Days 1–4 — Tokyo
Four full days lets you slow down: Shibuya and Shinjuku (crossing, Shibuya Sky, Omoide Yokocho), Asakusa and Ueno (Senso-ji at dawn, a museum), Harajuku and Meiji Shrine plus teamLab if you booked ahead, and a fourth day for whichever neighbourhood pulled at you most — Ginza for polish, Shimokitazawa for vintage shops and live music, or a Tsukiji Outer Market breakfast followed by Tokyo Skytree.
Buy a 14 or 21-day Japan Rail Pass before departure if your route is Shinkansen-heavy (this itinerary uses it enough to be worthwhile) and get a Suica or Pasmo IC card the moment you land for everything else.
Day 5 — Hakone
A day trip or overnight from Tokyo using the Hakone Free Pass: the Tozan mountain railway, the Hakone Ropeway over the Owakudani volcanic valley, and the Lake Ashi sightseeing boat, with Mount Fuji visible across the water on a clear day. If you have time, stay one night in a ryokan with an onsen — it's a highlight most first-time visitors regret skipping.
Days 6–7 — Kanazawa
Shinkansen directly from Tokyo (around 2.5 hours) to Kanazawa, the itinerary's detour off the standard route and one of Japan's most rewarding secondary cities. Kenroku-en, ranked among Japan's three most beautiful gardens, is at its best early morning. The Higashi Chaya geisha district has preserved teahouses you can actually enter, unlike Kyoto's Gion. Omicho Market is the place for fresh Sea of Japan seafood — try kaisendon (seafood rice bowl) for lunch. The 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art and the preserved samurai district of Nagamachi round out a second day.
Days 8–10 — Kyoto
Shinkansen from Kanazawa or back via Tokyo route to Kyoto (roughly 2.5 hours direct, or connect via the Hokuriku line). Three days: Fushimi Inari at dawn on day one, Arashiyama's bamboo grove and Kinkaku-ji on day two, Higashiyama (Kiyomizudera, Sannenzaka, Gion) on day three. Slot in a tea ceremony or a day devoted to Kyoto's smaller temples and gardens if the pace allows — this city rewards unhurried time more than almost anywhere else in Japan.
Day 11 — Nara
A half-day trip from Kyoto (40 minutes by train). Nara Park's free-roaming deer, considered messengers of the gods and famous for bowing for shika senbei crackers, are the main draw, alongside Todai-ji temple, home to one of Japan's largest bronze Buddha statues. Combine with an afternoon back in Kyoto or push on toward Osaka the same evening.
Days 12–13 — Osaka
30 minutes from Kyoto by train. Osaka is Japan's food capital and a useful contrast to Kyoto's restraint — Dotonbori's neon canal-side street food (takoyaki, okonomiyaki, kushikatsu), Osaka Castle's park and museum, and the Umeda Sky Building's floating observatory for a night skyline view. Kuromon Ichiba Market is the best breakfast stop for fresh seafood and wagyu skewers before a day of walking.
Day 14 — Hiroshima & Miyajima
A long but manageable day trip from Osaka via Shinkansen (about 1.5 hours each way, covered by the JR Pass). The Peace Memorial Park and Museum are essential and genuinely moving — allow at least 2 hours. From Hiroshima Station, a short tram and ferry ride reaches Miyajima Island, home to the "floating" torii gate of Itsukushima Shrine (best at high tide) and more free-roaming, gentler deer than Nara's. Fly home from Kansai International near Osaka the next day, or take the Shinkansen back to Tokyo for an international departure — check which better suits your return flight.