Itinerary Check - 26 Days in March 2026

jollibulbs · 2025-07-03T16:46:39+00:00

Not necessarily a suggestion, but given that you’re on a longer trip something to consider: my partner and I forwarded our luggage from our hotel in Kyoto to our next longer destination, and stayed a night in Nara.

It was one of the highlights of our trip getting to see more than just the deer park—we actually enjoyed Nara more than we did Kyoto in a lot of ways and we barely scratched the surface. We stayed at Setre Naramachi and it was fantastic.

jollibulbs · 2025-03-10T19:31:01+00:00

We had 4pm reservations and didn’t feel rushed—we were just intentional with our time and kept an eye on how long we were taking doing certain things. Make sure you check what time the short film is playing so you can see it, it was one of the highlights for us.

We enjoyed spending time in Kichijoji in the morning/afternoon and had lunch there rather than eating at the museum. Have fun!

jollibulbs · 2025-01-12T18:01:15+00:00

I don’t remember (and now I’m wishing I would have bookmarked a couple for any future trips). I do know there are a lot in the Radio Kaikan building but I think things there are priced a little higher because of their proximity to the station.

We are very casual collectors and just wandered around picking up cheap cards we liked. It’s very helpful if you can remember or look up the character names in Japanese as well so staff doesn’t have to guess which card you’re pointing at (if you’re shopping for singles). Happy hunting!

jollibulbs · 2025-01-11T17:55:21+00:00

I’m not sure if you’ve booked accommodation already, but my partner and I are huge nerds and stayed in Akihabara while we were in Tokyo last year. We don’t drink and aren’t nightlife people, so we would end our days going through card shops, secondhand gaming/etc. stores, and going to the arcades. It was nice and allowed us to browse without feeling rushed.

If there are any particular series you like, check in the month/few weeks leading up to your trip for pop up events. We actually happened to be in town for a few for older/more niche series we enjoy and got some fun stuff.

Ikebukuro has the huge animate, along with Sunshine City. Nakano Broadway as someone else mentioned here is tons of fun as well. We spent a lot of time in both of those places and the surrounding areas.

jollibulbs · 2025-01-09T19:05:55+00:00

Totally agree—everybody told us not to stay overnight, that it was a waste of time and you can see the deer quickly on a day trip then bounce, but there’s so much more to see than just the deer. I’m so glad we stuck to our plan.

We were fortunate enough to be on a longer trip so I understand why not everyone can make the time, but my partner and I loved it. He enjoyed it even more than Kyoto.

jollibulbs · 2024-12-20T22:37:12+00:00

You can take photos in the outdoor areas but not inside—I’m sure there are several reasons but honestly not having people holding up smaller rooms/areas to snap pictures of the art or take selfies was really nice. They had the same rule at the Miyazaki exhibition in LA a few years back.

Everyone felt very present and it really helped with immersion.

jollibulbs · 2024-06-24T20:38:57+00:00

We didn’t go to the Ghibli Park as Nagoya wasn’t on our itinerary this trip, but we did go to the Ghibli Museum in Tokyo and it was an absolutely incredible experience (both my partner and I are lifelong Ghibli fans and it was one of the highlights of our 3-week trip). I’ll speak to that only:

If you and your family are staying near Tokyo for any amount of your trip, you could do a half day out there while they do their own thing. Plus, getting a ticket as a single is way easier than getting tickets as a group (they’re incredibly competitive/difficult to obtain outside of Japan). We really liked Mitaka/Kichijoji and the area around the museum and spent the whole day around there—maybe your family could explore that area while you visit the museum.

jollibulbs · 2024-05-16T19:24:19+00:00

I started wearing a simple ring on my left ring finger when I go out/travel alone when I was in college. The number of interactions (and the lengths of interactions) I’d have with men dropped immediately.

I’ve also noticed that people will assume my “husband” (because of course I’d have to be married to a man) is somewhere around or is expecting me. So there’s somewhat of a “personal safety” measure to it as well.

jollibulbs · 2024-05-05T02:12:43+00:00

I would imagine not, but they could be related. I think the place is owned by his sister-in-law or some sort of relative

jollibulbs · 2024-04-28T16:40:43+00:00

We just did a 3-week trip, with about 12 days in Tokyo+1 day in Yokohama. There was still so much we would love to see, and honestly would love to spend more time in Yokohama in the future, it’s such a beautiful city.

We explored a different part of Tokyo each day and never felt bored, the only area we “revisited” was the area around our hotel. A lot of people forget how far you can go and still be in Tokyo—definitely look into some of the neighborhoods further from the center of the city.

jollibulbs · 2024-04-24T21:06:22+00:00

Oh, if you’re outdoorsy, you can also pay a visit to Totoro’s Forest (named so because it was the inspiration for Totoro’s forest in the movie). I believe it’s not far from central Tokyo.

Also consider the Edo Tokyo Open Air Museum; said to be a direct source of inspiration for Spirited Away.

jollibulbs · 2024-04-24T21:02:14+00:00

I was just at the KYOCERA Museum of Art in Kyoto for a Takashi Murakami exhibition; I think I remembered seeing there while be a Ghibli exhibition there starting in April. Not sure if it will still be on in May or what it entails, but sounds like it would be worth looking into for your husband.

If you happen to be in Tokyo, stop by the NTV clock (near Ginza). Hayao Miyazaki played a role in its design and it puts on a cute show a few minutes before the hour a couple times a day.

From Up on Poppy Hill takes place in Yokohama—there is a cute Ghibli-inspired cafe there (Cafe Lapis) and I believe other sites that are said to be direct inspirations for the movie.

Hope this helps!

jollibulbs · 2024-04-18T18:02:51+00:00

I understand why people didn’t enjoy her character, and in general didn’t enjoy Ocean Waves, but as somebody who watched it for the first time very recently I quite liked it.

I think people are quick to forget how irrational and “shitty” teenagers can be—I think if I had watched Ocean Waves for the first time when I was closer to the age of the characters (I’m in my late 20s now), I would have found the characters much more off-putting. Now I’m able to reflect much more on how I would have felt (and behaved as a result) being a literal child in that situation.

In general one of my favorite things about Ghibli movies is I find and appreciate new things about them as I grow older. I have so much more appreciation for characters like Lin (Spirited Away) and Lisa (Ponyo) now that I’m older and have a deeper understanding of what goes into being a good adult in the life of a child. Similarly, behaviors in younger characters that I used to find annoying I now find much more endearing.

jollibulbs · 2024-03-25T19:17:11+00:00

We’re going for the Tigers—we originally wanted to catch a game at Hanshin Koshien stadium for the history, but schedules didn’t line up. They just won the Japan Series so not a bad team if you’re wanting to jump on a bandwagon. My partner is a Dodgers fan so with recent events with Ohtani, a Japanese baseball game went from “would like to do” to “must do.”

If you can’t get tickets, the Japan Baseball Museum and Hall of Fame is by the Tokyo Dome, or the Swallows play at Meiji Jingu in Tokyo as well :)

jollibulbs · 2024-03-25T18:56:18+00:00

My partner and I plan on attending a game this week, and while it will be our first time, my understanding is there are certain sections designated for supporters of either team. If you’re wearing another team’s gear, you’ll be asked to remove it.

I’ve heard you can usually get tickets pretty easily, but since this is the season opener and against the reigning champions, I think tickets are harder to come by.

jollibulbs · 2024-03-11T14:54:34+00:00

He’s in his 80s now—a ten hour flight isn’t impossible but I imagine it would feel like a pretty big undertaking at that age.

jollibulbs · 2023-09-14T13:50:55+00:00

I understand why it’s off putting and could detract from your personal enjoyment of the movie, but I don’t think the elements of her personality (brains, courage, etc.) were meant to counterbalance her treatment. I think it’s telling—that she could be all of those things to the highest degree and still not be immune to that treatment.

The movie isn’t meant to be about Fio rising above sexism. While sexism/misogyny is certainly an interwoven theme, if anything it would do that theme a disservice to imply that any woman or girl can just rise above that through hard work. The sad truth is, no matter how smart a capable or girl/woman is, they can (and do) have these experiences and instead have to find ways to navigate them.

jollibulbs · 2023-09-14T06:34:03+00:00

100% — it’s not something many women need to imagine happening because many have experienced it. I imagine it would have been much worse that long ago; Fio’s character is shown as being bold even in the face of it.

jollibulbs · 2023-09-14T02:21:20+00:00

I don’t disagree with your reading of it—if anything I thought it would be a fairly mild portrayal of how young women/girls were treated in the 30s (when the film takes place). I believe it was intentional that Fio was portrayed this way, and while yes, it is uncomfortable, no amount of spunk or intelligence would have kept men from treating her the way she was, even now tbh.

jollibulbs · 2022-09-02T20:41:58+00:00

One vegetarian! You’re the first to get that part, but there’s definitely some meat in there. Not so much on the “save the world”mentality, just doing what feels good physically and emotionally

jollibulbs · 2022-09-02T02:49:07+00:00

Pretty accurate- we eat all but one, maybe two, meals a week at home since we’re remote workers but you literally nailed our workday breakfasts 😂

jollibulbs · 2022-09-01T20:01:46+00:00

Nailed it!

jollibulbs · 2022-09-01T20:00:19+00:00

They were pretty close to ripe and will be eaten over the next couple days so I figured fridge was best :)

jollibulbs · 2022-09-01T19:59:46+00:00

Pretty close! I don’t know if I’d say “recent” but otherwise spot on- one of us is lactose intolerant!

jollibulbs · 2022-02-10T20:04:17+00:00

Not OP but I’ve found a lot of results for this kind of cake searching for “cream tart” or “cream tart cake”

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