10 Days in Japan in July for First-Time Visitors

Japan is one of those countries where planning your first trip can get out of hand remarkably quickly. There’s even a term for it: ‘Japlanning’.

There’s Tokyo. Kyoto. Osaka. Mount Fuji. Hokkaido. Approximately 700 experiences you’ve saved on Instagram. And somehow you’re supposed to fit all of this into one holiday while remembering that Japan is an actual country and not a checklist.

My trip was also incredibly last minute, as most of my trips tend to be. I booked my flights and gave myself just 10 days to plan 10 days in Japan, which I wouldn’t necessarily recommend as a strategy.

Rather than attempt the classic Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka route, I split my time between Tokyo and Hokkaido, using Tokyo and Sapporo as bases for exploring.

In July, I’m very glad I did.

Tokyo was brutally hot and humid, reaching 39°C during our trip. Flying north to Hokkaido halfway through gave us temperatures closer to 26°C and a much-needed break from the heat.

I’ve used my own trip to create this 10 day Japan itinerary which includes Tokyo’s biggest neighbourhoods, Hakone, Sapporo and Otaru, along with street karting, sumo wrestling and renting a Japanese grandma to teach us how to make mochi.

Some things went brilliantly. Some I’d rearrange knowing what I know now. The mochi was a complete disaster.

So, if it’s your first time in Japan and you want to experience Tokyo without spending your entire July holiday slowly melting into the pavement, this is the route I’d recommend.

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10 Days in Japan at a glance

I actually spent 11 days in Japan, which gave me the chance to do this route at a slightly slower pace. 

I’ve condensed my trip into the 10-day itinerary I’d recommend after doing it myself, including rearranging a few things that would have made much more sense geographically.

Here’s how I’d spend 10 days in Japan:

Day 1: Arrive in Tokyo, Ginza and Tokyo Station
Day 2: Asakusa, Ueno, Akihabara and Asakusa Sumo Club
Day 3: Street karting and teamLab Planets
Day 4: Hakone day trip from Tokyo
Day 5: Japanese tea ceremony, rent a grandma experience and Shinjuku
Day 6: Fly to Sapporo and explore Odori Park, Tanukikoji and Susukino
Day 7: Sapporo Beer Museum and Mount Moiwa
Day 8: Otaru day trip from Sapporo
Day 9: Sapporo Summer Festival or Noboribetsu day trip
Day 10: Fly back to Tokyo and explore Shibuya

This itinerary assumes you’ll fly home the morning after Day 10, and the route is essentially:

Tokyo → Hakone → Tokyo → Sapporo → Otaru → Sapporo → Tokyo

I flew into Tokyo Haneda and spent the first half of the trip based at Park Hotel Tokyo. I then flew from Tokyo to Sapporo and stayed at Sapporo Grand Hotel while exploring Hokkaido.

For the final part of my actual trip, I flew back to Tokyo and stayed in Shibuya. Splitting my time in Tokyo between two different areas worked really well. Park Hotel Tokyo was better positioned for Ginza, Tsukiji and eastern Tokyo, while staying in Shibuya made exploring the western side of the city much easier.

You can easily tweak the number of nights in each destination, but I’d keep the basic structure of using Tokyo and Sapporo as your two main bases. It meant we could take day trips to Hakone and Otaru without constantly packing up and changing hotels.

And considering the size of Tokyo, anything that reduces unnecessary journeys across the city is a win.

Day 1: Arrive in Tokyo and explore Ginza

I wouldn’t plan an ambitious sightseeing day immediately after arriving in Japan, regardless of what time your flight lands.

Even if you land early, you’ve still travelled halfway around the world and your body has absolutely no idea what time it is.

We stayed at Park Hotel Tokyo and had the foresight to book our hotel stay from the previous day. Landing in Tokyo at 7am, we were grateful to be able to check into our room, freshen up and grab a bite to eat before heading out to explore.

I’d particularly recommend Park Hotel Tokyo for a first trip to Japan. It made exploring Ginza and eastern Tokyo incredibly easy, and with two major metro stations nearby, getting around the rest of the city was pretty painless too.

Afternoon: Ginza

We made our way to Ginza, which is an easy place to explore on your first day. I knew I wouldn’t want to spend too much time here as it is essentially full of luxury shops that most people cannot afford to shop at.

I specifically wanted to visit the Onitsuka Tiger store in Ginza to see what the fuss is about with their viral Mexico 66 trainers (and yes, I ended up buying two pairs)!

I also used this opportunity to purchase a UV and heat-blocking umbrella from the Uniqlo flagship store in Ginza, because that is the smartest purchase you can make if you are visiting Japan in July. I’m not sure what kind of sorcery it is, but it really does help!

Keep this first day in Tokyo deliberately flexible. Walk around Ginza, get your bearings and head towards Tokyo Station if you still have the energy.

Evening: Tokyo Station

Tokyo Station is worth seeing even if you’re not catching a train. The Marunouchi side has the historic red-brick station building while inside is the sort of enormous Japanese transport hub that makes you question every train station you’ve previously considered ‘big’.

Mostly, though, I’d use your first evening to acclimatise.

You have plenty of Tokyo ahead of you. And remember, there’s no prize for reaching your hotel after an overnight flight then immediately attempting 30,000 steps.

Day 2: Asakusa, Ueno and Akihabara

For your first full day in Tokyo, head east to explore one of Tokyo’s oldest neighbourhoods.

Morning: Asakusa

Start in Asakusa, where you can visit Senso-ji Temple and explore the streets surrounding it.

Senso-ji is one of Tokyo’s best-known temples and, unsurprisingly, you won’t have it to yourself. This is one of those places where arriving earlier is worthwhile if you want a slightly calmer experience, but it doesn’t make much difference. It will be crowded regardless.

Make some time to draw your fortune, omikuji, at the temple. You pay ¥100, shake the metal hexagonal container until a numbered stick falls out, match that number to the correct wooden drawer and retrieve your personal paper fortune slip.

Even though there is very little shade in Asakusa, you should spend some time walking around the area rather than visiting the temple and immediately leaving. 

Nakamise Shopping Street, the road leading up to the temple, is lined with street vendors and packed with lunch options.

We shared one of everything I spotted that was vegetarian and, although we ended up eating a lot of sweet stuff, there was surprisingly plenty of variety.

You must try the Japanese pickled cucumbers. They aren’t overly pickled, they’re incredibly refreshing in the heat and cucumbers in Japan are just so crisp and flavourful. You have to try them for yourself.

Asakusa gives you a very different introduction to Tokyo than the skyscrapers and neon signs people often picture first.

Before leaving, head to the Asakusa Culture Tourist Information Center observation deck on the 8th floor. Access is free for those in the know and, while some of the view is obstructed, it’s pretty good for a free panoramic viewpoint directly across from Senso-ji Temple’s Kaminarimon Gate.

Tokyo in July can be pretty unbearable with the heat and humidity, so this observation deck also makes for a nice little respite from the intense sun.

Afternoon: Ueno and Akihabara

From Asakusa, continue to Ueno.

How much time you spend here depends on your interests. You can explore Ueno Park and the surrounding area before continuing towards Akihabara.

We actually skipped Ueno because we knew there’d be little shade in the park and your first full day in Tokyo really will be intense in July. If you’re visiting Japan during milder weather, I wouldn’t necessarily skip it.

Instead, we continued to Akihabara.

If, like me, you aren’t particularly interested in anime, manga or gaming, Akihabara is still worth experiencing once. It’s bright, busy and gloriously unsubtle.

You don’t need an entire day here if those things aren’t your thing. Spend a few hours wandering around the shops, arcades and ridiculously illuminated streets before heading back towards Asakusa.

Evening: Asakusa Sumo Club experience

Finish your day back in Asakusa with the Asakusa Sumo Club experience, which includes a sumo show and dinner.

I booked the sumo experience after returning to Tokyo from Sapporo later in my trip. But having now done the journey myself, I would absolutely move it to this day if I were planning my 10 days in Japan again.

You’re already exploring eastern Tokyo, the experience is in Asakusa and dinner is included. It makes far more sense to loop back from Akihabara than travel across Tokyo specifically for it on another day.

This experience is designed for visitors rather than being an actual sumo tournament, so don’t go expecting to stumble into a serious professional match. 

Instead, it gives you an introduction to sumo wrestling, explains some of the rules and traditions and lets you watch wrestlers demonstrate what actually happens in the ring – all done with some comedy thrown in.

It’s mildly cringey in parts but also highly entertaining, with some audience participation thrown in. The ticket also includes a geisha dance, a traditional wrestler’s hotpot dinner and an opportunity to get in the ring yourself.

And yes, there is actual wrestling.

LUXURY SUMO SHOW OVERVIEW

SUMO SHOW EXPERIENCE

Duration: 2 hours
Time: Various times throughout the day
Booking: Advance booking strongly recommended
Highlights: Learn the rules of sumo, eat a traditional wrestler’s hotpot dinner, watch live demonstrations, chance to get in the ring and try out the sport for yourself, meet a geisha
Rating: 4.7 stars (check 900+ reviews here)
Price: Check price here!

BOOK THE EXPERIENCE NOW

I’ll go into exactly what happens and whether I thought the Asakusa Sumo Club was worth it in my full review, because there is far too much to say about it here.

Why this Tokyo route works

Trying to combine Asakusa, Ueno and Akihabara works particularly well because they’re all on the eastern side of Tokyo.

One of the easiest mistakes to make on a first Tokyo trip is choosing attractions based entirely on what you want to see without looking at where any of them actually are.

Adding the sumo experience to the end of this day makes even more sense because you’re finishing right back where you started in Asakusa, with dinner already sorted.

Tokyo is enormous. So geography matters.

Day 3: Street Karting and teamLab Planets

Morning: Tsukiji Outer Market

Start your morning at Tsukiji Outer Market, particularly if you are a seafood lover.

The wholesale market moved to Toyosu in 2018, but Tsukiji is still packed with food stalls, shops and restaurants. The atmosphere is great but, as a vegetarian, I found the food options extremely limited.

From there, make this your slightly more ridiculous Tokyo day.

Afternoon: Street Karting in Tokyo Bay

I pre-booked this street kart experience, popularly known as the real-life “Mario Kart” tour for 1pm. It is exactly what it sounds like: driving a tiny custom go-kart on real public roads through Tokyo, with the option to dress up in an equally ridiculous costume while you do it.

It’s certainly a different way to see the city.

There are at least three different locations to choose from: Shibuya, Akihabara and Tokyo Bay. We intentionally booked our experience in Tokyo Bay.

I’d heard many people who book in Shibuya are disappointed as they spend a lot of time in traffic, whereas we had incredible views throughout our two-hour drive.

STREET KART TOUR OVERVIEW

OFFICIAL STREET KART TOUR

Duration: 2 hours (3 hours including safety briefing)
Time: Various times throughout the day
Booking: Advance booking strongly recommended
Highlights: Dressing up in costume, driving a go-kart on real public roads past many Tokyo landmarks and excellent views of Tokyo Bay.
Rating: 4.9 stars (check 5000+ reviews here)
Price: Check price here!

BOOK THE EXPERIENCE NOW

We drove across the iconic Rainbow Bridge, with panoramic views of the bay and city skyline, around the base of Tokyo Tower and through the futuristic waterfront district of Odaiba.

Fancy dress is optional and there is a huge variety of onesies, T-shirts, hats and sunglasses to choose from. It’s obviously part of the gimmick, but driving around Tokyo in a ridiculous costume while people wave at you is half the fun.

We were in two minds about dressing up in fleece onesies given that it was 39°C on the day we’d booked, but they turned out to be surprisingly practical. As ridiculous as we looked, they covered most of our skin and stopped us getting completely sunburnt while driving around Tokyo.

The heat was intense and I’m not exaggerating when I say our outfits were soaked through by the time we returned. Despite that, street karting was one of the most fun experiences we had in Tokyo. I’d absolutely book it again.

This is the exact experience we booked. Just ensure you have an International Driving Permit (IDP), which you need to purchase before you leave for Japan.

Evening: teamLab Planets in Toyosu 

Afterwards, head towards Toyosu for teamLab Planets, the immersive digital art museum. I had pre-booked our tickets for 4.30pm to give us enough time to get there from Tokyo Bay. 

Unlike a traditional gallery where you politely stand in front of art and pretend you understand it, teamLab Planets is immersive. You physically move through the installations and some areas involve water, mirrors and rooms designed to completely mess with your sense of space.

You will need a minimum of two hours here, but don’t expect to see it all unless you want to stay until they close. Entry is timed, but there is no time limit for how long you stay, and we spent all evening here (and still didn’t see it all)!

There are four main themed zones: Water, Garden, Forest and Open-Air. The entire place is incredible. You can walk barefoot through water with projected koi fish, mirrored infinity crystal universes, floating flower gardens and so much more.

teamlab planets OVERVIEW

TEAMLAB PLANETS

Duration: At least 2 hours
Time: Various timed-entry slots throughout the day
Booking: Advance booking strongly recommended, particularly for weekends
Highlights: Barefoot water exhibits, immersive digital art installations, interactive forests, gardens and enormous mirrored spaces
Rating: 4.7 stars (check 21,000+ reviews here)
Price: Varies depending on your chosen date and time. Check prices here!

BOOK YOUR TICKETS HERE

I hadn’t factored in anywhere to eat for this day on our itinerary, but had seen they have a vegan ramen at teamLab Planets. The ramen at Vegan Ramen UZU was incredible, and one I’d highly recommend whether you are vegan or not. The restaurant has received prestigious recognition from the Michelin Guide.

I thoroughly enjoyed their oat milk ice cream too.

Day 4: Take a day trip from Tokyo to Hakone

There are a few day trip options from Tokyo, and we chose to visit Hakone as it is one of the easiest places to see mountains, volcanic scenery and traditional Japan.

Getting to Hakone

We booked the Romancecar for 9.20am, travelling from Shinjuku directly towards the Hakone area, which makes the journey relatively straightforward. One thing to note is that Shinjuku station is enormous, incredibly confusing and super easy to get lost in, so ensure you arrive there at least 40 minutes before the Romancecar booking.

We’d booked our Romancecar tickets in advance but still needed to buy the Hakone Freepass, which we picked up at Shinjuku Station before boarding (not sure why we didn’t just do this online). The pass covers pretty much all of your transport around Hakone, so once we arrived, getting around was relatively straightforward.

Once you arrive at Hakone-Yumoto Station, follow the classic Hakone Loop. Or do this backwards to avoid the crowds (this is what we did, and I’m not sure it was less crowded, but I liked saving the lake views till last).

The classic Hakone Loop

Board the Hakone Tozan Bus from Hakone-Yumoto Station up to Moto-Hakone Port or Hakone-machi Port which takes around 35 minutes.

From here, you can visit Hakone Shrine, famous for its torii gate beside Lake Ashi. This is an Instagram hotspot as well as a hugely popular engagement spot and queues to take photos under the shrine can be hours long. When we visited, it was approximately 40 minutes long, so naturally, we didn’t hang around.

One of the highlights is taking the 30-minute sightseeing cruise across Lake Ashi to Togendai Port. The boats are inexplicably designed to look like pirate ships because apparently nobody involved in the planning process asked why.

Like I said, all of the transport (bar taxis) is covered with the Hakone Freepass, but they like to encourage everybody to ‘upgrade to first class’ on the pirate ship. It doesn’t cost much and gets you access to the front of the boat for ‘better views’, but I didn’t think it was worth paying extra for.

From Lake Ashi, continue around the loop using the Hakone Ropeway from Togendai up to Owakudani Station.

Owakudani is an active volcanic area where steam rises from the landscape and the smell of sulphur makes it very clear that something geological is happening underneath your feet.

You must try the volcanic black eggs here, which are said to add 7 years to your life. They are regular chicken eggs, but they’re boiled in water from the area’s natural hot springs and the minerals in the water turn the shell black. Inside, the eggs are just what you would expect from a hard-boiled egg. 

Take the second leg of the Hakone Ropeway down to Sounzan Station, then transfer to the Hakone Tozan Cable Car towards Gora Station.

We didn’t spend a lot of time in Sounzan, but found an excellent vegan cafe just outside Gora Station where I was able to have a shaved ice dessert with vegan condensed milk, strawberry syrup and red bean paste. It was delicious and incredibly refreshing in the heat.

You then get back on the Hakone Tozan Railway from Gora back down to Hakone-Yumoto Station, which takes around 35 minutes.

Getting back to Tokyo

Hakone is a long day trip, so I wouldn’t make any plans for your evening back in Tokyo. We had booked the last Romancecar back to Shinjuku Station at 7.50pm, which meant arriving in Tokyo at 9.30pm. It was an excellent decision, though we had assumed we would find somewhere to have dinner nearby in Hakone.

That didn’t pan out as the restaurants we found nearby had inexplicably all closed by 3 or 4pm. We were lucky to find a convenience store near Hakone-Yumoto Station that was the only place open! 

We were pretty hangry at this point, having had breakfast at 6am, skipping lunch and just sharing a shaved ice in between. That 7-Eleven was a lifesaver!

Day 5: Japanese Tea Ceremony and Shinjuku

Use your final full day in Tokyo to slow things down slightly.

Morning: Japanese Tea Ceremony

We took part in a complimentary Japanese tea ceremony at our hotel, a modern, table-style matcha experience that was a lovely contrast to the much busier sightseeing days.

Afternoon: Renting a Grandma 

When planning our Japan itinerary, I wanted to factor in at least one really unique experience in Tokyo, so I rented a grandma! 

Renting a boyfriend or a girlfriend is a very popular experience for tourists in Japan, but given that both my husband and I are married to one another, this would have been super weird for either of us to do. Instead, I’d read that this experience originates from a service available to locals; renting a grandma, or OK Obaachan (OK Grandma) as it is called locally.

The aim of the service is to address urban isolation and loneliness for the elderly while providing extra income and a sense of purpose; ikigai for older women amid Japan’s increasingly ageing population.

We learned that locals rent grandmas for a whole variety of reasons, which include asking for life advice, learning to cook dishes or simply because they might live far away from their families and miss their mother’s cooking. These grandmas will often be paid to spend a couple of hours cooking in somebody else’s home while giving them company.

I wanted an experience that would let us interact with someone local while learning how to make mochi (or daifuku), one of my favourite Asian desserts.

We paid £150 to rent a grandma for two hours, which included her wages, the cost of a rental kitchen and ingredients. While they struggled to find an interpreter for us as they didn’t employ any English-speaking grandmas and we don’t speak Japanese, they were instead able to find somebody slightly younger who spoke excellent English.

The mochi was a complete fail, you can read more about our entire experience here, but for us it was about the overall experience, which was incredibly wholesome and one I would encourage anybody to book.

Evening: Shinjuku

From there, we made our way to Shinjuku.

How much time you have in Shinjuku will depend on when you’re able to book the grandma experience.

We had to skip a lot of it due to time constraints, but I have zero regrets. This is what I recommend doing in the area.

Start at the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building, where you can get city views from the observation deck without paying for another expensive Tokyo viewpoint.

Then explore Shinjuku itself.

Look for the Godzilla Head looming over Kabukicho, see the famous 3D cat billboard and wander through the neon-packed streets around Kabukicho.

You can also walk through Omoide Yokocho, a maze of tiny bars and yakitori restaurants tucked beside Shinjuku Station.

We found an excellent vintage designer shop tucked away at the back entrance, but be warned – the prices aren’t for the faint-hearted. Chanel is still Chanel, so you are still looking at spending four figures once you convert the currency.

For dinner, I highly recommend Curry House Coco, or Coco Ichibanya as it is called on Google Maps – just around the corner from Omoide Yokocho. They have a ton of customisable options for a seemingly basic curry and rice meal. From meat to fish and vegetables, you can choose your portion of rice, extra curry sauce, heat level, toppings, sides and much more.

If you are not renting a grandma, this is where I’d leave some free time.

We quickly learned that Tokyo itineraries can become exhausting when every hour has an attraction attached to it. Shinjuku is much better when you have time to wander into shops, get distracted by something strange and completely abandon whatever you thought you were doing.

You can easily spend half a day or more in Shinjuku instead of rushing through it as we did.

Day 6: Fly to Sapporo and explore the city

Now it’s time to swap Tokyo for Hokkaido, and you will be so grateful you did, because Tokyo in July is no joke!

I chose to fly from Tokyo to Sapporo rather than spend a huge chunk of the trip travelling overland. With only 10 days in Japan, I wanted my travel days to be as efficient as possible. During the dates we booked, the Shinkansen costs were almost three times more than domestic flight prices, and it takes considerably longer, so it was a no-brainer!

After arriving in Sapporo, check into your hotel and spend the rest of the day exploring the city centre.

I stayed at Sapporo Grand Hotel, which put us within easy reach of many of the central sights. 

I’d particularly recommend Sapporo Grand Hotel if you want a central base for exploring Sapporo. We could easily walk to Odori Park, Tanukikoji Shopping Arcade and most of the city-centre sights, while Sapporo Station was close enough to make our day trip to Otaru straightforward too. 

The hotel itself is grand without feeling stuffy, but for me, its location was the real selling point.

We had unintentionally arrived on the day Sapporo’s annual month-long beer festival started and it was busy! We later learnt from people we met that plenty of locals from Tokyo and visitors from South Korea head north to Sapporo in summer to escape the heat further south.

The vibes were brilliant and it didn’t feel busy in a touristy sense.

Start around Odori Park, the long green space running through central Sapporo. The water fountains in the centre are a great place to sit around and soak up the atmosphere.

From here, you can see Sapporo TV Tower and visit the Sapporo Clock Tower, though I must add that I didn’t understand the fuss over the latter.

Later, wander through Tanukikoji Shopping Arcade before heading towards Susukino in the evening.

Coming from Tokyo, Sapporo immediately feels different. It’s still a major city, but it feels more spacious and manageable.

And in July, the temperature difference from 39°C to a milder 26°C is a very welcome bonus.

Day 7: Sapporo Beer Museum and Mount Moiwa

Morning: Nijo Market

Start your second day in Sapporo at Nijo Market.

Seafood is one of Hokkaido’s biggest draws, so this is a particularly good stop if that’s what you’re here for. Unsurprisingly, we skipped this.

Instead, we wandered around Sapporo soaking up the atmosphere and found a lovely cafe to have breakfast; Mahanaim Eritrean Cafe.

Afternoon: Sapporo Beer Museum

From the city centre, head to the Sapporo Beer Museum.

Beer obviously plays a fairly significant role in Sapporo’s identity. The museum gives you some background on the history of brewing in Japan and the development of Sapporo beer.

It’s an interesting place to wander around, but the museum is tiny, so don’t go in expecting the full ‘Guinness Factory in Dublin’ experience. At the very least, walking around the museum will give you the perfect respite from the blazing sun outside.

From there, we went to Sapporo Factory, a somewhat underwhelming shopping, dining and entertainment complex, although we did stumble across Fugetsu for lunch where I got to try cooking my own okonomiyaki.

It was delicious.

Evening: Mount Moiwa

Finish the day at Mount Moiwa. You can take the ropeway up before sunset so you can see the city during daylight then watch Sapporo light up as it gets dark.

We didn’t actually make it to Mount Moiwa, but if you still have the energy, this is where I’d fit it into the itinerary.

Instead, we headed back to the lively Tanukikoji Shopping Arcade and wandered around through the various shops there.

Day 8: Otaru day trip

Take a day trip from Sapporo to Otaru, a small port city that feels completely different from central Sapporo. It was super easy to jump on the JR Line train from Sapporo to Otaru, arriving in around 40 minutes.

From the station, walk down to the Otaru Canal, which is lined with historic warehouses. You’ll pass street vendors and boutique shops selling handmade glass products, and you can even take a boat ride along the canal.

Sakaimachi Street is around a 20-minute walk from the canal and is one of the main areas to explore, with historic buildings, glass shops, cafés and sweet shops.

You can visit Kitaichi Glass and the Otaru Music Box Museum, as well as stop at LeTAO if cheesecake is part of your travel planning strategy. Which, frankly, it should be.

LeTAO seems to be an institution across Hokkaido and, after trying the cheesecake at its flagship Otaru store, I can see why. It’s extremely rich, creamy and smooth.

There were at least three stores we came across on Sakaimachi Street, and we stopped for dessert at the flagship store. They have an observation deck on the third floor which offers beautiful views of Sakaimachi Street and the surrounding area.

If the weather is good, finish at Tenguyama and take the ropeway up for views over Otaru and the coast.

Return to Sapporo in the evening.

Day 9: Sapporo Summer Festival or Noboribetsu day trip

I was in two minds about taking a day trip to Noboribetsu, but ultimately we decided against it.

It takes almost two hours to get there from Sapporo and, after several packed days and the utter chaos of Tokyo, we realised we didn’t actually want another long day trip. We wanted to slow down and enjoy Sapporo instead.

It turned out to be an excellent decision.

We’d unintentionally timed our visit with the Sapporo Summer Festival, so we headed to the huge Sapporo Odori Beer Garden spread across several blocks of Odori Park.

It was one of those experiences I hadn’t really planned for but ended up loving.

Thousands of people sit together at huge outdoor communal tables drinking fresh Japanese beer and cocktails in a can, with food available to order throughout the different areas. There were plenty of local Hokkaido options like grilled meat and seafood, but I also managed to find baked potatoes and grilled corn (my favourite British comfort food!).

We ended up socialising with some Sapporo locals despite speaking absolutely no Japanese and communicating largely through hand gestures, which was a lot of fun.

It was also exactly the sort of slower day we needed by this point in the trip.

Alternatively: Take a day trip to Noboribetsu

If you’d rather squeeze another day trip into your 10 days in Japan, this is where I’d consider Noboribetsu.

It’s one of Hokkaido’s best-known onsen towns and many people visit for Jigokudani, or Hell Valley, but bear in mind that you’re looking at almost four hours of travel there and back from Sapporo.

I can’t personally tell you whether it’s worth making the journey because we ultimately chose not to go. For this particular July itinerary, I’m glad we didn’t. Having a slower day in Sapporo ended up being far more appealing than adding another long travel day just because we could.

If visiting Noboribetsu is high on your Japan wishlist, though, Day 9 is where I’d put it.

Dinner: Try Sapporo soup curry

On our final night in Hokkaido, we tried Sapporo’s famous soup curry at Soup Curry S.

They had one vegetarian option, a mushroom soup curry that you can customise with different soup bases and additional toppings.

It was nice, although I’m not sure I’d be rushing back for another one. Cheese is also a popular addition to soup curry and, having tried it, I’m not entirely convinced.

You can’t love everything you eat in Japan.

Day 10: Fly back to Tokyo and explore Shibuya

If your flight timings are similar to mine, it’s worth spending another night in Tokyo before flying home rather than trying to connect straight through.

We stayed in Shibuya this time, which was intentional.

Our first Tokyo hotel was better positioned for Ginza and the eastern side of the city. The hotel itself was also much nicer, but staying in Shibuya gave us much easier access to the places I still wanted to explore. 

Start with Shibuya Crossing, because you’re here and pretending you don’t want to see it would be ridiculous. 

We exited Shibuya Station and had to immediately cross at Shibuya Crossing to get to our hotel, Shibuya Excel Hotel Tokyu.

Shibuya Excel Hotel Tokyu was perfectly fine for a night or two, mainly because its location made exploring Shibuya, Harajuku and the western side of Tokyo incredibly easy. But I found the area far too touristy and chaotic to base myself here for the bulk of my time in Tokyo. 

I much preferred staying at Park Hotel Tokyo and, while I’d happily stay in Shibuya for a couple of nights again, I wouldn’t choose it as my main base.

For a free view over the crossing, you can also look for one of the surrounding observation areas: the 11th-floor Sky Lobby in the Shibuya Hikarie building or the Shibuya Mark City pedestrian walkway before paying for one of Tokyo’s major viewpoints. 

We didn’t make it to the Shibuya Hikarie building, but the views from our hotel windows by the elevators on the 5th floor were a lot better than those from the pedestrian walkway.

We booked Shibuya Sky as the very last attraction before flying home the following morning. This is another attraction I would book in advance, particularly if you’re hoping for a popular afternoon or sunset time. We booked a week in advance and availability was already very limited, so we settled on a 3.30pm time slot.

SHIBUYA SKY OVERVIEW

SHIBUYA SKY TICKET

Duration: Spend as long as you want inside
Time: Various times throughout the day
Booking: Advance booking strongly recommended
Highlights: 360-degree panoramic view of the Shibuya Crossing, the iconic outdoor escalator ride & distant views of Mount Fuji on clear days
Rating: 4.7 stars (check 45,000+ reviews here)
Price: Varies depending on the time of day. Check prices here!

BOOK YOUR TICKETS NOW

The highlight of my time at Shibuya Sky was finally getting a glimpse of the notoriously elusive Mount Fuji, which had spent most of our trip hiding behind clouds. 

It was the perfect end to a brilliant trip!

Are Tokyo and Hokkaido a good combination for 10 days in Japan?

I think Tokyo and Hokkaido work particularly well for 10 days in Japan in July.

The obvious first-time route tends to focus on Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that, but it isn’t the only way to experience Japan.

I personally prefer to mix some of the overly popular tourist hotspots and explore lesser-known parts of a country too.

Tokyo gave me the sensory overload, temples, skyscrapers, neighbourhoods and wonderfully weird experiences I wanted from my first trip. We barely slept in Tokyo, while simultaneously averaging around 20,000 steps a day – and in that humidity, it was tough.

Hokkaido added something completely different. It was wonderful to slow down in the middle of the trip.

Sapporo was more relaxed and Otaru gave me a smaller historic city. Most importantly for a trip to Japan in July, heading north also gave us a break from Tokyo’s summer weather.

I also liked that I wasn’t changing hotels every other night.

With this route, I could unpack, use Tokyo and Sapporo as bases and take day trips rather than dragging my suitcase across Japan in pursuit of seeing absolutely everything.

You won’t.

Japan will still be there.

What is the best time of year to visit Japan?

There isn’t really one best time to visit Japan because it depends entirely on what you want from your trip.

Spring is famously popular for cherry blossom season, while autumn brings cooler temperatures and colourful foliage. Winter is ideal if you want snow, skiing or to see a completely different side of places like Hokkaido.

Having now visited in July, I understand why summer gets a less enthusiastic recommendation. Tokyo reached 39°C during our trip and the humidity made sightseeing pretty exhausting.

That said, I wouldn’t tell you not to visit Japan in July either. We had a brilliant trip and heading north to Hokkaido gave us a welcome break from Tokyo’s heat. We also unintentionally arrived during the Sapporo Summer Festival, which ended up being one of my favourite experiences in Hokkaido.

If you can choose any time of year and you’re planning a sightseeing-heavy first trip, I’d personally look at spring or autumn for milder weather. But if, like me, July is when you can go, don’t let the heat put you off.

Just plan around it.

What I would keep in mind when visiting Japan in July

If you’re visiting Japan in July, the heat needs to influence how you plan your days.

Don’t schedule every day from breakfast until midnight just because Google Maps says everything technically fits. Build in time indoors, drink plenty of water and accept that you may move more slowly than you would during cooler months.

If I recommend buying one thing when you arrive, make it a UV-blocking umbrella. I bought mine at Uniqlo in Ginza and used it constantly. It might feel a little strange walking around with an umbrella when it isn’t raining, but you’ll immediately notice everyone else doing it too. 

It really does make a difference when you’re walking around in direct sun.

I’d also leave some flexibility in your itinerary for the weather. Outdoor viewpoints, Hakone and places like Mount Moiwa are much more enjoyable when visibility is good, so it helps not to have every single hour of your trip locked in before you arrive.

Is 10 days in Japan Enough? 

Ten days isn’t enough to see Japan.

But that’s not really the point.

You could spend a month in Tokyo alone and not see it all.

For a first trip, I think it’s much better to choose a couple of places and actually experience them than spend 10 days racing between cities because somebody on the internet told you they were “must-sees”.

This 10-day Japan itinerary gave me time in Tokyo, several completely different day trips and enough time in Hokkaido to experience more than Sapporo itself.

More importantly, it didn’t require changing hotels every 36 hours.

If you’re planning 10 days in Japan in July, I’d seriously consider combining Tokyo with Hokkaido rather than automatically following the standard Golden Route.

You still get the gloriously chaotic introduction to Japan that Tokyo provides, then you get to head north, cool down slightly and discover a completely different side of the country.

And after experiencing Tokyo humidity in July, the phrase “head north and cool down” becomes surprisingly persuasive.

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