regardless of which one you choose, I would give you one major warning:
Tokyo may be the poster child for "overcrowded city with TONS of things to do", but both Kyoto and Osaka are just as bad. I wish I could tell you what the mystique is about Japan, but after being among the last countries to re-open after Covid, tourism has increased maybe 200%- it was already popular before the pandemic, but it has become even moreso now. What this means is that all the big, easily accessible cities that are also very touristy (Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto, Hiroshima, and I'm sure I'm missing others) are going to be PACKED with tourists. If you want even a small chance of experiencing some peace, you have two options: you have to either get up with the sun itself (note that as we get close to summer, the sun rises about 6:30 am JST), or go to locations that are more difficult to access. Any major tourist destinations will be overrun with people.
Yes I am expecting a lot of rush anywhere we go. Fingers crossed I guess.
You should have waited one year and asked your wife to marry you in Japan. Just like I did ;D Japan is truly a special place to me.
Honestly, if you could go 3 weeks instead of 2 weeks, that would the best duration in my view. 2 weeks is enough to see the major attractions, but I think it is one of those trips where you "run" to see everything, and you don't have time to wind down.
I did around 22 days, and it was the best decision I've done, since I was able to see the major attractions, some extra bonus side trips, and also time to just relax and go to some hip places like a local. I think that was one of the nice feelings I had. It really felt I was living there.
With two weeks only, we need to be pragmatic: I think you only have time to visit Tokyo and Kyoto, and then one side trip from Kyoto (definitely Nara or Himeji castle) and one side trip from Tokyo (definitely Nikkō). If you really want, you can maybe fit Yokohama/Kamakura for one afternoon. But honestly, Kamakura deserves a full day at least.
Regarding Osaka, I wouldn't go there with 2 weeks. I really liked Dotonburi, but Tokyo is more interesting in my view, even though food culture in Osaka is awesome.
For travelling in Japan, the JR Rail Pass used to be a no-brainer, but not any more. They jacked the prices astronomically, so I think you need to investigate exactly what is cheapest at the moment.
Hyperdia was the app for commuting between subways and trains, but it seems it closed down. You need to search what is used now.
Regarding resources, japan-guide is the best website around. I even check it still regularly for the travel blogs / reports. They have everything there, opening hours, prices, etc. Even to read info about Shinkansen, Japan culture, history, types of food, religion, JR passes, all is there, believe me.
Airbnb used to be the way to go, in terms of sleeping. But Japan cracked down hard on Airbnb and I think 70% of the market disappeared overnight. So, maybe hotels are the best options now. Nevertheless, staying at least one night in a Ryokan is really worth it. Just be aware, Kyoto is the worst place for them just because they are more expensive there. (I preferred to try one in Hakone)
Last but not least, get a SIM card (no calls) just for the internet. I would say that is basically mandatory in how helpful it is. eConnect used to be good but maybe a little bit expensive. So, I actually I went with bmobile, it was cheaper, but sometimes I would have some problems with network. But worked fine most of the time. Not sure how much did they improve in these last 8 years (has it been that long???!!! 😫 ). But I there are many other companies for this. I simply chose what friends chose when they went there.
For inspiration and see some cool photos, I can recommend you the website of one of my friends when he went in two different times:
My friend is actually right now posting photos of his third trip on his personal blog mutelife ;) And then, you have my photos in my Flickr if you want to see, I did an album day by day :)
https://www.flickr.com/photos/tiagoalexandresilva/albums/
Sorry, I don't have the time to write a fancy comment. You know kids, life ;D
That's what I want to do! I wish I had started planning earlier though because I want to go during cherry blossom season and that means putting it off a year. I think she'd be pretty suspicious if I tried scheduling a trip to Japan on a week's notice. What seasons are good to visit?
Spring and fall are the most popular for blossoms and momiji, but I love summer in Japan the most. It's extremely hot and humid. The sun in Japan feels much stronger than it does in the US for some reason. But the festivals and fireworks shows are in full swing. Everyone walking around at night in yukata is so magical to me.
Thank you for the advice! We're considering October or November. We live in a place that gets very hot during the summer already so I don't think a hot humid trip really appeals to us, but the festivals at night do sound delightful.
Haha I asked my wife to marry me in Barcelona. I can understand how special Japan must be for you because Barcelona is the same for us. Thank you so much for all the suggestions. I will look through the links over the weekend.
After living in Kyoto a few years and truly falling in love with it like no other place I've been, I think it would be a tragedy to stay in Osaka over Kyoto for your first time in Japan with a limited amount of time. Osaka offers very little that Tokyo doesn't have. Since you are disinterested in night life, there is no problem going to Kyoto and visiting Osaka for a day (or half a day) it's only 45 minutes away. There are parts of Kyoto where tourists concentrate, but if you go to less popular areas there are plenty of quiet and peaceful things to do and see.
If you decide to stay in Kyoto, I don't recommend staying by Kyoto station. Even though you may have a JR Rail pass and Kyoto station is the best place to access JR lines, the station is on the southern edge and there's just not much around it except the most touristy kinds of restaurants. Try to stay north of Gojodori and south of Oikedori to be very centrally located.
Yeah we do enjoy cocktail bars. But I've never been someone who likes to be out post 11-12 am.
So Kyoto might be good for us. Will definitely take a look at the Gojodori area.
My very first post on Tildes was this very same question! Feel free to look through the thread for some ideas
From that thread, I'd honestly say that this tour was probably one of my favorite experiences, the tour guide is fantastic and it's a really nice way to experience drinking with locals.
I really loved Kyoto myself, I stayed there for 2 or 3 days and it definitely didn't feel like enough. I was able to do the major big things like the shrines, bamboo grove, and monkey park, as well as Mt. Fushimi, but I was alone so I got to just kinda do whatever I felt like. I really did like Kyoto a lot though. Osaka honestly I felt like I could have done a day less of, and I was only there for 2 days. I didn't go to Universal there which could have added a day, but it felt like most of what I wanted to do would be covered by being in Tokyo. I'm trying to head back by the end of the year again though so keep us updated on your trip!
Yes I did comb through your post yesterday. Was very helpful. Thanks mate.
We stayed in Kyoto and really enjoyed a day trip to Himeji castle.
I enjoyed Kyoto
My wife was just talking about this place. Will definitely visit. Also do you think Mt Fuji is worth visiting? We're thinking about adding a day in Tokyo so that we can do a day trip to Mt Fuji.
I can't speak to Fuji. I didn't see it.
Japan is great. Have a great time
I haven't been to Osaka to compare but Kyoto is incredible, in a very different way to the vastness of Tokyo. Obviously go up the tower, but that's a given in any city with a tower, I always think. If you go to one place in Kyoto make it Ryoan-ji temple, which was the highlight of my entire trip to Japan. Get there early, as the doors open - it's well worth dragging yourself out of bed for. Probably the most tranquil place I've ever been. Nishiki market is also worth a visit, but I always go to markets (Tsukiji in Toyko good too, but more touristy) because I love a market. There are some lovely gardens and temples around Kyoto, if that's your jam. I have never been much into gardens but Japan does them very, very well and I enjoyed them a great deal.
If you want a very special meal in Kyoto, Kichisen is worth the money - although it is a LOT of money. I'm not sure about how easy it is to book from outside Japan (we had an agency make all our restaurant bookings in advance, some places are a bit funny about taking bookings)
If you can get a table at Salmon and Trout in Tokyo, that's also worth the trip. Sit at the bar.
Adding the links to my list. Kichisen and Salmon and Trout both look amazing, thank you. There seems to be way too much to do overall in Japan. Can already see myself planning another trip here soon.
Alternative take: stay in Kobe. It's a nicer city and you can get to both Osaka and Kyoto very easily. It's a lot more chill and has great food.
Personally I don't recommend staying in Kyoto, but that's just me.
Also, most conbeni food is usually not healthy at all, unless you make a conscious decision to get salad type things, or noodles with basic dressings (not ramen). Most foods are usually high sodium and high calori.
Another recommendation for Kobe. I regret that I only did a day trip there.
I spent 3 weeks in Japan last year and it's been my favorite trip ever.
I have to hold myself back from writing a novel about all the awesome things we saw but I think you're on the right track if you have Nara on your list (feeding the deer in the middle of the city was an absolute highlight!).
If nightlife is not your thing, I'd recommend Kyoto over Osaka. Osaka is good at the extreme sensory-overload type of neon sign aesthetic but Tokyo can provide that as well. Kyoto is temple city. You can soak in "modern" Japan in Akihabara and I found the quiet streets of Kyoto a nice contrast. Try walking a day along the "philosopher's path" and check out the most famous temples and houses with gardens along the way, those gardens are breathtakingly beautiful.
As for other day(ish)-trip recommendations: We spent two days in Hakone where we treated ourselves to a stay in a traditional ryokan. It's expensive but a very beautiful and unique experience. A sliding door to a private garden, an 8 course kaiseki meal, a private onsen. A big surprise for me (since I'm not that big of an art museum guy) was the Hakone Open-Air Museum. It's sculptures placed in a large, hilly area, with a few buildings in-between (including a huge Picasso pavilion). With the mountains in the back, it was really beautiful.
Kyoto has more historical building than Osaka (the old Imperial palace, for starters). If you're more into culture /history than food / shopping, it's something to take into account.
Not that you cannot shop not eat good food in Kyoto though ! Some additional recommendation