My girlfriend (27f) and I (27m) will be visiting Japan for our first time at the end of May. I was just able to confirm I have the time off so we booked flights and are relatively early in our planning process.
We are planning on staying 3-4 nights in Tokyo and 3-4 nights in Kyoto, exploring food, museums, gardens, tea ceremonies, sumo, and overall Japanese city life.
However, we’d also like to spend 2 nights in a more remote, relaxed, nature-oriented place. We are thinking this would be on our way from Tokyo to Kyoto, but are open to it being out of the way. We’d like to do some hiking, stay at an onsen ryokan, and enjoy a calmer mountain village atmosphere.
The most popular place seems to be Hakone. My concern with Hakone is it sounds crowded, weather dependent, and maybe the pictures don’t do it justice, but not all that impressive. Am I wrong?
The other option I am considering is Kamikōchi. We are from the US Pacific Northwest, so this looks somewhat familiar, but very beautiful. Are there places to stay around here not in a city like Takayama or Matsumoto? And is it also crowded like Hakone?
Are there any other places that fit this description that would be a better option? I’m wide open to suggestions.
by GaryTheGremlin