Wakayama Cat Train Must-Visit

Japan Travel✈️ Almost missed sharing a super niche Kansai itinerary, 🤔 I want to write this for friends who love unique cultural experiences + food exploration but worry about language barriers!
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🚗Day 1 Departure - Osaka
Fly direct from Shanghai to Kansai Airport (for destinations without direct flights, you can arrange connecting flights). To ease the stress for friends with average language skills, the airport pickup is with a Chinese-speaking driver!
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Then check into a hotel in the Shinsaibashi area~ There are so many great hotels here you can’t even count! The Ritz-Carlton is very close to the Michelin-starred restaurant Kikunoi, and there’s also the reasonably priced Hilton... Personally, I prefer the W Hotel, which is all black! The hotel is right on Shinsaibashi main street, just a 10-minute walk to Dotonbori, making shopping and dining very convenient.
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🚗Day 2 Osaka - Wakayama
There’s a themed train here you must experience! The train cars are decorated with lots of cat elements and paintings, even the stationmaster is a cat—super cute! The 30-minute ride offers views of Japanese countryside-style shrines and rural scenery, giving off a “Kikujiro’s Summer” vibe!
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Right outside the station is Wakayama’s landmark - Wakayama Castle’s main keep! Then take our private Chinese-speaking guide car to visit Kimiidera Temple, the seafood market tuna cutting show, and various Japanese-style BBQs~ After eating, head straight to a seaside Japanese hot spring inn for a soak!
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🚗Day 3-6 Koyasan - Nara - Kyoto
The niche way to deeply explore Koyasan is by staying at a temple lodging! This temple represents Japanese aesthetics + aristocratic lifestyle and holds a very high status, so it’s not just about money to stay here~ Spend the day accompanied by morning bells, evening drums, and ancient Buddhist lamps—the perfect way to recharge on a trip~
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The next day, stop by Nara for some sightseeing! For lunch, I recommend a tea house to try the famous Yamato specialty meal! Then head to Kyoto to check into the hotel! This time I chose the Four Seasons Kyoto, right across from the Kyoto National Museum, next to Myohoji Temple, opposite the main gate is Shin-Hiyoshi Shrine, and it’s a short walk to Kiyomizu Temple and Sannenzaka~ Now you know why I picked this hotel!
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Kyoto’s itinerary is about visiting ancient temples, eating traditional cuisine & Michelin-starred food! For temples, I recommend Nanzenji - Sanzenin - Kibune Shrine - Arashiyama! Kibune Shrine also has a summer lantern festival. Additionally, you can experience the summer-only riverbed dining. Arashiyama offers boat rides, a retro train, and hidden mountain Michelin shojin cuisine, plus a century-old wagashi (Japanese sweets) making experience. At night, visit Yasaka Shrine for the light-up.
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🚗Day 7-8 Uji - Osaka
Uji is small, half a day is enough to visit the golden Byodo-in Temple, Uji Riverside, vermilion torii gates, and the addictive matcha dessert street... You don’t need expensive tickets to feel the most authentic Japanese atmosphere here, it’s basically my ideal place to explore.
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Summer days in Japan are very hot, so we plan to explore the Osaka Expo at night. Besides enjoying the daytime pavilions, you can also see even more beautiful light shows and drone performances! On the second day, with a return flight at 17:45, everyone can still go shopping around Shinsaibashi/Dotonbori/Umeda business districts~