Hey friends,
This is trip #3 for me. I’ve done the “Golden Route” and a heavily modified version I call “Solo Golden Route 5000”. This time, I’m looking forward to spending 21 days exploring Shikoku and Kyushu.
**DISCLAIMER** I am fully aware of Covid19, I am fully prepared to postpone or cancel this trip.
3/31
* Depart from US
4/1
* Arrive at Haneda in Tokyo.
* Glance at Tokyo from the airport
* Fly to Kagoshima. Arrive, get settled, sleep forever.
4/2
* Wake up early, head over to Sakurajima Volcano (if possible)
* Explore Senganen Garden after lunch
* Try and catch the night view at Shiroyama Observatory
4/3 – 4/4
* Depart from Kagoshima to Yakushima
* Dress up like Ashikata and run around, see old ass trees, etc
4/5
* Travel to Kumamoto
* See Kumamoto Castle + Suizenji Garden
4/6 – 4/7
* Rent car (if possible), head to Kurokawa
* Hoping to stay at Yamamizuki, but have back ups
* Relax, enjoy
4/8 – 4/9
* Travel to Fukuoka
* Eat at the yatai, possibly Sagano or Sushi Sakai
* Uminonakamichi Park (fingers crossed for cherry blossoms)
4/10
* Travel from Fukuoka to Beppu
* Explore the hells
* Eat steamed food
4/11 – 4/13
* Travel from Beppu to Matsuyama
* Doggo Onsen, Castle
* Day trio to Uchiko or Ozu
4/14 – 4/16
* Travel to Iya Valley
* Hike around, see rope bridges, peeing boy statue
4/17 -4/18
* Iya Vallery to Takamatsu
* Eat a lot of Udon
* Ritsurin Garden
* Kompirasan if I’m feeling up to it
4/19 – 4/21
* Up for grabs, and/or can be added on anywhere above. I’ve entertained seeing Okayama, doing a quick stop in Kyoto, or just heading back to Tokyo for the last few days.
I plan on getting the 3 week JR rail pass and booking the ferries to Yakushima and Matsuyama ahead of time. I know I could save money by using different passes but I really like the peace of mind the JR pass gives me.
If you have any thoughts or advice, let me know!
13 comments
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When you’re near Kumamoto you might be interested in Mt. Aso. It’s the largest (active) volcano in Japan and the scenery is quite beautiful.
A two week JR pass would be less of a waste of money
Regarding your plan for Shikoku. I’d recommend renting a car to get to the Iya Valley vine bridges and peeing boy statue.
I’m not sure if Ozu or Uchiko are really worth your time. Was there something in particular there that caught your eye? Perhaps a day trip to Imabari instead, to rent a bike and cycle part of the Shimanami Kaido might be an nice idea, depending on your interests.
I am gonna second w comment about the
shimanami kaido. One of the most beautiful views I’ve ever seen.
Also; I only spent a very brief time in Kochi; but I loved it. The Kochi prefecture was so gorgeous and still very lush and green considering it was the middle of winter when I was there. I can’t imagine how nice it would be in a warmer season.
I know this would take a lot of adjusting of ur itinerary so probably disregard; but I would 100% get a JR pass for the first part of the trip; then hire a car and drive in the less touristy places like Shikoku. I feel that if you rely on the trains and main cities here you are going to miss a lot of what makes Shikoku special. Being able to stop and admire amazing views or finding secluded and beautiful temples instead of watching it zoom past on the train was definitely really amazing.
When I did it; I hired a car in Osaka, drove to the shimanami kaido; went all around Shikoku and then drove back to Osaka via the whirlpools and awaji island.
Since we were two people it actually worked out a little cheaper and more flexible than the JR pass.
Hiring a car in Japan is pretty easy; just make sure you get an international licence before you go. In Australia you go to the motorists organisation in ur area, so the RACQ for me; and then it’s a form and $30 AUD.
Are you only planning on spending 1 night on yakushima?
If so, getting a hike in would be tough if you’re trying to squeeze it in after your arrival on day 1 or before the jetfoil ferry departure on day 2.
Transit on the Island is pretty slow.
We ended up booking tours as we weren’t able to get our international driving permits in time. If you want to get a hike in, I strongly recommend adding in an extra night so that you can have a full day.
Food wise:
In Kagoshima try out the Furusato food village for dinner.
Have some local venison at Yakushima.
Try Basashi in Kumamoto, or perhaps the horse hamburgers at the Sakuranobaba Josaien.
Also;
Maybe look at Ibusuki after Yakushima. Those sand onsens feel so good after those hikes.
Further thoughts;
Everyone seems to skip Miyazaki…boo…
Nara is a nice visit
I went to Kumamoto before the earthquake, I heard that the castle is slowly reopening, so that is nice.
In general, this is a much slower pace than what I do. From my experience in smaller cities, I feel that one day is usually enough to hit the major attractions and I feel that if I had decided to stay 2-3 days, I would have to go a bit out of the city to find interesting places to see, or to use a full day to move between two places, for example the day you do Kumamoto to Kurokawa onsen, you leave early and stop around Mount Aso during the day.
For the JR Pass, I am not sure you would save money by using other regional pass, that is because The Kyushu 7 days pass is 20 000 and the Shikoku pass is 13 000, so even if you were to take 2 times the Shikoku pass, it would be a total of 46 000, so less than the 66 200 of the 21 days national pass. Your problem is that you want to go to Okayama, Kyoto then Tokyo, that would be an extra 20 000, so same as the national pass.
– Yakushima is a 3 – 4 day trip to experience properly, frankly. You should probably give it another day.
– An alternative route: Kumamoto -> (Yanagawa) -> Fukuoka (rent car) -> Kurokawa -> Beppu -> Matsuyama.
– W.r.t. Kumamoto, besides the castle (which was under repair 6 months ago), it can be skipped. Yanagawa (between Kumamoto and Fukuoka) is an interesting place to stop over for the boat ride.
– Kurokawa and Yufuin are nice, but pricey. If you’re looking to save money, you can choose less pricey accommodation and do onsen-day-hopping, go soak at 2 or 3 good places. It’s very good value for beautiful baths.
– Mt Aso has cool views as you drive through. Pick the top attractions on Google Maps and drive by them.
– The most stunning view I had was at the top of the Beppu Ropeway. Highly recommended if you’re passing near Beppu.
– Hitparade (Americana dinner show) is a cool evening experience in Beppu, if you can get entry.
https://english.kyodonews.net/news/2019/01/fd469133cd66-7-year-renovation-begins-at-matsuyamas-popular-dogo-onsen-bathhouse.html
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Mindblowing that you’re not going to Nagasaki. Beppu is just an Onsen, and Kumamoto is a normal regional town, and the castle is under reconstruction.