Before anything else: thank you! It’s pretty scary when you start doing your research for Japan, and Reddit was our number one source of information. This community is amazing and there’s so much helpful advice shared here.
We will spend about 3 weeks in Japan (itinerary below) and there are some questions we haven’t been able to answer. Hoping that maybe someone here will:
* Any tips on how to return to Tokyo from Arita/Imari? Should we combine buses and trains? How long will it actually take, considering waiting times between multiple trains?
* We decided to stay in Fujikawaguchiko to see Mount Fuji and explore the five lakes area. What’s the best way to visit Arakurayama Sengen Park from there? Are there buses that take you from Fujikawaguchiko to the park?
* How can we go from Fujikawaguchiko to Tsumago-juku? We are struggling to understand if we can make it to Tsumago by train or if we will need trains and buses.
* Any recommendation on the old question “JR Pass VS single train tickets”? We tried several calculators and it seems that for our itinerary it will be a close call. So assuming money won’t matter, are there other advantages of the JR Pass we should consider?
Thank you so much. Any advice is much appreciated.
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**ITINERARY**
**4 Days (Nov 30 – Dec 4)**
* Tokyo
* Kamakura (day trip)
**3 Days (Dec 4 – Dec 7)**
* Fujikawaguchiko / Lake Kawaguchiko
* Fujiyoshida / Arakurayama Sengen Park (day trip)
* Tsumago-juku
**7 Days (Dec 7 – Dec 14)**
* Kyoto
* Nara (day trip)
* Osaka
**1 Day (Dec 14)**
* Hiroshima (day trip)
**2 Days (Dec 14 – Dec 16)**
* Arita / Imari / Okawachiyama Village
**3 Days (Dec 16 – Dec 19)**
* Tokyo
A few comments:
* We purposely created an itinerary that is a bit rushed. It will give us some direction so we know where to go, but we don’t plan to stick to it if we feel like staying longer in some places or leaving earlier in others.
* Leaving Osaka and stopping in Hiroshima as a day trip won’t necessarily happen. As it’s on the way to Arita, we thought of spending a few hours there and then catching the next train. But only if the train schedule allows it.
1 comment
>Any tips on how to return to Tokyo from Arita/Imari? Should we combine buses and trains? How long will it actually take, considering waiting times between multiple trains?
Take the train to Hakata (90min). Then, either take the subway to Fukuoka airport and fly back (3-4 hour) or Shinkansen (5 hour via Nozomi, not included in JR Pass; 6-7 hour via Sakura and Hikari with transfer at Shin-Osaka, included in JR Pass). Anyway, JR Pass is a terrible choice for this section. If it is a close call, don’t. Fly or take the Nozomi.
>We decided to stay in Fujikawaguchiko to see Mount Fuji and explore the five lakes area. What’s the best way to visit Arakurayama Sengen Park from there? Are there buses that take you from Fujikawaguchiko to the park?
Take the train to Shimoyoshida and it’s a 10-minute walk.
>How can we go from Fujikawaguchiko to Tsumago-juku? We are struggling to understand if we can make it to Tsumago by train or if we will need trains and buses.
Take the Fujikyu back to Otsuki, transfer to Azusa train to Shiojiri, transfer to Shinano train. You need to connect to local train at either Nakatsugawa or Kiso-Fukushima to Nagiso station, then take the bus to Magome. See [https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e6077.html](https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e6077.html)