filmwill

[I'll caveat this message with the fact that for those of you who couldn't follow along on Facebook, yes, I owe consolidated trip highlights from Burma. Once the jetlag nightmare of the past few days wears off, I'll begin that thread. A teaser: bar-none, one of the best, most eye-opening and fulfilling trips we've ever had. I'm still reeling from our Balloons Over Bagan experience. Truly religious.]

So I think we've narrowed down this year's trip (because you know I don't waste a precious second when it comes to trip planning!) Need to get our mileage tickets booked while the getting is good. And it's good right now.

We absolutely FELL IN LOVE with Japan during our 10 hour layover on the way home from Burma. We only saw Narita town and all we talked about on the plane ride home was how to get back to Japan and see more, eat more, experience more, etc.

But my question is: what kind of trip can one have in November in Japan? I feel like it's sort of a shoulder season -- just a little too late for the beauty of the fall foliage and early enough to avoid the bitter cold of December. But not really sure what to expect of or make of Japan in November.

The other thing is this'll be a "shorter" trip than normal. Work schedules will restrict us to about 11 days on the ground (which is still great, of course, but it certainly won't allow for a lot of stops.) That said: where would you go in 11 days? I'm thinking 3 nights Tokyo, 4 nights Kyoto (including day trip to Nara), 2 nights Miyajima or an extension to Kyoto and an overnight in Koyasan) and another night in Tokyo before heading home. Any suggestions and revisions to a first-time Japan trip in 10 nights would be supremely appreciated. Of course, of most interest to us is culture, FOOD, nature, etc.

I find myself in a bit of a pickle since United has apparently changed their policy and we must book the tickets ASAP (with no ability for a 72 hr hold -- as previously allowed.) They give us 24hrs to cancel with no penalties or redeposit fees. So I'm most likely going to book this by tomorrow -- but really don't want to be too hasty and do my due diligence to make sure we're not booking at the wrong time.

Thanks in advance, fellow Fodorites!

kja

I believe that November is considered one of the most preferred times to visit Japan (or at least parts of it), and that you might want to consider planning your time around the autumn foliage options - see

http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2273.html

Also, is open jaw an option for you? Perhaps Narita and Kansai?

Hope that helps!

amln

I did a trip like that at the beginning of November 2007. Check out my travelogue:
http://www.molon.de/travelogues/Japan/2007/

and the photos I got:
http://www.molon.de/galleries/Japan/

The weather was quite good.

Smeagol

Oooh we are looking at either Japan, Burma or Laos in November..... When u have your dates let me know......

filmwill

Nothing? HT, please tell me you're around...

Kathie

It hasn't even been 12 hours since you posted this... I'm sure HT will be around.

I am looking forward to your Burma report.

Craig

I think HT would approve. I see a big GTG developing. We will be in Japan from 10/23 - 11/6. Bob and Karen arrive on 10/25 and I believe they will be there for a couple of weeks. HT and Linda are also coming over at that time. So if you plan on early November you will be there when all of us are. Our trip includes time in Tokyo, Kanazawa (home of KimJapan) and Kyoto. All indications have been that the weather and foliage at that time will be good. We are flying into Tokyo and out of Osaka (which is right next to Kyoto).

mrwunrfl

November is a great time to go to Japan. Figure fall colors to be at their peak around the 18th. Labor Thanksgiving holiday is on the weekend of US Thanksgiving Day (I think the actual holiday is that Friday), so booking hotels for those days in advance is a good idea. Also, booking lodging on Miyajima during peak time needs to be done in advance. I mention this just to alert you that there will be some competition for lodging then, it is not a big concern, just don't wait till the last minute. I did wait until two or three days in advance to book lodging in Nara. The agent I used in Japan had to call a few places before she found availability on that holiday weekend.

The itinerary you sketched out is a good one. You don't necessarily have to start or end in Tokyo. You can fly to/from Tokyo (Haneda or NRT) and connect to Osaka (OSA) or Hiroshima (HIJ) or Fukuoka (FUK). ANA has/had an overnight flight from LAX to Haneda arriving early in the morning that would easily allow for easy connections elsewhere in Japan.

If you use the online award search at United it might not show availability for domestic Japan flights but I would actually expect that those flights are available - I have booked award flights a few times for domestic Japan and always got exactly what I wanted. So, if you want to fly HIJ-LAX, connecting at HND, but don't get availability for HIJ-HND online then definitely call.

Also, besides ANA and United you should look at flights on Asiana, especially in first class (or their Quadra Smartium business class seats for the TPAC flights). I very highly recommend Asiana first class, flying doesn't get much better than that. For example, on my most recent trip to Japan I flew Asiana via Seoul to Osaka and returned from Toyama via Seoul.

Where are you flying from? LAX, I think, as I remember meeting you at the GTG in Pasadena.

Shichi-go-san is celebrated in November, so you want to go to Meiji Jingu (or similar shrine in another city) on a Sunday. There is a grand sumo tournanment in Fukuoka in November which is great fun.

You mentioned two nights on Miyajima which is good, but I suggest one night in Hiroshima and then one in Miyajima (at, Momijiso ryokan). Travel to Hiroshima one day, see the Peace Park and museum and have an evening in the city (try okonomiyaki). Next day, stash luggage at the station and go to Miyajima, checking in to your ryokan at 3 or 4PM.

hawaiiantraveler

It's still early here in paradise....I'm here...barely. Mrs HT & I have been celebrating our 30th anniversary this week with tonight being at the family condo in Waikiki and a dinner at one of our fave Waikiki restaurants. I am beat

<i>But my question is: what kind of trip can one have in November in Japan?</i>

November and April are my favorite times to travel in Japan.

April with the wonderous cherry blossoms and November for its mild weather and the beautiful koyo season. You should plan the second and third week of November if you can or even the third and fourth weeks are good too depending on what the fall colors forecast will be this year. I say it will be an earlier season this year thus the second and third week reco.

I like your choice of cities for a first visit. I also recommend an open jaw flight if you can arrange on miles to maximize your time and save you money not having to go back to Tokyo. A LAX-NRT then KIX-LAX would work good if you can get it on UA or ANA, etc.
Miyajima in the fall with all the momiji(maple) leaves is a not to be missed and a gondola ride or hike up to Mt Misen on a clear day with it's spectacular views of Hiroshima oi one direction and the Seto inland Sea and Shikoku in the other. Wild monkeys, deer and other animals are seen all through the mountain and families of monkeys abound at the top of the godola stops.

I would probably head from Tokyo straight to Hiroshima and start there and backtrack to Kyoto going to Koyasan the night before ending in Kyoto and flying back to LA from KIX if possible. Kyoto is a fantastic city to leave Japan from leaving you with the best memories of Japan. Make some time for a day trip to Osaka from Kyoto if you are a foodie. They don't call Osaka "Japan's kitchen" for nothing.

As you get your tickets let me know the dates and I will reco a more firm itinerary with hotel and ryokan recos. Got to get going....Waikiki calls.

Aloha!

mrwunrfl

Be careful if you are looking at first class awards on ANA using the United search. The search results show first class availability on two-cabin planes. I think that these flights have 4-digit flight numbers. For example NH5, LAX-NRT, has three cabins, so real first class, but NH 1005, LAX-HND, only has Club ANA business and no first class. You could end up paying the 67,500 miles instead of 60,000 miles for the same seat if you chose first class instead of business (or so it appears).

Kathie

Happy anniversary to you and Linda, HT!

DonTopaz

> It's still early here in paradise....I'm here...barely.

Well put on some clothes, ferchrissakes

rhkkmk

yea, not good to appear in hono with no clothes this time of year..

HAPPY, HAPPY

B&K

KimJapan

Just to echo, November is great. It's not hot like summer and not cold like winter, gardens are great, autumn leaves in cooler and higher areas have changed...perfect. November 4 and 23 are holidays (Culture Day and Labor Thanksgiving Day) - doesn'T change anything, just so you know that those weekends may be busy.

If you are into art or architecture or both, Naoshima is a great stop as it's a island completely devoted to art. The hotel Benesse House is very special. Worth the time I think.

Happy Anniversary to the happy couple in Hawaii!

filmwill

You guys are the best. Knew I could count on amazing advice!

(Kathie, sorry for the panic--I just really need to book these tickets while I still can...going over a holiday is always challenging for mileage tickets, but even moreso with this new policy.)

And, yes, open jaw sounds great. I'll check with United to see if we can get a return from KIX (after flying in to Tokyo from LAX.)

This is SO unbelievably exciting. I have so many questions to ask you guys. Let me try and get the flights booked and I'll report back with more info.

filmwill

Oh--and to those wondering about date, we're looking at about the 3rd and 4th weeks of November.

filmwill

Happy Anniversary, P & L. Please enjoy your weekend, you crazy kids. No Fodors!

Well, the tickets are now officially booked!

We depart on 11/14 LAX-NRT via Seoul on Asiana business; returning on the 26th from ITM-NRT (KIX wasn't available) on ANA coach, then connecting to NRT-LAX on ANA biz.

I couldn't be happier with the fact that this all worked out. Normally I hate making flying and routing decisions under pressure, but considering how strongly we felt about going back to Japan this year, I felt like it was a no-brainer given the mileage tickets were there. Take it while you can, you know?

Now on to the finer points of planning.

Thanks for the suggestion to route Tokyo > Hiroshima > Miyajima > Kyoto. That sounds fantastic. Now I really need to think about hotels (and I agree that we should get reservations in as soon as we can.) Honestly, that's my only fear--if I even have one--about this trip.

We're happy to spend money when need be on a ryokan...but, from what I gather, you really should splurge on that where it means something (my friends who go to Japan every year swear by doing it in Kyoto.) I think I carry perhaps a stereotype that the cost of hotels is going to be astronomical (even non-ryokan.) Maybe that's just an outdated assumption, though.

I gotta check on our Amex point balance and see how I can make a few hotel gift certificates work to our advantage in Tokyo. We did this in Singapore -- where we stayed at the Mandarin Oriental when we never could have afforded it on our own -- and it really was a wonderful experience.

I can't type fast enough -- this is so exciting!!

Hanuman

First of all a very happy anniversary Peter and Linda!

Not much to chime in but just wanted to add that our stay at a Ryokan in Kyoto was one of the most memorable event in our travel to Japan. Have done it once and have not repeated it again, mostly because of the cost! We stayed at the Hiiragiya in the main or old building and had a wonderful time.

Also, we really appreciate the luggage forwarding service in Japan. So very efficient, inexpensive and very convenient.

Have fun planning!

mrwunrfl

A stay in a traditional ryokan does not have to cost a ton of money. Much (maybe most) of the cost is due to the dinner.

http://www.japaneseguesthouses.com/a...okan/index.htm

rkkwan

Lodging in Japan is much cheaper than places like New York, London, Singapore or Hong Kong. Lots of 3* places for under $100 in all cities, and even the large 4* or 5*s are reasonable, especially since the recent depreciation of the yen.

Ryokans are very cheap or even free once you think how much it cost to have those meals. I paid like $600 for a night in a top notch one with our private outdoor rotenburo, but the dinners alone are worth $400 anywhere in the world. And there's also breakfast.

Totally worth it unless you don't care for the meals.