monkeyrhino

Hi All,

I am surprising my husband for his birthday and sweeping him off to the airport for japan. I need some help. We are starting in Tokyo, spending 2 nights in Hakone, 2 nights in Kyoto and returning to Tokyo. I am also thinking of taking a day trip from either kyoto or tokyo to the expo in nagoya.

Here are my questions...
Can we get from Tokyo to Hakone, Hakone to Kyoto, and Kyoto to Tokyo on a Japan Rail Ordinary Pass (I can't seem to get a real answer)?

Suggestions on hotels in Kyoto. We don't want to spend too much, but not too little (upper 100's lower 200's).

Should we stay in a Ryokan in Kyoto? If so, suggestions on affordable/clean.

Thoughts on daytrip to Nagoya.

Please keep in mind neither of us speak Japanese. this is my first visit and my husband's second. Thanks in advance for all your help

mrwunrfl

Yes on the JR Pass question. You can take JR to Odawara station, but not all the way to Hakone-Yumoto station (if I remember correctly).

You will need to pay extra for travel in the Hakone area via bus, cable car, train, boat. Look for info on the web (or on this forum) about the Hakone Free Pass.

Your JR Pass would cover your travel to Kyoto and back and your day trip to Nagoya. Probably would need to take a bus between the JR station and the Expo. With any luck, the bus would be a JR bus and thus covered by the JR Pass.

Tokyo to Nagoya is about 1 hr 45 min on the shinkansen. Kyoto to Nagoya is only about 40 min.

Nagoya is between Tokyo and Kyoto, of course, so you could stop in Nagoya for the expo while you are travelling between the two cities.

monkeyrhino

Thanks so much.This really helps. Is going to the expo worth it or should we do a different day trip?

monkeyrhino

one more thing...do you have any idea what jr to take from hakone to kyoto?

mrwunrfl

From Odawara you would take a shinkansen to Kyoto. There are Kodama (fast) and Hikari (faster) shinkansen that you would take and it is very likely that you would change trains in Nagoya. The JR Pass is not valid for Nozomi (fastest) shinkansen trains (which I believe don't stop at Odawara anyway).

You want to take the Hikari shinkansen from Odawara. The Kodama takes about 2 hr 10 min to go from Odawara to Nagoya while the Hikari takes 1 hr 12 min.

So, since you would likely have to connect at Nagoya when visiting Odawara/Hakone, you could make both stops when travelling in one direction between Tokyo and Kyoto. That is, if you go to Hakone, then to the Expo, then to Kyoto, then the train straight back to Tokyo.

emd

Ok, since you asked specifically, I will say that the first question I asked myself when I read your original post was "Why does she want to take him to Expo w/such a short trip to Japan for his birthday?", and I figured one of you must have some hankering for Expo. Let me preface this w/the info that I am planning for my first 2 wk. trip to Japan which will happen in 3 and 1/2 wks, and that I've been planning for many months. We are leaving close to the time Expo starts, and I may be going back to Kapan while Expo and landing at the new Nagoya airport in late May, but Expo just doesn't appeal to me personally with all the other things there are to do and see and experience. KimJapan, a poster here who has lived in Kanazawa for years, posted recently on another thread that Expo does not seem to be a big deal in her part of Japan and that people she knows are not going. I would like to hear what the draw is, but I haven't heard it on this forum or the sites I've looked at.
I can think of many places that I would go from Tokyo or Kyoto instead of Expo if I had a limited amt. of time w/my husband for his surprise birthday trip. How many days total do you have? It is unclear from your post. And when are you going?
Do you really need or want two nights in Hakone? Maybe you want the extra downtime? Many people do one day for touring that area from Tokyo, and if you have a night to stay there, great. But with 6-7 days total (if that is your total, not sure) could you give up that second night to trade off for another night in Kyoto which would give you a chance for a day trip from Kyoto (or just another night in Kyoto)? Just a thought.
Regarding the train from Hakone to Kyoto, you can catch the JR shinkansen train from Odawara, and other stops a bit further south in the Hakone area like Atami. I know about those as I checked Hyperdia and my JR schedule for those for our trip.I think other there are other stations in Hakone area btwn Odawara and Atami also to cathc the Hikari Shinkansen. Don't forget that you can't use Nozomi shinkansen on JR pass. Do you have a JR train map and do you know how to use Hyperdia.com for train scheudles?

mrwunrfl

Oh, she did ask specifically, thanks emd. My answer is that I doubt that the stop in Nagoya would be worth it. I think that the Aichi expo might do better than the 2000 Expo in Hannover, but if it is your first trip to Japan and his second, and on a short visit, then you might do better by spending your time elsewhere.

emd

p.s. Hope you won some yen over the weekend for the May trip.

monkeyrhino

You are both so helpful! Thanks. Honestly, I have no clue about Japan other than what I am reading & what my Japanese friend tells me. I am not set on Nagoya at all, it just sounded neat (good marketing I guess). The reason I planned for 2 nights in Hakone was for down time (my husband is a professional athlete & very banged up). I was thinking we would head out to Hakone, maybe hit up an Onsen, and the following day see fuji, lake etc, sleep & get up early to head to Kyoto for 2 nights. We definitely want to find time to go to the Studio Ghibli Museum (we are huge fans).

This is all hypothetical of course, so any suggestions are welcome. We have a total of 9 nights in Japan

To answer your questions, no I don't have JR maps yet or know how to use Hyperdia. I have purchased my JR pass yet do I need to wait since we aren't traveling until late June?

Does anyone know about the Westin Miyako in Kyoto. Also, should we spend the $ to stay in a ryokan (probably in Kyoto)? Is is worth it? If so, suggestions. We don't have an unlimited budget, so I am trying to be a little concientious.

Oh, last but not least, my husband and I have huge japanese toy collections. Suggestions?

emd1

Oh boy, you set off all kinds of bells in my head. First, we are huge Studio Ghibli fans also. We are going there March 17. Are you aware that you have to get your tickets before you go to Japan or you won't get in. You buy them from JTB travel agency. They started selling tickets for March at beginning of January, so I imagine that June tickets will go on sale 3 months ahead. You will have to tell them what day you want to go when you fax in your purchase order for Ghibli tickets, and that date appears on your ticket voucher and it is only good that one day. I have the JTB info bookmarked at home (I am at my office now) and can get it to you later tonight, or you can find them on the web. Also, Ghibli is not easy to find. It is in western Tokyo in Mitaka. You take a JR train (I think it is JR Chou line, this is off the top of my head) and get off at Mitaka and then have to get the right bus to get there. We are going early morning right when they open as it gets crowded later. Are you also anime/manga fans in general, beacuse if you are you will wnat to go to Nakano Broadway Mall on the way back towards Tokyo from Ghibli. The whole mall is anime/manga stores; it is just a few stops off the same train going back towards downtown Tokyo.
You can't get your JR pass voucher more than 90 days before you want to start using it. Personally I think it is better to wait a little later than that, in case something happens and your dates change or you end up not going (horrible thought). You get the JR pass from different places, either in person or you can do it by fax/mail (I did it through JTB in New York although I live close to D.C.). I suggest you read up on this at the Japan Rail website. I was lucky to get a paper JR train schedule in English when I visited the JR office in NY last fall. But you can also use www.hyperdia.com to figure out train times. There are some quirks that have been written about on here- do a search for hyperdia here and the posts will come up, or ask questions and people will help you.
So if you want to have a slower more relaxing trip then two nights in Hakone after Tokyo sounds good-- hopefully you'll have good visibility of Fuji, thisis not guaranteed though as it gets cloudy in Hakone sometimes and visibility is a crap shot from what I have read and heard.
We are staying at Westin Mikayo in Kyoto on Starwood points for 7 nights so look for my trip report in early April, but also there are lots of previous posts on here about it, so put the name in the search box and see what you get. Also, check tripadviosr.com for reviews. Kyoto sites are spread out, and Westin is not real close to the main Kyoto station, but the area in eastern Kyoto where the hotel is is a good area for being in Kyoto just a few days I think, beacuse it is close to some of the main temples you'll likley want to see and close to the Path of Philosophy walk.
KimJapan and others have psoted on ryokans in Kyoto, so you can search for those psots. many people suggest staying in a ryokan at least one night if not more. We just aren't doing it because we have free rooms on hotel points and also I don't sleep well close to the floor.
Ok, the toys. I am also a BIG fan of japanese toys. I am hoping to start a collection while there, at least 2-3 pieces. Especially the old tin wind up ones. There are several good toy collections in japan. One is in Kurashiki, which would be a day trip for you from Kyoto. You could combine it w/Himeji I think (someone correct me if I am wrong). We were going to do a day trip to Hiroshima and stop in Kurashiki for the toy museum on the way back to Kyoto, still deciding on whether to stop in Kurashiki or not-- but that is a pretty full day and if you want to be on a more relaxed scheudle, maybe just check into the toy museum and the old historical merchant area of Kurashiki that is now an art and shopping area. There is another good antique toy museum in Japan that may be close to where you'll be-- I'll check my info at home for you and repost.
Well, there goes lunchtime, once again I am on the Asia forum-- it's a good way to diet. Gee, can you tell I am getting more psyched as my trip gets closer? Only 3 more wks. You're going to have a blast planning your trip, much less going on it. I think it is very cool that you are surprising him, not sure I could keep it a secret.

emd1

The toy museum in Kurashiki is the Japan Rural Toy Museum- so a search and you'll find it all over the web. Frommers has a review of it. It's pretty famous. But I see that there are also toy museums in Tokyo and Yokohama!
Somewhere in Japan is a personal collection on display of tim wind up toys. I saw some of this person's collection at Epcot in the Japan area last spring. Amazing. I am trying to track down where in Japan that collection resides.

monkeyrhino

Once again, you are both amazingly helpful!!! All the Ghibli info is great. We would be soooo sad if we missed it. Toy museum info is great too! I can't wait to hear the details of your trip. My trip is almost 4 months away & I can hardly contain myself. You must be so excited! I can give you lots of cool toy tips. My collection is mostly new stuff, but my husband has an absurd amount of transformers (80's ones) & robortech. I love collecting japanese toys because the characters are amazing. They are also small and affordable. I can't wait to check out the mall you mentioned! If you don't mind me asking, how much was your jr pass thru JTB. I was quote 276 from STA travel for a 7 day. Just curious since I go to nyc every 2 weeks (I am in Boston). I am trying to have a great trip without completely blowing every last penny we have. Any and all tips are very welcome!!!

emd1

oh, monkeyrhino, you must go to JNTO's NYC office on one of your NYC trips. The JR office is in the same bldg. You can get all sorts of great maps and materials at JNTO's office that are not on their website and you can get the paper JR schedule book in English at the JR office. Try to go a bit closer to your trip time and you can get the train scheudle book that will be in effect for your trip period (they are published quarterly; the most recent one shoul dbe coming out for march, so the one in effect for your trip will come out June 1 I think; you can call the NYC JR office from where you are now and ask to get that clear).
So you like the more modern toys, ok- well, there are all sorts of places in Broadway Mall in Nakano for you. There is a website. Most of the stores in the mall are owned by Mandarake, the biggest chain of anime and manga stores in Japan- so search for Broadway mall Nakano or Mandarake and you'll find the website. Do you like Bandai? There is also a Bandai museum in Tokyo, just north of Ueno area. My son loves Gundam.
I got exchange orders for 14 day JR passes. I think the prices are set by JR, aren't they? They are quoted in yen on JR's site. The only thing is you get the exchange rate on the day you buy it, and of course the exchange rate has gone down alot in last few months.

emd1

JNTO and JR offices in NYC are near Rock. Center. Addresses are on their websites. People are very nice and helpful and manager of JR office office gave me his card so I can call them directly w/questions. It was a happy day for me when I went there.

monkeyrhino

This is awesome. I will have to go when my husband is traveling or sneak when we are in nyc together. He is a big bandai fan. I see our savings dwindling. Have you gone into Toy Tokyo on Second Ave. in NYC. The guy who runs it, Peter, is great. Mostly modern stuff, but tons of capsule toys, etc. I think I have spent enough there to be part owner by now. I am still up in the air about the ryokan. We love experiencing other countries' culture, but it isn't cheap. Do you think going to a Kaiseki restaurant would be money better spent. There are so many decisions....

emd

You need others to give you advice on the ryokans and kaiseki, although yes, we are splurging for one kaiseki meal towards the end of the trip in Kyoto. But I need to tell you about the capsule toy place I found out about. Apparently there is a place in Tokyo, I think it is Akihabara, where there are like 500 capsule toy machines. We plan to stop by there. I'll get you the info, check back here. I'll also post the bandai museum info.

emd

Also, any interest in Osamu Tezuka, the famous physician anime/manga writer who was creator of Astroboy, etc? His museum is in Takarazuka (outside of Osaka) but there is a good exhibit going on this year of his work in Kyoto.

monkeyrhino

You guys are great. We love astro boy! I can't wait to hear about the capsule toy place. I am obsessed with them. I am going to make a separate post about ryokan/kaiseki. I tricked my husband into talking about it last night & it sounds like he would really enjoy staying at a ryokan 1 night. Feel free to give me any other tips/suggestions (not just on toys)...

emd1

monkey, for capsules in Tokyo see:
http://www.japan-guide.com/forum/que...y.html?0+13139

monkeyrhino

Holy moly. Forget the ryokan, I'll just sleep at the capsule toy store. hey probably would like the $500. This is awesome. THANKS!!!