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Some advice on our latest Japan itinerary please?

Some advice on our latest Japan itinerary please?

Old Sep 15th, 2014, 05:28 PM
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Some advice on our latest Japan itinerary please?

I've been trying to sketch out our itinerary (again!) for our Japan trip and would appreciate any comments.

Two adults (history buffs, one who has been to Japan and has a tiny bit of Japanese, one who has never been and will only manage a couple of words). 2 children (ages 3 and 7, and generally very physical and active although they do -mostly- know how to behave in museums, churches etc)

10 Jan:
pm: arrive Narita airport. Stay in hotel near airport for recovery from long flight
11 Jan: (first day of 7-day JR pass)
am: - back to Narita to exchange JR pass, leave some luggage in storage. Train directly to Kyoto
pm: - get settled in hotel, walk around neighbourhood, visit Imperial Palace gardens for working off steam after train ride
12 Jan
Temples and general sightseeing (this is a Monday, is it going to cause major problems?)
13 Jan
More temples, more sightseeing. I'd like some sort of cultural experience for the children here, as we are now staying in a Western style hotel rather than the Japanese style home I had originally planned. Had originally thought cooking related, but now think with allergies and potential fussiness (they're good eaters, but the food will be very different), we might try something different.
14 Jan
Day trip. Possibly to Nara. Am still trying to talk husband out of hiring car to go somewhere. This may change to another day around Kyoto if we think we need it.
15 Jan
am: Train to Hiroshima
pm: Peace Park, Peace Museum
16 Jan
am early train and ferry to Miyajima. Tides seem to be against us that day, with high tides at 7am and 6pm, so not ideal times for being there with small children in winter.
pm: possibly some down time after the trip - husband might return to Peace Museum by himself (as I suspect first visit may involve having to bypass some things due to sensitive 7yo)
17 Jan (last day of 7-day JR pass)
am: train to Himeji to arrive around 11am
lunch and visit castle. Is 2 hours enough? There's a train onwards to Tokyo at 1pm, otherwise it's 3pm which means a very late arrival in Tokyo
pm: Train to Tokyo - then to hotel in Shinjuku. Possible small walk in area and dinner.
18 Jan
Explore Tokyo. Possibly Sumo, possibly visit to Grave of 47 Ronin in Minato-ku (both for husband)
19 Jan
(this is a Monday - so museums are out)
Possibly Disney
20 Jan
Check out hotel.
Flight is in the evening, so daytime spend time in Shinjuku, Ikebukuro etc., before getting train out to the airport late afternoon. (Could we do the Grave of the 47 Ronin in Minato-ku "on the way"?)

Is there any glaringly obvious omission in there or something that just won't work? I'm conscious that we aren't spending a lot of time in Tokyo, but I think we'll get a lot of the history side of things in Kyoto and Hiroshima, so Tokyo is more to experience the big city, see a couple of sights (and maybe endure Disney) and then head home.

Thanks!
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Old Sep 15th, 2014, 06:54 PM
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I don't think Himeji castle will be open for visitors then....
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3501.html
I think the outside is finished but not the inside until March....
One of my Japanese friends was there the other day and said "Himeji Castle is uncovered now. The renovation is over and they are taking off the cover now.
You are not allowed to enter the Tenshu ( the tower section ) yet but you can see the castle buildings."
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Old Sep 15th, 2014, 08:06 PM
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"13 Jan ... I'd like some sort of cultural experience for the children here..."

Handicrafts at the Kyoto Handicraft Center?
http://www.kyotohandicraftcenter.com/experience/

"17 Jan ... Himeji ...visit castle. Is 2 hours enough?"

If you go (and do note Mara's warning, above), I would think so.

"18 Jan ... Explore Tokyo. ...
19 Jan ... (this is a Monday - so museums are out) "

Can you switch the things you are planning for Sunday to Monday?

Enjoy!
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Old Sep 15th, 2014, 09:46 PM
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I would switch the sumo day to Monday the 19th. Might find some more/better seating options that day than on a Sunday. And you will have better options (museums for example) out and about in Tokyo on a Sunday. The tournament runs every day Jan 11-25.

Your sumo tournament visit will last until 6PM. The best match is the last of the day. Get there noon to 1PM, maybe later if you like, but plan on staying to the end. Do go for the chanko nabe.
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Old Sep 16th, 2014, 01:59 PM
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kja: that handicraft centre looks fabulous - I wonder if I could head off for the day and do it all myself!
I'll get in touch and see if they have anything suitable for children.

mrwunrfl: We (or rather the children!) are unlikely to last 5+ hours at the sumo unfortunately. But I think it's a good idea to switch it to the Monday. Maybe we'll do Disney on the final day and well and truly wear the kids out before our 9pm flight!
So would it be possible to get tickets and not go in until about 3pm? And then we could stay until the end. Although, to be fair our experience of suma (husband: none, me: watching Junior High School when I did the JET programme) means that we'll probably be hugely impressed by any standard of match!
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Old Sep 16th, 2014, 08:57 PM
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>>So would it be possible to get tickets and not go in until about 3pm?
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Old Sep 16th, 2014, 09:08 PM
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What are you going to do about luggage, esp on the 17th?

The other thing about your plan, though not a glaring issue, is the plan for 2 hours in Himeji. But that 2 hours that you have is from train arrival to train departure. It is a few blocks from the station to the castle and it will be around lunch time. I am sure I could make that work for me, traveling solo, just not so sure about doing it with kids.

If I understand your plan correctly then you are staying in Hiroshima on the night of the 15th and 16th. Is that so?
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Old Sep 16th, 2014, 10:05 PM
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Just a few thoughts...
Not sure why you're picking the Imperial Palace - I went this year when they opened it up to the public so you can see it without the regimented tour led by the nanny-guide - it is OK but nothing special. There are far more beautiful places - if you're specifically looking for gardens, then Jonangu (SW of Tekeda Stn, 8 minutes by train from Kyoto Stn.) Shrine or the Murin-an Garden are far better - although please understand that January is not the best month for gardens.
The top 3 Kyoto places to see are Kinkakuji (Golden Pavilion), Kiyomizudera, and the Fushimi Inari Shrine. The last one will take the most time (but unforgettable) and it's up to you to decide how far up the mountain you want to go. See a preview here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EandKTAwfOM
There are many nearby place to see as well - Himeji is Japan's finest castle, but as noted it is under renovation. At least that ugly scaffolding is gone. But if you don't savor going there, consider Hikone - it's nearby but smaller. It's also the real thing like Himeji - not a reconstruction or castle facade thrown over a ferro-concrete museum.
At any rate, make time for at least half a day to see Nara too - the Todaiji Great Buddha is another wonder. The deer in Nara Park next to it are a big tourist draw also. Kasuga Taisha Shrine, also in Nara Park, is also a very nice place to see and more like walking a forest path than a park. There are also 2 landscape gardens by Todaiji if you want more to see. Once the temples/shrines close about 5PM, it's easy to zip over to Osaka for the evening - that's when the city really comes to life and there are some amazing sights, including Dotonbori and the city views atop the Umeda Sky Bldg and new Abeno Harukas:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?lis...K2bcKCzr2pJQh2
The kids might be tired after a full day but the bright neon will definitely wake them up!
Your day in Hiroshima City is very empty - you can see both the park and museum in a couple of hours. Consider going to see Hiroshima Castle, as well as the beautiful Shukkeien Garden, and if you want something surreal, see Mitakidera - the 3 waterfall temple - way off the beaten track, no tourist hordes. It's 20 min on foot from Mitaki Stn. If you still have time after all that, there is the Mazda Car Museum, and the Hondori Street shopping arcade.
For Tokyo, way too little time there. But if the weather is good, the Tokyo Sky Tree is something really special. Pricey, but what a view. If you're burning through too much cash though, there is Roppongi Hills for a great view; otherwise the view from the Shinjuku Tokyo Metro Building is wonderful and free!
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Old Sep 16th, 2014, 11:09 PM
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mrwunrfl: luggage is a bit of an issue, as the complicating factor is this trip is halfway through a move from NZ to Ireland! Plan (possibly unrealistic, and would appreciate hearing if so) is to leave some luggage (the stuff we won't need at all) at long term storage at Narita. So we will travel with 2 cases only. I'm not averse to visiting a laundromat or doing some handwashing on the way. At the Himeji stop (if it happens) I had kind of thought we might leave luggage in lockers at the station. Personally I would send the luggage from Hiroshima to Tokyo via one of the luggage delivery services, but I don't think husband would be comfortable with the idea.

Adastra: the reason for the Imperial Palace gardens is that our hotel is nearby, so it seemed like a good idea Kinkakuji and Kiyomizudera are definitely on the list too. Possibly also Nijo castle.

Off to read the rest of the post now, just wanted to respond to those before I forgot!
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Old Sep 17th, 2014, 06:23 AM
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"Possibly also Nijo castle." -- one of my absolute favorites in Japan.
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Old Sep 17th, 2014, 08:49 AM
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Yes, there is luggage storage at Narita Airport. Shipping luggage in Japan in inexpensive, reliable, and safe. Don't put any valuables or prescription meds in a bag you ship.

You would ship one bag from Kyoto to Tokyo or the airport. The other bag travels with you. Would be best if it was a small bag, like a backpack, that would fit in the more plentiful small lockers that you would find at Himeji station.
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Old Sep 17th, 2014, 11:09 AM
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Adastra: thanks for the suggestions of extra things for Hiroshima. I shall look them up

Himeji is looking like it may not be feasible in the 2 hours with 2 kids. And unfortunately Hakone not being on a shinkansen line rules it out. The main reason for the stop was to break the journey between Hiroshima and Tokyo.

The other option would be Shin-Osaka. Is there anything near the station worth spending a couple of hours on to allow the kids a bit of time away from the train?
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Old Sep 17th, 2014, 10:37 PM
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At Shin-Kobe there is a nice ropeway just 5-min from the station. http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3563.html
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Old Sep 17th, 2014, 10:42 PM
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You can get a Sakura shinkansen from Hiroshima to Shin-Kobe. There is a Hikari shinkansen every hour from Shin-Kobe to Tokyo.
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Old Sep 18th, 2014, 03:31 PM
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Oh, that ropeway at Shin-Kobe looks fantastic!

Definitely going on the short list. Thanks!
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