Japan Itinerary First Time

Hello Reddit, help me out please
32M Flying into NRT, solo traveller
Trying to make in itinerary for Japan, first time traveling to
Japan
Is the JR Pass worth it for 14 days? I used Navitime, all the train legs came
to JPY 46700, so just buy the pass? What other transit card are required?
After I booked this trip, found out about the Obon, looking for
something quiet during this time or where are all the activities happening
I like hikes, and exploring off the beaten path a bit.
Traveling with a backpack and small duffel bag, should be ok on
the bullet train?

Some days have very few activities, I’d rather plan for 1 or 2 and do more than plan for 6 and only do 2
Day 1 August 9, fly in NRT, take Bullet Train to Hiroshima, arrive
5pm, settle down at hotel for the night
Day 2 August 10, Day Trip to Miyajima, explore island, hike Mt
Misen, Itsukushima-jinja, tori gate
Day 3 August 11, Explore Hiroshima, Hiroshima-jo, Domu, Peace
Memorial Museum, morning, Mazda tour in afternoon
Day 4 August 12, Explore Hiroshima morning Ohashi, Train to
Kintai-kyo bridge, Train to Osaka Afternoon, Cup Noodle Museum
Day 5 August 13 Day
Trip to Nara by train, Explore Nara Park, Kofukuji Five-Storied Pagoda, Todaiji
Temple
Day 6 August 14 Explore Osaka, free day or Day trip to Omihachiman
Day 7 August 15 Explore Osaka Morning,
Osaka Castle, Train to Kyoto, Explore Arashiyama Bamboo Grove, Tenryuji Temple
Day 8 August 16 Explore Kyoto, Philosopher’s Path, Daimonji At night 8pm
Day 9 August 17 Kyoto, Hike Mount Hiei all day
Day 10 August 18 Travel to Nagoya, Nagoya self-guided tour (Nagoya
TV Tower, Hisaya Ōdori Park, Nagoya Orchid Garden, Banshō-ji, Osu Angel Statue,
Ōsu Kannon Temple, Shirakawa Park)
Day 11 August 19, Explore SCMAGLEV and Railway Park in Nagoya,
relax afternoon
Day 12 August 20 Explore Nagoya, Atsuta-jingu, Toyota Museum in
afternoon
Day 13 August 21 Train to Mt Fuji, Explore
Mt Fuji Area Fuji Five Lakes, Hike Mt Takao and Mount Tenjo
Day 14 August 22 Explore Tokyo, Shibuya Crossing, have supper
Day 15 August 23 Explore Tokyo, Kiyosumi Shirakawa, Odaiba Beach
Day 16 August 24 Explore Tokyo, Tokyo Skytree, relax before
overseas flight, flyout NRT 7pm
Looking at different itinerary for activities, planning it out
right now
This is a rough guide, looking for thing automotive, really wanted
to do the Toyota Tour but it’s suspended due to Covid
Already have a sim card for Japan; data shouldn’t be a problem for
translations and navigation

7 comments
  1. The plan is pretty good, quite relaxed.

    Base on your calculations, you must be riding Shinkansen between major cities, so you should be fine getting a 14 day JR pass. The last leg to NRT will not be covered though, you can try Skyliner or slower JR/Keisei options.

  2. That’s a long train ride on your first day. Have you considered flying? It’s about $150 Australian dollars from Narita to Hiroshima and only about 1hr and 30mins since you’re already at the airport. Compared to 5 hrs by train.

  3. I think 3 days in Nagoya is more than adequate… it’s a small town with most of its attractions close to each other.. I think if you are not going to Nagoya castle, then all your attractions may be done in 2 days.. leaving you with time to do some shopping too! You gotta try the hitsumabushi, I had my in a little restaurant called Togawa, finishing with its Cochin egg custard pudding – one of the best meals I had in Japan on my recent trip.

  4. You may want to get the Suica Welcome Card for any possible transport that won’t be covered by the JR pass such as the metro in Tokyo.

    Are you thinking of going to Shibuya Sky when you’re in Shibuya? I noticed you plan to go to Tokyo Skytree. Perhaps you can see the day scenery of Tokyo with the Shibuya Sky and go to Tokyo Skytree in the late afternoon, before the sun sets and stay till the sky gets dark and you can see the city lights. Tokyo Skytree is prettier when it’s lighted up, that’s my personal opinion.

  5. Use this calculator to check if your 14 day pass will pay off – https://www.japan-guide.com/railpass/

    I did the following using a 14 day JR pass and it more than paid off:

    Tokyo to Sapporo,
    Sapporo to Otaru (return),
    Sapporo to Hakodate,
    Hakodate to Osaka,
    Osaka to Kyoto,
    Kyoto to Nara (return),
    Kyoto to Hiroshima (return),
    Kyoto to Tokyo.

  6. Plan looks good. JR pass will allow you not having to buy a ticket each time so is worth it to avoid the hassle. Remember you cannot take the fastest express train with the pass so make sure your Tokyo > Hiroshima trip is not based on the fastest train. Space on Shinkansen is fine for duffel and backpack. There are overhead racks that aren’t typically used a lot aside from rush hour. Def recommend more time in Kyoto over osaka or Nagoya. Like 3.5-4 days in Kyoto and one full day in Osaka and Nagoya each.

  7. Hello, I’m Japanese. There are a few things that I want to mention:

    1. I’m glad that you are aware of Obon. You are going to be mainly in Osaka during the period, so it may not be too bad. Just forget about a quiet place you could possibly go. It gets quite busy all over the country. If there’s something you haven’t booked during the holidays, do it asap.

    2. Be aware of typhoons. I’m pretty sure you will likely come across at least one while you are there. Pay attention to weather forecasts every day. When it comes, everyone knows that ahead of time, and it’s not a good idea to go ahead with your plans for the day. (Sometimes, the transit stops running.) If it ever happens on the day you check out of a hotel, ask the reception how bad it could be as well as whether or not you may extend your stay.

    3. How about flying to Hiroshima from HND? You will have to come to Tokyo anyways to get on Shinkansen. I, however, personally like Shinkansen over flights. More comfortable and spacious seats, way easier to get on/off, and always arrive at the centre of city, whereas the airports are always far away from it. If being on budget is not your top priority, I would recommend taking Shinkansen.

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