I'm envious! As I prepared for my trip, I was told that there were no lockers in Shirakawago and leaving a bag at the tourist office was not guaranteed. (And thank goodness I got that info in advance, as storing luggage at the tourist desk there was NOT an option the day I passed through.) Maybe I'll be able to spend some time in Shirakawago on my next trip....

> I agree that Hiroshima to Nikko might be too much in a day, (think i was ambitious at the time) so ill stop in Khoysan or Nara for the night, then continue to Nikko, then Tokyo to finish.

Do check the routes and times and changes on hyperdia to see what suits your itinerary best! If you plan on visiting each of these places -- and I, for one, believe they are worth visiting -- then you will end up spending that time in travel one way or the other. The questions are when, with what number of changes, and with what delays at each changeover. The trip to Koyasan will likely be long and involve several changes no matter where you start. (Fortunately, it also provides the chance to see some breathtaking scenery!) Be sure you get there in time for dinner at your temple (or are willing to give that up, even though it is one of the joys of a temple stay on Koyasan). My quick check before my last reply suggested that if stay 2 nights on Koyasan and leave early on the next morning, you can reach Nikko by mid-afternoon. And if you prefer a later start, you can reach Nikko in time for dinner and so be ready to start exploring whenever you get up the next day. Neither seems like a bad plan to me, particularly if you are traveling with just a backpack. So really, I urge you to check the train schedules for ALL of your transitions to make sure that your plan is the one that suits your goals best.

Hope that helps!

P.S. -- My trip was in 2006, so it seems that things have changed. I hope it didn't sound like I was questioning the more recent input -- I was expressing genuine envy for new and improved options.

Do a search on Takayama as you'll find recent threads featuring different opinions on the festival.

Personally, we went last year and really liked it. The town was really only busy for the afternoon of the 9th and morning of the 10th, by the mid afternoon the next day it had already emptied out. And "busy" in Takayama was still pretty quiet by the standards of Kyoto's Higashimaya temple district - those were far far far far busier.

For us, seeing the floats actually moving, hung with lanterns, with kids sitting up inside the higher levels, with men in costumes rolling them along, was worthwhile and I didn't feel that we'd have got the same experience just looking at the floats in their "garages" on other days.

We also enjoyed walking through the preserved old town areas which we didn't feel were unpleasantly busy) and particularly loved the morning market.
http://www.kaveyeats.com/2012/12/miy...-takayama.html

The area by the shrine was packed on the 10th, but I didn't find that unpleasant either, everyone was making their way there to watch various ceremonies and the crowds were well manage.

wow! thanks again for your replies, this site really is useful.

I think I might go to Takayama for the festival. I was relucant to go becuase when I hear of festivals, I think of large crowds, busy, prices go up etc, but it seems its not so much the case with Takayama. I guess I should book accomodation asap if I do go there for the festival

I think I'll store my bags at Shira station, I been reading up and it doesnt seem much going on there to stay a night. Plus, I can put in more time in other places along my trip

I have seen Hyperdia website, and had a look at it. I'll have another look with the itinerary in mind now, though knowing me, I am likely to change my plans a little along the way, and end up going to Miyajima than Koyasan..I did that often on my RTW trip last year :_))

thanks again

I can understand the advantages of planning as you go, but I'm not sure that either Miyajima or Koyasan is well-suited to on-the-go decisions.

I believe that many of the accommodations on Miyajima are ryokan, where you would need to (a) have a reservation and (b) arrive in time to freshen up before your exquisite meal.

Likewise, I'm not sure if you can just show up in Koyasan and find lodging. Even if you can, I'm not sure that you would want to do so, because part of what makes staying there so special is staying at a working temple where the monks prepare extraordinary meals if - and perhaps only if - they know you will be there.

But I could be mistaken....

Son
Unless last year was unusually quiet for the Takayama autumn festival, I certainly didn't find the crowds an issue - as I said, they were far more dense elsewhere, such as the tourist areas in Higashimaya, Kyoto and in Harajuku, Tokyo...

Agree on pre-booking Koyasan. Think some temples are better than others, and worth reading reviews online to work out which. Koyasan was one of our 5 splurge nights of the trip, we picked Shojoshin-in.

kja, I think I did have to convince the woman at the Shirakawago tourist office to stash my small bag for a few hours. She was reluctant but found a place for it. I don't recall if there were any lockers.

Teaghan was 7 years old the January that I was there, IIRC, so I think it was 2004. So my info on luggage storage in S-go is not current.

I didn't see anything I would call a bus station there. The gassho museum on the other side of the river might have something more, but it was closed when I was there. I took the bus from/to Takaoka.

Here is some more recent info: http://www.japan-guide.com/forum/que...y.html?0+85503

http://www.japan-guide.com/community/img/1_56.jpg

Here's a photo of the Shirakawago luggage storage - it is next to the Tourist Info office right where the bus from Takayama stops...when I went in 2009, I think, I went into TI first and left my suitcase with them - didn't even realize there were lockers...lol....

Holy moly that was 2004 when you came in winter mrwnrfl? Teaghan would have been 7 but your memory is terrific - I had to calculate! She's different now at 2 weeks away from 16!

Shirakawa-go, however, remains about the same. The bus stops at a parking lot next to a small tourist information center where there are some lockers. If the lockers are full the nice people at the desk will keep your back behind the counter.

If you intend to spend a night in Takayama for the festival or Shirakawa-go ever you should book ahead. The festival results in sold out Takayama, and Shirakawa-go minshuku won't take walk ins as they need to prepare meals.

Yep, saw her at 7 and 14, so I guess I will be back in 2018, if not sooner.

I've been wondering if Shirakawago would be booked up in advance before, during, and/or after a Takayama matsuri.