Rough draft of a 9 day trip to Japan in Feb.2022

15 comments

1. There really is no point taking a trip to Kyoto, coming back to Tokyo that day and then headed to Osaka the very next day. Kyoto is 20 mins from Osaka. Do a trip to Kyoto and then head to Osaka and stay there the night. Don’t force another 4 hours of travel on yourself just to use the railpass.

   Travel to Sapporo and back in the same day? Even by plane, that’s excessive.

2. Day of arrival – you can use [takuhaiban](https://boutiquejapan.com/luggage-forwarding/) from the airport to send your luggage to the hotel, about 1500 yen / 2600 pesos. Just keep a backpack of what you need for that day with you. That would save you the trip to the hotel the first day and get about ~2 hours of time back. However, you will be rather tired if you just hop off a transoceanic flight and explore from 6am-3pm hotel check in. If I were you I might even look into a capsule hotel for a few hours to take a nap.

   Getting around Tokyo is fairly easy so I think exploring 2 neighborhoods plus 1 attraction per day is very fair, assuming you are normally pretty active and energetic people.

   In Kyoto, Monkey Park Iwatayama is next to bamboo forest so that might be worth tacking on. It’s a climb, so I think it depends on if you want to summit Fushimi Inari or just kind of walk up it a little ways. We did summit it and it was somewhat redundant, in that it’s kind of the same all the way to the top. So don’t feel bad if you quit halfway up and come down.

   Climbing Fuji is not easy. We took the shinkansan to Fuji station and rented a car and drove to 5th station (as high as you can drive). It’s already very very cold at that altitude. If you want to summit, you need all day, and you need to dress very warm and bring extensive supplies. Ideally you should set out from 5th station no later than about 9am, and it takes several hours to get from Tokyo to 5th station, probably you would need to spend the night near the mountain. The “easy” route would be to take a tour bus to 5th station, get out and walk around a bit, then go back down on the bus. If you do want to climb Fuji you will need to prepare extensively.

   If this were my itinerary I would probably spend the last two nights in Kyoto and take the shinkansan from Kyoto to the airport on departure day, rather than have a free day in Tokyo.

   We spent 9 days in Japan and visited Nagasaki, Miyajima, Kyoto, Hakone, Fuji, Himiji, Odawara, and Tokyo. The trains and JRpass make it very easy to just hop off at a sight along the line, sightsee, and then continue on towards your final destination.

3. Unfortunately I think you will really need to narrow down the scope of your trip unless you want to spend the whole time on trains and planes. There is a reason places like Kyoto, Osaka, and Sapporo are not recommended as day trips from Tokyo. These are not small towns that can be seen in the half-day (or less) you will have between arriving and having to return.

   For instance, this is what your day trip to Kyoto would look like, in actuality (using ETAs from Google Maps):

   ​

   From Hotel Keihan Asakusa to Fushimi Inari: ~3 hours, 17 minutes

   From Fushimi Inari to Arashiyama: ~50 minutes

   From Arashiyama to Kiyomizudera: ~1 hr, 20 minutes

   From Kiyomizudera back to Hotel Keihan Asakusa: ~3 hours, 20 minutes

   ​

   OP, I am not trying to rain on your parade, but that is 527 minutes or almost **9 hours** of travel in one day. And that’s not even factoring in opening and closing times (most temples and shrines close at around 4:30, Fushimi Inari is an exception). I’m worried you will feel rushed, exhausted, and won’t get the most out of your trip at this pace.

   Most people will probably recommend you either stay in Tokyo the whole time (only doing feasible day trips, of which there are plenty!), or split your time evenly between Tokyo and Kyoto, actually sleeping in Kyoto for a few nights. I personally do not think the detour to Sapporo is feasible for a trip this short.

4. First day, make no sense to cross to the other side of the city to go to Sunshine city. Stay in the area, so Akihabara, Ameyoko, Ueno, Asakusa would make much more sense.

   It’s really not the time for Mount Fuji climbing, the most I would do is go to Kawaguchiko for a day or stop by Hakone for a night on the way to Kyoto, with the hope to see Mount Fuji.

   Doing Tokyo/Osaka as day trip is stupid if you ask me, you waste a lot of time in the train. You shoud change hotel and stay in Kansai for a couple of nights. Also, your Kyoto plan include 3 area that are not next to each other, so there is a limit of how much you can see.

   Doing a 1 day in Sapporo is also a bad idea if you ask me.

   For a trip that is that short, I would focus on Tokyo region only. Save Kyoto/Osaka for a future trip. Even Sapporo, you can easily spend a week in Hokkaido.

   I think it is generally a mistake to try to “make the most out of the jr pass” if this mean to sit in the train for hours each day, especially when there is nothing in this itinerary that require the pass if you decide to spend a night in Kyoto or Osaka.

5. 1. Climbing Mt. Fuji at all during winter months without proper support and climbing gear is an absolute death wish – masses of snow are unstable, Mt. Fuji is known for drastically altering conditions in a short space of time and on top of that park rangers/rescue teams in Japan are not searching for anyone who missed the memo about closed routes. So don’t be that stupid person, who dies streaming on Mt. Fuji (see [here](https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/japanese-climber-on-mount-fuji-climb-may-have-live-streamed-his-own-death/2019/10/30/8a8a3e98-faf1-11e9-9e02-1d45cb3dfa8f_story.html)).

   2. Nikko, Kamakura are the most reasonable trips of Tokyo. If you want to play in snow, take a trip to Echigo-Yuzawa/Gala-Yuzawa. If you want to see a bigger city with a traditional – Kanazawa can be visited as a long day trip (it’s a bit longer by train than Kyoto, but once you get there – the sights are closer together and you will not be rushed). Kansai as a day trip is tiring and foolish, Sapporo as 2-day trip is a waste of money.

6. We tried to go bowling in Ikebukuro at the Round 1 amusement centre and no bowling shoes would fit! So take bowling shoes.

7. Yeah the amount of time your are wasting on day trips on the last 3 days for traveling is insane. You’re losing 12 hours total over those three days of just traveling on a train or a plane! That’s not including time to get out of the airport and stations to your destinations. That’s a whole days worth of time in Japan lost.

   Staying in Kyoto/Osaka would be a must if you want to do the whole one day in each city thing. The extra money spent on the hotel would be well worth it.

   If I were you, I would completely nix the Sapporo trip or the Kyoto trip if the Snow Festival is a must like you say and just do one or the other. I think you would be much better spending more time in one area.

8. Reconsider Sapporo and just base yourself in Osaka for that back stretch of the trip. It’s three hours from Tokyo to Shin-Osaka and there’s no reason to make that round trip two days in a row. Sapporo is in Hokkaido, on the northern side of Japan. But if you really want to go to the snow festival, then Kyoto and Osaka have to go.

   Also, forget Fuji-san.

9. Day trip to Sapporo… This is not a good idea. Think of the amount of time it will take to fly there and back and do airport transfers, as well as how badly this will go if a flight delays or is cancelled due to a winter blizzard, etc. I would consider Zao Onsen snow festival as an alternative that can be a long day trip or hot spring overnight from Tokyo. For a 2-day trip, on the way back, Yamadera temple is IMO one of the most magical places I’ve ever visited, that has the same sense of mysticism as Mt Fuji (offers perfect view of Dewa Sanzan, Japan’s other most sacred mountains.) Alternatively, 3 days in Sapporo area and you can see Otaru, Noboribetsu, etc.

   Kyoto/Osaka are also both long and expensive day trips. I think NOBODY would advise doing back to back day trips here. Kamakura is a good alternative for Kyoto, if what you want to see is temples and bamboo groves, much more convenient, very peaceful in off-season. The advantage of Kyoto is how much there is to see there, that you won’t get in one day. Osaka may be famous for food, but so is Tokyo! If a castle is a must-see, Odawara & Hakone are a viable (long) 1-2 day trip.

   Rather than choosing to buy the JR pass and make the most of it, decide an itinerary that makes sense and then see if the pass is worth it…! No use to do something you wouldn’t want to do to get good value. If you choose the Zao Onsen/Yamadera route I mentioned, the JR East Tohoku Pass is good value. If you fly to Sapporo, your route probably won’t include any shinkansen trips, so then the best value is to pay out of pocket.

   Happy travels!

10. Sapporo, Osaka/Kyoto are not day trips from Tokyo. You’d need to spend a good 3-5 days in these places to make the travel there worthwhile.

    Instead, just focus on the Tokyo area this trip. There’s so much to see and do and some great day trips you can easily do from central Tokyo if you want too. Look into Kamakura and Enoshima for more of the traditional temple feel rather than big city feel of Tokyo. Also, on your first day spend time exploring Asakusa as there’s Sensoji and you could easily walk to Tokyo Skytree too. The key to sightseeing in Tokyo (and Kyoto/Osaka) is to focus on 1 or 2 nearby neighborhoods each day so you don’t waste time/money rushing across the city to see spots that are far from each other. That also lets you walk around that neighborhood more by foot to explore shops, restaurants, and sites that you’ll stumble upon as you explore. Seriously, just stay in Tokyo – there’s so much to see and do. You won’t get bored and will have a lot more fun getting to explore in a less rushed way.

    – [Tokyo Districts ](https://trulytokyo.com/tokyo-districts/)
    – [Tokyo Sample Itineraries ](https://trulytokyo.com/tokyo-itineraries/)
    – [Under the Radar Neighborhoods to Visit in Tokyo ](https://theculturetrip.com/asia/japan/articles/the-under-the-radar-neighbourhoods-in-tokyo-you-should-visit/)
    – [12 Unique Tokyo Neighborhoods to Wander Through ](https://livejapan.com/en/article-a0002322/)
    – [JapanGuide: Tokyo City Guide ](https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2164.html)
    – [20 Exciting Things to Do in Asakusa ](https://matcha-jp.com/en/5112)
    – [Enoshima Day Trip Itinerary ](https://trulytokyo.com/enoshima-island-day-trip-itinerary/)
    – [Kamakura Day Trip Itinerary ](https://livejapan.com/en/in-tokyo/in-pref-kanagawa/in-kamakura/article-a0003564/)
    – [Top 25 Day Trips From Tokyo ](https://tokyocheapo.com/entertainment/easy-day-trips-from-tokyo/)
    – [22 Best Day Trips From Tokyo ](https://jw-webmagazine.com/10-best-day-trips-from-tokyo-b3bb8983e9c6/)

11. For a 9-day trip, your itinerary seems very ambitious. It’s not a bad thing, but it will leave you tired and unappreciative of your experience (or lack there of).

    There is so much to do and see in Japan — even in rural areas, that you will appreciate your experiences and memories MUCH more if you spend 2-5 days in every area you’re wanting to see.

    If you can only stay 9 days, I would recommend picking 3 to 4 places you want to visit, and make sure you can get to them via JAL’s Japan Explorer Pass. JAL offers fantastic domestic flight prices for tourists, and you can get to virtually anywhere in the country from the major airports. JR Rail Pass is very rarely worth the price. Japan Explorer Pass and purchasing your individual JR tickets as you go is the way to go.

    If you can squeeze out more than 9 days, that would be ideal. Not only will it lower the average daily cost for you flight ($900 roundtrip/9 days is $100 per day you just spent on just a place ticket. Stat for 18 days, now your plane tickets only cost $50 per day), but it will completely open up more possibilities for you. Japan is a fairly inexpensive country, despite what people say. Or maybe it just seems so for me because I live in San Diego.

12. I disagree with the response from valadieX. You’re itinerary, yes, is very full and will be challenging..but its also AWESOME! I have done similar whirlwind tours (one 21 days Non-Stop, last one was 41 days!) I don’t regret a thing and I relive every moment (I can recall a lot!) every day.

    Do as much as you can!

    I should add..of course you will be crazy tired!!! I slept like a baby when I slept! I am older and not in the best of shape. I didn’t hike a mountain. Just know your limitations and give yourself enough time to catch trains. Have a plan if you miss one.

13. As other commenters already stated, very ambitious. Forget about Sapporo with the short time you have. Also, not sure if this is accurate but are you arriving during Chinese New Year? I was in Japan once during this time; was a COLOSSAL mayhem with all the Chinese tourists . Made a mental note not to go during Chinese New Year and Golden week.

14. I took my daughter on a father-daughter trip for 10 days 2 yrs ago. I would think, first, about where you want to stay and for how long.

    We stayed in Tokyo for 5 nights, Kyoto for 3 nights, and Hakone for 2 nights. After the trip we both agreed we should have reversed the # of nights in Tokyo and Kyoto, because Kyoto is remarkable.

    Hakone is a resort area from which one can view Mt. Fuji. They have a loop in which one can travel by cable car, boat, bus, and foot. It also is close to Tokyo for a quick trip back to the airport on the day of departure.

    The benefit of visiting tokyo-Kyoto-Hakone in that order is our trip became progressively more “Japanese” as we went along. We started in Tokyo, which of course is the most western, and we stayed in a western hotel. Second, to Kyoto, which is more traditional and historical. There we stayed in a Japanese hotel. We ended in Hakone, the smallest and most rural by far, and stayed in a traditional ryokan where we wore traditional robes and slippers (no shoes allowed) and enjoyed the historical onsen (Japanese baths). The trip was fantastic and the only change we would make is to spend fewer days in Tokyo and more in Kyoto.

    Kyoto and Osaka are close, so if you really want you could day trip to Osaka while staying in Kyoto. But I would not try to stay in Tokyo and day trip to all the places you mention — you’ll spend all your time traveling.

    Just my POV, good luck,
    Ray

15. For such a short first trip I would seriously recommend sticking to one area of the country. Give yourself time to explore and do smaller things–don’t just make a checklist of famous places you want to see. You will do more by trying to do less. If you absolutely must, you could *maybe* do two, but you would really be stretching it and definitely end up skipping/rushing a lot.

    >Saturday 5th: Trip to Sapporo

    I think Sapporo in particular is a huge mistake. It is nowhere near Tokyo or Kansai and, speaking as someone who’s been to the Snow Festival, it’s not worth a special trip. You could be spending the better part of 2 days just getting there and back even if you fly, and you only really have 7 full days to work with. The best thing about Hokkaido is its natural sights, and you really don’t have time to do them (not to mention that you really need to rent a car to reasonably see a lot of them and many of them aren’t very accessible in winter).

    Edit to further elaborate on why this is such a bad idea: Even if you fly, this will take so much time and energy. You could very easily be spending 10 hours getting there and back. I mean even though the flight is only an hour and 40 minutes, getting to and from airports, through check-in and security will add many more hours.

    >Wednesday 2nd

    There is absolutely no point in even trying to climb Fuji. It is DEEP in the off season and people have died doing it. I also don’t think it’s a particularly interesting climb even when you can do it. If you just want to see Mt. Fuji you should be able to do that from numerous places in Tokyo around that time of year since it tends to be dry and the air is clear. If you really want a nice place to see the mountain up close, you could go to Fuji Five Lakes or maybe someplace in Shizuoka (e.g., west coast of Izu Peninsula).

    >Thursday 3rd: Trip to ~~Tokyo~~ **Kyoto**

    >Friday 4th: Trip to Osaka

    Firstly, it makes absolutely zero sense to do Kyoto and Osaka as day trips from Tokyo. They are right next to each other and you could save yourself about 5-6 hours in transit by just staying in one of them rather than doubling back all the way to Tokyo.

    Secondly, I typically recommend at least 5-7 full days just for the highlights of that area ([typically 3-4 days for Kyoto](https://www.reddit.com/r/JapanTravel/comments/5wgxa1/best_way_to_group_these_sites_in_kyoto/dea059y/?context=3), 1-2 days for Osaka, 1 day for Nara, and 1 day for Himeji+Kobe). You’re talking about covering it in less than 2 days (after transit is taken into account). If you leave Tokyo at 7 AM you probably won’t even get to your first sight until 10:30–and that’s if you take the Nozomi, which is not covered by the JR Pass. If you use trains covered by the JR Pass, you probably won’t be there until after 11:00. And if you miss a connection, it will be later still. That gives you roughly 5 hours of sightseeing before most of the major sights start to close (6 hours for the really major ones). Keeping in mind that you could easily spend 5-6 hours just exploring Arashiyama or the Kiyomizudera areas, I see no reasonable way to do everything you have listed unless you rush from the one specific sight you want to see to the next and then to the next as fast as possible. This is the absolute worst way to see to Kyoto. It means you’ll be skipping countless wonderful things just to spend the whole day running around on transit to go to the most crowded sights.

    I cannot stress this enough: Kyoto is a city that begs to be given time and explored on foot or bicycle. The famous things are definitely worth seeing, but you’re robbing yourself if you just rush around to a few of the most famous sights and skip everything in between. If you want to do Kansai, I would recommend planning to spend most or all of your trip there. Otherwise I would recommend sticking to the Tokyo area and maybe doing a day trip or a short stay nearby (e.g., Kamakura, Nikko, Hakone, Fuji Five Lakes, Karuizawa, etc.).

    >we would like to make the most out of the JR Pass

    This is a mistake. Plan your trip first and then decide what pass, IF ANY, is appropriate. Don’t waste a bunch of time sitting on trains rather than actually doing things just because you want to “make the most out of the JR Pass.”

    >we finally bought tickets to travel from January 29 to February 7

    Typically I would recommend trying to make your trip at least 10 full days if at all possible. More would be even better, but with 10-14 days I feel like you can make a fairly nice Kanto+Kansai itinerary without being ludicrously rushed. A longer trip also means the proportion of time and money spent on flights is much lower relative to the amount of time you’ll actually be spending seeing the country, and it will give you a lot more time without jet lag (if you experience it).

    Chinese New Year is February 1st in 2022, so you will probably experience big crowds due to that. Chinese tourism is increasing year by year and I would expect a big surge after the pandemic (assuming the pandemic is mostly wrapped up by February next year).

    Also note that February 3rd is Setsubun. If it were me, I would search out a local shrine to join in the evening festivities. Depending on where you are, there may additional events related to Setsubun on or around the 3rd.