Visiting Japan

[Terrestrial Dream]

How nice, and you guys traveled all the way to Hokkaido? Must have took you guys few hours.

*sign* I suppose next year for me.

[JokerD]

Originally Posted by Terrestrial Dream

How nice, and you guys traveled all the way to Hokkaido? Must have took you guys few hours.

*sign* I suppose next year for me.

We took the Hamanasu night express from Aomori which took 8 hours, not counting the time taken from Tokyo to Aomori on the Hayabusa train
A shinkansen to Hokkaido would start operations from 2016 though...

[Garet Jax]

Has anyone stayed on Miyajima versus somewhere in Hiroshima? 2/3 nights, say. Seems nice, but more expensive. Maybe more inconvenient to get around?

[AmeNoJaku]

From Hiroshima it's very easy to make day trips to various locations, including Miyajima (thich about an hour train/boat ride). Hiroshima also has more variety than Miyajima. So it doesn't make much sense to stay over in Miyajima, unless one has serious mobility problems.

[Guardian Enzo]

Originally Posted by Garet Jax

Has anyone stayed on Miyajima versus somewhere in Hiroshima? 2/3 nights, say. Seems nice, but more expensive. Maybe more inconvenient to get around?

I stayed on Miyajima, and it was well worth it. Once all the day tourists leave the atmosphere improves tremendously. Of course, this was also three weeks after the Touhaku quake so there were fewer tourists to begin with (despite it being far, far away and completely unaffected apart from logistics).

I stayed at this place and highly recommend it. Try several booking sites - I managed to get in for about $70 a night for a single.

[Garet Jax]

Hmm, conflicting opinions. Thanks both. I've heard that about the atmosphere later in the day, which would be the main reason to stay there. Something to think about.

[Zakoo]

Hello fellow boarders, my friends and I plan to go Japan in August of this years, we talked together and we agreed more or less on this plan, we would like to know your opinion on it, whether it is on the itinerary or the amounts of days spent.

So we are going for 15 days :

1. Tokyo, we plan to stay there at least 4 days, according to the informations I collected it's quite short but it can be changed depending of factors.

1. Fuji-san, the great me is here : so well after Tokyo we plan to climb the mount Fuji, between the ascencion (6hours), the night, the raising sun and the descent it counts as two days

1. Then we go to Kyoto, we plan to spend two days there, the amount of temple and garden that can be visited is so great that it should be easy to fill those days.

1. Then we go to Osaka ( one day )

1. Last town I made as "obligatory" is Iroshima, one day there too

So thanks for reading until there, we are already at 10 days maybe more. There's still 3 days to fill ( we plan to stay the last night in Tokyo to make sure we have no problem with the plane )

The others place we would like to see are Nara and Shirahama.

So some questions, do you know a website where it is possible to see if the itinerary I propose is good with the Japan Rail Pass, and for people who went to japan already if you know some good hotels, place to sleep etc.

[Cosmic Eagle]

You can climb Fuji in 4 hours actually.....You shouldn't have to dedicate 2 whole days to it.

[Guardian Enzo]

Originally Posted by Cosmic Eagle

You can climb Fuji in 4 hours actually.....You shouldn't have to dedicate 2 whole days to it.

You can, but it's a bit of a slog. It's best to stay at one of the higher stations on the mountain and hike up for the sunrise. Just expect truly staggering crowds of people.

Most of your plan is doable with a JR Pass, and there is a 14-day version. To get all the way to Fuji itself you'll need to go on private rail (or bus) though. My initial reaction is that I'd desperately try and find more time for Kyoto - 2 days isn't nearly enough. By my math your itinerary doesn't add up to 15 days, though.

[JokerD]

Originally Posted by Zakoo

Hello fellow boarders, my friends and I plan to go Japan in August of this years, we talked together and we agreed more or less on this plan, we would like to know your opinion on it, whether it is on the itinerary or the amounts of days spent.

So we are going for 15 days :

1. Tokyo, we plan to stay there at least 4 days, according to the informations I collected it's quite short but it can be changed depending of factors.

1. Fuji-san, the great me is here : so well after Tokyo we plan to climb the mount Fuji, between the ascencion (6hours), the night, the raising sun and the descent it counts as two days

1. Then we go to Kyoto, we plan to spend two days there, the amount of temple and garden that can be visited is so great that it should be easy to fill those days.

1. Then we go to Osaka ( one day )

1. Last town I made as "obligatory" is Iroshima, one day there too

So thanks for reading until there, we are already at 10 days maybe more. There's still 3 days to fill ( we plan to stay the last night in Tokyo to make sure we have no problem with the plane )

The others place we would like to see are Nara and Shirahama.

So some questions, do you know a website where it is possible to see if the itinerary I propose is good with the Japan Rail Pass, and for people who went to japan already if you know some good hotels, place to sleep etc.

For the rail you can try the website www.hyperdia.com
It allows you to search for the routes between stations. Presuming you know the stations you are getting off at.
JR in Tokyo and Osaka shouldn't be a problem. Kyoto only has a few JR stations. Although you can rent bicycles or buy a day bus pass for 500yen.
The best thing about the JR pass is that you can use it to ride the Shinkansen between cities. Although the fastest NOZOMI and MIZUHO trains are not included.

[AmeNoJaku]

In Tokyo:

• Meiji shrine and Yoyogi park should be the first to visit
• Ueno Park and its museums.
• Ryougoku Kokugikan to watch sumo, the Edo-Tokyo museum is close by for a more elementary treatment of Japanese culture and history than the Ueno museums
• Nihon Budokan to watch kendo, judo, and other martial arts, which is close to...
• The imperial palace and its garden (you need to apply for the visit in advance). The controversial Yasukuni shrine is also close by.
• Other important shintou shrines in the city are Kanda, and Hie, so try to check the dates of their festivals.
• The important buddhist temples are Zoujou-ji and the complex of Asakusa, the later has a graphic market street as well as a lot of shintou related sites within and nearby.
• For panoramic views Shinjuku metropolitan office is free, the Tokyo Tower is a little retro but the parks around it very pleasant and finally you can go to Sky Tree.
• In spring and fall try either Shinjuku Gyoen or Hamarikyuu garden.
• Odaiba offers a more futuristic (by '70s standards) aesthetic of the city
• There are great rock bars in Shinjuku (godz and mother) and Shibuya (lock-up and rock-no-kokoro).
• If you're into dancing and socializing the most famous meat-market is Ageha near Kiba, but there are also several others in Shibuya and Roppongi.
• Duh! for anime-related interests: Akihabara, Nakano, Chiba or Ikebukuro (if you're not a guy)

Near (as in less than 3 hours travel) Tokyo consider:

• Kamakura/Enoshima to the south and
• Nikko to the north
• Fuji and Hakone that you mentioned also

Between Tokyo and Kyoto, and along the shinkansen you can try Hikone, Gifu or Inuyama for their castles.

For Kyoto, I will be very strict, because even in 15 days there is not enough to visit everything I consider important:

• Nijou and its gardens
• Kinkakuji (aka the golden pavilion)
• Ginkakuji (aka the silver pavilion)
• Fushimi Inari Taisha
• Walk uphill from Heian-jingu to Kiyomizu-dera through some of the most iconic streets of the country.

Also be aware that transportation within the city can be very slow!

Near (as in less than 2 hours away) Kyoto:

• The buddhist complex on mount Koya (it's compact, but harder to reach) or...
• Otsu and the buddhist complex on mount Hiei (it's more spread out, but more accessible).
• Spend at least one day in Nara!
• Osaka

While in Kyoto/Osaka try to visit either Ise grand shrine dedicated to Amaterasu or Izumi grand shrine dedicated to Okuni. The problem is that both are hard to reach, but well worth it. If you really have 1-3 days to spare, I suggest staying in Matsue, which has many beautiful gardens, hiking paths, and a beautiful castle. It is located about an hour away from the Izumo grand shrine.

Hiroshima/Miyajima is a popular destination too, though Ononmichi (on the way there is more iconic IMHO); and unfortunately Himeji castle is still reinovated.

And all these do not include my favorite destinations for vacation: Kyuushu and Shikoku

[Kirarakim]

Some people might disagree with me but for a first visit I'd actually skip the day in Osaka and add an extra day to Kyoto.

You can always take the train to Osaka from Kyoto and spend an evening there.

[SaintessHeart]

@AmeNoJaku : Why did you even suggest Ikebukuro you sick twisted mentally ill nut! That is a market for peddling illegal, pornographic and socially deplorable products!

Whatever any of you do, do not visit Otome Road. It is a road walked only by the socially outcasted.

[Zakoo]

Thanks for your answer, some people told me to not go to the mount Fuji and that there's actually far better things to do ( more days in kyoto or going in the north of main island).

So well I took their advise and will probably cancel the ascension of fuji san, and spend more time in Kyoto ( I mean a millenium capital, there must be tons of things to see there)

To recap :

Tokyo (4 days) > Osaka ( one day ) > Kyoto ( 3 days ) > Nara ( one day ) > Iroshima ( 1 day ) > Miyajima ( one day ).

3 days left, it's a shame but I have now to decide whether we go to the north of Kyushuu or if we return to Tokyo and see the town around ( Kamakura, Nikko, Hakone )

In short, there's so much to see I'm going crazy.

[Guardian Enzo]

I feel your pain. Every trip here was full of agonizing decisions.

I'm not sure you should cancel Fuji-san - it is a uniquely Japanese experience, and it sounds like you really had your heart set on it. Just know exactly what you're getting into.

As for Osaka, the thing is that with a JR Pass you can take a Shinkansen from Kyoto to Shin-Osaka and be there in 14 minutes. I like it as a day - or even better - evening trip from Kyoto. An underrated city (with great food) that should be seen, but not necessarily a full day or an overnight.

My personal view is, doing both Hiroshima/Miyajima and Kyushu in this trip might be too much - I'd pick one or the other. I think if you budget 5 days for the Tokyo area, you can do day trips to Kamakura and/or Nikko or Hakone. I would try and stay at an onsen ryokan at least once, whether it be Hakone or elsewhere.

[Zakoo]

Indeed you saw through me I deeply wanted to do the fuji san but my mates doesn't share my excitation and above all, it can be pretty tiring, kind of ruining the next two days if it was too hard for the body.

As for Shin-Osaka, people told me the same, the evening/night are much more interesting there than Kyoto or Nara, so we probably stay all nights at Osaka and when we want to go to Kyoto/Nara we take the shinkansen.

Another question, is it better to use a travel agency or going free as I think doing? We fear some "unexpected" problems, but heh, it's Japan we aren't going in the wildness, for me the worst problem that could happen is being refused in an hostel.

[JokerD]

Originally Posted by Zakoo

Indeed you saw through me I deeply wanted to do the fuji san but my mates doesn't share my excitation and above all, it can be pretty tiring, kind of ruining the next two days if it was too hard for the body.

If you are worried about that, leave it to the end of your trip so it would not have a knock on effect. You can grab a bus from Tokyo (since you are leaving from there) to M. Fuji

Just... research on it first before going ahead. Despite how it's depicted, it IS a mountain and there are steep slopes and thin air on top.

[AmeNoJaku]

Originally Posted by Kirarakim

Some people might disagree with me but for a first visit I'd actually skip the day in Osaka and add an extra day to Kyoto.

You can always take the train to Osaka from Kyoto and spend an evening there.

I couldn't agree more.

Originally Posted by SaintessHeart

@AmeNoJaku : Why did you even suggest Ikebukuro you sick twisted mentally ill nut! That is a market for peddling illegal, pornographic and socially deplorable products!

Whatever any of you do, do not visit Otome Road. It is a road walked only by the socially outcasted.

I was very clear about who will find Ikebukuro interesting.

[SaintessHeart]

Originally Posted by AmeNoJaku

I was very clear about who will find Ikebukuro interesting.

Stop spreading your sinful, depraved lies in this forum you evil heretic!

Originally Posted by Zakoo

Thanks for your answer, some people told me to not go to the mount Fuji and that there's actually far better things to do ( more days in kyoto or going in the north of main island).

So well I took their advise and will probably cancel the ascension of fuji san, and spend more time in Kyoto ( I mean a millenium capital, there must be tons of things to see there)

You can drop by Iga-Ueno and look for a BBQ house. There is barbeque house and awesome meat. Inclusive of a cute waitress there. It is recommended that you go to the nearby ninja castle to learn a few skills to stalk get to know her better.



Kinkakuji is a nice place. I managed to catch a photo of one of its attractions here, though it is small.



Btw if you are going to stay in Kyoto, I recommend going to the Jiyu-jin, overall nice atmosphere, a public bath nearby, lots of places to eat, walking distance to Gion and a cute megane-dojikko welcoming you on behalf of her parents and spell your name completely wrong in a goodbye note slipped under your door on your last day. Moe level >>>>9000

[Kirarakim]

As for the anime shopping places I still love Nagano Broadway best of all. But I enjoyed both Ikebukuro and Akihabara. Sunshine city in Ikebukuro is kind of fun (although I am not sure if I'd recommend for a first visit as there is so much else).

Honestly just in Tokyo there are so many places to find anime goods, it's insane. I mean there are 4 Mandarake's just in Tokyo.