ms_go

Still enjoying following along. I spent a night in Kurashiki on my first trip to Japan (2006) and have nice memories. I've been to Hiroshima and the Peace Museum/Park twice - once on that first trip and the last time was in 2011 with our daughter, who was in high school at the time and had already studied the war at several points in school. We had practically had to drag her out of the museum at closing time. We were there in the opposite season, spring with cherry blossoms at peak, and felt that same energy you did. I recall mr_go commenting about how surprised he was to find this vibrant city that has emerged from tragedy. Oh, and the okonomiyaki!

progol

Thank you for your continued report, this time in Hiroshima. And how wonderful is the resilience of people that, in a place where one of the most devastating events of all time occurred, joy and laughter can be heard and felt. I’m glad that there is a place where people can learn about the tragedy but, at the same time, come away with some optimism, too.

Your description of Miyajima reinforces my decision not to go there. I’m glad you were able to enjoy your time there, though, despite the crowds. I had originally included Hiroshima and Miyajima in my plan, but ultimately decided not to go. I had read that people waited on line for an hour to be able to take their photo with the torii! I decided then that we’d pass on this experience! I do think Hiroshima would’ve been a good place to visit, but ultimately, I just didn’t want to be in another large city.

Now I’m sad that you’re coming to the end of the trip! Have a good last day and safe travels home!

tripplanner001

ms_go, yes, the okonomiyaki is delicious.

progol, in hindsight, we would have been better off overnighting in Miyajima. Had we done so, we could have visited the shrine early in the morning or later in the evening without the crowds. As for the line for the photo of the torii, we saw it but didn’t understand why folks stood there for the photo when there were so many spots on the platform that were not smack dab in the middle but just as good.

tripplanner001

Commercialism Overload

Today we travelled from Hiroshima to Osaka by Shinkansen for the final leg on our trip. We took the first train of the day, at 6:00, putting us in Osaka at 7:30 for a full day ahead.

Our first stop in Japan's second largest city was Osaka Castle. While it may be enjoyable on a different day, we realized that visiting on a Saturday morning was probably not the best idea, as it was crowd central. Osaka Castle is also a reproduction of its former original, first constructed in the 1500s. The castle offered exhibits of the battles for control of the area that ultimately led to the fall of the castle and takeover by Tokugawa Ieyasu. The information was extensive but too detailed for the average visitor, unless one has a deep interest in Japan's feudal history. The observation deck was nice though in that it offered good views of the surrounding buildings.

From Osaka Castle we went to the Minami district of Osaka. We strolled down Mido-suji and Shinsaibashi with its many retailers, both international and Japanese. We patronized the Daimaru department store as well as Tokyu Hands. From there we wandered into Dotonbori, Osaka's food mecca by day and neon central by night. We ate a lunch of several crab dishes at one of the Kani Doraku branches (the restaurant that advertises its specialty with a giant mechanical crab). We braved the crowds, passing through advertisement after advertisement for each restaurant there, with each one trying to outdo the one before it. The advertisements were both kitchy and over the top at the same time. It's silly but part of the fabric of Osaka.

From Dotonbori we walked over to Kuromon Market with all its seafood and produce on sale. We continued to Doguyasuji Arcade with its kitchen supplies and Den-Den Town with its electronics. Den-Den Town reminded us of Akihabara in Tokyo, a neighborhood we didn't care for. From there we walked to Shinseikai, another neighborhood devoted to food, an essence of this city.

We returned to Namba and our hotel, the Swissotel, to drop off some of our purchases before returning to Dotonbori for its neon lights. We chose Steak House Tenzu (Juju), a teppanyaki place off Dotonbori for dinner and thoroughly enjoyed our experience.

Tomorrow we're scheduled to fly home from Osaka Kansai Airport via Los Angeles. In the coming days, I will post final thoughts on our trip as well as a selection of photos from our trip (we just haven't had the time to sort through it yet).

progol

Have a safe and easy trip home, trip planner! It was a pleasure following you! And I look forward to your photos (and I think you've inspired me -- or guilted me (!) -- into trying to write up a trip report!

travelkam

Thank you Tripplanner for your detailed report. It is very helpful in my trop in March.

yestravel

As always a great report. Thanks for taking the time to write it.

You really hit crowds which is too bad. I’m thinking to our next trip to Japan and trying to suss out a time to avoid this massive tourism crush. I’m thinking after cherry blossom and before it gets hot. Also planning for Kyushu which is supposedly less crowded, but plan to go back to Kyoto.

Safe travels home!

tripplanner001

progol, thank you. I hope to post photos in the coming days. And I look forward to experiencing Japan through your perspective.

travelkam, you're welcome. Feel free to ask any questions you have as you plan. Happy to help.

yestravel, you're welcome. Kyushu, from what I understand, is popular with tourists from Hong Kong, Singapore, and Korea. As for timing, I've looked at May. Supposed to be less crowded as it is after the sakura season and before summer travel, and it's before the summer rains.

Time with Sea Life

Having packed up for our flight home, which was scheduled to depart at 5:50, we made the most of it with some more play time in Osaka. After enjoying a fabulous buffet breakfast at our hotel, Swissotel Namba, we took the subway to Osaka Bay for a visit to the aquarium. From the guidebooks, the Osaka Aquarium seemed worthwhile. And we wanted something easygoing for our final morning in Japan. Once the largest aquarium in the world, the Osaka Aquarium hosts wonderful exhibits about sea life in Japan, the Pacific Ocean, and the lands surrounding it. The whale sharks were awesome, as were the penguins, dolphins, and sea lions.

Kansai Chaos

After our visit to the aquarium we returned to our hotel to retrieve our bags and head to the airport. Kansai Airport, the main international Airport for the Osaka and Kyoto areas and the largest after Haneda and Narita, was utter chaos. Even with Oneworld status, check-in took more than 30 minutes. And the security line well over an hour, and that was for the "fast track". Reports of the regular line were three hours and up. The staff at the airport were very irritated and unpleasant, even downright rude; it's understandable though given the pressure they were under. The airline lounge was also small and uninviting. What a difference a decade makes. Until now, we had positive memories of our time at Kansai Airport from a prior visit, so much so that we paid a little more to fly out of Kansai than return to Haneda or Narita.

progol

tp, welcome home! I hope your readjustment goes easily! We are finally getting back to the right time zone and it’s been 11 days.

The aquarium in Osaka sounds like the perfect way to end the trip! What a fun experience!

I’m so sorry that you had such an unpleasant experience at Kansai airport! We flew from Itami to Narita, and our experience couldn’t have been more different. We were through security in just a few minutes and even though we had to go through security again in Narita, it went fairly quickly and easily. I had read about long lines at the airports but didn’t experience that.

mrwunrfl

>> Kyushu, from what I understand, is popular with tourists from Hong Kong, Singapore, and Korea

It is. That was my experience at end of Oct into Nov. There were many Asian visitors, most/many pushing enormous spinner luggage. In particular, I saw that around Yufuin station. It was a bit much but not a madhouse like Philosopher's Path in Kyoto in April 2017.

Kurokawa Onsen is a real gem. It was busy but not like Yufuin. I heard German and American spoken there. My lodging was wonderful, full name: Yamamizuki Bettei Miyama Sansou, but where I stayed was called Miyama. You can find it with a search for Yamamizuki. This place was very Japanese [which I mean as high praise] and was highly recommended here: Kurokawa Onsen Travel Guide - What to do in Kurokawa Onsen (japan-guide.com). I would love to go back to Kurokawa and stay at that place, but I am pretty much done with Kyushu.

May is still a popular time to visit Japan. Kyushu will get rain that month sooner than Honshu. Am starting to think that March is probably a good time to visit, though maybe busy because of cherry blossoms, as well as earlier in October or even late September.

Kyushu by car would be an excellent idea. Yufuin, Aso, Kurokawa, Kirishima, Takachiho.

Yufuin ekimae was busy with foreign tourists because that is where everyone arrives. It was more peaceful at ryokan Baien (Yufuin Baien Garden Resort). This is a nice, classic, traditional ryokan.

Still, the following sign on a table is evidence of the large number of foreign guests:

Instructions that guests should behave themselves.

Mara

mrwunrfl - did you rent a car when you were in Kyushu?

I stayed in Yufuin for a couple of nights about ten years ago - I don't recall it being terribly crowded. Luckily for me I started visiting Japan almost 20 years ago so I don't think crowds were as bad as those described by tp001, thank goodness. I suppose I visited many of the famous places in Tokyo and Kyoto that are so crowded now and maybe weren't that bad back then....

tripplanner001

progol, I guess it’s part of the staffing situation being experienced worldwide. Security took long enough that our flight’s departure was delayed by an hour.

Mara, you’re correct that crowds weren’t always as bad. We didn’t have issues with crowds when we were in Japan in 2011, even at the popular places in Kyoto. Could also be that we went in February.

yestravel

To - we arrived at KIX from Taipei snd it was a mess then too, I flew home ITM to Haneda and so easy. ITM is a small airport snd no crowds that particular day. Welcome home!

thanks for the info on Kyushu. We had a nice
road trip planned and from photos and posts in general it wasn’t crowded, but who knows? I’ll keep an eye on it.

mjs

We flew into KIX from SFO landing at 1645 with no issues. Limo bus directly to the Sheraton. January and February are definitely low season for tourism Japan and cold. Little precipitation in Honshu major cities like Tokyo and Osaka. My niece in Osaka and a long time friend in Tokyo told me that last summer was very hot and the heat extended through September and October. In fact it was warm until a few days before we landed on the 10th of November. Some one I know from Hokkaido told me that last summer was hot there, just like Tokyo used to be and that Typhoons now make their way up north. My revised windows to visit Honshu would be mid October to early November, Last week of November to mid December and mid March before Cherry blossom tie.D

mrwunrfl

yestravel, was it you who had a plan that included taking the car ferry to Kumamoto?

Mara, no, I took trains and buses. I think you know that the central part of eastern Kyushu is beautiful. Well, the whole island is and thus the several scenic trains. I did take the Yufuin no Mori to Yufuin then bus to Kurokawa and then bus to Kumamoto airport. The latter was much more scenic than the YNM train. That train ride was a bit annoying. The scene at Yufuin was nuts, but was pretty much what you would expect when a sold out train full of (mostly foreign) tourists empties out.

I did not intend for my comments about Yufuin to be discouraging. It was not that bad, not really bad. Not like Kyoto in April 2017 or Nikko in November 2019 where the number of tourists (and their behavior) made for an unpleasant experience.

For that route, Yufuin to Kurokawa to Kumamoto kuko, I had very few public transport options. The only acceptable option to get to Kurokawa Onsen was a bus that arrived at 10:35 AM and check-in was 3PM. The bus stop was on the highway a bit of a distance from town. I had notified the ryokan of my arrival time and there was a van waiting for me at the bus stop. The arrangement was that I would be taken to the information center above the town and then would be picked up later (2:15 or 2:45) to be taken to the ryokan. I saw everyone else from the bus wheeling/carrying their luggage along the side of the highway downhill to the little info center (which of course means going uphill to get to the bus stop when leaving). From the info center to town was a steep hill.

Of course, with a car you just drive down into the town and park, stay there or later drive out to your ryokan. There are a few stops along the driving route in that area that would simply not be worthwhile (or possible) to visit without a car.

Western Kyushu was fun, too. Fukuoka is always enjoyable. Unzen Onsen was busy but not crazy. I was the only non-Japanese on the Shimabara Railway. The Nagasaki Ropeway was very busy but ok (I made an enroute stop just for the ropeway because it had been foggy there when I visited the city years ago), I was one of the few foreign tourists in Ureshino Onsen, and the only non-Japanese at the iconic onsen bath in Takeo Onsen.

It cerainly is different in Japan now that 10 years ago which was different from my first visit in Nov 2001, as the tourist numbers suggest.

from 5 million in 2001
to 10 million in 2013
to 30 million in 2017

yestravel

“yestravel, was it you who had a plan that included taking the car ferry to Kumamoto?”
No, that wasn’t me. We were flying to Nagasaki. My plan was three weeks driving around the island. Maybe Spring 2025.
we were in Japan in 2019 and it wasn’t terribly crowded. One temple in Kyoto was but otherwise I don’t recall any crowds like are being described these days

tripplanner001

Post-Trip Reflections

Having had a chance to reflect on our trip to Japan, I have mixed feelings. Did we come away with good memories of Japan? Absolutely. Did this trip leave us with a strong desire to return? Not quite. While there is much happiness and joy that we will relive again and again, I didn’t feel it met our five-year long anticipation. The crowds in Japan were significantly worse than our previous visit in 2011, and it had an impact on our impressions. This is especially true for Kyoto, a place I originally fell in love with. Except for a few places here and there, it was hard for us to escape the crush of tourists that descended on Japan. To do that, we probably have to go much further off the beaten path, to places not reachable by Shinkansen perhaps, although doing that would have a major impact on travel times and therefore our ability to see and do as much as possible.

The highlights: Don’t get me wrong though. There’s much to appreciate about Japan. Here are my top few.

The infrastructure – Even among first-world countries, Japan stands in a league of its own. The country is well connected with multiple transportation options that make it easy to get from one place to another. I understand that the urban transit systems may be a challenge for some, but being a city boy from NYC, we didn’t have any issues navigating Tokyo, Osaka, or anywhere else. Knowing Kanji certainly helped, although the Japanese make it easy by assigning each subway or even commuter rail stop with a letter-number combination. The only place we had transport issues was in Nikko, where missing a bus from Lake Chuzenji to Nikko Station meant an hour wait in the cold.

The people – We met kind and welcoming people everywhere we went. From the people who served us at cafes and restaurants to the people who helped us with directions to the people we chatted up all around the country, we felt a connection with the people of Japan. They genuinely welcomed us and wanted us to be there. And they genuinely wanted to know us and learn about us, as we did them and their culture. The only places we found rude or unwelcoming people were in Kyoto; I guess they were as tired of the crush as we were.

The food – When we think of Japanese food, sushi will most likely come to mind most readily. And Japan had some fantastic sushi. But Japanese food is so much more. We enjoyed the variety in Japanese cuisine and didn’t tire of eating Japanese food as we do in other countries from time to time. My favorite is and remains tempura, although I was happy to have tried everything from a simple bowl of udon to an elaborate spread of Buddhist vegetarian dishes, served kaiseki style. Even the convenience stores found all over the country – from 7-11 to Lawson and Family Mart – filled us when we didn’t want a full lunch. And the endless options found in Japanese bakeries (the melonpan!) everywhere, including at train stations, oh my. Oh, and the street food – taiyaki, momiji manju, okonomiyaki, takoyaki, grilled dango, pork buns, beef skewers…

Tea - We enjoyed so many different types of tea in Japan. Hojicha was my favorite.

Hygiene – Japan takes cleanliness to a whole new level. With a few exceptions such as Kabukicho in Shinjuku, Tokyo, it is hard to find an unclean surface in Japan. The streets are spotless, as are the trains and buses, public bathrooms etc. Even the public restrooms at train stations and convenience stores were impeccable not to mention the heated seats and the bidets. This is a testament to the mindset of the Japanese people and their ingrained Shinto beliefs; they appreciate and respect their fellow human beings, nature, and their everyday surroundings, so much that they would make sure to leave it how they find it. I was annoyed at the lack of trash cans anywhere though.

We did, saw, and experienced a lot during our time in Japan. Our most memorable, in no particular order, are:

Favorite temples - Senso-ji in Tokyo (We’ve worshipped Kannon at Senso-ji during each of our visits to Tokyo, even on occasion when we were in the Japanese capital on a layover. Despite the crowds, there’s a carnival-like atmosphere at Senso-ji and along Nakamise-dori that does not fail to make me smile. This time was no different.); Engaku-ji and Hase-dera in Kamakura; Myouryi-ji in Kanazawa (thank you progol); Enko-ji, Kurodani, Shinnyodo, and To-ji, all in Kyoto

Favorite shrines – Nikko Toshogu Shrine, although I didn’t care for the massive crowds; Fushimi Inari Shrine, ditto on the crowds although it was not as bad with our early visit

Favorite gardens – Shukkei-en in Hiroshima, hands down, for the scenery and the explosive foliage, although Kenroku-en in Kanazawa was very memorable too. Katsura Imperial Villa in Kyoto was also very worthwhile, as was Saiho-ji’s moss garden, also in Kyoto.

Favorite castles – Himeji Castle and Nagoya Castle (for the Honmaru, as the main tower was under reconstruction and we were not able to visit it; the tigers on the screens and on the walls, wow)

Enjoyable neighborhoods for wandering – Yanaka, for old world Tokyo; Nagamachi in Kanazawa, with its canal; Shijo-dori in Kyoto, even though many of the stores could be found the world over; the Bikan quarter in Kurashiki

Walking in the snow in Kamikochi and wandering the streets of Tomonoura were absolutely joys. Other highlights – Takayama Jinya; Kiyomizu-dera in Kyoto; the chrysanthemum exhibitions, especially at Shinjuku National Gyoen; the Shinkansen rides…

What we could have missed: Nijo Castle in Kyoto; Byodo-in in Uji, although the matcha green tea noodles were memorable; Okayama Castle and Koraku-en

What we could have done without: hands down, the crowds; it was especially bad in Kyoto, Miyajima, and Nikko

And last but not least, koyo – the reason for why we visited when we visited. While we had colors at several points during our trip, we either missed the peak or were too early in most places. We actually moved our trip up by a couple of weeks hoping to catch more of it, especially in the mountains, but it turned out that we were still too late for colors in the Alps (we did get a winter wonderland of snow, though, so I cannot complain) and too early in Nikko and in Kyoto. Because of the unusually warm summer, some of the maples had died off being turning color, as at Momijidani Park in Miyajima. Shoyo-en in Nikko wet our appetite with koyo, but we found koyo bliss at Okochi-Sanso Villa and Eikan-do in Kyoto and Shokkei-en in Hiroshima.

Still have not gotten around to photos yet. Probably another week or so. Stay tuned.

yestravel

TP -- thanks for taking the time to do your TR. I enjoyed it immensely. Your TR and others has me rethinking if we will return to Japan given the crush of tourists I keep hearing about. We were in Japan in Sept/Oct 2019 and the crowds were not bad at all. Post pandemic they seem to have increased substantially. We were in Kyoto in early Nov this year and while we saw crowds from afar, we managed to mostly avoid them. It was a shock coming from Taiwan where we saw few Westerners and virtually no Americans. But we were only in Kyoto this trip 3 days and it was the 2nd visit so we had seen many of the"big" sites. Perhaps they will return to a "normal" level. I wonder if going during Leaf peeping made it even worse?

Welcome back to DC!

tripplanner001

yestravel, you're welcome. From what I understand, fall foliage only ranks behind spring cherry blossoms in terms of attracting peak crowds, so perhaps avoiding those periods help. What we found was going somewhere early or late didn't help, as the reduced tourist crowds were compensated by the extraordinary number of school groups (at Kinkaku-ji, there were probably 15 to 20 groups of 60 to 100 people each).

yestravel

I find school groups to be a problem everywhere. I haven't figured out how to avoid that. In Paris I check the holidays for school and would plan trips when there werent any as things get very crowded during the school holidays which vary by area.