MSYtoJFKagain

Thanks for the input! Added Dai-ichi to the list.

MSYtoJFKagain

Got gifted some miles so now I'm on the hunt for 2 pairs of F awards.

This is suddenly much more stressful.

maerim

If you are interested in seeing snow visit places such as Shirakawago, Nagano; try Snow Monkey Park, Nikko, Matsumoto, etc. There are so many places to visit in Japan and travelling around is easy, so I also think that staying so long in Tokyo, even as a base is too long especially if you don't envisage visiting Japan very often. I love Tokyo and have been three times this year already on leaiure and business, but I also love Japan.

ksandness

Nothing to worry about there. Even Toyoko Inns, one of the less expensive chain hotels in Japan, will hold your luggage before your arrival.

MSYtoJFKagain

While we certainly plan on making Tokyo an every other year trip for us, this will be our first trip over so I appreciate the sentiment. I'm thinking that I may divvy up these extra 3 days along with a day from Tokyo to head over to Nagano and possibly up to Sendai as well. I'll be honest, those monkeys scare the life out of me (as do all monkeys)! My SO had seen a tour of that place and expressed an interest. I'm really thankful for all the input from everyone. I thought I had a very firm itinerary but it looks like I'll be moving things around more than expected. Our next trip is going to be in a more temperate time of year so we can enjoy our way to the south coast and down to Okinawa as well. I'm still quite stressed about finding a pair of F awards 3 weeks apart to get out there.

As another note:
I still can't seem to find the dates for next year's Snow Festivals. I'm guessing they'll post sometime after the current one ends (Tomorrow?)

Great to know. I wasn't sure of the extent of the service level. Cheers.

Smiley90

FWIW we've had APA refuse to hold our luggage for more than one day in advance. Better to check to make sure.

MSYtoJFKagain

Will do, thank you.

cowie

They generally do not announce dates so far in advance. Maybe half a year or so for the Sapporo one, and 2-3 months for the smaller ones, if I recall correctly.

We started planning for our trip to Hokkaido this winter about nine months ahead. We made educated guesses by googling for the past five years' dates to spot the pattern, and checked again periodically for the official announcement.

To be safe, plan your trip to coincide with the middle of the festival/s, rather than near the predicted start or end dates. We missed the Otaru one by a night, but they had a 'soft opening' the night before so at least the canal was lit up (but not the disused railway track).

The Lake Shikotsu Ice Festival and Jozankei Yukitoro events, both not that far from Sapporo, are also worth a visit if you can fit them in your itinerary.

Takinoya proved very hard to book. On the official website (which still uses Adobe Flash in 2020?!) you can make reservations about three months in advance (again, try inputting random dates to spot the pattern) and everything was gone when the window opened. This was over Chinese New Year though, so some high-end Chinese travel agency could have made a block booking. We went with Takimotokan instead which, while quite a lot bigger and not as luxurious, had recently renovated rooms, a massive bath complex and was not a bad second choice -- opting for the Kaiseki dinner to avoid the crowds at the buffet made a huge difference.

PS: Hokkaido had a very late winter this year. There was not enough snow, which had to be trucked in from elsewhere for the Sapporo festival. If this climate change weather pattern continues, the festival dates might shift significantly next year.

MSYtoJFKagain

We're going to be there (Award flights dependent) for the whole first 3 weeks of February which should let us get to both. I have the Lake Shikotsu festival on my sheet but I didn't know about the Jozankei Yukitoro. We'll have at least one full day for an excursion.

I have had email contact with Takinoya and they told me that I could book starting in August and they'd hold a date for me if requested.

shuigao

Data point, I also had an APA (almost) turn down my 3-night luggage storage request, and only finally agreed because I had bookending stays with them (APA --> some other place --> APA) ... and maybe with some judicious pleading and looking miserable.

cowie

Ah this explains it then.

For a honeymoon I'd go with Takinoya. It's not that much more expensive than Takimotokan (if you opt for a bigger room and the Kaiseki course) and it is a lot more intimate. Takimotokan attracts a lot of... how do I put this delicately... rowdy customers who are not quite used to international travel.

MSYtoJFKagain

So run, don't walk the other way? Can do!

We're gonna be rowdy tourists when appropriate in the city but we're really looking forward to the quiet up in Hokkaido, outside of the Snow Festivals of course.

Pureboy

Congrats- sounds like an incredible trip!
I have no strong opinions on what you've laid out so far, but just a few things to consider:

1) I'm not obsessed with Disney but appreciate deep fandom in general (I rearranged a business trip to fly across the country to see Metallica, but I digress)- I would think that a visit to DisneySea would be a more special Disney park experience than Tokyo Disney, unless that is included in your SO's two days there? Personally I'd choose something much more "Japanese" like Fuji-Q or Sanrio Puroland but I get it.

2) Adding support to ryokan-onsen experiences: Definitely consider adding a ryokan or two (Japanese-style inn) during your visit. There is a large range of price level, and some locations such as Kyoto are at a premium. I super-splurged for one of the two best ryokans in Kyoto for one night (and when JPY was at historical highs, sigh), and wife and I felt it was 100% worth it as a pampered cultural experience. We spent a night at a modern budget ryokan as well and enjoyed it as well.

3) While in Kansai (Kyoto-Osaka-Kobe) or to-from there and Tokyo, consider a day trip to Himeji- arguably the best intact castle in Japan. One thing to note about Japanese historical buildings- between earthquakes, fires, and wars, esp WW2, many are reconstructions from the 1960's on (Osaka Castle is one of the most infamous examples of this). Himeji Castle is the real deal, and easily walkable from the shinkansen station.

MSYtoJFKagain

1) She's focusing more on Disney Sea, she's done everything standard that's in Tokyo Disneyland in other parks. I'm being dragged in for the Disney Sea day so she's very excited for that.

2) We have one night at Takinoya for now. We're looking into a few days elsewhere (Nagano or Sendai) I'm going to look at some ryokan-onsens in those areas.

3) Himeji is definitely on my list as well as all the Hakodate consulutes, among others.

TravelLawyer

@MSYtoJFKagain Hmm. Is your SO okay with you going to Hakone alone? I mean, it's your honeymoon... Just don't let that bite you in the behind. (Also, check crowd calendars - TDS is a completely different animal. Lines can get crazy.)

Also, have you accounted for jet lag? I assume that you're a frequent traveler, but is your SO? For someone that isn't used to the time changes, jet lag can take a little while to get used to. I travel for business, but mostly domestic. Whenever I go overseas, I need a couple days to get my bearings.

Otherwise, have a great time! We will be heading to Japan this summer, so will report back.