Early November first-timer trip

6 comments

1. “We’ll be getting the 14 day JR pass just to keep things running smoothly, don’t think it will 100% ‘pay off’ but will be worth it”

   Others might disagree, but I don’t think a JR pass makes things run more smoothly or conveniently at all. It often just shoehorns people into thinking they must go to JR-serviced locations, rather than the freedom to go wherever they want. There are often long lines at JR offices if you need to book a ticket in person or if you run into any issues.

   If you’re saving significant money on shinkansen travel, sure, but with your schedule, neither a 7 or 14 day pass makes sense.

   https://www.japan-guide.com/railpass/

2. I don’t think this is a particularly packed trip at all, for a first-time trip I think you have a great sketched out plan. I think a day trip or two (like the one you penciled in for the 17th) to see some smaller places will round things out nicely.

   I don’t have a ton of time today to write a longer bit, but I’ll give a bit of general advice. For out-of-the-ordinary places to stay, as “basic” as this sounds I’d say do some hunting on Airbnb. Over my ~9 weeks in Japan (over 2 trips) I stayed in ~a dozen Airbnb accommodations, and a few of the ones where I was staying in a room in someone’s house were some of the most fun and engaging experiences. The hosts always sought to make the experience a bit more interesting (obviously read reviews, I was specifically seeking out more “interesting” places). Outside of “hosted” spaces, I also have booked a few really cool private apartments that took me off the beaten path from the types of places where more typical hotels are located.

   For a cooking class, I actually took one in Osaka that was delightful through Airbnb Experiences (I swear I’m not paid by Airbnb), I looked it up and sadly it was discontinued in 2018, but I actually did a small batch of different “experiences” in Osaka (I had a hard time finding things I wanted to do on the normal tourist track in Osaka) and really enjoyed all of them. They were a rare opportunity to spend time with actual locals in a setting that isn’t like, a bar, or something. I took a cooking class, did a sort of “bar crawl with an office worker” a Hanami cherry blossom get together, and a “make your own takoyaki” event at a craft beer bar. So, I guess that’s my recommendation.

   I think Kiyomizudera in Kyoto is a must-see (and worth a good 3-4 hours of time as it has a lot of different sights within the massive temple complex), and I like that you don’t have a massive number of sights on the day you plan to see Fushimi Inari. My strong advice for Fushimi Inari is to budget 3-4 hours to give yourself time to hike up to the top of the “mountain” (it’s really a big hill) and explore all of the little shrines that dot the hillside. The higher up you go the more sparse the crowds! And plan to either get there very early, *or* plan your visit to start late afternoon and end as the sun is setting.

3. Far too much time in Tokyo imo. Just jump around on trains and do multiple destinations in one day. I’d seriously just spend 2 days in Tokyo. The JR pass would really pay off then.

4. Leaves will start to change for Tokyo/Kyoto from early November. Also depends on weather and type of tree, but you will definitely see something.

   If flying in and out of Tokyo then splitting it at the start and end is a decent idea. You can spend half on one side of the city and half on another and plan your itinerary around that.

5. I agree that you’re spending too much time in Tokyo. Bear in mind that Tokyo has the most expensive and the least… accomodating (smaller rooms, etc.) accomodation in all of Japan. You could potentially save some money and have a more well-rounded experience by choosing to stay a few nights in Kanazawa or Nagano and then loop your way back to Tokyo via Kansai. Alternatively, you could spend some extra days staying in either Kyoto or Osaka, and either spend your time there or taking some daytrips to places like Hiroshima or Nara. Doing this will absolutely make your JR Pass worth it!

   If you absolutely have to stay in Tokyo, then I would strongly urge you to take day trips to Kamakura and Nikko. Both have a great vibe and are easily accessible from Tokyo. Since you were interested in exploring the North, I’d consider Sendai as another possible destination, but be warned that many attractions may still be closed due to the recent earthquake. Be sure to check beforehand just in case.

6. good grief that’s a lot of days in Toyko, i live here and don’t even spend that much time in that overcrowded city.. but ya there should be plenty to do. Hakone (Get some black eggs, ride the gondala down to the pirate looking ship/ferry and ride that, then maybe the open air museum, also there was a small pizza place that also served HORSE SUSHI in Hakone) and Osaka will be fun (from the food, to slide in a huge building, Universal Studios, dress up as Samuri/Ninjas and learn the history, big China town there too, Kyoto to feed the monkeys is great, and the bamboo forest, also just so you know you can do a boat river tour down stream that lets you off right at the bamboo forest, it’s pretty awesome.