[Japan] Need help on settling my itinerary plans/order

I might suggest you edit and put your destination in your title, to attract more attention. Safe travels!

We did 8 days in Japan prior to a great cruise from Tokyo to Hong Kong that included four ports in Japan.
We stayed a nice hotel near Tokyo Station that was very convenient.
North of Tokyo do a day trip to Nikko. Highly recommended.
https://www.tripadvisor.com/Tourism-g298182-Nikko_Tochigi_Prefecture_Kanto-Vacations.html
Also, did a day tour to a place south of Tokyo and saw a giant Buddha.
We did a couple of tours in Tokyo that visit the typical sites.

The highlight of visiting Japan was taking a 3 day tour to Nara and Kyoto. We had purchased the tour prior to flying into Tokyo.
I don't remember the name of the tour company, but I think I went through Viator.

This may be similar to what we took.
https://www.viator.com/tours/Tokyo/3-Day-Kyoto-and-Nara-Rail-Tour-by-Bullet-Train-from-Tokyo/d334-2142TYO_QT2_QT3

I’ve got Japan in the back of my mind for a visit and I’ve been looking at material I find online. I found this one article on Lonely Planet that was really interesting that you might enjoy and possibly find helpful.
https://www.lonelyplanet.com/articles/train-travel-trip-japan-planning-guide

Also, Härte is a post from a few months ago that has lots of good information on Japan. https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/beyond-europe/how-long-is-a-good-amount-of-time-for-a-first-visit-to-japan-going-2x-this-year-please-read

You'll have a great time and have obviously done a lot of thinking about what you would like to see. My main suggestion is to leave a lot of time for serendipity instead of focusing on specific destinations, except for the specific destinations that you really, really want to see.

A few suggestions: If you want to go to the Ghibli Museum, advance reservations are a must, and often hard to get. For cherry blossoms, famous locations can be wildly crowded, but that can be part of the fun, too. You have two towers in Tokyo scheduled - depending on the area where you spend the most time, you could scrap both of them and go to the top floor of the Metropolitan Government buildings for great views for free. Culinary Backstreets, which does excellent short food tours in Europe, has a new one in Tokyo. Tours like that are fun and will leave you with great restaurant tips and a better idea of how to find and order whatever kind of food you want to eat. In a city like Tokyo, those places are often in basements, office building lobbies, or stacked high in large or small buildings.

In Kyoto - Arashiyama Bamboo Forest and especially the Monkey Park can take awhile to reach, and some people find them underwhelming. Consider at least one less popular temple to get a different feel for Kyoto. Kiyomizu Temple is one of the most popular temples in Kyoto, but I'd add that in. It's easy to do a day trip from Kyoto to Nara so that you don't have to change hotels so often. In Nara, go to Todaiji with its giant Buddha - you'll see the deer enroute. I'll add that those deer are my least favorite aspect of Nara.

Himeji for sure - that castle is remarkable, and Himeji is an easy stop on the bullet train line. You could do it enroute from Kobe to Hiroshima. If you get a rail pass, you can zip back and forth across the country quite easily. You could even get to Hiroshima and back as a day trip from Kobe, with adequate time for the Peace Museum and Park.

I guess that is more than a few suggestions! Enjoy your trip.

I was totally underwhelmed by Kobe. You can eat Kobe beef elsewhere.
Himeji is doable as a day trip from Kyoto, so that you don't change accommodations.
Or you can visit Himeji on your way to Hiroshima if you decide to go to Hiroshima. You would need to spend the night in Hiroshima, though, or two nights if you go to Miyajima (recommended), so i am not sure you can fit in Hiroshima.

Nara is an easy day trip from Kyoto and you should not miss it, you have enough time!

Osaka is easy as well, but personally I did not love it. The castle is just OK, Himeji's is much better, and I wasn't as fascinated by the downtown vibe as in Tokyo.

I do not agree about the comments regarding Arashiyama: with the Hankyu railway (faster than the Randen) it is quick to reach. You can rent bikes at the station to explore not only the bamboo forest but also the amazing temples in the area. The temples are the highlight for me, not the bamboo: I loved Tenryu-ji and smaller, quieter Gio-ji with all the moss. I must have visited a few more in the area but I forgot, it's been ten years.

Regarding Tokyo, I like how you fleshed out your plan.
Tokyo Skytree should ideally be combined with a visit to the Asakusa neighborhood across the river, which is well worth a visit.
Your days 2 and 3 can be combined in a single day, as your day 2 activities are very light and you can easily walk from Takes*hita street to Shinjuku thru Meiji gardens.

Responding to Geovagriffith:

North of Tokyo do a day trip to Nikko. Highly recommended.

Ooooo thank you for this advice! I already have so many places and such little time, that I think I have to prioritize what I want to see and then I'll have to come back for a 2nd time!

The highlight of visiting Japan was taking a 3 day tour to Nara and Kyoto. We had purchased the tour prior to flying into Tokyo.

I will take a look at that tour and see if there is availability for my dates and if it interests me, thank you!

Responding to happytotravel:

You'll have a great time and have obviously done a lot of thinking about what you would like to see. My main suggestion is to leave a lot of time for serendipity instead of focusing on specific destinations, except for the specific destinations that you really, really want to see.

That is true! I think for me, having 1-2 days in each destination for a lighter schedule might be the move. Otherwise I do enjoy being busy because there is so much interesting things to see in Tokyo!!

I may try to cut stuff out if it does look too busy. If I had to prioritize these are the things I absolutely want to see: 5 Lakes Area because I want to see Mt Fuji, Himeji for the beautiful temple, Nara for the deer, the bamboo garden in Kyoto and really any temples, Hiroshima because of the history. Osaka looks interesting, especially the neon lights, but I could see myself only needing a day in Osaka at most.

Things I'm 50/50 on: Ghibli Museum: I didn't discover these films until 2-3 years ago and I quite enjoyed them. BUT, it's pretty out of the way and since I'm no superfan, I would probably be okay skipping it.

A few suggestions: If you want to go to the Ghibli Museum, advance reservations are a must, and often hard to get.

Yeah I've looked into it. Reservations open up this Thursday Seattle time at 6 pm. I will decide if I first want to add the museum to my itinerary and if I do, I'll try to get tickets. That day I also need to book Kirby café as reservations for the next month get booked up FAST. Usually within 5 mins they are gone.

depending on the area where you spend the most time, you could scrap both of them and go to the top floor of the Metropolitan Government buildings for great views for free.

I heard about this! I don't mind paying money for Shibuya Sky, depending on how the Government building's view compares to it.

Culinary Backstreets, which does excellent short food tours in Europe, has a new one in Tokyo. Tours like that are fun and will leave you with great restaurant tips and a better idea of how to find and order whatever kind of food you want to eat. In a city like Tokyo, those places are often in basements, office building lobbies, or stacked high in large or small buildings.

This seems awesome, my only issue is that the tour is 6 hours long. I prefer to do food tours that are like 3 hours and preferably in the evening. I still may consider it, I'll add it to the backburner.

Kiyomizu Temple is one of the most popular temples in Kyoto, but I'd add that in

Added!!

In Nara, go to Todaiji with its giant Buddha - you'll see the deer enroute. I'll add that those deer are my least favorite aspect of Nara.

May I ask why the deer are the least favorite aspect?

I was totally underwhelmed by Kobe. You can eat Kobe beef elsewhere.

I've heard this on the r/JapanTravel subreddit as well. I may just end up scrapping Kobe and eating the beef somewhere else. Idk of many sights there. Only put it there because of the beef.

Himeji is doable as a day trip from Kyoto, so that you don't change accommodations.

Any advice on choosing to stay in Osaka or Kyoto? Or doing a mix?

Or you can visit Himeji on your way to Hiroshima if you decide to go to Hiroshima. You would need to spend the night in Hiroshima, though, or two nights if you go to Miyajima (recommended), so i am not sure you can fit in Hiroshima.

Osaka is easy as well, but personally I did not love it. The castle is just OK, Himeji's is much better, and I wasn't as fascinated by the downtown vibe as in Tokyo.

I'm debating if I should squeeze in Hiroshima for 1 night. On the one hand I think the history is super important and I kind of feel like I can't go to Japan and not see it. But on the other hand I'm not a huge WW2 history nerd, so it wouldn't be the worst to miss it. I could add that extra night to Tokyo so that I could do Tokyo DisneySEA. And I got the same vibe you said about Osaka just by looking at pictures.

I'm thinking of re-arranging my plan to be like this:

Day 0 - 4 (March 27 - 31st): Tokyo (instead of 5 full days, putting more time at the end)
Day 5 - 7 (April 1st - April 3rd): Kyoto
Day 8 (April 4th): Nara + other parts of Kyoto (or Osaka)
Day 9 (April 5th): Himeji for half day + something else for half day (could add in Kobe)
Day 10 (April 6th): Train to Hiroshima (sadly skipping Miyajima since I probably wouldn't have time)
Day 11 (April 7th): Leave Hiroshima for Tokyo
Day 12 - 14 (April 8th - 10th): Tokyo (1 day for 5 lakes region, 1 day free for anything

I would see Osaka at night/morning by staying 2 nights there and 3 nights in Kyoto. But not dedicating an entire day.

In total:
8 nights Tokyo
5 nights Kyoto/Osaka (3 nights in Kyoto, 2 in Osaka)
1 night Hiroshima

What do you think about this plan?

Nara is an easy day trip from Kyoto and you should not miss it, you have enough time!

Definitely adding Nara, I like deer.

I do not agree about the comments regarding Arashiyama: with the Hankyu railway (faster than the Randen) it is quick to reach. You can rent bikes at the station to explore not only the bamboo forest but also the amazing temples in the area. The temples are the highlight for me, not the bamboo: I loved Tenryu-ji and smaller, quieter Gio-ji with all the moss. I must have visited a few more in the area but I forgot, it's been ten years.

Thanks! Duly noted.

Regarding Tokyo, I like how you fleshed out your plan.

That's great to hear because I don't think I am a great planner. Especially since I only started planning this trip in depth a few days ago and I leave in less than 3 weeks.

Tokyo Skytree should ideally be combined with a visit to the Asakusa neighborhood across the river, which is well worth a visit.
Your days 2 and 3 can be combined in a single day, as your day 2 activities are very light and you can easily walk from Takes*hita street to Shinjuku thru Meiji gardens.

Is Skytree worth if I'm visiting Shibuya Sky already? And even if I don't visit Skytree, Ueno which I do want to go to is nearby. Definitely will combine them, like you said.

In total:
8 nights Tokyo
5 nights Kyoto/Osaka (3 nights in Kyoto, 2 in Osaka)
1 night Hiroshima
What do you think about this plan?

I would stay in Kyoto for 5 nights. It makes things easier.

Day 9 (April 5th): Himeji for half day + something else for half day (could add in Kobe)

If you are curious, you could indeed stop in Kobe on the way back once you're done in Himeji. But you could also just go back to Kyoto and spend more time wandering around Kyoto.

Is Skytree worth if I'm visiting Shibuya Sky already? And even if I don't visit Skytree, Ueno which I do want to go to is nearby. Definitely will combine them, like you said

I have not been to Shibuya Sky, so I cannot say. I have been to the Tokyo Tower🗼: the similarity with the Eiffel Tower was fun for me as a Parisian, but objectively you can miss it.
In Shinjuku, there are also freely accessed views from the top of the metropolitan office building.

And now, a word about transportation.
For your trip, you will certainly benefit from a 7-day Japan Rail (JR) Pass starting on the day you leave Tokyo. You do not need it for your first days in Tokyo as it would only give you minimal savings (metro is not covered, only JR trains), but it will save a lot of money (over $100) on what will basically be a round trip from Tokyo to Hiroshima, plus day trip from Kyoto to Himeji and back, and potential day trip from Tokyo to Mt Fuji area (though that might be on non-JR Odakyu railway, I forgot).
Sometimes, especially around Kyoto, the most convenient rail option for your day trips will not be JR but other private railways (Hankyu, Keihan, Kintetsu). Fares are cheap: since your budget seems healthy, I strongly suggest that you pick whatever route is the most convenient for you, even if it means paying a few $ extra.

I’ve actually JUST booked my JR pass a few hours ago for April 1st. It was a 7 day pass. Booked April 1st for my train to Kyoto.

I heard about the Tokyo metropolitan building! I think I know I want to go to Shibuya sky since I heard the view is better than the government building, but if I want another view maybe I will go to it

Noted on the private railways!

Any specific onsens you recommend? Preferably in 5 lakes but can be anywhere

I have not yet been to Japan, but I basically have my future trip all planned 😜. Check out the Inside Japan and Japan-guide websites for awesome trip planning ideas.

I would suggest getting out into the countryside if you can. Maybe see a temple or two.

My niece traveled to Japan and while she say Tokyo and Kyoto, her favorite activities were hiking the countryside and going to the isolated temple towns. That is where the beauty of Japan can be found. IMO.

@heather any specific recommendations on places to go?

Also, is Nikko worth trying to fit into my plan (or taking something out)?

Been hearing a lot of praise about Nikko

Also not sure if I should do Hakone or 5 lakes area. Any advice appreciated

If you are goiing to stay overnight in Hiroshima, you should be able to fit in a visit to Miyajima. The ferry ride takes just a few minutes. It’s beautiful and peaceful. We were there in 1987, so my memories are a bit fuzzy. However, I recall a Shinto temple and a museum of folk craft (think hand-made furniture and textiles, gorgeous stuff).
Hiroshima, itself, is important to visit, especially now that so many years have passed, and some politicians in various parts of the world have begun to rattle nuclear sabers. The peace park is lovely and sobering. The museum is hard to take. After a short time, perhaps 15 minutes, I couldn’t look at any more devastated buildings, melted lunch boxes or photos of charred bodies.

Re: Nara deer. When we were there, there were warnings about the deer being agressive towards humans. Be sure to visit the palace. Much more interesting than deer. I think Nara may have been the capitol at one time.
You should include Kiyomizu-dera as part of your Kyoto itinerary. I believe it is one of the largest and most important temples in Japan.

Also, is Nikko worth trying to fit into my plan (or taking something out)?
Been hearing a lot of praise about Nikko

I really enjoyed my day trip to Nikko, despite ongoing renovation work at the time of my visit.
Trouble is, it takes a while to get there, over 2 hours from Asakusa station which is itself on the other side of town vs. Shibuya. It is a bit faster if you have a valid JR pass and can take the Shinkansen to Utsunomiya, but not that much - probably still well over 2 hours one way from Shibuya.

Let me throw in another suggestion: Kamakura (famous giant Buddha, and other temples) and Enoshima (beautiful island with shrines and gardens) are faster to get to thanks to direct trains from Shibuya to Ōfuna station, and equally enjoyable IMO. Very different, but similar in that they get you out of the big city!

Rosalyn got it right about the deer in Nara. They can be very aggressive and unpleasant.

You have so many good ideas - I don't think you'll go wrong with any of them.

This guy is tweeting photos of his current visit to Japan, with an emphasis on the trains.
https://twitter.com/AirlineFlyer

Just wanted to get an itinerary check. Leaving next week:

Day 0 (March 27th): Arrive in HND, clear customs, get to hotel. Maybe Shibuya Crossing and checkout Hachiko statue. Wander around Tokyo at night. Maybe get a drink at Park Hyatt (where lost in translation was filmed).

Day 1 (March 28th): 9:30 am Teamlabs, Ueno park, east gardens of imperial palace, Pokemon center DX. Pretty lightish day. Could add Tokyo skytree to this day since it's near Ueno in the evening. But I heard a lot of people say it wasn't worth going because it was too tall LOL.

Day 2 (March 29th): Starbucks reserve roastery Tokyo (I know I'm from Seattle but I heard it's cool to sit up there). Mipig (teacup pig cafe), Miyahsh*ta park, Meiji Jingu, Shinjuku Gyoen national garden, Shibuya Sky at 7:20 pm (couldn't get a sunset res :/). Santa Monica Crepes. Also can go to pokemon center in Shibuya if I'm not pokemoned out. Maybe food tour but a lot of food tours require a minimum of 2 people :/

Day 3 (March 30th): (pretty open day). Thinking Southern Tokyo (Ginza, Minato, and Odaiba). Or could venture to Yokohama to see the giant Gungnam statue.

Day 4 (March 31st): Asakusa & Akihabara (have Kirby Café reservation at 1:25 pm). I also want to visit the art aquarium museum. Thinking I can do Asakusa earlier in the day

Day 5 (April 1st): Kiyomizu, Starbucks Kyoto, Gion, Hokan-ji temple, Maruyama park at night for the cherry blossoms :D

Day 6 (April 2nd): Tenryu-ji temple, bamboo forest, Giouji temple, monkey park, romance train at 12 pm and take river rafting back. Kinkaku-Ji temple after getting back from rafting.

Day 7 (April 3rd): Fushimi Inari Taisha and hike, Pontocho Alley. Spend night in Osaka instead of Kyoto.

Day 8 (April 4th): Nara

Day 9 (April 5th): Himeji on the way to Hiroshima. Peace museum.

Day 10 (April 6th): Miyajima. Night train to Tokyo

Day 11 (April 7th): Tokyo DisneySEA

Day 12 (April 8th): Lake Kawaguchi or Hakone (still unsure which one, leaning the former because of better views of Fuji and nature)

Day 13 (April 9th): Free day depending on how I feel (maybe more Tokyo or Nikko day trip)

Day 14 (April 10th): Flight at 5 pm back to Seattle, Washington via Seoul Incheon airport.

Only downside I see is that I won't get to see much of Osaka. I could take a day out of Tokyo to see it. But not sure.

Any feedback appreciated! A lot of the things I booked are refundable. So I am flexible to move things around.

It's looking pretty good!

On day 1, once you're at the Imperial Palace Gardens you're close to Ginza (walking distance, having a look at Tokyo Station on the way), so you could head there. The gardens are fairly quick to visit. It will depend on your energy levels!

On day 3, I'm not sure that Odaiba is worth heading out to. Same for most of Minato district (except maybe the western edge near Omote-sando, I like that part - cool retail architecture and the Nezu Museum is interesting. But it combines better with Shibuya). And Yokohama is not worth it IMO. If you're up for it, depending on what you will have been able to do on days 0-2, it could be the time for a day trip to Kamakura.

On day 4 you sleep in Kyoto, right? Kiyomizu-dera, which you placed in day 5, is best visited first thing in the morning. Otherwise, very crowded area.

Day 6 is a bit packed. No idea about the Romance car/river rafting combo but it feels like a bit much in the middle of a sightseeing day.

Day 7 logistics seem complicated to me... you would have to check out of your hotel, leave your stuff somewhere, go to Fushimi-Inari, back to Kyoto, then Osaka... I would just stay in Kyoto rather than switch accommodations to Osaka. It's OK to skip Osaka really.
And if you want you could spend the late PM/evening in Osaka after Nara.

The rest works for me, can't advise on Day 12 (never been to Mt Fuji area 😭).

Your Tokyo plan looks very thorough. I loved the gardens you mention. When you are in Ueno Park, do you plan to visit the National Museum? I really enjoyed it--we didn't try to see it all, but just picked a few areas and spent about 2 or 2.5 hours there. I also enjoyed several neighborhood walking tours described in the Frommer's guide to Tokyo.

I’d recommend you to see the Shibuya crossing on a weekend too, there are more souls around and looks like in the movies.

Hi! Sorry for late followup.

On day 1, once you're at the Imperial Palace Gardens you're close to Ginza (walking distance, having a look at Tokyo Station on the way), so you could head there. The gardens are fairly quick to visit. It will depend on your energy levels!

I found this awesome place in Ginza called "A Happy Pancake" so I made reservations! So that will be part of my plan in Ginza.

On day 3, I'm not sure that Odaiba is worth heading out to. Same for most of Minato district (except maybe the western edge near Omote-sando, I like that part - cool retail architecture and the Nezu Museum is interesting. But it combines better with Shibuya). And Yokohama is not worth it IMO. If you're up for it, depending on what you will have been able to do on days 0-2, it could be the time for a day trip to Kamakura.

Great idea! How does Kamakura compare to Nikko? Highly considering Kamakura this day, and if on the free Tokyo day at the end of my trip I want to see Nikko, then I'm thinking I can add it there!

On day 4 you sleep in Kyoto, right? Kiyomizu-dera, which you placed in day 5, is best visited first thing in the morning. Otherwise, very crowded area.

No day 4 I sleep in Tokyo. On day 5 I arrive in Kyoto at 9:30 am. So I plan to visit Kiyomizu-dera as soon as I arrive in Kyoto.

Day 6 is a bit packed. No idea about the Romance car/river rafting combo but it feels like a bit much in the middle of a sightseeing day.

Yeah this is a tough choice. I got the romance train booked (it was $5 and rafting is free cancellation so no big deal if I decide to skip) and I could probably axe the rafting. I could perhaps maybe move it to Day 7 but I doubt I'll be able to get train tickets (and I reserved the cart with no windows which is hard to get). I'm thinking either I can cut one of the activities or sightseeing places and move it to day 7 perhaps?

Day 7 logistics seem complicated to me... you would have to check out of your hotel, leave your stuff somewhere, go to Fushimi-Inari, back to Kyoto, then Osaka... I would just stay in Kyoto rather than switch accommodations to Osaka. It's OK to skip Osaka really.
And if you want you could spend the late PM/evening in Osaka after Nara.

Good point! I think I'll move the night in Osaka to Nara day.

This is very helpful advice!

Your Tokyo plan looks very thorough. I loved the gardens you mention. When you are in Ueno Park, do you plan to visit the National Museum? I really enjoyed it--we didn't try to see it all, but just picked a few areas and spent about 2 or 2.5 hours there. I also enjoyed several neighborhood walking tours described in the Frommer's guide to Tokyo.

Ooooo I hadn't considered visiting the national museum (I'm not sure why, seems like a big attraction). I will add that to my list since that day is pretty empty anyway. I'll take a look at Frommers walking tours, any specific neighborhoods you felt were best for the walking tours?

How does Kamakura compare to Nikko?

They're very different.
Nikko has several very impressive temples in a forested environment. Plus there are some scenic drives in the forest to the west (with buses and all) but I did not see those - given that the RT from Tokyo takes almost 5 hours, a day trip does not give a lot of time.

Kamakura is faster to reach. The giant Buddha is quite the sight, but the temples are not as impressive as those in Nikko. It should be combined with neighboring Enoshima, the island is fun to visit and the seaside location is charming. The area gives you a small town Japan vibe.

I am glad to have seen the temples in Nikko, if only to see 🙈🙉🙊. But the train ride was a drag. I had a bit more fun in Kamakura.

I think I'll move the night in Osaka to Nara day.

If you really want to stay in Osaka, that's the thing to do. You can easily store your luggage at the station in Nara. By the way, even if you have a JR pass, do yourself a favor and use the Kintetsu Railway from Kyoto to Kintetsu-Nara and Nara to Osaka. It is faster and more convenient, fares are less than $10 for each leg.

My experience isn't all that recent, but I'll add a couple of suggestions.

When I was there, the Ginza would be closed to vehicular traffic on Sundays, and people would come out and stroll along the street, sometimes with little dogs dressed up in cute clothes and such. It was a wonderful day to explore the Ginza, so if it's possible, try to work it so that you can do that on a Sunday.

We went to Kamakura to see the Great Buddha. It's a cute town, an easy day trip from Tokyo, and at a restaurant there (don't recall the name) we had Kobe Beef and another type of Waygu Beef.. https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2166.html

Lots of great advice already. A few thoughts from a fellow Seattlelite: don’t bother with Starbucks. Lots of lovely local roaster/coffee shops. I loved Yanaka coffee and they are in a neighborhood I enjoyed. Meiji Jingu is even more beautiful lit up at night and it’s less crowded. Idk if it’s lit every night. Go to Nikko - the temples are stunning and it is beautiful. Eat yuba. If you go to Odaiba, take a boat there or ride the Yurikamome monorail so you can go across the rainbow bridge. It’s mainly malls and a man made beach. I strongly recommend Yokohama - easy trip from Tokyo, great Chinatown with lots of good food and the stunning Kwan Tai temple, ropeway at night has nice views, and there are postal boxes with Pokémon! Haven’t been to Fuji five lakes, but Hakone is wonderful. There is an itinerary on Japan-guide.com called Hakone Round course. I did that and it was a wonderful day. Just be aware - Mt. Fuji is like Mt. Rainier - sometimes it’s out and sometimes not. We saw it from the ropeway in Hakone. Owakudani is totally worth seeing. Check out the events calendars on Tokyo Cheapo and Time Out and when you’re out and about - I’ve stumbled across little festivals that were amazing. Leave time to enjoy!

Thanks guys! I'm actually leaning towards doing Nikko because I heard that if you're doing Nara/Kyoto, then Kamakura has a similar feel. And I'm staying in Asakusa so I'm closer to the train lines for Nikko. I still have time to decide since I plan on going day 3, so if someone wants to explain why Kamakura would be worth it over Nikko let me know!

From my research, it seems that Hakone is more tourist friendly and less of a hassle to get to than Lake Kawaguchiko. Thus, I'm heavily leaning Hakone but I can decide that when I get back to Tokyo from Hiroshima. I will take a look at the itinerary from japan-guide! Thank you for that suggestion!

Yokohama sounds interesting! Considering it at the tail end of my trip.

Noted on meiji jingu at night!

And I'm staying in Asakusa so I'm closer to the train lines for Nikko

Oh then yes, definitely Nikko. I thought you were staying in/near Shibuya.
If you have a valid JR pass you can take the Shinkansen to Utsunomiya from Ueno station and change there for local trains to Nikko. You lose the convenience of the one-seat ride on the non-JR Tobu railway from Asakusa station, but you can shave 15 minutes off the ride, and you do not pay (bearing in mind the rules on which Shinkansen trains are eligible to JR pass).

We are heading to Japan in June and very curious what you think of your itinerary when your return. What you would change or recommend to others.

It’s nice to hear other people love Nikko, too. I thought it might be sentimentality on my part. But I do love it.

Will report with a trip report when I get back!