First trip to Japan end of March. Suggestions please.
 

My wife and I will be going to Japan for 11 days in the second half of March 2013 (18-29). It's my wife's first time in Japan, and I've only been to Tokyo. We have to end the trip in Tokyo for business. We want to see the countryside, stay in at least one ryokan, and hope to enjoy cherry blossoms (I know we're a little early). We're flying to Japan from Shanghai, so we can fly into either Fukuoka or Osaka.
Does it make sense to land in Fukuoka, and spend a couple days somewhere in Kyusho where the cherry blossoms come a few days earlier and then train to Kyoto? Or will that take too much time away from Kyoto, Nara, etc.
With the exception of a day or two of meetings in Tokyo, we're totally open and hoping some of you experienced Japanophiles can help with both the itinerary and suggestions for the best experiences.
Thanks in advance.

It does make sense to me as you are a bit early for cherry blossoms - but Fukuoka is a good place to start..
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2011.html Cherry Blossom Forecast.

You can also fly from Fukuoka to Kyoto/Osaka - you need to check out the prices to see if a JR Pass would work better for your dates. There are special fares for international visitors as well as discount airlines:
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2364.html

We (wife and daughter) did a similar trip in 2005 during a similar time window. We did see sakura in Kagoshima, Fukuoka and Dazaifu and the weather was sunny but brisk, 50's /60's. You could do your ryokan stay at Yufuin or Kurokawa as a side trip from Fukuoka and the chance of nice weather might be better. We continued on to Kyoto where it was quite chilly that year to say the least, still a great time.

Just a side note , while sakura are the top draw don't discount the ume (plum) viewing opportunities. There is a strong tradition between Dazaifu and the Kitano shrine in Kyoto honoring the plum blossom season and its patron Tenjin with the famous "flying" plum tree.

On the 25th of each month there is a flea market at Kitano. we attended the one in March 2005 and the ume were still in full bloom.
A great okonomiyake stall as well.

Have a great time!

Hi, mrtaz -

First and foremost, I found japan-guide.com an extremely useful source of information about Japan. If you haven't already done so, check it out!

For information about ryokans, you might want to check japaneseguesthouses.com, which you can search by region. I didn't make it to Kyusho, but will look forward to hearing about your experience there.

When I traveled to Japan in 2006, my budget was quite limited, so I sought the most affordable ryokan experience I could find that fit within my travel plans. I ended up selecting Momiji-so on the island of Miyajima, near Hiroshima. That suited my needs very well, but might not work for everyone.

I visited the Peace Park and Peace Museum in Hiroshima during the afternoon. I found them extremely powerful and very moving. And I was very impressed with the way this very painful event was handled: There seemed to be a very genuine and sincere effort to use these venues to find ways to promote peace. I'm not saying that anything was sugar-coated -- quite the contrary! But the emphasis seemed to be on what we can learn from these horrendous events to avoid future nuclear conflict.

As I had anticipated, I was in a somber mood when I left these places. I found the beauty and serenity of Miyajima well suited for reflecting on what I had just seen and re-orienting to the joys of exploring Japan. I don't know whether others had a similar experience.

The ryokan at which I stayed - Momoiji-so - is, or at least was, relatively inexpensive. I don't think it has an onsen (it didn't when I was there) and is certainly not as luxurious as many ryokan. But I thought it lovely, the staff (especially mama-san) were wonderful, and the food was memorably delicious.

I'll be happy to say more if it would prove of use - just let me know!

You are going to love your time in Japan!

From Shanghai you could also fly to Komatsu or Toyama but Fukuoka makes more sense if you hope for cherry blossoms. If you have art interest, Benesse Art Site on Naoshima is worth a couple of nights at least.

Flying into Fukuoka is a great idea. It is easy, quick, inexpensive, to get from the airport to the city. You could easily spend a week in Kyushu.

Also, there are several interesting places to visit between Fukuoka and Kyoto/Osaka: Hiroshima, Miyajima, Okayama, Kurashiki, Shimonoseki, ... . Maybe a Sanyo Area Pass might be useful if you did that over a couple of days. Or, depending on how long you would spend between the day you left Kyushu and the day you get to Tokyo, you could use a 7-day JR Pass. But there is no reason to plan your trip around the conditions imposed by either pass - it won't be that much of a savings to use a pass.

There is another route, besides those places on the Sanyo line, more rural and maybe too rainy at that time. That would be via Hagi and Matsue on San-in coast.

Hakata (Fukuoka) to Kyoto is only 3 hours by shinkansen.

Momijiso has no onsen, but that's ok. It is nice, has private bathrooms, not expensive, and provides the traditional experience.

The Grand Sumo Tournament in Osaka ends on March 24, so you would be able to go.

> there are several interesting places to visit between Fukuoka and Kyoto/Osaka: ... Okayama, Kurashiki....

I found the garden in Okayama (Korakuen) very pleasant and I thought Kurashiki interesting and charming and well worth seeing. That said, I'm not sure I'd give up time in Kyoto or Nara to see them.

This year you won't be as early as you think for cherry blossoms in Fukuoka. The JG site is calling for peak at 3/29 in Fukuoka, I know someone calling it almost a full week earlier at 3/23......

http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2011.html

Take a train, bus or rent a car to a ryokan stay in Kurokawa onsen. Beautiful sites along the way if you drive up from Kumamoto. You can take a train from Hakata to Kumamoto and drive from there returning car to Kumamoto to drop off and continue on your journey north-east via the train systems. Stay here in Kurokawa onsen....really nice atmosphere and food.

http://japaneseguesthouses.com/db/kurokawa/sanga.htm

I like mrwunrfl's San-in coast reco. Nice scenery along the way that side of Japan....you can drive while exploring there too, or train.

Aloha!

Thanks everyone for great input. My overall impressions:
1- 11 days isn't anywhere near enough time to do everything I'd like -- have to make hard choices this trip and return in the future.
2- I have to not obsess about Cherry Blossoms. We'll definitely miss peak viewing and be lucky if we see early blossoms.

Fukuoka looks like the best arrival airport. Flight from Shanghai arrives 1 pm.

hawaiiantraveler -- your descriptions of your trip from Kumamoto to Aso-san, Kurokawa (Sanga Ryokan) and Takachiho gorge were fantastic. It sounds like a trip we'd love. But doing that would force us to cut back from Hiroshima/Miyajima, Osaka/Kyoto/Nara, or Tokyo. What do you think?

mrwunrfl -- thanks for alerting me to the Sumo Tournament in Osaka! It looks like traveling the San-in coast would take much longer. Is that true?

kja -- Hiroshima with a Ryokan stay on Miyajima sounds great, depending on time and choices to make. Would you cut back a day in Kyoto or Tokyo to be able to stay overnight on Miyajima?

I mentioned the San-in coast just as another option among many that you have between Fukuoka and Kyoto. I also mentioned that you should expect it to be rainy. I think I shouldn't have mentioned it for you.

It is ok to obsess about cherry blossoms.

If ht is right about the blossoming times then you will have more opportunities NORTH of there - along the Sanyo line. The Sanyo side (think sunny side) would have better weather, I think, and is easier to travel - it has the shinkansen.

I don't recall seeing how long you plan to spend in Kyoto.

>> 11 days isn't anywhere near enough time to do everything I'd like -- have to make hard choices this trip and return in the future.<<

YES!! Know your options and make hard choices. When you make a plan to visit Japan it is well worth understanding what you are giving up when you make your decisions.

I have toyed with the idea of a San-in coast trip as well - it might be a plan for my 9th trip....lol....I do think there is an issue with infrequent train service - I don't know that I would go there on my first trip....

Yes, you will most probably return again - it seems Shanghai is a 90 minute flight from Fukuoka and about 2 hours to Osaka - I'd be there once a month....lol....my flight is 14 hours... ):

Put Hagi, Matsue, and the amazing Izumo Taisha on your 9th itin, Mara. You could start in Shimonoseki. I would like to tell you some stories about my visit there but don't have near enough time to type it. It is not really for a tourist to Japan. It is for a Japan traveler, like you.

What a lovely compliment, mrwunrfl! And I do have those places bookmarked already - Izumo Taisha is under construction but is to be finished this year according to japan-guide so maybe it all will work out for #9....i need to do #8 - Shikoku - this year, first...lol....

> Would you cut back a day in Kyoto or Tokyo to be able to stay overnight on Miyajima?

Tough question, as it depends on so many other things - including how much time you are allotting to Kyoto and Tokyo!

It was an easy choice for me because (a) I wanted to see Hiroshima, (b) I wanted to see the Itsukushima Shrine, and (c) I wanted to stay in a ryokan sometime during my 3 weeks in Japan, even though I was on a budget, and it turned that the most affordable ryokan I found near the places I planned to visit was Momiji-so in Miyajima.

"my visit there" i.e. Shimonoseki and San-in.

I wrote:
> ... more opportunities NORTH of there ..<

That is wrong. That would apply to fall colors, not cherry blossoms in spring which would travel south to north.

More opportunities for cb may be SOUTH of Fukuoka - in Kyushu. Like Kumamoto, which ht suggested.

I would easily swap a night in Kumamoto or Hiroshima/Miyajima for a night in Kyoto or Tokyo, especially because you are in the region.

Mara, Matsuyama is well worth a visit and the hydrofoil from there to Hiroshima at sunset is scenic.

mrwunrfl - Matsuyama is on my itinerary.... but I am going from there to Kochi....

I saw very nice sakura in Kumamoto this year and it was the last week of March....

oops, I guess that was last year....duh....time sure flies. ;-)

Someone above made a good point. I have missed the cherry blossoms on several trips, but once thought I was seeing them for days, only to find out they were Plum blossoms. They looked the same to me! Of course there were no people singing and drinking under the trees and no festivals, as the Japanese only do that for the Sakura.

lcuy, on my first trip to Tokyo I went to a local festival celebrating ume/plum blossoms at the Yushima Tenjin Shrine - I had maybe two words of Japanese and everyone was so friendly and nice to me - probably where my love of Japan and its people started...lol...

> Plum blossoms ...

My visit to Japan was nowhere near sakura time, but I caught some plums in full bloom in Takayama - wow! Stunningly gorgeous. Not a bad second option, if that's what you have the chance to see.

ume onigiri.....you all are talking about ume blossoms and all I can think about now is ume onigiri. I seek them out at every combi, 7/11,depato I see,lol

Aloha!

hawaiiantraveler -- With my limited time, would this leg make sense, or it it too much?
Day 1 - Arrive in Fukuoka early afternoon. Train to Kumamoto for overnight.
Day 2 - Rent car in Kumamoto. Drive to Mt. Aso and explore volcano. Drive to Kurokawa, stay in Sanga Ryokan.
Day 3 - Drive to Takachiho. Visit gorge. Return to Kumamoto for overnight.
Day 4 - Early train to Hiroshima.......
Thanks!

I see you do your research well....

Sounds like a good easy plan to me. Go for it!!

Aloha!

Where will you be viewing the cherry blossoms? Maybe Dazaifu in Fukuoka? Or the garden near Kumamoto castle?

You can't count on the weather to cooperate on the day you are planning to go up Aso-san. Maybe check on conditions before you leave Kumamoto.

mrwunrfl -- I think my best bet for early sakura will be Kumamoto castle. I'll probably be just ahead of the wave wherever I go.

Thanks for the tip. I'll check the conditions on Aso-san.

Hi everyone. With the help all your great suggestions, I've got a basic itinerary. There are still some questions, so please jump in!

(H/T to MrHT for the first 3 days!)
3/17 - Arrive in Fukuoka early afternoon. Train to Kumamoto for overnight.
3/18 - Rent car in Kumamoto. Drive to Mt. Aso and explore volcano. Drive to Kurokawa, stay in Sanga Ryokan.
3/19 - Drive to Takachiho. Visit gorge. Return to Kumamoto for overnight.
****(Or is it better to go immediately to Hiroshima for overnight to give us more time for Hiroshima & Mayajima????)
3/20 - Early train to Hiroshima (or just wake up if we arrived last night) Visit Hiroshima sights. Ferry to Mayajima.
****Is it better to spend night in Miyajima or Hiroshima?
3/21 - Train to Kyoto.
****I'd like to stop in Kurashiki and/or Himeji. Does this make sense or is it too much?
3/22 - 3/25 - Kyoto. Day trip to Nara.
****Still haven't reserved Kyoto accommodations. Looking at everything from western hotels to ryokans to apartments/houses. Recommendations appreciated.
3/25-3/27 - Tokyo. Hoping for free nights at Park Hyatt with new credit card(thanks to alert on another Fodor's forum!).
3/28 - Nagano (for business)
3/29 - Sayonara from Narita

Please let me know what you think. Thanks!

3/19- Catch the shinkansen to Hiroshima from Kumamoto. There are rental cars right across the street from Kumamoto-eki. The Nissan rental has English GPS in their vehicles.

http://www2.tocoo.jp/?file=rentcar_i...&prefecture=43

3/20- Better to spend this night on Miyajima.
3/21 - Ok to stop on the way at either place but not both.

Kyoto-Whats your budget price for hotel or ryokan?

Aloha!

Great. Planning to rent from Nissan. Do you know the Japanes car model names? I suppose we'd want something in the Sentra range but it's not listed and I don't recognize the names.
Ok.
Ok. Which would you recommend?
My wife says no limit. Me, not so much. Comfort, decent value, good location.

> is it better to go immediately to Hiroshima for overnight to give us more time for Hiroshima & Mayajima????

That depends on what you hope to see and experience in these destinations and your preferred pace of travel. If it helps, I spent (as I recall) about 3 hours in Hiroshima, and in that time, I visited the Dome, the Peace Park (I would have liked a bit more time there), and the Peace Museum. I then left for Miyajima (as I mentioned above, I'm glad I spent the night there). I got up quite early the next morning and stayed on the island until mid-afternoon - plenty of time to take the cable-car to the top of Mt. Misan, walk down, and explore the town.

> I'd like to stop in Kurashiki and/or Himeji

I thought Kurashiki charming and well worth a couple of hours. (Add another hour or two if you want to visit the Ohara Museum of Art.) And I found Himeji-jo fascinating - but I was there before the current phase of reconstruction began. I'm not sure how that would change the experience of visiting it. See:
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3501.html

If you do go to Himeji and have time, you might consider visiting the lovely gardens adjacent to it, Koko-en.


Sounds like a great trip!

3/19 - I agree with ht about going on to Hiroshima. It is less than two hours. As short as 1 hour and 37 minutes.

You could use the Northern Kyushu version of this rail pass:
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2361_07.html

It would save about 6000 JPY per person. The only drawback is that you would not be able to use it from Shin-Osaka to Kyoto. But at Shin-Osaka you could transfer to a JR Rapid train for the 25 minute ride to Kyoto. It is only 540 yen.

3/21 - I suggest stopping at Okayama instead of the other choices. You would most likely be traveling through Okayama to get to Kurashiki, so a bit more convenient. The castle and Korakuen Garden are easy to get to from the shinkansen station. The castle and garden are next to each other. A good way to go would be a taxi to the garden. After the castle, walk to a streetcar stop and take the nice little streetcar back to the station area.

On a different day, I might have enjoyed Kurashiki more than I did on the day I visited there. I walked to the tourist area, walked through, taxi back. I did find a terrific shop that sold chopsticks, nothing else.

But what you do on 3/21 depends on how much time you spend on Miyajima (after your night there).

I forget which model the car I rented was but it was the 1100 cc model. I always rent that size of car in Japan. You don't need the bigger car and the smaller ones save on gas yet have plenty of power to climb the hills.

Of the two you mention I would still pick Himeji and visit the castle in repair which I hear is very interesting to see in this state especially since repair is well along. Kokoen Gardens is worth a trip too.

For your wife either The Okura or the Hyatt Regency Kyoto. Maybe Hiiragiya

http://okura.kyotohotel.co.jp/english/

http://kyoto.regency.hyatt.com/hyatt...index.jsp?null

http://www.japaneseguesthouses.com/d.../hiiragiya.htm

For you maybe one of these:

http://www.citadines.com/japan/kyoto/karasuma_gojo.html

http://www.hotelmonterey.co.jp/en/htl/kyoto/index.html

http://web.travel.rakuten.co.jp/port...ng?f_no=104701

http://www.granviakyoto.com/

Aloha!

HT - I see you have a clear picture of wife vs. husband hotel preferences :) How about house or apartment rentals? Have you done that in Japan? Has anyone here done it?

Thanks for the car tip. Another question occurred to me: Are they AUTOMATIC? I'm fine with stick or "wrong" side driving, but I don't think I can handle both at the same time.

mrwunrfl & kja -- Thanks for your advice. It's looking like we'll go to Hiroshima 3/19 night and stay there. 3/20 - Visit Dome, Peace Park and Museum in am. Go to Miyajima in afternoon to explore and stay overnight. 3/21 - Train to Kyoto with one stop (probably Himeji).

We are staying in our first "house" rental in Kyoto this fall with the rhkkmk's. We have rented Koke-an, it is a machiya and we are in these peoples capable hands also recommended on this forum.

https://www.kyotomachiyastay.com/index.php/en/

I was also looking here but the other offer seemed better:

http://www.japan-experience.com/rent...apan?ap=j0095g

cars are automatic.

Aloha!

Sounds like you're going to have a wonderful trip!