3 Week Itinerary late February – March 2021 – Advise/Check/Practicability

14 comments

1. It is an extremely long time to travel from Koyasan to Hakone. You have to travel back to Osaka from Koyasan and then take a few train connections to reach Hakone. Is it possible to just do Koyasan as a day trip from Osaka? Otherwise the itinerary gets a little tricky…

   I would arrange it to be Tokyo > Hakone > Kyoto > Hiroshima > Osaka > Takayama > Tokyo. I would even consider a night in Kanazawa as that is one train from Osaka so it’s nice and easy. In Kanazawa you can take a bus to Shirakawago and then to Takayama which is a super lovely side trip! (They have coin lockers in Shirakawago or alternatively you can forward your luggage to the accommodation in Tokyo and take a night bag.)

   I had a quick glance at the property your staying at first in Tokyo and I don’t think it’s in the most convenient area. I recommend staying close to the city loop line, that way it is just a train from NRT then just catch the loop line to where you need to be. I made the mistake of booking accommodation in not the best location and after landing at 10pm, getting through customs and into Tokyo, I got lost and was so tired when I eventually found my way. It was stressful lol

   (Sorry for my essay but I hope this info is helpful!!)

2. Day 14, Go to Himeji in the morning, then spend time in Kobe then return to your accomodation in Osaka. Osaka Castle can look amazing, but Himeji Castle is even better and breathtaking. The adjacent gardens are nice too.

   u/water_lillie gave great points but I think your choice of accomodation is good for your itinerary. I understand how it isn’t an ideal location for most Tokyo travellers, but considering the places OP mentioned, it should be okay. They are all easy to access from the accomodation you chose especially Akihabara (on the Hibiya Line), Asakusa (on the Asakusa Line), and the Tsukiji Market (also on Hibiya Line). Nikko is one train from Asakusa on the Tobu Spacia Nikko or Rebaty Nikko express train, so not a bad idea to call Kondenma-cho your home base. APA hotel rooms tend to be quite cramped compared to a regular Western 2, 3-star hotel room, so just beware of that. Look into any day passes on the Metro or Toei Subway system if you will take multiple trips in a 24-hr window.

3. 1. Remember to book your luggage space on the Shinkansen.
   2. You are going over a wide distance from Kanto (Tokyo) to Kansai (Osaka/Kyoto) and then to Chugoku Region (Hiroshima). If you wish to have a slow and steady pace over 3 weeks, you can consider Kanto and Kansai.
   3. You mentioned temples , not sure if you may include Shinto shrines in that classification. Chubu region (Aichi/Mie) is on the way in between Kanto and Kansai. There are rather nice temples and shrines along that way since Wakayama is neighbouring that region. Aichi has Toyokawa Inari (Sōtō Zen sect), and Atsuta Jingu (Shinto) with its famous Kishimen noodles. In Nagoya (biggest city in the Chubu region), they are famous for miso nikomi (Claypot udon in red miso paste). Mie has famed Ise Jingu (Shinto) , onsens and Matsusaka beef (infamously good) . Worth considering but it means bypassing Hiroshima.

4. To make things smooth for the train, for sure you can do some research before going, but always have your phone ready to search for route. Google Maps is good as you can pin points on a map, but an app like Japan Travel by Navitime can also be good as you can use a JR Pass only feature that will only give you JR trains, however, this app only work with train station and attraction names, so searching the closest station in Google might be required before.

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   JR Pass, you should take 14 days, not 21. You start on 5 and finish 18 (or 4 to 17), even if you pay for the train to/from the airport and return to Tokyo from Hakone, it will be cheaper.

   It is 13200 yen more expensive for the 21 days pass. Narita Express at regular price is 3000 yen (and using the skyliner is actually cheaper), so you would save money by paying for your individual tickets from day 1 to 4 and 19 to 22. To make it easy, get a Pasmo or Suica.

   ​

   Day 1 : As you will not use the JR Pass from Day 1, check if the offices that exchange it are busy, if there is a line of people, don’t do it, just go directly to Tokyo and exchange your pass there, for example, you can go to Ueno, that is only two stations away from Akihabara.

   The hotel you choose is most easily accessed by using the Keisei Skyaccess train to Higashi-Nihombashi Station. It’s not terribly far from Akihabara (1km), but it’s in Nihonbashi area. Actually, you might want to check APA Hotel Higashi-Nihombashi-Ekimae instead, as it it literally at the station, while the one you selected is 500m from the station (you said you want it close to the station). Or you can really go for Akihabara at APA Hotel Akihabara-ekimae (just suggesting APA as it’s your first choice and they are probably in similar price range).

   As you plan for a lot of Akihabara, I would really aim for the Akihabara-ekimae hotel, it will be much easier for you.

   As I suggested, in the firs days, go to Ueno to exchange the JR Pass and take some time to walk in Ueno park.

   On day 2, if you wake up early, you might want to switch your plan with day 3 and go to the fish market early in the morning.

   ​

   Day 5, the Ryokan you selected is not in Takayama, it’s in Oku-hida. I do not think it’s a good choice for 2 days. To go there, you will have to go to Matsumoto, then take the bus. The Takayama day, you will have to do round trip from there to Takayama on the bus and next day one more time in the bus to go back to Yakayama before Kyoto. And none of those bus are covered by JR Pass.

   If you want to stay there, I would highly suggest to do 1 night only and next day you can bring your luggage, put it in a coin locker in Takayama. Then you have two options, stay in Takayama for the night, or around 5-6pm (check train schedule to see what make sense) take the train to Kanazawa, so day 7 you can spend it in Kanazawa and go to Kyoto in the afternoon (again, around 5-6pm).

   ​

   For Koyasan, what I would suggest is to stay in Osaka for 1-2 night, ask the hotel to keep your luggage for 1 night, go to Koyasan, next day return in the morning and rest of the day in Osaka and return to the same hotel. On Day 17, it will be a much shorter trip to Hakone, so you can have more time to explore Hakone.

   Also, you have a problem as Kakuna resort is next to Kawaguchiko that’s not Hakone, so visiting Hakone and going to Kawaguchiko will be much much more complicated that that.

   What you can do is Day 17 you wake up early to go to Hakone, visit Hakone shrine, boat cruise, ropeway, Owakudani, stay in Ryokan/hotel hear Gora station.

   Day 18, you can take the bus early to go to Kawaguchiko, or spend a bit more time around Gora, for example open air museum. Sleep at Kukuna.

   Day 19, either go to Shinjuku in the morning or spend the day in Kawaguchiko.

   If you do that, day 17 can be the last day of JR Pass and use Fuji-Hakone Pass from day 17 to 19, using the bus covered in the pas to return to Tokyo. You can also think about forwarding luggage from Osaka to Tokyo not to carry it in all the local bus in Hakone/Kawaguchiko).

   ​

   Day 22, well, it depend what time is your flight so it may or may not make sense to sleep next to the airport. As already explained, no, don’t take 21 days JR Pass.

5. > late Feb to March
   > Our general interests are scenery (temples, gardens, castles, forests)

   …your itinerary is seriously missing out on ume blossom season (especially in Mito, Ibaraki with one of the best gardens in all of Japan) and a huge chunk of Tohoku/Kanto.

   Generally speaking, I feel you’re trying to cover a lot of ground for the time that you have. If this was my trip, and given you’re flying in and out of Narita, I’d probably

   * check out eastern central Japan (Kanto, Ibaraki, Fukushima) since I’m flying in and out of NRT
   * pick between northen central Japan (Takayama, Kanazawa, the rest of Gifu and Nagano) and southern central Japan (Kansai, Nagoya, Shizuoka, etc.).
   * skip Hiroshima and Koyasan this time (it’s +/-3 hours ONE WAY from Osaka for both places)

   The goal is to minimize time stuck in trains and maximize time experiencing a place. Don’t worry about FOMO; you’ll find ways to get back to Japan as soon as you can so no point stressing yourself over covering as much ground as you can. Go nuts on western central Japan when you’re flying in and out of KIX instead of NRT for less stress.

6. First off, great post! If you’ve planned this much and written it all up on Reddit already, you’ll have no problem getting everything all squared away ahead of time!

   Everything below is just my personal preference, but maybe it’ll be handy:

   * 7 nights in Tokyo for me, with 2 of them being travel days and split up, would leave me wanting more. It’s baffling big and packed with so much to see, do, and eat. If you can, I’d certainly try and squeeze a bit more time in Tokyo. You mentioned visiting Akihabara, which alone will consume so much of your time if you’re into anime and otaku culture. I ended up spending 6 days there in my first 2 week stay in Tokyo.
   * Sim cards are a great idea, though depending on your needs (for actual phone calls/texts etc.) a pocket Wifi device might be better and cheaper option. Companies like Mobal offer them at the airports, and means both you and your partner wouldn’t need one each either.
   * Regarding your main concern you mentioned about the stress and confusion of travelling, I would say try not to panic (easier said than done I know!). Google Maps is fantastically detailed throughout Japan, with embedded travel options for all trains/subways/buses etc. with live time schedules.
   * Also, having the JR pass will remove much of the stress of needing to buy the ‘right’ ticket, though even if you do (as some smaller private lines don’t allow the JR pass), almost all ticket machines have language options, and most station staff speak decent enough English to get you where you’re going.
   * Also also, again, almost all signage and announcements in places like train stations and airports have multiple languages on offer. Only in more rural parts of Japan might you need to whip out the ol’ phrase book or Google Translate.
   * Your budget is definitely nothing to be concerned about. My partner and I often travel on about a quarter of that amount around Japan.
   * Make sure you have some comfy and easier to wear shoes. You’ll be walking a lot throughout the cities and the different smaller spots you’re visiting, and you’ll need to take them off. Like a lot. So the easier to take off and put on again the better.
   * February to March can still be a little chilly at times, depending on the climate you’re used to. And depending on when in autumn you come, it can still be quite hot and/or rainy. My favourite time to visit is November for south Japan (Kyushu area), and March/April for further north (though this is also a particular busy time of year).
   * I also agree with the other comments about maybe rearranging the order of things to cut down on the back and fourth. Although Japanese public transport is second to none, it still can be exhausting moving to and from places with all your stuff. Speaking of which…
   * If your luggage is a problem when moving around, one potential option is using one of the many luggage transfer services. You can drop off your stuff and have it delivered next day to wherever you’ll be at your next destination. Have just an overnight bag with you, and send the rest of it on it’s way. Especially handy for all the Akiba goods I imagine will end up being purchased!
   * Don’t sleep on onsen and sento. You already mentioned private onsen in a ryokan (which is absolutely a good call!), but popping to a local bath house after a long days walking and exploration is such a great way to unwind and refresh. Also a great time to hit the town for food and drink afterwards.
   * Just enjoy yourselves! Don’t worry if you can’t find the time to squeeze everything in. It’s impossible to see and do everything on your first visit, so just focus on the places you are visiting primarily and get the most out of them. Because I guarantee, you’ll be back for a second visit before you know it!

   Hope that doesn’t come off too preachy! Please enjoy your trip however it suits you guys best. Japan is such a wonderful place to visit that you’ll have a great time no matter what. Hopefully there some useful bits there. Let me know if there’s anything else you’re curious about (I tried not to focus on specific activities as you seem to have a lot of it covered already).

7. Looks like a great trip!
   I would definitely rearrange the city order.

   My #1 tip: SHIP YOUR LUGGAGE. We did a beginners trip of Tokyo -> Hakone -> Kyoto. Shipped our luggage (1 big and 1 medium bag) from our Tokyo hotel to our Kyoto hotel and just took a small wheeled bag on the train rides. Cost $18 and the luggage was waiting for us in our room when we arrived in Kyoto. Best money we spent!

   Hakone is worth 2 nights. Great place for a mountain ryokan. The full day is perfect for doing the loop with the Hakone Free Pass. It makes for a wonderful day. The arrival day can include the Open Air Museum, but might be a little cold. It is a beautiful area.

   In Tokyo, google maps is great for using the subway, even tells you how long until the train arrives and what platform to go to. Get the 72 hour subway pass for about $14.

   We flew into Tokyo and out of Osaka so we didn’t have to backtrack to Tokyo to fly out.

8. I might make a few separate comments. I’ll start with Koya-san. My partner and I stayed in Koyasan for two nights, we did one night at Shojoshin-in and absolutely loved it! Can’t recommend that temple highly enough. Know going in that it’s relatively spartan and that it’s very quiet and relaxed, don’t go expecting tons of interaction directly with staff. That said, the folks we interacted with at the temple were kind, helpful and welcoming.

   My big recommendation though is to try and extend your Koya stay to two nights. And honestly, consider the same with Hakone. Maybe cut out one larger location, or extend your trip generally. Going from Koya to Hakone is ~7-8 hours total (remember that when Google Maps says “6 hours” they’re betting on you making every connection perfectly, delays occur). With two back-to-back one night stops, you will not be able to really enjoy either place, and 60% of your time will be buses and trains. And lastly, with Koya, getting to and from requires a lot of connections (train, to bus, to cable car, to another bus). I will say that the trip from Osaka to Koya is a bit stressful logistically, but not overly so. Google Maps is a HUGE game changer, as it will spell out every connection you have to make in detail.

   For Koya, since doing two nights at a temple is costly, we did a second night at Guest House Tommy (great reviews on sites like [Booking.com](https://Booking.com) for a reason, the owners are delightful!).

   Koyasan also just has a lot to offer in general, and just hanging out in the town is very peaceful/relaxing. The cemetary, visiting the big temples dotted around the town, there’s even great nature hiking around the town as well.

   I can’t speak to Hakone, but I’ll just say that my partner and I greatly regretted the number of one-night-stops we had in our last trip (which was ~31 days total).

   Lastly, to your Kanazawa question, I’ll say that I personally *love* Kanazawa, I think it’s well worth seeing. However, in your current configuration, I wouldn’t add it. If you extend your trip closer to 4 weeks, add in Kanazawa for sure.

9. Any reason not to pack one larger suitcase rather than two smaller? You can buy a smaller one in Japan to fill with stuff you buy to take home.

   I was in Japan this year in late February and early March (same 3 weeks as you propose, same general area), and the weather was quite good. Most days were pretty warm, and when not a jacket was all I needed.

10. If you end up going for 4 weeks, tack the extra week on the start rather than the end so you’re arriving in mid-Feb, then go up to Akita prefecture and check out some winter festivals – the Kakunodate Fire & Snow Festival and the Yokote Kamakura (igloo) festival for example. A little off the beaten track but super fun.

    The rest of your itinerary looks great. Kanazawa is absolutely worth a day or two if you have the time.

11. There is no train directly from Hakone to Kukuna resort near Lake Kawaguchi. There are buses that go there but they are irregular. It will take several hours to get between Hakone (the area around Lake Ashi) and Lake Kawaguchi unless you have a car. You might want to have a full day in Hakone (and stay at a hotel there), then another full day around Lake Kawaguchi (and stay at Kukuna there), if you want to see both places.

12. I hope your flights were cheaper than usual. I am looking at some February flights right now to go visit my friend.

13. Day 2: Food-wise, you might want to try Ameya Yokocho, Ochanomizu, or Kanda areas rather than unsatisfying (for Tokyo) offerings of Akihabara area.

    Kanazawa side trip idea: the only way it works in that direction is taking Hida 13 (or Hida 11) to Toyama, spending a night in Kanazawa and moving on to Kyoto in the late afternoon/evening.

    Day 14: Visit Himeji-jo with a stop in Kobe on your way back rather than the concrete nightmare that is Osaka-jo.

    Day 17: Koya-san to Hakone – this is essentially wasting a whole day on train travel. It takes about 6½-7 hours to get to Hakone and multiple (5+) transfers.

14. Just one point- my wife and traveled japan for 3.5 weeks last year and we found that air B&B was the best way to go. We booked places a few days in advance which gave us a lot of flexibility. Sometimes if you wait to book the day before there will be big discounts.

    We found a lot of neighborhood houses which was fun because it gave you a sense of what it’s like living there. We had great success in Kyoto doing this. $100 -$125 could get you a whole house, with private onsen and laundry. Most importantly high end Toto toilets.

    I do have no idea about air B&B in the age of Covid though.

    Do not skip nishiki market. There is a famous knife maker there you can get a custom kitchen knife or two for a reasonable price. Also, don’t forget the scallop guy. He cooked whole scallops in the shell, basting them in lots of butter, over this little grill. They are to die for. Also if you like uni, they will crack open live ones for you to eat out of the shell.

    Have fun 🙂