Updated itinerary for Japan 2024 - would appreciate hotel recommendations especially!
 

So I’ve revised my latest itinerary (20 nights) and am pretty comfortable with it. A few questions left but feel the overall itinerary works well. We will have been in Taiwan for 2 weeks prior so I’m trying to keep the plan manageable. We arrive 7pm in Fukuoka from Taiwan.

Fukuoka - 3 nights (include day trip to Nanzoin)
Kurokawa Onsen- 2 nights (reservation made in Yamamizuki)
Kumamoto -3 (considering a night in Aso park area - worth it?)
Hiroshima - 2 (possible day trip to Miyajima)
Matsuyama -2
Takamatsu -3 (day trip to Naoshima)
Kyoto -5 (return to Hotel Mume, day trips to Uji, Nara(?), Himeji(?))

I would very much appreciate hotel recommendations for Fukuoka, Kumamoto, Hiroshima, Matsuyama and Takamatsu.

Also, I’d love to visit Mt Aso though wonder if it’s worth stopping there between Kurokawa and Kumamoto.

Grand Hyatt Fukuoka
there is a Washington Hotel next to it also. The photos of the one in Asakusa? In the recent TR impressed me

Sheraton.in Hiroshima next to Shinkansen side of station. Or Riggs Royal short walk to Genbaku Dome

idk about Aso. I stayed there one night but going up the volcano was closed

TR by vickiebypass was the TR I referred to in post in moderation

Hotel Patio Dogo in Matsuyama had room twice as big and half the price as my Tokyo hotel. It is next to must visit Dogo Onsen

Am in Chantilly now for French Derby on Sunday. Quite cool here

Thanks, mrwunrfl! Enjoy the French Derby! We just got back from Greece so I’m back to Japan & Taiwan planning.

I haven’t had a chance to finish vickiebypass’s TR but looking forward to it.

If we do go to Mt Aso and/or Takachiho Gorge, it’ll probably be from Kumamoto.

Ghostwriter for the win! My bet lol
Aloha!

Playing the chalk, Peter, ok I will take that bet

We tend to mix budget and splurge so we did Dormy Inn in Kumamoto but Sanga Ryokan in Kurokawa Onsen. In Fukuoka we stayed in Dormy Inn Premium Hakata Canal City. This was all in 2013.

For Hiroshima our overnight was on Miyajima, we stayed in Auberge Watanabe. That was 2012.

Progol, wanted to say thanks for Matsumoto Sakaba rec. We loved it there and ate there twice it was so good. We stayed at the Tenza Hotel in Fukuoka. It was only for one night but great location next to station, helpful and good breakfast. Nanzoin was a great visit.

We absolutely loved Miyajima. We spent about 5 hours in Hiroshima and then ferried over. We stayed 2 nights-one in Seaside Hotel and second in Yamachi Bekkan. We loved Yamaich Bekkan-room 317 was huge with 1.5 baths. Food much more modern and to our tastes rather than Seaside. Owner absolutely delightful. We did a 3 hour kayak trip under the tori gate at sunset/high tide. We can't wait to return to Japan.

Kavey and plumbers,

Thanks for the suggestions! As it turns out, I’ve changed my itinerary once again (!) and we’re focusing on Kyushu and Yakushima and, as of now, not going to Hiroshima. If I change my mind once again (which may happen) I’ll definitely look into staying on Miyajima. Yammach Bekkan sounds wonderful! And your kayak trip sounds fantastic.

kavey, Thanks for the suggestion for Sanga ryokan. Right now, I do have a reservation for Yamamizuki though Sanga looks lovely, too. It seems like it’s too early to book Sanga, so I’ll see what’s available in a month or so.

Right now, working primarily on plans for Yakushima, which has intrigued both of us.

plambers, I’m glad you had a wonderful trip, despite the right start!

Yamamizuki looks wonderful too, to be fair!

Makes sense to focus more on Kyushu and your revised itinerary does look good and makes sense to me!

Thanks, Kavey! And I do like Yamamizuki, too. It looks beautiful. A tad further from the center than Sanga if we do want to take a walk during the day, but we can’t go wrong either way.

Between Taiwan and Japan, I’ve tweaked this trip SO many times, I’m almost embarrassed to post!

Oh I do the same and tweak a lot until I have booked hotels and car hire / internal flights.
After that the focus drills down into whether I want to pre-book any tours or activities in any given place, or a restaurant reservation here and there!

Thanks, Kavey! I’m still in the refining/booking phase though I think I’m close to saying I’m done with the overall plan! 🤞🤞🤞