Hello I am travelling to Japan on Christmas Day for three weeks solo!
I am 37 female, from Australia – keen to see snow but not ski.
This is my second time in Japan so dont want to see Osaka, Kyoto or Hiroshima.
I will be using a 21 day JR pass so attractions needs to be close to railways.
What do you think of my plans? Very open to any suggestions.
Thank you
**Monday 25 December Tokyo**
Fly into Japan, stay in Shibuya overnight. I know it’s more practical to stay closer to Tokyo station but I want the ‘festivity’ of Shibuya on christmas alone.
**Tuesday 26 December Fukushima**
Depart Tokyo station on shinkansen to Fukushima 1.5 hour trip
**Drop suitcase at hotel, travel a few hours by train to Aizu-Wakamatsu – take loop bus to see:**
**Aizu, Limoriyama site** of suicide of 20 young soldiers during the fall of Shogunate in 1867
**Tsuruga Castle 600-year-old castle Meiji era siege**
**Byakkatoi Folklore and Historical Musuem**
**Byakkotai soldiers tombs**
**Sazaedo Pagoda**
**Aizu Bukeyashiki Samurai Residence** housed region’s most important samurai and family/servants, it was reconstructed Edo period appearance, after the original residence was burnt down in the Boshin War of 1868
**Nearby attractions – 20 minute cab ride**
**Ouchijuku edo-period looking village**, post station edo period. known as the historic inn village where samurai would often stay overnight here, thatch roof buildings.
**Famous local dishes:** Try to get a taste of the Kitakata City Ramen, negi soba with green onion stalk as utensil.
**Wednesday 27 December Hakodate**
Depart Fukushima to Hakodate via shinkansen, 6 hour trip
**Attractions:** Hakodate Morning market with seafood, Hachimanzaka slope, red brick museums, Hakodate Tropical Botanical Gardens monkeys enjoy hot springs here.
**Famous local dishes:** Shio Ramen, sashimi squid live ika, crispy squid cracker ika senbai in Hakodate Station, Uni Murakami Restaurant known for Sea Urchin dishes
**Thursday 28 December Sapporo – night one**
Depart Hakodate to Sapporo via shinkansen, 3.5 hour trip
Free day, sleep in and explore city
**Famous local dishes:** Kani Shogun crab restaurant, sandria sandwich shop, Ichiran Tonkotsu Ramen, Yakitori Izakaya, Niko market seafood donburi.
**Friday 29 December Sapporo – night two**
Hokkaido, Asahiyama Zoo, and Biei Join In One Day Tour – Klook Australia $81.50
Zoo is closed Dec 30-Jan 1
**Famous local dishes:** Nanda seafood buffet 90 mins 100 yen, Kushidori Chuoten meat skewers.
**Saturday December 30 Sapporo – night three MY BIRTHDAY 🙂**
Consider a day trip to Otaru a seaside town famous for its Venice like canal.
Try to find a nice birthday treat
**Famous local dishes:** Sea urchin and crab bowl, Wagyu/beef cutlet Kurosawa, Hokkaido ice cream
**Sunday December 31 Aomori**
Depart Sapporoto to Aomori via shinkansen, 4 hour trip
Should I stay here a night? I am from Australia so it appeals as ‘the snowiest place in the world’
**Monday 1 January Akita**
Depart Aomori to Akita via shinkansen, 3 hour trip
Should I stay here overnight? It has a lot of nature-based tourism
**Monday 2 January Yamagata**
Depart Akita to Yamagata via shinkansen, 4 hour trip
Visit Ginzan Onsen
**Tuesday 3 January Nikko night 1**
Depart Yamagata to Nikko via shinkansen, 3 hour trip
**Shinkyo Bridge**
**Wednesday 4 January Nikko night 2**
**Nikko National Park**
**Lake Chuzenji**
**Kegon Falls**
**Ryuzu Falls**
**Yumoto**
**Thursday 5 January Nagano night 1**
Depart Nikko for Nagano via shinkansen
Explore and rest day
**Saturday 6 January Nagano night 2**
Explore and rest day Jigokudani Monkey Park
Klook 1 Day Snow play and monkey visit private tour 9 hour duration $249.05 Pick up from Nagano
**Sunday 7 January**
Okayama?
**Monday 8 January**
Miyajim?
**Tuesday 9 January**
Fukuoka?
**Wednesday 10 January**
Nagasaki?
**Thursday 11 January**
Tokyo Tsukiji fish market
**Friday 12 January**
Tokyo Shibuya sky golden hour/ night visit
**Saturday 13 January**
Tokyo Day trip to Kamakura
**Sunday 14 January**
Tokyo Roppongi
**Monday 15 January**
Tokyo Unko poop museum
Fly out of Tokyo, 9pm
5 comments
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Hi!
This is not meant to be rude.
I am not sure where you are getting your train times from. I just plugged in a train out of Sapporo at 9:38 in the morning on December 31st and it doesn’t get to Shin-aomori until 2:36 pm! It takes closer to 5 hours by train.
So on December 26th, you actually want to stay overnight and get off the train at Koriyama and not Fukushima. If you go to Fukushima, you will have to wait for a train to back track to Koriyama because Koriyama is the station with the train to Aizu Wakamatsu.
Ouchijuku is a 20 km trip from Aizu, expect a REALLY large like 7000-9000 yen taxi fare each way.
December 27th I dn’t know how you are going to make it to the morning market in Hakodate, because it is a morning market and closes at noon and you are coming from either Koriyama or Fukushima.
Post December 28th to January 4th are one of the busiest travel times in Japan and the shinkansen can fill up with Japanese who are traveling. You can stand the whole way in a non-reserved car, but that can really suck. Last year I had no problem booking Tokyo to Shin-Hanamaki upon my arrival on December 22, but every train between Sendai and Tokyo was full up on January 2nd. My daughter and I had to go non-reserve. Because we were in Shin-hanamaki, we just went up to Morioka, and easily got non-reserved seats because it was the first station, but pretty much anyone who got on from Sendai was standing and someone fainted and had to be evacuated at Omiya. I would make sure you are prepared because a bunch of the trains you want to take are reserve only, and having to wait for a train with non-reserved seats might really slow you down.
On December 31st I would make sure you know what you are doing for dinner, or you will be likely eating combini food or possibly nothing. December 31st lots of places close early. I have seen combini in business districts where nothing is open close for New Years, the same for chains like Excelsior Coffee. The Neputa Museum is closed on the 31st and 1st.I honestly don’t know what you are going to do in Aomori on the 31st or 1st.
January 1st sounds like you will be sitting on trains and doing nothing?
January 2nd, there is no way that you can get from Akita to Yamagata in 4 hours unless you have found some bus route that does this. There is no direct shinkansen from Akita to Yamagata. You either have to back track Akita to Morioka to Fukushima to Yamagata or do Akita to Tsuruoka by limited express or local and then catch the bus to Yamagata. Both are going to take you much longer than 4 hours. This ignores the fact that I am sure everywhere to stay in Ginzan is completely full and it is possible the buses to Ginzan are also booked up. I think the onsen are only open to non-staying guests for limited hours, I think this day is a mess.
Yamagata to Nikko is going to take a while, I think you have too much you want to do in Nikko.
Nagano to Okayama is a pretty long trip.
How on January 11th are you go to the morning fish market if you are in NAgasaki the day before? Are you planning to fly?
I think alot of your trip needs to be reworked and I would do it ASAP.
Good luck!
We went up to Aizu Wakamatstu a couple of months ago. Be aware that some shops/attractions may be closed despite listings on Google Maps, tourist brochures, and the like. (The town seems to have been greatly affected by COVID-19.)
There are sometimes buses to Ouchijuku from Aizu-Wakamatsu, but hours are curtailed in winter.
If you are feeling adventurous, you can try another of the area’s specialty foods, 馬刺し, or horse-flesh ‘sashimi’.
You have a lot of long distance train trips, but you might be better served by plane.
[https://www.jal.co.jp/aul/en/world/japan_explorer_pass/lp/](https://www.jal.co.jp/aul/en/world/japan_explorer_pass/lp/)
2 free checked bags included, and discounted one-way flights at either 5,500/7,700/11,000 JPY. For instance, 5,500 JPY to fly one-way from Haneda to Tohoku, so your first night you could just stay near Haneda instead of Tokyo Station.
And if you’re flying, why don’t you fly to further away destinations? Instead of inching your way through Japan toward Fukuoka, fly directly to Kyushu and explore and discover it instead. You can fly straight from Sapporo to Fukuoka, for instance.
You might also consider renting a car, because a lot of the locations you’re considering have main train lines, but getting from the train stations to points you might be interested in may take longer than you expect.
Big picture wise, I think you could slow down your trip and spend more time in some of the smaller cities. With a car, everything will be more accessible and you’ll find a lot more enjoyment out of visiting off the beaten path places. One city a day will feel rushed, with little chance to do anything.
You could consider visiting Hirosaki to see the original Japanese castle located there (one of 12). Hirosaki is a very short drive from Aomori.
Ichiran sucks. Forget about it. Much better places to go.