klabarba

Hi Guys,

My partner and I have scheduled our second visit to beautiful Japan. We fly in and out of Tokyo during late January early February.

Our previous visit was 5 weeks long- we visited Tokyo, Hakone, Takayama, Kanazawa, Kyoto, Osaka and Hiroshima.

This time the main purpose of our 2.5 week visit is to see Tokyo again (we LOVED it) and we are visiting in the second last week of January so we can attend the Sumo tournament. I would like to dedicate 6 nights to Tokyo alone- with perhaps a side trip or 2.

This leaves us with 11 nights to explore a few the places we missed last time.. Also a big focus for us is food- we love traveling to places 'famous' for this dish and that dish.

My initial research has turned up a few places of interest: Nagoya, Okayama and Fukuoka. Also perhaps a one night 'experience' stay in both Miyajima and Koya-San?

Obviously I am trying to expand our travel to places we haven't seen but I am not sure if its easier to base ourselves in major cities such as Osaka and Hiroshima again and utilise day trips to see new places? Or better to travel around for 1 and 2 night stints going as far south as Fukuoka?

Does anyone have any must see's that I haven't listed? Any thoughts on the places I have listed and how long I might have to dedicate to them? Are any of these places a bad idea in January?

Any help would be greatly appreciated

kja

I loved both Miyajima and Koya-san, but am not sure I would visit Koya-san in Jan/Feb. Only you can decide whether it makes sense for you.

If you didn't make it to Nara, give some thought to it -- I thought it very special. And if you do visit Nara, consider visiting the ancient temples in Ikaruga and also consider stopping in Uji. Did you make it to Himeji-jo? Kamakura?

I trust you are working with japan-guide.com?

Enjoy!

klabarba

We did have a day trip to Nara last time. Uji looks stunning - would it be a good idea to stay in Osaka and perhaps take day trips to both Uji and Kobe...? or would either of those locations deserve a 1 or 2 night stay?

Kamakura is stunning, I had planned to perhaps take a day trip there from Tokyo- or again would it be best to dedicate a night or 2?

Yes I am spending a lot of time on japan-guide

kja

IMO, Nara offers much more than can be seen in a single day trip.

I saw what I wanted to see in Uji in just a few hours; YMMV.

I gave Kamakura a VERY long day. I would have stayed the night, but when I went -- on a budget -- I was unable to find lodging that I could afford in Kamakura. If you plan your day with attention to the time, you should be easily able to visit it as a day trip from Tokyo.

mrwunrfl

I loved visiting Shirakawago in January. Only 4 feet of snow was on the ground. The Koemon gassho-zukuri where I stayed had loaner boots. No crowds. The outdoor museum part of S-go, across the river was closed, but I took the footbridge over there anyway. Got to S-go by bus (not fun) from Takaoka but the newer road from Kanazawa might be open.

Are you familiar with the seating options at the sumo tournament?

mrwunrfl

Hiroshima oysters would be in season. Also, it would be a fugu fishing season, so a visit to Shimonoseki might be of interest if they have wild-caught fish (a lot of fugu is farm raised, I think).

Kavey

Not just in Takayama of course but hida beef was a highlight for me foodwise, on our first trip.

Of course there are various different brands of wagyu around Japan, Kobe being the best known internationally.

Kumamoto had these wonderful purple sweet potato dumplings...

Fukuoka Hakata ramen is my favourite type.

Miyajima has the little maple leaf filled pancake things but I've forgotten their name!

Eee, I'm senile.

MinnBeef

I loved Matsumoto. The castle is absolutely breathtaking and there's a cool little merchants district and the Kaichi Primary School that gives an idea of western-style education in 19th century Japan. It's well worth an overnight. It would likely be quite chilly in January. Not sure where you are from but with proper clothing, I'm sure you could handle it. Perhaps stay a couple of nights in an onsen above town in the Japan Alps (I can research the name of the one I stayed at in 2013 if you are interested) and then just take a bus into the city during the day to see the sights.

klabarba

Thanks so much guys-

I have looked at Shirakawa-go quite a bit actually, it does look beautiful and sounds good in theory but I'm curious, is it an authentic experience or is it quite.... for lack of a better word -a touristy experience?

I love love love oysters and its 50% the reason I want to re-visit Miyajima. I did go last time for an afternoon, but id like to go for the night and take advantage of the extra time to leisurely make our way up Mount Misen... has anyone stayed on Miyajima before?

I've also been looking at Kobe..has anyone stayed or visited? Any thoughts?

I'm not super familiar with the seating at the Sumo tournament-I have a vague understanding... anything I should know please feel free to share

I have also looked at Onsens in the Alps but there was so many I got a bit overwhelmed.. and we don't ski or snowboard so I wasn't sure how appropriate it is for us? (don't get me wrong i love the snow but haven't been fortunate enough to experience much of it). Is it still ok for us to go to the alps if we don't do any snow sports? Is there still things to see and do? I hope so because I would love to experience it.

THANKS AGAIN!!

someotherguy

Shirakawago (the actual village is Ogimachi) is full of tour buses during the day, but I believe you'll get a more authentic experience if you stay overnight (I've not done that). The other villages in the area are much less heavily touristed (but harder to get to). Ainokura (part of Gokayama) is very good. It's much higher than Ogimachi (still had snow on the ground when I visited in April) so may be difficult in winter.

I've been to Kobe and found nothing of particular interest.

mrwunrfl

Miyajima - a couple of us recommend staying at Momiji-so

sumo - you probably don't the highest priced seating - it is on futons on the floor. The seats higher up are comfortable. When I went to the Jan. tournament I got a ticket at the arena on the day. The is an oval and the two sides have names. The wrestlers, and the ceremonies, enter from one side. You want to sit on the other side at the "50-yard-line" (like I did) so that they enter towards you. The first row of the upper level is great, it is above the concourse between the two levels, so that people walking by are not in view. I don't know how I got the seat but it would be a good idea to learn the names of the two sides to know what to ask for. It also helped that it was mid-week and not at the beginning or end of the tournament. Get there around noon or 1PM and stay until the end at 6PM. Get up and walk around and find the chanko nabe line and follow it.

Kavey

I stayed at Auberge Watanabe on Miyajima which is, despite the French name, a traditional, family-run ryokan. It's small, well-located and the meal we had there was delicious. I've since had different friends book and stay their for their own trips and they've given me very warm feedback so it's obviously still a good choice.

mrwunrfl

Shirakawago in January was not over-touristed. I did visit during the week. With help, I was able to get a TA in Kanazawa to book Koemon for the night. The TA did have some trouble finding a place that was open. I think the TA called a town tourist organization that called around.

The road from Kanazawa that existed at the time was closed, so I had to go to Takoaka to get a city bus that went to Ogimachi. It was a wearying trip and I was the only passenger when it arrived at/near the village info center. I talked to a woman with the wrong shoes on who was visiting from Nagoya. Am not sure how she got there - I think the road from Takayama was also closed. I believe there is a newer road from Kanazawa that is open during winter (which, I suppose, means there would be more winter tourists that when I visited, but I expect still there would be fewer than spring).

I was surprised to find that the loaner boots that Koemon had available actually fit well (i.e. big enough). Usually, they cook dinner at an irori (a traditional Japanese sunken hearth) and the owner has a slide show or something about the place and town. But, as I was their only guest, they did not do that. But, the couple and their daughter and I all drove to a nearby town to have dinner together and a soak in an adjacent onsen. I guess my payment for the night paid for a family night out and I was part of it. Fun time.

Across the footbridge is where there is an open-air museum and a big parking lot for tour buses and cars. The museum was closed and IIRC the parking lot was empty - it was dead on that side of town.

There were a few other tourists in town visiting various gassho-zukuri that had farm implents and other stuff on display from life in olden days. That is what I remember. It was pleasant, low-keyed.

The shuttle bus to the viewpoint was not operating, so I started walking. As I started going uphill I saw a young guy brushing snow off a car. I confirmed with him that I was going the right direction. After a couple minutes walk, that car stopped beside me and the guy and his mother offered a ride to the viewpoint which I very gratefully accepted. They stayed with me and we took a few pictures. I don't remember how I got back to town but it was all downhill. The viewpoint was a bit busy and I believe I did see a tour bus there.

The bus ride back to Takaoka was not the ordeal that the ride up seemed to be.

I did have an issue with leaving my bag at the info center for the day, but the lady grudgingly accepted it (she was unreasonable and I was polite).

Shirakawago in January for me: not easy to get to, no irori, no museum, no shuttle bus, no fellow guests, bathroom down the hall, futon and space heater. But it was special for me because of the people I met, the charming houses, and the wonderful view from the lookout.

Kavey

Loved reading that, mrwunrfl!

Lolazahra

We very much enjoyed Iroha Ryokan on Miyajima. The full name is Kurayado Iroha. It was extremely well located, superbly decorated and the food was divine. We stayed two nights and it was just a lovely experience. On our first day, we arrived in Hiroshima in the morning and toured the monuments/museum and then caught the ferry in the late afternoon to the island. We had half of the first day and the whole day the next day to explore. The temples are amazing, the walks are beautiful and the oysters are out of this world! We loved our time and want to return. Good luck with your planning. It sounds like you will end up with an awesome trip!

Mara

mrwunrfl, do you think one can always buy same day sumo tickets? This year I was in Tokyo during the May tournament and the only possibility for tickets was through a Japanican package, at least in English....

When I was in Tokyo two years ago and stayed not too far from the arena, tickets were sold out as well....

Maybe the winter tournament is less crowded?

Thanks!

To the OP, I haven't been to Japan in the winter so really not sure what to recommend. Definitely Miyajima though. I have enjoyed day trips to Kobe from Kyoto but there is a lot to see and I could imagine staying over for a night or two plus Arima Onsen is there...also sake breweries. ;-) Koyasan is great also but will be very cold....I think.

I'm sure you will have an enjoyable trip....no matter what you choose...

kja

Like mrwunrfl, I stayed at Momiji-so on Miyajima and was delighted by my stay there. From what I have read, it is not as fancy -- or as expensive -- as some ryokan, but it was very comfortable, the hostess was delightful, the food was delicious, and the chance to spend an evening in a lovely room surrounded by trees on one side and a tree-shrouded stream on the other made for a wonderfully memorable experience. I also enjoyed visiting some of the temples on the island, roaming around Mt. Misen, and (of course) seeing the Itsukashima torii at both high and low tide.

Like Lolazahra, I visited the Hiroshima before taking the ferry to Miyajima, spending time at the A-Bomb Dome, Peace Park, and Peace Museum. Very moving and well worth visiting, IMO.

klabarba

so much great advise- thanks again guys!

Regarding the sumo tickets, since its the reason why we are going in Jan I have registered with buysumotickets.com for 'pre sale' tickets.....wouldn't want to leave it to buying on the day as we are there for the end of the tournament.

Miyajima is now a definite overnight stay! YUM oysters..

Shirakawago from the sounds of things is going to depend on how hard it is to get there. My original plan with this trip was actually to go to Sapporo but with the difficulty and long travel time to get there by train I scrapped it. I don't want to waste too much time with travel from place to place.

Is it possible to see Koyasan as a day trip? or is it something that you either give a night stay or don't bother with?

Does anyone have any advise as to how many nights stay Fukuoka would need? Or any thing else down that way that is worth a visit?

kja

There are some wonderful temples in Koyasan, but it isn't easy to reach, so unless you have a LOT of time, it isn't something that I, personally, would prioritize UNLESS you spend a night. And spending a night there is, truly, a wonderful thing -- if it's warm enough! From what I can tell, the temple at which one stays makes a huge difference. I was very pleased with Shojoshin-in, which still gets great reviews and which a number of other Fodorites also recommend, so you might check with them about it. When I was there (May 2006), it was cold enough in the night that I wore silk long johns to sleep and used all of the wonderfully comfortable bedding they provided; maybe there is a heating system that they use only at colder times of year?

Mara

You could fly to Sapporo - it's the Snow Festival then, right?

Even if it's cold I would stay overnight at Koyasan...when I was there a few years ago it was April and still pretty chilly but there are heaters, I'm sure.....

Lots of see in Kyushu...near Fukuoka is Dazaifu...Nagasaki is a very interesting city...