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<\/figure>\n\n\n\nWhen planning a trip to Japan, it seems\nonly natural to want to visit the country\u2019s capital, Tokyo, right? Then again,\nyou\u2019re worried the city is too overblown, so you\u2019re considering going to Kyoto\ninstead. How do you choose between the two?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
You don\u2019t have to pick between Tokyo or Kyoto if you don\u2019t want to. You can see them both, even in the same day, by taking the shinkansen <\/em>or bullet train.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n In this article, I will share all the best\nthings you can see in both Tokyo and Kyoto. This way, you can plan an itinerary\nthat has you making the most of your trip to Japan rather than choosing one\ncity over the other. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The better question is why not <\/em>visit\nTokyo? As a blog dedicated to this city, I have written extensively about all\nthe perks you\u2019ll find in Tokyo. For example, if you want to check out the\nsouvenirs and gifts you might buy across Tokyo, click here<\/a>.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n Shopping is just one of countless\nactivities you might fill your time with during your stay in Japan. Make it a\npoint to plan the following for your Tokyo itinerary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Tokyo certainly has its fair share of these.\nFor one, there\u2019s the Tokyo Skytree. Not only does it stand taller than any\nother building in Japan, but it\u2019s higher than any in the entire world! The\nSkytree is over 2,080 feet, so it\u2019s certainly earned that distinction. While a\nlot of radio and television stations do operate in the Skytree, it has its fair\nshare of shops and restaurants as well. Make it a point to get to the top of\nthe observation deck at some point to see some unbeatable sights.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Besides Tokyo Skytree, you also don\u2019t want\nto miss the Unicorn Gundam Statue. Whether you stop by during the day or at\nnight, this huge statue embodies Tokyo\u2019s culture well. It\u2019s nearly 70 feet tall\nand does attract a crowd. That said, it\u2019s worth it to take a picture (or 10) near\nthis impressive Gundam statue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I also want to recommend a natural\nstructure, in this case Mount Fuji. One of the best-known Japanese landmarks\nfor a reason, Mount Fuji is almost 3,800 meters at the tallest points of the\nmountain. You don\u2019t necessarily have to hike it, but you definitely can if\nyou\u2019re so inclined. Otherwise, you can always hang back and take pictures. <\/p>\n\n\n\n If you\u2019re in the mood for some spectator\nsports, sumo wrestling is a pretty good one. This isn\u2019t necessarily a Tokyo\nthing, either; you can find sumo across Japan. That said, three of the biggest\nsumo events of the year do take place at Ryogoku Kokugikan in Tokyo. Make sure\nyou plan your visit for December, January, or May to catch these events. These\naren\u2019t just one-night sumo matches, either. They\u2019re tournaments that last for a\nlittle more than two weeks!<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you\u2019d prefer to spend your time out in\nnature, you\u2019re more than covered. I recently wrote a post about the 12\nbest Tokyo parks<\/a>. These include Yoyogi\nPark, Ueno Park, Chichibu-Tama-Kai National Park, Odaiba Seaside Park, and\nShowa Memorial Park.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Most parks attract their fair share of\nhuman traffic, but expect the parks to get especially busy in the spring when\ncherry blossom season begins. <\/p>\n\n\n\n No matter your budget or cravings, you can\nsurely find a restaurant, caf\u00e9, or eatery that suits you across Tokyo. As of\n2009, Tokyo had 160,000 restaurants, says BBC<\/a>.\nThat number has surely only grown in a decade. Also, as recently as 2018, Tokyo\nboasted more restaurants with Michelin stars than any other in the world, says Food\nDrink & Franchise<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Seeking the nightlife? There is absolutely\nno shortage in Tokyo. Here\u2019s\nan article<\/a> on our blog that breaks\ndown all the places you can go at night. You can do more than just eat or drink\nin Roppongi, too. There\u2019s also arcades, karaoke bars, live sports (like sumo),\nobservation decks, park parties, and so much more. <\/p>\n\n\n\n For the family-oriented or roller coaster\nthrill-seekers, Tokyo has a lot to offer in the way of theme parks. Tokyo\nDisneyland is among the best-known parks, but it\u2019s far from the only one. Your\nother options include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n As I\u2019ve written\nabout<\/a>, Kyoto came first. It was once the\ncapital of Japan before Tokyo took that role and hasn\u2019t relinquished it since. Therefore,\nyou should spend time here, too, as it\u2019s an important city in Japan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Here are some sights to plan for when in\nKyoto. Get your itinerary ready! <\/p>\n\n\n\n While there\u2019s no Tokyo Skytree here, Kyoto\ndoes have an abundance of tall buildings. You won\u2019t miss the Skytree much when\nyou see Kyoto\u2019s answer to it, the Kyoto Tower. It\u2019s 328 feet tall, so it\u2019s much\nmore modest than the Tokyo Skytree. The Kyoto Tower weighs 800 tons and has\nnine stories. Inside, you can find stores and restaurants. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Standing at 330 feet is the Nidec\nCorporation Head Office Building. Following that is the Kyocera Headquarters\nBuilding at 311 feet. Outside of private corporations, the Kyoto Station will\nalso leave you in awe, as it\u2019s 230 impressive feet tall. You can easily get to\nKyoto Tower from the station, so check out both buildings! If you can stay at\nthe Kyoto Hotel Okura, this dizzying building has a height of 197 feet. <\/p>\n\n\n\n There are no sumo wrestling matches in\nKyoto as of this writing, but luckily, that\u2019s not the only sport in Japan. The\ncity is also home to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you want to see something like sumo,\ncheck out a kosen judo event. Kyoto has always been heavily involved in kosen\njudo. Before the 1940s, the city ran a series of schools training prospective\nstudents in this form of judo. Their judo students have the most wins at the\nNanatei league as well. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Kyoto has its own sporting arena, the\nTakebishi Stadium Kyoto. This went from by the name Kyoto Nishikyogoku Athletic\nStadium until very recently. Around since 1942, you can fit nearly 21,000\npeople in there. They often gather to see the Kyoto Sanga FC football games. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Like Tokyo, Kyoto has plenty of parks for\nyou to enjoy. Here\u2019s an overview as well as some information about each park. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Although maybe it doesn\u2019t have as many\nrestaurants as Tokyo, trust me when I say you won\u2019t be starving in Kyoto. The\nfood here will amaze, as you can order familiar dishes like pizza or Italian\nfood as well as dine at restaurants dedicated to sushi, barbeque, steaks, or\neven Chinese cuisine. Of course, if you want authentic Japanese food, Kyoto has\nit in spades.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For those nights of fine dining, take a\nlook at these Michelin-starred Kyoto restaurants courtesy of Culture\nTrip<\/a>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Before setting foot in any of these\nestablishments, you might want to brush up on your Japanese etiquette<\/a>.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n Tokyo has Roppongi, the hub of nightlife.\nAs for Kyoto, you can find nightlife just about anywhere. Whether you want to\nspend the evening drinking, dancing, or absorbing the atmosphere at a\nnightclub, you\u2019ve got options. Here are some picks to consider:<\/p>\n\n\n\n As I said earlier in this article, I\nrecommend you take the shinkansenor bullet train to get between Tokyo\nand Kyoto. I have a great article<\/a>\non this blog about navigating the two cities. <\/p>\n\n\n\n To recap, you can ride the shinkansen\nanytime between 6 a.m. and midnight. After midnight, you\u2019d have to find an\nalternate means of getting around, so watch how long you stay out at a bar or\nclub! Either that or get a hotel in the city you\u2019re visiting for the night. <\/p>\n\n\n\n You can bring two bags or pieces of\nluggage with you, so toting an overnight bag is a possibility. Each bag must\nweigh no more than 66 pounds. The luggage also cannot exceed 98 inches for the\nwidth, depth, or height. <\/p>\n\n\n\n If you happen to have a snack or a meal on\nyou, you can eat it onboard the train. Otherwise, you can buy beverages,\nincluding beer, during your ride. You can also purchase some food to nibble on.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n It is a somewhat long trip from Tokyo to\nKyoto on a shinkansen train. You\u2019ll ride for three hours and 40 minutes. Plan\naccordingly. It\u2019s also not a very cheap trip. The fare costs between 10,300 and\n11,600 yen. That\u2019s $96.87 to $109.09 USD. <\/p>\n\n\n\n If you\u2019re staying in Japan for seven days,\nyou might split it so you\u2019re in Tokyo for the first or four three days and then\nKyoto for the last three or four or vice-versa. This way you\u2019re not spending\nthat kind of money daily to get around. You could if you really want to, but\nit\u2019ll chew through your budget fast. I can help you plan your Tokyo itinerary\nwith this\narticle<\/a>, which does include plans for three\ndays. You\u2019ll have your time very much occupied, but you\u2019ll get to see a lot! <\/p>\n\n\n\n Tokyo, as Japan\u2019s capital, has 9.273\nmillion residents per 2015 data through the United Nations. The same data\nsource says that, as of 2015, 1.475 million people live in Kyoto. You might\nthink you can avoid the crowds by going to Kyoto over Tokyo. Then you get there\nand realize that Kyoto is just as crowded. <\/p>\n\n\n\n You don\u2019t want to waste precious time\nwaiting in line or navigating through heavy throngs of people. Sometimes,\nthat\u2019s unavoidable, but it\u2019s all about how you plan your trip. Here are some\npointers for getting away from the crowds.<\/p>\n\n\n\nWhy Visit Tokyo?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Larger-Than-Life Structures<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Sumo Wrestling Matches<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Parks<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Eating and Drinking <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Nightlife <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Theme Parks<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Why Visit Kyoto?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Larger-Than-Life Structures<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Sports<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Parks<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Eating and Drinking<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Nightlife<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Getting Between Tokyo and Kyoto Via the\nShinkansen<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Navigating Crowds<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Trains<\/h3>\n\n\n\n