Horological Meandering

Hi,

Temples and royal palace. Nara. himaje (butchered spelling) castle.

I did a River canoe trip in city and also the park with the monkeys.

Not sure about watch places but vintage can be great there (the Japanese take great care of their watches (generalizing).

Google Watch hunting Tokyo

You're in for a treat—Japan’s a watch lover’s playground if you know where to peek. In Tokyo, hit up Nakano Broadway for vintage gems (you’ll find more rare Seikos than sushi joints), and Shinjuku’s Isetan Men's building has a stellar selection of new watches. Kyoto’s all about history, but if you wander near Teramachi Street, you'll stumble into a few smaller dealers with character. Hakone's great for views and hot springs, not horology. And if you’re in Fukuoka for sumo, make time for Tenjin—it’s got some sneaky-good secondhand shops. 

I’d like to add to what Bill said that in Isetan and Mitsukoshi, apart from a 10% tax free you can also get a 5% discount. You just have to get a guest card from the department store. You can get this additional discount not only for watches but for all your shopping items > 3000¥ . The tax free and discounts are either instantaneous or cash / card payment back within the department stores so don’t forget to bring your passport along if you’re going to buy something.
In Ginza, Rasin, Shellman and Hourglass are great watch shops, even just to look around. Hope you have a great vacation!

Tons of amazing watch stores.

if the weather corporate, u may witness the changing of color of the maple leaf. that is a sight of a life time 😍 Zohiko lacquer shop, kiyomizo-dera temple, hanamikochi-dori are must see. have a wonderful time.

I forgot about this 😊

...And travel back every New Year to visit family. I'm happy to chat and offer some recommendations that fit your interests and itinerary. 

Otherwise Japan is great, nice people, great food, different culture and most importantly, very safe even if you wear your most expensive watch, generally speaking. Enjoy your trip. Take pictures and shore your purchase!

Be aware that none of the stores in Nakano are official ADs/boutiques, they are all gray but wonderful. I can't begin to count the number of watches I have bought and sold there. Renzu isn't as big as some of the other stores but staff and prices are A+ . Time Zone too, then the 2 biggies Jack Road and Kame Kichi. And then chain-store dealers like Watchnian. Shop around because prices can vary by a lot from store to store.

Other areas for watches are Shinjuku, Shibya, Ginza, Omotesando. Many of the "big grays" (Watchnian, Daikokuya, Komehyo, Okura, Rodeo Drive, Yukizaki) have branches in all of these areas and others, so you will not lack for watch stores to go see. If you have a certain brand/model you are interested in, looking on the Internet first to find the exact store where the watch is located can save you from traveliing all over the city looking.
If you want official ADs/boutques, Namiki Dori (Namiki Street) in Ginza is the place. It's called "watch street" for a reason. Then there are some boutiques and ADs nearby in Ginza (Cartier, Bulgari, Grand Seiko, Omega). There are boutiques in departments stores too.
I could go on and on, but I hope this helps for Tokyo.
I can't comment on Osaka, Fukuoka, but you will find much of the same, I believe.

Maybe just one point/caveat I could add for your planning is that most, if not all, major departments stores close pretty early...

the ones in Ginza & Shinjuku between 7:30p.m.~ 8:00 p.m., in Nihonbashi 7:30 p.m.

Early closures go for a lot of retail shops, too.

I've met many visitors who were looking forward to/counting on after-dinner shopping only to be disappointed, finding everything closed after finishing off their desserts.

Thank you all for the recommendations! This is such a great community and clearly not just for watches 😁.

the Nakasendo "Samurai Trail" can be quite wonderful (though it can be crowded with other travelers).
Some photos and info here, fyi: www.japan-guide.com o/
Also, if you feel like experiencing some immersion in a few trendy areas of Tokyo, after enjoying Shibuya, you might consider going through the Miyashita Park shopping complex (which has a park on top of the building), and then on to the Harajuku/Omotesando areas via a pleasant avenue known as "Cat Street."