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The Okinawa I know from my own visits: sea views, resort days, Ryukyu stone walls and a drive to the northern cape. This suggested route connects five places I have visited and photographed; it is not a record of one continuous trip.
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I came to Nakijin for Ryukyu history and found a visit shaped by stone paths, curving walls and open views. I would give it more time than a quick stop between the coast and lunch.
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I combined Kouri's bridge and shoreline with lunch at L LOTA. My island stop was as much about time at the table as the view on arrival.
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My northern-Okinawa journey reached Cape Hedo, where limestone, reef and open sea replace the resort shoreline. I would give the drive and the return their own space in the day.
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The castle is the headline. The streets around it are why I keep coming back.
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My Kyoto travels move between gold reflected on water, tea beside a garden and the last light over Higashiyama. In Uji, Byōdō-in's red corridors open across another pond.
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Osaka is not somewhere I would try to squeeze into a single kind of day. Between Osaka Castle, Nintendo, Dotonbori and Universal Studios Japan, I would split the trip in two: a day for the city and another for the theme park.
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Nara is a place I would return to in different seasons rather than try to finish in one visit. I've walked through its temples and streets in sunshine, rain and autumn colour, and each trip has shown me something worth slowing down for.
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I would start a day in Yokohama among Chinatown's gates and side streets, then make my way towards Minato Mirai as the lights come on. The city has a completely different feel after dark, so I would avoid making the waterfront an afterthought.
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I have brought my Tokyo stops together into a suggested three-day first visit: Meiji Jingu and Shinjuku, Ueno to Skytree, then a food-led day from Toyosu to Tokyo Tower. A broad gravel approach, heavy timber gates and a canopy of trees make a strong opening to Tokyo.
