David's First Draft Itinerary for Sakura 2017
 

Hi everyone. I'm excited to be able to share my first draft itinerary with all of you to go back to Japan next March/April for sakura season. As many of you know, this will be my second trip to Japan, having been there for koyo season in Nov. 2013 and having the most incredible time I've ever had on any trip, prior to or since!

To refresh everyone's memory, during my first trip, I spent my initial 3 full days in Tokyo, then 2 days in Hakone, 2 days in Matusmoto/Kamikochi, followed by 4 days Kyoto, 1 day in Hiroshima, 1 day in Miyajima, and then back to Tokyo for one final day which was ultimately spent going back to Hakone to see the now visible Fuji-san. In terms of my interests, I really loved all aspects of Japan but in particular, the jaw-dropping awesome of seeing Mt. Fuji with his snowcap, staying in ryokans and soaking in outdoor rotenburos, temples, culture and of course, the food.

Here is my first draft itineary for next spring. Nothing is locked in flight wise and only the Kyoto and Kansai dates are locked in due to my reservation at Hotel Mume:

4 overnights in Tokyo:
Day 0/1: fly from Minneapolis to Tokyo. Land late afternoon day 1
Days 2 and 3: Tokyo. sakura viewing around town (if I've timed it right); re-visit Tsukiji; and then spend more time in the modern city-Shibuya, Shinjuku, etc. that I didn't see last time
Day 4: day trip to Kamakura

5 overnights at Hotel Mume in Kyoto
Day 5: train from Tokyo to Kyoto. Arrive early-mid afternoon.
Days 6-8: 1/2 day trip to Himeji to see the castle that was under renovation in 2013. + Kyoto (sakura viewing, revisit a few favorites like Kiyomizu-dera and the Philosopher's Path. Spend time where I didn't get to before. Full day Arashiyama, Gion geisha district, etc
Day 9: day trip to Yoshino if sakura are in bloom there. Else Plan B TBD

2 overnights in Nara
Days 10/11: Nara (probably 1 1/2 days of useable time after factoring in travel)

Day 12: Travel to and overnight in Koya-san at a temple TBD. (I know there's one that kja and kavey really like)

3 overnights in Kanazawa
Day 13: Heavy travel day. Koya-san to Kanazawa, with a stop at Hikone castle along the way. I will have already used luggage forwarding to have sent my roller bag from Nara to Kanazawa, so will only have a backpack for traveling to/from Koya-san
Days 14/15: Kanazawa (all new as I did not get there on first trip)

2 overnights Kawaguchi-ko
Day 16/17 Travel from Kanazawa to Kawaguchi-ko, so 1 1/2 days of ground time. Hiking, Fuji viewing/jaw-dropping; Arakura Senjen shrine (classic photo of pagoda, cherry blossoms and Fuji)

Day 18: train back to Tokyo in the morning and take the afternoon flight to Minneapolis

I am open to adding one more day to the itinerary. If I could find a guided day trip to Noto Peninsula to see the terraced rice fields, coastal scenery, etc, that would be cool. I know most of you love Takayama. In researching it, I'm just not grasping the attraction-so maybe I'm missing something.

Thoughts?

MB

We were in Japan the same time as you were in 2013 - perfect timing for koyo. I hope your timing for sakura is a good!

I have just one comment - I'd add a day to Kanazawa. We had three nights there, just two full days, and would have enjoyed another day to explore.

Thanks Kathie. I'll add that to the list of possibilities. Kanazawa does sound very charming.

So happy you're able to get back to Japan. Am writing this from Kanazawa (we also had 3 nights with basically 2 full days and a few hours on arrival day which I thought was about right although we probably could have been more efficient with our sightseeing and had 2 nights)) as we are getting ready to leave for our next stop and final 5 days. We LOVED the Noto Peninsula and driving there from Kanazawa is very easy, not sure I'd want to do a tour. One of the fun things is driving on the Chirihama Beach, another is just stopping at small villages and walking around the piers, can't do those things on a tour. You could enjoy it with 2 full days, one overnight.

But where to take away the time is the issue. Having just been to Lake Kawaguchi, I would say one night is enough there. The views of Fuji are truly amazing. We went to the Pink Moss festival but it's the wrong time of year for you, I didn't see many hiking opportunities there. Maybe only one overnight in Nara or one less night in Kyoto since you've already been there?

Writing in a rush, sorry if response seems choppy.

As expected, on our recent trip (which was also in sakura season after two trips in autumn) we found that sakura bloomed early in some places and late in others, but overall we managed to see great blooms in many places and loved it.

Another thing we realised is that the predicted peak bloom dates are referring to the main cherry species, but that there are many other species of cherries (and other fruit trees) that bloom a little earlier and a little later than that, so even if you miss the main blooms in a destination, there may still be some gorgeous blossoms to enjoy. It was like that in Kanazawa for us - the main avenues of cherry trees were past their main bloom but in Kenrokuen there were several utterly blossom laden trees of a different species in such spectacular full bloom that I didn't mind not having avenues to walk beneath! https://www.instagram.com/p/BEIVVDxkPS2/

Our best blossom viewing in terms of hitting peak, was in Hikone.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BDuv6ywEPbj/
https://www.instagram.com/p/BDuyEHQEPfc/

(Here's the entirety of my trip on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/explore/tags/kaveyeatsjapan/)

In Kyoto, the blossom was just moving past the peak as we arrived, with many trees heavily laden but others just starting to release petals. But a couple of days later there was a ferocious rain and wind storm that battered many blossoms off the trees, so although there were some remaining, it wasn't quite as impressive after. Having come from Hikone, I didn't mind, as I felt we'd had our magical sakura viewing experience there.

About Takayama - we have now walked the older districts of Kyoto (gorgeous but rammed with fellow tourists) and of Kanazawa (which photograph well but are much smaller than I expected) and for my money, I found the Takayama historical neighbourhoods more charming. Perhaps it's because we visited early on our first trip but I don't think that's it... I also just enjoyed the smaller town vibe there.

In Nara I loved our ryokan Kankaso on trip number 1 back in 2012, Japanese Guest Houses booked it for me and our room was, I believe, the best in the house, on the ground floor, surrounded by glass windows onto the moss garden, with a private cypress-wood bath (and toilet).

In Koya-san, the place Kja and I both enjoyed so much is Shojoshin-in. I booked the hanare (a private stand-alone building within the temple grounds complex which afforded us our own bathroom - at that time I was far more nervous about the idea of communal bathing). I loved the hanare but if I went again, would just book a regular room.

In Kanazawa my favourite sites were the gardens, of course, and the food / fish market. I wasn't as fussed by the castle, being a modern recreation and the historical districts were ok but didn't wow us as others have.

For Noto, my main feeling is that it really comes into its own as a destination later in the year, and in April it's really just coming out of winter. We enjoyed the views, but a lot of stuff was closed until summer season.

My favourite experiences of the trip include:
* Pottery lesson at Shigaraki's Soto-en pottery
* Our stay in the traditional thatched village house in Miyama, cooking our own dinner using the traditional hearth, and a bamboo workshop from a master thatcher
* Dinner at Hoshinoya Kyoto (this was a review invitation, just to be transparent)
* Kenrokuen Gardens

https://www.instagram.com/p/BDxmfy7EPU9/
https://www.instagram.com/p/BDxoeJKEPX-/
https://www.instagram.com/p/BDy2cQtEPcN/
https://www.instagram.com/p/BDy38xHEPfA/
https://www.instagram.com/p/BDz89RfkPUO/

Thanks for all of that detail and perspective, Kavey. Can't wait to check out your photos.

You are welcome, and just realised, the ) after the link to all the images from my trip has managed to become part of the link, which means it won't work. Here is proper link: https://www.instagram.com/explore/tags/kaveyeatsjapan/

Yes lots of thoughts but don't have too much time to comment right now I'm at work. My first thought after reading your itinerary is you are going to places that will not be blooming at the same times. Fujisan and the Fujiko-ko area plus Kanazawa and the Noto Peninsula will not be blooming at the same time as Kyoto and Tokyo. You will be lucky to time any place correctly but even Tokyo and Kyoto could be on different time waves that season. Study blooming times and concentrate on a certain area would be my advice. I once took 4 weeks and followed the bloom up Japan from Kagoshima to Kakunodate. It was gorgeous. Check my name for one of my trip reports.

Aloha!

Thanks HT. That was my understanding bars in the research Inhave done so far, that different places will be blooming at different times. I would think that works to my advantage as it gives me multiple chances to see blooms. Other than my first few days in Tokyo, my logic is to start in the south of Honshu and work my way back north. Does that make sense or am I missing something?

@FromDC:

Thanks for the enthusiastic feedback on the Noto Peninsula. I definitely want to keep it in the reserve list for now, but Kavey raises a good concern about it potentially just coming out of its winter slumber in mid-April.

Yes, hadn't thought about the weather but there would be plenty of blossoms. It was pretty sleepy when we were there last week but it's what we were looking for, lovely coastal scenery with a few "landmarks". I'm not sure how much more there is at any time of year.

PS, tonight is our fourth and final night at Hotel Mume and we will be so sorry to say good bye in the morning.

We did enjoy our 3 days driving up and down the Noto peninsula (our overnights were 16, 17 and 18 April) but we found a lot of the rice paddies/ landscape brown - no green shoots yet. Some limited blossom, but again, most of it still to come. Most cafes and restaurants closed, certainly in Wajima - having been given a list of local restaurants by the hotel, none of the first 10+ we searched for were open, we ended up somewhere else instead. The seascapes were still beautiful, the villages along the shore too. And I do love driving in rural landscapes. But without a car, I'm not sure that I'd advocate Noto as a great option for mid-April. Later in May, into June, yes!

In doing more research re. options for adding on one more day to my itinerary, I discovered that the annual Asano-gawa Enyukai dance and music festival is scheduled to be held on the exact 2 days I was planning to be in Kanazawa! Haven't completely landed on this option quite yet but I'm thinking a 3rd full day in Kanazawa may be warranted.

Oh that sounds wonderful!

Oh, David, you are in for another wonderful adventure!

I love that you are planning to stay in both Nara and Kanazawa on this trip! While in Nara, consider making the short side trip to Ikaruga for Horyuji and Chuguji – awesome! While in Nara itself, consider visiting the treasure hall of Kofukuji, which has the most exquisite statues I saw anywhere in Japan. And, of course, stop in Uji for Byodoin and green tea -- Uji, with its elegant bridge, is between Nara and Kyoto.

If you can, I agree with Kathie that adding a night to Kanazawa is worth considering. I certainly wish I'd given it more time than I did! While there, consider making time for Gyokusen-en, perhaps with tea.
http://www.kanazawa-tourism.com/eng/...de1_1.php?no=8

The temple I enjoyed in Koyasan was shojoshinin:
https://japaneseguesthouses.com/ryok...n=Shojoshin-in
And do consider making time for Okunoin at sunset, and maybe at sunrise, too!
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e4901.html

I know it will be a stunning visit!

Hey kja, I was hoping you'd check in! I've pretty much decided to take Kathie's recommendation and add the extra night to Kanazawa, which will give me 4 nights/3 full days. It turns out the annual Asano-gawa music and dance festival will take place the exact weekend I was planning to be in Kanazawa in the first place, so I'll take that as a sign to spend a little more time there.

Definitely planning to visit Oku-no-in at dusk. Is there a better time to visit ANY cemetery?? What about check in at my temple? I would guess dusk in early April would be around 6:00. Won't my temple expect me to be on -site and sitting down to dinner at that time?

Uji also sounds cool. Perhaps that goes into the Plan B list if Yoshino is not blooming when I'm there...

Sorry for the delay -- I was traveling. :-)

I'm glad you'll be able to add time to Kanazawa -- I don't think you'll regret it!

I agree that your timing on Koyasan could be tricky. I was there in mid-May, so had a later sunset, and actually visited the cemetery after my dinner. Unfortunately, I didn't record times (sunset or dinner) in my notes, but I don't think it much matters given the different time of year. Ask at your temple as soon as you check in -- you might be able to catch sunset or sunrise, although I must admit that I'd probably give up either for the dinner I had (oooh, so delicious!) and the morning prayers (incredibly moving). If it helps, the majority of my first walk through Okuno-in was after most of the natural light had faded -- I think I had at most 15 or 20 minutes or so of slanting rays, and then the lights came on and I savored that experience, as well. And my morning walk was after sunrise, when there were still bits of lingering mist.

BTW, Kongobu-ji, also on Koya-san, has some extraordinary sliding doors; you might want to make time for them, and perhaps for some of the other temples up there....

BTW, I don't think you've mention where you hope to stay on Koya-san, and that's fine -- no reason to name it if you don't want to do so! But I did want to say that my understanding is that one's choice of temple can make an extraordinary difference to one's experience there.

I recommend Shojoshin-in not only because of my experience there, but also because I've seen it praised by multiple people for the 11 years I've been monitoring it. The only other temple on Koya-san for which I have seen consistently favorable reviews is Eko-in, and I've seen far fewer comments about it (which might simply be because I wasn't monitoring it until recently). I HAVE seen people post negative reviews of their time on Koya-san, but I don't remember any from people who stayed at either of these temples. I could easily be wrong about the merits of these two temples, and of course, I'm sure many people are happy with their time at others!

If it helps, here are the things I loved about Shojoshin-in, in no particular order:
- The food. OMG, the food!!! Easily one of my 4 best meals in a 3-week trip to Japan -- and I'm sure you can appreciate just what a compliment that is. :-) And that was, for me, a surprise, as I am not a vegetarian and am not particularly found of tofu. But OMG, both dinner and breakfast were wonderful, and every dish was perfectly plated, and each tray looked gorgeous!
- The experience: Joining monks for their morning prayers was, for me, a very special and moving experience -- well worth getting up hours before my usual awakening time -- and that is NOT something I say lightly! Definitely a high point of my trip.
- The temple itself: Shojoshin-in is, IMO, quite lovely, both indoors and out. You might be there a bit too early to appreciate its glorious garden, but the building itself also has some wonderful features and beautiful decorations.
- And the location: Right across from Okuno-in, it couldn't be easier to visit the cemetery. It was a bit further to Koya-san's other temples, but that (for me) just meant a better opportunity to enjoy the scenery a bit.

FWIW, my room was not one of the temple's "best" rooms. I had a room without bath (it did have a sink in a partitioned area) that overlooked the main garden, with a forested hill to my right. There was a WC steps away, and a shared bath for women reasonably close. I wouldn't be surprised if the bath areas for men and women differ: IIRC, the women's bath held a changing area and, beyond, space for 2 women to each have some privacy in small spaces lined with age-old wood -- a seat, a tub, wooden walls.... My memory could easily be mistaken, but I clearly recall -- and my notes clearly record -- that I was glad I had chosen a room with shared bath just for the opportunity to experience this particular bath.

Sorry to ramble on, David, but I wanted to make sure you know why I recommend this particular temple -- it isn't just that I had a good experience, it's that I had a GREAT one, and I have come to believe that a stay on Koya-san merits a bit of a splurge to ensure one stays at a really nice temple, and not one that leads to disappointment. JMO!

kja-not rambling at all. I much appreciate your's and everyone's feedback. That's why were are here after all, right? How does one go about making a reservation at Shojoshoin-in? I'm betting they don't have a website?? Do I need to go through japanican?

Minn I did mine for Shojosin-in via Japanese Guest Houses.

Thanks Kavey-will check that out. How did you like Shojosin-in?

I, too, booked Shojoshin-in through Japanese Guest Houses:
https://japaneseguesthouses.com/ryok...n=Shojoshin-in

Loved it. We booked the hanare, a stand-alone building just next to the main complex. Mainly because, back then before our first trip, I was nervous about shared bathrooms, and also really prefer to have an ensuite toilet at the very least. As the hanare came with its own toilet/ bathroom I was happy to pay the extra. If I went again, I'd just book a room within the main complex, as happy to share facilities now I've been to Japan and know how it works.

As Kja says, the food was excellent, really loved our dinner and breakfast there.

I chose it because a good friend of mine here in London had stayed there a year or two earlier and had said it was one of his trip highlights. I wasn't sorry with my choice!

I loved the morning prayers and the proximity to Okuno-in - you're right next to the entrance.

The only thing I would have also liked is a guided walk in Okuno-in with a monk, I think some of the other temples offer this, whereas Shojoshin-in doesn't.

Thanks Kavey and Kja. I will look into booking this temple.

Made contact with Japanese Guest Houses re. Shojoshin-in who indicated that I need to check back 6 months before my planned stay. Seems to be the norm for most places I've looked into, although Hotel Mume accepts reservations 11 months out.

With 1 1/2 true days for Nara, do I have time for Uji, or do I need all of that time for the Nara-koen sights + a little shopping time?

RE: your time in Nara -- As with time anywhere, it really depends on your preferences. With 1.5 days, I don't think you can see all the highlights of Nara AND Ikaruga (Horyuji and Chuguji) AND Uji unless you keep up a very busy pace. JMO.

FWIW, I reached Nara late one afternoon, with time to settle in an walk around. The next day, I saw Kasaga Taisha, Nara Park, Naramachi (where I stopped for a snack), a brief stroll through a market, Kofukuji, on to Ikaruga for Horyuji and Chuguji, and back to Nara for the National Museum there, leaving it only when it closed. I then spent about an hour at a performance of noh, but I don't think that's an option when you'll be there. I relaxed over a long, delicious meal before turning in for the night. The next morning, I spent hours at Todaiji before leaving for Uji mid-day. I then spent several hours in Uji.

Hope that helps!

We finally made it to Uji on this third visit to Kyoto. I was hugely underwhelmed by Uji. Just my personal thinking.

(I did like Byodo-in though. If one can easily pause, make a visit to the temple on the way to somewhere else, it's worth a visit but I'd not make a day trip out to Uji for anything else).

Thanks Kavey. Byodo-in looks cool and would seem to be doable on the way to Nara, but then again, time spent there takes away time from Nara. Decisions, decisions.

Whichever you choose you'll enjoy immensely. That's Japan isn't it? I was so cross about my itinerary mistake that meant missing Miho but the pottery lesson I had at Shigaraki instead was a highlight of the trip! I've taken up pottery on getting home too!

Have landed on taking Kathie's recommendation and adding the extra day to Kanazawa, giving me 4 nights and 3 full days there. Also, just made my reservation at Hotel Trusty which I know many Fodorites have recommened. My final itinerary is below:

4 overnights in Tokyo:
Day 0/1: fly from Minneapolis to Tokyo. Land late afternoon day 1
Days 2 and 3: Tokyo. sakura viewing around town (if I've timed it right); re-visit Tsukiji; and then spend more time in the modern city-Shibuya, Shinjuku, etc. that I didn't see last time
Day 4: day trip to Kamakura

5 overnights at Hotel Mume in Kyoto
Day 5: train from Tokyo to Kyoto. Arrive early-mid afternoon.
Days 6-8: 1/2 day trip to Himeji to see the castle that was under renovation in 2013. + Kyoto (sakura viewing, revisit a few favorites like Kiyomizu-dera and the Philosopher's Path. Spend time where I didn't get to before. Full day Arashiyama, Gion geisha district, etc
Day 9: day trip to Yoshino if sakura are in bloom there. Else Plan B TBD

2 overnights in Nara
Days 10/11: Nara (probably 1 1/2 days of useable time after factoring in travel)

Day 12: Travel to and overnight in Koya-san at a temple TBD. (I know there's one that kja and kavey really like)

4 overnights in Kanazawa
Day 13: Heavy travel day. Koya-san to Kanazawa, with a stop at Hikone castle along the way. I will have already used luggage forwarding to have sent my roller bag from Nara to Kanazawa, so will only have a backpack for traveling to/from Koya-san
Days 14-16: Kanazawa (all new as I did not get there on first trip)

2 overnights Kawaguchi-ko
Day 17/18 Travel from Kanazawa to Kawaguchi-ko, so 1 1/2 days of ground time. Hiking, Mt. Fuji viewing and associated jaw-dropping; Arakura Senjen shrine (classic photo of pagoda, cherry blossoms and Fuji)

Day 19: train back to Tokyo in the morning and take the afternoon flight to Minneapolis

For Nara, may I recommend the en-suite garden room at Kankaso, which Japanese Guest Houses booked for me. Was a wonderful location and a wonderful experience.

For Koya-san, it's Shojoshin-in that myself, Kja and many others have enjoyed.

Hotel Trusty, we stayed there in April this year, based on Fodorite recommendations and were really happy with it. Storage in the room was very tight but the bathroom was huge (for Japan) and the room really stylish with large and very comfy bed. We were very happy with it.

You could see the sakura status in 2016, here:
http://weathernews.jp/sakura/#//ddm=simu_

It is in Japanese, but I hope it would be self-explanatory. Just push the play button. Clicks allow to zoom-in considerably. As for Tokyo, 6th April and 31st Mar were the best days in Tokyo, in this season. In the between, the weather was not so good.

Past weather conditions could be checked at Weather Underground:
https://www.wunderground.com/

As for the itinerary, rearranging the order of the sites might relief the burden between Koyasan and Kanazawa, such as Tokyo->Koyasan->Nara->Kyoto->Kanazawa->Kawaguchiko->Tokyo, or maybe Tokyo->Kawaguchiko->Koyasan->Nara->Kyoto->Kanazawa->Tokyo.

Should be fantastic!

If you have time, there’s a garden – Koko-en – next to Himeji-jo that I adored.
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3502.html

If time permits, another day trip you might consider from Kyoto is Ohara. I particularly enjoyed Sanzenin.
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3932.html

Kavey, thank you. I've inquired about both Kankaso and Shojoshin but neither except reservations until 6 months out. I will definitely be checking back with both though. Glad to hear the good review about Hotel Trusty. I do have my reservation booked but it was strange that he did not ask for a credit card # to hold the reservation. They have been terrible about answering emails and it took me 3 tries just to get them to respond to my request for a reservation.

Luisjp-thanks for the link to the sakura report. I will definitely check it out.

kja-thanks for the tips.

Trusty didn't ask for a credit card from me either, though they were pretty good about dealing with emails. I guess that may depend on individual staff manning Reservations/ Admin.

Good to know. Thanks Kavey.

It sounds like a wonderful trip, David!

Thanks Kathie. I have such wonderful memories from my first trip there, at the same time you and Cheryl visited. I absolutely cannot wait to go back. And thanks for the reco on the extra day in Kanazawa.