**Background:** my partner and I are privileged enough to be able to both take some unpaid time off work (combined with annual leave) to go for an almost 6-week extravaganza of a trip.
Neither of us have been to Japan before. I’ve tried to go for a balance of theme parks, cities and nature.
I’m aware that September could be incredibly hot and humid, hence the attempt to do the Japanese Alps towards the beginning.
So far flights are booked (so the window to visit is fixed).
The only specific fixed point within the 6 weeks is the Kishiwada Danjiri in Osaka, which I understand to be on the weekend of 14-15 September. This isn’t an absolute must-do, but does sound like a lot of fun so I’d like to be able to squeeze it in.
I have tried very hard to avoid any of the theme parks being on a weekend or public holiday, as I’d much rather face crowds at non-theme park locations and have slightly less insane crowds at the theme parks (although I’m fully aware that Disney and Universal always have large queues for everything, and that Fuji Q Highland and Nagashima Spa Land always have very slow-moving queues even if there are few people in them).
My initial plan involves exclusively using trains (and a few buses) to get around, very likely paying for tickets individually rather than using a JR Pass.
At the moment, I’m deliberately light on detail of exactly what we plan to do in each place, as I’m trying to get the broad shape of the holiday outlined first, getting hotels and trains booked etc. and then worrying about specific shrines or museums etc.
**Itinerary (current plan):**
**Saturday 30 Aug to Sunday 31 Aug (2 days) – Recover from jetlag**
(7am arrival from the UK) and some light Tokyo exploration
**Monday 02 Sep to Thursday 05 Sep (4 days) – Tokyo Disney Resort**
I’m aware that Fantasy Springs will have recently opened and things might be pretty busy
**Friday 06 Sep to Wednesday 11 Sep (6 days) – Japanese Alps**
Friday 06 Sep – travel by train to Matsumoto (relaxed travel day)
Saturday 07 Sep to Sunday 08 Sep – Kamikochi, stay in a Ryokan and do some walks
Monday 09 Sep to Tuesday 10 Sep – Takayama with possible daytrip out to Shirakawa-go
Wednesday 11 Sep – Relaxed day with train to Nagoya
**Thursday 12 Sep to Friday 13 Sep (2 days) – Nagoya**
Thursday 12 Sep – Nagashima Spa Land
Friday 13 Sep – Ghibli Park
**Saturday 14 Sep to Wednesday 18 Sep (5 days) – Osaka and Universal Studios**
Saturday 14 Sep – Kishiwada Danjiri festival
(I’m unclear whether it is better to see this on the Saturday or the Sunday)
Sunday 15 Sep to Monday 16 Sep – explore Osaka, possible daytrip to Kobe and Mount Maya
Tuesday 17 Sep to Wednesday 18 Sep – Universal Studios Japan (alas, the Donkey Kong expansion may not yet be open, but we’ll want plenty of rides on Flying Dinosaur)
**Thursday 19 Sep to Monday 23 Sep (5 days) – Kyoto**
Will definitely do a daytrip to Nara, see some shrines etc. and probably try to have at least one very relaxed day as I’m mindful we might start to crash at this point.
**Tuesday 24 Sep to Friday 27 Sep (4 days) – Hiroshima and surrounding areas**
We’ll probably try to stop at Himeji Castle on the way.
With 3 full days in Hiroshima, my plan would be to spend one on the memorial park and city, one in Miyajama, and one at Okunoshima (the rabbit island). The latter (rabbit island) may get dropped if we’re not up for a busy day with quite a bit of local trains to get there and back.
**Saturday 28 Sep to Tuesday 01 Oct (4 days) – Tokyo part 1**
Saturday 28 Sep – train to Tokyo from Hiroshima, relaxed day
Monday 30 Sep – Tokyo Dome City
Ghibli Museum on the Sunday or Tuesday if possible.
**Wednesday 02 Oct to Friday 04 Oct (3 days) – Lake Kawaguchi and Fuji Q Highland**
One or two days at Fuji Q Highland (depending on how much rides we’re able to get on the first day, and whether we still want more).
I’m aware that in September there will be a low chance of a clear view of Mt. Fuji, and even if there is one it won’t have the iconic snow cap.
**Saturday 05 Oct to Sunday 06 Oct (2 days) – Hakone**
Do the classic ropeway boat etc. circuit and otherwise relax in an Onsen.
**Monday 07 Oct to Wednesday 09 Oct (3 days) – Tokyo part 2**
Do more things in Tokyo, including Teamlabs, one of the viewing towers (Skytree, Moma, Metropolitan Building).
Fly home from Haneda late on Wednesday night.
*I’m mostly looking to sanity-check that I’m not doing things in a sub-optimal order (given the constraints of trying to avoid theme parks on weekends or public holidays), and that I’m not over-doing things (other than spending more time than most would choose to spend visiting theme parks, but that is a me thing).*
by terminalterror
