Some advise...

[chery08]

I will be going to Tokyo end of March and i've 10 nights of stay in Japan in total... i'm just wondering if i should buy the 7 days pass to go to Osaka, Kobe and Kyoto..
How many days would i need for Tokyo, Mt Fuji ?
I'm still unsure if i should go to Osaka (Kansai area or not) if going, i plan to stay in Osaka for 3 nights and from there i'll go to Kobe and Kyoto.. is it enough or do i need to spend more time in Osaka?
Sorry for asking so much but just having headache planning this out... :blush:

[Hiroyuki Nagashima]

Tokyo / Osaka / Kyoto / Kobe,
A plan to be effective to travel in ten days is necessary.:relief:
Please check the place that you want to go.:wave:

If you are interested in SWEETS,
Kobe SWEETS HARBOR
http://www.beeskiss.com/sweets_index.php

Osaka cheesecake Forest
http://www.teamnamja.com/ftp/osaka_cf/index.html

Tokyo NAMJATOWN (Tokyo dessert republic)
http://www.teamnamja.com/tp/namjatown/index.html

[chery08]

hmmmmm looks like all yummy places to visit~~ can i confirm that for kobe one... it is located on the harbour ?? Osaka not sure where it is located at ... how abt tokyo one ?? where is it huh ?
If i plan like this.. will you think it's too rush ??
Day 1 - reach tokyo --> go to Osaka via train or night bus
Day 2 - Walk around Osaka. osaka castle , minami, american town etc..
Day 3 - Go to Kobe for 1 day (do i need 1 day for Kobe?)
Day 4 - Go to Kyoto and back to Tokyo
Day 5 - Return to Tokyo, Go to Ueno, Asakusa, Shinjuku and Shibuya
Day 6 - TDL
Day 7 - Yokohama, Shinagawa
Day 8 - Mt fuji Tour
Day 9 - Around the palace, Ginza, Tokyo tower, shopping
Day 10 - Shopping
Day 11 - Back home... :(

[nice gaijin]

I hope the Mt Fuji tour doesn't involve climbing it in March... yikes

In Osaka, be sure to visit Doutombouri. Umeda is also an interesting area. If you're going to be in the area of Kyoto, Nara is worth a visit, but if you can't spare a day I probably wouldn't recommend it. Sorry, never been to Kobe.

It would be a good idea to get guidebooks/pamphlets for Tokyo (hell, anywhere you plan on going), and picking out select areas to spend time. Also consider each area's proximity to each other when deciding where you will go in a single day. Ueno and Asakusa are close to each other, but are on the opposite end of the Yamanote from Shinjuku and Shibuya; it'll cost you at least 20-30 minutes to get from one end to the other.

Unless you have a lot of money to burn, Ginza, Shinjuku and Shibuya aren't that great for shopping (some decent products, but you'll go broke in a hurry). I'd sooner recommend Ueno (ameyoko), Ikebukuro (specifically sunshine city, where I think Namjatown is located), even Harajuku or Shimokitazawa. Akihabara is also an interesting place to go and walk around if you have time and are nearby. Other sites of interest are tsukiji (fish market, go early and have great sashimi), Odaiba (another expensive but good place for shopping and walking around, can easily eat up a whole day), and Roppongi (another expensive area with lots of clubs and such, definitely not a must-go). Shibuya is worth a go for crowd watching (and shopping if you're into gyaru fashion), but not much else.

[chery08]

huh ?? do we have to climb the mountain!??!?!?! i hope not... actually i've been to somewhere near mt fuji before.. and i remember going down a cave or something where i need to bend and crawl out ... i don't wish to go through that again though... actually it is my frend's 1st trip to Japan... so decided on the Mt fuji/hakone tour since we're in Japan.. or would you suggest something better?
Doutobouri ?? what is that place like ?? I wanna go to the place with the gilico and a big crab as the sign board... do you think 1day in Osaka is enough? as for Kobe.. i'm more interested to see the harbour for the sake of taking some nice photos etc... and kyoto... mainly for sakura.. (i hope it's the right time for it..)
Thanks for the information on Tokyo... i think some places we'll just go for the sake of being in Tokyo to know where is where... and Shibuya.. i need to take photo in the busy street and the doggy... oh ya... i guess most likely i'll be staying in Ikebukuro area... so sunshine city~~~~ i'll go for sure!!
Btw.. are there any nice comestics shop around ?? or i can easily find it anywhere?? Is Akihabara the place that sells electronics stuffs???
Gosh... i'm so excited about the trip again..... can't wait for March to be here soon~~~

[nice gaijin]

I would expect you to know whether the tour you're going on includes a hike up the mountain, but before July, I'd expect the answer to be "no."

Doutobouri ?? what is that place like ?? I wanna go to the place with the gilico and a big crab as the sign board... That street is called Doutombouri. One day in Osaka should be fine, if you just want to hit up the bigger tourist spots. I recommend the Ebisu building across the street and a little farther down from the big crab, it is very neat.

I'm afraid I don't know much (read: anything) about cosmetics, other than they are ridiculously expensive here. It was recently pointed out to me that a certain brand of lipgloss that goes for less than $5 at a good store back home sells for 2,600 yen here. That is almost a 500% difference in price, for the same product. I've heard that there is almost affordable make-up available in Harajuku, but I have no idea where. Also yes, Akihabara has a district known as the Electric City, and is famous for electronics stores (amongst other specialty stores catering to all brands of nerd). Nevertheless, the big chains such as Yodobashi, Sakuraya and Bic Camera are all over the place.

Good luck on your trip, and brush up on your Japanese!

[chery08]

hmmmm ic ... i guess i dun need to climb up the mountain as it states that they'll bring us up to 5th station of MT Fuji...
guess i'll just bring along my japanese guidebook for translation if ever i need some help :p

[ArmandV]

When planning your trip, you should plan it so that you don't have to bounce back and forth from Tokyo to whereever. You should consider the Japan Railpass. You can take the Shinkansen to Kyoto. Get some free maps and booklets from here: http://www.jnto.go.jp/eng/

Day 1 - reach tokyo --> go to Osaka via train or night bus
Day 2 - Walk around Osaka. osaka castle , minami, american town etc..
Day 3 - Go to Kobe for 1 day (do i need 1 day for Kobe?)
Day 4 - Go to Kyoto and back to Tokyo You should make it a full day in Kyoto.
Day 5 - Return to Tokyo, Go to Ueno, Asakusa, Shinjuku and Shibuya The Ginza Line and Yamanote Line would be your primary trains. The Railpass is good for the Yamanote Line.
Day 6 - TDL
Day 7 - Yokohama, Shinagawa
Day 8 - Mt fuji Tour You should do this en route to Osaka or when returning to Tokyo since it is on the way either way.
Day 9 - Around the palace, Ginza, Tokyo tower, shopping
Day 10 - Shopping
Day 11 - Back home...

[chery08]

hmm thanks for ur suggestion... actually i'm tinking of taking a night coach to and back from Osaka... so i guess Mt Fuji gotta go seperately.. and i'm not sure how to get to there on my own.. that's y i'm choosing to take the tour up there ... would it be worth it?

[nice gaijin]

I was under the assumption that you had the railpass, since you were criss-crossing so much... I would now strongly recommend getting the railpass, or completely changing your itinerary. Osaka is about a 3-4 hour shinkansen ride from Tokyo, and the night bus, well, takes all night. Without a JR pass, you will be spending far too much time and money on transit, whereas with the pass, you will just be spending far too much time in transit.

[chery08]

hmm so getting the JR rail pass is a much better choice? i was thinking of using the night coach so i can save on the accomodation too and save the time... in a way...

[Rio Lee]

Wow Fuji Mt on march. I went there in summer and its already freaking cold hahaha. Nothing much to do at the 5th station tho. Except for sourvineir shopping, and.. nevermind.

Very pack itinerary IMHO. Took me 1/2 day to tour around the Ueno zoo.. PANDA!!!1one and Ueno Park (very pretty at spring and autumn), another 1/4 to drool over all the food shop and rolls my eyes over the "weird shop" in Ueno, and took me from 10am till 9pm to go around Akihabara hahaha (still not satisfied tho). But that just me I guess. Well since you're going for the sake of just going there, then I'll stop yapping here.

If you're going with the night bus : well not much of an advise tho, but doesnt they have a one-day pass for those? not quite sure tho, either they have it for JR or only Metro line or something... *wonders* Tho go for the JR pass if you're going to osaka with the shinkansen.

[chery08]

hmmm after seeing u wrote this... i've to check again with my frends if we should go osaka at all or not.. or just skip it.. but where can we go to see olden Japan and more sakura around Tokyo?? well the JR pass compared to the night buses are like about 15000 yen difference.. that's y i choose night coach..

[pipokun]

You're right that the night bus service between Tokyo and Kyoto/Osaka is much cheaper than the JR pass. The point is, however, the cheap night bus ticket is rather hard to access from outside of Japan, though you can book the bullet train ticket outside Japan.

And if you plan to visit the sweet forest in Tokyo, I suggest you should not go there on weekends unless you have much time to wait for 1 hour to eat souffle, a popular dish there.
I suppose basements of many department stores or all you can eat dessert cafe would also be an idea if you love to eat desserts.

[ArmandV]

hmmm after seeing u wrote this... i've to check again with my frends if we should go osaka at all or not.. or just skip it.. but where can we go to see olden Japan and more sakura around Tokyo?? well the JR pass compared to the night buses are like about 15000 yen difference.. that's y i choose night coach..

Is the 15000 yen for one way or round trip? I've never used it. For $235.00, the Railpass is for unlimited use (except for a couple of Shinkansen) for 7 days on JR trains, buses and ferries. I went to Osaka Castle, and that's about it. I couldn't tell you if Osaka is worth a more extended visit.

Kyoto is more interesting if you are into early Japan. Kinkakuji Golden Pavilion, Nijo Castle and Kyomizu Temple are must-sees. For modern Japan, you can't beat the huge Kyoto Station.

[chery08]

hmm guess my main purpose there will be shopping.. food and photo taking sessions .. and not forgetting sakura... that's y i'm choosing to stay in kyoto for just 1 night.. just afraid that i might get bored at night becoz there isn't much to walk around... are there anything to see in kyoto like after 11pm???

[Yunie971]

These advices are very interesting, so when I going to Japan, I know what i must doing in first!

[chery08]

can i check.. is it advisable to stay 1 night in Hakone?? What's there to see in there ?

[ArmandV]

can i check.. is it advisable to stay 1 night in Hakone?? What's there to see in there ?

You can ride the gondola car skyway and see the sulfer pits. On certain days, you can get great views of Mt. Fuji. Also, there's Lake Ashi and a lot of fun boats.

[chery08]

hmmm ic .. so i need to spend 1 night in there or just 1 day trip is fine?
hmmm i'm still thinking over if i should by the 7 days JR pass or should i take a night coach from Tokyo to Osaka and back... just afraid that if i buy the JR pass... and i go to some other places.. which doesn't have JR and it would be a waste of $$

[ArmandV]

hmmm ic .. so i need to spend 1 night in there or just 1 day trip is fine?
hmmm i'm still thinking over if i should by the 7 days JR pass or should i take a night coach from Tokyo to Osaka and back... just afraid that if i buy the JR pass... and i go to some other places.. which doesn't have JR and it would be a waste of $$

It depends. A day trip is okay.

[Amos]

hmmm ic .. so i need to spend 1 night in there or just 1 day trip is fine?
hmmm i'm still thinking over if i should by the 7 days JR pass or should i take a night coach from Tokyo to Osaka and back... just afraid that if i buy the JR pass... and i go to some other places.. which doesn't have JR and it would be a waste of $$

If you go to JRs website....http://www.japanrail.com/JR_timetableandfare.html
you can download both timetables and fares. You could work out the price of the journeys you are thinking of making and see how buying the tickets individually would compare to the 7 day pass/night buses etc. Whether you choose to give some 'cost' weighting to the convenience of a rail pass..?

One other thought. You've got a whole day in Kobe. do you need a whole day there, or could you have half a day and spend the other half at nearby Himeji? It's just that Himeji has one of the best castles in Japan (if not the best) and is well worth going to. It then means you could leave out the trip around Osaka castle, which I understand is a concrete replica. That is if you are still planning on going to Osaka!
Hope this helps!

[chery08]

thanks for the info.. heijmei is near kobe huh ?? i've not decided if i'm going to Kobe though...
actually i've compared the price.. JR pass is definitely more than the night coach.. but maybe by USD50 more... just not sure if i should save this money for more shopping or .. just get the JR pass... and then i'll just buy 1 cosmestic lesser :(

[h-kay]

Hi! I live in Kobe and I really recommend skipping Osaka castle. Everyone I know that has visited it was so disappointed especially after seeing a real castle in Himeji or else where.
If you have bought the rail pass go by Shinkansen to Himeji (only 16 minutes from Kobe or 50 minutes to Kyoto) which has a famous Sakura (Hanami) festival below the castle
*Castle info =:34: .jnto.go.jp/eng/location/regional/hyogo/himejijo.html
*autumn views of Himeji castle taken by one of my friends =:34: flickr.com/photos/agricola/sets/72157594434265808/
*spring views =:34: flickr.com/photos/42615383@N00/136631480
* :34: flickr.com/photos/pigswillb/132573293
*
OR I KNOW A CHEAPER OPTION THAN THE TRAIN PASS:
The Seishun Juhachi Kippu (Seishun 18 ticket), is a seasonally available railway ticket (in Spring =March 1 to April 10), which gives you five days (the five days do not need to be consecutive days) of unlimited (except not Shinkansens), nationwide travel on local and rapid JR (Japan Railways) trains for only 11,500 Yen, or 2,300 Yen per day! And you can share the ticket with your friend as you are travelling together so one of you can travel for 3 days using the pass and the other for 2 days (then that person just has to pay the regular fares for that day) For more info about Seishun Juhachi Kippu:
*:34: .jreast.co.jp/e/pass/seishun18.html
*:34: .japan-guide.com/e/e2362.html
So for example you could use 2/5 of the ticket to go to Himeji overnight (plus a local train ticket each as the last train leaves Tokyo before midnight)
Day#1 Leave Tokyo 23:43 to Ogaki 06:53 change trains
#2 Ogaki 07:00 to Himeji 10:16am
#2 leave luggage in lockers at Himeji station and enjoy short walk to castle
#2 train to Kobe in afternoon to take photos at the Harbour and eat early dinner
#2 train to Osaka and still using your ticket take the JR loop line to a cheap hotel like Hotel Taiyo which has bunk-beds in the twin-share rooms if you book in advance =:34: .hostelworld.com/availability.php/HotelTaiyo-Osaka-8135
#2 then cheap subway ride to visit Minami area (Dotonbori, etc), which is the most interesting in the evening after people have finished work/school.
THEN
#3 Next morning have a sleep-in as you will be exhausted, and check-out at 10am to head to Kyoto to go sightseeing for the day.
( OR as an option, spend the day at Universal Studios Japan as it is near there, and I think it is more enjoyable than TDR if you are a movie fan like me :)
#3 Take loop-line and rapid train to Kyoto (890yen each)
#3 Spend the night at a cheap hostel or internet cafe in Kyoto
THEN
#4 Return to Tokyu using 2/5 of your Seishun 18 ticket and then do what you have planned there and go on your Mt.Fuji bus tour
OR
#4 On your way back to Tokyo using 2/5 of your Seishun 18 ticket stay at the youth hostel at Lake Kawaguchi-ko. You not have to be a member to stay and you can have the chance to talk to lots of young Japanese as the universities will be on Spring break. You can also have a traditional hot spring bath and get lots of advice from the people working there as they speak English and often have people on a tight budget staying there.
The Kawaguchi-ko lake district is famous for its views of Mount Fuji, hot springs (onsen) and luxury ryokan's. Mt. Fuji is reflected on the surface of Lake Kawaguchi-ko which always makes a fascinating photo. From Kawaguchiko Station, you can take a mountain bus called Tozan Bus that takes you to the 5th level of Mt. Fuji, (2000yen each for a Round trip ticket).
THEN
From Kawaguchiko station to Tokyo station it costs 2,560 yen each so use the last 1/5 of your ticket for one of you.

[chery08]

wow thanks for ur detailed plan for me... i'm just wondering... no offence.. wat's the difference between the castle in heijimi and osaka? looks almost same to me though... from afar... is it the interior is very beautiful? Can we get inside ?? this one looks a little like the one in Nagoya too just tat it's abit bigger..

[Amos]

wow thanks for ur detailed plan for me... i'm just wondering... no offence.. wat's the difference between the castle in heijimi and osaka? looks almost same to me though... from afar... is it the interior is very beautiful? Can we get inside ?? this one looks a little like the one in Nagoya too just tat it's abit bigger..


Yes you can get inside Himeji castle - and it is very nice too. There are a few displays of armour and other relics. I've not been to Osaka castle, but was put off by the tour guides that said it was a replica of the original and the inside had been turned into a museum. As i was already planning to go to Himeji and Matsumoto castles I decided to skip Osaka castle and went to Osaka aquarium instead (which was very cool). One thing about Himeji is it's scale. The thing is massive and has lots of buildings branching off. You've also go the thing that there are still original parts of it left - wooden beams and pillars that are hundreds of years old. This gives a real sense of history, which may not be the case with Osaka.

[chery08]

hmmm so himeji is just a stop away from Kobe? gusss most likely i'll be getting my 7 days pass.. how sld i make full use of it ??
My plans are as follows :

day 1 --> Reach tokyo about 3pm, take train to Osaka .. maybe reach hotel and settled down about 8pm
day 2 --> take a day trip to Kyoto (start about 9am and hopefully finish by 5pm??).. maybe take a train ride to Nagoya to visit my friend or go to Kobe Bay during the evening...
day 3 --> Walk around Osaka.. Umeda..Minami.. American street..the crab place.. shinsabashi...(shopping day)
day 4 --> take a train to Hiroshima for taking photos sake (9am).. and return to Osaka to get our luggage and return to Tokyo about 8pm?
day 5 --> Hakone..go about 8am (should stay for a night?) want to try their Onsen in there..
day 6 --> TDL
day 7 --> Yokohama.. visit ramen meusum..which ever meusums... and the tower.. and chinatown..
day 8 --> Asakusa, Ueno park for lunch and Odaiba in the evening.. (is it on the way? or same track? )
day 9 --> Ikebukuro..Shibuya...Shinjuku.. and harajuku..
day 10 --> Ginza..Tokyo station, imperial palace..Tokyo dome?..Tokyo tower..
day 11 --> shop a little in Ikebukuro and leave for the airport at about 2pm..

do u tink my plan is ok or too rush?? my main focus is to take nice photos and shopping~~ when should i put in the hijimei castle?

[.::b|ue Ash::.]

Yikies!

While it is possible to visit all those places with in that time period, I think you will find it more difficult and certainly not as relaxing as you might like.

I have gone for 11 days, and then 12 days (effectively, not including flight time, half days, etc.) I only visit 3 major area's on each trip, even that was stretching it.

If you want quick site seeing, I recommend joining a tour.
If you want to take your time and really appreciate an area and it's sites visit no more then 2 major places and possible a small half day or 1 day side trip to another city.
No matter how much time you have, you will find yourself wishing you had more.

I highly recommend making a list of what you want to see the MOST, and then see everything in that one area WHEN you are already in said place.

I do not know how good your Japanese is, but outside of Tokyo English (both written and spoken) becomes much less spares and can certainly slow down your travel.

Most streets are not labeled, and their maps posted around cities... UP is almost never "north", orient yourself to every map well, they are all different.

[chery08]

hmmm do i really need to join the tour for these places ?? mmm... dun wish to spend those extra $$ for the tours though...
btw.. can i check if it's advisable to go to Hakone to just see Mt Fuji?? Are there any other place which we can view and take photos of Mt Fuji??

[Homerduff]

Hi,

As im also currently busy with planning my trip to Japan (for this summer), I have read somewhere that you can take a glimp of Mt. Fuji while being on the shinkansen between osaka-tokyo. Ofcourse I dont know if you will be able to take any good pictures, because you should take them while sitting on the train and I dont know how far its situated from Mt. Fuji. Anyone who can tell more about this ? And I have also read somewhere that you can take a glimp from mt. fuji while being on the landmark tower in Yokohama. Again I have doubts you will be able to take good pictures, especially with an ordinary camera. You will also only be able to see it if weather is clear..

As for your scheme, I understand your first week is kinda hectic because of your 7 days JR pass. from what I have heard, staying only 1 day in Kyoto is really not much and because you are interested in taking pictures you would miss a lot of interesting things. While taking the shinkansen from Osaka to Hiroshima, you can get off at Himeji..

Just to let you know, here is my 14-days scheme (still very basic). I will take a JR pass for 14 days, so I can my time in Kyoto-Hiroshima-Osaka. I already have in mind what things I definetly want to see, and with this scheme I still have lots of time to see any other things I descover during my trip..

Day 1 / Tokyo |

Day 2,3,4,5 / Kyoto |

Day 6,7 / Osaka |

Day 8,9,10 / Himeji + Hiroshima ( + Miyajima) |

Day 11,12,13,14 / Yokohama + Tokyo |

[Amos]

hmmm so himeji is just a stop away from Kobe? gusss most likely i'll be getting my 7 days pass.. how sld i make full use of it ??
My plans are as follows :
day 1 --> Reach tokyo about 3pm, take train to Osaka .. maybe reach hotel and settled down about 8pm
day 2 --> take a day trip to Kyoto (start about 9am and hopefully finish by 5pm??).. maybe take a train ride to Nagoya to visit my friend or go to Kobe Bay during the evening...
day 3 --> Walk around Osaka.. Umeda..Minami.. American street..the crab place.. shinsabashi...(shopping day)
day 4 --> take a train to Hiroshima for taking photos sake (9am).. and return to Osaka to get our luggage and return to Tokyo about 8pm?
day 5 --> Hakone..go about 8am (should stay for a night?) want to try their Onsen in there..
day 6 --> TDL
day 7 --> Yokohama.. visit ramen meusum..which ever meusums... and the tower.. and chinatown..
day 8 --> Asakusa, Ueno park for lunch and Odaiba in the evening.. (is it on the way? or same track? )
day 9 --> Ikebukuro..Shibuya...Shinjuku.. and harajuku..
day 10 --> Ginza..Tokyo station, imperial palace..Tokyo dome?..Tokyo tower..
day 11 --> shop a little in Ikebukuro and leave for the airport at about 2pm..
do u tink my plan is ok or too rush?? my main focus is to take nice photos and shopping~~ when should i put in the hijimei castle?
The first half does seem a bit rushed to me, but not necessarily unrealistic although you will be getting through some of it on adrenaline! I would break up the travel somewhat.
Day one will be a long one - especially if you add on the flight time you'll have already been through. Look carefully at your arrival times (and make sure that you race ahead when you get off the plane to get as near to the front of the que for immigration). Otherwise it can take a long time to get through Narita. Add on at least an hour and a half to get into Tokyo central (if you are taking the Narita Express, which I advise you do as it's included in the rail pass). Then however long it takes to get to Osaka and then your hotel. I posted links to Japan Rail's online timetables earlier in this thread so you can look up the exact details. Remember that you are planning to follow this with a long day walking around Kyoto.
Day 4 in particular involves A LOT of travelling. Where would you leave your luggage in Osaka? The train stations do not always have a large number of big lockers. Even if they do, you will not get a large hard suitcase in them I'd expect. Many hotels allow you to leave luggage with them after you've checked out, but you'd need to confirm this in advance. It also adds to your travel time if you have to detour back to your hotel.
Unless you are planning to go to Miyajima Island, I'd be tempted to leave off the Hiroshima leg of your trip altogether and spend the time in Kyoto or go and see Himeji that day. Or consider taking one day off your stay in Tokyo (Yokohama) or using your TBD and have a night in Hiroshima to spread out the travel. You could pop in and see Himeji-jo on the way to/from Hiroshima (although you need to factor in where you can leave your luggage if so - and I know from experience that a flexible bag is next to essential in Himeji station).
What ever you decide, book your hotels before you go as you don't want to waste your limited time searching for a place to stay.

[Amos]

Hi,
As im also currently busy with planning my trip to Japan (for this summer), I have read somewhere that you can take a glimp of Mt. Fuji while being on the shinkansen between osaka-tokyo. Ofcourse I dont know if you will be able to take any good pictures, because you should take them while sitting on the train and I dont know how far its situated from Mt. Fuji. Anyone who can tell more about this ? And I have also read somewhere that you can take a glimp from mt. fuji while being on the landmark tower in Yokohama. Again I have doubts you will be able to take good pictures, especially with an ordinary camera. You will also only be able to see it if weather is clear..
As for your scheme, I understand your first week is kinda hectic because of your 7 days JR pass. from what I have heard, staying only 1 day in Kyoto is really not much and because you are interested in taking pictures you would miss a lot of interesting things. While taking the shinkansen from Osaka to Hiroshima, you can get off at Himeji..
Just to let you know, here is my 14-days scheme (still very basic). I will take a JR pass for 14 days, so I can my time in Kyoto-Hiroshima-Osaka. I already have in mind what things I definetly want to see, and with this scheme I still have lots of time to see any other things I descover during my trip..
Day 1 / Tokyo |
Day 2,3,4,5 / Kyoto |
Day 6,7 / Osaka |
Day 8,9,10 / Himeji + Hiroshima ( + Miyajima) |
Day 11,12,13,14 / Yokohama + Tokyo |
Hey Homer
looks like you have tied down a pretty good looking schedule now. It's going to give you a nice flavour of the place. You certainly won't regret having a good long time in Kyoto (I hope!!). You may want to take a side trip to Nara on one of the days. It's something that I didn't do and wished I had.
I think you asked in another thread about Hiroshima in the evenings. I found that things seemed to shut early in the evening (had a hard time finding a restaurant). This was in 2003 so don't know if things are better now.
I don't know if you were planning a night in Himeji, but I wouldn't bother. You can do the castle and gardens in the same day as you travel from Osaka to Hiroshima. That means you can just have 2 nights in Hiroshima (plenty) and spend that extra day doing a side trip to Nikko when you are back in Tokyo.

[Homerduff]

hey amos, I did some research on Nara and im definetly interested to go to there. So I could visit Himeji + when arriving at Hiroshima visit the peace memorial park all in one day. And the day after go to Miyajima which should keep me busy a full day, and then the day after leave already for Tokyo. And indeed with that extra day, I could go to Nikko or Kamakura. Thanks for pointing that out !

btw, It wont harm that much for 2 days if there isnt much to do in Hiroshima in the evening..

[chery08]

:p i guess the things that you guys wanna see and what i wanna see may differs ... i've check those photos of himeji.. and kyoto.. actually in kyoto i only like the Gion street and the temples...doesn't really interest me much.. so seeing 1 is good enough.. or are there any special ones in Kyoto i've to see ?? i just wanna try praying and i can't tink of others to do in there... as for the himeji castle.. mmmmm... is it really nice inside?? if not .. maybe i'll just skip it ... for hiroshima.. still optional.. just wanna go to the miyajima for the red shrine thing that's in the middle of the sea..
actually for me.. my main purpose to japan is the sakura flowers... and SHOPPING!!!~~~
seems like so little time is never enough to visit everywhere :(

[Hiroyuki Nagashima]

This is a Bargain information site so that you can enjoy shopping.
http://www.ba-gen.com/info/index.cgi?mode=html&date=20070224&class=0
But, a site only for Japanese, information of March is not written now.
:relief:

[h-kay]

I am not trying to be sarcastic but you should just pose with your friend at home in front of a white sheet and take some different photos. Then get yourself some good software, use some of the great photos of places in Japan on the internet and merge your photos to make it look like you are standing in the front of the famous sites. Why waste your time and money on the rail pass? If you try fitting in so many places just to get some souvenir photos you will not have the chance to find all the fantastic discount shopping places that only the locals know about. You only need to visit Tokyo and Nagoya, then you can concentrate on shopping (your friend will be able to take you to places to get discount cosmetics, etc). The 2007 cherry blossom forecast will be released around late February or early March so wait until then to decide whether to visit Tokyo first or Nagoya. You can go to any one of the hundreds of temple in either city to experience praying (will take you 1 minute).

[chery08]

real sarcastic of u.. :p
i guess i'll just make my plans n make a comfortable one.. and if i miss any place i can just go there visit again...
anyway thanks for ur suggestion.. guess i'll have time to go 1 temple to pray.. it'll be fun~

[ArmandV]

for hiroshima.. still optional.. just wanna go to the miyajima for the red shrine thing that's in the middle of the sea..
:(

You can make it a good day to visit Miyajima Island and Hiroshima. Basically, Miyajima has a nice town on it with deer mingling with the tourists. The "red shrine thing" is called a Torii Gate. After visiting Miyajima, then go over to the Peace Park and Museum.

[chery08]

wow deer mingling?? that's interesting~~
hmmm so.. ... u tink i can go there for like from 9 to 5pm?

[yuki_snow]

Hi All,
Thank you for the advise/suggestions. It's very informative. I'll be visiting Tokyo on the 1st week of March. Would like to know if the weather is still as cold as in Feb (ie. 0-10 degress C) and does it rain a lot?
My schedule is quite pack and effectively, I only have 2 free days in Tokyo besides the 1/2 day Tokyo tour and 1 full day Mt Fuji visit which is thrown in for me by the company's travel agent.
I need some advise. Are there any places that is a MUST visit for a 1st time visitors to Tokyo? Some places I'd like to visit are the Tuskiji Fish Market and Odiaba. Also, any suggestions where we can shop for intersting yet affordable Japanese products and souvenirs; Places to try out distinctively Japanese food and culture?
Thanks a million.

[Homerduff]

Based on the Lonely Planet Japan book, you may find some bargains in the Ameya-yokochou Arcade in Ueno. I think you cant miss Shinjuku..

I think there are plenty of places where you can try out Japanese food. Most restaurants are specialised in something like ramen, sushi, tempura and unagi.

Im sure people with personal experiences will help you more.