Looks fine - only comments - what about staying over in Miyajima instead of Hiroshima and are you going to do a day trip for the Nakasendo hike or stay over in Tsumago - which is very enjoyable and what I did - and go on to Takayama from there - although that is not too easy but doable if you like local train rides?

Don't think Nagoya is the ideal location to base for the Nakasendo hike as Mara mentions. Tsumago would be much more enjoyable and right there not more than 2 1/2 hours away by train like Nagoya is.

I like her Miyajima suggestion too. Staying overnight in Miyajima after the hordes of tourist are gone for the day is a whole different ball game. Hakone looks good to me on night 12 too. I like the town of Gora in the Hakone area. Looks like a nice trip.

Aloha!

thanks for the replies. You both can correct this if I'm wrong, but I got this info from japan-guide.com and hyperdia.

Hawaiian, according to hyperdia, if we take the wide view shinano, we can be in nakatsugawa in around 50 minutes. (74 minutes by the slow train). Then it's around a 20 minute wait for a 25 minute bus to Magome. So that's just over 1.5 hours. Not great, but not quite as bad as over 2.5 hours.

On the return from Tsumago, it's a shorter bus ride - 10 minutes - to Nagiso station, and then a 10 minute wait for an 80 minute journey back to Nagoya, or again just over 1.5 hours.

That I admit is the longest commute I'd want to do for a day trip.

Mara, if I've understood japan-guide correctly, the closest train station to Tsumago is Nagiso, and hyperdia shows all journeys going via Nagoya. So I'm going back there anyway.

I'm actually thinking of Onomichi, not Hiroshima, since we'd like to hop over and do a tiny bit of the Shimanamikaido bike trail. Or even just have a view of the inland sea from Onomichi, which looks like a pleasant small seaside city. As in, a tiny loop, say outward from Setoda and return. But I'm having trouble booking a hotel there (I may be too early as it's still over four months out.)

I also think the idea of staying in Miyajima is a good one.

There is a way to go from Nagiso to Takayama without going through Nagoya but it involves many changes and does not run often at all - so I have re-thought it and my new idea is going on the train from Nagiso to Matsumoto and then by bus to Takayama....just a thought....

Onomichi is a nice little town - I did the temple walk and some other sights there - I didn't bike ride. There is a cable car up to the park whose name I have forgotten - it is a nice sakura spot and has a lovely little art museum. It is famous for the movie Tokyo Story and has a museum about that also. There are some hotels near the station I think, business type hotels....

On day 1 or 2 you can do the exchange at Kyoto station to get your JR Pass and have it validated to start on Day 6. Pick up the Takayama seat reservations immediately after getting your pass.

As you found out from hyperdia, you can visit Kiso Valley in a day trip from Nagoya. That would certainly make it easy to get to Takayama the next day. And no luggage issue at all on a day trip.

I mentioned the Marriott Associa hotel in Nagoya on your other thread. It is on top of Nagoya station, so it might be a good choice for you. There are others nearby, of course. I stayed at the Nagoya Hilton which is nice and nearby - it has a shuttle but the taxi to the station is very quick and not expensive.

When leaving Takayama, I would consider going north to Toyama because Japan By Rail called that one of the most scenic rail routes in Japan. From there, the Alpine Route:
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e7550.html

The route: Nagiso - Nakatsugawa - Tajimi - Minoota - Takayama could save a bit of time, maybe, versus just going back to Nagoya to connect. I have to believe that making those connections would be really easy. But it is three locals plus the Hida LEX

That is Route1 in the link below. Route2 is just one 27-min connection and both are LEX trains.

http://www.hyperdia.com/cgi/en/search.html?dep_node=NAGISO&arv_node=TAKAYAMA&via_node01=&via_node02=&via_node03=&year=2012&month=12&day=06&hour=08&minute=08&search_type=0&search_way=&transtime=undefined&sort=0&max_route=5&ship=off&lmlimit=null&search_target=route&facility=reserved&sum_target=7

You will be in Kyoto during the Miyako Odori. It is wonderful. You should go.

http://www.pref.kyoto.jp/visitkyoto/en/info_required/traditional/kyoto_city/20/

http://www.miyako-odori.jp/odori_en.html

mrwunrfl

Thank you for your replies. I have spoken to our Kyoto hotel and they have indicated that a little closer to the event, they can help us with reservations for the Miyako Odori.

You and Mara are correct, there IS a way to Takayama that doesn't involve Nagoya. However, I think I'll stick to the daytrip idea - no luggage worries, plus it shortens the trip to Takayama. And we will have the morning of the day of our departure to go to go to the Toyota museum, or failing that, the morning of our departure from Nagoya to Tokyo.

On the other hand your idea of the scenic trip from Takayama via Toyama sounds enticing. I must study this, thanks.

oops, when I said , "it shortens the trip to Takayama"...I meant the leg of the journey completed on that day, not overall. You are right, via Minoota as a single journey saves about 15 to 30 minutes... overall. But I think going via Nagoya adds flexibility - at least on the outbound. But as I said, I really must consider your idea for the return trip.

The trip mrwunrfl posted in the one I originally had in mind - but it is a bit complicated although fun with the little local trains....

The Alpine Route should be opening just around the time you are there....

I am a tad worried that I booked us into Itami instead of KIX, because that apparently means we will have to clear customs etc at Haneda. I hope 3 hours time between flights is enough....

No problem. Plenty of time.

Thanks Kim, I thought it was, but you know how it is once one starts planning - every bug in the woodwork seems to want to appear, even only theoretical bugs!

Hello, I'm doing some refinements to our itinerary.

First: I have been mapping out our transportation on hyperdia.com. The JR Yamamote (inner loop) line in Tokyo,seems to be a circular line, going counterclockwise (?) and beginning and ending in Osaki. Here's my question: going from Ebisu to Shinagawa, say, hyperdia shows a double down arrow at Osaki.

Does that double arrow mean that one must change trains at Osaki for a different train, since technically one is now at the 'end of the line', or does one just wait for the train to loop through again?

Next: I'm hoping to go to the Ghibli museum (long story), for which I understand one must make ticket reservations in advance, preferably before one leaves home.

Can one specify a time as well as a date, or are the times pre-assigned by the museum for one's date of choice? It's a bit confusing; the site for my country only talks about vouchers, which are then exchanged for a 'film ticket' and then one enters the museum. No mention of time slots - and yet elsewhere I've read that there are time slots.

I realize this is a specialty museum, so only real diehard fans might know the answer to this one, but I would be most grateful for any help.

On the Yamamote line trains run clockwise. I will answer your question in detail when I get to a computer

Aloha!

Oops didn't see inner circle which runs counter clockwise

http://www.ghibli-museum.jp/en/ticket-information/

According to above as well as:
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3041.html

You can use it any time throughout the day....don't know this from personal experience though.....

Trains are put into and taken out of service at Ōsaki. Thus the loop starts and ends at Osaki. When you have an orange T on hyperdia it means that the train terminates at that stop so you get off and wait for the next onward train usually minutes behind you. The double arrows means the same train will arrive at the terminus and then start the inner loop again in a minute and no train transferring is necessary.

Aloha!

Ah, Mara, thanks, I should have thought to have double checked japan guide. That's a fabulous site!

hawaiiantraveler, thank you. Generally I've found hyperdia pretty intuitive, but that one eluded me, so I am grateful for the clarification.

Hyperdia is usually an excellent source, but it has its quirks (esp some station names & spellings) and mysteries. (I have never found a way to show NEx trains to/from Shinjuku, for example.)

Fine tuning:

Unusual for me, I decided to alter the itinerary even though I've now bought our plane tickets. With some reluctance, I altered it to avoid the Takayama spring festival. My reasoning ran something like this: If all we wanted to do in Takayama was see the festival, the crowds would not be so problematic. But this is our first trip, and we have a lot of competing desires for which crowds will be a pain.

Nights 1-5. Kyoto via Osaka, as before. I am trying to work out the fine itinerary for days 2,3,4,and 5. Suggestions welcome. I am again anticipating a need for patience, as we will be visiting during cherry blossom season (and on a weekend to boot) so I am allowing extra time just to move around.

Night 6-7. Day 1 (and 2) of the pass. Takayama from Kyoto, about 4 hours.

Nights 8-9. Nagoya from Takayama, use as a base for the hike Magome-Tsumago. Also museum of Industry and Technology.

Nights 10-11. Okayama from Nagoya. Yes, we're back-tracking a bit, but it's not serious.

En route, we'll stop in Osaka, stash bags in the left luggage, and catch a little of the peace museum that is on a corner of the Osaka Castle grounds. This museum is much smaller than the one in Hiroshima, but I was intrigued by the proximity to Osaka Castle, since we'll get a glimpse of it coming and going.

Nights 12, 13, 14. Tokyo from Okayama, using last day of pass. Since our flight doesn't leave until very late on our last day, we in effect have three full days.

One of these days I think we'll head to Mount Takao, and hike up to the top for a (maybe) view of Fuji. The hike sounds intriguing even if weather precludes a glimpse of Fuji, plus this trip involves a much shorter jaunt than either Hakone or Kawaguchiko.

Meanwhile I'm still struggling with an itinerary for Tokyo. Such a big city, with time only for a glimpse.

If you don't have time to do Takaosan you might want to consider Showa Kinen Park 30 minutes outside of Tokyo on the same JR Chuo line. Fantastic fall colors there if you will be there then and great cherry blossoms if you are there in that season(forget when you are going). A fantastic place to visit and rent a bike to cruise this HUGE park in Tokyo's suburbs.

http://www.showakinenpark.go.jp/english/index.htm

Aloha!

For me a more interesting museum across the street from Osaka-jo is The Osaka Museum of History. Very well done with lots of elaborate visual scenes of Osaka's history dating from when it was the capital of Japan to the present....pretty impressive and it takes a lot to impress me. They even had a gassho-zukuri house set up outside that you could climb into and explore although I think that was a seasonal display and not a permanent one.

Aloha!

Hawaiian, that does indeed look like a super park, thank you.

I'm torn now about Osaka, now that you have indicated that there are TWO museums worth visiting near the castle. Decisions, decisions.

@DT- I forgot to answer this when I first saw your remark about hyperdia not showing NEx trains to and from my beloved Shinjuku.

They do show NEx times to and from Shinjuku but of course that is not the fastest option nor the most frequent to get to/from Shinjuku so you have to change the output to the max 10 where you will usually see the Nex options as per the attached searched for on a random day in July.

http://www.hyperdia.com/cgi/en/search.html?dep_node=NARITA%20AIRPORT%20TERMINAL%202&arv_node=SHINJUKU%28JR%29&via_node01=&via_node02=&via_node03=&year=2013&month=07&day=08&hour=15&minute=15&search_type=0&search_way=&transtime=undefined&sort=0&max_route=10&airplane=off&ship=off&sprnozomi=off&bus=off&lmlimit=null&search_target=route&facility=reserved&sum_target=7

Aloha!

DT - Also on spellings of cities or stations you don't insert any punctuations or spaces thus Shin-Osaka becomes Shinosaka and Kawagushi-ko becomes Kawaguchiko. Lots of mistakes as you know come from not knowing the JR station(s) for a city for example Odawara for Hakone or Hakata for Fukuoka etc.

Aloha!

or mistakes like my first misspelling of Kawaguchi-ko above

Sue,
Patience is a good thing to have during cherry blossom season. See a few of my trip reports if you haven't already about cherry blossom season in Japan.

My favorite cherry blossom viewing site or venues in and about Kyoto are in this order:

1. Arashiyama-if you catch this place in peak blossoms and a beautiful day it is a sight to behold.
2. Kiyomizudera-The most popular and I hate the walk up the hill as I usually start from the Hyatt Kyoto but the sights on a peak day are unbeatable, its just the crowds you have to worry about.
3. Philosophers Path-A long walk but just serene in peak viewing conditions....Kirei!
4. Heian Shrine: I love the weeping cherry trees the best and this is the place for them. If you are late into the season these cherry trees usually blossom later than the rest so your chances are good.
5. Maruyama Park especially pretty at night viewing parties with the lights but can be very chilly in the evenings.
6. Tofukuji Temple- one stop south of Kyoto on the JR Nara line is fabulous if caught at the right time.

Choose one or a max of two of those venues a day for Kyoto along with other things you want to do that day should fill your Kyoto time well.

For Tokyo my fav cherry blossom spots are:
1. Shinjuku-gyoen
2. Ueno Park and adjacent temple
3. Chidorigafuchi-if you have time rent a row boat
4. Showa Kinen Park-fabulous in the suberbs of Tokyo in Tachikawa. Just a fabulous venue that not many visitors hear about or visit and THE gem of parks in Tokyo.

Each of the Tokyo venues will require several hours and patience to do right during this season. Buy a bento lunch and enjoy your own hanami.

Aloha!

how will the cherry blossoms be in october?

Actually Mr. Weisenheimer(rhkkmk) there are winter cherry blossoms known as fuyuzakura in a little town I know just outside in the foothills around Tokyo's suburbs. Not nearly as impressive as the spring varieties but we will be in Tokyo at the right time of year in late October. We can take a little train ride out of Tokyo one day on a short day trip if you want to see them and some beautiful fall foliage at the same time. Just be sure to get some hiking shoes and be prepared for a little uphill walking

http://www.japan-guide.com/blog/koyo12/121109_sakura.html

Of course there are a few fuyuzakura trees closer to Tokyo, in fact right in Shinjuku-gyoen park that is just a hop, skip and short walk from the Citadines. It's not the walk to the park but the long walk in this park that can be daunting for you. BTW it's one of the parks that were featured in my sakura calendar I gave away the other year at your BOS GTG. Dorothy your not in Thailand anymore.

Aloha!

Thumbs up for Shinjuku-gyoen! It's a wonderful place, welcome relaxation from the city. Yes, plenty of walking involved, but also plenty of spots to sit for a bit. (Though I continue to wonder if Japan and Bwana Kimball are a good match.)

Just saw these entries today, thanks all for the contributions. HT, I am hoping I will catch some blossoms somewhere but I am prepared to be philosophic. I think we'll reach Tokyo too late for them but Kyoto and elsewhere we might strike it lucky. Several hours per venue! Well, at least now I know.

I want to catch the Miyako Odori while we're in Kyoto. Oh, my, but time is going to go by fast.

Very intrigued about weeping cherry trees. I didn't have Heian Shrine on my 'list' and now I feel I must squeeze it in.