HT's Preliminary Japan trip needs alot of fine tuning!!
 

Here is our preliminary trip plan for next spring to Japan and would appreciate any suggestions on places to stay in Nagasaki, Hiroshima, on Shikoku and Sapporo. 4 or 5 star hotels, ryokan, etc would be nice.

Also if you have any not to be missed places or things along our route please let me know.

Our preliminary itinerary

3 nites Tokyo (Hyatt Shinjuku)
3 nites Nagasaki
1 nite Beppu(haven’t decided which onsen yet)
3 nites Hiroshima(suggestions???)
1 nite Shikoku somewhere (suggestions????)
4 nites Kyoto(Granvia or Hyatt)
3 nites Nagoya(Westin)
2 nites Osenkaku Ryokan
4 nites Sapporo(Sheraton in Sapporo-maybe split 2 days with somewhere else in Hokkaido)
2 nites Kakunodate(Folkloro Hotel-first attempt at seeing sakura and main reason for the month in Japan)
4 nites Tokyo(Hyatt Shinjuku)

Aloha!

Have you stayed in the Westin in Nagoya before or do you need to for points or something? Reason I ask is that it's not particularly well located and is not particularly nice. It's not bad, just not great. We like the HIlton in Nagoya, but only exec floor...rooms are average but lounge and service is very good, we like the location (and the discounted parking they offer), and the Chinese restaurant does a nice buffet lunch.

Kim,
No we have never been to Nagoya. We can get three free nights with my starwood points in Nagoya but wouldn't want to waste it on a dud hotel. Thanks for your opinion I'll look into Nagoya lodgings further and check out the Hilton.

Anywhere else in Nagoya that you have heard of that you can recommend?

Aloha!

I think the Nagoya Westin over by the castle? and near a subway line. I've stayed at the Hilton and it was nice. There is a Marriott right at Nagoya station and I think I would try that if I went back to Nagoya.

What are your plans in Nagoya? Go to Kiso Valley? Head to Ise Jingu? A couple days in the Ise area would be nice.

I did a day trip from Nagoya to Yoshino which is one of the great cherry blossom sites in Japan (actually traveled via Kyoto to get there). I went to Yoshino before the Takayama Festival. The trees were well past peak but had blossoms. Yoshino is probably a madhouse at peak time.

Another day trip from Nagoya was to Inuyama to the castle there. There is also a tea house and I had a soak at the bath of an onsen hotel. All convenient to the Meitetsu Inuyama station. Went on to Gifu for the castle and more cherry blossoms.

You couls use your *points at the Westin Miyako in Kyoto.

Three nights in Hiroshima is a night or two too long. The Rihga Royal is a nice hotel next to the Carp baseball park and the castle grounds. Short walk to the Peace Park. Got an excellent rate there using the Japanese webpage with babelfish.altavista.com I've stayed there twice and would return.

There is also a JR hotel next to the shinkansen tracks at Hiroshima station. This was a basic hotel and I got a decent rate with my JR Pass. Extremely convenient to the shinkansen. Hiroshima station is divided into two parts, one for the shinkansen line and the other for the Sanyo line. It is a Granvia. There is a Doutour restaurant at the escalator below the shinkansen platforms.

In addition to Hiroshima you ought to visit Miyajima. I stayed at Momijiso, and enjoyed it very much. There are several good choices there.

When I went to Hokkaido I didn't stop in Sapporo. I highly recommend going to Noboribetsu Onsen for a night or two. Would be a must to go to the baths at Daiichi Takimotokan, but not necessarily stay there (it is a big tourist hotel). Have read/heard about a nice ryokan across the street from there. Noboribetsu Onsen is a small onsen town. There is bus service from the Sapporo aiport (check the practical travel guide at jnto).

You could fly from Nagoya to Sapporo.

Gifu was where they had the tent setup, like you mentioned on Saturday. By the river where the cherry trees are (not as nice as Kakunodate, I believe).

ht, if you are taking the train to hokkaido, stop off at hakodate for a day or two. nice city.

also second mrwnrfl on noboribestu onsen. was there during nov a few years ago, and had sake in the rotenburo while the snow was falling. slipped into the hot bath when i got cold, and jumped back out to cool off, then in, and out.....

thanks for all the great tips mrw & k-suke

I was actually thinking of Miyajima as a day trip but will now look into an overnight and cut one day from Hiroshima.

Have any of you stayed in or seen the JR Hotel in Nagasaki?

We were thinking of Oyado Kiyomizu-ya in Noboribetsu Onsen, for two of our Hokkaido days have any of you seen or heard of this place?

Bill, is the Westin Miyako in Kyoto nice? Have you stayed there? How long of a day trip is Yoshino?

Aloha!

ht, don't know anything about the oyado. i do recall noboribetsu is a tiny town with not much to do except onsen. i do recall a pachinko palour that took my 1000 yen in about one minute. that was enough for me, and hit the futons early that nite. lol.

Looks like it's about 3 hours each way between Kyoto and Yoshino. Or could be as short as 2h 15m. It's on Kintetsu trains. When you look on hyperdia use Yoshino(Nara). It is Yoshino in Nara prefecture.

In Nagasaki I stayed at the Holiday Inn. It was fine, on a street car line. Also stayed one night at a 100 year-old traditional ryokan in the middle of the city.

Yes, I've stayed at the Westin Miyako. It is very nice, esp. the club level. There is a shuttle that goes to JR Kyoto station after a stop at a subway station. Maybe the Hyatt is more convenient to things, am not sure.

If you like Hyatt then there is a Hyatt Regency that is close to Hakata station in Fukuoka. It is on the Hakata side, maybe a 5 minute easy walk. I stayed on the club level there and it was very nice. The ladies in the lounge were very, very helpful.

There also is a Grand Hyatt in Fukuoka.

Beppu is 2 hours from Hakata station on a limited express train.

thanks bill....when we talked in LA I was thinking Fukuoka because of the Hyatt near Hakata stn and because of all the Hyatt points I have that hotel is only 5K per nite, 7k for the Regency Club level....we also have a bunch of Starwood points I need to use. Now I want to base in Nagasaki so we'll see. I still might do a couple in Fukuoka being that it is Honolulu's sister city.

Thanks for all the tips! If you think of any else I'm right here :)

Aloha!

About Hokkaido...

Yes - 4 nights at the Sheraton would be boring. It's a nice hotel, but out of town in an ugly suburb.
I'd stay the first night in Sapporo to get a feel of the place - in Odori , and then go to eiher Otaru or Noboribetsu or Lake Toya or Hakodate - or to Sounkyou Gorge in the mountains near Asahikawa...

Remember that "spring" in Hokkaido is cold...daytime temperatures this week are about 14 degrees...and nightime is sweater and coat cold.

Amanda

Amanda,

When did the cherry blossoms open in Sapporo this year?

Just to mention we also stayed at Hyatt Regency Hakata this March & found it very nice (- athough trip advisor reports were not very inspiring). An easy walk to the station, but there is also a morning shuttle bus there if you have a lot to carry.

Base in Nagasaki? I was interested in going to Unzen Onsen and Shimabara peninsula as day trips from Nagasaki but considered the travel time to be too much.

I saw some very faded cherry blossoms in Hakodate around the third week of May a couple of years ago.

I took a bus from Noboribetsu Onsen to Lake Toya. Should have spent a night or two at Toyako. I think the Otaru chamber of commerce folks are very effective boosters of their modest (imo) attractions. I think kuranosuke liked the fish market there.

loved meeting you and the fabulous linda last week!!!

bob

bob,

likewise loved meeting you and the lovely Karen.....hope to bump into you sometime soon!

Aloha!

HT:

Since you'll be in Kyoto in spring, we just returned and were in Kyoto April 17-22...which was supposed to be past cherry blossom peak...BUT, we enjoyed the blossoms everywhere in town, especially along the Philosopher's Walk...so don't despair even if sakura comes early next year as iut did this year, there may be still be(albeit faded) blossoming trees in both Tokyo area and Kyoto. We saw none in Beppu that were still photo ops..but that wasn't our mission in Beppu.

By the way, we enjoyed the Park Hotel in Tokyo very much..sort of unique..and office building near the Ginza, with the hotel starting on the 25th floor. Very mod designs and decor. In Kyoto we were delighted with the Three Sisters Inn Annex, what I call a quasi-Ryokan type inn...good location, bus routes all round, and walking distance to several shrines and temple...15 minute walk to the Philiospher's Walk too.
Don't miss the trip out to the Miho Museum...well worth it...a most beautiful setting in the firested hills south of Kyoto.
Above all, have a memorable visit.
Stu T.

..that should read "forested " hills..we've had enough "fire-sted" hills here in L.A. last week!

Stu T.