Hello Everyone,
I apologize beforehand for my wall of text. If there are similar posts or if these questions have been answered already, I would greatly appreciate a link to those posts.
I am planning to go to Japan for the First time this December.It will be from around 3rd Dec arrival till around 6th Jan 2023. This will leave me with roughly 4 to 5 weeks’ worth of time, but it also includes the time “between the years” from Christmas to near year’s eve.
My planning is not very detailed yet, but the rough Idea I have is as follows:
* Hiroshima + Kitakyushu or Okayama
5 days +/- 2days (+/- 1 Week)
* Osaka + Kyoto
5 days +/- 2days (+/- 1 Week)
* Tokyo
7 days +/- 2days (+/- 1 Week)
* Touring Yamanashi & Nagano with car
5 days +/- 2days (+/- 1 Week)
I based this on the “2 weeks first time in Japan” trip, which proposes Hiroshima, Osaka, Kyoto and Tokyo as the prime destinations. I spread the time out a little so I don’t have to rush from spot to spot and to have rest/free time days. Part of the planning depends on when my friend will have free time, who currently lives in Tokyo.
Now this sets the base for my questions. If you could answer them and/or give me some advice on the following points that would be very appreciated:
1. I often heard that between Christmas and New Year a lot of attractions are closed and/or it is difficult to book ryokans or hotels. What is your experience on that – is it difficult to book stays and what can I expect to be open/closed during these times?
2. I had a great car trip (1 week) in Norway earlier this year in June. The scenery was stunning and I enjoyed the freedom to go where I want and I would like to repeat this in Japan, perhaps touring Yamanashi and Nagano Prefectures. However, since it will be winter, I am a bit worried about some roads being closed off, driving conditions being bad, etc. What are your experiences with driving in Japan in the winter?
3. For now I focused on 4 main areas/cities to see. I am also deliberately leaving out Kyushu, Shikoku, and the Tohoku area, as I want to explore those on a separate holiday in the coming years perhaps. Would you advise to spread out a bit more and maybe use the extra days for one or two more areas in the Kansai/Tokai/Kanto area?
Thanks in advance for your help!
1 comment
1. Public attractions close typically for 2-4 days (National Museums sometimes close for a lot longer) and they are rarely close for the same 2-4 days, so with little flexibility – you will not miss out on (almost) anything. For major cities – it is actually average booking season, but for ryokans and hotels in rural towns or holiday/skiing resorts – it’s one of the busiest times of the year. Significant number of restaurants are closed for a week or so, but this would not be a major issue in bigger cities since there are thousands of eateries around, but this can be somewhat of an issue in rural areas, so certainly half-board or a hotel with a restaurant that does not close is recommended.
2. Some roads closed in winter and significant experience in driving in wintery conditions is recommended, especially on lesser roads in Nagano. Now, some winter resorts close roads to non-residents or to anyone except public transport in an event of adverse weather or congestion, and parking might be difficult, so perhaps New Year’s is not the wisest period to take a road trip. On the other hand, of all shinkansen lines – Hokuriku is the most likely to be fully booked in advanced, especially during the immediate period after New Year.
3. Considering the period – I would look for 5 days between Hiroshima, Onomichi and Okayama, 8-9 days for flexibility in Kansai, 6-9 days in Kanto as a good starting point, depending on the day trips you take.