In May, I had gone to Japan and visited the main tourism sites. On the plane ride, I spoke with the others in my row who were going to the same cities and while I am very much someone who wants to see all that I can in when I go somewhere new, it made me think- if I were to do it again, would I skip anywhere? Would I choose not to go somewhere? And would I stay longer in one place?

Maybe you don’t have as much time or maybe you’re the type of traveler who prefers to really dedicate themselves to one place instead of hopping around. What’s the phrase- jack of all trades, but master or none. So I created this blog post to help you decide how to plan your travels. I will be talking about all three places and what each offers.

Tokyo
Kyoto
Osaka

Tokyo
Unsurprisingly, Tokyo is the big city in Japan. It has tall buildings, bright lights and the bustle of city life. While you can probably find Sanrio and Pokemon stores anywhere, you will find most of them in Tokyo. I would say that out of the three places, Tokyo is the place that’s the most shop-touristy. What I mean by that is that Kyoto has more tours and learn about the history, but I’ve found Tokyo is more catered to souvenir shops, things to buy or try as a tourist, if you catch my drift.

I did like Tokyo, and it is probably the best tourist city to go to if you’re planning on visiting Mt.Fuji. I took a bus tour up there which I would honestly say is the best way to go because while- sure, you can go on your own, and yes the tour will be more expensive than if you did travel by yourself, the guide can show you spots that you may not know or find by yourself. Like the 5 story pagoda, the delicious noodles in the mountain, the lavender ice cream (close to the base of the mountain) with a gorgeous garden and of course the best spots to see Mt.Fuji and the cutest village where you can drink water from the mountain itself! The only downside is that if you the weather changes and you think you’re going to go on a clear-sky day and it ends up raining, you’re more stuck and probably won’t get a refund depending on when you find out!

Other things to do in Tokyo are visiting the animal cafes (like Capybaras) and checking out Shibuya Crossing, the busiest intersection in the world!

Kyoto:
Kyoto has less of a city atmosphere and is more for the history or culture geeks. It’s were you can find more of the Geishas or Maikos (female entertainers, often seen with elaborate white make up, kimonos and made-up hair). There are many temples here, extraordinary wooden buildings and architecture and is probably the best place if you wanted to visit Nara and feed the wild deers. And YES! The deers will bow to you, which is mostly a learned behavior to get more rice treats! (lol). I would say I saw more people in Kyoto who were a little older (adults, less kids) and fascinated by the culture as opposed to the quick IG photos if you know what I mean!

I loved Kyoto to be honest and took multiple tours here. This is also where I did the traditional tea ceremony and got to wear a kimono and learn how to make matcha. You can do this in other cities too though. Ninja training, sword making, and other tourist activities are available in these cities. You can find out more on my blog post: https://backroadbutterflies.blog/2026/06/20/should-i-rent-a-kimono-or-book-a-kimono-traditional-tea-ceremony-japan/

Osaka:
To be honest, I did not spend that much time in Osaka. It wasn’t intentional, it just happened that way. If I were to do this again, I would probably want to explore Osaka more. I would say that Osaka is most known for the vibrant culture and street food, but there is plenty of things to do there that are pretty diverse in nature and for anyone in the family!

Of course, there is the Osaka Castle, Universal Studios Japan– featuring Super Nintendo World and the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, one of the World’s largest Aquariums and Dotonbori District which is famous for its neon lights and canals. The Abeno Harukas is Japan’s tallest skyscaper with an observation deck and don’t forget the Umeda Sky Building & Kuchu Teien Observatory which offers 360-degree city views from a “floating” garden.

I think it might take a while until I come back, purely because I want to hit some of the other places on my bucket list before I return to the same country, but it will happen and Osaka will definitely be a place I will spend longer in.

So after reading my blog- where will you spend the most time in? Or… will you spend an equal amount of time in all places?

Cheers friends & Travelers!
~Sho, Founder of Backroad Butterflies ~

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