Itinerary
March
19th to 20th - TOKYO - YMCA Hostel
Tokyo is Japan's capital. Prior to 1868, Tokyo was known as Edo. A small castle town in the 16th century, but only a few decades later, Edo had grown into one of the world's most populous cities.
19th Taking it easy!
- Penguin Bar
- Rabbit Cafe
20th Tour??
- Hatobus Tour - 9 to 5 trip including bus, lunch, cruise
- Imperial Gardens (Museum of Art, Museum of Modern Art, Higashi-Gyoen Gardens)
NB - 21st This is national holiday Spring Equinox
21st Visit Hakone via Osaka
Hakone is part of the Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park, less than 100 kilometers from Tokyo. Famous forhot springs, natural beauty and the view of nearby Mt. Fuji, Hakone is one of the most popular destinations among Japanese and international tourists looking for a break from Tokyo.
- Hakone Area (South of Mount Fuji
- cable car trip over lake
21st to 23rd - OSAKA Backpackers Hostel
22nd - final of Sumo tournament (finishes around 5.30)
23rd Osaka
With a population of 2.5 million, Osaka is Japan's third largest and second most important city. It has been the economic powerhouse of the Kansai region for many centuries. Osaka was formerly known as Naniwa. Before the Nara Period, when the capital used to be moved with the reign of each new emperor, Naniwa was once Japan's capital city, the first one ever known. In the 16th century, Toyotomi Hideyoshi chose Osaka as the location for his castle, and the city may have become Japan's capital if Tokugawa Ieyasu had not terminated the Toyotomi lineage after Hideyoshi's death and moved his government to distant Edo (Tokyo).
- Osaka Downtown - Minami (Namba)
- Osaka Castle
- Head shrine - Sumiyoshi Taishi
- Art Museum - not open Mondays
- Minoo Park
- Bay area
- Shitennoji Temple
- National Bunraku Theatre - click for theatre tickets
24th - Okunoshima (Rabbit Island) - Hotel booking - hotel website
Ōkunoshima is a small island located in the Inland Sea of Japan in the city of Takehara, Hiroshima Prefecture. It is accessible by ferry from Tadanoumi and Ōmishima. There are campsites, walking trails and places of historical interest on the island. It is often called Usagi Jima, "Rabbit Island") because of the numerous feral rabbits that roam the island; they are rather tame and will approach humans.
- 24 hours stay
- bike hire
- hot spring
25th to 28th - Fukuoka - hostel
27th Beppu day trip
Beppu is one of Japan's most famous hot spring resorts, producing more hot spring water than any other resort in the country. Beppu offers an unmatched range of baths to be enjoyed, including ordinary hot water baths, mud baths, sand baths and steam baths. In addition, the Hells of Beppu are several spectacular hot springs for viewing rather than bathing.
- Monkey Mountain
- Suginoi Spa Hotel (Day pass 1500 yen)
- Suginoi Palace (waterpark, next to hotel, No 1 attraction in Beppu) very good in the evening
- Hells (6 within walking distance of each other, v touristy)
26th & 28th Fukuoka
Fukuoka is Kyushu's largest and one of Japan's ten most populated cities. Because of its closeness to the Asian mainland (closer to Seoul than to Tokyo), Fukuoka has been an important harbor city for many centuries and was chosen by the Mongol invasion forces as their landing point in the 13th century. Today's Fukuoka is the product of the fusion of two cities in the year 1889, when the port city of Hakata and the former castle town of Fukuoka were united into one city called Fukuoka. Hakata remains the name of one of Fukuoka's central districts and of the main railway station.
- walking tour
(2000 yen each cash, meet guide in front of the Tourist Information Center in JR Hakata Station at 9:50 AM on 26th. Ends at 12.15)
- Ohori Park
- Brewery Tour (free)
- baseball The Hawks (27th March)
OPTIONAL ALTERNATIVE
Nagasaki day trip
- Atomic Bomb Museum
- Hashima Island (30 min boat ride)
- Glover Garden
- Mount Inasa
OPTIONAL ALTERNATIVE
29th - Okayama - day trip
29th to 1st - Kyoto - homestay
29th train to Kyoto leave around 12.30, meet family at 5pm
30th & 1st Kyoto
Kyoto served as Japan's capital and the emperor's residence from 794 until 1868. It is now the country's seventh largest city with a population of 1.4 million people and a modern face. Over the centuries, Kyoto was destroyed by many wars and fires, but due to its historic value, the city was dropped from the list of target cities for the atomic bomb and spared from air raids during World War II. Countless temples, shrines and other historically priceless structures survive in the city today.
There are 446 attractions listed on Trip Advisor. This area is simply massive. These are some of the best but check out one day in Kyoto and Kyoto Night Cruise bus (only on Thurs, Fri & Sat) and three days in Kyoto
- Fushimi Inari Shrine (no 1 visitor attraction)
- Zenrinji-Temple
- Shugakuin Imperial Villa - including wonderful landscaped gardens
- Monkey Park Iwatayama - long walk up a mountain but back up plan if don't go to monkey mountain in Beppu
- Gion (Geisha neighbourhood)
- Sagano - bamboo groves
- Ishibe Alley - well known old japanese street
31st Nara - day trip (see Kyoto & Nara page for details)
Japan's first permanent capital was established in the year 710 at Heijo, the city now known as Nara. As the influence and political ambitions of the city's powerful Buddhist monasteries grew to become a serious threat to the government, the capital was moved to Nagaoka in 784. Nara is located less than one hour from Kyoto and Osaka. Due to its past as the first permanent capital, it remains full of historic treasures, including some of Japan's oldest and largest temples.
- Todajii Temple (including cultural centre and cafe)
- Nara Park
- Kasuga Grand Shrine
- Pontocho
April
2nd & 3rd - Koyasan - Temple info - Temple website - Yochiin
Kōyasan set on Mount Koya is the center of Shingon Buddhism, an important Buddhist sect which was introduced to Japan in 805 by Kobo Daishi (also known as Kukai), one of Japan's most significant religious figures. A small, secluded temple town has developed around the sect's headquarters that Kobo Daishi built on Koyasan's wooded mountaintop. It is also the site of Kobo Daishi's mausoleum and the start and end point of the Shikoku 88 Temple Pilgrimage.
YOCHI-IN Temple was established in 1127 by Imperial Prince Kakuho, the fourth son of Emperor Shirakawa. In 1258, Emperor Gosaga visited Yochi-in and was so impressed by the beautiful cherry blossoms reflected on the garden pond. He ordered His Imperial Highness Prince Kujo to compose a tanka (thirty-one syllables' poem) describing his serene mind reflected by the beautiful scenery of cherry blossoms reflected on the clear pond water. After that, this temple was renamed YOCHI-IN, a temple of cherry blossom pond.
- meditation starts at 6.30am, then breakfast at 7am
- the gates of the temple are closed at 9pm, slippers to be worn at all times in the temple
- the temple is on top of Mount Koya - the centre of Shingon Buddhism - there are lots of temples and pilgrim trails (many are seriously challenging)
- can only be accessed by cablecar
4th to 6th Shirahama - hotel
Shirahama is a well developed onsen (hot spring) resort 100 kilometers south of Osaka. Its popularity as an entertainment destination and its proximity to Osaka caused Shirahama to become one of Japan's three biggest onsen resorts, along with Beppu on Kyushu and Atami on the Izu Peninsula. The name Shirahama is Japanese for "white beach", and refers to the resort's other major attraction, a 500 meter long sand beach.
- 5th and 6th plan to rest
7th & 8th Nagoya - hotel - will arrive early evening on 7th and leave on 9th late afternoon
8th Takayama - day trip
Takayama is a city in the mountainous Hida region of Gifu Prefecture. To differentiate it from other places named Takayama, the city is also commonly referred to as Hida-Takayama. Takayama retains a traditional touch like few other Japanese cities, especially in its beautifully preserved old town. The city was consequently put under direct control of the shogun and enjoyed quite a bit of prosperity considering its remote mountain location. The Takayama Festival, held in spring, is considered one of Japan's best festivals.
9th Nagoya - tourist guide
With over two million inhabitants, Nagoya is Japan's fourth most populated city. It is the capital of Aichi Prefecture and the principal city of the Nobi plain, one of Honshu's three large plains and metropolitan and industrial centers. Nagoya developed as the castle town of the Owari, one of the three branches of the ruling Tokugawa family during the Edo Period. Much of the city, including most of its historic buildings, were destroyed in the air raids of 1945.
- Tokugawa Art Museum and Gardens (1200 yen)
- Nagoya castle (500 yen)
- Osu shopping and Temple
- downtown area of Sakae (best evening entertainment)
- Nagoya TV Tower (10am to 10pm) - (700 yen)
9th to 13th Tokyo - homestay
10th Nikko - day trip
Nikko is a town at the entrance to Nikko National Park, most famous for Toshogu, Japan's most lavishly decorated shrine and the mausoleum of Tokugawa Ieyasu, the founder of the Tokugawa shogunate. Nikko had been a center of Shinto and Buddhist mountain worship for many centuries before Toshogu was built in the 1600s, and Nikko National Park continues to offer scenic, mountainous landscapes, lakes, waterfalls, hot springs, wild monkeys and hiking trails.
Tokyo
- Yoyogi Park - particularly good early sunday evenings
Day trip Yokohama
Yokohama is Japan's second largest city with a population of over three million. Yokohama is located less than half an hour south of Tokyo by train, and is the capital of Kanagawa Prefecture. Towards the end of the Edo Period (1603-1867), during which Japan maintained a policy of self-isolation, Yokohama's port was one of the first to be opened to foreign trade in 1859. Consequently, Yokohama quickly grew from a small fishing village into one of Japan's major cities. Until today, Yokohama remains popular among expats, has one of the world's largest chinatowns and preserves some former Western residences in the Yamate district.
- J league soccer match
Kamakura - day trip (optional)
14th - fly home
19th to 20th - TOKYO - YMCA Hostel
Tokyo is Japan's capital. Prior to 1868, Tokyo was known as Edo. A small castle town in the 16th century, but only a few decades later, Edo had grown into one of the world's most populous cities.
19th Taking it easy!
- Penguin Bar
- Rabbit Cafe
20th Tour??
- Hatobus Tour - 9 to 5 trip including bus, lunch, cruise
- Imperial Gardens (Museum of Art, Museum of Modern Art, Higashi-Gyoen Gardens)
NB - 21st This is national holiday Spring Equinox
21st Visit Hakone via Osaka
Hakone is part of the Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park, less than 100 kilometers from Tokyo. Famous forhot springs, natural beauty and the view of nearby Mt. Fuji, Hakone is one of the most popular destinations among Japanese and international tourists looking for a break from Tokyo.
- Hakone Area (South of Mount Fuji
- cable car trip over lake
21st to 23rd - OSAKA Backpackers Hostel
22nd - final of Sumo tournament (finishes around 5.30)
23rd Osaka
With a population of 2.5 million, Osaka is Japan's third largest and second most important city. It has been the economic powerhouse of the Kansai region for many centuries. Osaka was formerly known as Naniwa. Before the Nara Period, when the capital used to be moved with the reign of each new emperor, Naniwa was once Japan's capital city, the first one ever known. In the 16th century, Toyotomi Hideyoshi chose Osaka as the location for his castle, and the city may have become Japan's capital if Tokugawa Ieyasu had not terminated the Toyotomi lineage after Hideyoshi's death and moved his government to distant Edo (Tokyo).
- Osaka Downtown - Minami (Namba)
- Osaka Castle
- Head shrine - Sumiyoshi Taishi
- Art Museum - not open Mondays
- Minoo Park
- Bay area
- Shitennoji Temple
- National Bunraku Theatre - click for theatre tickets
24th - Okunoshima (Rabbit Island) - Hotel booking - hotel website
Ōkunoshima is a small island located in the Inland Sea of Japan in the city of Takehara, Hiroshima Prefecture. It is accessible by ferry from Tadanoumi and Ōmishima. There are campsites, walking trails and places of historical interest on the island. It is often called Usagi Jima, "Rabbit Island") because of the numerous feral rabbits that roam the island; they are rather tame and will approach humans.
- 24 hours stay
- bike hire
- hot spring
25th to 28th - Fukuoka - hostel
27th Beppu day trip
Beppu is one of Japan's most famous hot spring resorts, producing more hot spring water than any other resort in the country. Beppu offers an unmatched range of baths to be enjoyed, including ordinary hot water baths, mud baths, sand baths and steam baths. In addition, the Hells of Beppu are several spectacular hot springs for viewing rather than bathing.
- Monkey Mountain
- Suginoi Spa Hotel (Day pass 1500 yen)
- Suginoi Palace (waterpark, next to hotel, No 1 attraction in Beppu) very good in the evening
- Hells (6 within walking distance of each other, v touristy)
26th & 28th Fukuoka
Fukuoka is Kyushu's largest and one of Japan's ten most populated cities. Because of its closeness to the Asian mainland (closer to Seoul than to Tokyo), Fukuoka has been an important harbor city for many centuries and was chosen by the Mongol invasion forces as their landing point in the 13th century. Today's Fukuoka is the product of the fusion of two cities in the year 1889, when the port city of Hakata and the former castle town of Fukuoka were united into one city called Fukuoka. Hakata remains the name of one of Fukuoka's central districts and of the main railway station.
- walking tour
(2000 yen each cash, meet guide in front of the Tourist Information Center in JR Hakata Station at 9:50 AM on 26th. Ends at 12.15)
- Ohori Park
- Brewery Tour (free)
- baseball The Hawks (27th March)
OPTIONAL ALTERNATIVE
Nagasaki day trip
- Atomic Bomb Museum
- Hashima Island (30 min boat ride)
- Glover Garden
- Mount Inasa
OPTIONAL ALTERNATIVE
29th - Okayama - day trip
29th to 1st - Kyoto - homestay
29th train to Kyoto leave around 12.30, meet family at 5pm
30th & 1st Kyoto
Kyoto served as Japan's capital and the emperor's residence from 794 until 1868. It is now the country's seventh largest city with a population of 1.4 million people and a modern face. Over the centuries, Kyoto was destroyed by many wars and fires, but due to its historic value, the city was dropped from the list of target cities for the atomic bomb and spared from air raids during World War II. Countless temples, shrines and other historically priceless structures survive in the city today.
There are 446 attractions listed on Trip Advisor. This area is simply massive. These are some of the best but check out one day in Kyoto and Kyoto Night Cruise bus (only on Thurs, Fri & Sat) and three days in Kyoto
- Fushimi Inari Shrine (no 1 visitor attraction)
- Zenrinji-Temple
- Shugakuin Imperial Villa - including wonderful landscaped gardens
- Monkey Park Iwatayama - long walk up a mountain but back up plan if don't go to monkey mountain in Beppu
- Gion (Geisha neighbourhood)
- Sagano - bamboo groves
- Ishibe Alley - well known old japanese street
31st Nara - day trip (see Kyoto & Nara page for details)
Japan's first permanent capital was established in the year 710 at Heijo, the city now known as Nara. As the influence and political ambitions of the city's powerful Buddhist monasteries grew to become a serious threat to the government, the capital was moved to Nagaoka in 784. Nara is located less than one hour from Kyoto and Osaka. Due to its past as the first permanent capital, it remains full of historic treasures, including some of Japan's oldest and largest temples.
- Todajii Temple (including cultural centre and cafe)
- Nara Park
- Kasuga Grand Shrine
- Pontocho
April
2nd & 3rd - Koyasan - Temple info - Temple website - Yochiin
Kōyasan set on Mount Koya is the center of Shingon Buddhism, an important Buddhist sect which was introduced to Japan in 805 by Kobo Daishi (also known as Kukai), one of Japan's most significant religious figures. A small, secluded temple town has developed around the sect's headquarters that Kobo Daishi built on Koyasan's wooded mountaintop. It is also the site of Kobo Daishi's mausoleum and the start and end point of the Shikoku 88 Temple Pilgrimage.
YOCHI-IN Temple was established in 1127 by Imperial Prince Kakuho, the fourth son of Emperor Shirakawa. In 1258, Emperor Gosaga visited Yochi-in and was so impressed by the beautiful cherry blossoms reflected on the garden pond. He ordered His Imperial Highness Prince Kujo to compose a tanka (thirty-one syllables' poem) describing his serene mind reflected by the beautiful scenery of cherry blossoms reflected on the clear pond water. After that, this temple was renamed YOCHI-IN, a temple of cherry blossom pond.
- meditation starts at 6.30am, then breakfast at 7am
- the gates of the temple are closed at 9pm, slippers to be worn at all times in the temple
- the temple is on top of Mount Koya - the centre of Shingon Buddhism - there are lots of temples and pilgrim trails (many are seriously challenging)
- can only be accessed by cablecar
4th to 6th Shirahama - hotel
Shirahama is a well developed onsen (hot spring) resort 100 kilometers south of Osaka. Its popularity as an entertainment destination and its proximity to Osaka caused Shirahama to become one of Japan's three biggest onsen resorts, along with Beppu on Kyushu and Atami on the Izu Peninsula. The name Shirahama is Japanese for "white beach", and refers to the resort's other major attraction, a 500 meter long sand beach.
- 5th and 6th plan to rest
7th & 8th Nagoya - hotel - will arrive early evening on 7th and leave on 9th late afternoon
8th Takayama - day trip
Takayama is a city in the mountainous Hida region of Gifu Prefecture. To differentiate it from other places named Takayama, the city is also commonly referred to as Hida-Takayama. Takayama retains a traditional touch like few other Japanese cities, especially in its beautifully preserved old town. The city was consequently put under direct control of the shogun and enjoyed quite a bit of prosperity considering its remote mountain location. The Takayama Festival, held in spring, is considered one of Japan's best festivals.
9th Nagoya - tourist guide
With over two million inhabitants, Nagoya is Japan's fourth most populated city. It is the capital of Aichi Prefecture and the principal city of the Nobi plain, one of Honshu's three large plains and metropolitan and industrial centers. Nagoya developed as the castle town of the Owari, one of the three branches of the ruling Tokugawa family during the Edo Period. Much of the city, including most of its historic buildings, were destroyed in the air raids of 1945.
- Tokugawa Art Museum and Gardens (1200 yen)
- Nagoya castle (500 yen)
- Osu shopping and Temple
- downtown area of Sakae (best evening entertainment)
- Nagoya TV Tower (10am to 10pm) - (700 yen)
9th to 13th Tokyo - homestay
10th Nikko - day trip
Nikko is a town at the entrance to Nikko National Park, most famous for Toshogu, Japan's most lavishly decorated shrine and the mausoleum of Tokugawa Ieyasu, the founder of the Tokugawa shogunate. Nikko had been a center of Shinto and Buddhist mountain worship for many centuries before Toshogu was built in the 1600s, and Nikko National Park continues to offer scenic, mountainous landscapes, lakes, waterfalls, hot springs, wild monkeys and hiking trails.
Tokyo
- Yoyogi Park - particularly good early sunday evenings
Day trip Yokohama
Yokohama is Japan's second largest city with a population of over three million. Yokohama is located less than half an hour south of Tokyo by train, and is the capital of Kanagawa Prefecture. Towards the end of the Edo Period (1603-1867), during which Japan maintained a policy of self-isolation, Yokohama's port was one of the first to be opened to foreign trade in 1859. Consequently, Yokohama quickly grew from a small fishing village into one of Japan's major cities. Until today, Yokohama remains popular among expats, has one of the world's largest chinatowns and preserves some former Western residences in the Yamate district.
- J league soccer match
Kamakura - day trip (optional)
14th - fly home