Need help filling out my itinerary
 

As some of you may remember I spent several weeks last year traveling around. This year I wanted to explore other perhaps a little less traveled parts if that exists.

The reason I am going back to Kyoto there were too many things I never got to see, the same for Osaka. This is the itinerary so far. I am flying from Matsuyama to Fukuoka on Nov 2 and have purchased that ticket. Will probably spend 5 days or so there in order to see the Karatsu festival as well as the Saga Balloon festival and other side trips.

Where do I go after Takamatsu before Matsuyama?

Thur Oct 12 JFK Eva Airway BR 29

Fri Oct 13 Taipei
Sat Oct 14
Sun Oct 15

Mon Oct 16 Hualien
Tue Oct 17

Wed Oct 18 Taipei

Thur Oct 19 Osaka Jetstar 721
Fri Oct 20

Sat Oct 21 Kyoto
Sun Oct 22
Mon Oct 23
Tues Oct 24
Wed Oct 25

Thur Oct 26 Naoshima
Fri Oct 27
Sat Oct 28 17.00-18.15 Chichu Art Museum nightshow

Sat Oct 28 Takamatsu


Also am a little confused by the e-mail I received confirming my reservation at Chichu art museum.
This is how it ended:
・Others : We recommend to reserve a taxi, as there is no public transportation after the program. Please take care on your way back if you are planning to walk or to use a bicycle. There are not many streetlights.
Naoshima Taxi 087-892-3036
※click below for ferry schedule.
HP：http://www.shikokukisen.com/
※No more ferry to Takamatsu by this time.

According to the ferry schedule there is one at 19.15 going to Takamatsu. What am I missing here?

Also need to clarify that I am now 1 year older, have just undergone spinal surgery. Do not drive nor ride a bicycle otherwise I'm fine, or will be in a few weeks.

In case you want to get a sense of how I travel here is my TR from last year.
http://www.fodors.com/community/asia...s-to-japan.cfm

Thanks in advance for your great help and advice.

I can only speak to the Kyoto leg of this trip, and particularly because this visit will be your second, I like that you are giving it a bit of time. If you haven't already seen it, you might consider a day trip or two to Nara (actually, I'm glad I spent two nights in Nara). And you have many other day trip options from Kyoto, so you might want to think through your priorities in advance so you can adjust your plans if necessary based on how your are dealing with your recovery.

And of course, best wishes for continued success with your recovery. :-)

I spent three nights in Nara and didn't run out of things to do.

If you are going to Fukuoka, are you also going to Nagasaki?

I was in Nara last year. Am definitively planing on going to Nagasaki.

Concerning the ferry time, you might email them directly. There is a contact page in Japanese but you only have to put your name, email, and question which you can do in simple English....
http://www.shikokukisen.com/contact_us/
I would think you should get a reply.

As far as time between Takamatsu and Matsuyama you have four or five days depending on travel time....did you want to stay either in Takamatsu and Matsuyama as a base or travel more? I spent a week or so and covered a lot of ground by train....

This doesn't help with your original question, but if you have time when you're in Fukuoka, consider taking a day trip to Okawachiyama. We contacted the Goodwill Guides in Arita, where they picked us up and drove us around. It was a truly memorable day.

Here's an article that gives some more detail: http://voyapon.com/saga-imari-wind-bell-festival/

Mara,
That is exactly my dilemma. Have no idea where to go or what to do. Would very much appreciate your itinerary and impressions.
Thanks

Getting to your central question, there are a number of things you can see in Shikoku - it is often ignored by the tourists crowds, and while there is nothing like Niagara Falls or the Egyptian pyramids, there are some pretty nice worthwhile spots.

First for Takamatsu, one of the finest places is the Ritsurin Garden - often rated as one of Japan's best.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=afx-Ju52FiY

Some other possibilities include Shikoku Mura, an open air museum that will give you a glimpse of Japan from centuries ago, plus Takamatsu has its castle ruins, mountaintop Yashima temple (one of the Shikoku pilgrimage) and 2 nearby islands to explore, Ogijima and Megijima.
Leaving the city, if you have the legs for a climb, in Kotohira there is the Konpirasan Shrine, and makes for an excellent half day hike with a commanding view at the top.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ley9rVIewoQ

In Marugame, there is Marugame castle - smallish but has a nice atmosphere.
http://www.marugame-castle.jp/
And just beyond is a real hidden jewel - the Unpenji Temple.
https://goo.gl/DWjUji
This is another pilgrimage site and has some wonderful views and some rare temple scenery.

And closer to Matsuyama is Imabari, with a nice castle that's one of the few seaside castles.

I spent three nights in Takamatsu, two in Matsuyama and four in Kochi.

From Takamatsu I spent one day in Naoshima - you don't have to do that again ;-) - did sightseeing in Takamatsu, a day trip to Tokushima and another day to Kompirasan Shrine and Marugame.

In Matsuyama I visited the local sights and took a day trip to Uchiko.

I don't think you will really have enough time to visit Kochi and it's a long train ride....hope that helps....

※No more ferry to Takamatsu by this time.

That is true.

>> According to the ferry schedule there is one at 19.15

That is not true. The last ferry is at 17:00.

The 19:15 boat is not a ferry. It is a High Speed Boat

I suppose it is too late to discuss <s>talk you out of</s> that flight from Matsuyama?

Takamatsu to Kochi is a bit over two hours on a l'ex.

Kochi to Matsuyama is 4 hours with one change. On the that route are Kotohira, Marugame, and Imabari, which Adastra2200 mentioned.

Kochi to Matsuyama is best via Uwajima. One of the nicest rural train rides in all of Japan. Uwajima has an original castle and an, ahem, interesting shrine. Ozu is good, too.

From Kochi you can visit the Iya Valley, another best in Japan sight.

From Imabari you can take a bus along the Shimanami Kaido to the Oyazumi Shrine on Omishima Island. This is a really beautiful shrine, and it has most of the original samurai armor in Japan, including that of famous women warriors.

From Matsuyama, there's a convenient and pleasant ferry to Kure and Hiroshima.

Don't forget the Naruto whirlpools. You can see them quite well from the walkway/viewing area under the bridge.

Thank you all for the terrific suggestions.

Am still not convinced that I should go to Kochi. It seems that there is a lot to see and do around Matsuyama. With daytrips e.g. to Uwajima and Ozu.

mrwunrful It is not too late to discuss my flight. In the scheme of things it is easily cancelled.
What is your alternative suggestion? Since I really want to make the side trips to Saga and Karatsu that weekend am trying to save travel time.

Thanks for clarifying ferry vs speedboat.

internetwiz great suggestion Okawachiyama sound just what I would like.

Adastra hate to admit it but I have never been to Niagara falls or the Egyptian pyramids, nor have I really wanted to go there. Am planing on Shikoku Mura as well as Ritsurin Garden. I went to an open air museum outside Seoul which I enjoyed immensely.

Unpenji Temple looks stupendous as well as Marugame and the islands.

Am really excited just hope that my back heals in time. Keep your fingers crossed.

>>Am still not convinced that I should go to Kochi.
Me either, though it is possible without a reasonable amount of travel. Matsuyama is where I fell in love with Japan on my first trip. I stayed at Hotel Patio Dogo with a view of Dogo Onsen. It was a nice large room, bigger and less expensive than what I had in Tokyo.

Between Takamatsu and Matsuyama you could easily visit Okayama and/or Kurashiki. The backtracking across the Seto-Ohashi is not long and well worth it, imo. It is very scenic with views of the islands in the Seto Naikai as well as of the awesome bridge system itself.

I would at least visit Kojima for the bridge/sea viewpoint and the town has some interest, I think. There is something on the Shikoku side of the bridges at Sakaide.

Kojima is the denim capital of Japan!
http://www.jnto.go.jp/eng/regional/o...etoohashi.html

I crossed the Seto Ohashi at sunset and it was amazing. It was dark for almost all of the Shikoku part of the trip to Matsuyama and hope I didn't miss much scenery.

I really enjoyed the hydrofoil trip from Matsuyama to Hiroshima on my way to Fukuoka. It is a national park area and quite pretty. Missing that as well as the Seto Ohashi crossing, and the boat ride from Naoshima will be in the dark, was what prompted my comment about the flight.

But, the boat ride was a bit long and then you have to take a street car to Hiroshima station. Flying would be quick and easy, so a good option now that I think about it.

The Kyushu Bassho (grand sumo tournament) might be on when you are in Fukuoka. Great fun.

Maybe of more interest to you would be Hakata dolls. There is a shop at Hakata station and a better one in Tenjin. They are also sold in the arena during the sumo tournament.

They are beautiful and inexpensive:
https://www.google.com/search?q=haka...8EEj-3R3eIKfM:

Thank you all for the very excellent advice and suggestions.
As usual I realized when it was too late that I made a mistake in my scheduling. Oh well, I will get to some places and not others and that's OK.

Here is my new itinerary based on much of what you told me. The only date that I cannot change is Nov.2 since I bought an airplane ticket for that day. I realize that some of the places are very short stays but it was the best I could do.
Also I said to one poster that I would not buy a JR pass this time, but have changed my mind. I think I will just abut break even on a 21 day pass but the convenience is worth it. Will initiate as I leave Osaka.
Here is my new itinerary
Thur Oct 12 JFK Eva Airway BR 29

Fri Oct 13 Taipei
Sat Oct 14
Sun Oct 15

Mon Oct 16 Hualien
Tue Oct 17

Wed Oct 18 Taipei

Thur Oct 19 Osaka Jetstar 721 12.40-16.30
Sat Oct 21 Aquarium
Castle open air museum
Sat Oct 21 Kyoto
Sun Oct 22 Parade from Palace
Mon Oct 23 Hikone
Tues Oct 24 Miho Museum
Wed Oct 25 Palace
Thur Oct 26
Thur Oct 26 Naoshima
Fri Oct 27
Sat Oct 28 17.00-18.05 Chichu Art Museum nightshow

Sat Oct 28 Takamatsu
Sun Oct 29
Mon Oct 30 Tokushima
Tue Oct 31
Wed Nov 1 Matsuyama
Thur Nov 2 Fly to Fukuoka
Thurs Nov 2 Fukuoka
Fri Nov 3 Fukuoka Karatsu Midori
Sat Nov 4 Fukuoka Saga Balloon Festival
Sun Nov 5 Fukuoka Yubuko Market
Mon Nov 6 Fukuoka Yanagawa
Tues Nov 7 Fukuoka Nanzoin Temple
Wedn Nov 8 Fukuoka
Thur Nov 9 Nagasaki Arita
Fri Nov 10 Nagasaki Huis Ten Bosch
Sat Nov 11 Nagasaki
Sun Nov 12 Nagasaki
Mond Nov 13 Fukuoka-Taiwan

Of course feel free to comment.

>>I think I will just abut break even on a 21 day pass
Why do you think that is true? I don't think it is. Anyway, your plan to use it when you leave Osaka means that it would not be valid for the trip from Nagasaki to Fukuoka.

https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2361_03.html
https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2357_shikoku.html
https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2361_05.html

6,300 Kansai, 4 days
9,000 Shikoku, 3 days
10,000 Kyushu, 5 days
8,600 ticket for Kyoto to Uno (for boat to Naoshima)
======
33,600

Considering that the 21-day pass costs 59,350, I would say that the extra $200+ is a high price for the convenience.

Actually, the Kansai Area Pass is overkill too. The cost of the 4-day pass is probably higher than the cost of all of your travel from the 19th thru the 26th.

The Shikoku pass does provide savings and convenience. And it includes reserved seats when available. The 3-day pass would be for the 30th to the 1st. But a 4- or 5-day pass would give you a lot of flexibility for only 900 or 1500 more.

The Northern Kyushu pass would also give good savings and convenience.

Mrwunrful,
You truly are wonderful I have been sitting with Hyperdia and tried to figure it out. This makes a lot of sense. Do I buy them in Japan or in NYC?

Read the 3 links. Your question is answered in the Points of Sale paragraphs.

Do you have a plan for the 28th and 29th?

Am I reading your itin corrrectly:
- you are leaving Takamatsu for Tokushima on the 30th?
- you are leaving Fukuoka(Hakata) on the 9th and are stopping at Arita on the way to Nagasaki that evening?
- you are leaving Nagasaki on the 13th?

Your Saga festival daytrip on the 4th will be a popular idea, so you probably want to get your seat reservations in advance. It is about 41 min and ¥2,450 each way.

Here are the timetables that you need:
Hakata to Saga: http://tinyurl.com/ybky8bk8
Saga to Hakata: http://tinyurl.com/yben9tz7

November 3: do you mean Karatsu Kunchi(not Karatsu Midori)?

>>Do you have a plan for the 28th and 29th?
That question is really: are you planning travel outside of Takamatsu on those days? (Kojima is only a half-hour away)

mrwunrfl all excellent suggestions.
I thought all festivals were called Midori, now I learnt differently

I arrive in the evening the 28th, with the speedboat from
Naoshima to Takamatsu, leave on the 30th for Tokushima.

Am not familiar with Kojima, also am not sure
I will have time to see and doo what I want to as well as take a few hours off to travel elsewhere. Will play it by ear.
which is how I usually travel anyway.

>>Will play it by ear.

Ok, then I recommend that you:
- not get the Kansai Area Pass
- get the Shikoku pass in Takamatsu
--- a 4-day pass on the 29th if you decide to travel outside of Takamatsu that day AND will be going to Tokushima the next day.
--- a 3-day pass on the 30th if you go to Tokushima that day and Matsuyama on the 1st.

If you had difficulty with hyperdia, then be aware that Hakata is the name of the JR station you would use for Fukuoka.

Also your Takamatsu and Matsuyama destinations are:
TAKAMATSU(KAGAWA)
MATSUYAMA(EHIME)

Naoshima doesn't show on hyperdia. Your rail destination is Uno where you can get the boat to Naoshima. I think there is a second boat departure location at/near another station other than Uno, but the rail travel time and cost would be pretty much the same.

>>I thought all festivals were called Midori, now I learnt differently

The word you were thinking of is matsuri, meaning festival (midori means the color green).

I think it is correct to say that you will be attending the Karatsu Kunchi Matsuri (a festival involving a particular ritual).

<i>Kunchi is a ritual of sending gods from karatsu up to a place where God's are born. They hold this festival to show gods appreciations for good cultivation of products such as grains.</i>

more or less a (rice) harvest festival and thanksgiving

The day you plan to attend, the 3rd, is a national holiday in Japan called Culture Day. This year it is the start of a 3-day weekend.

For the trip from Hakata to Kuratsu by rail you would take a subway to a Meinohama and then a JR local to Karatsu. https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e8375.html

I wonder if there are buses for the festival (to guarantee a seat).

but, a bus would mean sitting in a traffic jam

Of course I meant Matsuri, since my Japanese is very limited and the memory even more so I get mixed up.

Have ordered and picked up the local train passes. There is one for Kansai called wide which is for 5 days and cost $79. I will save a few dollars by using it and activating it on the 23rd for my visit to Hikone. It covers the trip to Uno as well.

I think there are buses to Karatsu but the website is in Japanese even with English translation it's hard to figure out.

Leave tomorrow at 1 pm hope my back holds up for the 15 hour flight, though I am flying 1st class with a lie flat bed.

The first trip report will be from Taiwan.

Good, that 5th day oh the Kansawi WAP makes it worthwhile. Have a wonderful trip!

Bon voyage!

Happy travels!
If you have time in Taipei, the cable car to Maokong is a lovely excursion. https://www.kaveyeats.com/2017/09/ta...o-maokong.html

Kavey

I wish I could on this trip. The weather is horrendous with torrential rains and wind. Will save it for my return in November.
Thanks for the tip it sounds and looks glorious.

"The weather is horrendous with torrential rains and wind. "

Oh no! Sounds like my arrival on Taiwan which coincided with a typhoon. Did clear up after a couple of days, though.

Oh no, what a shame that the weather is so awful.
I know one of the night markets we visited was covered, Huaxi I think, whereas the rest were open. But a lot of Taipei's sights are open to the weather. Hope you still have a good trip, in spite of the weather!

My first TR is on the Taiwanese Forum

Oct. 17
Today was totally a day of unexpected occurrences, actually most days are. Decided to have breakfast out, walked by a place that was displaying their breakfast items on a table outside, that’s how I ended up eating Turnip cakes and dried Tofu with Brown Rice for breakfast. It was really delicious, as I continued my walk I passed an herbalist, the scents were too tantalizing so I stepped in. He was weighing and making packages of herbs, spices and dried fruits. I recognized bay leaves and I think it was dried passion fruits crushed up. unfortunately there was a language barrier so I was unable to find out what today’s recipe was for.
Finally it was time to go to the National Palace Museum as it was another rainy day. The Museum required a subway and bus ride since it’s located quite a distance from my hotel. My hotel is not really a hotel it is a hostel with private rooms. My room is small, but it has a wall length mirror to make it appear larger. There is a shower, toilet and sink plus the most comfortable double bed with a delicious comforter. It is a relatively short walk to the nearest MRT (subway) and no end of choices for eating on the way.
The National Palace Museum was free because today was a cultural day. I think every tour group in town had decided it was a very good day to visit. I managed to see some of the most precious paintings, they only exhibit 20 at a time. Got my picture taken in regional costumes, an interactive exhibit of which I have seen several versions. You stand in front of and then you become part of the scene, very amusing for children and some adults. After a while I couldn’t take the noise and crowds and left.
The day before I had met an American woman who was traveling with her two small children. She told me about a restaurant called Paradise Dynasty which was on the 4th floor of an office building by Taipei City Hall. They served amongst other things Xiao Long Bao {soup dumplings} in different flavors, each flavor had it’s own color. In order they were original, ginseng, foie gras, back truffle, cheese, crab roe, garlic and Szechuan. Of course I ordered that as well as a delicious dish of water spinach in bean sauce cost $15. The whole area was extremely upscale, as were all the restaurants on that floor, it reminded me of Japanese department stores with a group of restaurants to a floor.

On the 47th floor was a Morton’s of Chicago offering a Barolo dinner for $160 on 10/30. The whole area was such a culture shock compared to the rest of the city. Every luxe brand has its own boutique and it is generic of upscale shopping anywhere in the world. Have hardly ever felt so self-consciously misplaced as here . As I was walking around I passed a launch by a Danish woman named Ilse Jacobsen of Hornbaeck, who has partnered with a Taiwanese entrepreneur whose name I didn’t get but her collection is called Weng collection, there were a handful of people attending. Across the street there was another launch which had a large group of young people trying to get close to whoever the celebrity was. Christmas decorations were already being displayed, preparations for a European food festival/market with Christmas motive was being readied. So strange in this heat to think of Christmas.

I continued on to Taipei 101, I know it was misty but went up anyway. The gondolas didn't appear to be running. The commercialism was mind boggling you were unable to exit without walking through what seemed like two city blocks of Coral and Jade for sale apart from all the merchandise before you ascended and while you were up there. By now I was exhausted and decided to call it a day. No wonder I had walked almost 4 miles and my back and legs told me to quit.

OOPS! Meant to post on my trip report