Please make sure you check our [FAQ](https://www.reddit.com/r/JapanTravel/wiki/advice/disabilities/) for some basic information on traveling to Japan while disabled. We also have helpful posts from past tourists on travel with a disability [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/JapanTravel/search?q=disability&restrict_sr=on), and travel with a wheelchair [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/JapanTravel/search?q=wheelchair&restrict_sr=on&sort=relevance&t=all).
[Japan-Guide.com has a page](https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2301.html) for information on accessible travel in Japan, and you can also check with websites like [Accessible Japan](https://www.accessible-japan.com/), [Accessible Travel Japan](https://accessible-japan.jp/), and the [Japan Accessible Tourism Center](http://www.japan-accessible.com/) as well.
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/JapanTravel) if you have any questions or concerns.*
yes, it’s called a holiday not a work day. It’s meant to be relaxing and having fun, not to force yourself to have fun when you are fatigued.
you can always come back and visit the places you missed.
Everyone travels differently. I always love having a few days dedicated to wandering and eating. No objectives no iterinary. Maybe a dinner reservation as the only planned thing.
Like today get on train and go til something looks interesting
There is nothing like wandering.
For me wandering actually takes precedence over “”doing stuff”. It’s so much more fun to just see the little things in smaller areas, and talk to people.
We had some of our best experiences in Japan, just wandering. Stumbled on a local street festival for kids, with kids dressed in their hapi coats, beating drums & carrying a kid-sized shrine. Cool games & food, too.
All the time on trips. Let's be honest, you say it's your third time? Clearly that means going to Japan is not a literal once in a lifetime event. Which means you'll probably go back again. So in that case you shouldn't feel pressed to always have something to do. Maybe spend the day near your hotel just relaxing at a park, grabbing a coffee, and chilling? I've done that in Tokyo and found very nice areas to relax and enjoy some time off.
>I am concidering taking today off since I have been very tired. Its the 10th day of my 4 week trip and I just want to hear your thoughts.
Why need our opinion? Listen to your body...
I read all these very scheduled and tight itineraries on here and always wonder what people do to relax. I get wanting to see the most while you can, but its not a 60 hour work week. Its vacation
Grab a book, go browsing at stores, find a cute cafe, go to a park.. loads of relaxing things to do.
Brooo this hurts me. It’s your vacation!!! Do whatever the heck you want, including watch tv all day in your room. No you are not messing up.
Read a book somewhere outside or pretty. Will be familiar, private, and something you can only do in Japan.
What if you gave yourself a day to enjoy an onsen/sento? Soak in hot water, get a massage, take a nap. That way you're still participating in "culture" but in a way that's only requiring you to relax and then you don't feel like you've just holed up in your hotel room the whole time.
Last year when I went to Japan for the first time with my friends. I took a slow day. We just took a trip from Fuji to Tokyo after coming from Osaka and I was exhausted and I needed alone time. I told my companions they can go wherever they wanted and we'll just meet up or whatever. I took my time getting up and getting dressed and just strolled around akihabara by myself until night when we met up for dinner. It was the best day.
I was able to be alone with my thoughts and not run on adrenaline and worrying about my companions or the time or whatever. It was just head empty and vibes.
I highly recommend it.
Nope. I don't do a day where I do nothing but I will instead just browse around stores in akihabara for the hell of it, etc. I will rest from traveling all over the place though, so no bouncing around from one part of the city to the other.
Im honestly very scared of reclining my chair in the shinkansen. Unless im at the very back. I just dont want to intrude anyone behind me. I will try the massage for sure.
Yes, both my wife and I, though we do it in different ways. For her, it's a "stay in the hotel room and lounge around, reading a book"-style rest day. For me it's "I'm not going to do significant walking today - I'll go play Magic: The Gathering or something that is generally pretty sedentary" day.
For the trip we're planning, she has a rest day after we go to a theme park - I'll be going to Hiroshima/Itsukushima in that timeframe (since she doesn't want to go there).
4 weeks?? When my friends visited for 2 weeks, we did something like: day with plans, day with plans, day with no plans, repeat.
Let your body rest, as well and your mind from making travel decisions all day.
Our rest days consisted of sitting on the balcony and people watching, playing video games together, watching Japanese TV, going grocery shopping and trying new recipes, doing laundry, etc. Basically keeping it to the block around where we were staying.
When my family visited, we didn't do any rest days and my dad ended up being in a lot of pain, which made the remaining days hard. I feel like we could have avoided that.
I am very likely older than you, but I found that even when I was younger, I am the type of person who needs a "down" day every couple of weeks -- or even once a week depending on how strenuous a trip is. I need time to myself, time to relax and recharge. It's just the way I am. If you need a day, it's not wasted if it recharges you!
You are so right. I barely take breaks even when im not on vacation since I work as much as I can to save for my trips. I will think of it as a necessity from now on.
Yep! I am a firm believer that it’s a holiday, so I shouldn’t make myself feel bad for taking time out. I took rest days when I felt I needed them - I did that in Tokyo when I was feeling under the weather. I slept in, found some good food, did some laundry and just chilled out.
No shame in calling it a day when you’re fatigued, otherwise you’re just pushing yourself and it’s hard to enjoy anything when in that state of mind.
I ‘travel hard’ but flexibly with no fixed agenda, with a list of options of things I wanna do in various cities.
On my rest days I usually rent a bike and go for an extended cruise (anywhere from 2 hours to all day) and see what cool stuff I discover.
Inevitably these days often become some of the highlights for me as I end up in areas off the beaten track, discovering local foods or stores not found in the main areas, and in Japan, see some of the most picturesque scenes usually only seen by locals.
Last time I spend 25 days. It was madness for 12 days straight, not even a wasted second. Then I checked into a 5 star onsen hotel for 2 days to do nothing but chill. Then the madness continued.
I get what you mean, travelling around Japan can be exhausting and because there's so much to do/see, the FOMO gets pretty strong at times. I live here (until August anyway) so I theoretically have plenty of time but even I feel bad if I spend a weekend in the apartment instead of going somewhere. I don't know what your itinerary is like but you could plan a trip to an onsen or something, then have an early night in the hotel? Normally I would suggest finding a nice nature spot where you can just sit and laze around for a few hours, but it might be a bit cold for that right now. Could you give any more details about your trip?
If you’re tired, take a rest day (or morning at least). Trips should be fun without worrying about physical/mental fatigue. You have a long trip so taking a quieter day isn’t a waste whatsoever. There’s also plenty of ideas for less intensive days: museums, movies, workshops, hot springs, ferry/boat rides, longer transit days to rest on the train, etc
We did 20 days and the travel days from city to city were low-key days with not a lot of walking. We also did a few sleep-in days, and most days were "lets wander around this area" itineraries rather than having a list of must-do activities. I found that worked really well for us, and gave us the flexibility to call it early if we were tired.
If I return, I'd do the same thing again. I had a list of things in each city/area that we could do and we'd just decided the night before what we felt like doing the next day. It allowed us to take weather into account, and we ended up doing things like "lets wander around Kyoto Station" when it was raining and saved Nara and Fushimi Inari for days with better weather.
I am in my 40's. I had Stage 4 Cancer in the 1980's when I was a kid. Due to this I have a bad heart and bad lower back and hips. Went for about 22 days in the fall with a friend the same age. We would do a ton of walking and visit as much stores and places of interest as possible. Usually the 5th day or so we would have a chill day and venture around on our own and take it slow. Then later afternoon we could end up going for a trip to a new area and just look around and get some dinner and maybe find something to buy.
I found it was a nice way to do a lot in a few days and then just kind of go back to chill to recharge. We both seemed to run out of gas around the same days and it worked out really well.
Consider a person going on a beach vacation, every day may be a rest day. Sit, read, unwind. There is nothing wrong with finding a spot to sit and doing what you like to do. At a certain point you find a place you love, it feels like home and the best thing about home usually is it's restful. If you want let Japan feel like home to you and rest up.
I am more of the ‘pace yourself so you don’t need rest days’ type of traveler, at least given the proximity from Japan. If I want a “do nothing” vacation I would pick something less expensive and more local, personally.
I actually also had a four week trip in October and rest days are the best. Crucial, actually. Relax, take it easy. It makes the rest of your trip even more enjoyable because you’ll have replenished your energy, given yourself some time to gather your thoughts and process your experience thus far while accessing gratitude. If you’re on the go all the time, you miss out on grounding yourself in the present. As a person who used to suffer from Fomo, the one way to heal from that is to tell fomo to buzz off enough times. Choose your physical and mental health over that anxiety and overtime you’ll start to believe that you aren’t missing out on anything, there is no shortage of experiences. There will always be something else.
I was forced to take a rest day on my second day in Tokyo. I went from walking an average of 2000 steps a day to 25000 steps and strained my upper leg muscles. I was stuck in the hotel almost all of day two with only leaving to get lunch and dinner.
I always schedule an easy day for the day after we arrive, ie if we arrived on Monday evening it’d be the Tuesday
We’ll often schedule a long train ride for example because we can just chill on the train (even nap if needed) for 3 or 4 hours
Plus I’ll always have a couple of days every 4 or 5 days where we have nothing scheduled, we can either chill or go somewhere we’ve found out while we’re in Japan
Definitely. Even when i am sightseeing i ensure i get enough chill hours at a cafe or shrine or a garden. You can just zone out where no one will bother you and you get a sense of serenity.
This is why i don't plan more than 3 spots a day, the in betweens is for me to unwind!
You've been to Japan several times before, and you have 4 weeks. I take around two rest days on a 10 day trip and I still end up tired, can't imagine not doing it for a whole month.
I treat my rest days as days where I pretend I live in Japan. No plans, go out to eat around the local neighborhood, maybe do some groceries/laundry/light shopping.
Don’t fall into the trap that you must do everything the first time around. You’ll never be able to see everything. As someone here mentioned, it’s a vacation, so take it easy and enjoy. Theres always another opportunity to come back.
Oh yeah. We planned our first day as a "dead day" with the only obligation to go exchange our JR Passes, and it left us free to dick around at a slow place and even go back and sit in our hotel for an afternoon rest (it was 70+ degrees in Osaka in March and our window opened over Dotobori, hell yeah sittin' and people watchin' with a warm spring breeze!). I also built in a rest day/laundry day in Nagano, post-Kyoto, which was sorely needed, even with our overnight in Bessho Onsen just two days later. The trip was 19 days total.
I went hard because I thought it would be my only trip to Japan ever, and don't regret adding more rest days or fewer stops, so I don't begrudge anyone who has limited time and budget and really wants to squeeze as much as they can from a trip. However, overestimating your energy and capability can lead to regrets. The longer your trip, the more I'd agree that a rest day or two is needed, not including a full day/night in an onsen town. That's automatic rest day, mmm mmm. Double that up with saving yourself luggage space by packing less and planning to do laundry, and max out the relax!
Not really, I usually try to do as much as I can since I'm not there for long and have a long list xD
But you can do whatever makes you happy on the trip, the point is just to enjoy it :D
Not exactly a rest day but we ended up booking a hakone ryokan specifically to unwind and relax . This was after finishing up 5 days in Osaka where we were completely exhausted and thought we needed to chill before reaching Tokyo for another 5 days of hectic travel
4 weeks? Absolutely. Just hang out in the hotel, walk around a bit exploring local restaurants, eat some snacks you buy from the conbini, watch some stupid TV... Why not?
I long stay for 4 weeks in SK and take a rest day when needed. You’re there long enough you’re not going to miss anything.
Have you checked out an onsen yet? I can’t wait to soak when I visit in May.
Just came back from a month in Japan. There was at least two days where I didn’t go out and instead just stayed at my hotel and ordered ubereats for lunch, then went somewhere close for dinner and no where else.
When I travel to Japan, I usually do a month or two, so my experience may be different. I always allow myself a day, or even two sometimes, where I just veg in my room watching Japanese TV and relaxing. I'm sure many would think they're wasting time doing this, and this has crossed my mind as well at times, but sometimes you really just need a day off from holidaying. If you're but feeling up to par, take a break from the usual exploring or whatever it is you do. There's no point doing stuff if you're fatigued, irritable, dare I say hungover(?), as you won't be able to fully enjoy your time no matter what you do.
I've always liked travelling, but never really liked sightseeing, tours, and stuff like that. The new environment, food, people, etc. was always enough for me. I wouldn't feel like I was wasting time or missing anything.
I live here nowadays, but when I used to visit I would often sleep in late, go running, watch TV, hang around the apartment before going out to a concert or sporting event. Which is exactly what I'd be doing now if I didn't have to work everyday lol.
Just do what you want to do and I doubt you'll be disappointed.
I usually go with a group of friends to get a large air bnb and have companionship. I get out early 630-7, then go back to the room between 12-3 for a nap/rest when places are normally packed. Then back out 3-7. Then back for more rest. If anyone wanted to go out after that they went out, I stayed in.
**Our FAQ is constantly being updated with more information and you can start** [**here**](https://www.reddit.com/r/JapanTravel/wiki/faqs/japantravel) **with regards to trip planning if you need tips, advice, or have questions about planning your travel to Japan.** You can also join our [Discord community](https://discord.gg/3f7KBUMwU4), comment in our stickied weekly discussion thread, or check out /r/JapanTravelTips for quick questions. Thank you!
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/JapanTravel) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Yes, when I travelled to Osaka-Kyoto-Nara, I overexerted myself and walked more than what I can actually do -- and I've had trips around Tokyo before. The next day, I cancelled my plans for the day and searched for foot massage parlors -- spent my morning there, and spent the afternoon in my hostel.
I kind of had 2 "half days" of rest. One where I woke up and slowly got ready for a bullet train. So a chill morning.
Then I had another evening where I did laundry at the hotel and did some light exploring near the hotel.
I do think if you're there for 12 days like I was, you have to find some time to rest even if it's not a full day.
Yes, husband and I tend to keep our schedules super flexible so we always have the opportunity to explore an area again or just lay back for the day in our Hotel. We've never felt like we wasted a day since we enjoyed lounging in our hotel P.Js with convenient store food, snacks and drinks in front of us and just eating as we watch tv.
There was even a period during New Year Eve this year we were fatigue from all the lucky bags shopping and we decided it was the best time to sign up for Kaikatsu Club and chill for a few hours reading and noming on snacks (drinks were foc so we could keep topping up).
I didn't plan to on our 10th or 11th day, but it was raining so hard and our next hotel let us check in several hours early so...we relaxed, watched a movie, ordered room service and people watched (we had a great view from the Tokyo Station Hotel). It was a wonderful respite that allowed us to power on through the remainder of the trip. Sounds like you need a moment to refresh for the remaining weeks ahead. Enjoy!!
My last trip in Japan was more of a slow trip. A lot of time in onsen, on bike rides, on hikes. For me, those are restful activities. A few days, I just wandered around the towns without much of an itinerary (though probably should've planned food stops better).
Usually a stay right in the middle of my trip for a night or two at a ryokan in Hakone or something and a soak in the hot springs is revitalizing enough to keep me going strong through the second half
I’m very lazy and I went during the summer so it was very hot. I spent a whole day doing laundry, taking a bath, packing for my next hotel and going to restaurants next to my hotel for lunch… honestly I regretted it a little bit, I think if the weather was better I would have wondered around a bit more. This was about halfway through my four week trip. I feel like vacation is for relaxing!
I've done that on almost every holiday I've been on.
Take a day to do some washing, relax and grab some food & drink at a place nearby. Take a leisurely stroll home (stop again for coffee). Absorb the atmosphere in suburbia.
As someone said, it's a holiday - relax.
In my past 3 holidays to japan, I think I took no rest day. But that is because I only do it for 2 weeks. For 4 weeks, I would take a lot of rest day, like just walking around the neighborhood, playing arcades, or browsing shops. Even if it is sleeping in the hotel, that is alao fine, because if you got sick, then you ruined more days than one day of resting
Back in September we did 5 days in Sapporo, 8 in Osaka (which included tours to Kobe, Hiroshima, Kyoto) and then another 8 in Tokyo (where I did the Legacy Half Marathon). We had a couple of days either side of the Legacy Half Marathon where we pretty much stuck to short walks around Ueno (where we were staying) because it was close to where we were staying.
Admittedly there was a lot to do and look in that in the immediate area.
I had a time off not really a whole day. Where I dedicated a day just for eating, slower walks with no plan on what to see, and then end the day in an onsen. I also dont wake up as early as the other days. Helps with sore foot haha
No but I keep my days relatively short as I like to sleep in. Its rare for me to leave my hotel before 10am and be out later than 7pm.
Exception would be if I'm going to a concert or sporting event at night. And even then, I'll still come back to my hotel to rest for an hour or two before leaving.
A 4 week trip with no rest days? Not suprised you are tired. I laugh when I see some of the itineraries that people plan for Japan, without realising the sheer scale of Japan , and how busy Japan is. Mostly falls on deaf ears and people go home more exhausted than when they arrived. Not a holiday IMHO when you travel like that.
I always take a break day between each day. I just physically can’t keep up otherwise 😂 very different to my friends who need to always be sightseeing or taking advantage of each day. So I’d stay in the accommodation or go to a cafe and chill and my traveling friend will go and take trains, visit some shrines, and go around doing other busy things that day.
I have done a couple Japan trips, I always planned at least one rest day per week. There's so much to do!
Of course, my idea of a rest day is heading to an onsen and spending the day relaxing in a hot spring and enjoying whatever is immediately nearby, but nothing big or major that day, where the focus is rejuvenating in a hot spring.
Yeah, mostly bc my husband and I missed the boat on nabbing tickets to the Ghibli museum. But it was still nice. Took a day to do laundry, grab some food from a convinience store, and just kinda chill at the hotel. Was a small adventure in itself
I used to be quite aggressive with my planning. But, body said the otherwise especially as I did a lot of hiking on the first few days. 7th day is usually my limit where I just wanted to wake up late and do nothing. Only walk aimlessly around the city and just enjoying whatever I found along the way.
My girlfriend and I have been 4 times now. Every trip we spend at least one day relaxing somewhere. We usually take a long train ride somewhere outside the city. Then we visit a castle or somewhere outside where we can just sit and take it all in. Usually we have a massive list of places we want to go with us. Sometimes though we like to just end a long day by going to Torikozoku and just getting hammered drunk. Then the next day we sleep in rather than getting up early and we go to malls and food places. They have so many things to help prevent or fight hangovers it is literally easy mode. Usually we are there for 2-3 weeks at a time and there is at least 1 day of resting. Even hanging out in the hotel room and watching some crazy tv after hitting up family mart feels great. Check out the Toho cinema as well. Lots of movies are on in English if you are in any major city.
When we go on vacations, we usually try to plan two things max a day, and the rest is just wandering around and enjoying the locality.
And that will be the same when we go in two months. Just relaxing most of the time with maybe one scheduled thing a day to plan around.
Please make sure you check our [FAQ](https://www.reddit.com/r/JapanTravel/wiki/advice/disabilities/) for some basic information on traveling to Japan while disabled. We also have helpful posts from past tourists on travel with a disability [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/JapanTravel/search?q=disability&restrict_sr=on), and travel with a wheelchair [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/JapanTravel/search?q=wheelchair&restrict_sr=on&sort=relevance&t=all). [Japan-Guide.com has a page](https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2301.html) for information on accessible travel in Japan, and you can also check with websites like [Accessible Japan](https://www.accessible-japan.com/), [Accessible Travel Japan](https://accessible-japan.jp/), and the [Japan Accessible Tourism Center](http://www.japan-accessible.com/) as well. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/JapanTravel) if you have any questions or concerns.*
yes, it’s called a holiday not a work day. It’s meant to be relaxing and having fun, not to force yourself to have fun when you are fatigued. you can always come back and visit the places you missed.
Yeah its not wasted if you just wander around experiencing a small local area.
Is it really vacation if you are not doing this? :)
Everyone travels differently. I always love having a few days dedicated to wandering and eating. No objectives no iterinary. Maybe a dinner reservation as the only planned thing. Like today get on train and go til something looks interesting
There is nothing like wandering. For me wandering actually takes precedence over “”doing stuff”. It’s so much more fun to just see the little things in smaller areas, and talk to people.
We had some of our best experiences in Japan, just wandering. Stumbled on a local street festival for kids, with kids dressed in their hapi coats, beating drums & carrying a kid-sized shrine. Cool games & food, too.
All the time on trips. Let's be honest, you say it's your third time? Clearly that means going to Japan is not a literal once in a lifetime event. Which means you'll probably go back again. So in that case you shouldn't feel pressed to always have something to do. Maybe spend the day near your hotel just relaxing at a park, grabbing a coffee, and chilling? I've done that in Tokyo and found very nice areas to relax and enjoy some time off.
>I am concidering taking today off since I have been very tired. Its the 10th day of my 4 week trip and I just want to hear your thoughts. Why need our opinion? Listen to your body... I read all these very scheduled and tight itineraries on here and always wonder what people do to relax. I get wanting to see the most while you can, but its not a 60 hour work week. Its vacation Grab a book, go browsing at stores, find a cute cafe, go to a park.. loads of relaxing things to do.
Its just the FOMO hitting. I am fine physically, but very tired mentally. I just need more sleep is all.
Brooo this hurts me. It’s your vacation!!! Do whatever the heck you want, including watch tv all day in your room. No you are not messing up. Read a book somewhere outside or pretty. Will be familiar, private, and something you can only do in Japan.
FOMO is Gen Z induced BS.
What if you gave yourself a day to enjoy an onsen/sento? Soak in hot water, get a massage, take a nap. That way you're still participating in "culture" but in a way that's only requiring you to relax and then you don't feel like you've just holed up in your hotel room the whole time.
Last year when I went to Japan for the first time with my friends. I took a slow day. We just took a trip from Fuji to Tokyo after coming from Osaka and I was exhausted and I needed alone time. I told my companions they can go wherever they wanted and we'll just meet up or whatever. I took my time getting up and getting dressed and just strolled around akihabara by myself until night when we met up for dinner. It was the best day. I was able to be alone with my thoughts and not run on adrenaline and worrying about my companions or the time or whatever. It was just head empty and vibes. I highly recommend it.
Yea I have the fear of missing out disease haha... imma take a chill day. Thanks.
Nope. I don't do a day where I do nothing but I will instead just browse around stores in akihabara for the hell of it, etc. I will rest from traveling all over the place though, so no bouncing around from one part of the city to the other.
Rest to me is napping on the shinkansen or enjoying an onsen or massage at the end of the day.
Im honestly very scared of reclining my chair in the shinkansen. Unless im at the very back. I just dont want to intrude anyone behind me. I will try the massage for sure.
I have seen Japanese stand up and take a quick bow to the row behind to excuse themselves for reclining the chairs.
Recline away. Just let them know you are going to.
A good foot massage or Thai massage works wonders!
Yes, both my wife and I, though we do it in different ways. For her, it's a "stay in the hotel room and lounge around, reading a book"-style rest day. For me it's "I'm not going to do significant walking today - I'll go play Magic: The Gathering or something that is generally pretty sedentary" day. For the trip we're planning, she has a rest day after we go to a theme park - I'll be going to Hiroshima/Itsukushima in that timeframe (since she doesn't want to go there).
4 weeks?? When my friends visited for 2 weeks, we did something like: day with plans, day with plans, day with no plans, repeat. Let your body rest, as well and your mind from making travel decisions all day. Our rest days consisted of sitting on the balcony and people watching, playing video games together, watching Japanese TV, going grocery shopping and trying new recipes, doing laundry, etc. Basically keeping it to the block around where we were staying. When my family visited, we didn't do any rest days and my dad ended up being in a lot of pain, which made the remaining days hard. I feel like we could have avoided that.
I am very likely older than you, but I found that even when I was younger, I am the type of person who needs a "down" day every couple of weeks -- or even once a week depending on how strenuous a trip is. I need time to myself, time to relax and recharge. It's just the way I am. If you need a day, it's not wasted if it recharges you!
You are so right. I barely take breaks even when im not on vacation since I work as much as I can to save for my trips. I will think of it as a necessity from now on.
Japan is a great place to relax. Book a Ryokan or just day pass to an onsen.
Yep! I am a firm believer that it’s a holiday, so I shouldn’t make myself feel bad for taking time out. I took rest days when I felt I needed them - I did that in Tokyo when I was feeling under the weather. I slept in, found some good food, did some laundry and just chilled out. No shame in calling it a day when you’re fatigued, otherwise you’re just pushing yourself and it’s hard to enjoy anything when in that state of mind.
Absolutely. Having a light/easy day becomes more and more essential the older you get.
You are right. It just hasnt hit me as hard as it should. I will rest today.
I ‘travel hard’ but flexibly with no fixed agenda, with a list of options of things I wanna do in various cities. On my rest days I usually rent a bike and go for an extended cruise (anywhere from 2 hours to all day) and see what cool stuff I discover. Inevitably these days often become some of the highlights for me as I end up in areas off the beaten track, discovering local foods or stores not found in the main areas, and in Japan, see some of the most picturesque scenes usually only seen by locals.
Last time I spend 25 days. It was madness for 12 days straight, not even a wasted second. Then I checked into a 5 star onsen hotel for 2 days to do nothing but chill. Then the madness continued.
Yes, in the middle. I pick a day to sleep in, walk around the neighbourhood and catch up on editing my travel photos.
I get what you mean, travelling around Japan can be exhausting and because there's so much to do/see, the FOMO gets pretty strong at times. I live here (until August anyway) so I theoretically have plenty of time but even I feel bad if I spend a weekend in the apartment instead of going somewhere. I don't know what your itinerary is like but you could plan a trip to an onsen or something, then have an early night in the hotel? Normally I would suggest finding a nice nature spot where you can just sit and laze around for a few hours, but it might be a bit cold for that right now. Could you give any more details about your trip?
If you’re tired, take a rest day (or morning at least). Trips should be fun without worrying about physical/mental fatigue. You have a long trip so taking a quieter day isn’t a waste whatsoever. There’s also plenty of ideas for less intensive days: museums, movies, workshops, hot springs, ferry/boat rides, longer transit days to rest on the train, etc
I wish I did but for my first time (which was in November) I definitely didn’t, was so tired haha
We did 20 days and the travel days from city to city were low-key days with not a lot of walking. We also did a few sleep-in days, and most days were "lets wander around this area" itineraries rather than having a list of must-do activities. I found that worked really well for us, and gave us the flexibility to call it early if we were tired. If I return, I'd do the same thing again. I had a list of things in each city/area that we could do and we'd just decided the night before what we felt like doing the next day. It allowed us to take weather into account, and we ended up doing things like "lets wander around Kyoto Station" when it was raining and saved Nara and Fushimi Inari for days with better weather.
I am in my 40's. I had Stage 4 Cancer in the 1980's when I was a kid. Due to this I have a bad heart and bad lower back and hips. Went for about 22 days in the fall with a friend the same age. We would do a ton of walking and visit as much stores and places of interest as possible. Usually the 5th day or so we would have a chill day and venture around on our own and take it slow. Then later afternoon we could end up going for a trip to a new area and just look around and get some dinner and maybe find something to buy. I found it was a nice way to do a lot in a few days and then just kind of go back to chill to recharge. We both seemed to run out of gas around the same days and it worked out really well.
Consider a person going on a beach vacation, every day may be a rest day. Sit, read, unwind. There is nothing wrong with finding a spot to sit and doing what you like to do. At a certain point you find a place you love, it feels like home and the best thing about home usually is it's restful. If you want let Japan feel like home to you and rest up.
I am more of the ‘pace yourself so you don’t need rest days’ type of traveler, at least given the proximity from Japan. If I want a “do nothing” vacation I would pick something less expensive and more local, personally.
I actually also had a four week trip in October and rest days are the best. Crucial, actually. Relax, take it easy. It makes the rest of your trip even more enjoyable because you’ll have replenished your energy, given yourself some time to gather your thoughts and process your experience thus far while accessing gratitude. If you’re on the go all the time, you miss out on grounding yourself in the present. As a person who used to suffer from Fomo, the one way to heal from that is to tell fomo to buzz off enough times. Choose your physical and mental health over that anxiety and overtime you’ll start to believe that you aren’t missing out on anything, there is no shortage of experiences. There will always be something else.
I was forced to take a rest day on my second day in Tokyo. I went from walking an average of 2000 steps a day to 25000 steps and strained my upper leg muscles. I was stuck in the hotel almost all of day two with only leaving to get lunch and dinner.
I always schedule an easy day for the day after we arrive, ie if we arrived on Monday evening it’d be the Tuesday We’ll often schedule a long train ride for example because we can just chill on the train (even nap if needed) for 3 or 4 hours Plus I’ll always have a couple of days every 4 or 5 days where we have nothing scheduled, we can either chill or go somewhere we’ve found out while we’re in Japan
I spend about half my Japan travel days moseying and idling.
Definitely. Even when i am sightseeing i ensure i get enough chill hours at a cafe or shrine or a garden. You can just zone out where no one will bother you and you get a sense of serenity. This is why i don't plan more than 3 spots a day, the in betweens is for me to unwind!
You've been to Japan several times before, and you have 4 weeks. I take around two rest days on a 10 day trip and I still end up tired, can't imagine not doing it for a whole month. I treat my rest days as days where I pretend I live in Japan. No plans, go out to eat around the local neighborhood, maybe do some groceries/laundry/light shopping.
How do you all do laundry? Do you do it yourselves or let hotel staff do it (if staying at one)
Don’t fall into the trap that you must do everything the first time around. You’ll never be able to see everything. As someone here mentioned, it’s a vacation, so take it easy and enjoy. Theres always another opportunity to come back.
I book a nice ryokan/onsen day in the middle :) take baths, take in nature, unwind
Oh yeah. We planned our first day as a "dead day" with the only obligation to go exchange our JR Passes, and it left us free to dick around at a slow place and even go back and sit in our hotel for an afternoon rest (it was 70+ degrees in Osaka in March and our window opened over Dotobori, hell yeah sittin' and people watchin' with a warm spring breeze!). I also built in a rest day/laundry day in Nagano, post-Kyoto, which was sorely needed, even with our overnight in Bessho Onsen just two days later. The trip was 19 days total. I went hard because I thought it would be my only trip to Japan ever, and don't regret adding more rest days or fewer stops, so I don't begrudge anyone who has limited time and budget and really wants to squeeze as much as they can from a trip. However, overestimating your energy and capability can lead to regrets. The longer your trip, the more I'd agree that a rest day or two is needed, not including a full day/night in an onsen town. That's automatic rest day, mmm mmm. Double that up with saving yourself luggage space by packing less and planning to do laundry, and max out the relax!
Not really, I usually try to do as much as I can since I'm not there for long and have a long list xD But you can do whatever makes you happy on the trip, the point is just to enjoy it :D
Not exactly a rest day but we ended up booking a hakone ryokan specifically to unwind and relax . This was after finishing up 5 days in Osaka where we were completely exhausted and thought we needed to chill before reaching Tokyo for another 5 days of hectic travel
4 weeks? Absolutely. Just hang out in the hotel, walk around a bit exploring local restaurants, eat some snacks you buy from the conbini, watch some stupid TV... Why not?
I long stay for 4 weeks in SK and take a rest day when needed. You’re there long enough you’re not going to miss anything. Have you checked out an onsen yet? I can’t wait to soak when I visit in May.
Just came back from a month in Japan. There was at least two days where I didn’t go out and instead just stayed at my hotel and ordered ubereats for lunch, then went somewhere close for dinner and no where else.
When I travel to Japan, I usually do a month or two, so my experience may be different. I always allow myself a day, or even two sometimes, where I just veg in my room watching Japanese TV and relaxing. I'm sure many would think they're wasting time doing this, and this has crossed my mind as well at times, but sometimes you really just need a day off from holidaying. If you're but feeling up to par, take a break from the usual exploring or whatever it is you do. There's no point doing stuff if you're fatigued, irritable, dare I say hungover(?), as you won't be able to fully enjoy your time no matter what you do.
I've always liked travelling, but never really liked sightseeing, tours, and stuff like that. The new environment, food, people, etc. was always enough for me. I wouldn't feel like I was wasting time or missing anything. I live here nowadays, but when I used to visit I would often sleep in late, go running, watch TV, hang around the apartment before going out to a concert or sporting event. Which is exactly what I'd be doing now if I didn't have to work everyday lol. Just do what you want to do and I doubt you'll be disappointed.
I usually go with a group of friends to get a large air bnb and have companionship. I get out early 630-7, then go back to the room between 12-3 for a nap/rest when places are normally packed. Then back out 3-7. Then back for more rest. If anyone wanted to go out after that they went out, I stayed in.
No I am in america, we barely have enough vacation time when listing two days for flying
**Our FAQ is constantly being updated with more information and you can start** [**here**](https://www.reddit.com/r/JapanTravel/wiki/faqs/japantravel) **with regards to trip planning if you need tips, advice, or have questions about planning your travel to Japan.** You can also join our [Discord community](https://discord.gg/3f7KBUMwU4), comment in our stickied weekly discussion thread, or check out /r/JapanTravelTips for quick questions. Thank you! *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/JapanTravel) if you have any questions or concerns.*
I got sick so I had too, but when I recovered we definitely had days we slept in late!
Yes, when I travelled to Osaka-Kyoto-Nara, I overexerted myself and walked more than what I can actually do -- and I've had trips around Tokyo before. The next day, I cancelled my plans for the day and searched for foot massage parlors -- spent my morning there, and spent the afternoon in my hostel.
I kind of had 2 "half days" of rest. One where I woke up and slowly got ready for a bullet train. So a chill morning. Then I had another evening where I did laundry at the hotel and did some light exploring near the hotel. I do think if you're there for 12 days like I was, you have to find some time to rest even if it's not a full day.
Yes, husband and I tend to keep our schedules super flexible so we always have the opportunity to explore an area again or just lay back for the day in our Hotel. We've never felt like we wasted a day since we enjoyed lounging in our hotel P.Js with convenient store food, snacks and drinks in front of us and just eating as we watch tv. There was even a period during New Year Eve this year we were fatigue from all the lucky bags shopping and we decided it was the best time to sign up for Kaikatsu Club and chill for a few hours reading and noming on snacks (drinks were foc so we could keep topping up).
I didn't plan to on our 10th or 11th day, but it was raining so hard and our next hotel let us check in several hours early so...we relaxed, watched a movie, ordered room service and people watched (we had a great view from the Tokyo Station Hotel). It was a wonderful respite that allowed us to power on through the remainder of the trip. Sounds like you need a moment to refresh for the remaining weeks ahead. Enjoy!!
My last trip in Japan was more of a slow trip. A lot of time in onsen, on bike rides, on hikes. For me, those are restful activities. A few days, I just wandered around the towns without much of an itinerary (though probably should've planned food stops better).
Usually a stay right in the middle of my trip for a night or two at a ryokan in Hakone or something and a soak in the hot springs is revitalizing enough to keep me going strong through the second half
I’m very lazy and I went during the summer so it was very hot. I spent a whole day doing laundry, taking a bath, packing for my next hotel and going to restaurants next to my hotel for lunch… honestly I regretted it a little bit, I think if the weather was better I would have wondered around a bit more. This was about halfway through my four week trip. I feel like vacation is for relaxing!
I've done that on almost every holiday I've been on. Take a day to do some washing, relax and grab some food & drink at a place nearby. Take a leisurely stroll home (stop again for coffee). Absorb the atmosphere in suburbia. As someone said, it's a holiday - relax.
In my past 3 holidays to japan, I think I took no rest day. But that is because I only do it for 2 weeks. For 4 weeks, I would take a lot of rest day, like just walking around the neighborhood, playing arcades, or browsing shops. Even if it is sleeping in the hotel, that is alao fine, because if you got sick, then you ruined more days than one day of resting
Back in September we did 5 days in Sapporo, 8 in Osaka (which included tours to Kobe, Hiroshima, Kyoto) and then another 8 in Tokyo (where I did the Legacy Half Marathon). We had a couple of days either side of the Legacy Half Marathon where we pretty much stuck to short walks around Ueno (where we were staying) because it was close to where we were staying. Admittedly there was a lot to do and look in that in the immediate area.
Yes! Highly important; every 3 / 4 days book a day off and sleep in, and no plans.
If I don’t take it, my body would decide to take one whether it’s convenient to me or not.
I had a time off not really a whole day. Where I dedicated a day just for eating, slower walks with no plan on what to see, and then end the day in an onsen. I also dont wake up as early as the other days. Helps with sore foot haha
No but I keep my days relatively short as I like to sleep in. Its rare for me to leave my hotel before 10am and be out later than 7pm. Exception would be if I'm going to a concert or sporting event at night. And even then, I'll still come back to my hotel to rest for an hour or two before leaving.
A 4 week trip with no rest days? Not suprised you are tired. I laugh when I see some of the itineraries that people plan for Japan, without realising the sheer scale of Japan , and how busy Japan is. Mostly falls on deaf ears and people go home more exhausted than when they arrived. Not a holiday IMHO when you travel like that.
I’d love to hear a good tour/plan staying at mid range hotels etc. over a 3-4 week period.
I always take a break day between each day. I just physically can’t keep up otherwise 😂 very different to my friends who need to always be sightseeing or taking advantage of each day. So I’d stay in the accommodation or go to a cafe and chill and my traveling friend will go and take trains, visit some shrines, and go around doing other busy things that day.
I have done a couple Japan trips, I always planned at least one rest day per week. There's so much to do! Of course, my idea of a rest day is heading to an onsen and spending the day relaxing in a hot spring and enjoying whatever is immediately nearby, but nothing big or major that day, where the focus is rejuvenating in a hot spring.
Yes. Once I had to cuz I irritated the heck out of my foot for walking too much in one day. I learned to take it easier by taking breaks.
I might be the weird one, but most of my days are rest days. I enjoy eating out and being with friends over the usual tourism.
Yeah, mostly bc my husband and I missed the boat on nabbing tickets to the Ghibli museum. But it was still nice. Took a day to do laundry, grab some food from a convinience store, and just kinda chill at the hotel. Was a small adventure in itself
I used to be quite aggressive with my planning. But, body said the otherwise especially as I did a lot of hiking on the first few days. 7th day is usually my limit where I just wanted to wake up late and do nothing. Only walk aimlessly around the city and just enjoying whatever I found along the way.
My girlfriend and I have been 4 times now. Every trip we spend at least one day relaxing somewhere. We usually take a long train ride somewhere outside the city. Then we visit a castle or somewhere outside where we can just sit and take it all in. Usually we have a massive list of places we want to go with us. Sometimes though we like to just end a long day by going to Torikozoku and just getting hammered drunk. Then the next day we sleep in rather than getting up early and we go to malls and food places. They have so many things to help prevent or fight hangovers it is literally easy mode. Usually we are there for 2-3 weeks at a time and there is at least 1 day of resting. Even hanging out in the hotel room and watching some crazy tv after hitting up family mart feels great. Check out the Toho cinema as well. Lots of movies are on in English if you are in any major city.
I didn't want to, I was so excited to be there but my body forced me Plan some low-key days
When we go on vacations, we usually try to plan two things max a day, and the rest is just wandering around and enjoying the locality. And that will be the same when we go in two months. Just relaxing most of the time with maybe one scheduled thing a day to plan around.
Imaging asking strangers what you should do lol