shelleyk

We loved our first trip to Japan 2 years ago when we visited Tokyo,, Hakone, Matsumoto, Takayama, Kanazawa, Kyoto, Nara, Hiroshima, and Miajiima in 3 and a half weeks. I'd like to plan another 3 week trip in the spring or fall visiting Nikko, and Himejii, but am at a loss as to where else to go. We preferred the smaller towns to the big cities. We are open to any suggestions as long as they can be visited by train which we had no trouble navigating during our last trip.. DH does not want to drive.

Any suggestions, or recommendations of your favorite places to visit in Japan would be appreciated. Air tickets have not been booked yet so we can fly into and out of 2 different cities.

PatrickHarnett

Try the Tohoku region - one of our trips last year we did a loop via Sendai, Aomori, Hirosaki, Akita, Niigata. There were a few things we missed like the trip across to Sado Island, but Kakunodate was good side trip.

Otherwise, tour around Kyushu can be good (Nagasaki, Kagoshima, Kumamoto, Beppu and Fukuoka).

Mara

I agree with PatrickHarnett about Tohoku - I did a week there last spring, and Kyushu, spent about 10 days there a couple of years back. Also to be considered is Shikoku easily seen by train or the Sea of Japan coast from Amanohashidate to Matsue e.g.....too many places to mention really....have you perused japan-guide lately?

CaliforniaLady

I second Kyushu. The great logistical advantage is that there are flights from Narita to Fukuoka, so you don't have to schlep between airports in Tokyo. I did exactly that in 2014. I started in Fukuoka, and circled around the northern coast, and then I went to Nagasaki, Kumamoto, Mt. Aso, and then Kagoshima. It took me took weeks, and then I spent the third week on the western coast of Honshu, between Tottori and Matsue.

However, with three weeks, you could circle around the entire island. If there are two of you, it will be feasible to rent a car, but since my husband only likes Western Europe, and not Asia, I went alone and took trains. It will be easier to stop in small villages with a car.

Also, one of my favorite spots on Kyushu is the island of Amakusa. It is one of the most beautiful places that I have even been. I went on a dolphin watching cruise there, and visited some pottery artisans as well.

rhkkmk

DH DEMANDS 15 min every 2 hours to himself or its divorce

kja

You might also consider Koyasan and Kurashiki....

shelleyk

Thanks for the suggestions. I will spend the weekend reading Japan Guide and previous trip reports.

I now have ff tickets on hold for Nov. 1-21. They are on hold until Tuesday evening, flying into Narita and out of Osaka, but I am not sure if these airports are good for our trip, and I may have to let the tickets go if I don't come up with an itinerary by Tuesday night.

I found our first trip very easy to plan using a 7 day JR pass. I knew where I wanted to go on a first trip, touching many of the highlights in my guidebook.

I am totally at a loss as to how to plan the itinerary for this second trip both as to where to go and how to route it in an efficient way.

I'm off to get a guide book and see what I can come up with. I'm still open to any suggestions.

Kavey

Shelley,

I do know what you mean, I found it easier to plan my first trip than my second, and the second one to my upcoming third!

For my second trip we went back to Kyoto for another week, as we'd loved it so much (and we're doing a third week there for the upcoming). And we also did an 8 day self-drive in Kyushu, just a portion of it.

For the next trip we're doing, the main place mentioned is the overnight location:

Day 1 Land early morning Haneda, overnight Yokohama
Day 2 Overnight in Yokohama
Day 3-4 Hakone Ginyu
Day 5 Hikone
Day 6 Pick up Rental car 1 drive to Miho museum. May also include Ninja Mansion in Koka and/ or Shigaraki ceramics producer. Overnight booked in traditional grass hut in Miyama
Day 7-13 (Return rental car) Kyoto
Day 14-17 Kanazawa
Day 18 Pick up rental car 2 and drive up Noto Peninsula. Wajima
Day 19-20 Hyakurakuso
Day 21-22 Karuizawa Hoshinoyo
Day 23 Visit Mashiko. Utsunomiya
Day 24-25 Nikko Kai
Day 26-27 Tokyo (Asakusa)
Day 28 Narita (by temple)
Day 29 morning flight out of Narita

mrwunrfl

Kakunodate should be on a Tohoku plan. And Nyuto Onsen.

I really liked visiting Takachiho in November. Loved the kagura performance at the shrine.

You can fly in Japan. There are cheap fares available and special fares for gaijin. Also, airline awards can be cheap. At least they once were - for 5000 MP miles with no taxes.

And just to widen your options more: you can fly in/out of other Japan cities besides Tokyo and Osaka.

I know you know about flight options but maybe haven't really considered them. Having visited Japan before it can be difficult to connect the different places that you want to go. Flying can help.

Here are a couple of itineraries I made:

1) fly from USA to Nagasaki, visited there then Shimonoseki, Kyoto, then San-in coast Hagi to Matsue, flew home from Yonago.

2) fly to Tokyo, fly to Kumamoto, visited Ibusuki, Fukuoka, flew to Sendai and visited Tohoku, then rail back to Tokyo via Kanazawa

3) flew to Tokyo as a stopover on an award to Bali, flew to Sapporo to visit Otaru (ok) and Noboribetsu (great) and Hakodate. Flew Sapporo to Hiroshima and then worked my way by rail and bus to Tokyo. Tokyo- Sapporo- Hiroshima was an open-jaw award ticket.

4) flew LAX to Osaka via ICN. stayed in Osaka then went to Hiroshima as a base. Flew Okayama to Tokyo to see Mara and ht, then flew to Kanazawa (Komatsu airport). Flew home from Toyama via ICN - Asiana first class both ways was wonderful.

Previous posters have suggested Kyushu and Tohoku. I connected them by flying Fukuoka to Sendai nonstop.

MinnBeef

Hi shelleyk. I'm in the early stages of planning my second trip as well, targeting for sakura 2017. Unless you downright disliked Kyoto (I can't imagine that would be the case...), or spent a full week there on your first trip, I'd think there would be plenty more to see there on trip 2. I spent the equivalent of 3 1/2 days in Kyoto itself and felt I could have used another 2-3. Right now, the places on my initial itinerary for trip 2 include Kyoto, Himeji, Nara, Yoshino, Hikone, Koyasan, Kanazawa, Kamakura, Fuji 5-Lakes amd a couple of days at beginning/end in Tokyo.

Looking forward to reading more on how your itinerary comes together.

shelleyk

Thanks for all the wonderful suggestions. I"ve read through Japan Guide and Fodor's guide book and have come up with a tentative itinerary. I will start a new thread with my possible itinerary and hope to get some more feedback. Thanks again for your help.

Kavey

Shelley, I'd actually suggest keeping it in this thread, so people can readily refer back to previous discussions/ suggestions and not repeat or miss some of your requirements...

shelleyk

Sorry. I posted a new thread of my itinerary before I saw your suggestion to keep the itinerary on this one. Hope I get some responses on my new thread.

kja

Here's the new thread:
http://www.fodors.com/community/asia...ck-welcome.cfm

Kavey

No worries Shelley, Kja has linked them to each other, which is a good call, so easy to find them both to look back. x