Given the age, I would suggest hanging out in Shinsaibashi/Namba while in Osaka. Lots of young people and trendy places. Same goes for Harajuku and Shibuya in Tokyo. Teens generally prefer those places over historic Nara/Kyoto, though they still probably want Instabai moments in historic places too.

Also consider a side trip to Miyajima while in Hiroshima. Hike up to the top for the the views (30-45minutes).

I'm no expert on Japan by any means, so I can't really evaluate your itinerary.

What I can share is what I learned doing a 9 day solo trip to Tokyo, Yokohama, and Narita Town.

1) Read the sticky "Tips for first time visitors to Japan" on this forum. It is chock full of invaluable information.
2) If you are changing hotels around the area, use a luggage forwarding service. It is explained in the Tips thread and it was such a great idea. Nothing like checking into your hotel and having your luggage waiting for you in your room and you didn't have to lug it through subway and train stations to get there.

I can't help you with your itinerary, but my first trip to Tokyo/Yokohama/Narita Town was a big success because of the tips I learned in the sticky.

Have fun and good luck!

Here's an interesting article on what to do in Kyoto at New Year's:
https://www.insidekyoto.com/new-years-in-kyoto

The more I think about it, the more I feel that the best places for a tourist to be from Dec. 31 to Jan 2 are Kyoto, Nara, or a ski resort. With the Hyatt points, you may find that Kyoto makes sense. As the article on Kyoto points out, you will find that most restaurants are closed from Dec 31 to Jan 2. Many will open from the 3rd, but some of my favorite mom-and-pop places were closed through Jan 5 this year.

The poster above who said that Tokyo won't be "dead" on your first two days, is right, but I swear I saw tumbleweed on Jan 2.

One of my favorite bars stayed open through New Year's - The owner's customers told him that his place was a refuge; a place to find company at a lonely time, or to escape the company that they had at home. Hehe.

I spent NY's a year ago at the Hyatt Regency Tokyo. The area was dead, but we found a craft beer bar that was open. Our sons went "out on the town" and did find a restaurant, but last call was 9:30pm.

Given the sheer volume of garbage and detritus we’ve encountered when returning in the first light from our Hatsumōde/Hatsuhinode excursions, Shibuya has long been a draw for activities on New Years Eve.

Now we’re in the future and can check footage of what goes on to create all the mess, here it is; a classic example of either much too much or absence.


If they do resume the official 2024 Countdown this year it may well be even more crowded.

ETA - Making your way through the smaller scramble crossing on a bike the way the solitary cyclist does in that video at the 20:37 point does look surreal and appealing. Probably quite difficult to arrange for a newly arrived visitor. (Some Hostel type places do offer bike rental, not seen this service at any of the more ‘luxe hotels.)

This is what Shinjuku is like on the 1st January

Keep in mind after your almost inevitable visit to First Kitchen during the New Year period that it is the worst of the Burger chains. Remember, it will only get better after this.

So for two or three nights in Tokyo at the beginning of the trip (still pondering 1 night Narita airport hotel in case the flight is delayed), what area would you recommend? I've looked at Shinjuku and Ginza for 12/29-1/1, but don't think those would be the best choices. Debating Shibuya as that area looks lively over the New Year, but maybe TOO lively? Is there an area I'm not considering that would make better sense?

Next, the day of and right after New Year, I've had thoughts on trucking all the way down to Hiroshima and perhaps Miyajima directly from Tokyo. I know it's a long travel day, but the 1st seems to be sort of a lost day anyways from what I can tell, so as long as we can find food (and assuming I make train reservations in advance) perhaps this is a good use of the day? If this is reasonable, does anyone have recommendations about where to stay in or near Hiroshima?

If we did Hiroshima/Miyajima 1/1-1/3, we would then have about four nights in Osaka. This should allow time for a day trip to Nara, as well as USJ day, and still be able to roam a bit. Is Cross Hotel a good location for someone traveling with a 19yo who will want to see all things teen? Or are there any suggestions for locations/hotels in Osaka? I am trying to keep that stay relatively affordable if I can.

I know this would mean more than 7 days of rail travel, but I'm not terribly fussed over that. Once locations are determined, I'll run the numbers and see whether a 7-day plus whatever is outside of that makes more sense, or whether we should just purchase all necessary rail tickets individually. I know I'm not making the most economical choice here, but it's a trade-off between economy and making the most of a once-in-a-lifetime trip.

Wait, is there chain fast food ranking thread somewhere around here? I've actually never stopped in at First Kitchen but did notice the locations in shotengai and heavy foot traffic areas. I would like to compare KFCs but have always had other meals prioritized over that.

Would in-station ekiben shops still be open Jan 1 if Op headed onto the shinkansen towards Hiroshima? If staying in Tokyo, I think I'd ask the concierge to pre-order osechi bento or even grab whatever less perishable department store bento is still available on Dec 31st and risk the wrath of the "eat within the day" expiration date.

🥁Tadah🎺
https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/japa...g-opinion.html

I cannot imagine how ekiben in their usual range could be available on the 1st.
Definitely worth asking the concierge for suggested options.

ETA - I never saw this gem, where First Kitchen gets a thread of its own.
https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/japa...l#post17440255
Hadn’t realised they have melon soda ice cream floats. I have a weakness for these on a hot day.

I'd forgotten about the first thread but between the KIX & LapChild's (LapTeen?) opinion on Lotteria which is a step above First Kitchen in your rankings https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/30717931-post54.html well, I guess I've been warned?

Couple of kaiten sushi chains open New Year's Day where one can also get a bowl of noodles if looking for something hot so hopefully Op wouldn't need to resort to First Kitchen.
https://www.timeout.com/tokyo/restau...-new-years-day

I used to come for Christmas/New Year when MrLapLap was still in Tokyo and I was in London and we’d go for walks together in the Shinjuku area. First Kitchen was one of the few places open. It got bought by Wendy’s (who made a comeback to Japan) a few years ago so it might be improved. I did notice in the video of Shibuya that the Wendy’s First Kitchen was still one of the only fast food franchises that was opened; brought back memories.

Talking of which, my now teenage daughter STILL remembers her Lotteria burger and was talking about it earlier this month. Turns out it was a black pepper burger, probably a limited edition style, where the black pepper taste was extremely prominent. Seems to be set for ever as a “do you remember when….?” experience. Just like my one and only First Kitchen visit on New Years Day all those years ago.

What I do remember fondly about the shops reopening on the 2nd and 3rd of January are the Lucky Bags.
This may or may not be something Chemystery ‘s kid gets into, if she does the concept can be very exciting.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fukubukuro
It’s one of the few ways to openly gamble in Japan, particularly for someone under twenty.

These pink slips are absolute magic, they make your luggage disappear and reappear at your next hotel, airport etc.

Don’t worry about filling them in, one hotel will organise shipping from one to the next.

Japanese people generally don’t travel with lots of luggage, the ship it. Trains, especially a busy Shinkansen are not really equipped to deal with anything larger than a carryon. Wrestling a large suitcase around the Tokyo public transport system is no fun either. It’s pretty cheap as well.
https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...21824a0c9.jpeg

I've never visited Miyajima at New Year's, but since it's an iconic shrine, I can almost guarantee that it will attract huge numbers of visitors in the first days of January. Staying overnight on Dec 31 would be quite an experience - but I am sure that the lodgings are oversubscribed. They may well have a lottery system to decide who gets to reserve a room for that night. Worth looking into but likely to be difficult.
Hiroshima itself is a pleasant city - more manageable in size than Japan's mega-cities, and relatively green. I recently spent a weekend trundling around the wide boulevards using the shared bicycle scheme (you need to download an app and register your credit card to use the bicycles). In terms of things to see, the Peace Memorial Museum is closed on Dec 30-31 but open again from Jan 1. It's harrowing, but I think it's "must see" if you are visiting Hiroshima. I'd advise going on a fine day, when you can feel uplifted after your visit by taking a walk in the Peace Park or nearby streets.

I expect Miyajima would be absolutely packed on. The first but book now and you might be able to score somewhere to stay on the island. If you wanted the full New Year’s Day experience you could hike up komagabayashi for the sunrise. ( I did this once on a hot summers day and was so happy to slip inside a hotel for the onsen before heading back to Hiroshima)

One fun thing you can do heading that way is take the sunrise izumo/seto night train. The pass covers it but you have to pay extra for a cabin. It’s the last regular sleeper service in japan and no idea how much longer it will last. We rode it after visiting a sake brewery in country Okayama and it was a lovely way to get back to Tokyo, especially after a massive yakiniku dinner by the station and a really great bottle to fall asleep with.

A trip to and tour round a sake brewery is a really interesting thing to do. A tour round the production area needs arranging in advance, especially around new years, peak brewing season. But there’s a lot of breweries that are a good day out. Kumazawa Shuzo is a good one near Tokyo. Not only do they brew sake but they also brew beer, distill gin, bake bread, make sausages, run a cafe and an amazing restaurant. It’s only a short trip outside Tokyo.