Japan Trip Planning Deck
Thank you so much for getting my Japan Trip Planning Deck! A lot of thought and love has gone into creating it, and I hope you find it useful.
What’s on the Cards
How to Use the Deck
The deck’s very flexible, so use it in whichever way works for you. If you’re not sure, here are some suggestions!
Open both boxes
The “Food and Day Trips” box includes seasonal activities and fun things to do, in addition to the attractions in the other box. They’re designed to be used together. Feel free to mix them up!
Browse for inspiration
Even if you’ve been to Japan before, I’m pretty sure there’ll be places you haven’t been. Now’s the time to get excited for your trip and look forward to all the amazing experiences you’ll have!
Pick your must-do’s
Sort the cards into must-do’s and maybe’s. Everyone has different interests, and I’m a big believer in doing what interests you, not just the generic top 10 things to do in Tokyo.
Group by area
Take your pile of must-do’s, and group them by location (in the bottom corner). This gives an idea of what you could do together in the same day, to make the most of your time.
The backs of the cards have more ideas for what else is nearby.
Build your itinerary
Rearrange the cards to build your itinerary in as much detail as you want to. Some people like to plan what they’re doing every day, and others prefer a looser style of travel.
If you’re not sure where to start, pick a location you definitely want to go to (yellow cards), then add attractions that are in that area. Or start with a must-do attraction and add other attractions that are nearby.
If you want to save it for future reference, take a photo on your phone. When you’re in Japan, you can take just the cards you need with you each day in your pocket. All the essential details, like how to get there, are on the back. You can also use the icons to find activities for a rainy day – it can rain any time of year in Japan, so it’s good to have something in mind as a back-up!
And if you’re the kind of person (like me!) who keeps their coloured pencils in the right order, I hereby give you permission to mix up the cards as much as you like! They come in two boxes so you don’t have to take them all with you.
Don’t pack in too much!
It can be tempting to want to do everything, especially with limited time in Japan. Remember the aim is to enjoy it, not to go absolutely everywhere!
Know your must-do’s, and have other ideas in mind for if you have time.
Arrival day
You’ll probably be tired after the long flight, so save the places you’re most excited about for another day when you’re feeling fresh – you’ll enjoy them much more!
For your arrival day, I’d recommend picking an area (yellow cards) to stroll around – or explore the area where you’re staying. Keep it chilled, as you probably won’t be feeling too sharp after the flight! Some places I’ve enjoyed on my arrival day are Sugamo and Yanesen – they’re not must-do places (and perhaps more for your second/third trip to Japan), but they’re low key, relaxed and not as full-on or busy as areas like Shibuya and Shinjuku.
Balance your trip
The cards are colour coded, so you can easily see if you have a balance of different sorts of activities that works for you eg how much shopping vs culture.
When you arrange the cards, you can visually see how much you have to do in each area. But remember to pay attention to how long you need eg Akihabara can easily fill a whole day if you’re into anime (and you’ll probably want to go back…!). Everyone has a different style and speed of travelling, so the “how long you need” time is just a suggestion.
In Tokyo, walking around, exploring an area can be entertainment in itself eg strolling around Shibuya in the evening, soaking up the atmosphere. So don’t worry if you don’t have attraction cards for every location.
Food
Instead of recommending specific restaurants, the cards cover the wide variety of Japanese food, explaining what to expect and how to find it. There are so many amazing places to eat in Japan that there’s no need to stick to recommendations or restaurants you’ve seen online. The places in viral videos are often crowded and fully booked, with long queues, and may not offer the best experience overall. The standard really is excellent across the board in Japan, and even cheap food is fantastic quality.
Good food really is everywhere in Japan, so don’t worry too much about the locations. Cards with chopsticks symbol just have a lot of choice, or are known for being good places to find restaurants. Even locations without the symbol will likely still have restaurants and cafes – and you’re never too far from a convenience store or vending machine in Tokyo!
There’s also plenty of non-Japanese food in Tokyo, so if you’re craving a burger, pizza, pasta or curry you’ll definitely be able to find that too.
Allow Time for Travelling
Remember that it takes time to get from place to place. Even if the cards say you need 1 hour for each place, it’s unlikely you can fit 10 places into one day! Tokyo’s a huge city and it takes time to get across it. Google Maps is useful to give an idea of travel times and routes on the metro.
Some stations are huge; you can end up walking quite a long way through underground tunnels to find your platform, or get to the exit, so it takes longer to get to place to place than just the time you’re on the train.
I’d recommend grouping your activities by area (or at least east/west, etc), so you’re not wasting time zigzagging across the city. The bottom left corner shows the area (use the mini map card too), and on the back it tells you what else is nearby.
It’s also worth allowing yourself free time to explore and wander around the areas you’re visiting – you never know what you might come across by chance! Most tourists stay on the few popular streets where it’s crowded, especially in places like Asakusa, so if you wander into the backstreets you’ll get a more authentic glimpse of life in Tokyo.
Plan Together
The deck’s perfect for planning your trip together with your friends/family. Cross reference your must-dos, and make sure everyone’s favourites are included!
Send me a Photo!
If you take the deck with you to Tokyo, I’d love to see a photo of you with it there!
Feel free to tag me; I’m “Cakes with Faces” pretty much everywhere. And Cakes with Faces just me, so I’ll definitely see it:
It always makes me smile to see my designs “in the wild” with you on your adventures! I keep a collection of photos on Pinterest – there are almost 1000 on there:
Japan Videos
Many of the places in the deck are featured in my travel videos on YouTube. The QR codes on the backs of the cards link to them, and there are new videos on my channel on Thursdays.
I also regularly publish Japan Travel News videos with new places that have opened, and what’s coming up – subscribe to catch them!
I always try and reply to comments on YouTube, even on old videos, so feel free to ask in the comments if there’s something you’re not sure about.
Need More Help Planning Your Trip?
My 300 page Japan guide book has lots of practical tips, like how to get around on the trains, all about money/cash/cards in Japan, useful phrases and checklists of everything you need to get sorted.
It can be used alongside the decks, providing in-depth practical help with your trip. And if you’re a fan of kawaii, there’s also my Mini Guide to Kawaii Tokyo.
