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)

@guzzywuzzy
Thats why we did part of the Nakasendo Highway. I would not just do that though. Japan has a lot to offer and neon and railways are part of it. The bit I thought was touristy was Hakone. The train snd gondola ride was good but I definitely preferred other things such as gardens and temples.

Oh, you just reminded me of Gora Park! It was a bit overcast and chilly when we arrived in Hakone to start the circle tour that includes the ropeway (and the black eggs!) but by the time we reached the garden the weather was just glorious. So beautiful and peaceful.

Spring or autumn are lovely times to visit. It’ll be quieter in January but gets very cold. Getting round by train is very easy. The Japan Rail pass has to be bought outside the country. I lived there for 2 years and loved it. Definitely make time to visit a more countryside place.

@TheBirdintheCave
We couldn’t make it to the eggs! Low cloud snd stifling sulphur!

@TizerorFizz We were all set on trying them but they could only be bought in boxes of six and we didn't fancy carrying them around so didn't bother in the end 😂Shame you missed the 'volcano' bit though!

We got off at the cable car stop but no one else did! We could hardly see 10m in front of us and nearly keeled over with the smell! Just the wrong day!

We went in summer 2019.

We stayed in Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka, using the trains to travel between. We also visited Nara.

We were there partly for the Disney/Universal parks so that played a big part in where we stayed and for how long.

In Tokyo we used the itineraries from the Lonely Planet guides.

We didn't have a rail pass as we didn't do enough longer train journeys to make it worthwhile. We just paid as we travelled, and we used the underground a lot in Tokyo.

Nara and Kyoto were really lovely and more traditional.
Tokyo was very busy and much more modern, but with pockets of traditional shrines and parks, etc. It was fascinating.
Osaka is a more built up city, more modern. We stayed here mainly for the theme park but also explored a bit too.

Japan was a fabulous holiday, we all loved it.

Oh! Also, pick up a Suica card (it's like an Oyster card) for public transport as there are some public transport lines in cities that you can't use your Japan Rail Pass on.

I think Suica is almost national, you can use it in most cities but a few cities have their own travel card as well.

Bonus points for it having a cute penguin on it :)

Most people go to the Kanagawa side of Mt Fuji (e.g. Hakone), but I recommend Fujigoko (5 lakes), on the Yamanashi side of Fuji. It's about 2 hrs bus ride from Shinjuku in Tokyo, or probably a bit quicker to drive. You could spend a day or so driving around the lakes, the scenery is amazing. Kawaguchiko is quite a touristy place with nice ryokan and the place where you can see the iconic image of the pagoda and Mt Fuji is nearby -

www.jrailpass.com/blog/chureito-pagoda-travel-guide

January is very cold, but I liked it - not cold and damp and grey like the UK, more fresh and sunny. If you do go in Spring bear in mind that the timing of the blossoms is not very predictable and can vary a bit. I had visitors who were there at what should have been just the right time and they missed it by literally a day!

If varies from area to area do you have to look at the possible blossom timings for each area. They are not as precise as one day.

Excited to find this thread. I’m hoping to go back to Japan at a similar time (either Christmas 2023 or Easter 2024). For me, like a PP, the theme parks are on my to-do list. I’m toying around with an itinerary that’s something like:

Day 0- Fly to Osaka
Day 1-arrive Osaka afternoon/evening
Day 2- Osaka
Day 3-Day trip to Nara from Osaka
Day 4- Universal studios
Day 5- Train to Kyoto and day trip in Kyoto then overnight sleeper bus to Tokyo
Day 6- Tokyo
Day 7- Tokyo
Day 8- Tokyo
Day 9- Tokyo then transfer to hotel in Maihama
Day 10- Tokyo Disney
Day 11- Tokyo Disney Sea
Day 12- Travel home

I’ve looked at the JR pass and we won’t be travelling round enough to warrant it. I don’t want to be hopping to a different city and new hotel every day and we are restricted to about 11 nights maximum due to work commitments.

I might be mad but I’m thinking of using the sleeper bus option from Kyoto to Tokyo. I know it won’t be the best night’s sleep of my life but I think it’s what we’re going to do. It means we’re not spending hours of precious holiday time on a train and even the more luxurious sleeper buses with offset seats that fully recline are about half the price of a train ticket. It looks like we’d leave Kyoto sometime between 10pm and 11.30 and arrive in Tokyo for 6 or 7am the next day.

Last time I was in Japan was over a decade ago and we just stayed in and around Tokyo. This time I’d really like to see Kyoto and Nara as a minimum and Universal and the two Disney parks are on my “must do” list.

Anyone who wants to do theme parks, Fuji Q Highland in Fujiyoshida is great! It has lots of rides that at some point have been tallest, fastest etc.

The trains are part of the holiday. The Shinkansen is 2 hours between K and T. Hardly a waste of time! At least you would be fit and rested to enjoy the holiday. @MadameMinimes Why go all that way for theme parks? One day in Kyoto? Such a wired itinerary but each to their own!!

Buy a Japan Railways pass (have to do it here, not Japan). Ours paid for themselves in one trip (Osaka to Nagasaki). Shogun's palace and gardens in Kyoto, nuclear dome in Hiroshima, the palace of the egrets in Himeiji, Awaji Island off Kobe (lovely ferry trip with a car), Miyajima Island off Hiroshima, Nara...

Why go all that way for theme parks?

We went to the theme parks - 3 days out of our 14 day trip.
Why?
We enjoy theme parks.
It's also DD's hope to visit all 6 Disney locations - final two are Hong Kong and Shanghai but that keeps being out back due to their covid restrictions. One day.

We like theme parks and build them into our itineraries in our holidays especially when dd travels with us. We also like to do other types of sightseeing, and like to have busy days and relaxing days. So our itineraries always have a mix.

As you say, each to their own and all that.

Studio Ghibli tickets, book once you know your dates. Tickets go quickly.

Stay near a station that services both tube and bullet train network. London equivalent of say Paddington or Kings Cross. Makes a difference after a long day trip.

Nara is a must! Amazing temple and feeding the deer is fun.

Tokyo museum of science and innovativion was a favourite. Nearby is a Japanese spa/onsen - Tokyo Odaiba Ooedo Onsen Monogatari. A bit touristy but still very nice and relaxing. You wear a kimono and they have a food court too.

I'm so jealous, went to DC age 5 and 3 in 2019 and would love to go again!

Oh and you can pre book a WiFi thingy to collect at the airport so internet access is cheap and easy. You return it to the airport when you leave. They make it so easy.

We didn't bother getting a device or sim. My phone contract costs me £6 a day to use my allowance when abroad so that's what we did. Worked well for us.

@TizerorFizz Tokyo DisneySea is generally rated as the best theme park in the world and I’m a Disney fan. The main attraction at universal for me is the Wizarding World stuff. Lots of people go all the way to Florida to spend two whole weeks in theme parks. It’s not for me personally, but it doesn’t surprise me that other people like it. I like theme parks but would rather spend a few days at theme parks and the rest of my time doing other stuff.

I get what you are saying about the train. I know that DP would probably rather take the Shinkansen, but I was rather taken with the idea of getting on a bus, going to sleep and then waking up in the next city. When you arrive in Tokyo there’s a VIP lounge with showers and stuff where you can get changed and ready for the day. I may be being naive though and there’s plenty of time to change our minds.

I’ve never been to Kyoto before. How long would you advise spending there? I’m a big fan of mega-cities, which is why I’ve planned to stay mostly in Osaka and Tokyo. Kyoto and Nara I want to see, but I’m mostly going for the theme parks and Tokyo. I could jiggle things to spend another day in Kyoto though.

@Abraxan Thats useful, thanks. I see almost every tourist guide I see recommends getting a mobile internet device. I’ve never bothered with one in any other city but I was starting to think that I was missing some important information about my British phone just not working when I got there.

I’m considering going in January next year, if they open up properly. Would probably fly to Tokyo and head south! Would love to see Naoshima. But I wondered whether roads or railways closed for snow in the winter? My assumption is that it all just keeps working efficiently.

I wouldn’t go anywhere for a theme park. I don’t see them as cultural or remotely interesting. I think Japan has so much more to offer than American theme park brands that take over the world. Such a waste when there’s so much that’s unique to Japan. I guess I’ve seen wonderful places without ever visiting a theme park.,

As long as you spend time doing what you like and enjoy then that’s great. Like you say, each to their own. Personally, I enjoy a well-themed theme park. I’m not going halfway across the world and then not visiting the best-themed park in the world.
How long do you think Kyoto needs?

A waste to you.
Clearly not to others.
No one claims they're cultural days out. Just fun ones to add to a mix of other types of days out on holiday.

I don't understand the need to criticise someone else's holiday preferences particularly. Everyone likes different things, or even just a mix of things, especially when you holiday with family of differing ages too.

I guess I’ve seen wonderful places without ever visiting a theme park.,

I guess I've seen some wonderful places in addition to visiting a theme park. 🤷🏻‍♀️

I think we spent 3 nights in Kyoto. One of those days we visited Nara. We could have easily added another day though.