TheManFromMnCanEat

Going to Japan in a couple of weeks and buying a 7 day rail pass (could do 14 though). This is my second time and last time did a week in Tokyo. I loved it there so I'd like to spend part of the time exploring more of that city. I am more into doing an eating tour and covering a distance than seeing all of the sights. That being said I'd like to see atleast the top temple or cultural landmark of each stop. Suggestions?

1. tokyo
2. tokto
3. kyoto - City tour
4. kyoto - Osaka trip
5. kyoto - Nara trip
6. kyoto - Kobe trip
7. fukuoka
8. fukuoka - Nagasaki trip
9. tokyo (long trip back)
10. tokyo
11. tokyo
12. tokyo
13. depart

abmj-jr

Nagasaki is NOT a day trip from Fukuoka. If you want to see Nagasaki, plan at least 2 days/nights there.

ksandness

I'm a big fan of Tokyo, but I'd recommend spending more time in Kyoto, simply because it has a different ambiance from Tokyo.

Osaka and Kobe? Pick one or the other and spend more time in Kyoto.

You want Nagasaki as a day trip from Fukuoka? Depending on what time of day you go, that's a MINIMUM two-hour trip by the fastest train, thanks to the topography (hilly, with a curvy coastline) of Kyushu. There's a lot to see in Nagasaki, so it deserves more time.

TheManFromMnCanEat

Thanks for the feedback. I might just bump to a longer rail pass and cut a few days from Tokyo. Then I could add time to Kyoto and elsewhere. Is it worth going to Nagasaki or doing something closer like a trip to hiroshima (or just skipping some time in fukuoka)? I have done day trips that required 4 hrs before but it is tiring.

jib71

I suggest exploring each city that you visit by purchasing a city map or atlas. Turn to the index page and go through the locations in order. Whereas there may be some argument about which cultural landmark is "top", the A I U E O order is beyond dispute.

ksandness

What Hiroshima and Nagasaki have in common is that they are the only two cities ever to have been atom-bombed. Other than that, they're quite different.

Hiroshima has been rebuilt entirely in modern style, but the Atom Bomb Museum is worth seeing. It's also the gateway to Miyajima, which is a favorite destination of FlyerTalkers.

Nagasaki's hilly terrain partly shielded it from the bomb, so it looks "older" than Hiroshima, and its long history of foreign trade (it was the only city that allowed trade with foreigners during the long period of isolation) give it a different atmosphere from that of Hiroshima. I've seen ads aimed at Japanese tourists telling them to come to Nagasaki to see such "exotic" sights as brick buildings and Catholic nuns.

Go to Hiroshima if your primary interest is the atomic bombing. Go to Nagasaki if your primary interest is the older history of Japan.

Read up on both cities and decide which one interests you more.

ricardobtg

I just came back from a 4 day trip in Kyushu with the JR North Kyushu railpass, and did Nagasaki as a daytrip.

I agree with you with it deserving 2 days or even more if you want to explore the environs, however, a daytrip from Fukuoka is better than not seeing it at all. If you pick the right Kamome run, the train ride is 1:50 minutes.

Nagasaki really is a beautiful city in a stunning setting, made for a very great daytrip indeed !!

TheManFromMnCanEat

I just bought the two week rail pass and revised my trip like so. If I feel like I've seen enough of fukuoka in a day I'll add the extra day trip but I'm already packing a lot.

Thu 25th- 1. tokyo
Fri 26th- 2. tokyo
Sat 27th- 3. kyoto
Sun 28th- 4. kyoto
Mon 29th- 5. kyoto - Kobe trip (depending on how much Kyoto I've seen.)
Tue 30th- 6. kyoto - Nara trip
Wed 1st - 7. fukuoka
Thu 2nd - 8. fukuoka
Fri 3rd - 9. osaka
Sat 4th - 10. osaka
Sun 5th - 11. tokyo
Mon 6th - 12. tokyo
Tue 7th - 13. depart