Japan Itinerary!
 

Hi all!

My wife and I will be traveling to Japan in November for 12 days. We've received great help from this community before for trips in Europe and are hoping for the same luck here! We're flying into NRT on November 9 and leave November 20 from the same airport. We're a young couple (early 30's) and fairly active. Our interests are food, culture, history, art/architecture and, of course, beautiful scenery. The goal is to immerse ourselves into the culture and perhaps sprinkle a little relaxation on top of the adventure. Other interests include Japanese art and animation (Akihabara sounds cool because it seems to have that mixed with cool electronics and gaming - we are big Nintendo fans), WWII history, temples/shrines, etc. Food is definitely a big part of all our travel and we are interested in trying the best out there - from fine dining to street food!

Our friends have suggested Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka but I really want to get into the details. What's the best way to split our time? What other areas should we prioritize or ignore? Best areas to stay and best way to travel? Best hotels or airbnbs? I know I'm asking a lot and as things get refined, I will share with the group. Thank you!

Tony

Do you know about the best info on the web on Japan at www.japan-guide.com ? Go there and take a look at some of the info they offer. We are all different, so something I'd enjoy may not be what you are looking for. Personally, I wouldn't include Osaka on a first trip. We included Kanazawa on our first trip, and loved it even though it poured on us most of our stay there. We also did a two-night stay at Hakone. You are traveling at about the same time we did and we were able to see the koyo in many places. Spectacular!

Take a look at our photos: www.marlsndc.com/Japan-2013 There is a link to my Fodors trip report there.

Best way to travel: Trains, and take a look at the luggage forwarding service which is just wonderful. Personally, I don't use airbnb, so we stayed in hotels and a machiya in Kanazawa.

WW2 history then visit Hiroshima. You can couple that with a visit to Miyajima.

>>sprinkle a little relaxation on top
That would be best achieved at an onsen - hot springs. In Hakone, for example.

You can skip Osaka unless you have a particular interest there.

You didn't mention castles or sumo or a hotel budget.

Are you a Miyazaki fan? There's a studio Ghibli museum. And then several places that were supposedly inspiration for places in his films (princess mononoke's forest, bathiuse from spirited away, etc.)

Miho Museum in Kyoto! Amazing architecture. Here are my pics of it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GJZH68jsr3w
If you go there i recommend the short walk through the tunnel rather than catching the museum transport through. I was very reluctant to come out of that tunnel, so beautiful.

When you say 12 days, is that 12 nights but only 11 full days, or do you have 13 nights and 12 actual days? Only one night difference but worth checking when discussing an itinerary.

With just 11 or 12 days, I would caution against trying to fit too many places in - I think your idea of 3 main bases is a good one.

I would probably do 4-5 nights in Tokyo, 6 nights in Kyoto and give 1 or 2 nights for Hiroshima / Miyajima.

My personal preference, as we have also always flown into and out of Tokyo for all three of our trips, is to split my Tokyo nights between start and end of the trip, and to stay in two different areas of Tokyo for each one. But others advocate landing and moving straight on to your first non-Tokyo destination and having all your Tokyo time in one block. Both have valid pros and cons, so have a think about what will work best for you.

In terms of day trips from Tokyo, you might look at Nikko and Kamakura, though I'd take care not to shortchange your time for Tokyo itself.

I've given Kyoto 6 nights because there's so much to see and enjoy there, plus you are also within easy day trip travel to Osaka, Nara, Uji, Kobe and more. (We spent a half day at Yamazaki to visit the whisky distillery, for example).

If you have an interest in WW2, then do include Hiroshima in your itinerary. It's very moving, of course, but also educational if you visit the museum. Instead of overnighting in Hiroshima, I'd suggest overnighting on Miyajima, it's a good way to unwind after the emotional impact of visiting Hiroshima and is a beautiful destination in its own right. We did just one night, arriving to Hiroshima early morning, spending a half day there and early lunch and then transferring to Miyajima for mid-afternoon and leaving late morning the next day.

There are so many other places you could add in to your itinerary, but with just 11 or 12 days, I would counsel against that temptation as you would shortchange yourself on the rest. You can always go back once the Japan bug has bitten you!

:-D

Actually just read your post again, and I think you only have 11 nights, so that's only 10 full days! Definitely definitely need to keep a lid on the itinerary then! That's quite short!

By the way, I'd skip Osaka and do as a half day from Kyoto, you can go over one afternoon, pootle around the sites and have dinner in Dotonbouri before heading back to your Kyoto base.

Agree with Kavey

Osaka is 30 minutes from Kyoto by train, no need to stay there and Kyoto. Stay in Kyoto.

You can't just ask for hotel recs and areas to stay in Tokyo - that's one of the world's largest cities and you didn't even state a lodging budget. C'mon now, help us help you.

You need to peruse japan-guide.com and hyperdia.com and become fluent in those sites. They are excellent resources.

You're likely to need JR passes, look into them. Calculate your itinerary a la carte for train fares on hyperdia and then compare with the JR pass. If you haven't booked, go into Narita or Haneda and out of Kansai International.

^should say, if you haven't booked YOUR FLIGHTS.

Many people split their time between the Kanto (Tokyo) area and Kansai (Kyoto/Nara/Osaka/Kobe) but you should not feel chained down to the beaten path. You could do well with the above, but feel free to get off the beaten trail if you want.

For WWII history, the Hiroshima Peace Museum certainly shows the horrible devastation of the bombing, but you might have more than that in mind. You might consider the Yamato Museum in nearby Kure. Or if you want to see more, there are the kamikaze airfields in Kyushu, and if you really want to see the areas of battle, then you'd need to fly down to Okinawa.

I'd like to emphasize that the whole country is at your feet. You can fly for peanuts up to Hokkaido and Okinawa if you like. If you choose to go down to Kansai for a week, the cheapest ticket is the Japanican ticket - it beats the pants off the 7 day JR Pass and you can take the Nozomi train with it, getting you there 30 minutes faster than other bullet trains. But if you go beyond Kansai down to Hiroshima or beyond, you can make a 14 day rail pass worth it or the 7 day pass will pay off in spades. Miyajima is an excellent outing just beyond Hiroshima City, including the Itsukushima Shrine & Daishoin Temple.
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?lis...KGUB-HPKNxP10Q
Just beyond it is Iwakuni which is also charming and well worth it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0COOZXi66mM

Also nobody else has mentioned that you will be in Japan just in time for the autumn colors, and there are many great places you can see them. Popular places will be more crowded but if you go there you can see why.
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2014.html
I suggest also you take a few day trips from Tokyo - there are so many. But a few are Karuizawa, Kusatsu, Kamakura/Enoshima, Nikko, Izu, the Hitachi Seaside Park, Takao, and Okutama. There's also the Fuji area with Hakone or the Fuji 5 Lakes area.

In Kansai, Nara is a must see place, and for a very spiritual side to Japan, you might spend a night in Koyasan. Taking the Hokuriku route and seeing Matsumoto and Kanazawa can be very rewarding too, as well as Takayama and Shirakawago.

Japan Guide is one of the better updated comprehensive online guides, yet it too misses a lot of good places. The best resource is to look at the city or area online tourist info page (nearly every large and medium sized city has one) and you can find many interesting places listed nowhere else. Also most main train stations have a tourist info office - USE THEM. You can often get free maps, the latest info, and guides on what to see. Plus what may be closed or under renovation so you don't waste any time.

Thank you, all. This community never disappoints! I am still going through japan-guide.com to get a better idea of each area, but using some of your recommendations, I have put together a rough itinerary, which I am sure will change drastically still. Please let me know if you have any thoughts! Flying in and out of Narita, btw.

Day 1 - Arrive in Tokyo in the afternoon. Settle into hotel and exit for dinner and view of nightlife in Shibuya.

Day 2 - Tokyo. Mostly northern Tokyo. Visit Akihabara for electronics and anime. Go to fish market and visit imperial palace.

Day 3 - Tokyo. Go to western Tokyo to see Harajuku cosplay, Meiji Shrine and end with dinner either in Shibuya or wherever is recommended.

Day 4 - Travel to Hakone early for one night to enjoy the hot springs and scenery.

Day 5 - Depart to Kyoto. Visit many of the popular temples and shrines.

Day 6 - Kyoto. Visit Tenryuji temple, bamboo groves and the monkey park.

Day 7 - Kyoto/Nara. Take a day trip to Nara to see some of the older temples

Day 8 - Kyoto/Osaka - Take a day trip to Osaka to experience Minami.

Day 9 - Day in Kyoto

Day 10 - Depart to Miyajima. Check bags in hotel and go to Hiroshima to visit the musuem. Take day to Hiroshima. Spend night in Miyajima.

Day 11 - Leave Miyajima back to Tokyo

Day 12 - Depart from Tokyo back to U.S in the early evening.

Some questions I struggled with while building this itinerary:

1. Should I do another night in Hakone? We could use the relaxation but I did not want to short change either Tokyo or Kyoto.

2. BigRuss mentioned the JR passes. Do those make sense given our itinerary?

3. BigRuss also mentioned hotel budget. We are likely in the $200/night range with the ability to splurge for another day or so.

4. Where are we eating???

5. I have a strange pull to visit Tokyo Disneyland. It was also mentioned in Komodo's itinerary. Anyone have any good or bad experiences?

6. Adastra mentioned the fall foliage. I believe Hanoke will be nice during that season, but any must visit places during the autumn?

7. Seriously, where are we eating?

Big thanks to Kathie, mrwunrfl, Kavey, marvelousmouse, sandgroper, Adastra2200, Komodo_Dragon29 and mjs!

Day 10 - Depart to Miyajima. Check bags in hotel and go to Hiroshima to visit the musuem. Take day to Hiroshima. Spend night in Miyajima.

Day 11 - Leave Miyajima back to Tokyo

I'd suggest last thing on 9th or first thing on 10th that you ask your accommodation to have your main luggage sent ahead to your Tokyo hotel for that last night - they'll use one of the Takuhaibin services.

Then you can take a small bag suitable for overnighting.

Miyajima is an island. It absolutely does not make sense to head out to the ferry port, cross just to leave your bags in the hotel, and then head all the way back to central Hiroshima to visit the peace park and museum. You're looking at 3-4 hours round trip, from memory!

So, carry a small overnight bag, head straight to the peace park, arriving their by 9 am. Spend the morning there visiting the dome, the museum and appreciating the park. Have lunch there if you like.

THEN make that 1.5 hour transfer to Miyajima so you arrive there early afternoon, check in to your hotel, enjoy Miyajima for the rest of the afternoon and evening, spend some time there the next morning, and then get the train back to Tokyo. When we did that a few years ago, the bullet train was around 5 hours I think, so you'd be looking at around 6 hours total journey time into Tokyo, which sounds a lot but we found perfectly fine, very comfy trains, and we just chilled out, read books, wrote diary notes etc.

By the way, do make sure you make seat reservations for that train from Hiroshima back to Tokyo in advance, that is the one train you do NOT want to miss, as you want to be back in Tokyo as scheduled for your last night and your departure the next day.

Yes, with your itinerary the JR passes make sense, the Japanican offer for RT ticketing Tokyo-Kyoto does not. Going west (and south) of Osaka to Hiroshima and Miyajima is the tipping point.

Assuming you're American, there are s---tons of companies that sell JR vouchers online. You can only buy a voucher in the US, then you exchange it at a mainline station in Tokyo (e.g., Tokyo, Shinjuku, Ueno, Shinagawa, Shibuya) at the JR office. The associates will speak some English (Japan's second language) and you can get a 7-day JR pass and have it activated for the day you go to Kyoto through the day you return to Tokyo from Miyajima. Get the "ordinary" class pass. The trains have significantly more room for travelers than a coach seat on a flight - better than premium economy.

The Nozomi or Mizuho shinkansen trains are not included in the JR pass - you can only ride them if you pay full fare, which is a waste of money. This is not a big issue. The Hikari shinkansen from Tokyo to Kyoto (and Osaka) will take about 20-30 minutes longer than a Nozomi. From Osaka to Hiroshima (and back), you take a Sakura shinkansen - those make the Hiroshima-Osaka run in the same amount of time as the Nozomi.

@Kavey - Thanks for that insight. Definitely makes sense then to go straight and use the luggage forwarding service. Appreciate it!

@BigRuss - Thanks, sir. We'll buy a voucher here then and exchange it at the station. Really helpful advice. I otherwise would have activated from the beginning of the trip, which doesn't make sense now that I have a more fleshed out itinerary. A little confused by your last paragraph and the difference between a shinkansen train and a nozomi.

All that being said, are we hitting good areas? Any other must-see's that are not currently on the itinerary?

Thanks!

Day 5 - you will be taking the shinkansen from Odawara to Kyoto. There are two shinkansen train service types that stop at Odawara: Hikari and Kodama. You want to book reserved seats on a Hikari shinkansen. The Hikari is faster because it makes fewer stops. The sooner the better as far as when you make those seat reservations.

The timetable at the link below lists trains that go from Odawara to Kyoto. There are other itineraries that would require a change of trains, but you really want one train, a Hikari, for that trip.
http://www.hyperdia.com/cgi/en/inter...chday=20171106

Day 10 - you can stash your bag in a coin locker when you arrive at Hiroshima station. Take the streetcar to Genbaku Dome Mae stop. Visit there, the park, and the museum. There is another streetcar line near the museum that you can use to get back to Hiroshima station. Pick up your bag then take the local train to Miyajimaguchi and walk to the JR ferry for Miyajima. There is a tourist info counter at the Miyajima port where they will call your lodging to come pick you up, if necessary.

The various shinkansen services from Tokyo to Osaka and from Osaka to Fukuoka (and beyond) have names for the types of service. There are degrees of express, even for the shinkansen. These are noted by the "type" of train: Mizuho, Nozomi, Sakura, Hikari, and Kodoma. All are shinkansens, some just make more stops. All are faster than non-shinkansen, but the point of the shinkansens is to go long distances quickly so making more stops doesn't fit the bill. The displays at the stations will clearly state what type of train is arriving (they all use basically the same cars now).

Mizuho run from Osaka to points west and back. It makes the fewest stops. It is <b>not accessible</b> with the JR pass.

Sakura run from Osaka to points west and back. They make only a stop or two more than a Mizuho from Osaka-Hiroshima. They <b>ARE available without surcharge</b> on the JR pass.

Nozomi run from Tokyo-Osaka or Tokyo-beyond Osaka as far as Fukuoka. They make the same number of stops between Osaka and Hiroshima as the Sakura but you <b>cannot ride</b> them with the JR pass. You have to pay full fare separately.

Hikari run from Tokyo to (I think) as far as Hiroshima. They skip more than half the "local" stations between Tokyo and Osaka. They make all stops west of Osaka. These are the JR pass holders' best trains east of Osaka. You use this for Tokyo-Kyoto and back because it's limited stop service on that run (2h30 or so).

Kodama are the slowest and useful only for short trips. They make all stops between wherever they run (Tokyo to Osaka and points west) (more than 4 hours Tokyo-Kyoto). Usable with JR pass.

Hi Tonygabe, since you asked what will we eat, I have a few suggestions for Hiroshima if you would like. I have to email someone to get the names as I am terrible about taking notes during trips. What do you eat/not eat? Also, have some bar and food recos for Kyoto. I stayed in an airbnb in Tokyo my first few nights and last night in a hotel. Vastly preferred the airbnb. I would recommend a ryokan with onsen for some of your accommodations.

I'm just back from Japan and found that the stereotype of not needing to do any research beforehand and all food in Japan is great to be not necessarily true.

Regarding the JR pass, I made the mistake of getting on a Nozomi train from Uno port to Tokyo along with about 10 other foreign travelers. When the agent checking tickets told me I panicked remembering how this is handled in Italy. Japan being Japan, I and the others were told no problem just get off at next stop and wait for another train. Part of me was still wondering if I was going to get arrested at the station. I guess you can say I've been traumatized by Trenitalia lol.

@mrwunrfl - Thanks for suggesting the correct train and sending the timetable. I have saved in my itinerary and will definitely plan to book tickets ahead of time.

@BigRuss - Thanks for distilling that for me! Based on what you and mrwunrfl said, it sounds like the Hikari is the best bet.

@JenV- FOOD! We eat largely anything - we are very adventurous eaters. We are looking forward of course to the sushi and the meat dishes. Could you explain what a ryokan and onsen are? Really really looking forward to your food recommendations.

Don't get me started on Trenitalia. I had a beautiful bag made in Vietname. I left it on a Trenitalia train and did everything I could to find it, spending hours at the police station. Sadly, I never got it back :(

Again, thank you all.

ryokan
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2029.html

onsen
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2292.html

kaiseki dinner at a ryokan
https://www.japaneseguesthouses.com/japanese-kaiseki/

Here is an example of a traditional style onsen ryokan (see the guest photos).
https://www.japaneseguesthouses.com/...Aura+Tachibana

Here's a post I wrote about what to expect when staying at a ryokan: https://www.kaveyeats.com/2012/11/st...se-ryokan.html

Re: Day 10. Don’t go to Miyajima before visiting Hiroshima – there are luggage lockers, and maybe a luggage counter, at the train station in Hiroshima.
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2274.html

Since you are flying out of Tokyo, consider putting all of your time in that city at the end of your trip. You’ll probably be tired upon your arrival, but pushing on if the timing works might be worth it.

You have tons of options for dining, from boxed meals through kaiseki and everything in between.

Enjoy!

Here are the Hiroshima recommendations:

Tan-tan-men(tan tan noodle)
Musashibo Honten(HQ)
Address: Ta-Building, 5-12, Fujimi-cho, Naka-ku, Hiroshima-sho, Hiroshima
Tel: 082-578-7384
They have facebook

Okonomiyaki restaurant
Atomu (at Okonomimura)
Address: 5-13, Shintenchi, Naka-ku, Hiroshima-shi, Hiroshima
Tel: 082-240-1639
HomePage: http://www.okonomimura.jp/floor/4f-atom.html

Izakaya restaurant
Yabure Kabure (Fukuromachi-ten)
Address: 8-11, Fukuromachi, Naka-ku, Hiroshima-shi, Hiroshima
Tel: 082-249-5229
HomePage: http://yabure-kabure.com/

It looks like you got some answers already on what a ryokan and onsen are. Hope you get a chance to experience them and also definitely do a kaiseki meal.

For Kyoto, I recommend Monk restaurant (sadly I didn't get to eat there since I didn't reserve in time but a friend highly recommended and it's right on Philosopher's Walk). I loved two bars there, Rocking Chair and L'Escamoteur.

I've been in a depression since getting home last week. Japan got me good. Enjoy!

The answer to your questions 4 and 7 above are easy: wherever you da-n well please. Japan has more food purveyors per capita than the most restaurant-dense city in the US. Every single Japanese department store has at least 5 restaurants of various price points, and that's the smaller ones (e.g. in Himeji). The ones in Kyoto or Tokyo or Osaka will have about 10-12 minimum and a take-away shop in the basement. Add to that number all the hole-in-the-wall joints and regular restaurants, and shopping district restos and you can't swing a dead cat without finding food in Japan.

@mrwunrfl - Makes sense now. Thanks!

@Kavey - Very informative. Thank you!

@kja - Thanks for that suggestion. What would you suggest starting with if we put Tokyo towards the end? Do you think I'm otherwise hitting the right cities and sites there given our listed interests? Any must-sees we didn't include?

@JenV - Thank you! That all sounds great. Happy you had a great trip. We personally cannot wait!

@BigRuss - Thanks again!

We cannot wait for this trip! If anyone else has things that are must-sees, please include here! Still taking suggestions on the itinerary or HOTELS and other accommodations. Thank you all. Really very appreciative.

If you put all your time at Tokyo at the end, then I think your first destination would depend on the timing of trains; whether you are planning to use a pass and, if so, for what number of days; and personal preferences (e.g., do you want your time in Hakone toward the start or end of your trip). You should be able to identify the options yourself. I typically mark up a set of maps by drawing big arrows from place to place and labeling them with approximate travel times (so, for example, one map in which I go first to place X, another in which I go first to place Y, etc.) and for that rough planning, I would just use the estimates of travel times on japan-guide.com, only checking the details on hyperdia once I've narrowed my options.

IMO, there is no such thing as a "must see" -- we all travel with different interests and preferences, and that's a very good thing, IMO. There are, of course, way more cities and sites than anyone can possibly see, so we all have to pick the ones that appeal most to our unique interests. Japan is delightful, so I'm sure you'll have a great trip!

I suggest you go to a Shinto shrine on the 15th for shichigosan. Heian Shrine in Kyoto.

You should see some of that at Meiji Jingu on your Day 3. The 19th would be an option.

As mentioned earlier, the JP Pass is good for this itin starting on Day 5.

Hi all - Thank you again for all the help your provided. Based on hotel availability in Tokyo, I have had to adjust my trip by basically pushing Tokyo to the back end of the trip, rather than the front. I also replaced Hakone with an additional night in Miyajami for two reasons - (1) Two single night stays right after I land coming from NY seemed exhausting and (2) two nights in Miyajami seemed like a nice way to relax in the middle of the trip before going back to Tokyo. Figured this way I can see more of Miyajami and do the hike there as well. I was back and forth between doing either two nights in Miyajami/Hiroshima or two nights in Hakone as we are city people but think we will get our fill of cities between Tokyo and Kyoto. Interested to hear your thoughts.

Here is what I have planned:

Day 1 - Arrive in Tokyo at 3PM from NYC

Day 2 - Leave Tokyo to Kyoto

Depart to Kyoto. Visit many of the popular temples and shrines. Perhaps Miho musuem. Happy to take tips for what we should see/do in Kyoto proper and good restaurants to eat. We heard the burnt ramen at Kyoto Gogyo is great.

Day 3 - Kyoto

Day 4 - Kyoto

Day 5 - Day Trip to Nara to see older temples. Night in Kyoto.

Day 6 - Day Trip in Osaka, Himeji or Kobe. We are between these 3 and nothing seems like a bad choice but please let me know if you found one to be especially nice. Night in Kyoto.

Day 7 - Leave Kyoto to Hiroshima to Miyajima. Forward luggage to Tokyo the night before and take an overnight bag for with two days/nights of clothing. Go to Hiroshima to visit the park, Hiroshima Peace Museum and dome. Spend late afternoon/night in Miyajima.

Day 8 - Miyajima
Hiking day and relax in the late afternoon and evening

Day 9 - Leave Miyajima early to Tokyo. We are staying in Shinjuku.
Mostly travel day and then Tokyo at night. Northern Tokyo. Visit Akihabara for electronics and anime. Go to fish market and visit imperial palace. For the next few days, please share things we should see, restaurants to visit, etc. We are using japan guide as well but I am sure people here know some hidden gems.

Day 10 - Tokyo

Go to western Tokyo to see Harajuku cosplay, Meiji Shrine and end with dinner either in Shibuya or wherever is recommended.

Day 11 - Tokyo

Last full day in Tokyo. No tentative plan yet.

Day 12 - November 20 - Tokyo to NYC

Regarding the JR vouchers: Was thinking the best bet is to the get the 7-day JR Pass and have it activated from Day 2 but I would be a day short as on Day 9 I am traveling back to Tokyo from Miyajima. @BigRuss - any thoughts?

What do you guys think of the revised itinerary? We love cities and night life but also love nature and relaxing so would like to get a healthy balance between the two. Also, we are big on food which doesn't seem like Looking fwd to your thoughts!

Should be good! For your interests, I think your plan to spend 2 nights on Miyajima makes a lot of sense.

With 3 days in Kyoto, you will need to be very selective – I would encourage you to think through your priorities in advance. FWIW, I thought that the japan-guide.com itineraries for Kyoto seriously underestimated the time they take – I needed at least twice what that source suggested.

With a day trip to Nara, you can probably see EITHER Todaiji OR Horyuji / Chuguji, which is just outside Nara in Ikaruga. They are almost equally old, and IMO, both are wonderful. The Miroku Bosatsu at Chugiji is, IMO, particularly moving; and the statues in the treasure hall of Kofukuji in Nara (near Todaiji) are exquisite.

I have wonderful memories of a French kaiseki meal at Misoguigawa in Kyoto, and it steill gets great reviews.
http://www.misogui.jp/original13.html

Enjoy!

If you go Tokyo-Hiroshima round trip, you do in fact make a 14 day pass pay off. With a 7 day pass you would of course get even greater savings, but that would mean jamming things together more or leaving something out to fit within 7 days.

For seeing the cosplay in Harajuku, the time to go is on a Sunday afternoon. You will see very little on other days. On Sunday in Yoyogi Park there are also the 50's-ish rockabilly dancing. All this assumes the weather cooperates.

If you want to look at various restaurants and cuisine, try
http://www.bento.com
I would not waste a lot of time chasing down some specific restaurant though unless you really find it special.
For Tokyo, if you want a few more ideas, try Kappabashi for a mind bending look at Japanese artistic food display. They have it down to an art and you can buy various wax or other artificial food items you see in many restaurant's front displays. You can take home a few models of sushi that look ready to eat.
And despite Tokyo's rep as a concrete jungle, there are numerous good traditional gardens to see - many were a home away from home during Japan's feudal days with its sankin kōtai hostage system. There are some good listings on:
http://teien.tokyo-park.or.jp/en/

For other ideas, try the official city tourist guides - you'll often find great places listed nowhere else.
http://www.gotokyo.org/en/index.html

There are also many free places with good city views:
http://supermerlion.com/10-free-tokyo-city-views/

Day 9 is when you would need a JR Pass the most, unless you fly from Hiroshima to Tokyo.

Your Day 2, Tokyo to Kyoto is about ¥13,700 or less on the shinkansen.

But your Day 9, Miyajima/Hiroshima to Tokyo is about ¥19,000 on JR.

Days 7,8 are about ¥11,000. Which means that Days 7-9 pay for the pass (but days 2,7,8 wouldn't).

>>Osaka, Himeji or Kobe

Himeji is a standout among those three places in general, but it really depends on your interests (e.g. you like big cities so much that you would rather go to Osaka than to the magnificent World Heritage Site of Himeji Castle).

But Himeji does not have to take all day. It can. But you can visit there and either Kobe or Osaka on the same day.

That is, you can visit one or two of the three places on the same day trip.

The one-way Tokyo to Kyoto ticket plus a 7-day pass does get close to the cost of a 14-day pass.

What am I missing Adastra2200 Tokyo- Hiroshima- Tokyo would be about ¥39,000 on the shinkansen but the 14-day pass costs ¥46,390

I should have clarified more.
The total trip is 12 days, and flying thru Narita, so I am including the N'Ex round trip, as well as the small round trips to Nara and from Hiroshima to Miyajima (train+ferry). It was still an open question of seeing Himeji, Kobe etc. Either way, according to my figures, the 14 day pass would pay off, but if going to Himeji, you'd get the most value out of the pass.

Thanks, all! A few questions:

@Adastra2200 and @mrwunfrl - Assuming I do Himeji in the AM and then see Osaka or Kobe in the afternoon before returning to Kyoto, it seems like the best bet is to get the 14 day pass. If i understand correctly, my options are:

1. Paying for the Tokyo-Kyoto one way normally and then purchasing the 7 day pass beginning the day I leave to Nara, but that still would not cover the ride back from Tokyo to the airport, OR

2. Getting the 14 day pass to cover the entirety of the trip.

In terms of logistics, I believe someone mentioned finding a JR voucher in the US and then exchanging it at the mainline station in Tokyo at the JR office. Is there one at the airport? Would you suggest I take transport from the airport to the hotel in Shinjuku, Tokyo? Trying to take full advantage of the 14 day pass and minimize/eliminate cab fare. Also, are some JR vouchers in the US better than others? Sorry for all the questions, but just getting these logistics down now will alleviate a lot of stress during the trip. Thank you!

Also @kja, @mrwunrfl and @ Adastra2200 - Thanks for the recommendations for food and sightseeing. I have added them all into my itinerary. So glad to see the itinerary finally coming together! Thank you!

If anyone has any HOTEL or traditional Japanese lodging recommendations in Kyoto or Miyajima, please let me know. Would love to solidify those soon. Thanks!

Ok, I wasn't considering the NRT transfers. The Himeji/Osaka/Kobe day trip don't factor into this.

tonygabe, you can definitely use a JR Pass. Which one (7- or 14-day) depends on how you want to do the airport-hotel transfers.

There are a few ways to do it with different costs and convenience. The cost difference is only $15 pp, more or less, each way. Given that your lodging budget of $200/nt I assume that you are willing to pay for convenience.

If the airport limo bus goes to your hotel and the timetable works, then that might be best. If your hotel is next to a N'Ex station then that could work too. Or a non-JR rail option could work.

I see three pass options:

14-day pass starting on Day 1, but you would want/need to use the Narita Express at least one way. If you used the N'Ex both ways then you would save up to ¥3,000.

7-day pass starting on Day 5 for Nara. But a Kintetsu train might be more convenient that JR depending on where you are staying in Kyoto. Your NRT travel options would be open.

7-day pass starting on Day 6 to include the N'Ex on Day 12.

other ideas:

Fly NRT-Osaka on Day 1 for about $100 (maybe) and ground to Kyoto. For example, there is a nonstop on ANA to Osaka ITM at 6:15 PM or $104 pp.

Rail NRT-Kyoto on Day 1. You may have dismissed this idea, I don't remember.

I had my last post written before I say your most recent.

>Is there one at the airport?

Yes, you can do the JR Pass exchange at NRT.

You aren't going to be taking a cab to or from NRT. It is too expensive.

You have rail and bus options. A limo bus might go door-to-door. A rail option would involve navigating at least two stations and then finding your way to the hotel.

Miyajima lodging: Momijiso ryokan

Your visit to Miyajima will be during the fall colors season and maybe at the peak. It is popular, can be busy, could be sold out.

Momijiso shows no availability during your entire visit.
http://www.gambo-ad.com/english/hote...php?ar=1&id=10

You can keep an eye on availability, there or elsewhere, as there might be cancellations. Some places have wait-lists.

But don't count on that, of course. A place on Miyajima might not even offer lodging to foreigners at peak time. They can fill with Japanese who know the rules/customs and who won't cancel at the last minute.

Book something in Hiroshima that you can cancel and be prepared (or offer) to pre-pay for Miyajima.