When I started planning our first trip to Japan, two weeks felt like the perfect amount of time.

Japan is a long way from Australia, there’s so much to see, and I wanted to experience more than just Tokyo. In the end, we spent 13 days travelling through Osaka, Kyoto, Hakone and Tokyo during cherry blossom season.

Japan is one of the most exciting countries I’ve ever visited. It’s also one of the most exhausting.

Most days we were walking 15,000 to 20,000 steps. The train stations are enormous. The cities are bigger than you expect. And every day is packed with decisions about where to go, what to eat and what to see next.

If I was advising a first-time visitor now, I’d probably suggest 10 days is the sweet spot. It gives you plenty of time to experience Japan, but you leave just before the travel fatigue really starts to set in.

By the end of our trip, we absolutely loved Japan. But we were also tired.

On our 11th day, we’d had a big day exploring Tokyo and by mid-afternoon, with 20,000 steps already clocked, we were all shattered and still a long way from our hotel. So we decided to stop in Shinjuku Gyoen park and find a bench to rest our weary legs.

Well, it wasn’t to happen.

In case you’re not aware, Japan doesn’t have a lot of public seating. There wasn’t a bench to be found in the entire park. So in sheer desperation, we found a patch of grass and sat on the ground. I didn’t think I’d ever be able to get up again from that uncomfortable patch of ground – that’s how bad our travel fatigue was.

So trust me when I say: 10 days is a really good amount of time for a first trip to Japan.

You could comfortably spend a few days in Osaka, explore Kyoto, take a day trip to Nara and finish in Tokyo. You’ll still see temples, cherry blossoms, neon lights, incredible food and bullet trains, but you’ll finish the trip before fatigue sets in.

Of course, if you’re travelling from Australia and don’t know when you’ll return, two weeks is still a fantastic option. That’s exactly why we chose it. The extra time allowed us to slow down in places like Hakone and spend longer exploring Tokyo.

Because the bottom line is: Japan will leave you wanting to come back no matter how long you stay.

Planning your first trip to Japan?

I’ve put together Japan for First Timers, a detailed guide based on the exact trip we took through Osaka, Kyoto, Hakone and Tokyo.

It includes our complete 13-day itinerary, our favourite experiences, transport tips, accommodation recommendations, things I’d do differently and all those little things I wish I’d known before we went.

If you’re staring at a map of Japan wondering where on earth to start, I’ve done a lot of the planning for you.