Goint to Japan in January

[JensR]

Hey. I'm in need of some help.
I'm planning going to Japan for two weeks in January.
My original plan was flying to the north (Hokkaido) and then travel south and fly home from there. But the easiest thing is flying to Tokyo and back.

(I know Japan is cold in the winter but I'm from Denmark so that's not a problem)

My plan is once I'm there spending some days in Tokyo and then travel further around by train. My impression is that there's more to see in the southern part of Japan than in the north. Is that right? And are there any particularly interesting places or cities (also minor) where I ought to spend some time too?

I don't know the country at all so any insider information would be great

[kyo_9]

hmm.. 2 weeks eh~
If you want to spend more time in the south (central??), then I suggest you to visit Kyoto and Osaka more especially in Kyoto if you like to get to know more about Japanese culture.. But I doubt you can see women in Kimono walking along the street of Gion in the cold winter though..

[MMM]

This section of the forum is FULL of advice. It's hard to answer without knowing what you are looking for. Come up with some specific questions, and you will get specific answers.

[samokan]

Originally Posted by kyo_9

hmm.. 2 weeks eh~
But I doubt you can see women in Kimono walking along the street of Gion in the cold winter though..

why the heck not?

[JensR]

What I wanted to know was which cities one should see apart from Tokyo.

I'm not looking for anything particuar, but I'd like to see cities with interesting culture or aesthetic architecture or history or general atmosphere.

Just which cities that are tourist friendly.

[godwine]

Originally Posted by JensR

What I wanted to know was which cities one should see apart from Tokyo.

I'm not looking for anything particuar, but I'd like to see cities with interesting culture or aesthetic architecture or history or general atmosphere.

Just which cities that are tourist friendly.

Tokyo and Osaka will be your one stop shop for bit and pieces of Japan, but to really see it, you will need to visit cities outside of Tokyo. I'd recommend Yokohama, Osaka, Kyoto (Nara as well) and Kobe

There are other more remote cities that you can visit, Takayama and such are good too, but it all depends on what you want to see and do

For architecture, Tokyo area, Osaka and Yokohama for sure
For culture, I'd say oustide cities like Omiya, Utsunomiya, Kinugawa
For history, Kyoto, Nara...

So you need to be more specific, because there are many things available within each of these cities (for examples: Electronics = Akihabara, Cheap Fashion = Takeshita Dori etc etc etc)

[JensR]

Originally Posted by godwine

Tokyo and Osaka will be your one stop shop for bit and pieces of Japan, but to really see it, you will need to visit cities outside of Tokyo. I'd recommend Yokohama, Osaka, Kyoto (Nara as well) and Kobe

There are other more remote cities that you can visit, Takayama and such are good too, but it all depends on what you want to see and do

For architecture, Tokyo area, Osaka and Yokohama for sure
For culture, I'd say oustide cities like Omiya, Utsunomiya, Kinugawa
For history, Kyoto, Nara...

So you need to be more specific, because there are many things available within each of these cities (for examples: Electronics = Akihabara, Cheap Fashion = Takeshita Dori etc etc etc)

Thanks a lot!
I'm not looking for anything that specific, just wanna experience the country, so your information is very appreciated

[eliasn]

I was in Japan last year in may. When I was there I visited a palce called Kamakura. It's a minor place but it's beatiful!
I would recommend this palce, but during winter I'm not so sure.

But hey, Tokyo has A LOT of exciting things to experience!

[JensR]

Another question:
If I buy a 7-days rail pass is that enough to pay for any train rides or is it also obligatory to buy seat reservation?

[JohnBraden]

With the rail pass, you can reserve a seat on those JR trains. If you don't reserve a seat, you have to wait in line (get there earlier) at the station and it's first come, first serve. With the pass, the reserve price is included, so one might as well reserve it.

If you don't buy the rail pass, you can still bypass the reservation additional price by lining up on the track where the non-reserve seat cars will stop. But you have to realize many people do the same, so if you're doing it at the terminus station, then get there early. If you're somewhere in the middle of the train run, then it all depends on the time of day. Most trains aren't completely full on the Tokaido Shinkansen.