I’ll be flying to Japan in September but am unsure if I have the right idea here… So here’s my general plan:
(I have been to Tokyo a few times already so there aren’t any “must see’s”)
Day 1 – arrive at Haneda around noon. Drop of luggage at hotel, walk around, Museum of Package Culture, maybe get some shopping done.
Day 2 – In the morning maybe look at the new Azabudai Hills district if it’s finished. Then off to Makuhari Messe for Magical Mirai concert.
Day 3-4 (September 4-5) – take bus to Fuji Subaru 5th station, acclimatize, hike up to 8th station, stay the night, climb up to the summit (sunrise is a bonus, not a must), back down. Then depending on time and exhaustion have a look around Lake Kawaguchiko. Bus back to Tokyo.
So far so good. Now for the rest I wanted to make use of the JR East Nagano Niigata Pass. I came up with:
Day 5 – Limited Express Azusa to Matsumoto. Visit castle, wasabi farm, look around town
Day 6 – day trip to Kamikochi
Day 7 – day trip to Kiso Valley
Day 8-9 – Niigata and surroundings, maybe Dewa Sanzan, train back to Tokyo in the evening.
Day 10 – final day. Ueno Park, Ameyoko, shopping.
Questions:
There’s a direct bus from Shinjuku to Fuji Subaru 5th station, which is supposed to run during climbing season (which ends at September 10), but according to the timetable that connection is not available after August. So I guess I need to change buses in Kawaguchiko?
Is Matsumoto a good base for Kamikochi and Kiso Valley? Are those two too much? Do I need a full day for those, or more, or less?
I feel like I’ll spend a lot of time going from Matsumoto to Niigata, is it worth the trip? Can I make better use of train connections, should I better stay in Nagano instead of Matsumoto?
Thank you for reading so far.
8 comments
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Hope you arent going to fuji after september 10th, mods will delete your post
We stayed overnight at 7th station and stepped off at about midnight to catch the 4AM sunrise. Got caught out in a brutal storm that lasted an hour with very high winds, cold cold rain, and hail at one point. We are experienced hikers and had good cold and wet weather gear, but by the time we summited we were pretty beat up and started our way down after about 5-10mins before it even got bright enough to see well.
I’m glad we did it, but it was a humbling experience and very different from a lot of other Fuji hikes you will read about. It was the first day of the season and our only opportunity to hike it, so had a “full send, we’ve been in the shit before” attitude. Be sure to check the weather and make sure you know what you’re getting into if the forecast is bad. We survived, but it wasn’t exactly an enjoyable experience (at the time.)
Matsumoto is awesome. I loved my visit there.
If you have time, the Kyowa Classic Car and Life Station near Niigata City is worth a visit. It’s just off a shinkansen station for easy access, and entry is very cheap — around ¥1000. There’s several floors’ worth of all kinds of old stuff to gawk at, from classic cars and bikes, to furniture, to advertisements, to retro tech. Plus they let you touch/sit in the cars — at least they did when I visited some months ago.
https://maps.app.goo.gl/BmHiyAZvdL6itcS96
The cost performance is unbeatable.
I highly recommend going to Matsumoto, it’s such a fun city and the food there is fantastic. Try out Coffee Bigaku Abe if you have the time, they have the most delicious parfaits. Also when you’re at the wasabi farm, try the wasabi ice cream!
I recommend staying at least two days in Kamikochi, perhaps even a multi-day hike if you’re into hiking. It’s such a beautiful place and there are so many hikes you can do in a wide range of difficulty levels. I personally did the Yari-Hotaka via the Daikiretto and that was one of the best hikes I’ve ever done (although it’s not for the faint-hearted).
Matsumoto is probably the most convenient base for Kamikochi, do note that there are only two buses a day from Matsumoto to Kamikochi (5am and 10am) and they all require bookings in advance.
I loved my short stay in Matsumoto, and I think it’s a good base for the Kiso Valley. I only had time for a quick half-day trip to Narai-juku, and it was really simple getting there from Matsumoto by train. I can’t really speak for Magome/Tsumago or any hiking trails.