Japan Itinerary: Cities, Temples, Forests..?
 

Solo female arriving at the end of October... I need some recommendations on my itinerary so far. My first trip to Japan was two years ago. I'm returning to Tokyo and Kyoto to catchup on what I missed. I've been to Mt. Fuji and Hakone. Maybe it was Fushimi Inari or Ghibli movies, but I keep getting drawn to hikes that are spotted with statues, small shrine and temples. :) I'm also interested in the Alps area but maybe I'm too late weather wise?

Side Note... Are there seasonal dishes I need to try?

I plan on an open jaw tickets via Osaka/Tokyo. I hope to arrange my stays that I used a rail pass in the middle while the longer stays at Tokyo and Kyoto are at the ends.

Tokyo (4 nights)
-Nerd time at Akihabara
-Something else...?
Day trips:
-Kamakura / Tenen hike and bamboo grove
-Ghibli Museum

Nikko (1 night)
-Temples and maybe a day hike

Kumano Kodo Hike (3 nights)
-I'm looking at these walks http://www.tb-kumano.jp/en

Mt Koya (1 night)

Nara
-Spend the night? Are the sites near each other?

Kurokawa onsen
(1 night)
Kumamoto (castle)
-Hiking in the area?

Kyoto (7 nights?)
Day trips:
-Miyama
-Uji
-Himeji Castle

The sites in Nara itself are near one another, but the temples in Ikaruga (Horyuji, Chuguji, etc.) are a bus or train station away, and IMO, they are well worth seeing!
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e4104.html
I found more than enough to keep me happily busy in Nara and Ikaruga for two full days.

Since you are interested in hiking, you might want to spend a night on Miyajima and hike a bit of Mount Misan:
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3456.html

It seems that one's selection of a temple for Koyasan can make a tremendous difference to one's experience there. I was pleased with Shojoshinin, which still gets very good reviews:
https://www.japaneseguesthouses.com/...n=Shojoshin-in
Be sure to enjoy some walks through Okunoin, at dusk if possible:
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e4901.html

The first part of the Kanmangafuchi Abyss in Nikko has some nice Jizo statues:
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3810.html

Hope that helps!

Your itinerary is quite spread out. You have a couple of one-nighters with a good bit of travel on either side. Himeji and Miyajima are on the way from Kumamoto to Kyoto. To visit those two places from Kyoto would involve a good bit of backtracking and to do is as a day trip is just not a good idea, imo.

Yes, on a night in Nara. With only one night, I would not recommend visiting Horyuji.

Definitely consider flying from Tokyo to Kumamoto.

Your Wakayama hiking adventure has me thinking about how to combine it with use of KIX, considering that it is under 2 hours from that airport to Kiitanabe. But I wouldn't want to do it at the end of the trip when energy level would be low.

>>I'm also interested in the Alps area but maybe I'm too late weather wise?

Am not sure but I think that would be a good time to go. Fall colors don't get to lower elevations (in southern half of Japan) until November, e.g. mid-Nov for Kyoto. There is hiking in the region (e.g. Kamikochi).

Nara to Kurokawa Onsen for an overnight plus visiting Kumamotojo then going to Kyoto is pretty ambitious.

Hiking in Japan:
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2427.html

IIRC, mrwunrfl prefered Todaiji to Horyuji because when he visited Horyuji, it was swamped by tourists. I had exactly the reverse experience of these two temples, which are both among Japan's oldest: I was put off by the crowds at Todaiji, and was awed by the quiet reverence of those visiting Horyuji and Chuguji. I don't think you can go wrong with either! But ooh, seeing the Miroku Bosatsu at Chugu-ji ... well, that was something special IMO!

Is it necessary to do Kurokawa and Kumamoto? You'll add plenty of travel time to do those two. While I've been there and really enjoy Kurokawa, you probably can get somewhat experience on Honshu, thus avoiding a trip down there. And there are plenty of castles on Honshu too.

Thanks everyone! This is a draft and I didn't get into how long it takes. There's time so I can add more nights at places and better arrange the itinerary... and figure out which rail pass to get.

I placed them on a map so I can see that Kurokawa and Kumamoto are the outliers. Part of me wants to go to outside the main island but I'm willing to drop it for a better experience.

I thought Himeji Castle was an hour and half away from Kyoto by train? Which is why I put it as a day trip.

Yes, Himeji-jo can be seen from Kyoto as a day trip:
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3504.html

If you are going further in that direction, e.g., to Miyajima, you could consider stopping en route.

>>IIRC, mrwunrfl prefered Todaiji to Horyuji because when he visited Horyuji, it was swamped by tourists.

Nope, there were very few visitors to Horyuji when I was there. With just a one night stay in Nara, I found that including Horyuji was a bit overreaching, considering that I could have simply spent more time in Nara.

@ mrwunrfl -- my apologies for mischaracterizing your previous response; thanks for setting the record straight! :-) I agree that with ONLY one night in Nara, the Ikaruga temples would be a stretch. But with TWO nights... ;-)

With two full days like you had, then Horyuji is definitely worth considering.

The OP's OP (original plan!) goes from Nikko to Wakayama pref. for 3 nights then a night on Koyasan and somehow visiting Nara with "1 night?" or less on the way to Kyushu. And from what I read about that Wakayama hike it is (or can be) 5 days of hiking, so the OP is an abbreviated version of the hike.

Hi, If you wish to go Ghibli Museum, make sure to buy and reserve a ticket in advance. Ticket is not available onsite. More info: http://www.ghibli-museum.jp/en/ticket_information/

It may be a little tight schedule though, a day trip to Nikko from Tokyo is also possible. Take an express 'Spacia' train from Shinjuku or Asakusa station to Nikko station (about 2hrs / some JPY4,000?) Then take a bus to Senjogahara (about 50min). You can take a hike and see lots of coloured leaves there in late October/November. Make sure to check the timetable of train/buses before you go, since Nikko is rural area compared to big city like Tokyo or Kyoto.

(ticket to Nikko) http://tobutoptours.com/en/
(Nikko) http://nikko-travel.jp/english/attract/sightseeing.html
http://www.japan-guide.com/blog/koyo...021_nikko.html

Have a great trip!

While a day trip from Tokyo to Nikko is certainly possible -- and something many people do! -- visiting as a day trip would limit your options there. Iif you want to see Nikko's temples and shrines, Kegon-no-Taki, a bit of Lake Chuzenji, and a bit of Kanmangafuchi Abyss, I strongly recommend an overnight. YMMV!

Small update... Keep adding in more trails but I don't know if I'll want to do all that walking. Haha. It's good to know what options are there though. :)

I think I need one more place but not sure what.


Tokyo (4 nights)
-Nerd time at Akihabara
-Sushi
-Dessert buffet
-Something else...?

Day trips:
-Kamakura / Tenen hike and bamboo grove
-Ghibli Museum

Nikko (1 or 2 nights)
-Toshogu Shrine (東照宮, Tōshōgū)
-Taiyuinbyo (大猷院廟, Taiyūinbyō)
-Kegon Waterfall (華厳の滝, Kegon no taki)
-Ryuzu Waterfall (竜頭ノ滝, Ryūzu no Taki)
-How long to hike around the lake? Better trails? Walk to Yumoto Onsen?
-Kinugawa Onsen (鬼怒川温泉)?
-Passes http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2358_002.html

Kumano Kodo Hike (3 nights)
-http://www.tb-kumano.jp/en

Mt Koya (1 night)
-Overnight at a temple
-Koyasan Choishi Michi trail (via Ki-Hosokawa Station) to the entrance http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e4909.html
-Then to Okunoin Temple / Trail http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e4901.html

Nara (1 or 2 nights)
-Most sites are within Nara Park
-Kasuga Taisha (春日大社)
-Todaiji (東大寺, Tōdaiji, "Great Eastern Temple")
-Horyuji Temple (法隆寺, Hōryūji)
-Gardens?

Kyoto (7 nights?)

Day trips:
-Miyama
-Uji
-Himeji Castle

"How long to hike around the lake?" Lake Chuzenji? I didn't try that, but its 25 hilly kilometers, so I would think the better part of a day

Re: the Koyasan Choishi Michi trail -- be sure the timing works! Many of the temples will require that you arrive by a specific time.

I'm not sure whether you have time for another stop or not, but I still think that Miyajima would suit your interests well.

Nikko to Kii-Tanabe is about an 8-hour trip.

The day trip to Miyajima would involve about 7 hours of travel that day.

I meant Miyajima for an overnight stay -- sorry I wasn't clear about that.

Oh, you mean this site which someotherguy recently mentioned:
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3985.html