Japan ideas and recommendations

[ihatethecold]

I’d like to go in January 2024 for my significant birthday,
flying Into Tokyo for a few days and then travel round a bit.
id love to see the snow monkeys and experience staying in some more traditional places.

Can you tell me any companies or places that are a must.

im hoping to be there for 2 weeks to make the most of flying that far.

just starting my planning (and saving)

Hi @ihatethecold went to Japan for honeymoon. We flew into Tokyo and stayed 3 days in nihon seinenkan hotel, it was a great location and they were building the Olympic stadiums at the time nearby. From there we got a cruise around Japan so didn't experience it in the way you will. Travelling around via bullet train etc will be amazing. Kagoshima was beautiful and probably my favourite place there and would definitely recommend, really enjoyed Osaka too (but very much like tokyo as in its built up) We also went to Kobe, Okinawa and a few other places, also got to visit Taiwan, Shanghai and Hong kong. As we went on a cruise, I'm probably not much help as alot of our trips were arranged but I hope you have a fabulous time, it's a beautiful place, I would love to go back.

Watching with interest as we've decided to go in 2024 also

Tell me about Kagoshima @121gigawatts ?
how did you get there? What did you do? Is it modern or cultural?

I know I could google this but it’s helpful to get ideas

Japan Rail does rail passes which are excellent. We got first class ones as they weren't much more than standard, and you get a fabulous trip in and out of Narita with it - like no train you've ever been on before! It covers all bullet trains and they have a great network.

We loved Nara - peaceful, traditional, and wonderful things to see. Kyoto is essential, and a good place to stay in a traditional Ryokan (inn) complete with baths.

Tokyo is absolutely full of interesting things and would recommend you properly research to see what ticks your boxes.

We also went to Hiroshima which was fascinating.

Japan is very much a country of two sides. In the rural areas things are far more basic than you'd expect from a place many of us associate with cutting edge technology. But it makes for a really amazing place to visit and explore.

We went to Tokyo just before Lockdown, we hired a car to drive to Mt Fuji - easy (well, DH drove and I held the satnav !)

I went in 2018 and it was amazing. We flew into Osaka, got the train to Kyoto, train to Tokyo and flew home from Tokyo. We got the rail pass that you can use around the country. Some highlights were a tea ceremony in Kyoto and then there were loads of girls in traditional dress getting photos done as it was cherry blossom season (highly recommend going in April). We also did a studio Ghibli museum bus tour which also took us to this recreation village of old Japan (random but good). We also went to Nara to see the bowing deer. One of my favourite things was staying in a traditional onisen with hot baths and sleeping on a tatami mat. We also did pretty much every temple and palace going so by the time we got to Tokyo we were a bit templed out so did more of the contemporary Japanese tourist things like Akihabara and Ueno park, Shinjuku etc. And yes we stayed in the Godzilla hotel as my husband is a massive Godzilla "kaiju" fan. But it was actually really nice. Any other questions give me a shout I would love to go back!

Does it have to be January? I would wait til March and the blossoms, they are stunning.

100% get the rail pass. It saves so much money if you're planning on doing a big tour.

I love Japan so much. We've been twice and are itching to go back.

The route we took last time was:

Tokyo > Hakone > Kyoto > Nara > Kurashiki > Okayama > Hiroshima > Miyajima > Kyoto (for one night) > Kanazawa > Takayama > Tokyo

Next time we want to go down to Kyushu :)

I went to Japan in January a few years ago. Loved it!

Research if the places you want to go are accessible at that time of year because the north of the country has SERIOUS amounts of snow in winter (eg 6 feet snowdrifts). We didn't go further north than Tokyo. Weather was good and not very cold. Low rainfall at that time of year so a lot of clear skies and sunshine. Clear views of Mount Fuji, which is less common the rest of the year.

Tokyo is easy to navigate as a foreigner. Metro network is excellent and signage is also shown in Western script, not just Japanese. I didn't use buses.

I went on a specialist tour which won't be of use to you. Try looking at organised tour companies to give you an idea of possible itineraries.

its my birthday in January so i'd really like to be on an amazing holiday for it.

If you have a Google account, you can use Google Maps to plot the places you'd like to visit (visible only to yourself). It's useful to see which sites are grouped close together so you can work out feasible itineraries. It works for individual sites, hotels, shops etc too.

Oh yeah, shops... Muji flagship store in Tokyo. Uniqlo was disappointing - I'm sure the Oxford Street branch in London was better. There's an amazing stationery store (Itoya) in central Toyko. Big craft stores. Fabric shops in Nippori district. I didn't go to the street of shops that sell plastic fruit and vegetables but the guidebooks often mention it.

@ihatethecold apart from Tokyo we went everywhere by cruise so not much help on travel sorry. In kagoshima we visited the botanical and senganen Gardens, absolutely beautiful and definitely recommend. We also docked at a place called Shimzu which has an excellent view of Mt Fuji and you can visit Fuji from there but it also had a lovely beach just beyond a pine forest. Shimzu was our first port from Tokyo so I don't believe its too far from there so could be a good first stop after Tokyo if you're planning on visiting Mount Fuji?

We booked an amazing trip through Inside Japan following recommendations from MN.

They were really good at planning travel, transport, hotels, entrance fees and activities to suit us. Yes they were a little bit more expensive but I would really rate their service. I've recommended them to 4 other people and they've all loved the experience. I will see if I can dig our our itinerary for you.

There are lots of Japan threads on the travel board and I used these for lots of tips, so definitely worth a search.

Here was the itinerary we followed:

Heathrow to Haneda (overnight flight)

TOKYO
Private guide of the Tokyo sites
Robot Restaurant experience (no food as it's crap!)
Ghibli Museum
Cat cafe
Disney park

MATSUMOTO
train to Matsumoto
Matsumoto castle
soba making class

KYOTO
train to Kyoto
afternoon in Arashiyama
Private guide tour of Kyoto
Calligraphy class
tea ceremony
rented a traditional Japanese house

NARA
day trip & sightseeing

HIROSHIMA
train to Hiroshima
sightseeing in Hiroahima
Ferry to Miyajima
Sightseeing on the island

OSAKA
Sightseeing
Universal Studios

HAKONE
train to Odawara
taxi to Hakone
stay in a traditional home with a hot spring (attached to the room so we could use it when we wanted)
2 day Hakone Pass - pirate ship, funicular railway, cable cars, buses - anything to view the illusive Mount Fuji
open air art museum

TOKYO
train to Tokyo
last minute sightseeing / shopping
flight to UK

Thank you for starting this . Was going to start one myself . Also hoping to go in 2024 .

A few years ago but :
Flight into Tokyo
Day 1 in Tokyo
Activate JR pass
Train to Osaka and stayed in Osaka as Kyoto booked out.
Day trips to Kyoto, Himeji Castle, Hiroshima/Miyagima.
Return to Tokyo.
Collect rental car and drive to Mt Fuji.
Stayed in ryokan
Drive back for 3 days in Tokyo before return to UK.

Thanks so much for all this advice.
what month did you all travel?
is January a bad month to go?

@ihatethecold We went in late March/April so were there for the sakura festivals.

We went April/May and saw the Sakura Blossoms which were stunning.

Even at that time of year, the weather was changeable we had glorious spring sunshine in Kyoto and deep snow in Matsumoto (& it was very cold)

I would be worried about the weather and temperatures if I went in Japan.

I've been in late September and had stunning weather, then in mid May and there was a random heatwave. Personally I'd only go in either of those months. Maybe early June as well. Outside of that it's either too hot, too wet or too cold for my tastes.

@ihatethecold
If you want to see the snow monkeys - it will be really cold in January. I’d definitely wait until March or go earlier in October. Japan in cherry blossom season is heaving but the climate of Japan means the blossom season isn’t identical everywhere.

At the moment you need a guided tour in Japan. I really hope that changes as we want to go again.

We started off in Tokyo and visited Hakone (galleon trip is dire!) but there’s a great circular trip including mountain railways. There is a very good sculpture garden too.

We did loads of things in Tokyo. We took a monorail trip and then went on the Enoden line to Hase and Kamakura. Great day away from the city. We then went on the castle at Matsumoto and on to Tsumago which is an old village and walked the post route Nakasendo from Magome. That’s fantastic.

Kyoto needs several days. It’s outstanding. So many temples and gardens snd fantastic food. We saw a Geiko show at a theatre. These only happen twice a year. We saw the Kamogawa Odori. It’s just so unique. The Womens Assicistion of Kyoto also run cookery lessons, paper folding and dressing as a geiko, plus others. You can also tour the tea house area to see the ladies as they rush from their lodgings. In addition go to the shops that sell their hair decorations and kimonos. Wonderful. We also saw the Gion Matsuri Festival procession. Check what festivals are on.

Nara is brilliant and Hiroshima is moving. The bullet trains are iconic. Japanese rail card is a must as is staying at a Ryokan. Tsumago has old ones. Onsen are interesting! We found Japan a brilliant place to visit but 2 weeks will require you making choices. I really would not include Disney or any theme park. There are temples, castles, gardens, pagodas, and so much more that’s authentically Japanese that you won’t want to miss.

Lastly, Lonely Planet book is really good for planning. As is the book Japan by Rail. Very useful! (Well vital!)

Thanks, so i'm now doubting January. This won't be a cheap holiday so I want to get it right.
I wouldn't be going to any theme parks in Japan. Not really my thing. I love food, wildlife and scenery.

Might need a re think for the Jan holiday and save Japan for a better time in the year.

Japan is very hot in the summer. The best months are spring or autumn. I do realise the snow monkeys are best in winter but other sightseeing isn’t. Therefore it might be you have to make choices. I do know Wildlife Worldwide run trips to see the monkeys in March which is why I suggested March. That would be elsewhere too.

That would be ok elsewhere too!

I did a walking tour with Exodus or Explore serveral years ago which was incredible although I don't think they do that specific route anymore, others probably do. We walked every day (moderate difficulty) along the Nakasendo Highway, starting in Osaka, ending in Kyoto, staying in traditional inns along the way. An incredible experience and a real privilege to see rural Japan as well as the neon lit cities we expect.