Fabulous shopping for lacquer, pottery, textiles...some direct from the artist,,,if you send me e-mail I can help you with access,..in Kanazawa and the surrounding area, which is also home to Kenrokuen (one of the top 3 gardens in Japan), 3 working geisha districts (second only to Kyoto but way fewer tourists), samurai district with old atmosphere. Within 90 minutes you can be hiking the mountains of Hakusan accessed by the Super Rindo (super road through the mountains) and overnight in World Heritage village Shirakawa-go in a thatched roof house and enjoy local cuisine.

Tokyo 2 nights
fly to Komatsu
Yamanaka or Yamashiro Onsen ryokan stay 1 night (recommend Beniya Mukayu, Kayotei, Koorogirou)
Kanazawa 3 nights
Shirakawa-go 1 night
Kyoto 4 nights
Tokyo 1 night

Hi Craig, I was in Japan last year. We were there for 10 days not including travel time and spent 3 nights in Tokyo, 2 nights in the Mt. Fuji area, and 5 nights in Kyoto. I know that this follows a rather standard tourist circuit, but with limited time I couldn't have ventured further, say, Hokkaido. However, I felt that my itinerary gave me a good introduction to the country and leaving me wanting to come back for more.

Tokyo, in many respects, is the ultimate city lovers' city. However, you can still find tradition if you know where to look. My favorite area is Asakusa, which is centered around an old Buddhist temple. One of the ways to get there is by river cruise, which gives you a good overview of the city. Other areas we enjoyed were Ueno, a working class area where the National Museum (very good by the way) is located. And if you're looking for great sushi, you have to stop by the Tsukiji Market on one of your mornings in Tokyo. There are numerous restaurants tucked into the lanes and alleyways around the market that offer the freshest sushi you can find anywhere in the city.

My favorite destination in Japan, though, is Kyoto. The city oozes tradition and charm. We spent most of our time in the city wandering among the many Buddhist temples with their lovely gardens, Shinto shrines, unique shops, and streets and alleyways. Some must-sees in Kyoto are Kiyomizu Temple, Sanjusangendo, Nijo Castle, and Kyoto Imperial Palace. To visit the Imperial Palace (you are not allowed to go inside the buildings, but you get a good idea from outside and the gardens are great), you need to reserve tickets online months in advance - they're free though. I would recommend at least 5 nights, which would give you enough time to venture outside of the city to visit Higashiyama, Fushimi Inari Shrine, and perhaps Nara. And Kyoto is the place to be if you want to shop for unique handicrafts and find great food. Definitely go for a kaiseki dinner, which takes food preparation to a different levels in terms of artistry, and experiencing a tea ceremony is also worthwhile.

If you want to do some real hiking, perhaps look at Hokkaido, which has volcanoes, lakes, etc. I hear that it is a good place to see bears, but not sure when is the best time of year for that. Perhaps 5 nights in Kyoto, 2-3 nights in Tokyo, and the rest of your time in Hokkaido is the way to go.

Japan is unlike any other place in Asia. It will definitely look and feel very different from Southeast Asia, where you've travelled quite extensively.

Let me know if you have any more specific questions as you consider Japan. I'll do my best to help, as I'm sure others would too. Also, let me add that the Japanese are among the nicest people I've met, along with Thais, Arabs, and Australians.

A question I have been waiting for for a while and all the thunder has been silenced by the fabulous suggestions of KimJapan's. Don't know if at first glance you realize what a fantastic suggestion she has made to you?

Her connections with the lacquer, pottery, textiles would help in satisfying a good part of your shopping hankerings I would wager.....

Her suggestions take you right into mainstream Japan and Tokyo for just a glimpse. Then you are off, if I read this correctly, from Haneda(HND) to Komatsu(and using a cheaper air pass to be explained in detail later) near her hometown where she throws you back a hundred years in time to Yamanaka Onsen to a gorgeous ryokan like Beniya Mukaiyu....OMG!!!

http://japaneseguesthouses.com/db/ishikawa/beniyamukayu.htm

Then ease back into this century as you visit her hometown of Kanazawa with its infamous Kenrokuen Gardens(where Jeanne's camera will be working overtime) but still have lots of the past in Kanazawa's Samurai and Chaya districts where the past culture is well preserved and there to experience as KJ says "without the crowds of Kyoto". And maybe with one of her goodwill free guides that she works with or......

Then an overnight in S-Go(a UNESCO village) at one of these would go a long way in satisfying your interest in hiking and a taste of rural life in Japan(along with all the pics).

http://www.japaneseguesthouses.com/db/shirakawago/magoemon.htm

Then four days in Kyoto before heading back to Tokyo and your air trip out would make for a memorable first trip to Japan. You might want to try to get an open jaw flight and fly into NRT and out of KIX which would save you some in transit money and time(another day in Kyoto to visit Osaka, the kitchen of Japan). I had to get Osaka in there
I know it sounds like I just did the commercial for a travel agencies tour but what a great tour for you two.

Be sure to also use this site for your questions and just read it in general because it has so much valuable information on the practical end that you will need while planning and during your trip.

http://www.japan-guide.com/

I see closer to November as you can get to be the better time to go so last two weeks in Oct if can.

Aloha!

Save Hokkaido for your next trip.......you will be back.

Aloha!

Thanks Kim, tripplanner, & Peter for your helpful responses.

Peter, why is late October better? How would a late october - early November itinerary be?

I like KimJapan's itinerary. I might start by flying to Osaka and spend the first 4 nights in Kyoto, then 3 nights Kanazawa + 1 night Yama*, Shirakawago 1 night, then Takayama 1 night in a ryokan + 2 nights in Tokyo or 3 nights Tokyo.

You don't have to visit Tokyo.

Japan has an efficient and inexpensive baggage delivery service, so it is possible to travel lightly within Japan.

November is a good time to go to Japan. The fall colors arrive then. In November, I would definitely suggest visting Tokyo if only to go to Meiji Shrine for shichi-go-san, see a Shinto wedding procession, the beautiful shrine and tree-filled park.
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2284.html

You could walk the Nakasendo in another location that might interest you:
http://www.japantravelinfo.com/adventure/hike_kiso.php

< I think we have had our fill of off-the-beaten-track destinations for the time being.>

I wondered about that.....

Great suggestions from the usual suspects.

Because OP and his spoon-skilled spouse enjoy both outdoors and cultural stuff, I'll also throw out Naoshima Island and the Benesse Art Site -- a place to which I haven't yet been. Much of the island is devoted to contemporary art installations, as well as an upscale hotel (Benesse House). http://www.benesse-artsite.jp/en/about/history.html

Don't expect Japan to be a variation on the theme of the rest of east Asia -- it absolutely isn't. It's a place where everything works and where transportation always runs exactly on time.

Don - a place where everything works and transportation runs on time? I'm not sure if I can deal with that...

Benesse House is a treat and Naoshima is a great place to visit for art. If to could add two days to your trip you could add it without sacrificing anywhere else suggested.

Lao, the autumn leaves are gorgeous right now.

We are shooting for last week in October and first week in November...

All these fabulous suggestions are making me consider a trip!

Craig, November is the better month of the two because of the autumn weather and colors but also more expensive and crowded so your choice of last and first week is a good one. Plus early indications call for a return to a more regular fall color schedule(maybe a week earlier than this year in places) but that is to be seen. Let us know what you can get air ticket wise when its time.

Yours is easy....try planning a Japan trip for Bob and all the pre-requisites needed, lol.
Hot showers in the morning and night are no problem but looking for an infinity pool in Kyoto is proving to be quite a challenge

Aloha!

St Regis will open in Kyoto and will have a pool I hear.

I also hear FS and RC in 2014. But not sure about reliability of source.

peter and i left thailand with mutual instructions that he plan a 10 day trip in japan and i would plan 10 days in bali and we might do it next year... maybe we can catch up with you at some point.

Well one of us has left Thailand.....

I just booked our outbound flight to Tokyo using miles, for October 22nd (330 days from today). It is a United Airlines saver award, business class (180 degree lie-flat seats) on Air Canada: BDL to YYZ (Toronto Pearson International) to NRT. Will have to wait 15 days to book a return flight from NRT on ANA via Washington Dulles or Chicago O'Hare. Looked at connections from KIX but they just don't work.

Craig, that's great to hear. Japan is really a wonderful country to visit, and you will find it very different from the other countries in Asia you've been to.

I've taken that AC flight, and it's one of the best options from the Northeast when there's no non-stop. Not much chance for two travelers to chat during the flight, which isn't necessarily a bad thing.

On the return flight, you might consider trying to fly from Itama (Osaka's main airport, code is ITM). ANA has a flight to Narita at 8.00am that connects to their Dulles flight. If you're in Kyoto at the end of your trip, that's the only way you'd be able to stay in the Kyoto area on your last night.

I flew economy from Newark to Tokyo Narita on United nonstop when we went to Japan last year. It was on a Boeing 777-200, with a 3-3-3 configuration. The plane was only about 60% full so we were able to get a row of three seats to ourselves for two people. The seats were comfortable enough, with personal on-demand entertainment. The food was decent too. If you're looking for a direct flight, this may be the way to go. We'll be taking this same flight again when we go to Singapore and Sri Lanka in March.

tripplanner - it's a stressful 3-hour to drive to Newark Airport from the Hartford area. It's much easier for us to fly from our local airport 25 minutes away. We don't mind the 2 hour layover. Parking at Bradley is cheaper, too.

Below is a domestic destination map for ANA from NRT. You should be able to add a segment that connects with your AC flight. Those domestic flights are not hard to get, IME, on awards.

https://www.ana.co.jp/wws/japan/e/local/dom/airinfo/networkmap/narita.html

There certainly will be connections to both Osaka (ITM) and Komatsu (KMQ), if not now then a week from now. October 22nd is more than 330 days out from Nov 19, isn't it?

mrwunrfl - I'm not that far along yet where I've thought about a specific itinerary but I imagine it will be easy enough to add the flight, if I need to.

You are right, October 22nd is 337 days away. Don't know how I was able to book the BDL-YYZ-NRT flight, unless United's policy has changed...