jul

Hello:
we are flying into Tokyo and out of the airport closest to Kyoto. Would love some advice on a great itinerary which will give us a good feel for the diversity of Japan and will not require us to travel too far to get to any one destination. Thank you,
Julia

jul

Oh, and we are going in early September.

mrwunrfl

Hmm, "the diversity of Japan", I'll have to think about that.

Japan does not have racial diversity to any significant extent and not much cultural diversity. There are regional differences in culture and differences between big city life and out in the country.

Japan has significant geographic diversity - from Hokkaido to Kyushu and even to Okinawa. But that kind of diversity doesn't fit well with your desire to not travel "too far" (not sure if too far means two hours, four hours, or eight hours).

There is some diversity based on changes to Japanese society over the last 1500 years. You can see some of this in Tokyo and Kamakura, Nikko, Kyoto and Nara.

KimJapan

I'd suggest starting with a guidebook and researching the areas around Tokyo and Kyoto. There is certainly 5 days worth of things to see and do in each city, and as you don't want to travel too far, it would make sense to stay right in those two cities and enjoy them.

What exactly do you mean by "get a good feel for the diversity of Japan?"

jul

Sorry, by diversity, I meant to say that we want to see city life and country life, plus some geographic diversity. There are so many little towns, I'm having a hard time deciding which ones to include in the journey. Thank you.

mrwunrfl

Ok, then I recommend Takayama. It is in the mountains in central Japan. It is a city, but a small one: you can walk across it in 20 minutes or so. It is much slower paced than Tokyo and several historical sites. There is an outdoor museum that has quite a few of the traditional mountain village buildings.

Takayama is about 2.5 hours from Nagoya by limited express train.

Shirakawago is a traditional mountain village but would require a bit more travel, by bus.

worldeyes

Well where are you arriving and leaving from? Osaka is interesting and home to 2nd lagest ferris wheele and lots of travelers dock off cruises and ships in the harbor there.

Miyajima island is beautiful. It is a 5 min ferry ride from Hiroshima. (which is fantastic and humbling in itself) ONe tip: if you dont speak japanese and have a hard time getting the japanese to speak to you in english...write your questions and they will write back in english..very strange but thats what ive found.

If you like mt climbing mt. fugi is quite an adventure.

a home stay is a great way to learn the culture and see everything as well.

also, although its $90+ a plate kobe beef is delicious and worth the experience.

good luck.

worldeyes

im sorry i see where you r leaving and arriving from.

Kyoto is gorgeous. Lots of temples and bowing deer that are just adorble. id go there and tour the shrines and temples.

jul

So if we spend about 2 1/2 days in Tokyo and about 3-4 days in Kyoto, that still leaves 4-5 days to fill with other locations. Can we realistically add a one-day climb to Mt Fuji (we are going in September)? And I'd love to fit in a village town in the mountaints. Which is recommended: Takayama or Shira-go? Thank you.

daria28

Hi,
(new to the board here) You might want to check on the climbing season for Mt. Fuji. If I remember correctly it's in July and August. It gets really cold up there so its not safe to climb during the winter months although you're going in September so you might still be good.

KimJapan

Fuji climbing season is mid-July and August. People do it out of season, but in all honesty, it's a rather boring hike up and not a nature experience...lots of drink machines and trash.

Shirakawa-go is a mountain village. Takayama is a small city. If you want a more rural place, S-go is suitable. It is touristy, but we like it and go a few times a year. Nearby Gokayama is more rural and less touristy, but also more difficult to access without a car.

peggionthego

I can also recommend Miyajima which will give you a feel for the inland sea and is not too far. We really liked Hiroshima and were glad we made the time to tour the Peace Memorial Park & museum. Also, Himeji is a good stop...the castle shouldn't be missed.