Back to Nippon - looking for new destinations to explore
 

It will be two full years this Nov. since we were last in Japan and I'm very excited to be planning a return trip for Nov. of next year.

We'll be spending two full weeks in Tokyo this time, as our seven nights on the last trip (technically eight since we flew back from Nagasaki for one last night before our return home) barely scratched the surface.

I originally promised my wife that we'd fly to Hong Kong for 3-4 nights as well, but I'd really much prefer to stay inside Japan and explore some of the other islands that we didn't get to the last time around. This is where I'd appreciate your collective help.

My wife has a travel 'rule' that she strives to follow: to visit a new country every other year, which is typically how we plan our int'l travel.

As eager as we both are to return to Japan (particularly Tokyo) the one and only concession that I had to make, initially, was that we visit a new country as well; if only for a couple of nights.

While I'd absolutely love to visit Hong Kong and spend a couple of nights at the historic Peninsula, eating high-end Cantonese and exploring all of the killer dim sum and wonton noodle parlors, the exclusive cocktail bars, and so on - I'm reluctant to do so for a number of reasons; not least of all the cost and restricted travel time (coupled with longer flights) when paired with two full weeks in Tokyo.

It would not only prevent us from being able to take relaxed weekend trips to places like Nikko and surrounding cities (our last trip, awesome as it was, could hardly be considered leisurely-paced!) but I also know that my wife is not particularly enthusiastic about visiting Mainland China and I want to be able to use Hong Kong as leverage in future trip planning.

She had initially suggested Indonesia or Malaysia (two places we both really want to visit) but neither were practical as "add-ons" and I felt that they deserved to be set aside for future travel, when we had the time to focus on them exclusively and give them the effort and attention they deserve.

Thus, as it stands, we're currently set for Tokyo and Hong Kong. Two very similar city destinations which, while perhaps not exactly redundant to pair together in a single trip, surely won't offer as much diversity in culture and setting as I would have hoped for.

I would like to try and persuade the missus to consider otherwise. I won't be able to convince her with the kind of sleepy rural villages and serene mountain settings that we experienced in our last trip to some of the lesser known parts of Honshu, but I'm hoping that there are other destination-worthy cities with quick tempo and high culture -or- at the other end of the spectrum, exotic beaches with tropical landscapes that might be equally enticing.

I'm not especially familiar with Fukuoka, but that's on the short list. My wife tends to prefer populated urban centers with lots of culture and art, activity, but most importantly - markedly different in spirit than what we would have experienced in Tokyo or Osaka or similar places that we've been to in Japan already. The one major caveat, which doesn't seem like it ought to be difficult in Japan (exception being Nagasaki), is that the food should be a positive regional draw, with unique and diverse offerings. Likewise, lodgings and accommodations - be they of architectural interest or historic significance - should be exciting and standout.

I'd love to visit the southern part of the country, but I'm not sure whether mid-to-late November would be ideal for the islands. I think that if I can find some tropical destination with great food and unique culture that's boldly distinguished from what we know of and are familiar with in our past travels across Honshu, I'm confident that I can win this one out. I've long wanted to visit Kagoshima and was disappointed that we didn't have the time to do so on our last trip, but I wonder if it's worthwhile as an end point on it's own, based on all that I've described above?

I really don't have any set expectations. I just know that 3-4 nights is not nearly enough time to do another country justice and that I'd prefer to save Hong Kong for when we can best experience it's futuristic setting contrasted against the likes of Guilin, Hangzhou, Shanghai, and Beijing. That was one of my favorite aspects of our last trip to Japan; the constant engagement between future and past.

Moreover, I know that Hong Kong will cost a fortune and I'd prefer to save our yen for Tokyo; an expensive city in it's own right. I don't need to add 4.5 hours to our return flight, nor waste precious vacation time in airports and taxis when we could be maximizing our time in one place.

So please help me find interesting and destination-worthy suggestions that tick off some of the above mentioned criteria, which might help to convince my wife to broaden her views and experience an alternate Japan to what she's seen and knows.

For the record (and in her defense) she is not against traveling further in Japan, she just really wants to experience something completely different.

I'm of the belief that she can find that in Japan; particularly in Kyushu and on the southern islands. I'd like to learn more about Shikoku as well.

Our honeymoon adventure in 2014 was truly awesome in scope, and while we genuinely loved each and every place we visited (particularly welcoming the opportunity to entrench ourselves in such a broad and colorful spectrum of Japanese landscape and culture) I wouldn't have necessarily chosen to visit each of the places that we did independently, as separate end points or objectives. They all made sense in relation to the bigger picture; much like a road trip across the States. I'm hoping that makes sense and you get what I'm trying to put across.

I look forward to your thoughts and input!


Addendum: Things we don't care about - castles, temples, shrines, etc. Been there, done that. We intend to return to Kyoto in future; perhaps even this coming trip for a couple of nights if we have the Starpoints to spare.

Between Hong Kong and Japan lies Taiwan.

It isn't mainland China or Hong Kong, but it's full of Chinese culture, including the National Palace Museum of art and artifacts that Chiang Kai-Shek and friends brought over from the mainland in 1949, has food from every province, and offers some spectacular scenery as well.

It's a short flight from Japan, especially if you leave from Fukuoka.

Sorry, this may not be what you want to hear, but HK is awesome. I think you should go. Nov is a great time to go to HK... perfect weather, hairy crab, cheap flights. With 3-4 nights, you'll be able to see a lot of HK. Of course, if you have a long list of restaurants to try, want to do some hikes, do Disney, visit Macau, and head to Outlying islands, you'll need a week or more. But for most visitors, 3-4 days will suffice. HK is an amazing place with awesome food, great flair and international vibe. It's very different than Tokyo imo. I've been going to HK just about every year for over a decade. Often we combine HK and Jpn on the same trip. Sometimes, the airfare is cheaper for US-HK-Jpn-US than US-Jpn-US alone. If you're worried about costs, then don't stay at the Pen. Compromise for something a lot cheaper but almost as memorable, like Intercontinental.

Thank you both. Would a couple of nights in Taiwan suffice?

I actually agree with you evergrn. I'd love to add on HK myself for all of the reasons you mention. I'm just worried about putting the spend on my c.c. but I guess we have a while to decide. I'm absolutely set on 14 nights in Tokyo and don't want to compromise on that front. I just anticipate the hotel, food, cocktails, shopping, etc. to add up. Of course I want to hit all the fancy restaurants like Tin Kung Heen, T'ang and Ming Court, Chairman, Lung King Heen, etc. I just don't think we'll be able to swing it after two full weeks in Tokyo. It will have been a full 3 years by the time we're back next Nov. and I really want to cut loose in Tokyo and indulge to make up for all that time. Also it's kind of silly to admit, but it's been a major priority of mine to get some tailoring done at a couple of spots in Shibuya. I've been dreaming about a corduroy sack suit from Tailor Caid for years, so it's really just a matter of cost for me and not at all a question of enthusiasm, or lack thereof. I was thinking instead, that we'd stick to Japan exclusively for this trip, and then spend the next few months upon return saving up for 6-7 nights in Hong Kong in the spring instead; flying directly from SFO. We'll surely rack up the air miles after Japan anyhow and if we return in the spring, we could spend some extra time taking day trips to Tai O and maybe even ferry to Macau for a couple of nights, which I'd love to do. I'll have to look into weather but I imagine that April is probably a nice time to visit. Anyhow, we've got plenty of time to decide. I was hoping that there might be a strong consensus about must-see cities in Japan, but after spending much of the afternoon researching, I can't say that I'm particularly inspired by any one place that we haven't already visited. I definitely want to Hokkaido for the seafood and spend time in Fukuoka on a future trip, but I really think we hit most of the highlights in our 6 weeks of travel the last time around. Then again, coming from Tokyo, it's really tough to find any city that's going to feel as exciting!

Yeah you've got a lot of time to think it over. I suppose April's not too bad in HK, although it does start to get humid and a bit more wet. November through the winter is the driest part of the year (still get light drizzles frequently), but Nov is nice and warm. Price-wise, there's a lot of ways you can save $ in HKG while not compromising too much on luxury. In off-season, you can stay in a harbor-view at IC for as little as low $2000's. If you're okay with non-harbor view, you could easily find a 5-star in Tsim Sha Tsui for $1800/night or less. Go to those fancy Cantonese restaurants for dim sum rather than dinner and the two of you can eat well for $600-700 (these are HKD). Anyways, I'm glad you liked Tokyo so much and are looking so forward to going back.

If you choose to go to Fukuoka in November, you could take in a day of sumo. The annual Fukuoka tournament is from November 13 to 27. Mt. Aso is worth a day trip but unfortunately is currently closed to visitors for safety reasons (it might erupt). A day trip to Nagasaki is also a possibility.

In terms of foreign countries, if you can get a Russian visa, how about Khabarovsk? It is a relatively short flight from Japan, like 2 hours, I believe from Niigata or Tokyo. That would certainly be an unusual diversion. I've never done it because of the visa hassle for US citizens.

You could probably cover the major sights of Taipei in two days, but I would recommend making at least one trip into the countryside, either Taroko Gorge or Sun-Moon Lake. Taiwan is a mountainous island, so the scenery on the way to and from these famous sights is worth seeing.

Thanks Richard. We've already been to Nagasaki. Fukuoka is a possibility, though I'm not sure it would really offer anything markedly different than what we've experienced in other cities and while it would serve as a good point of departure for exploring the southern end of Kyushu and the Kagoshima Prefecture (future trip) I don't necessarily think there's enough incentive to leave a city like Tokyo for several nights to be there. It seems unnecessary to fly across the country just to spend a few nights in another big Japanese city when Tokyo offers so much. We'll definitely visit on a future trip and explore some of the other islands and prefectures. As for Khabarovsk, I can't say that I'm inspired by what I've seen and the weather in late November will likely be hovering a few degrees above freezing, making it all the less enticing. Plus there's all the paperwork and the bureaucracy as you've mentioned. My wife has also been to Russia already. She traveled extensively through the country while working with the UN some time ago. I only mention that because it doesn't apply to her travel 'rule' of visiting a new part of the world.

Based on all the research that I've done, I think we'll either do the Tokyo/HK circuit (if we can afford to do it right) or more likely, just stick to Tokyo with a weekend at Asaba ryokan in Shuzenji, Izu and return to Hong Kong in early April for a week-long visit, which I'm leaning towards. As much as I agree with everything that evergrn posted, I really would like to stay in the old wing at The Pen and do the high-end Cantonese tasting menus at night (there's really no place else in the world that offers anything like it) and the more local and lively dim-sum and noodle parlors during the day. I'd like to take a boat out to the fishing village of Tai O and ferry to Macau for two nights. I think it would be more fun to return in spring, even if the climate isn't as ideal, and be able to really "live it up" with less concern for time and expense. If we were to fly in as an extension to our Tokyo trip, 4 nights would be the absolute max. which barely allows me to squeeze in all of the great restaurants and bars on my list. I'd prefer to have a full 6-7 nights in HK with 2 in Macau and leave ourselves with something exciting to look forward to in the spring. I really don't think there's another city or destination in East Asia within a few hours flight time that offers as much as Tokyo does and can also be properly experienced in only a few nights. HK is the one exception. I'll wait to see how things are looking in the new year. As it stands, we're still paying off our recent travel expenses - we just got back from a full 2 weeks at the Soniat House in NOLA not long ago and we're off to Italy in the fall, then Miami and the Keys over the holidays, and on and on. I'm not making any firm plans beyond Japan as of yet, so I'll have many months to build excitement and see how things unfold.

If I recall correctly, you did not go to Naoshima (the art island) on your last trip. This does not tick all your boxes, but my wife and I thougroughly enjoyed our 2 nights there a few years ago. For something unusual, you can take the LTD. EXP SUNRISE SETO (one of the very last Japanese sleeper trains) to Takamatsu and then the short ferry ride. Fly back or vv.

Hi schriste,

Could you please tell me a bit more about Naoshima? Are you referring to Benesse House? I was actually considering this myself and would love to hear more about your experience... and if you happen to have any photos to share, that would be even better!

Have you visited Okinawa? I may have missed it in your post but re-reading it a couple times, I don't see it mentioned.

Okinawa in November averages about 75 degrees F during the day, which combined with the tropical humidity can actually feel pretty hot. Nights should be comfortable, though. And it feels enough like a foreign country, and a place distinctly different from "mainland" Japan (with its own food culture), that I think your wife would be satisfied. If you're lucky and there's not a huge box jellyfish invasion, you might even get some beach time in.

I haven't visited Okinawa and I did look into it as a first-in-line option, but I have to admit that I just wasn't all that inspired by anything I saw. Hotels are fairly generic and low-end and/or of the sprawling family golf type resorts which really aren't our thing. Beaches look okay but not an equal to the more obvious SE Asian tropical destinations. Culture and nightlife appears to be extremely limited. I really think we're going to stick to Tokyo and a ryokan in nearby Izu because I haven't come across anywhere else in the country that really excites me. I'd gladly visit Okinawa at a different time of year if I were exploring the southern peninsula and islands, but it feels like a stretch to fly out from Tokyo just because we want a change of pace. It doesn't feel like a destination I'd look to plan for if I were anywhere else and quite frankly, I'd sooner stop at one of the Hawaiian Islands for several nights on the return trip as I think that'd be more rewarding. That seems to be the problem that I'm running into as I continue to explore options, and it's a problem that I welcome, as it goes to show how much ground we covered on our last trip! We really took in a lot and I'm very grateful that we had that opportunity. I think future trips to Japan will probably look much like this one -- a visit to Tokyo (always!) for a week or more, and a couple of nights in a smaller onsen town. Maybe a return to Kyoto for Sakura. Perhaps a couple of nights in Osaka for the food. I just don't feel the need to board a flight to any of the islands based on what I've seen and read. I worry that we'd get bored and wish we were back in Tokyo.

Hokkaido.

To an extent that's true of anywhere you go in Japan, until you've worn Tokyo out. Tokyo is not like any other city in Japan, and if you feel like there's more for you to do there than you have time for, then you should stay there. I did that for about my first 7 or 8 trips to the country. Even now, after 17 years of visiting once or twice per year, I still haven't found anywhere in Japan as fun as Tokyo. Some people are just like that. Other people need more variety, or nature, or historical stuff, or they just like quieter cities. I'm a Tokyo person; it's really all I care about in Japan.

But I'm not sure what it is that you've seen/read, but it doesn't seem to describe Okinawa. It's a pretty unique combination of modern Japan, ancient pre-Japanese ruins/historical sites, and beach communities, mixed in with Korean, American and other cultures.

You don't have to want to go there, but as someone who has pretty much worn out Tokyo over all my visits, I never regretted my time in Okinawa. Even with all the rain I experienced on my visit there. It's just not like any other place I've been. I've been to the north, the west, basically all over Japan. Everywhere else I've gone feels either like a poor-man's Tokyo or like rural America but without as much wide open space. Okinawa feels different. I have nothing familiar to compare it to - it was the first really new experience in Japan that I'd had since my first arrival in Tokyo.

I'm just saying it sounds like you have kind of a misconception about it. But as someone who felt the same as you about Tokyo for a long time, I think you probably would be better off wearing out Tokyo before moving on. Until you do, you may not be satisfied with anywhere else.

Thanks for that added perspective and what you've described is entirely possible. My impressions of Okinawa, from what little I have seen and read about, were similar in feel to the Hawaiian islands, but without the dramatic landscapes and coastlines. I could be entirely mistaken of course, but that was the "flavor" that I seemed to take away from it.

The biggest attractions for me, are the beaches and snorkeling opportunities, which unfortunately don't seem to be at their most rewarding during our travel window (off-season).

The hotels, as mentioned previously, appeared to be rather generic and resort-y, which we generally tend to avoid. At least those situated in prime areas with ocean views.

I just get the sense that there wouldn't be much to do in the evenings, and that our daytime options would mostly be confined to a lot of nature hiking, since beach and water activities would be limited during the time of year. I just feel that if that's the sort of trip we're aiming for, we could find it more rewarding in other places.

I have to admit that based on your comments, you've rekindled my interest and I'll be doing some more extensive research. If there are specific destinations in Okinawa, islands or areas that you'd recommend to focus on, I'd appreciate your input.

I've actually been quite impressed with many of the rural mountain areas of Japan that we visited on our grand journey across Honshu a few years ago. Our time in Hakone, Gunma, Nagano, Gifu, Kyoto, Nara, and Miyajima have all been highlights. I don't feel as though we need to return to all of those places again anytime soon, but I would absolutely revisit Kyoto and Nara again in future. I'd also eagerly plan short weekend excursions to ryokans in nearby prefectures like Kanagawa or Gunma on every single trip, time and cost permitting. I think they offer a welcomed contrast to the teeming multitudes, neon lights, fast pace and decadence of Tokyo. I suppose it really depends on where you chose to stay and what expectations you have set for yourself, which is true of any destination.

It's true that certain regions, enjoyable as they were, would not be my first choice to return to when choosing a certain type of travel - the nat'l parks in America for instance, would be a higher priority than any of the similar landscapes we were introduced to in Japan. As breathtaking as the alpine region of Nagano was to drive through, I'd sooner visit the rocky mountain ranges here at home, or chose Europe as a ski destination. For "destination ryokans" offering traditional onsen, rich with history and steeped in authentic culture, I can't say that there is anything quite similar elsewhere in the world. I would return to these unique places at any opportunity, to experience the wonderful food and unparalleled service and luxuries.

I'll also add that as far as urban centers go, I've really enjoyed our time in Osaka and Ishikawa as well. With so many new countries and cities to explore, I don't necessarily have a burning desire to return to either anytime soon, but if the opportunity were ever to present itself, I'd absolutely spend a few days in Osaka or Kanazawa and I might even go out of my way to work a layover into an itinerary when traveling on to other parts of SE Asia.

Anyhow, Okinawa sounds extremely interesting on paper but I've yet to see anything that really excites or inspires me to want to book a side-trip from Tokyo. If you'd like to send more info about your experiences and where you stayed, sites you visited, and trip highlights, I'd again appreciate that very much.

Cheers