> whether it is reasonable to plan to stay in Arashiyama during the 5 or 6 days we will be in Kyoto

I would think it reasonable, as long as the apartment is within easy access of Kyoto's very good public transportation system. (That said, though, I'll admit that I was glad that I stayed close to Pontocho.)

> flying in and out of Narita

Have you considered an open jaw flight, say Narita and Kansai?

> Given our interests, would it be insane to just plan to stay in Tokyo and Kyoto and not spend a few days elsewhere?

Insane? No! But if you want to spend a few nights somewhere else, that wouldn't be insane either! You have MANY options that should fit your interest.

If you haven't seen it, a great source of information about travel in Japan is:
http://www.japan-guide.com/

Enjoy!

http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3912.html

Here is a page with travel instructions to Arashiyama - scroll down the page for details. You can see how long it will take on the various means of transport assuming, that is, you know where your apartment is.

Personally I think it would be more convenient to be centrally located on your first visit, even though I went to Arashiyama and thought it lovely to visit for a few hours.

Insane? No, but I strongly recommend that you not spend all of your time just in those two big cities. Japan has a lot of natural beauty (besides the people) and you won't see much of it in Tokyo/Kyoto/Tokaido-shinkansen.

Takayama is not a small town but it is certainly not a big city. It is very walkable and bicycles are available for rent. You could have Hida beef there and the local (famous they say) ramen. There is a street market on the weekend but it is quite touristy; some people like it. There are a few sites in town and then the Hida no Sato on the edge of town which was more interesting than I excpected. There is an onsen at the Green Hotel that you can use and there are a couple of onsen in the mountains (bus ride) to the east. Also, just south of Takayama on the JR line is Gero Onsen.

Shirakawago is a great place to visit and staying a night in a gassho zukuri is highly recommended (e.g. Koemon). You can probably rent bicycles there but the town is very walkable. There is a shuttle, I believe, between the museum part of the village on one side and the viewpoint on the other. Absolutely wonderful picture postcard views.

One January day I was trudging up the hill (shuttle not running) to the viewpoint in the snow and cold and stopped to ask a young man if I was going in the right direction. I was and continued. A couple of minutes later, he drove up with his mom and offered a ride to the top which I was very happy to accept. (this wasn't the last time this happened to me: once in a small town in Kyushu I asked a man who was washing his car or something if I was heading in the right direction - a few minutes later he drove up, popped the trunk, grabbed my bag before I understood what was going on, and then insisted that I get in the car and he took me where I was going).

Considering the travel time between Hida region and Tokyo/Kyoto you would want to spend two nights there, but three would be better.

My only knowledge of Izu is a few hours that I spent visiting an onsen in Atami (nice). Hakone would also be an option for you to see some natural beauty.

IIRC, the Kamogawa Odori is held in Pontocho (Kyoto) in May in which case I would absolutely not miss it.

About the Hida no Sato: if you go to Shirakawago then visiting Hida no Sato in Takayama is totally optional, but definitely go to HNS if you don't go to S-go.

Here is the jnto practical travel guide for the region:
http://www.jnto.go.jp/eng/location/rtg/pdf/pg-409.pdf

Thank you! The machiya is close to the Randen Saga station and apparently just about 20 minutes from central Kyoto. But we wouldn't be able to really wander into Kyoto the way we could if we were on the east side.

We did consider open jaw and maybe should have looked harder...but I didn't see any good return flights (we are using United miles) from anywhere but Narita, so we just snagged that (nonstop to Dulles on the return was attractive!). But I do realize that it limits us a little.

We have seen japan-guide, thanks! And we have several books (Gateway to Japan is amazing! even if it is more than 20 years old) and, of course, the internet. There are so, so many wonderful options! I realize that we probably can't go wrong. But still, I do want to have the best combination of breadth and depth, if you know what I mean. Usually we like to base ourselves in a city for a week and just get to know it as well as possible. It's a luxury to have 2 weeks, and a little time to explore.

We actually are starting to wonder about flying to Nagasaki for a few days using the Star Alliance air pass...but still have a lot to learn about how that would work/cost. Ack!

I was replying to kja, but in the meantime several more people responded--thank you SO much. We do want to get a sense of the natural beauty of Japan and be away from the cities part of the time--were wondering if Arashiyama would be a good compromise, but I think probably not.

It sounds as if it's a good idea to focus on Takayama and Shirakawa-go, and I think we'll probably do that. Mrwunrfl--love the story about your "rescues" in various parts of Japan! Those sorts of encounters are such a wonderful part of traveling.

I know that there is a festival, Aoi Matsuri, on May 15 (when we will be in Kyoto). I looked up Kamagowa Odori, and it looks as if we will overlap with that too--excellent!

Thanks, Mara, for the insight on Arashiyama. Sounds like it might be best to base closer in for our first trip. We can always take a day trip to Arashiyama, anyway!

Nagasaki is certainly an interesting place to visit, like many other places in Japan. Why there for you? It has some scenery, interesting history, some unique cuisine, and a vibe different in some was from other places in Japan (due to its history and, I think, simply because it is in Kyushu).

I tried once, ~8 years ago, to get a *A Airpass but neither ANA nor United seemed to know what I was talking about. You could look into a Visit Japan Fare on ANA or a Yokoso Fare on JAL. Another option, which I love, is that you can fly one-way on ANA in Japan for only 6,000 MileagePlus miles and NO tax.

The grand sumo tournament will be on in Tokyo in May and it is baseball season!

My fiance is intrigued by Nagasaki, especially because of the Dutch island off the coast (both figure in the book 1000 Autumns of Jacob de Zoet, so we thought it might be cool to see the area). And it's supposed to be very beautiful. And it would likely be warm--and as I'd mentioned, he is not a fan of cold. But we agree that it might be best to save that part of the country for another trip.

I did find a page about the *A pass on the *A site...but it quoted me a fare of something like 27K yen... which was higher than I expected but not as high as retail (close to $500?!). But, I hadn't thought about miles. I'll investigate that! We also have a boatload of BA miles, maybe we could use on JAL. Hmmm....

Sumo! Now that WOULD be fun. Baseball too, for that matter. Great ideas!

There is also a major festival in Tokyo in mid-May.

Also, about your award ticket: you don't need to consider it to be a done deal. You can make changes, maybe no fee, maybe $75, maybe more:
http://www.united.com/web/en-US/content/mileageplus/awards/travel/ticketing.aspx

Figure the price of a one-way Visit Japan or Yokoso to be in the 12,500 yen range, so about $140. You might get it for 10,000 yen or $110. That is the price range.

However, if you wanted to add a flight to/from Nagaski (or Osaka) to your award to create an open-jaw, then it would only cost you the $75 fee (or less if you have UA status) for changing a departure/destination city. And I would hold out some hope that that kind of change would have no fee per the add/change/delete a connection line in that table (considering that you would be either changing the destination from Tokyo to Nagasaki (feee applies) OR you would be adding a connection, Tokyo, (no fee). In this case, the change fee would be less than the fare.

If you kept the existing land itinerary then could fly home from Osaka. The train fare from Tokyo to Takayama plus fare from Takayama to Kyoto plus Kyoto to the airport would be about the same cost as a 7-day JR Pass. The difference in cost to do it this way would be the $75 (or zero) change fee but you would then just fly Osaka to NRT to connect instead of taking JR from Kyoto to Tokyo to NRT. Plus you would be able to use Nozomi shinkansen instead of being restricted from those trains by a JR Pass.

Actually, a JR Pass might not even work for you if you are gone from Tokyo for more than 5 days (i.e. leave Tokyo 1 day, 5 days away, 1 day return to Tokyo). In that case, paying a change fee would be a savings.

Not sure if that was clear. What I am saying is that paying a change fee to add an open-jaw to fly home from Osaka (airport for Kyoto) plus paying the regular fares for Tokyo-Takayama-Kyoto-Osaka airport would be less expensive than paying the regular fare (if JR Pass doesn't work) for Tokyo-Takayama-Kyoto-Tokyo/NRT.

lol....mrwunrfl's posts are making me dizzy....

Just wanted to say I also read that book, 1000 Autumns..., and loved my visit to Nagasaki - but that was part of a week's visit to Kyushu so maybe you should save it for another trip.

I guess we have the same taste in books - I also have Gateway to Japan and Japan Solo both of which are out of print.

imo you can just do Tokyo and Kyoto and take a couple of day trips to areas that are less urban....for example a day trip from Kyoto to Hikone for the castle - haven't yet seen it myself but since Himeji-jo is under renovation it is supposedly a good alternative....

takes a look at citadines in tokyo as a place to stay

Ok, so you do have a particular interest in Nagasaki. You certainly fly Tokyo Haneda to Nagasaki. Nagasaki to Osaka by plane or train, there are lots of interesting stops along that route (Shimabara, Saga, Hiroshima, more) and the limited express train from Nagasaki to Fukuoka is very comfortable, then a ride on the fastest part(s) of the shinkansen lines. Adding Takayama to those three cities would seem to go against you travel style.

> take a look at citadines in tokyo as a place to stay

If you follow this advice, I'd suggest that you look at both the good and the bad.

I like the Citadines formula. You typically get a good value, with larger rooms than would be available in comparable hotels, plus the benefit of kitchen facilities that help control meal costs. I've stayed at Citadines in Paris, but not at this property.

That said, a huge drawback for me with the Tokyo Citadines is its location. It's about a quarter-mile from the nearest subway or train station, and in Tokyo that's a deal-killer for me.

Mrwunrfl, those seem like great ideas--but I share Mara's reaction, they are making me a little dizzy too! I did look for award availability Osaka to Dulles, but it's not ideal--we would have to connect in SF, whereas we are now on a nonstop from Narita to Dulles. I wonder about catching a cheap flight from Osaka to Narita the morning of the day we are to leave (flight home isn't until 4 PM)--but it might not be worth it if I am panicked about the connection. (We are planning to just use carry-ons, but still...)

If we do Nagasaki, we won't do Takayama. With just under 2 weeks, I don't think we'll want to stay in more than 3 places. Or maybe just Tokyo and Kyoto, with day trips as Mara suggests.

Re Tokyo hotel, we were thinking about the Gate Hotel Kaminarimon in Asakusa. It sounds nice, and I though that would be a handy part of town--close to museums, etc.

That looks like a nice hotel and the location is pretty convenient imo. Plus you are very close to the Asakusa Tobu station from where you could do a day trip to Nikko. I spent two nights there but it's not necessary - I was really interested in the Tokugawa history so for me it was great.

I don't care to stay in the Shinjuku area that much although many here will recommend it. When I am in Tokyo for a few days I stay at an inn in Yanaka but it is a bit off the beaten path...

I find traveling around Tokyo on the subway or JR Yamanote to be very easy - a lot of English signage...no problem...

I usually use my ff miles to fly from JFK to Tokyo - then I use one of the discount passes or airlines if I need to - I really never even looked into using miles domestically - I probably should...lol...

We loved our time in Nagasaki and you can read about it on our trip report found here:

http://www.fodors.com/community/asia/kyushu-honshu-fall-2011.cfm

We traveled by train to Nagasaki from Yokohama.

There are machiya for rent in Kyoto city. As much as I love Arashiyama I would much rather be in Kyoto proper. Arashiyama would be a twenty minute train ride away.

We are staying here this fall but is the first time we use this machiya and agent so will let all know how it goes after we visit. The prices are right and the locations very good. Wendy has been a big help with our reservations.

https://www.kyotomachiyastay.com/index.php/en/

If you are looking for budget accommodations but with an onsen in the larger cities you might want to take a look at the Dormy Inn brand lodgings of Japan.

http://www.agoda.com/asia/japan/kyoto/dormy_inn_premium_kyoto_ekimae.html

Star Alliance and JAL air pass information explained in detail and saves me typing:

http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2364.html

Aloha!

HT - I'm so glad Wendy had a place that suited you. She and Avi are very nice and helpful. I've worked with them before and everything went off without a hitch and the guests were very happy.

I love Arashiyama, too, but would find it inconvenient for an entire stay. For a special night, somewhere like Hoshinoya, perfect. But not good for sightseeing all over Kyoto.

>> I wonder about catching a cheap flight from Osaka to Narita ... <<

Well, $75 is cheap. That would be the fee for changing your award.

You have: IAD-NRT-IAD
You want: IAD-NRT, OSA-NRT-IAD
where OSA = Osaka Itami airport (ITM) or Kansai airport (KIX)

Changing your award would incur a fee of $75 if you have no MP status and United considers that change to be "Changing your origin or destination city".

If United considers the change to be "Adding, changing or deleting a connection, 21 days or more prior to departure", then there would be no fee for the change to your award.

Is that clearer? Just call United, give them your existing reservation confirmation number and then tell them you are interested in adding ITM-NRT or KIX-NRT to the return portion of the ticket.

Hikone castle is a nice one and can be visited from Kyoto or enroute to/from Kyoto. It is walking distance from Hikone station but there is also a tourist bus that goes there as well as to a couple of other Hikone sights.

I was able to call United and add a connecting flight to NRT from ITM with no extra charge since I couldn't get it on line. Don, as far as I can tell, Citadines is much closer than 1/4 mile to the subway.

Thanks, mrwunrfl, that is clearer! I will give it a try, and I am encouraged to hear that Craig was able to do just that.

HT, those machiya look lovely! And thanks to you and Kim for thoughts on Arashiyama. We'll stay in Kyoto proper but plan on a day trip to Arashiyama for sure.

I will look forward to reading your trip report about your time in Nagasaki, HT! I have learned so much from perusing trip reports--in addition to gleaning useful info for future reference, it's such a pleasure to follow along with someone's experiences.

(Mara--are you a David Mitchell fan? Cloud Atlas was the best book I've read in years. Thinking I should read his number9dream before heading to Japan...)

So, assuming we can fly out of Osaka, we are now looking at 4 nights Tokyo; 3 nights en route to Kyoto (Takayama?); and 6 nights Kyoto. Seems like a reasonable balance!

> there is a festival, Aoi Matsuri, on May 15 (when we will be in Kyoto). I looked up Kamagowa Odori, and it looks as if we will overlap with that too--excellent!

I saw them both when I was in Kyoto - loved them! Well worth seeing IMHO.

ContraBecky - I am embarrassed to say that I didn't realize that he wrote Cloud Atlas - I didn't read it but I saw the movie and didn't put two and two together. I don't remember names much....I'm a little surprised my sister with whom I saw the movie didn't tell me as she is quite a reader...I'll look into reading Number9Dream since it takes place in Japan. Thanks for explaining all that to me.....and I sincerely hope you enjoy your trip to Japan.

And I'm sorry that I don't write trip reports but if you need info about Nagasaki maybe I can help....and Dejima is not an island now but it is recreated wonderfully imo...Here's a nice website if you haven't seen it:
http://www1.city.nagasaki.nagasaki.jp/dejima/en/main.html

Well, I had forgotten that the island was named Dejima...sigh...so much for remembering names! Thanks so much for the link to the website! It's very cool. And thanks for your kind wishes on our trip. I imagine I'll be back with more questions in the next few weeks and months!

The Shinjuku Citadines is located two blocks from the Shinjuku Gyoenmae subway station on the Marunouchi Line. I have walked it before and only takes me maybe three minutes maybe a little more if you have to wait for one of the crossing lights as the blocks there are not long in that direction. Another good thing is that Shinjuku Gyoenmae is a smaller subway station so not much walking to get to and from the tracks.
Great thing is that there is a 7-11 a couple of stores down that has the all important ATM machine that foreigners can withdraw yen from and there are a bunch of coffee shops and little restaurants in this neighborhood. Linda and I had a spaghetti lunch one day in a little hole in the wall and it was delightful.
I think I remember a Doutour Coffee/Donut shop around close by too for Bob

Aloha!

bring on those doughnuts and a scooter to the train station... mrwun had me worried about a walk..
i thought i had read that the train station was right there..

Bob, before you buy a filled donut or pastry in Japan make sure you know what the filling is.

Right you are, ht -- I was thinking of Shinjuku station. (I'd walked from the entrance of shinjuku-gyoen, very close to Citadines, to Shinjuku sta.) My bad.

Well, life has intervened with planning for our Japan trip this May, but here I am again, with an update and a few questions.

First, the update: We decided to spend our first 5 nights in Tokyo and the last 6 nights in Kyoto. Given the timing of our flight out of Narita (4 PM) and the timing of flights from Osaka to Narita (they arrive in the morning or late afternoon), our best option seemed to be to take the train from Kyoto to Tokyo and on to Narita on the day we leave. I am hoping that given the reliability of trains in Japan we won't have any issues making our flight!

Now, the questions. We have just 2 nights in the middle, and I'm thinking that we will probably want to just spend them somewhere en route between Tokyo and Kyoto. What we'd like to do is spend at least one of those nights in a nice ryokan. (Depending on how nice, we'd spend the other night in a hotel.) We'd like a ryokan with good food and great onsen (natural hot spring would be nice). I'd prefer nonsmoking but am not sure that that would even be an option.

Our main options seem to be Kanazawa (where we are very tempted by Asadaya--that would definitely be a one-night stay, though!) and Takayama. Or maybe Matsumoto or Tsumago. We are happy to be in a rural area but would like to be near some attractions, natural and/or manmade. So Kanazawa seems ideal, but certainly not the only option. I would be open to making the decision on the basis of a wonderful lodging opportunity, though my other half will be happier if he'll be able to see interesting sights as well.

I'd be grateful for any and all suggestions of where to spend those 2 days! (Flying to Nagasaki is still a possible option, but probably less likely at this point.) FWIW, we will be spending our Kyoto time in a machiya in the Gion area of town. As far as Tokyo goes, we are thinking of staying at Annex Katsutaro Ryokan, not far from Ueno. If anyone has stayed there, I'd be interested in impressions. We like small and local places, and the price is pretty much unbeatable (which will help pay for our more expensive Kyoto lodgings...). But I do want a place that is comfortable and quiet and is in a great neighborhood.

Thanks!!

Lovely as Asadaya is, it's a city ryokan without an amazing onsen. Have a look at Beniya Mukayu for lovely hosts, great onsen (your own private outdoor bath, too) and fantastic food. You can sightsee in Kanazawa from there either by private car or by taking a taxi to the station and riding the train to Kanazawa.

Between Tokyo and Kyoto you've got Hakone and Izu - both huge areas famous for onsen with tons of choices for ryokan.

I have stayed twice in the Annex Katsutaro Ryokan in Yanaka and highly recommend it - you know it is Japanese style - futon on the floor - I find that very comfy. It is a local neighborhood although from the first time I stayed there in 2004 to the second in 2011 the main drag, Ginza, got more touristy - that is, for a local area...I happened to arrive on Japanese Thanksgiving Day so there were many people shopping. In one direction you have the JR Yamanote line and in the other you have the Metro. Plenty of little places to eat nearby. And many little streets to explore with a number of temples.....And wifi - not all that common in Japanese hotels in my experience...

You won't have any issues on that Kyoto to Narita Airport trip unless you get to Kyoto station too late to make it. I would have an issue with making a 4-hour train trip before (for me) a 10-hour flight.

KimJapan: Thanks, Beniya Mukayu does look lovely. What is the area around it like? Since we will be heading to Kyoto after Kanazawa, perhaps it would work well to spend the first night in Kanazawa itself and the second at Beniya Mukayu.

Mara: Good to know you have stayed at Annex Katsutaro! The area sounds really nice. I'm actually looking forward to futon on the floor--that was my sleeping style years ago anyway (though without tatami!). I think we read that it is all nonsmoking, too, which seems a little unusual for Tokyo. My partner is wondering if the rooms are bright? (The picture of the hulking building has him wondering...)

Mrwunrfl: We will do our utmost to make the train! For us it's before a 13-hour flight. I would have switched to an Osaka-SF-Dulles flight, but it got us home much later than the NRT-Dulles direct flight, and my partner nixed that idea. Also, he doesn't like changing planes, though I'm slowly getting him accommodated to the idea. I would rather not lose the time too, but it's nice to get out of a plane and have fresh air.

I was thinking more along the lines of returning to Tokyo (or Hakone or Nikko) rather than a connecting flight.

Your trip coincides with Sanja Matsuri in Tokyo:
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3063.html
I had a similar May trip with that option and skipped it, but it is worth considering.

The Kanazawa in the middle idea would mean no 7-day JR Pass and paying the one-way fares:
Tokyo-Kanazawa 12,700
Kanazawa-Kyoto 6,700
Kyoto-Narita Airport 16,000+

Total about 35,000 yen. More if you are day-tripping from Tokyo or Kyoto.

So, skipping that SFO connection by taking the train from Kyoto to NRT would cost you about 16,000 yen each.

Well, we were thinking we might just get a 14-day JR pass...which I realize is at least 16,000 yen more expensive than a 7-day pass. But at least it would give us flexibility with day trips, the Yamanote line in Tokyo, etc. We did think about the Sanja Maturi...and it was tempting...but ultimately for us (my partner especially!) it seemed that it would be simplest to leave straight out of Kyoto without going back to Tokyo for the last night or two. And we want to maximize our time in Kyoto. I wish we had more than 13 nights, that's for sure! Am trying to nudge him to extending our trip by a few days, but it's tough with his work schedule.

Yes, definitely non-smoking - I recall my room having windows - seemed plenty light to me.....

True enough. That flexibility has value for you above the costs of whatever the final cost of a pay-as-you-go itinerary and it keeps it simple.

I was staying at Nagoya on one trip and was at the JR station late in the afternoon when I decided on a spur of the moment trip to Tokyo and back to Nagoya that night just to see a baseball game at Tokyo Dome. I wouldn't have done it had I not had a JR Pass in hand.

I was realizing that we could even use the JR pass to go from NRT to Tokyo--although since the Keisei Syliner goes directly to Nippori, that may be the best way for us to get to where we plan to stay (Mara--is that right?!).

Any votes for Takayama as an alternative to Kanazawa for our 2 days between Tokyo and Kyoto? We are really torn...we'd like to see the mountains at least. I guess we could do so from the train to Kanazawa? As a place to explore, Kanazawa sounds a little more appealing to me, though they both sound lovely.

You can see the mountains from parts of Kanazawa, or at least you can on a clear day. And you should be able to take a train that goes through the mountains.

I enjoyed both Kanazawa and Takayama, but they are very different. Which to visit really depends on your interests.

The train ride up to Takayama goes through a narrow mountain valley and is enjoyable. Takayama is in a fairly broad, flat, valley.

Takayama vs Kanazawa would be an easy decision for a few fodorites and it would be Kanazawa. A two-night stay for Takayama is about right, enough to explore in one full day. A one-night stay in Takayama is not totally unreasonable. Can't say that about Kanazawa which merits a longer stay with two nights being the minimum.

Yes, when I stayed there I used the Keisei train to get to NRT...

Great, thanks everyone! (Mara, it's especially good to know that you remember the room at Annex Katsutaro being light...and nonsmoking).

So, okay, we decided that we would spend the 2 nights in the middle of our trip in Kanazawa. The first will be in Kanazawa proper, the second at Beniya Mukayu (splurge for sure, but it sounds really great). For the first night we were thinking of staying at the Kanazawa Hachukoro (right near Kenrukoen), although Camellia Inn looks very sweet and is tempting. Would love to know if anyone is familiar with either of these?

Also, I've been thinking a bit more about what it will be like to get from Kyoto to Tokyo, and then NRT, n the day we are leaving. That day is the Sunday of Sanja Matsuri. Is this the kind of festival that would draw large crowds from Osaka and Kyoto? If so, I'm hoping that we'll be able to get reservations on the train. I'm inclined not to worry about it--but if this is a real concern would be great to know (though as far as I can tell it would be difficult to make train reservations before we arrive in Japan).

I will be in Japan the same time (May 7-23)-what did you finally decide about your itinerary and have you decided on a machiya in Kyoto? Are you getting the 14 day rail pass? Our itinerary will be somewhat similar, I will be posting soon for advice on the forum.

Hello Nan! Our final itinerary (about which I am constantly second guessing, but that's me) is: 5 nights in Tokyo (at Annex Katsutaro in Yanaka), 2 nights in Kanazawa, and 6 nights in Kyoto (at a machiya called Gion House that we found on VRBO). We won't be getting a rail pass after all, because once I sat down to calculate the cost of individual tickets those turned out to be cheaper. And buying individual tickets will let us take a slightly faster train back from Kyoto to Tokyo on our last day.

Are you going to the same three cities as we are? Look forward to hearing about your itinerary!

ContraBecky
Yanaka is a cool area to stay in. You may be off for most days sightseeing but there is a lot to see in that neighborhood. Here is a link to a site with Yanaka walks.

http://tokyo.digi-joho.com/yanaka/yanaka-tour1.html

My wife spent some time in the Nippori Fabric Town area checking out the many stores for fabric.
Also the Kyoji temple off the Yanaka Ginza toward Nippori still has visible bullet holes in its wooden gates from the Battle of Ueno.
In another thread someone asked what area of Tokyo has a "Kyoto" feel and I think Yanaka qualifies.

Thanks for the site with the Yanaka walks! They look great. I also noticed that that site has some useful Japanese travel phrases, which should come in handy. We have been doing the Pimsleur program for the last few months, but it's slow going, and we don't yet understand or speak anywhere near enough to be confident in restaurants!

bookmarking

ContraBecky-looks like we have some overlap! We will spend 3 nights in Tokyo (near Ueno Park and one of my Japanese aunts), then 3 nights in Yokohama (near 2 more aunts and oodles of cousins), then 1 night in Takayama, 5 nights in Kyoto, 1 night at Koyasan, 1 night Hiroshima/Miyajima, then last night in Tokyo. My Japanese mother will be with us the whole time.

We're getting the 2 week rail pass because of all the travel. I'm hoping we don't get too bogged down with carting luggage around. We will each have one small wheeled suitcase and daypack. We plan to do laundry in Kyoto.

Are you getting some yen ahead of time? What are you planning to do about a cell phone? Heard of any day tours for Kyoto and Nara? Although we have my mom as translator, it will be nice to occasionally have an English speaking tour.

http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2278.html

nan, it sounds like you will be traveling lightly, but could use the baggage delivery service (link above). Send the wheelies to Kyoto and just take what you need for the overnight in Takayama in the daypacks (or combined into one wheelie). At the end of your Kyoto stay send the newly dirty laundry back to your Tokyo lodging. Maybe mom can go hands free on the travel days.

Hi Nan,

Your trip sounds fabulous! And how great that you will be seeing family--and having your Japanese mom with you. We are gamely going through Pimsleur, but our ability to communicate-wa chotto...

Anyway, re your questions, we debated getting yen ahead of time, but it appears that the exchange rate at Narita is slightly better than what we can get from our bank. So we will just bring dollars and plan to change them when we arrive. Instead of renting a cell phone, we will rent a WiFi unit (what I usually refer to as a MiFi). So, we can make Skype calls and check email on the go, etc. The cost is pretty reasonable (maybe $120 for the whole time).

We haven't decided whether to book a tour guide in Kyoto, though we will be doing so in Tokyo!

mrwunrfl-I was thinking it would get expensive sending 4 suitcases on each time, but maybe worth it for the two times you suggest. At least a couple of them anyway! Thanks!

ContraBecky-is an Ipad the same thing as a WiFi unit?
You mention the exchange rate at Narita being better than your bank-are there different vendors exchanging money, or is it one company? Guess I could research this myself...