Asia - Evaluate my Japan Itinerary

I would appreciate your thoughts on my trip this month. The hotels are booked and can't be changed so it's more a question of how we are planning on spending our time. We have 14-day JR rail passes.

day 1: arrive Tokyo mid-day, go to Westin rest/relax
day 2: early am visit to fish market w/ sushi breakfast & tokyo sites
day 3: tokyo sites to be determined
day 4: a sunday, tokyo sites or is it better to do a day trip this day?
day 5: day trip to Kamakura
day 6: travel to Takayama area, stay at Ryokan
day 7: takayama sites, stay at Ryokan
day 8: travel to Kyoto Westin, rest/relax
day 9: kyoto sites
day 10: kyoto sites
day 11: a sunday, day trip to miyajima and hiroshima
day 12: half day Himeji/half day kyoto
day 13: day trip to Nara then travel to Tokyo
day 14: half day in Tokyo, fly home

I should say my wife likes to do less than I do so this is my ideal itinerary. She would probably want to do less than this and spend more time relaxing in Tokyo/Kyoto. If she expresses this on the trip, what should I give up? Also, I've already cut out Nikko, Hakone, Osaka, Yokohama. would you drop one of my places and replace it with one of these?

Pretty good!

For Tokyo, I'd recommend a visit to Odaiba (http://wikitravel.org/en/article/Tokyo/Odaiba), especially in the evening. If frenetic Tokyo bustle starts to get to you, spend half a day walking through and around the Imperial Palace gardens (http://wikitravel.org/en/article/Tokyo/Chiyoda) and sights nearby, you can maybe even squeeze onto a guided tour if you apply now, then try to convince your wife to join you for yakitori under the train tracks. :D

I hope you're staying deeper in the mountains and not in Takayama itself though, and there aren't any sights there, just lots of hot springs to loll about in. Also, spend the night on Miyajima if you can... but also visit Hiroshima after Miyajima if you can. If you want something a little different, I'd suggest spending a night at a temple in Mount Koya (http://wikitravel.org/en/article/Mount_Koya) instead of one of the Kyoto days, and I also usually recommend spending more time in Nara instead of Kyoto.

Pretty good!

For Tokyo, I'd recommend a visit to Odaiba (http://wikitravel.org/en/article/Tokyo/Odaiba), especially in the evening. If frenetic Tokyo bustle starts to get to you, spend half a day walking through and around the Imperial Palace gardens (http://wikitravel.org/en/article/Tokyo/Chiyoda) and sights nearby, you can maybe even squeeze onto a guided tour if you apply now, then try to convince your wife to join you for yakitori under the train tracks. :D

I hope you're staying deeper in the mountains and not in Takayama itself though, and there aren't any sights there, just lots of hot springs to loll about in. Also, spend the night on Miyajima if you can... but also visit Hiroshima after Miyajima if you can. If you want something a little different, I'd suggest spending a night at a temple in Mount Koya (http://wikitravel.org/en/article/Mount_Koya) instead of one of the Kyoto days, and I also usually recommend spending more time in Nara instead of Kyoto.

thanks for the tips. fyi.. we are staying in Hida-Furukawa not Takayama. As far as Nara and Kyoto go, do you not like Kyoto or find Nara so much more appealing?

I would recommend substituting Nikko for Kamakura.

As far as Nara and Kyoto go, do you not like Kyoto or find Nara so much more appealing?

I don't like Kyoto very much -- too touristy for my tastes and, by Japanese standards, the people seem rude. Nara isn't exactly off the beaten track either, but Nara Park beats the pants off Kyoto's horrible concrete sprawl (a regrettably feature of most all Japanese cities, mind you). But whichever one you choose, be sure to visit some temples that are not in the top 5 of every guidebook!

Nikko is... different, the Toshogu shrine is extremely gaudy, ornate and in many ways more Chinese than Japanese. But if you're going to see plenty of Japanese temples in Kyoto/Nara anyway, then you won't miss very much if you skip Kamakura and head to Nikko instead.

I'd suggest doing the day trips (like Kamakura) on a weekday, much less crowded then.

And you should definitely do a day trip to Nara from Kyoto.

While Nikko is interesting, I think on a first trip to Japan, probably one should pick Kamakura over Nikko even though Kamakura can be more touristy. To be honest, you can do OK in either place. In general I get "templed out" very quickly in Japan and don't want to see too many temples or shrines in a day no matter WHERE I am. Admission prices are expensive for what you see at each "famous" temple, IMO. Japan for me is about small, unexpected surprises -- not famous tourist sites.

Enjoy the trip. Sounds like you'll have a great time, and advance planning definitely will pay off.

In general I get "templed out" very quickly in Japan and don't want to see too many temples or shrines in a day no matter WHERE I am. <snip> Japan for me is about small, unexpected surprises -- not famous tourist sites.

Couldn't agree more with both statements.

Mix and match 'temple days' and normal days; just strolling through a residential suburb or random small town might be offer more curious insights about life in Japan than the typically over-organized tourist attractions.

I recommend Kamakura over Nikko.

It is easier, faster & cheaper to get to, and you aren't stuck away from normal civilization for so long. Plus you have plenty of options. With Nikko, your only choice is Nikko. Besides, the Kamakura Daibutsu (Great Buddha) is more reconizable than any of the Nikko temples, less expensive, and not as tourist-oriented. It should be higher on your been-there-done-that list, as it's easy to spot whenever you see any travelogues of Japan.

Take the Keihin Tohoku to Ofuna. At Ofuna you can spot the abandoned monorail to the abandoned Dreamland amusement park. Then take the Shonan monorail to the end of the line. This is a dangling monorail, with great views, and even a tunnel. At the end, walk another block straight ahead to the Enoden, a favorite small railroad, where almost every trainset is different from the others. Take it (left) to the Hase station, and walk the kilometer or so to the Daibutsu. For a small amount you can even go inside the statue. Then take the Enoden on to the end of the line at Kamakura. Exit the right side of the station, go to the main street, the turn left another kilometer or so to a bunch of other great temples. There are plenty of interesting shops, restaurants, and convenience stores along the way. You are also close to Yokohama, and all it has to offer, such as the interesting sights and amusements at Sakuragicho. The new Minato Mirai 21 subway goes directly back to Shibuya, in Tokyo, quicker and less expensively than JR.

JohnSanders, that sounds like a pretty cool (and different) route to Kamakura and one I have never tried -- will give it a go on a subsequent trip.
I agree that riding the Enoden line is fun; it's like riding those trains that used to show up in "Twilight Zone" episodes -- the ones where you got out and found yourself in the 1930s.

My vote would be for Kamakura. I would echo everything JohnSanders and RichardinSF said. Definitely go during the weekdays as it can be busy on the weekends. You may want to time leaving Tokyo right at the end of the morning rush hour, as it gets busy. My wife never liked traveling at that time because she always thought we would get separated, and didn't like being so crowded together.

I never took the monorail that JohnSanders mentioned (never knew it existed for that matter). You'll have to take pictures in front of the Great Buddha. It seemed everyone wanted to have their picture taken that way. Off on the right, you see a huge pair of sandals on a wall. These are suppose to be the Buddha's, I think.

If you have time, take a quick walk in Yokohama. There's a Chinatown not too far away. You can also walk down by the water, and ride the ferris wheel.

I hope your wife holds up well. Mine never seems to get over the jet lag. And when that happens, we end up not doing a lot of anything. (unless she's shopping)

Your itinerary sounds fine but please be aware that the shrine/temple in Miyajima was partially destroyed during a typhoon in mid-September. It will be some time before it is re-constructed again :( ! ( Special carpenters are needed for this job)

Your itinerary sounds fine but please be aware that the shrine/temple in Miyajima was partially destroyed during a typhoon in mid-September. It will be some time before it is re-constructed again :( ! ( Special carpenters are needed for this job)

does that include the Torii gate? should I skip Miyajima because the damage makes it less interesting?

does that include the Torii gate? should I skip Miyajima because the damage makes it less interesting?

The gate is still standing but the left hand side of the temple complex (looking from the water) and "deck" behind the gate sustained major damage. Where you go is up to you, but I wanted to warn you of the damage so you could make an appropriate decision .

I realized now that the only reason I suggested using the Keihin Tohoku, which is a local train, to get to Ofuna was because it is a one-seat ride from my usual hotel. Watch the signboard at the front of the train, as not all of them go as far as Ofuna. Some only go as far as Sakuragicho, which is worth walking around anyhow. Usually the next train through, in just a few minutes, goes the rest of the way to Ofuna.

You can get to Ofuna a lot quicker by taking either the Yokosuka Line (not as many stops) or Tokaido Line (the fewest stops), from Tokyo Station. The Yokosuka Line is in the sub-basement, while the Tokaido Line is on the uppermost floor. There is no extra charge for either of these trains. The Tokaido Line trains only stop at Tokyo, Shimbashi, Shinagawa, Kawasaki, Yokohama, Ofuna and Fujisawa, on their way west. Just grab the next train leaving Tokyo Station on tracks 7, 8, 9 or 10, regardless of their destination. You can get off at Ofuna, and ride the monorail, or get off in Fujisawa, and ride the Enoden for its entire length.

If you are in a hurry, take the Yokosuka Line directly to Kamakura, and transfer to the Endoen and go to the third stop, which is Hase. You could take the quicker Tokaido Line to Ofuna and transfer to the Yokosuka Line, or else spend a few dollars to ride the monorail. You can also return to Tokyo via the Yokosuka Line. If you are using a Japan Rail Pass, you might as well get maximum benefit out of it.

The Yokosuka Line is convenient, as you can even take it from Narita Airport to Kamakura. Some of the NEX trains from Narita Airport even go as far as Ofuna.

Another small adventure is taking the Enoden to the other end of the line at Fujisawa. You'll go through the line's only tunnel, and ride on the only elevated section, ending up in the company's department store single track terminal (where you can stick around and watch the train leave within just a few minutes). It's pleasant walking around Fujisawa -- not too big, and not too small of a place. From there you can take any Tokaido Line train back to Tokyo, or take the less expensive Odakyu Line to Shinjuku.

does that include the Torii gate? should I skip Miyajima because the damage makes it less interesting?

Well, the shrine is the main attraction (check the tide times if you want good photos--the Torii stands in mud at low tide), but the park behind the shrine and on up Mt. Misen is absolutely beautiful in the fall. There's a cable car up Mt. Misen and the walk from there to the summit (where you can feed deer and get great views over the inland sea) is really fine. However, you need the best part of a day to do justice to this.

BTW. Nara is worth at least as much time as Kyoto, and the 8th century temples on the east side can take a day to visit on their own. Uji (between Kyoto and Nara) has the beautiful Byodoin (Phoenix temple) and is redolent with history (the battle of Uji bridge) and romance (the later chapters of Genji Monogatari). On the same line, but nearer to Kyoto is the Fushimi Inari shrine, which is fascinating (thousands of Torii that form virtual tunnels all over the hillside).