Japan trip — draft itinerary

Hakone ryokan — Gora Kadan

Traditional ryokan with private onsen in-room. Half-board kaiseki dinner included. Mountain views, gardens. ~$480/night for two. 90 min from Tokyo via Odakyu Romancecar. Seasonal reservation windows open 6 months ahead.

Group chat — Japan partners

Tom & Priya confirmed for Kyoto leg (Oct 11–14). Alex might join Tokyo first 3 days. Everyone chill with the ryokan night being spendy. Tentative: split a day in Osaka doing a food crawl, skip USJ. Will finalize split once base itinerary is locked.

JR East rail pass calculation

14-day nationwide pass: ¥72,900 (~$485). Tokyo→Kyoto Shinkansen round trip alone: ¥27,320. Adding Kyoto→Osaka, Osaka→Nara, and the Hakone detour pushes the math close — pass saves ~¥9,000 total. Worth it if I add Kiso Valley stop. Otherwise regional West pass cheaper.

Kyoto day trip — Fushimi Inari secrets

Go before 7am or after 6pm to avoid crowds. Sumiyoshi-taisha nearby for a quieter shrine. The summit loop is ~4km/2hrs and most people turn back early. To-r gates lit at dusk are gorgeous. Post on SENBON TORII.

Flight deal — Tokyo nonstop $680

SFO→NRT nonstop, Japan Airlines, Oct 8. Return Oct 22 economy. $680 all-in. Bag: first checked bag free (on JAL for this fare bucket — verify). Seat selection $0. Scotts Cheap Flights alert. Booking window is open — grab within 48h.