Japan - Critique My Itinerary Please

Comments: Japan is the one place my mom has always talked about wanting to visit so I am taking her for her 65th birthday in May. I am on a tight budget but I am planning to splurge on Green Car JR passes (Starting on Day 6) to make sure she always has a non-smoking reserved seat on the train. Do you have any suggestions or see anything problematic for a decently in-shape 65 yo and her 30 yo son and their two 40 lb bags.

Thanks alot for the assistance!

Day 1:
Arrive Narita Airport at 8:30 PM
Clear Customs and Immigration
Train into Tokyo
Overnight Tokyo Hotel

Day 2:
Tokyo
Overnight Tokyo Hotel

Day 3:
Tokyo
Overnight Tokyo Hotel

Day 4:
Kamakura or Nikko
Overnight Tokyo Hotel

Day 5:
Fly to Hiroshima
Bomb Museum/Peace Garden
Overnight Hiroshima

Day 6:
Miyajima Island
Overnight Hiroshima

Day 7:
Morning Train to Kyoto
Afternoon in Nara
Overnight Kyoto

Day 8:
Kyoto
Overnight Kyoto

Day 9:
Kyoto
Evening train to Nagoya
Overnight Nagoya

Day 10:
Toyota Museum & Plant Tour
Museum of Industry & LINIMO ride
Overnight Nagoya

Day 11:
Morning Train to Takayama
Tour Takayama
Overnight at a Takayama Ryokan

Day 12:
Mid Morning Bus to Matsumoto
Visit Matsumoto Castle (since Himeji is being restored)
Afternoon Azusa Express Train to Tokyo
Narita Express to Narita - arrive at 6:58PM
Depart Japan at 8:40 PM

Id say if you are on a budget, don't bother going up to green car - if I have it right, you can now reserve a seat free of charge on the JR journeys - just go in advance to the green window. This way you can make sure you are getting a nonsmoking seat.

The other point is if you are planning to travel by train, you will find it much easier to travel as light as possible. The trains aren't really well equipped to handle large suitcases. It'll make your life easier -trust me!

ETA: If that were my itinerary, I would be more inclined to take off one of the tokyo nights at the start of the tour and then put it at the end of the tour so you are in Tokyo the day you need to go to Narita rather than trying to get your timings right to get to Narita from Matsumoto - but that's just me.

I don't see anything particularly problematic. Be aware of Golden Week at the start of May - http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2282.html

If you can avoid GW, then there should be no problem getting reserved seats in ordinary class trains. Green pass is probably an unnecessary expense for your tight budget.

I think the flight to Hiroshima is also something you could cut. If you shorten the time away from Tokyo by one day, I think you can fit in the Kyoto, Hiroshima, Nagoya and Takayama journeys into 7 days. I'd be inclined to achieve that by reducing the time in Nagoya - maybe visit things during the day and take a late train to Takayama. (FWIW, I kind of liked the Toyota museum but plenty of people find it underwhelming. I've never ridden the LINIMO, but I have a feeling it would be extremely underwhelming). I might also skip Matsumoto and visit the castle nearest to Kyoto (Hikone castle). If I'm honest, I find Matsumoto Castle a bit more impressive than Hikone, but it's quite a ways out of your way if you're only interested in one thing there. With all those things cut, you might find you can add something else ...

Arranging the Hiroshima trip to spend a night on Miyajima might be interesting. Depends what you're hoping to get out of the time on Miyajima. If you want to take a good hike around the forested center of the island, you'll need more time. If you just want to see the gate, feed some deer and stroll around Momijidani park, it can be a pretty short visit.

Sounds like a great tour and a lovely thing to do for your mom. Personally I would swap one of the overnights in Tokyo for Kyoto. And I agree that Takayama-Matsumoto-Narita on your last day is a little ambitious.
On the luggage note, you may consider using takkyubin to ship your suitcases while you travel by train/bus. It's dependable and relatively cheap.
BTW one of my favorite meals in Japan was at ryokan Hanaoka in Takayama. If you can navigate jalan.net you can get a very good deal on it, as well as other hotels and ryokans which price higher on gaijin-friendlier sites - though rakuten travel has some good deals as well.

No need to fly to Hiroshima. If you leave Tokyo Station around 9:00AM, you can get to Hiroshima by about 2:00PM, and that's on trains eligible for the Japan Rail Pass. You'll pass through Nagoya and Kyoto on the way, but so what? If you're short on money, it's best to get as much as you can out of your JR Pass.

I also agree that it's not necessary to get the Green Car pass. The regular seats are plenty comfortable (far more so than Y on a plane).

If you leave Tokyo Station around 9:00AM, you can get to Hiroshima by about 2:00PM, and that's on trains eligible for the Japan Rail Pass. You'll pass through Nagoya and Kyoto on the way, but so what? If you're short on money, it's best to get as much as you can out of your JR Pass.
It's also possible to avoid doing the longest leg of the journey in one go by stopping in Kyoto on the way out and Nagoya on the way back. Another reason it might make sense to do that is because (AFAIK) you need to change in Kyoto or Osaka if you're riding the trains that you can ride with the JR pass.

Day 4:
Kamakura or Nikko
Overnight Tokyo Hotel

If this day 4 should fall on a weekend (or especially during Golden Week), then I would avoid Kamakura, as most areas of note will be insanely crowded. Much better to do on a normal week day if possible.

To me, the Day 4 to Day 7 itinerary sounds pretty ambitious for a 65-year old woman, especially if you are still working off a long period of jet lag.

Second pretty much all of the above. I'd usually recommend flying to Hiroshima instead of a looong day on the train, but if you've got the Rail Pass, might as well make full use of it and stop at eg. Osaka to stretch your legs and grab a meal halfway through.

Finding non-smoking seats is not a problem at all these days, most newer Shinkansen trainsets don't even have smoking seats anymore (although a few have separated ventilated smoking cubicles). Reservations are unnecessary outside Golden Week, but you can always make them at the station for a few hundred yen extra.

Re: Linimo, I'm a train buff and I found it distinctly underwhelming. It's emphatically not the 430km/h Shanghai maglev, it's a suburban metro that happens to be maglev and putters along at 50 or so kph, stopping every few minutes. By all means ride it if it's on the way to somewhere, but it's not worth a detour.

Thanks for the responses...I think I am going to look into reworking my itin to spend less time in Nagoya...I was just doing it because the hotels there were way cheaper (like 1/2 the price) of similar hotels in Kyoto and 1/3 the price of the cheapest Takayama Ryokan.

Thanks again

Thanks for the responses...I think I am going to look into reworking my itin to spend less time in Nagoya...I was just doing it because the hotels there were way cheaper (like 1/2 the price) of similar hotels in Kyoto and 1/3 the price of the cheapest Takayama Ryokan.
Perhaps you can take advantage of the Nagoya prices by staying in Kyoto until the evening, getting a train after dinner to Nagoya (last Shinkansens leave around 9pm) and getting out of Dodge on the first train to Takayama the next day.
If you have a pressing reason to see LINIMO and Toyota's museum, don't let us stop you, but if those are just places you thought you might visit to justify a stop in Nagoya, I'd recommend skipping them.

EDIT - Or, if you decide to do your Kyoto tourism on the way to Hiroshima, and leave the Nagoya/Takayama trip for after your visit to Hiroshima then you could get the 8.01pm Hikari Shinkansen train out of Hiroshima. It gets you to Nagoya at 10.35pm with no need to change trains. (That's the last Hikari option to Nagoya - the last hassle-free way to get there with a JR pass).

FURTHER EDIT - Afficionados of miso-katsu will point out that my plan deprives you of an opportunity to try Nagoya delicacies (http://www.ncvb.or.jp/en/contents/sightseeing/gourmet/). This is true. Console yourself with some Takayama delicacies (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BLFePCIcE_0&feature=related).

If you're having trouble finding an affordable ryokan in Takayama I would recommend trying the place I mentioned upthread - Hanaoka.
I found this review (http://winterjade.com/WordPress/2011/05/14/ryori-ryokan-hanaoka/) from last March that is similar to my own experience from 2010. There's another link within that review to the one that turned me onto it in the first place. The ryokan is very basic, but the owner is super sweet and the food is awesome - and food is the main reason I like to visit Japan. And the price hovers around ¥6800 per person per night including a fantastic kaiseki dinner (you can check out these pictures (http://www.tripadvisor.com/LocationPhotos-g298113-d1089419-Ryori_Ryokan_Hanaoka-Takayama_Gifu_Prefecture_Chubu.htm)) and breakfast - by far the best deal you'll get in Japan.
For Kyoto I would recommend Sakara (http://sakarakyoto.com/Home.html) as an affordable option. This is half way between an apartment rental and a hotel so don't expect turndown service or anything, but I think it's very high PQR for Kyoto if you're relatively independent. I stayed here with my 75 year old dad (similar trip / idea to what you're doing) in the Hinoki suite. It was good to save some yen by sharing a room but I could still retain a modicum of privacy by sleeping in the loft.
My sister stayed in the Ninja room which was fine for her, but involves another loft bed up a steep flight of stairs so I would not recommend it for an older woman. Anyway, if you're willing to forgo some amenities both of those towns can become more affordable.
Can I also suggest not going to Nara on your first day in Kyoto? It's a lot of train-riding and Nara is more of a day-trip, especially when combined with a stop in Uji. In Nara, I highly recommend having lunch at Tofu-an Kondou (make a reservation). Info about it (and other travel in Japan) can be found about 3/4 of the way down the page on this awesome blog (http://paulstravelpics.blogspot.com/2008/08/nara-part-2-insiders-nara.html).

If you're having trouble finding an affordable ryokan in Takayama I would recommend trying the place I mentioned upthread - Hanaoka.
I found this review (http://winterjade.com/WordPress/2011/05/14/ryori-ryokan-hanaoka/) from last March that is similar to my own experience from 2010. There's another link within that review to the one that turned me onto it in the first place. The ryokan is very basic, but the owner is super sweet and the food is awesome - and food is the main reason I like to visit Japan. And the price hovers around ¥6800 per person per night including a fantastic kaiseki dinner (you can check out these pictures (http://www.tripadvisor.com/LocationPhotos-g298113-d1089419-Ryori_Ryokan_Hanaoka-Takayama_Gifu_Prefecture_Chubu.htm)) and breakfast - by far the best deal you'll get in Japan.
For Kyoto I would recommend Sakara (http://sakarakyoto.com/Home.html) as an affordable option. This is half way between an apartment rental and a hotel so don't expect turndown service or anything, but I think it's very high PQR for Kyoto if you're relatively independent. I stayed here with my 75 year old dad (similar trip / idea to what you're doing) in the Hinoki suite. It was good to save some yen by sharing a room but I could still retain a modicum of privacy by sleeping in the loft.
My sister stayed in the Ninja room which was fine for her, but involves another loft bed up a steep flight of stairs so I would not recommend it for an older woman. Anyway, if you're willing to forgo some amenities both of those towns can become more affordable.
Can I also suggest not going to Nara on your first day in Kyoto? It's a lot of train-riding and Nara is more of a day-trip, especially when combined with a stop in Uji. In Nara, I highly recommend having lunch at Tofu-an Kondou (make a reservation). Info about it (and other travel in Japan) can be found about 3/4 of the way down the page on this awesome blog (http://paulstravelpics.blogspot.com/2008/08/nara-part-2-insiders-nara.html).

Thanks alot for this. I contacted the Hanaoka to see what they have available for my days.

I do have another odd question...is 14 minutes enough time to change JR trains at Shinjuku Station? I would need to go from Track 10 (Super Azusa) to Track 5 (Narita Express) at about 5:30PM on a Wednesday. The photos I have seen of Shinjuku Station make it look huge, confusing and very crowded. Any thoughts?

Thanks alot for this. I contacted the Hanaoka to see what they have available for my days.

I do have another odd question...is 14 minutes enough time to change JR trains at Shinjuku Station? I would need to go from Track 10 (Super Azusa) to Track 5 (Narita Express) at about 5:30PM on a Wednesday. The photos I have seen of Shinjuku Station make it look huge, confusing and very crowded. Any thoughts?

The only trouble you would have is if you are changing to the Saikyo Line, which is an ungodly distance from the rest of Shinjuku station. Since you're not using the Saikyo line, and staying within JR station, then with 14 minutes, you should have at least 10 to spare.

Damn, wrong again. The Narita Express line is in the same area as the Saikyo Line (never got on the NEX from Shinjuku so I didn't realize this until I thought to double check the station map), so you'll have to make the long walk. There are some moving platforms to help you along the way though, and 14 minutes should still be plenty of time. Not really that confusing, as there is really only one direction you can get to your destination...

Maybe eliminate the Day 3 at Tokyo and add another day to Kyoto instead. I believe there much more "Japanese" to see in Kyoto than Tokyo.

Good luck and enjoy.

The only trouble you would have is if you are changing to the Saikyo Line, which is an ungodly distance from the rest of Shinjuku station. Since you're not using the Saikyo line, and staying within JR station, then with 14 minutes, you should have at least 10 to spare.

Damn, wrong again. The Narita Express line is in the same area as the Saikyo Line (never got on the NEX from Shinjuku so I didn't realize this until I thought to double check the station map), so you'll have to make the long walk. There are some moving platforms to help you along the way though, and 14 minutes should still be plenty of time. Not really that confusing, as there is really only one direction you can get to your destination...

Thanks for the research and info...much appreciated

If you're having trouble finding an affordable ryokan in Takayama I would recommend trying the place I mentioned upthread - Hanaoka.
I found this review (http://winterjade.com/WordPress/2011/05/14/ryori-ryokan-hanaoka/) from last March that is similar to my own experience from 2010. There's another link within that review to the one that turned me onto it in the first place. The ryokan is very basic, but the owner is super sweet and the food is awesome - and food is the main reason I like to visit Japan. And the price hovers around ¥6800 per person per night including a fantastic kaiseki dinner (you can check out these pictures (http://www.tripadvisor.com/LocationPhotos-g298113-d1089419-Ryori_Ryokan_Hanaoka-Takayama_Gifu_Prefecture_Chubu.htm)) and breakfast - by far the best deal you'll get in Japan.

Just an FYI,
I finally heard back from the Ryokan Association and Hanaoka has gone out of business.

Thanks for the suggestion anyway.