2 Weeks in Japan: Ultimate 2025 Travel Guide 🇯🇵 | Would You Try This Trip?
We set out to travel around Japan with the
goal to go beyond the usual tourist route while still experiencing the most famous sites. If
you’re looking for a more interesting itinerary, this video is for you. Hello bears. Over the two
weeks, we slept in a Buddhist temple, saroke in a tiny town, hiked the old samurai trail, flew
to a remote island, and even stepped into a ring for a sumo fight. This is the kind of Japan
you don’t usually see in a travel guide. Let’s go. [Music] And what better place to start our two
week adventure than Osaka, the city of lights and amazing food. Dive into Osaka’s unexpected
moments, even experience just how insane a baseball game can get. And trust us, Osaka set
the bar high. Portuguese are back in Japan. [Music] Hotels in Osaka are very affordable, even in the
city center. And every hotel provides amazing pajamas, full dental set, and of course, toilets
with seat heating and water jets. Trust me, we need this in the western world. Um
station. Imagine everybody in your city deciding to cummute at the same time
and so much food everywhere. [Music] Oh, is this pure? Shinsakai feels like a time machine. This
area was built in the early 1900s with influence from New York and Paris, but over
time became a nostalgic pocket of Osaka’s past. Old school arcades, weird mascots.
Which one you want? [Applause] [Music] Don’t worry, the entertainment district
is alive since the Edo period. Originally lined with theaters before evolving
into the now lit food paradise. Best thing to share with friends is hot pot. We ended up in a hidden bar. Kamba. Kamba. Kamba. Let’s check out nice local
cocktail specialties and very cool vibe. Compai. Are you making a video? It’s coming. What happened? What’s
the name of the team? I have no clue, but they wear white. Buffalo. Buffalo. Yes.
You think Americans love baseball? Well, Japanese love it even more. The game was
boring, but the atmosphere was great. [Music] [Applause] [Music] Like in the US, drinking and eating
is as important as the game. Next, we stopped by Gins for some glasses. They made
custom lenses in 30 minutes for a very good price. Japanese efficiency is next level two dot clusters which is clearer. What is the speed
limit 80 kilome per hour? [Music] Most of Japan’s historic buildings
gone. Osaka, once a merchant city, was almost entirely destroyed during the World
War II bombings. Earthquakes and fires over centuries also played a part in reshaping the
city. What you see today is mostly rebuilt, but the spirit remains. Let’s
[ __ ] the camera and enjoy. True Japanese. I need one of these.
[Music] Namba’s back streets are food heaven. Tons of tiny isizakayas. What Osaka
is really famous for. I think they might. Do you know which one is this?
I have no clue. Go for it. really nice. You my favorite. [Music] Oh my god. Really nice. [Music] and tempura, some buckwheat, wasabi, and some
sauce. Oasaka was a perfect start to taste Japan’s flavors and vibe. In our trip, we balance between
cities and nature. And now we take a train to the mountains of Koasan, the center of Buddhism
in Japan. established the Shingong sect of esoteric Buddhism in 816 with the hope of bringing
peace to Japan. [Music] The journey to Quest is a nice train ride through lush valleys and the
cable car that pulls you up into the clouds. Welcome to Coasan, the spiritual
heart of hesetary Buddhism in Japan. Home for the next two nights. Fukuchi in temple.
This isn’t just any stay. This is a shukubu, a traditional temple lodging. But
there are rules to follow. First, you need to leave your shoes at the entrance to
jump into local sandals. [Music] I have to admit, the place is like a labyrinth. You definitely
need a map to find your room. [Music] [Music] Let’s I like it. It’s very cool.
And look, there is a toilet here. Okay. You think it’s a massage thing
or We also had to change to Yucatans, an outfit that fits perfectly the vibe. [Music] Most temples offer the Japanese
bathing experience once it’s a place dedicated to relax and heal while you’re
sitting in hot spring water. And here you don’t need to worry about what to wear because
simply you are not allowed to wear anything. You need to go bat naked. Thus,
most of them are segregated. Dinner is traditional Buddhist feast called
suji royori. This is completely plant-based, offering new flavor combinations for meat
eaters like us. Okay. And then tea, soup, and this is okay. Thank you. We should start
with this one. The food was beautifully prepared and was surprisingly delicious,
even if we had no idea what some of the ingredients were. What do you think this is?
Matcha salt. That’s really awesome. Not this. [Music] If you know what is this one,
let us know in the comments. [Music] They are stone candles illuminating the
path in the cemetery of very interesting name that I forgot. After dinner, we venture
into the misty night to visit Okonuin Cemetery, Japan’s largest and most sacred
graveyard with over 200,000 tombs. It is also the resting place of
the legendary monk Kobo Daiishi who established Coasan as a spiritual center
as early as the 9th century. That’s very nice. It was magical to fall asleep in our
temple room while listening to the light rain with smell of wet wood and
warm lights through rice paper doors. Morning comes very early in Koasan. At sunrise,
we joined the monks for a sacred ritual. Cameras were not allowed, but trust us, it was
powerful chanting, a spiritual wakeup call. Good morning. Sticky. Breakfast is another masterpiece
of Buddhist cuisine. Simple, pure, and surprisingly filling. Who
imagined that tofu can taste so good? Kuasan is part of the famous Kumano Codo
pilgrimage route. And so it starts from cars and the temple to Bit Kika to the rat. We are only
doing a small section today, but even this short walk through the forest feels like stepping back
in time. The first one. The first sacred stone, babe. And do you see these stone statues?
Another one. These are actually markers and they are placed every few hundred meters along
the trail to help pilgrim stay on the path. Sounds are quite fun. They are
different. They are Japanese sounds. It is beautiful colors. And you can find over 100 temples
in Koasan. And temple hopping is a whole experience. Each temple has
its own history, its own vibe. [Music] We love the atmosphere
of the current complex temples. This guy is completely high. Look at his eyes. Oh
my god. You cannot see that. This one is calmer. [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Music] We realized you don’t need to go to Kyoto to see the red gates and we also
found the guy who paints them. But it’s not just temples and spirituality. It’s worth to discover the modest
little town of Coasan as well. Do you want coffee? But after all that walking, we have earned some
food. Hello. Hidden on a quiet side street, we find this tiny sushi spot
with absolutely delicious food. The presentation was a bit rustic,
but the taste was amazing. [Music] So, what was the place? It was my favorite was
filled like it’s an internet phenomenon cuz it’s in the middle of nowhere, but it has good ratings.
So, everyone that and for a good reason. Yeah. And it was not sushi. It was It was with a bit of
rice. Have a nice day. Our time in Quasan comes to an end with one last peaceful breakfast.
Time to go to Kyoto. Should be an easy ride, right? Well, Japan had other plans for us.
Trains in Japan are famously on time. So, when we got hit with a delay,
we knew it had to be serious. [Music] So, we made it to Kyoto. It was not easy.
Trains were delayed, which is awkward. This is Japan. It’s not supposed to happen. We
already checked in. And we are going to a place where I’m very excited to Mishi Mishi
Market. Nishi Markets, which is right here. After 2 days of plant-based Buddhist cuisine,
we were craving seafood and headed straight to the Nishiki Market. The 400 years old
market is often called Kyoto’s Kitchen, selling everything in over 100 food
stalls. The street food here was amazing. This is the fried crab. Very good. Eat the bottom. Done. And this pizza. Since Kika is from Portugal,
she’s a seafood snob. And even she was satisfied. Just look at these giant oysters. [Music]
It’s one of the biggest you ever had. Mhm. They were practically the size of my face. They
are very nice. No, but they’re not as tasty as the Portuguese one. Agree. [Music] We also tried
baby octopus. Almost fell. Try it. Give it a try. I almost ate the fruit. Sorry. It
was delicious. It’s a must try. [Music] Next, we hoped in a very crowded bus heading
toward Gillon, Kyoto’s most famous historic district. Gillion is what you imagine when you
think of traditional Kyoto. This is the place where memoirs of the geisha basically comes to
life. We started right at the edge of Kon at the Yashaka Shrine, one of Kyoto’s most beloved
spiritual sites. It’s also an excellent place to cool off with our first shaved ice of the
trip. It’s nice with the fer condensed milk. Okay, moving on. Just a short walk away is
Hokanji Temple that was built originally in the sixth century. It is known for its
iconic five-story pagoda and it’s one of Kyoto’s most photographed
landmarks for a good reason. The old streets are cute, but
be warned, the crowd is huge. So many tourists. And did we see geishas?
Well, not exactly. More like hundreds of tourists dressed as geishas in rented kimonos.
By sunset, we reached Kioa in UNESCO rated site and one of the best viewpoints in Kyoto.
Its massive wooden terrace overlooks the entire city. There is something magical
about watching the sunset from here. You can’t help but wonder who stood here centuries
ago seeing the exact same pink sky. As night fell, we ditched the map and just wondered. [Music]
This is the streets with the lanterns which has a lot of little restaurants hidden and marked
with this lantern. And we checked most of them. Kyoto tip. Always book your dinner spot in
advance. We learned it the hard way. Every time we asked for a table, the staff just
smiled. We basically got a full walking tour of Kyoto’s restaurant scene before finally
finding a place. Strong wasabi. No, wrong. What’s him? It’s probably he. Hi. ready. We started day two early to beat the heat and
the crowds at one of Kyoto’s most iconic spots, Fushumi Inari Taisha. And despite we arrived
before 8:00 a.m., it was already busy. Ready? From the first gate, it’s a 4 km hike to Mont
Ineri, passing through thousands of vibrant tour gates. Respect to whoever maintains this.
Each gate is hand painted just like the ones we saw in Quoasan. Okay. So, what’s this place
about? Fushimi Iner is dedicated to Inari, the god of rice and prosperity and dates
back over,300 years. And it’s a real hike. Not everyone got the memo. We saw people doing
this in rented kimonos and wooden sentinels. As we climbed higher, the crowd slowly thinned
and some stretches were surprisingly quiet, even peaceful. [Music] The top made it to
the top. By the time we reached to the top, the heat was full on. We were drenched, exhausted,
but honestly, it was worth every step. If you’re visiting in summer, trust us, come as early as
possible. It’s not all sweat, it’s water. Okay. After a quick refresh at the hotel, we crossed the
city to visit Tenri and the nearby bamboo forest is a UNESCO verted site. Originally built
in the 14th century, the garden design was absolutely breathtaking. One of the best examples
of traditional Japanese landscape we have seen. And then the famous bamboo forest. We are not sure
if we saw more bamboo or more people. It’s a short walk, very photogenic, but after a few minutes,
we were ready to escape the crowds. At this point, we were templed out. We were hot, tired,
and ready for the next Kyoto experience. food and drinks. Let’s go. The Camo River Bank
is pretty cool. Perfect place to have a beer by the river or in one of the local bars. Cool
vibes. After drinks, we had dinner plans in an awesome beef place. I think it’s romantic.
And I also think that when you’re drunk, it’s very difficult to navigate in the small
streets. I would. I’m not drunk. Later. Yes. [Music] How is it? Let’s see who is here. Here we
learned Kobe is not on the top of the beef chain. So today we are eating the three big beefs.
Can you explain what we have here? Matusaka beef ki beefato. [Music] Voila. [Music] First lifet looks like we’re
in Hungary. Yes. Smells so good. [Music] He’s having sex with food sex. Sorry. What did you just say, Valins? We are on everybody
talks about Kobe, but that was the the least amazing. It was amazing. No, I agree. [Music]
Then we went back to the bars by the river. It was fun. Okay, Kyoto is a must in your first Japan trip.
It’s beautiful, but we had enough of the crowds and the temples. That’s why our next stop is the
Nakasendo Trail. A trail used by federal lords, samuris, and merchants during the edo period.
And first we speed it up in the shin kansen, even reaching 280 km per hour
before we finally slowed down. [Music] We arrived to Magumapos town at 600
m elevation. It is the 43rd town out of the 69 on the full trail and the most busy
and touristy out of the ones we visited. At the end of the beautiful narrow town,
the path starts where we disappear for 8 kilometers in the deep forest. Yes,
birds. They said you need to make them know you’re around. We are around. Okay,
girl is going to go on the bamboo side. I need to talk about bears. Yes, there are actual
bears in the forest. Not often seen but real. Mostly Asian black bears who are not looking
for trouble. But if you meet them with cubs, you can have a problem. The Japanese solution are
beer bells. Sorry, bear bells to let them know you’re here. They don’t eat me. Sounds like a good
plan. You can find them every few hundred m. And it’s basically saying to the bears, hey, I’m here.
Please don’t eat me. Hello bears. [Music] This point is 77 777 m above sea level. A power
spot of the happiness of the happiness. The green thing. I like marijuana. Through
the hike, we came across something you don’t expect on a trail like this. a tea house
just sitting in the forest and it’s run by volunteers from Tumago who serve up
free tea and pickles to passing hikers. [Music] It’s raining. Purify yourself. [Music] little bridge. From this point, we started
to ascend and the little stream next to us slowly turned into a river. [Music] Luckily,
the clouds also disappeared as we got close to Tumago. Tumago was one of the first towns
in Japan to be protected and it shows. But it’s not a museum. People leave here. The
silence isn’t created. It’s just how it is. This town is so gorgeous.
Proper Japanese Alpine style. Now we were heading to a tiny bus stop. By
the way, you can reach all these little post towns by public transportation. It’s a bit of
a hustle and hiking is a lot more fun. We made it. Cheers. Japanese beer. After we took a
train to Kizo Fukushima, another post town that is by far not as well preserved. [Music]
You can find accommodation also in Sumago, but they are quite limited. So for us, a
perfect alternative was an onsen in the forest, new hotel, new pajama in the mountains.
This place was almost completely empty. So we had both the indoor and outdoor
spa only for us. [Music] Nature sauna. What is the name of the station? Yabahura station.
From here, it’s a steep climb over the Tori Pass, the highest section of the Nakasando trail. Looks
like a busy town. This part is less visited. So, we were not surprised we were the only tourist,
but we were definitely amazed that we did not see a single soul. Only an old man who invited us to
his garden. What happened? Nice guy offered us a cucumber. Nice old guy. His own planted cucumbers.
That’s true. This is your color type vibe. Yes. And this is my type of day. Finally, we go to the
forest for some shade. In the Edo period, this was considered the toughest section of the trail
because of blizzards and bandits hiding in the forests. This hike is a lot more quiet. We didn’t
meet anyone until we arrived to the top. [Music] Interesting. Here at the peak, a shrine and a
surprisingly not red to gate was waiting for us. We have some company. It’s funny in Switzerland
this means cows. Like this floor, green floors. [Music] Long time ago, a villager who had no
children found an abandoned baby in the tree hole. He looked after the baby and they lived happily
ever after. It said that you will be blessed with baby if you make tea with the tree bark. Fallen
scared me of infertility to give luck in Europe. You are here. And where are we going? N station.
We will pass another thingy. Another viewpoint. The toilet. We might go. Yeah. [Music] Did
you realize we are hiking with only small backpacks? Obviously, it’s not all our stuff
for 2 weeks. Japan has an amazing service. Hotels transport your luggage for a small fee to
your next accommodation. So we sent our luggages from Kyoto to Matsumoto already. So we only
had to carry clothes for 2 days. [Music] No, I’m not. [Music] Ah, I can see it. You can gohead
to cut the web. Huh? This where the view is. And yamo. Even the bears speak
Italian. They don’t attack like this. They attack like this. And no bears. I mean, it’s good, but it’s bad. At the end,
we didn’t have a bear encounter. There was a big noise at some point in the bushes. Kika thinks
they were bears, but I’m not convinced. [Music] As we enter the little town, do you have any words?
The Alpine program is over. Well done. We reached Naray once the richest town on the trail.
Long street, dark wooden houses, stillness everywhere. [Music] For lunch, we stopped in a
traditional familyrun restaurant. Got the tempura and I got the bears. Jesus Christ. Believe you’re
going to eat that. bears. Let’s go. He’s crazy. Not even surprised anymore. It’s actually very good. It has a
lot of seasoning and sauce. Yeah, it’s very good. You should try
it. I’m not going to. Five. [Music] Okay. [Music] I brought the corn. Make a right here. Now we are on our way to Matsumoto for
a surprisingly fun and a bit crazy time. Now it’s time to discover the
famous castle, Katakoy Castle, which means cool castle, the
crow, the black castle. This one quick history. The fortress was built in the
16th century, and it’s one of Japan’s most well preserved castles that avoided fires, wars,
and earthquakes. So you can still appreciate the original materials. Let’s stop for a second.
What do you think this castle looks like? You are absolutely right. It looks like Darth
Vader’s helmet. And it’s not far from the truth. George Lucas was actually inspired by samurai
armor when he designed Darth Vader’s outfit. I told you Matsumoto doesn’t have a lot of foreign
tourists, but they have a lot of Japanese ones. Okay. [Music] But there is one recommendation. Don’t come on a Saturday on a summer weekend. It
will be completely full. [Music] The castle was nice, but now we are ready for a Saturday drink. [Music] Let’s have
a sake. No, we are in the sake in [Music] number two. It’s really nice. [Music] So, what do I think
of Matsumoto? I think it’s really a mix of old and the new. It’s like Matsumoto. Matsumoto.
Matsumoto. Matsumoto. Downtown Matsumoto. As we went into the modern city center, we
bump into something we didn’t expect. Japanese October Fest in August. It didn’t
make much sense. October Fest in Matsumoto. But they definitely kept the
important German elements. Beer, sausage, and bad music. Big time party. Big
time party. You want drinks or foods first? Wish chopsticks. Fearfest in Japan. The
food section had a Japanese twist with some amazing seafood that reminded us
we are still not in Bavaria. Now we are ready to go to the bar area of the town.
As eating and drinking different isakayas, we realized Matsumoto is ready for Saturday night. [Music] Hello. [Music] Go back to your home. [Music] Each time I find myself laying flat
on my [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] The night ended in total chaos.
I even felt enchy dance moves. So why did we want to show this Matsumoto
experience? If you look at it alone, it might not be the most iconic town in
Japan. Matsumoto was a fantastic experience, giving us a better pictures of Japan’s
culture beyond the known temples in the big cities. And what’s next? Have you ever
heard of the beautiful Nijima Island? It’s a hidden paradise that even many Japanese have never
heard of. Though it’s technically part of Tokyo, the small island offers unique activities like
the volcanic sand spa night on sun by the sea, special food scene, or the secluded surf beaches
without anyone else around. If you are searching for a true island adventure in Japan, you
might not need to go as far as Okinawa. [Music] First, where is Nijima? It’s part of the ISU
Islands, floating only 160 kilometer away from Tokyo. Getting here is part of the adventure.
Either you can take an overnight ferry or take a short flight from the tiniest airport
ever from the biggest city in the world. Ready for a tiny plane? The airport felt like
a bus station and the plane was not bigger than a bus. This islander window seat hint.
[Music] We flew above a few other islands, but Nijima’s beauty stood
out already from the plane. [Music] From the airport, a free shuttle bus took us to
a tiny little street, but in a tiny little house, we had a tiny Airbnb room. [Music] On Nijima,
forget about taxis or Uber. The best way to get around the island is by renting a rusty
old bicycle. It works perfect. [Music] We immediately cycle to the best beach for sunset
right next to the open air onen. [Music] The yunohama onen is very special. First, it looks
like a Greek archeological site. It’s open for 24 hours a day. It offers fantastic scenery and very
uniquely in Japan, it is mixed gender. So we could enjoy it together with Kika under the night stars
and with the sound of the crashing wave. [Music] It’s dinner time and the last open
restaurant had a very interesting menu. Saw some horse meat sashimi.
Not what we expected in Nijima. It smells really bad that fish, but
it doesn’t taste very good as well. Very good. It’s amazing. I love it. Early morning we headed to the Habushira beach
which is famous for two things. It’s 7 km long sand beach and for competition surfing. We were
not lucky with the second as there were no waves. No surfing today though. But the
beach was empty and absolutely beautiful to hang out. [Music] As it’s
a long beach without surveillance, you need to watch out for the currents.
They are quite powerful. [Music] When we were leaving the beach, we learned an
unfortunate news and we faced the dilemma. We had a return flight for the following day, but a
typhoon was approaching the island overnight. It felt risky to take our tiny plane with typhoon
conditions, jeopardizing our next and last stop on our trip. We made a tough decision to
change our flight to the last one today, allowing us time to still visit the coolest
sites. coming with the bicycle to the airport. Ever done that before? We only had to agree at the airport verbally to change our
flight. No paperwork. Done deal. Next, we headed to the more protected beaches on the west for an easy swim
in the crystal clear waters. It said on a clear day you can even
see Mount Fiji from here. [Music] Before leaving, we tried one last experience that Nijima is known for. The
sand spa or Sunabaru. [Music] As a kid, could you imagine any better job?
Playing in the sand and burying people. Someone who is doing it professionally. The heat
builds up slowly, but it’s intense. You like it? A butterfly. [Music] The short trip to Nijima felt
like a holiday in our holiday. If you’re looking for a real beach
experience and you are short on time, I don’t think there is anything
better you can find close to Tokyo. Now we are shifting gears and flying to Tokyo. For
the next days, we will discover this mega city, go to the biggest tuna action in the world, eat
cheap or expensive, and enjoy the night life. It’s going to be Tokyo is a mega city. And due to many options, you can easily overlook some of the great things
it offers. Life-threatening food, sumo fights, traditional architecture mixed with crazy
nightclubs and karaoke or the best immersive museum. And we took the challenge to experience it
all only in 5 days. Not easy. And to accomplish, we had to move around and stay in different
parts of the city. Let’s go, Tokyo. [Music] After landing from Nijima Island, our first
accommodation was near the Taranon Tower in Minato district. It’s a business area with great
views to the Tokyo Tower. [Music] It was busy like no other city, but it did not feel chaotic. We
started in a traditional Japanese restaurant, and despite the crazy crowd, they made you feel
like a guest. After serving exceptional food, the chef walked outside with us,
saying, “Thank you for our visit.” The next morning, we aim for an
ambitious breakfast at Suki Fish Market, a place that is on top of every
travel list. [Music] Let’s try this. [Music] It’s clearly focusing on tourists, but some
of the more hidden parts offer awesome food options. What do we have? Can you
explain? Patty, tuna, sea urchin, fish, Japanese omelette, uh, wasabi, uh,
ginger and rice on the bottom. Perfect. Was it your favorite experience? By
far not, but it’s totally worth it. Right after, we headed to the famous
Shinjuku area to stay in a traditional onsen. It’s a fantastic place to relax
in the middle of the busiest area of Tokyo with a great night view. [Music] And
Shinjuku by night is not so chilled. So, we filled up with some food before we
experienced the famous night life. We started in the entertainment district, Kabuko,
which is Tokyo’s version of Time Square. Some Tokyo craziness. Find Godzilla.
Find it. Where is it? It’s an area that is not guarded by police, but by Godzilla. You cannot miss Golden Guy, which used
to be the red light district that was turned into 200 bars in the 70s. The tiny
bars are as big as a small hotel room, and the atmosphere is largely impacted by
the people who are in it. It is visited equally by locals and tourists, giving
an interesting vibe. We’re happy. [Music] [Music] Bye-bye. Bye-bye. Bye-bye. Bye-bye. girl with friends. Tokyo by night. Must be morning. What’s
the time? I don’t know. 4 4:37. Next day, we started extremely early because we were heading
to the largest tuna auction in the entire world that starts at 5:00 a.m. Everybody was ready at
4:30 to guide us where to go, which is cool. Yes, they’re really nice in Japan, actually. You cannot
really go inside the auction, so you watch it from above. Luckily, a broker stepped by and explained
us what is actually happening. I’m a a dealer here. They are uh making three lines. They are
all from Northern Close to Ireland. Okay. Ireland. Where are you from? Portugal. Portugal. Oh, close
to your country. Yes. Because long distance boats can go back to Japan when the freezer was full.
Okay. It needs at least 10 months. Awesome. And those ones, do you know where are they from? Uh
they are different species. They are from all all over the world. The three lines there are blue fin
tuna frozen blue fin tuna the biggest okay biggest tuna and it’s it’s the best tuna most expensive
before them you guys tuna they are not not so expensive do you still like tuna after dealing
with it so many times I I used to like tuna I eat uh a lot of tuna before but not anymore because
I I get sick of tuna Understand? Where are you from? From Hungary. Hungary. Yes. No. No. See
part goes to the supermarkets. This part is okay. It’s good. It goes to uh hotels, hotels
and restaurants. This part goes to the easy isayas which is cheap. And this is the cool
which goes to upscale restaurants. Austral go back to this. Yeah. Okay. Every
restaurants are good here. Okay. 6 a.m. sushi. Why not? We had a breakfast
here, but not too heavy as we had lunch plans in a luxury restaurant in
the luxury area of Tokyo, Ginsza. [Music] The famous restaurant was preparing with
precision the highest quality dishes. It was very nice restaurant to try, but we
prefer the vibe of the izakayas. [Music] Have you ever heard of Tim Labs? This was
one of our favorite experiences in Tokyo. There are two of them and everyone
recommends the borderless exhibition. [Music] [Music] The borderless exhibition is a
must in Tokyo. Don’t miss it. [Music] Next morning we started with some
interesting food. After trying Buddhist cuisine in Koasan, eating be lars in the Japanese Alps, and
lately eating horsemeat sashimi in Nijima, it’s time for the infamous toxic fugu, the puffer fish
that can easily kill you if it’s not prepared the right way. And the drink the drink is cocktail of
puffer fish collagen jelly with fresh juice. Yes, it’s a risk, but I would not try anywhere else
than Japan. To get a license, it takes 2 to 3 years of practice with maximum Japanese precision.
I felt okay. I’m going to try it. Oh my god. I think the skin is very chewy, but it’s
nice. I think the sauce is awesome. [Music] Nice. But like the skin, it’s chewy and stuff.
[Music] Let’s put it on the grill. [Music] It’s really funny that it moves. Not like
meat moving. Grilled drink. Drink is obviously the best, but the the bread was
nice. Philly and the skin was very good. [Music] I hope he survived. He did the
puffer fish on my buck at least. Well, the taste is okay and it’s an
experience. He’s happy. I am happy. We are at the most photographed place in Japan,
the Shibuya crossing. Every green light feels like a flash mob as over 2,000 people can cross
at the same time. Crazy female category is crossing the finish line and she made it.
Brilliant performance. Thank you so much. Another famous spot that is a must try is a
24-hour open giant Donkey Hotel mega store. This is the ultimate crazy shopping experience.
It’s definitely a must. It really shows cultural difference. [Music] Still in Shibuya,
it’s worth to visit Harajuku neighborhood, especially Takashida Street where you
can find some pretty bizarre stores. So, we cancel the museum program. You want to go
here instead? No. And after we eat some bacon, we also visited the Bohemian and hipster Shimokita
Zava district. It’s full of vintage stores and secondhand records. It’s fun if you look for
a different face of the city or for a haircut. [Music] Still feels like a flash with umbrellas.
Visiting Shibuya at night is also a must. The crossing is still crazy that is fun to watch from
one of the rooftop bars with a drink in your hand. Few streets away. Shibuyo has its own golden guy vibe at Nonby Yokucho. It feels
more young and less touristy. [Music] And the real night life starts
after midnight when the metro system stops and everyone who stays takes
it seriously. So we did. [Music] Everyone was super friendly. Was a good party. It was a very good party.
Why? Cuz the music was awesome. You know, I would come back tomorrow, the day after,
tomorrow, every day. Today, we are shifting gears for a Tokyo time travel. While much of
the city was reduced to ashes in World War II, a few places like Asakusa partially survived,
bringing you back to the Edo period. This means traditional buildings, restaurants, and sumo.
We went for a sumo exhibition as there were no real tournaments at the time of our visit. It was
a lot of fun as we could even go inside the ring. [Applause] What’s your name? Who do you think will win?
Me or the sumo master? I’m from Hungary. [Music] [Applause] Wonderful. [Music] Go. [Applause] The second bet is more difficult. We have a rugby player from New
Zealand. Will he win the fight? [Applause] [Applause] where you start with the misle. No, I think but
it’s cool. We see the the new city now. It started to rain. Yes. the pagoda and you can see the sky
tree or at least what is not under the clouds. Hey, sorry it was a joke is really cool and
more chill. It’s more like Kyoto. Chilly. We didn’t care about the rain. We
had to see Senzo G at night. [Music] Thanks to the rain, we could observe
its beauty without the big crowd. Perfect sightseeing weather.
Too bad has the umbrella. Look at the sky tree is coming back in
Tokyo. There are three main viewpoints, Tokyo Tower, Shibuya Sky, and Sky
Tree. And we chose the last one because it’s the tallest and easy
to access from Asakusa. [Music] It was interesting to connect all the
locations we visited by metro and it also felt like a look back to the last days we spent
in Tokyo. But hey, it’s not over yet. [Music] We went to see the night life of
Asakusa as well. Starting with some games and ending up in karaoke again. Yay. [Music] [ __ ] for California. [Music] Last light breakfast. And the sky started to cry
as we were packing to leave. Tokyo was great. Some people love it, some people hate it. For
us was just perfect time and we enjoyed every single second. Beyond the unique experiences,
we love the people we met. They were so nice and friendly to us. Join our next trip around the
world in Mexico, Polynesia, or Africa. And let us know in the comments what we should visit next
time in Tokyo. Thank you very much for watching. [Music] [Applause] [Music]
🇯🇵 2 Weeks in Japan Travel Guide & Vlog 2025 — packed with temples, food, hidden islands, sumo, karaoke, and neon nights. If you’re planning your first trip to Japan or looking for a 14-day Japan itinerary that mixes the best of Japan with adventures beyond the guidebook for couples, this video is for you. This will be hour best trip, even If you come to Japan for honeymoon.
Two weeks. Seven stops. One goal: experience Japan beyond the usual tourist trail.
In this full Japan travel vlog, we bring together our entire journey:
Osaka street food & nightlife 🍜
Staying in a Buddhist temple on Mount Koya 🏯
Kyoto’s shrines & traditions ⛩️
Hiking the Nakasendo, the old samurai route 🥾
Matsumoto Castle & alpine towns 🏰
A remote island escape on Niijima 🏝️
Tokyo’s chaos: tuna auction, fugu, sumo, karaoke & neon nights 🎶
👉 This isn’t just a list of things to do in Japan. It’s the story of what it really feels like to travel across Japan — mixing famous highlights with hidden gems.
✅ Perfect if you’re searching for:
Japan travel vlog
Japan itinerary vlog
Japan travel tips
Japan itinerary for first timers
Best way to spend 2 weeks in Japan
Japan travel guide 2025
🗺️ Chapters in this Japan Guide Vlog:
0:00 – Japan beyond the usual itinerary
0:35 – Best of food or baseball in Japan? Osaka!
6:03 – Sleeping in a Buddhist Temple in Koyasan
14:37 – Should you visit Kyoto?
23:18 – Hiking the ancient samurai trail – Nakasend
32:01 – Coolest Castle in Japan and Nightlife in Matsumoto
36:42 – Tokyo’s Okinawa island is Niijima
43:10 – The city that has it all.
1:00:20 – SUBSCRIBE for the next trip!
👉 If you’re planning 2 weeks in Japan, or just looking for inspiration beyond the tourist trail — this video is for you.
🎥 Join the Adventure:
✅ Subscribe: / @leavingin5
📸 Instagram: / leavingin5
🌏 Website: https://www.leavingin5travel.com
1 Comment
📌 Our 2-Week Japan Itinerary
Here’s the route we took:
1️⃣ Osaka – street food, baseball & nightlife
2️⃣ Koyasan – temple stay & Okunoin cemetery at night
3️⃣ Kyoto – bamboo forest, amazing food & timeless traditions
4️⃣ Nakasendo Trail – hiking the old samurai route in the Japanese Alps
5️⃣ Matsumoto – small town life and an amazing castle in the Alps
6️⃣ Niijima Island – surfing, volcanic onsen & island escape
7️⃣ Tokyo – tuna auction, fugu, sumo, karaoke & neon nights
👉 We wanted to balance famous icons with unexpected adventures.
💬 What do you think? Would you add anything to make a 2-week Japan trip even more diverse and adventurous?