Twelve days is one of the most common Japan trip lengths for first-time visitors — enough to cover the major cities thoroughly without rushing, with one or two day trips built in. Here's a day-by-day plan optimized for this duration.
Route Summary
Tokyo (3 nights) → Kyoto (4 nights) → Hiroshima/Miyajima (1 night) → Osaka (2 nights) → Tokyo (1 night for departure). Total transit: 4 shinkansen journeys. JR Pass 14-day (¥80,000) covers all JR travel and is worth it for this route.
Day 1 (Arrive Tokyo)
Arrive, settle in. Jet lag recovery. Gentle first evening: Shinjuku walking, konbini dinner, early sleep.
Day 2 (East Tokyo)
Morning: Senso-ji Temple at 7:00 AM before crowds. Nakamise at 10:00 when shops open. Afternoon: Tokyo Skytree. Evening: Akihabara (arcade games, anime shopping).
Day 3 (West Tokyo)
Morning: Meiji Shrine (open at dawn), Harajuku Takeshita Street. Afternoon: Omotesando architecture walk, Shibuya Crossing at dusk. Evening: Shibuya izakaya dinner.
Day 4 (Kamakura Day Trip or Shinkansen to Kyoto)
Option A: Kamakura day trip (55 min from Tokyo) — Giant Buddha, Hasedera, Komachi-dori. Return evening, shinkansen to Kyoto next morning. Option B: Early shinkansen to Kyoto (first train ~6:30 AM) for a full Kyoto day 4.
Days 5–7 (Kyoto)
Day 5: Fushimi Inari early morning (6:00 AM), Higashiyama lane walk, Kiyomizudera afternoon, Gion evening. Day 6: Arashiyama — Bamboo Grove 8:00 AM, Tenryuji, river boat. Afternoon: Nishiki Market + Pontocho dinner. Day 7: Kinkakuji, Ryoanji, Philosopher's Path, Eikan-do (autumn) or Nanzenji. Evening: Farewell Kyoto kaiseki (book ahead).
Day 8 (Nara Day Trip)
Morning shinkansen to Nara from Kyoto (35 min). Todaiji, deer park, Kasuga Taisha, Naramachi lunch. Return to Kyoto evening.
Day 9 (Hiroshima)
Shinkansen to Hiroshima (55 min from Kyoto). Peace Memorial Museum morning. Afternoon: Ferry to Miyajima. Evening: Stay in Hiroshima or Miyajima.
Day 10 (Miyajima → Osaka)
Morning on Miyajima (torii gate at different tide from yesterday). Return by ferry/train to Hiroshima. Shinkansen to Osaka (45 min). Afternoon: Dotonbori, takoyaki, early dinner.
Day 11 (Osaka Full Day)
Morning: Osaka Castle, Kuromon Market. Afternoon: Shinsekai + kushikatsu. Sunset: Umeda Sky Building. Evening: Final-night izakaya.
Day 12 (Departure)
Morning shopping (depachika souvenir run). Shinkansen to Tokyo (2h30m Nozomi) for Narita/Haneda departure. Or Kansai International Airport from Osaka (30 min by Haruka Express).