Friday (Day 2)
-Sumo Museum, is a 22 min walk from Sumida Park check it out, but I somehow remember that it has complicated opening hours. Maybe I am wrong.
Saturday (Day 3)
-Shinjuku, walk around and explore.
you could add Shinjuku Gyoen on this day
Monday (Day 5)
-Inokashira-kōen
-Imperial Palace East Garden, explore the gardens.
-Other gardens and parks that were recommended: Hotel New Otani, Hotel Chinzanso, Happo-en. Yoyogi-koen, Inokashira (near Ghibli Museum)
-Ghibli Museum
-Ginza, check out Ginza Crossing, Itoya Stationary Store, and Hamarikyu Gardens.All your other Tokyo days look nicely relaxed. Not too empty but no rushing around. But this day here is worth at least 2 days. And unless you are a total garden lover has too much of it. Depending on what you are keen on in these gardens, check out which of them has some seasonal highlight. I think you said June? So sounds like hydrangeas (I think thatfs the English for gajisaih).
Inokashira Koen would go nicely with Ghibli museum. For that museum getting tickets is notoriously difficult. They open presale about a month before and tickets sell out within minutes. So youfll need to get up in the wee hours of the night to try your luck.
Hamarikyu is a very nice garden. Probably my personal favorite but then I had a year pass for it as it was just below my office and we used to go for lunch there. You could potentially combine it with Asakusa, as there is a ferry between Asakusa in this garden.
And regarding the imperial Gardens I agree that they are not one of the best gardens in Japan.
Tuesday (Day 6)
-Day trip to Kanazawa
-Kenruko-en Gardens, to start the early morning.
-Omicho Market, for lunch.
-Kanazawa Castle, explore.
-Ninja Temple.
I agree with@Japan custom Tours. Regarding re-ordering Kanazawa about Nikko. Also word of warning regarding opening hours. In Japan in general many attractions Close quiet early. So either you need to be a really early starter or be a bit light on your plan.
Nikko
Thursday (Day 8)
-Cycling Tour While I have been cycling extensively in Japan, you got me here. Ifve never cycled in Nikko. See more below regarding cycling suggestions.
+Kyoto+
Friday (Day 9)
-Arashiyama, Bamboo Grove, start as early as possible to avoid the crowds.
-Tenryu-ji Zen Temple, explore.
-Lunch.
-Kinkaku-ji Temple, also known as the Golden Pavillion.You said that the Kinkaku-ji temple is one of your main goals in Kyoto. As this attraction also gets very busy during the day, At least before Covid, I consider starting there right at the opening hours. I personally actually like Ryoanji Temple, a temple with the famous stone garden, that is very close by, even more. That one is even more affected by crowds, because the main attraction is so much smaller.Last year April, just before returning to Europe and being shut out from Japan ever since I had really nice trips to both of these temples and the bamboo groove in Arashiyama on bike from Osaka.
http://bicycletraveljapan.blogspot.com/2020/04/kyoto-without-tourists-...http://bicycletraveljapan.blogspot.com/2020/04/arashiyama-without-tour...
Sunday (Day 11)
-Open for suggestions There are definitely a lot more things to do in Kyoto, but I think itfs great to have a free day. So you can just plan spontaneously some thing instead of feeling rushed all the time.
+Nara+
Monday (Day 11)
-Todaiji Temple,
-Nandaimon Gate
-Explore I am personally a great great fan of Nara. However I agree with PP, that Nora is really a day trip from Kyoto. Although I personally can easily spent 3, 4 days in a Nara.
Tuesday (Day 12)
-????As you are interested in cycling in Japan, why not cycle from Nara to Horyuji:
https://bicycletraveljapan.blogspot.com/2017/11/day-41-nara-to-yamatoy...You get to see some nice very rural parts of Japan, comes through a region with outstanding temples and pagodas and you can combine cycling with sightseeing. Just remember that in Japan unless you have a bicycle that you can transport in a bag, you cannot take a train with your bicycle. So you will need to cycle back to wherever you rented the bicycle.
+Osaka+
Wednesday (Day 13)
-Osaka Castle, starting at 9 a.m.
-Don Quixote, random shops.
-Umeda Sky Building
-Dotonbori
I agree with you, and the PP that Osaka is not so interesting after you have seen Tokyo. If you are interested in seeing a nice castle, additionally to the one in Kanazawa , you could easily do a trade day trip from Kyoto to Himeji. Osaka Castle is probably the least interesting in Japan.
Thursday (Day 14)
-???? so many options. I agree with the ideas of the PP. However if you want to fit in more cycling, there are also very nice cycling options and Kansai. Depending on how fit and how much you are into cycling, you could do the full around of the Biwako lake, Or cycle through Kibi plain, Or just cycle a lot more Nara prefecture. And I havenft done the ride around the lake, at least not in its entirety , but Ifm sure you can get some inspiration from my past trips or planned trips.
https://bicycletraveljapan.blogspot.com/2017/11/day-45-kibi-plain-and-...https://bicycletraveljapan.blogspot.com/search/label/Nara?m=1https://bicycletraveljapan.blogspot.com/search/label/Shiga?m=1You mentioned Toyama for cycling. You could combine it with Kanazawa (eg get off at Toyama station do your cycling and then go in the evening to Kanazawa for the night and start next day with your Kanazawa sightseeing. However I guess you only got interested in Toyama cycling because of the videos. I havenft cycled precisely there so only have limited experience but unless there is something extremely interesting for you in those Toyama cycling trips, I think you could get similarly nice experience in Nara Prefecture or Shiga. anyway here my Toyama experience:
https://bicycletraveljapan.blogspot.com/search/label/Toyama?m=1
Friday (Day 15)
Return Home! as PP said flying out of Kansai might be a good idea.
This would be my first time to Japan and I'm willing to be flexible and change things around if needed. After watching Japan Guide's video on Toyama and the 5 cycling routes, I would love to fit that in. Would that be a day trip from Tokyo?
