Eat Your Way Down the Route
7 days: Tokyo → Kyoto → Osaka. Every stop below is backed by 21 roundups of Japanese comment-section consensus — including which famous stops locals tell you to skip, and where they go instead.
Read before you go
Day 1-2 · Tokyo
Everything locals say about Tokyo →Day 3-4 · Kyoto
Everything locals say about Kyoto →Day 5-7 · Osaka
- Best Takoyaki in Osaka? Where Locals Actually Go297 likes on the top commentHas a locals' alternative6 places named
- USJ Food Prices: Worth It? 10,863 Likes AnswerJapanese visitors split10,863 likes on the top commentHas a locals' alternative3 places named
- Cheapest Place to Stay in Osaka: What ¥2,800 Really GetsJapanese visitors split502 likes on the top commentHas a locals' alternative3 places named
If you came for the baths
How onsen and ryokan actually work, and the quiet ones locals use instead of the famous baths.
If it's anime, arcades and theme parks
What locals say the otaku districts have become, and whether the parks are worth a whole day.
- Is Akihabara Worth It Anymore? What Japanese Otaku SayJapanese visitors split93 likes on the top commentHas a locals' alternative4 places named
- Is the USJ Express Pass Worth It? Japanese Visitors DecideJapanese visitors split1,317 likes on the top commentHas a locals' alternative1 place named
- How Much Does Tokyo DisneySea Cost? A ¥20,000 ReceiptJapanese people say go9,391 likes on the top commentHas a locals' alternative1 place named
If you're doing it cheap
The cheap sleeps and cheap chains Japanese people actually rate — not the tourist-facing ones.
More of what locals said about this route
Roundups that didn't fit a day above, but are about the same stops on Tokyo → Kyoto → Osaka.
- Teishoku in Tokyo: 5 Halls Where Regulars Actually Eat23 likes on the top comment5 places named
- Kyoto Cheap Eats: The Diners Japanese Regulars Use16 likes on the top comment7 places named
- Arashiyama Street Food: Japan's Bluntest ReviewJapanese visitors say go1,107 likes on the top commentHas a locals' alternative5 places named
- What Is Nikusui? Osaka's Hangover Soup, Explained1,722 likes on the top commentHas a locals' alternative1 place named
- Best Onsen in Kansai: Real Picks Near Kyoto, Fact-Checked48 likes on the top commentHas a locals' alternative10 places named
- Why Is Saizeriya So Cheap? Japanese Diners Say Raise PricesJapanese people say go438 likes on the top commentHas a locals' alternative3 places named
Every route is assembled from our own translated roundups of Japanese YouTube comment sections — nothing here is invented. Opening hours and prices change, so we link out to maps and to the original videos instead of stating them.
Some links on this page are affiliate links — if you book through one, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Which places appear here is decided by the source comments only.