One Small Thorn in Our Plan
 

It has been awhile since I posted with questions about our upcoming March trip to Japan. Since then we have pretty much finalized our plans with reservations made and will spon be ordering our JR Pass.

Tokyo - 6 nights
Nara - 1 night
Kyoto - 6 nights
Miyajima - 2 nights
Koyasaan -2 nights
Kanazawa - 4 nights
Takayama - 3 nights
Okhuida Onsen -1 night
Tokyo - 1 night before flight home

I am wondering if we should break up the Miyajima/Koyasaan/Kanazawa leg with 1 night in Osaka to ease the piggybacked
5 hour train trips or bite the bullet and keep as is. On our way from Miyajima we could stop at Himeji before the overnight in Osaka. Himeji would otherwise be a daytrip from Kyoto.

The choice of Osaka would necessitate dropping 1 night in Kanazawa or Takayama.

Any thoughts would be appreciated. Thank you.

It's one possibility. Or seeing Kobe is worthwhile too. As for Osaka, you can always go there in the evening after a day of sightseeing in Kyoto - evening is really when Osaka comes alive. If you need more time somewhere, you could also drop a night at Koyasan. I found one night to be quite enough, unless you want to do a lot of hiking in the area. There is very little you'll experience with a 2nd night there that you won't with just the first. Seeing Himeji is very much worth it - you can make a full day of it with the castle, Kokoen Garden and Mt Shosha, or half a day with the first two and half a day in Kobe.

I think it's really a matter of personal preference. I know that for myself, there are times when I don't mind a long train journey, even with multiple changes; there are other times when I want simpler connections. Not that getting to/from Koyasan is ever simple. ;)