Has anyone been to Japan?

[Japanhols]

I really want to surprise DH with a trip to Japan, it's his dream destination. It will take me a while to save enough to go there but want to get an idea of how much it will all cost and some sort of itinerary.

It seems as though most people don't just go to Tokyo, but to a bit of a tour of the country. That looks exciting but so difficult to plan and book! I wouldn't be able to just wing it and find accommodation etc as we go along because I'm such a planner and that would be way too stressful.

If anyone has been and has any advice it would be greatly appreciated!

It’s not the sort of place to wing booking hotels, or anything for that matter. Hugely popular (and over tourism in many places).

Instagram search “Japan itinerary”, Tripadvisor forum: Japan.
Reddit: r/JapanTravel
https://www.japan-guide.com/

First question is what time of year you want. Spring is the typical first time visit, then autumn colour.

I suggest you find a tour group as it sounds as if you would benefit from having their inside knowledge.

We were going to go next year but couldn't get flights (we wanted reward flights with BA and they are limited in April as it Sakura season- so a me problem not a normal one l)

Anyway have a look at you tube for travel series in Japan - I really like Catherine kay the illustrator/ she's seems like a lovely human.

She has done a series of 6 ish vlogs about flippant last year

Also joint the planning groups on Facebook

I went to the World Cup there in 2002 so quite a while ago and things might have changed since then.

We went to games in Sapporo, Tokyo, Niigata and Osaka.

The whole trip was geared around the football so my experiences are probably not much use to you.

However one thing I do recall is how good the trains were. Aside from their fabled speed and adherence to timetables they were a great way to travel around. Even standard inter city trains had viewing carriages where the seats faced outwards. They were a great way to watch the country pass by. The best tip at the time was to buy a foreigners rail pass. I’m not sure if they still exist but they gave you a set number of days unlimited travel and were offered at a heavy discount but only if purchased when you were overseas. They saved us an absolute fortune as you could also use them on sleeper trains which were immaculate and at least as good as a decent hotel.

You can get "pocket WiFi" from the airport and carry the device round with you so you can both coonnec to it . Also get an eSIM from airialo.

Ryokan are tradition guesthouses with onsen shared bath but tattoos are frowned upon and if you have a retro you can't going the onsen .

Be aware that there are some hotels who don't accept foreign guests. Not in Tokyo, I don't think. But that's another reason not to wing it.

You absolutely do not need a tour group. I'm just back from a 3 week trip with my dh and 2 kids, ages 11 and 9. We had an incredible time!

The Japanese are so kind and patient and we all absolutely loved our time there. We flew in and out of Tokyo and visited Osaka, Hiroshima, Mayajima Island, Kyoto, Kanazawa, Takayama, all all by train. Its such a fantastic way to travel, very spacious and comfortable.

You will need to plan your accommodation ahead of time but train tickets can be bought on the day or the day before.

Food was very very good value. So much to do and see, very manageable if you use Google maps and Google translate the odd time.

There are loads of Facebook groups you can read up on in advance and can help you plan but a lot of the time we just had a rough outline for each day and winged it depending on moods and energy levels.

I'd go back tomorrow, bloody loved it.

We’ve been several times @Japanhols. Tbh you could easily spend two weeks - or longer - just in Tokyo, as it’s vast and there’s so much to see and do, with plenty of scope for decent side-trips out for days. But a good compromise would be to plan a 2-centre trip and make it based around Tokyo and Kyoto (the former capital, with many ancient temples and a different vibe).

As Charlie mentioned upthread, you can buy Japan Rail passes, only available from outside Japan, which could work out advantageously - you need to do the sums. Rail travel is indeed a joy there and I’d definitely recommend doing lots of trips round and about.

It's possible to organise hotels yourselves and that’s what we did, but I’ve seen specialists like Inside Japan very highly rated, so maybe investigate something like that? They offer lots of different types of trips and you have time to go off and do your own thing. Stays in a ryokan (traditional Japanese inns) could be part of it if you chose.

It’s a fantastic place to visit and so interesting. I’d urge anyone to go, we loved everywhere we went and would love to go again.

My only advice is not to go in the summer. It’s very humid and I found it a really oppressive and uncomfortable sort of heat.

I did Tokyo- Hakone - Kyoto- Osaka - Hiroshima. Having the Japan Railpass makes it easier