Japan for Couples — 7 Romantic Days, Ryokan & Great Views

Land at Narita or Haneda, drop your bags at the hotel first, then ease into the trip with an unhurried wander around Shibuya or Shinjuku. As night falls, head up to a rooftop deck — Shibuya Sky or Tokyo Tower — and take in the whole sea of city lights together. It's an opening night plenty of couples never forget.

Start the day at the teamLab digital art museum (Planets or Borderless), where you'll wander hand in hand through rooms of light and mirrors that photograph beautifully from every angle. Spend the afternoon over coffee in Nakameguro, lined with tiny canal-side cafés, then close the day with a dinner over a city view or a good-looking spot in the Ebisu-Daikanyama area.

This is the trip's headline night — leave Tokyo in the morning on the Romancecar limited express straight into Hakone, then check in mid-afternoon to a ryokan with a private onsen tub on your own balcony. Slip into a yukata, soak quietly together, and close the evening with a multi-course kaiseki dinner served by the season. Couples who've been agree this is the most relaxing night of the whole trip.

Wake early for one last onsen soak, then head down to Lake Ashi — ride a "pirate ship" across the water and, if the sky is clear, you'll see Mount Fuji as a backdrop with the red torii gate of Hakone Shrine standing at the water's edge: a classic shot couples love to take together. In the afternoon, come down to Odawara Station and take the shinkansen straight to Kyoto, then spend the evening strolling Gion to soak up the old-town atmosphere after dark.

A full romantic day in Kyoto — head straight to the Arashiyama bamboo grove before 8 am while it's still quiet, walking through the tall, hushed stalks for couple photos, then follow it with a Hozugawa river cruise through the gorge. In the afternoon, rent a kimono and stroll Gion and Higashiyama; the old stone lanes and wooden teahouses are the prettiest backdrop you'll find for this trip's couple shots.

Take the morning train from Kyoto to Nara, about 45 minutes, and walk through Nara Park, buying crackers to feed the tame deer that wander right up to you — so endearing you'll lose track of time taking photos together. In the afternoon head for Osaka, stop by Osaka Castle, then cap the trip with dinner in Dotonbori — the Glico sign, takoyaki, kushikatsu, and an evening canal cruise. The buzz makes a great contrast to the quiet of the onsen two days earlier.