📅 20-Day Itinerary

Transit: Haneda → Tokyo Big Sight ~25-35 min limousine bus (¥1,000). Walking: minimal — airport terminal walk + Big Sight → DoubleTree (~5 min walk, ~400m) + any konbini runs (5 min each way). Realistic step count: 4,000-6,000 steps (just hotel + nearby konbini).

Three neighborhoods on the Yamanote line (1-3 stops apart). Speedrun mode — hit each area's top 2-3 priorities. Bring water, portable fan, comfortable shoes. Realistic step count: 18,000-22,000 steps (~12-15 km). Total door-to-door: 12 hours. Daughter's MUSTs: SEGA Store (Shibuya), Hatsune Miku Store (Harajuku), 2D Café (Shin-Okubo).

Transit legs (trains): DoubleTree → Shibuya ~25 min. Shibuya → Harajuku 4 min (1 Yamanote stop). Harajuku → Shinjuku 4 min (1 Yamanote stop). Shinjuku → Shin-Okubo 2 min (1 Yamanote stop). Shin-Okubo → DoubleTree ~28 min. Walking per area: Shibuya ~5,000 steps · Harajuku ~4,500 steps · Shinjuku+Shin-Okubo ~8,000 steps.

Friday = lower crowds than weekends. Fantasy Springs zones (Frozen, Tangled, Peter Pan) opened June 2024 — totally new since your 2023 visit. Premier Access required for Anna and Elsa's Frozen Journey + Peter Pan Never Land Adventure — book in app the morning of, sells out by 10 AM. Park hopper not needed (DisneySea only).

Shonen Jump (Bleach, Naruto, Dragon Ball, JJK, MHA, Demon Slayer, Saint Seiya) · Gundam + Transformers · Vocaloid + Project SEKAI · Zelda + Splatoon · Ranma + Sailor Moon · Pokemon · Copic Markers (Tools Ochanomizu)

Transit legs: DoubleTree → Akasaka ~40 min. Akasaka → Tokyo Station 5 min Metro Marunouchi Line (2 stops, ¥170). Tokyo Station → Shimbashi 3 min JR Yamanote → Yurikamome Shin-Toyosu 12 min (~¥390). Shin-Toyosu → Daiba 8 min Yurikamome (~¥260). Daiba → DoubleTree ~20 min Yurikamome back. Walking within sites: Akasaka Stn Exit 4 → HP Café 3 min (~250m). Tokyo Station Yaesu side character street all underground. Shin-Toyosu Stn → teamLab Planets 1 min (~80m). Daiba Stn → DiverCity (Unicorn Gundam + Gundam Base) 5 min (~400m). Realistic: 14,000-16,000 steps (~10-11 km). teamLab Planets is barefoot walking through water features — add ~1 km inside.

No overnight in Hakone — this is a packed day trip hitting the highlights (volcano, shrine, food trail), then Shinkansen to Nagoya for 2-night stay at Marriott Associa. 8 food stops, zero sushi/ramen. Hakone Free Pass covers all Hakone transport.

Option A — Meitetsu Direct Shuttle Bus ⭐ EASIEST: Meitetsu Bus Center 4F (connected to Nagoya Station, 2 min walk from Marriott). ~40 min direct, ¥1,200 one-way. Cashless only (IC card/credit). Weekday departures: ~8:20 AM, then roughly hourly. Return buses until ~4:45 PM. Option B — Subway + Linimo: Higashiyama Line → Fujigaoka (30 min, ¥310) → Linimo → Ai-Chikyuhaku-Kinen-Koen (15 min, ¥360). Total ~46 min, ¥670. Runs every 5-15 min all day — more flexible for return. Recommended: Bus there (simple), subway back (flexible schedule).

Transit: MIMARU → Keihan Kiyomizu-Gojo Stn (3 min walk) → Keihan direct to Fushimi-Inari Stn (15 min, ¥270) ⭐ fastest route. Inari → Kiyomizu-dera ~20 min bus + walk. Kiyomizu → Gion: walk downhill 15 min (~1.2 km). Walking within sites: Fushimi Inari climb to Yotsutsuji viewpoint 30 min uphill each way + stairs (~2 km round). Kiyomizu approach is uphill 10 min. Sannenzaka / Ninenzaka slopes are cobblestone + stairs. Gion walking loop ~2 km. Realistic: 16,000-20,000 steps (~12-14 km) with significant elevation. Brutal in 32°C — hat, towel, water. Do Fushimi at 7 AM before heat peaks.

Transit: MIMARU → Kinkaku-ji ~35 min (Karasuma Line to Kitaoji + Bus #205). Kinkaku-ji → Ryoan-ji 15 min walk (~1.2 km) or 5 min bus. Ryoan-ji → Kyoto Station (for teamLab) ~30 min bus/taxi. Kyoto Stn → Nishiki 15 min subway + walk. Nishiki → Arashiyama (HOSHINOYA) ~25 min JR Sagano Line + boat. Walking inside sites: Kinkaku-ji loop ~500m, Ryoan-ji veranda + garden ~400m, teamLab Biovortex ~1 km internal, Nishiki Market ~800m covered arcade. Realistic: 9,000-11,000 steps (~6-7 km). More transit than walking.

You missed Osaka Castle in 2023 — fixing that this morning. Then check out, Shinkansen to Tokyo, settle in DoubleTree Ariake (round 2). Easy evening — recovery before Magical Mirai stretch. Yamato luggage Osaka → Tokyo ahead of time so you only carry daypacks.

You've covered Ghibli Park already (Day 9). Today: Tokyo's two iconic towers + the massive Solamachi mall at Skytree base for shopping. Daughter wanted both. Also check collab cafe calendar for any Vocaloid/Project SEKAI/JJK pop-up cafés running this week — these get scheduled in the months leading up. Add the Pokemon Center Skytree Town to the day.

If you won Saturday Jul 25 shows, repeat the day-trip pattern: Shinkansen Tokyo→Hamamatsu in AM, show midday and/or evening, last train back 22:45 to DoubleTree Ariake.

If you won the Sunday Jul 26 night show: same day-trip pattern (Tokyo → Hamamatsu Shinkansen, last train back ~22:45). This is the trip's emotional climax.