Planning help
Aug 11th, 2016, 05:36 AM
#21
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KJA "no bad choices here -- just difficult ones".
Love it. I think I'll just toss the dice and go. And leave the rest for another trip. I can't wait!
mrwunrfl, I hoped to go to Hakone 2 nights, Okayama 2 nights and possibly Kyoto 2 nights. But Hakone is a long weekend and its impossible to find accommodation, except in emergency rooms of 3 tatami mat size, costing an arm and leg. So I'll leave that for next trip too.
I think I might go Takayama, Kamazawa and possibly spend an extra day in that area area before the tour and after the tour go to Kyoto for 4 nights and Okayama for 2 for the enhiition before flying out. This seems more simple and less running around. If its all good ...
Love it. I think I'll just toss the dice and go. And leave the rest for another trip. I can't wait!
mrwunrfl, I hoped to go to Hakone 2 nights, Okayama 2 nights and possibly Kyoto 2 nights. But Hakone is a long weekend and its impossible to find accommodation, except in emergency rooms of 3 tatami mat size, costing an arm and leg. So I'll leave that for next trip too.
I think I might go Takayama, Kamazawa and possibly spend an extra day in that area area before the tour and after the tour go to Kyoto for 4 nights and Okayama for 2 for the enhiition before flying out. This seems more simple and less running around. If its all good ...
Aug 11th, 2016, 08:12 AM
#22
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Totally echo that -- the wonderful thing is that, whatever itinerary you settle on, you'll enjoy wherever you visit so it's really just a case of giving yourself enough time to visit the places you do choose and save the rest for another trip.
On our first trip, we wanted to include more places too, and I fretted about leaving some out, but we visited a few more on the second trip and a few more on the third trip and there are still a hundred more I want to see!
On our first trip, we wanted to include more places too, and I fretted about leaving some out, but we visited a few more on the second trip and a few more on the third trip and there are still a hundred more I want to see!
Aug 11th, 2016, 10:46 AM
#23
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"(Kanazawa's) tea districts left me underwhelmed - the historical areas of Takayama and Kyoto are more extensive and hence, for me, more interesting"
actually, it's Kanazawa's Higashi-chaya district where authentic FEUDAL houses still remain. I am familiar with Kyoto's Higashiyama area as well (as a long-term resident), but virtually all the "old" houses in Gion, Sannei-zaka, Nanzenji, etc. are modern (Meiji/Taisho/Showa) ones---mostly built in the 20th century. But it's also true that pre-WW2 residential areas in Kyoto's Higashiyama is larger than that of Kanazawa's Asanogawa area, and modern "old" wooden houses are beauiful. With regard to Kanazawa's Higashi-chaya/Kazuemachi areas, it should be also noted that Higashi-chaya is adjacent to the Utatsu-yama temple district where Hosenji, Saiyoji, and many others are located. If you see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Groups...onal_Buildings , it's listed as Utatsu-sanroku (along with Higashi and Kazue-machi in the same Asano-gawa river area). So, this area alone is not so small in reality if you visit Hosenji, Saiyoji, etc. If you walk along some of the narrow old paths in the hilly area, you might see this kind of scenes http://ottocomae.net/wp-content/uplo...2014081802.jpg around there. There are also some old (and completely non-touristy) areas around the hill of Kenrokuen/Seisonkaku as well. If you go south around https://www.instagram.com/explore/locations/6528840/ , there are HUGE forested cemetery where hundreds of thousands of gravestones stand. https://i.ytimg.com/vi/NtlCvSNmIYM/maxresdefault.jpg All the forested area is a cemetery. All the members of the ruling Maeda clan have been buried at around the top of this large hill (more than a kilometre away from the hillside temple in the pic) (Their graves in the Okunoin of Koyasan are all fakes, as a matter of course. No bodies, no bones in Koyasan) Many of the senior samurai families of Kanazawa have their cemeteries below the Maeda clan area. Some typical ones https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7273/...4078e93b_o.jpg .... or, http://blogs.yahoo.co.jp/sonic_cruis...=48377738&no=3 ..... or, http://kimassi.net/nodaboti/nodaboti.html ) Anyway, Kanazawa's old areas are not so small in reality (although not a single tourist would be around many of these places)
actually, it's Kanazawa's Higashi-chaya district where authentic FEUDAL houses still remain. I am familiar with Kyoto's Higashiyama area as well (as a long-term resident), but virtually all the "old" houses in Gion, Sannei-zaka, Nanzenji, etc. are modern (Meiji/Taisho/Showa) ones---mostly built in the 20th century. But it's also true that pre-WW2 residential areas in Kyoto's Higashiyama is larger than that of Kanazawa's Asanogawa area, and modern "old" wooden houses are beauiful. With regard to Kanazawa's Higashi-chaya/Kazuemachi areas, it should be also noted that Higashi-chaya is adjacent to the Utatsu-yama temple district where Hosenji, Saiyoji, and many others are located. If you see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Groups...onal_Buildings , it's listed as Utatsu-sanroku (along with Higashi and Kazue-machi in the same Asano-gawa river area). So, this area alone is not so small in reality if you visit Hosenji, Saiyoji, etc. If you walk along some of the narrow old paths in the hilly area, you might see this kind of scenes http://ottocomae.net/wp-content/uplo...2014081802.jpg around there. There are also some old (and completely non-touristy) areas around the hill of Kenrokuen/Seisonkaku as well. If you go south around https://www.instagram.com/explore/locations/6528840/ , there are HUGE forested cemetery where hundreds of thousands of gravestones stand. https://i.ytimg.com/vi/NtlCvSNmIYM/maxresdefault.jpg All the forested area is a cemetery. All the members of the ruling Maeda clan have been buried at around the top of this large hill (more than a kilometre away from the hillside temple in the pic) (Their graves in the Okunoin of Koyasan are all fakes, as a matter of course. No bodies, no bones in Koyasan) Many of the senior samurai families of Kanazawa have their cemeteries below the Maeda clan area. Some typical ones https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7273/...4078e93b_o.jpg .... or, http://blogs.yahoo.co.jp/sonic_cruis...=48377738&no=3 ..... or, http://kimassi.net/nodaboti/nodaboti.html ) Anyway, Kanazawa's old areas are not so small in reality (although not a single tourist would be around many of these places)
Aug 11th, 2016, 11:34 PM
#24
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Thanks Kanazawan, I appreciate the extra information.
My honest reaction though is still that I found those parts I visited in Kanazawa less interesting (to me) and attractive than Takayama and Kyoto. Particularly Takayama.
That's not to say I didn't enjoy Kanazawa very much, I did, but it was simply my personal reaction, not intended to offend!
My honest reaction though is still that I found those parts I visited in Kanazawa less interesting (to me) and attractive than Takayama and Kyoto. Particularly Takayama.
That's not to say I didn't enjoy Kanazawa very much, I did, but it was simply my personal reaction, not intended to offend!
Aug 12th, 2016, 05:28 AM
#27
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I'm not sure I understand your comment, to be honest.
I liked Kanazawa and would recommend it to travellers to Japan or from within Japan.
There were many things in Kanazawa that I loved, there were some things I personally happened to love less, and preferred elsewhere.
But I don't know whether that has any bearing whatsoever on whether I am (or others are) "good people" or "snobbish types".
I'm confused by this.
I liked Kanazawa and would recommend it to travellers to Japan or from within Japan.
There were many things in Kanazawa that I loved, there were some things I personally happened to love less, and preferred elsewhere.
But I don't know whether that has any bearing whatsoever on whether I am (or others are) "good people" or "snobbish types".
I'm confused by this.
Aug 12th, 2016, 09:02 AM
#28
digin, I get your plan for the end of your tour, I think. Tour ends on the 8th, right? Then you have 6 nights planned. That gets you to the 15th
You wrote that you depart KIX on the 21st. Was that a typo?
I've visited Kanazawa 3 times and Takayama 2 or 3 times. I think that makes me a snobbish good people type. Am so proud.
You wrote that you depart KIX on the 21st. Was that a typo?
I've visited Kanazawa 3 times and Takayama 2 or 3 times. I think that makes me a snobbish good people type. Am so proud.
Aug 13th, 2016, 08:23 AM
#30
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Oops. The 21st was a wish- actually the date, one month before, when I leave Australia. Its the strongest number in my head and I gave in to its demands. I fly out the 14th. That's where my 6 days comes in.
The tour finishes in Tokyo, 9 am. I have Saturday to get somewhere, I'm thinking Kyoto for 3 nights. Then on to Okayama or Naoshima for 3 and I fly out Friday morning 10am from Osaka so I need to leave Okayama early if I stay there for Thursday night. Is it wiser to sleep near the airport in Osaka or is coming from Okayama easy?
The tour finishes in Tokyo, 9 am. I have Saturday to get somewhere, I'm thinking Kyoto for 3 nights. Then on to Okayama or Naoshima for 3 and I fly out Friday morning 10am from Osaka so I need to leave Okayama early if I stay there for Thursday night. Is it wiser to sleep near the airport in Osaka or is coming from Okayama easy?
Aug 14th, 2016, 09:23 AM
#31
Oh, now I see the 14th is in the first sentence of the OP.
I'd want to get to the airport by 8AM. HyperDia says you can't get from Okayama to Osaka Kansai Airport (KIX) that early in the morning.
If it is Osaka Itami (ITM) then it can be done, but I wouldn't do it.
I'm interested in staying at/near KIX in order to spend some time there as a sight to (somehow) see as a feat of engineering.
I'd want to get to the airport by 8AM. HyperDia says you can't get from Okayama to Osaka Kansai Airport (KIX) that early in the morning.
If it is Osaka Itami (ITM) then it can be done, but I wouldn't do it.
I'm interested in staying at/near KIX in order to spend some time there as a sight to (somehow) see as a feat of engineering.
Aug 14th, 2016, 10:44 AM
#32
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I'll be staying at the Hotel Nikko at KIX at the beginning of October, so I can't comment on whether it's decent or not. I don't think you can beat the location if you're trying to be close (or at) the airport for an early flight though.
Aug 15th, 2016, 09:52 AM
#33
There is a tourism opportunity at KIX:
Sky View Observation Hall
Hours: 8:00 to 22:00, free entry
Free shuttle bus from terminal 1 departs every 20 minutes
The Sky View Observation Hall is an airport museum and observation deck. Its close proximity to one of the runways affords visitors excellent views of the planes taking off and landing at Kansai Airport. The hall is located near the ferry terminal building and is accessible by free shuttle buses (8 minutes) from terminal 1 and the Rinku Premium Outlets.
Sky View Observation Hall
Hours: 8:00 to 22:00, free entry
Free shuttle bus from terminal 1 departs every 20 minutes
The Sky View Observation Hall is an airport museum and observation deck. Its close proximity to one of the runways affords visitors excellent views of the planes taking off and landing at Kansai Airport. The hall is located near the ferry terminal building and is accessible by free shuttle buses (8 minutes) from terminal 1 and the Rinku Premium Outlets.
