Early dec Japan 9 days, food, onsen, unique experiences
Mar 29th, 2018 | 08:04 PM
#1
Original Poster
Joined: Mar 2018
Posts: 2
Likes: 0
Early dec Japan 9 days, food, onsen, unique experiences
Hi,
I will be travelling to Japan in the first week of December with my partner. It will be our honeymoon so we would like to do a mixture of relaxing things, seasonal things and food related things E.g onsen, visit temples where there may still be autumn foliage, visit areas with street food, cafes, winter illuminations.
1) We have included kusatsu and hakone for their onsen experiences, but not sure if we should take out hakone and replace that for an extra day in kyoto.
2) Is ginza a "must see" if we don't buy luxury things?
3) i have included Rikugien Gardens illuminations but I am not sure whether it would be a hassle to get there given the time frame in this itinerary.
4) is the fushimi inari shrine and arashiyama bamboo gtoves worth visiting as much as the guide books say they are (given my time constraints)?
I would appreciate any advice.
Day 1 (sunday)
Early arrival at narita e.g 7am
drop luggage off at accommodation
akasuka
akihabara
ginza
maranouchi illuminations
Hope to stay in shinjuku
Day 2 monday
shinjuku
daikanyama
omotesando
jiguoka
shibuya
day 3 day trip
tsukiji outer market breakfast
kirin beer museum
yokohama ramen museum
cup noodle museum
yokohama christmas market
day 4 kusatsu overnight stay
day 5 kusatsu to tokyo
rikugien gardens illuminations?
day 6 tokyo to hakone
onsen in gora
Picasso/open air museum
day 7 hakone to kyoto in the morning (try to aim for an early start)
Arashiyama temples and bamboo grove illuminations
Hope to stay near pontocho alley
day 8 nara/osaka
Mochi in nara
osaka dotenborri
day 9 kyoto
fushimi inari early morning
nishiki market
gion if time permits
depart 11:50pm to osaka airport
I will be travelling to Japan in the first week of December with my partner. It will be our honeymoon so we would like to do a mixture of relaxing things, seasonal things and food related things E.g onsen, visit temples where there may still be autumn foliage, visit areas with street food, cafes, winter illuminations.
1) We have included kusatsu and hakone for their onsen experiences, but not sure if we should take out hakone and replace that for an extra day in kyoto.
2) Is ginza a "must see" if we don't buy luxury things?
3) i have included Rikugien Gardens illuminations but I am not sure whether it would be a hassle to get there given the time frame in this itinerary.
4) is the fushimi inari shrine and arashiyama bamboo gtoves worth visiting as much as the guide books say they are (given my time constraints)?
I would appreciate any advice.
Day 1 (sunday)
Early arrival at narita e.g 7am
drop luggage off at accommodation
akasuka
akihabara
ginza
maranouchi illuminations
Hope to stay in shinjuku
Day 2 monday
shinjuku
daikanyama
omotesando
jiguoka
shibuya
day 3 day trip
tsukiji outer market breakfast
kirin beer museum
yokohama ramen museum
cup noodle museum
yokohama christmas market
day 4 kusatsu overnight stay
day 5 kusatsu to tokyo
rikugien gardens illuminations?
day 6 tokyo to hakone
onsen in gora
Picasso/open air museum
day 7 hakone to kyoto in the morning (try to aim for an early start)
Arashiyama temples and bamboo grove illuminations
Hope to stay near pontocho alley
day 8 nara/osaka
Mochi in nara
osaka dotenborri
day 9 kyoto
fushimi inari early morning
nishiki market
gion if time permits
depart 11:50pm to osaka airport
Mar 29th, 2018 | 08:42 PM
#2
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 25,693
Likes: 0
What time frames and plans work for you really depend on your specific interests, so all I can do is offer my personal perspective.
Q1: I felt rushed with 6 full days in Kyoto / Nara on my first visit there. Only you can decide whether limiting your onsen opportunities in favor of Kyoto makes sense for you.
Q2: IMO, nothing is a must for anyone.
Q3: I don’t know. Here’s some inforation about other illuminations:
https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2304.html
https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2303.html
Q4: I found my time at Fushimi Inari extraordinarily moving; YMMV. I thoroughly enjoyed a quick walk through the bamboo groves, but wasn’t completely enthralled; again, YMMV.
If you haven’t already done so, you might find value in spending time – a LOT of time – with japan-guide.com. It isn’t perfect, but it does proide a wealth of information.
Hope that helps!
Q1: I felt rushed with 6 full days in Kyoto / Nara on my first visit there. Only you can decide whether limiting your onsen opportunities in favor of Kyoto makes sense for you.
Q2: IMO, nothing is a must for anyone.
Q3: I don’t know. Here’s some inforation about other illuminations:
https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2304.html
https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2303.html
Q4: I found my time at Fushimi Inari extraordinarily moving; YMMV. I thoroughly enjoyed a quick walk through the bamboo groves, but wasn’t completely enthralled; again, YMMV.
If you haven’t already done so, you might find value in spending time – a LOT of time – with japan-guide.com. It isn’t perfect, but it does proide a wealth of information.
Hope that helps!
Mar 30th, 2018 | 01:09 AM
#3
Original Poster
Joined: Mar 2018
Posts: 2
Likes: 0
Hi Kja,
Thanks for your input
I think I'd be happy with experiencing an onsen at Kusatsu so I could swap a day in Hakone for Kyoto. I know that i don't have much time in Kyoto and I wish I could have more to really get a feel for the place, but I guess that will have to be for another trip. I just thought it would be a nice contrast to Tokyo to have a bit of change in scenery.
I was thinking that if ginza is not worth visiting in the short amount of time I have there, to go to another area of Tokyo or visit the long food street Togoshi Ginza instead.
I think I'll add the Fushimi Inari shrine as a place to visit in Kyoto but perhaps not the bamboo groves as my time is limited.
I have been doing some research on japan-guide.com, and getting lots of ideas. There are so many places I want to visit in Japan!
Thanks for your input
I think I'd be happy with experiencing an onsen at Kusatsu so I could swap a day in Hakone for Kyoto. I know that i don't have much time in Kyoto and I wish I could have more to really get a feel for the place, but I guess that will have to be for another trip. I just thought it would be a nice contrast to Tokyo to have a bit of change in scenery.I was thinking that if ginza is not worth visiting in the short amount of time I have there, to go to another area of Tokyo or visit the long food street Togoshi Ginza instead.
I think I'll add the Fushimi Inari shrine as a place to visit in Kyoto but perhaps not the bamboo groves as my time is limited.
I have been doing some research on japan-guide.com, and getting lots of ideas. There are so many places I want to visit in Japan!
Mar 30th, 2018 | 09:46 AM
#4
Joined: Oct 2012
Posts: 2,275
Likes: 0
One fo the best food experience is Tokyo is, oddly enough, located inside Namjatown, an indoor theme park. About a dozen different famous gyoza vendors from throughout Japan are assembled together in Gyoza Stadium, a recreation of a Show period alley. Also inside is a dessert area with a bunch of folks selling all sorts of Japanese-flavored ice creams and crepes.
Namjatown is located within Sunshine City Ikebukuro,a multii-skyscraper complex with an aquarium/zoo, planetarium, shopping mall, and 60th floor observation deck. Only in Tokyo.
Namjatown is located within Sunshine City Ikebukuro,a multii-skyscraper complex with an aquarium/zoo, planetarium, shopping mall, and 60th floor observation deck. Only in Tokyo.
Mar 30th, 2018 | 10:20 AM
#5
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 33,288
Likes: 0
In Arashiyama, it wasn't so much the bamboo grove that impressed me, but the temple garden near the entrance to the grove and the private garden reached at the end of the path.
Personally, I'd spend more time in Kyoto and less in Tokyo, but it depends on what you are looking for. There ear no right or wrong answers to what to see, just personal answers.
Personally, I'd spend more time in Kyoto and less in Tokyo, but it depends on what you are looking for. There ear no right or wrong answers to what to see, just personal answers.
Mar 30th, 2018 | 04:29 PM
#6
Joined: Sep 2014
Posts: 374
Likes: 0
I can give a few observations...
Your first day is not too much but really I wouldn't make it too busy, particularly if you are trying to see the sights right after a long international flight. Ginza on a Sunday is a good time to go - they close the main street to cars and people can just walk around unimpeded. No need to spend too much time there if you are not into the shopping. You might go visit Harajuku and Yoyogi Park to see the wild fashions and the rockabilly dancers if you like Meiji Shrine is worth a visit as well. Akihabara is worth a walk through as well but no need to linger unless you are shopping (and if you're American you can probably do better buying in the US)
For Day 2 you list some big areas and not specific places - not sure why you picked them; perhaps you have a number of places in them you plan to see. JG has a good guide for Tokyo but you might also look through the official city guide as well as from the JNTO. For gardens, Rikugien is one of the better and more famous ones - but there are many more if you like. Or see this guide or this other one. Your timing should be good to still catch some of the beautiful gingko trees in Meiji Jingu Gaien.
There are many other good places for autumn colors in Tokyo as well.
I think the Fushimi Inari Shrine is definitely worth including, and it's open 24/7 so you can fit it in easily. As you wrote, go early in the morning to avoid the crowds. The Sagano Bamboo Grove is nice but not worth going all the way to Arashiyama alone for - and you'll be done in 20-30 minutes tops. As Kathie mentioned, the Tenryuji Temple next to it is worth it too, as well as other sights in Arashiyama like the Iwatayama Monkey Park, Otagi Nenbutsuji Temple and others.
For Day 3, a lot of these are indoors which is good in case of rain. Be flexible though and check the weather reports daily. Autumn often has good weather, but be ready just in case. Aquariums are also good as well. Check each place for any closing dates.
Day 5 needs to be filled up - there is a lot more you can do. Same for Day 9 - the Daigoji Temple is not far off and famous for autumn colors. Tofukuji is almost next door to Fushimi Inari and worth some attention too.
Consider getting a Tokyo Wide Pass for Days 4-6 - the trip to Kusatsu alone will pretty much pay for it, and you can take the bullet train round trip (you only need to pay for the half hour bus from Naganohara-Kusatsuguchi Stn) and you can also use it to take a Ltd. Express train to Odawara for Hakone. At Odawara you can get a Hakone Free Pass - The Loop Course is a good way to see the sights.
For Osaka an Osaka Amazing Pass might work for you if you go to some of the places it has admission to. Or look into the Icoca & Haruka discount ticket.
For Day 2 you list some big areas and not specific places - not sure why you picked them; perhaps you have a number of places in them you plan to see. JG has a good guide for Tokyo but you might also look through the official city guide as well as from the JNTO. For gardens, Rikugien is one of the better and more famous ones - but there are many more if you like. Or see this guide or this other one. Your timing should be good to still catch some of the beautiful gingko trees in Meiji Jingu Gaien.
There are many other good places for autumn colors in Tokyo as well.
I think the Fushimi Inari Shrine is definitely worth including, and it's open 24/7 so you can fit it in easily. As you wrote, go early in the morning to avoid the crowds. The Sagano Bamboo Grove is nice but not worth going all the way to Arashiyama alone for - and you'll be done in 20-30 minutes tops. As Kathie mentioned, the Tenryuji Temple next to it is worth it too, as well as other sights in Arashiyama like the Iwatayama Monkey Park, Otagi Nenbutsuji Temple and others.
For Day 3, a lot of these are indoors which is good in case of rain. Be flexible though and check the weather reports daily. Autumn often has good weather, but be ready just in case. Aquariums are also good as well. Check each place for any closing dates.
Day 5 needs to be filled up - there is a lot more you can do. Same for Day 9 - the Daigoji Temple is not far off and famous for autumn colors. Tofukuji is almost next door to Fushimi Inari and worth some attention too.
Consider getting a Tokyo Wide Pass for Days 4-6 - the trip to Kusatsu alone will pretty much pay for it, and you can take the bullet train round trip (you only need to pay for the half hour bus from Naganohara-Kusatsuguchi Stn) and you can also use it to take a Ltd. Express train to Odawara for Hakone. At Odawara you can get a Hakone Free Pass - The Loop Course is a good way to see the sights.
For Osaka an Osaka Amazing Pass might work for you if you go to some of the places it has admission to. Or look into the Icoca & Haruka discount ticket.
Last edited by Adastra2200; Mar 30th, 2018 at 04:49 PM.
