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First trip to Japan April 2011 -
04-06-2010, 12:52 PM
Hi there,
I am planning for my first trip to Japan in April 2011. I would like to do some bass fishing whilst in Japan but also coincide my trip with the cherry blossoms as im sure they are every bit as beautiful in real life as the photos, I have a basic intinery done up but have a few questions Day 1 - Osaka Day 2 - Osaka Day 3 - Kyoto Day 4 - Kyoto Day 5 - Mt Fuji Day 6 - Nagano Day 7 - Tokyo Day 8 - Tokyo i will get a JR Rail Pass and pay the last days train fare to the airport I will book a days fishing from Otsu (near kyoto) and a day in tokyo Harbour so i would only have one extra day in tokyo and kyoto. am i trying to see too much of the country in say 8 days? I would love to see the major temple/shrine attractions in kyoto and tokyo, whilst osaka i would like to visit the aquarium, dotonburi and perhaps a trip to himeji castle. Fuji is a must see i think, do i need a day there or is it more of a couple of hours on the way to tokyo also Nagano is of interest to me, i would love to see the snow monkeys but perhaps seeing some snow (if its there in april) and staying in a ryokan would be nice. Do you think Nagano is really worth seing as its a bit out of the way and im kind of cut short for time? il be travelling alone and for the most part staying in cheaper accommodation, im not the kind to sleep in of a morning either, il be up and at em early, getting the most of my time in Japan any info or tips are much appreciated, or even places i should be visiting that i havent listed, (Miyajima Island, hiroshima etc..?) Thankyou, Ben 
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04-06-2010, 03:07 PM
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What are you interested in seeing?
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04-06-2010, 09:25 PM
i guess id like to see anything thats japanese,
i love the look of the gardens, shrines, and temples, but also love the look of the downtown districts that Tokyo and Osaka has to offer. one thing i really want to do is spend a bit of time wandering through the old style streets, like Gion has. Are these kinda things everywhere..? hope you know what i mean. Castles are of interest to me as well, i assume Himeji is the best one to see, but seeing as though im in Osaka would it be worth checking it out too.. timing my trip to coincide with the cherry blossoms i am hoping to see some in bloom. the pictures i see of this are amazing. i was thinking of booking the trip at the end of march start of April, but how long do they blossoms stay open for, from what ive been reading its a bit of a gamble but the start of April seems pretty consistent so i guess im interested in Anything different and a real japanese experience. i mean everyone knows tokyo, osaka and kyoto are worth seeing but the smaller places i dont hear a lot about, places like Nara, Nagoya, Nagano etc....is there anything of interest in these places seeing as though i am limited for time. (the Nagano snow monkeys did interest me) thanks heaps again, Ben
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04-07-2010, 02:02 AM
Himeji castle is closed and the building will be covered in scaffolding when you arrive (several years of renovations are planned), so you can leave that one off your list. The first week of April is a usually a good bet for cherry blossoms in Tokyo and Osaka/Kyoto.
Don't forget to check travel times and make sure that you actually have some sightseeing time- the Kyoto/Fuji/Nagano/Tokyo section is not going to leave you much time to actually see Fuji and Nagano.
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04-07-2010, 11:49 AM
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You probably want to spend one more day in Kyoto base on your description, 2 days (minus travel time, you are looking at maybe 1.5 day) is not enough. Where do you plan to see Mount Fuji? Or are you planning on climbing it? Between Osaka and Tokyo, they are very similar City, different view but similar scene, night life, life style... Osaka has better food. If you are to drop one you can probably consider something like the following: Day 1-3 Tokyo (Or Osaka), Day 4-6 Kyoto, Day 7 and 8 Nagoya and Mout Fuji
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04-07-2010, 09:33 PM
good info,
thanks heaps, this is the sort of thing i need, so 3 days would be a better bet in kyoto. is Nagano worth seeing..? or is it a long way out of the way just to see the monkeys..? also where is the best place to visit Fuji..? i assume climbing it would take too long so might have to just visit the base or 5 lakes area..what do you reccommend there..? and is it worth staying there or just spend a couple of hours and jump back on the skinkansen thanks again Ben
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04-07-2010, 09:55 PM
if you want to see some amazing temples and you get the chance I suggest going to Kamakura its 45 mins on the train from tokyo station
there's some beutifull zen temples and the great bronze buddha of course and you can see the whole area in less than a day because its not particually big also its on the shore so you can see the beach and everything plus its where elfen lied is set cant think of any reason you wouldn't want to go :P edit also just rembered I didn't bother with the japan rail pass I waited till I got there and got the suica & N'EX pass which I found much more usefull and a little cheaper Im not sure if it will be cheaper if your traveling all over japan but always good to have a few options to compare ^_^
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04-08-2010, 11:46 AM
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While I do agree with Kamakura, I also would suggest evaluate how much temples/shrine you like to see. When I took my friends to Japan in 2007, they were "templed out" after 4 days of Kyoto, we had to drop Kamakura because they are no longer interested. The same thing happened with my wife during our honeymoon last year, she was "templed out" Nagano maybe a bit out of the way for you, with such a shor time, i'd say skip it till your next trip. I myslef LOVE Yokohama. If I was given 8 days, I will probably do the following: 3 Days in Kyoto 2 Days in Yokohama, include a day trip to Hakone where you can take a cable car to Ashinoko to see Fuji* 3 Days in Tokyo Again, this is just a personal preference. As for Fuji, I've been to Japan MANY times, but I think out of my like 10 trips, I only managed to see Fuji once from Ashinoko, it is otherwise covered by heavy fog for the most part. You best check with other memebers on the forum the best spot to view Mt Fuji Use hyperdia to plan your trip, see what is feasable to you. Yokohama > Hakone > Ashinoko will take a few hours already, so it really depends on how much time you hvae, how much you want to cover. A lot of first timer make the mistake of wanting to see "everything" on the first try. I don't think anyone can really see "everything" in Japan, not unless you have like 6 months to travel the country and make each stop brief.
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04-12-2010, 09:37 AM
great info guys,
ok well i might leave Kamakura to another trip, il make sure i see plenty of temples in Kyoto though. yokohama sounds interesting as well, what sort of things are worth seeing/doing in yokohama? also what is the visibility like on Fuji through april, from what im reading around the web theres a very good chance i wont even see the great mountain due to fog and clouds.....is this the case..? thanks again guys Ben
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04-12-2010, 10:39 AM
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Yokohama has a lot of history and museum that you can probably see, its a more modern city, you either love it or hate it. I just appreciate the "Tokyo like" dynamics without the rush around Tokyo.
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