Hi All!
I’m planning a one month solo trip to Japan (First time) during August-September 2023, unfortunately this is the only time of year possible for me.
I’m fairly well travelled and usually work out of a 25L Backpack and am hoping to do the same here doing laundry as I go.
Seeing all the posts about the heat in August I’ve tried to help reduce this by moving upwards to Sapporo and then flying down at the end of August.
I’ve tried to keep the planning minimal to give space to explore. My interests are mainly around seeing different parts of the country and trying different foods.
General routing – Tokyo, Sendai, Aomori, Hakodate, Sapporo, Fukuoka, Hiroshima, Kyoto, Tokyo
# Tokyo (10th – 11th Aug)
\- Tokyo Land and sleep
\- Recover from flight
**Activities**
\-Rest up
# Sendai (12th – 14th Aug)
\- 12th Travel from Tokyo – Sendai
**Activities**
\-Matsushima Bay Day trip
\-Shiogama for Sushi
\-Entsuin Shrine
\- Yamadera Day trip
\- Sendai Daikannon
# Aomori (15th – 16th Aug)
\- 15th Travel from Sendai – Aomori
**Activities**
\-hakkoda ropeway
\-Oirase Gorge
\-Lake Towada
# Hakodate (17th – 19th Aug)
\- 17th Travel from Aomori – Hakodate
**Activities**
\- Mt. Hakodate Observatory
\- Onuma Quasi-National Park
\- Matsumae – Castle
# Sapporo (20th – 23th)
\-20th Travel from Hakodate – Sapporo
**Activities**
\-Farm Tomita (Unsure about distance)
\-My moiwa ropeway
\-Tomakomai
# Fukuoka (24th – 26th Aug)
\-Fly from Sapporo – Fukuoka
**Activities**
\-Fukuoka Tower
\-Nansemond Temple
\-Beppu day trip
# Hiroshima (27th – 31st Aug)
\- 27th Travel from Fukuoka to Hiroshima
**Activities**
\- Itsukushima Jinja
\- Atomic Bomb Dome
\- Day trip to Matsuyama (Possibly stay due to only having a backpack)
# Kyoto (1st – 4th Sep)
\- 1st Travel from Hiroshima to Kyoto
**Activities**
\- Otagi Nenbutsu-ji Temple
\- Fushimi Inari Taisha
\- Tenryū-ji Temple
\- Day Trip Osaka (possibly stay due to only having a backpack)
# Tokyo (5th – 10th Sep)
\- 5th Travel from Kyoto to Tokyo
**Activities**
\- MORI TOWER
\- Japan National Stadium Tour
\- Akihabara
\- Hope to get a Ghibli museum ticket/Ghibli Park
\- Odaiba
# 11th September (UK)
\-Fly Back to UK
# Concerns/Queries
\-If I should stay 2 nights in Tokyo at the start of the trip
\- Daytripping with only a backpack. For example does it make sense to instead of daytripping to Osaka to stay there since it wouldn’t be that much more luggage compared to daytripping there.
\- I’m not planning on hiring a car in hokkaido so was concerned to put too many days in Sapporo.
\- If the time in each area and movement is realistic 🙂
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Thank you in Advance!
3 comments
Did you do the math to compare the cost of the different pass and what you plan to do under each of them and did you compare to the 21 days full pass?
I do not see any specific problem of staying in Tokyo for a night or two before moving around. Some people like to have a buffer for jet lag.
If you do not mind carrying your bag all day, yes staying in Osaka is a valid option. Some people hate changing hotel and would prefer staying in the same, especially if it’s only a days in Osaka. On the other hand we could argue that you can experience both cities at night, as Osaka is a bit stronger on nightlife.
Hokkaido you can still see many places by train, doing just one full day in Sapporo you obviously do not have time to do more than just visit Sapporo, but there would be possible day trips around.
It will be very hot and humid for your entire trip. You will also be running against Obon for some of it and Japanese vacation time which will make everything more crowded, especially Hokkaido, because the Japanese also want to get away from the heat and humidity.
Ghibli Museum and Ghibli Park are two separate places in two different locations.
Ghibli Museum in Mitaka City (which is part of Tokyo Metropolis)
Ghibli Park is at the former World Expo in Aichi-ken not far from Nagoya.
You can try to go to both, but make sure you know which one you are trying for and where you are going to.
Your Sendai days are very empty. Matsushima is awesome but you have nowhere near enough stuff to keep even a slow paced traveler occupied for the 13, 14, and 15th
So umm what else will you do in Aomori? All you have is the Ropeway, which again is nice, but not really enough to cover several days
I think you honestly need some more activities on everything you have before Sapporo.
Good luck!
Any plans to visit Hirosaki whilst passing through Aomori? I highly recommend a day trip as it was one of my favourite little towns in Japan. The castle and parks are lovely and you’ll be there during apple season so you can go apple picking at Ringo Park! We actually stayed there instead of Aomori city when we did a similar route up to Sapporo to break up the number of cities. You’ll also have *just* missed the Nebuta festival in Aomori so I also recommend checking out the Nebuta museum to see the floats! You’ll definitely have enough to do in Aomori if you include all that.
For Hakodate I recommend Goryōkaku. Very cool star shaped fort and very green in summer.
For Sapporo, as that’s the mid point in your trip I’d personally say you’ll be knackered by then and won’t want too many busy days. We did a similar trip up from Tokyo and all the travel does catch-up with you. So I think it’s fine to go without a car and not plan too much.
For weather, we were there in very early September and found Hokkaido and Tohoku gorgeous and super manageable (basically like a better UK summer). Tokyo was crazy humid but I’m guessing you’ll be expecting that.
What time do you land in Tokyo on your first day? I think one night is fine, but jetlag from the UK is tough (tougher than for Americans as they basically skip a whole day)