Things to Do in Japan for Couples: 10 Romantic Experiences for Gulf Honeymooners

On this page

1. All 10 at a glance
2. 1. A ryokan with a private open-air bath
3. 2. Mount Fuji from the Chureito Pagoda
4. 3. Kyoto at dawn
5. 4. Tokyo’s night views
6. 5. A private dinner of halal wagyu
7. 6. A private tea ceremony
8. 7. Photos in kimono in Kyoto
9. 8. A helicopter flight over Tokyo
10. 9. A day trip by private car
11. 10. Miyajima and Hiroshima
12. Seasonal experiences for couples
13. Sample honeymoon routes
14. Tips for Muslim couples
15. Your must-sees, your season, your Japan

Planning a honeymoon or a trip for two and wondering which moments are worth it? In this guide, I introduce 10 experiences, plus the best seasonal moments, that couples love in Japan, from private hot springs to snowy evenings, many of which you won’t find in the Gulf.

I was born in Japan and lived there for 26 years before moving to Dubai. They are listed in order of how popular they are with couples. For each, I explain what makes it special and the best time to go, with tips for Muslim couples. We can also arrange every experience in this guide for you, in Japanese, from ryokan and restaurant bookings to private cars and guides.

All 10 at a glance

#	Experience	Where	Best time	Why couples love it
1	A ryokan with a private open-air bath	Hakone, Lake Kawaguchiko	All year	An onsen just for the two of you
2	Mount Fuji from the Chureito Pagoda	Lake Kawaguchiko (about 2 hours from Tokyo)	Autumn to spring	Japan’s most famous view
3	Kyoto at dawn	Kyoto	All year	Famous temples with almost no one there
4	Tokyo’s night views	Tokyo	All year	The city lights from high above
5	A private dinner of halal wagyu	Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka	All year	Japan’s finest beef, in a private room
6	A private tea ceremony	Kyoto	All year	A quiet hour in a traditional tea room
7	Photos in kimono in Kyoto	Kyoto	Spring and autumn	Photos you will keep forever
8	A helicopter flight over Tokyo	Tokyo	All year, best at sunset	The whole city, and sometimes Mount Fuji
9	A day trip by private car	Mount Fuji, Hakone, Nikko, Kamakura	All year	Go where you like, at your own pace
10	Miyajima and Hiroshima	Hiroshima (about 4 hours from Tokyo by shinkansen)	All year	The shrine gate in the sea, and friendly deer

1. A ryokan with a private open-air bath

• What makes it special: a room with its own open-air bath (rotenburo), where you can soak in hot spring water with a view of mountains or a lake, just the two of you
• Why couples love it: public onsen are shared and separated by gender. A private bath lets couples enjoy Japan’s favourite pleasure together, in complete privacy
• Best time: all year. Autumn colours and snowy winter evenings are especially beautiful
• Local tip: rooms with a private bath sell out first, so book early. Our guide to private onsen for Muslim families and couples has our favourite ryokan. We book the room and ask the ryokan for halal or alcohol-free meals in Japanese for you

2. Mount Fuji from the Chureito Pagoda

• What makes it special: the red five-storey pagoda with Mount Fuji behind it, the view on Japan’s posters
• Why couples love it: at sunrise the mountain turns pink and the crowds have not yet arrived
• Best time: from autumn to spring, when the air is clearest. In summer, Mount Fuji is often hidden by clouds
• Local tip: there are about 400 steps up to the viewpoint. Stay one night by Lake Kawaguchiko so you can go at sunrise

3. Kyoto at dawn

• What makes it special: the red gates of Fushimi Inari, the bamboo grove of Arashiyama and the wooden stage of Kiyomizu-dera, almost empty
• Why couples love it: by 9 am these places are full. At 7 am, you can walk them in silence
• Best time: all year
• Local tip: Fushimi Inari is open all day and night, so it is the easiest to visit early. Stay in central Kyoto so you can be there within 20 minutes

4. Tokyo’s night views

• What makes it special: the lights of the world’s largest city stretching to the horizon, seen from rooftops and towers
• Why couples love it: watching the sky turn orange and the city lights come on is one of the most romantic hours in Japan
• Best time: all year. Clear winter evenings have the best views, sometimes with Mount Fuji at sunset

Where	What it’s like
Shibuya Sky	An open-air rooftop high above Shibuya Crossing. Sunset tickets often sell out about a month ahead. Book Shibuya Sky tickets
Tokyo Skytree	Japan’s tallest tower, with views over old Tokyo and the river. Book Tokyo Skytree tickets
Tokyo Tower	The red-and-white tower is beautiful lit up at night, and quieter than Skytree
Roppongi Hills (Tokyo City View)	An indoor observation deck with Tokyo Tower right in front of you

• Local tip: arrive about 30 minutes before sunset so you see the view in daylight, at sunset and after dark

5. A private dinner of halal wagyu

• What makes it special: melt-in-the-mouth Japanese wagyu, grilled or served as part of a multi-course meal
• Why couples love it: many restaurants have private rooms, perfect for a special dinner
• Best time: all year
• Local tip: halal wagyu restaurants are found in Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka. Book ahead and ask for a private room; we can reserve it for you and confirm the halal details in Japanese. Our guide to whether Japan is Muslim-friendly explains how to choose halal restaurants

6. A private tea ceremony

• What makes it special: a tea master prepares matcha for you in a traditional tea room, and you try whisking it yourself
• Why couples love it: a calm, quiet hour in the middle of a busy trip
• Best time: all year
• Local tip: choose a private session rather than a group class. We can arrange a private session with a tea master. Matcha and the Japanese sweets served with it are usually made from plants, but ask if you are unsure

7. Photos in kimono in Kyoto

• What makes it special: dressing in kimono and walking the old streets around Kiyomizu-dera and Gion
• Why couples love it: the photos become a treasured memory of the trip
• Best time: spring and autumn
• Local tip: if you wear a hijab, ask the shop when you book; many can dress you in a way that keeps you covered. Book a photographer for the early morning, when the streets are quiet. We can arrange the kimono rental and a photographer together

8. A helicopter flight over Tokyo

• What makes it special: Tokyo Tower, Skytree and the bay below you, and on clear days Mount Fuji in the distance
• Why couples love it: a short, unforgettable flight for a special occasion
• Best time: all year, best at sunset
• Local tip: private flights must be booked in advance and depend on the weather, so keep a backup day in your plan. We can arrange the flight and plan your days around it

9. A day trip by private car

• What makes it special: a driver picks you up at your hotel and takes you to places that are slow to reach by train, at your own pace
• Why couples love it: no trains, no luggage, and you can stop wherever you like

The most popular day trips from Tokyo, in order:

#	Where	What to see	Time from Tokyo by car
1	Mount Fuji and Lake Kawaguchiko	The Chureito Pagoda, the lakeside views of Mount Fuji and the spring-fed ponds of Oshino Hakkai	About 2 hours
2	Hakone	A cruise on Lake Ashi, the steaming valley of Owakudani and a lunch with a view	About 1.5 to 2 hours
3	Nikko	The richly decorated Toshogu shrine, a World Heritage Site, and Kegon Falls; beautiful in autumn	About 2 to 2.5 hours
4	Kamakura and Enoshima	The Great Buddha, seaside temples and views of the ocean	About 1 hour

From Kyoto, the favourite day trips by car are the deer of Nara and the tea fields of Uji.

• Best time: all year. Mount Fuji is clearest from autumn to spring, and Nikko is at its best in autumn
• Local tip: a private car is especially useful for Mount Fuji and Nikko, where trains are less frequent. Leave early in the morning to avoid traffic on the way back. We can arrange a private car and driver and plan the route with you. Book a private car in Tokyo

10. Miyajima and Hiroshima

• What makes it special: the great shrine gate of Itsukushima that seems to float on the sea at high tide, and wild deer that wander freely around the island, just like in Nara
• Why couples love it: walking along the shore with the deer and the shrine gate, then enjoying the quiet island in the evening after the day-trippers leave
• Best time: all year
• Local tip: stay one night on Miyajima to enjoy the island in the evening and early morning. The deer are wild, so don’t feed them or leave food in reach. Combine it with Hiroshima on a 10-night trip

Seasonal experiences for couples

Japan changes completely with the seasons. If you can choose when to travel, these are the moments couples remember most.

Season	Experience	When
Spring	Cherry blossom walks along rivers and in temple gardens	About late March to early April in Tokyo and Kyoto
Summer	Fireworks over Lake Toya, seen from your lakeside ryokan	Every night from late April to October
Summer	A sea of clouds from the Unkai Terrace in Tomamu, Hokkaido	Early mornings, about May to October
Autumn	Red and gold leaves, and temples lit up at night in Kyoto	About mid to late November
Winter	Evening walks under the illuminations of Tokyo	November to December
Winter	Snow in Hokkaido: the lantern-lit canal of Otaru and the Sapporo Snow Festival	December to February (the 2027 festival runs from 4 to 11 February)
Winter	The thatched village of Shirakawa-go lit up in the snow	A few evenings in January and February, by reservation only

Spring: cherry blossom. Walk under the blossom along the rivers and in the temple gardens of Tokyo and Kyoto. These are the busiest weeks of the year, so book hotels several months ahead and visit famous spots early in the morning.

Summer: Hokkaido. While the Gulf is at its hottest, Hokkaido is cool and green. At Lake Toya, fireworks light up the lake for 20 minutes every night, and many lakeside ryokan have rooms where you can watch them from your own window. At the Unkai Terrace in Tomamu, you take a gondola up the mountain at dawn and may see a sea of clouds below you; it appears on about four mornings in ten, so it feels like a gift when it does.

Autumn: leaves and night light-ups. Temple gardens turn red and gold, and several Kyoto temples open in the evening with the leaves lit up.

Winter: lights and snow. Tokyo’s streets are covered in lights from November, and most illuminations are free. In Hokkaido, walk along Otaru’s canal in the snow or see the giant snow sculptures of the Sapporo Snow Festival. For something truly special, the village of Shirakawa-go is lit up on only a few evenings each winter. Entry is limited to guests staying in the village or on organised tours, so plan it early. We can help you arrange it.

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That’s all 10, plus the seasonal moments. Below are sample honeymoon routes and tips for Muslim couples.

Sample honeymoon routes

7 nights: Tokyo, Mount Fuji and Kyoto. Three nights in Tokyo, one night at a ryokan with a private bath by Lake Kawaguchiko, and three nights in Kyoto. This is the route we suggest most to couples. See the day-by-day plan in our 7- and 10-night Japan itinerary.

10 nights: add Hakone or Hiroshima. Add two nights at an onsen ryokan in Hakone, or one night on Miyajima and a day in Hiroshima.

Winter: add Hokkaido. Add two or three nights in Sapporo and Otaru for the snow.

Not sure how long to stay? See our guide to how many days you need in Japan.

Planning your honeymoon? See our Japan honeymoon guide, with destinations, hotels and wedding photos in traditional Japanese dress.

Tips for Muslim couples

• Halal food: Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka have halal restaurants. In the countryside, choices are fewer, so plan meals ahead
• At a ryokan: tell them before you arrive that you need no pork and no alcohol in the cooking, including mirin and sake
• Prayer: the main airports and many large stations have prayer rooms, and Tokyo Camii in Shibuya welcomes visitors
• Privacy: choose rooms with their own bath, and ask for a private room at dinner

Your must-sees, your season, your Japan

Tell us the one thing you can’t miss, the theme of your trip and the season you’re travelling in. We’ll create an original plan built around it, with the places and moments only Japanese people know about. Plan my original trip.

For a honeymoon planned entirely around the two of you, see our private Japan tours from Dubai.