aussiedreamer

Hi, it seems its been ages since I've planned a trip and this is the first one on this Forum. Neither my husband or I have been to Japan, he surprised me at Christmas with a 12 night small group tour in Oct/Nov, to be away on our 40th wedding anniversary. As its an organised tour, I obviously don't have that much to plan. But having said that, we will have 3 full days (4 nights) before the tour starts and 1 full day (2 nights) at the end. Also it appears to be ( I haven't got the full details yet) a very slow paced tour, which sounds like we will have plenty of afternoon and evening time. So lots of time for us to explore local places at the end of the day and the best part, lots of dinners to research.

We've never done an escorted tour before but he thought with the language barrier this might be a good way to get an over view for potential return trips. As its 'only' a 9 hour flight from Brisbane and just a 2 hour time difference, lots of Aussies are heading to Japan, mostly for skiing.

Quick overview of places included:

Tokyo -Hakone-Mount Fuji-Takayama-Kanazawa-Kyoto-Hiroshima-Okayama -Osaka

Our flights are Brisbane to Osaka direct, arriving 7.30pm on a Monday, we will need to make our way to Tokyo for the evening of the Friday. Bullet train seems the obvious choice but as both Osaka and Tokyo are included in the tour, is there somewhere 'along' the way for a night or two? Or just have extra free time in these two cities? The tour ends in Osaka on a Tuesday morning after breakfast and our flight is 9pm the next day.

Excited to hear your thoughts, we are a couple who may have just had our 60th birthdays, both fit and well travelled. Food, wine and 'being' local is what we love.

ChgoGal

What a nice gift! For a 1st time visit, and with your timing, I'd add time to Tokyo. Tokyo is easy enough for English speakers, and certainly having 'Google Translate' on your smartphone should help a lot.

Once you get your detailed itinerary for the two cities, I expect you'll see opportunities to flesh out your time in Tokyo. For a first timer, I recommend a hotel nearish a station on the Yamanote line. Just be aware that Tokyo and Shinjuku Stations are big/busy/crowded, and you may prefer to have a smaller station like Shin-Okubo be your main station to leave from each day. And if you can avoid the work day commute, probably better—but the crowds never really seem to dissipate that much.

I was going to say maybe add time to Kyoto, but with your arrival time that Monday night, you'll want to stay in Osaka the first night. Then you need a half-day to move to a different location and other acclimating needs (ex; check in to hotel to store bags, pick up/connect to your pocket wifi, get yen from a Seven Bank, etc.), so that takes over the best part of a Tuesday morning/early afternoon. So then you have Wed-Thur fully free, and then Friday night, you join your tour.

This is the app I used for my Shinkansen tickets from Tokyo to Kyoto. I believe this is what you would use, too, from either Osaka to Tokyo, or Kyoto to Tokyo. Maybe check which side of the train you might have a chance of seeing Fuji, though you'll be visiting there. Also, an eki-bento (train bento lunch) is a fun thing to buy for the ride. https://smart-ex.jp/en/index.php

Also, if dining is exciting for you, start using chopsticks at home from time to time if you're not used to them. I use chopsticks every day (being half-Okinawan), but my brother's family struggled a tiny bit with the chopsticks last year, which surprised me, and now I mention to people planning to visit. Okay to ask for a fork, but you may not want to. Also, be advised that often they will not package leftovers after a meal if the food spoils easily.

Also, pack light & leave room in your suitcase to bring home holiday gifts. Furoshiki or other fabrics are great gifts and take up no room in a suitcase. They even have calendars printed on fabric which can be really pretty to hang in your home. I love Japanese bath soaps, sunscreens and skin care, so I always pick those up while there. (Don Quijotes are in the major cities.) Also, as I write a lot, I've discovered 4&1 multi pens, so will need to start getting refills in Japan, too.

Have a great time planning! I'm curious to hear what the tour has scheduled for you in Kyoto. So many amazing sites, it's hard to narrow them down.

mrwunrfl

>> which side of the train
Fuji-san would be on the left/port side of the shinkansen heading to Tokyo.
I believe you would prefer seats D,E between Tokyo and Osaka in either direction. The train just reverses direction at the Tokyo (and other) terminal and the seats can be flipped around to face the direction of travel. Left side becomes the right side at the terminals. But you can get a good view from any seat;

mrwunrfl

>> appears to be ( I haven't got the full details yet) a very slow paced tour

Doesn't appear slow-paced to me given that it looks like you have 8 stops in 12 nights. Am counting Hakone & Fuji as one stop.

Really need to know the details, at least how much time is spent at each stop. This is a bus tour, right? Bus to travel between cities and bus to go to tourist spots each day?

You could easily go to Kyoto or Osaka for that first night. Maybe Koyasan for the last night.
For Tuesday to Friday, maybe Takayama or Matsumoto or Nagoya (from where you can day trip to walk the Nakasendo and/or visit Inuyama or even Ise Jingu.

HappyTrvlr

I assume you will mostly take the excellent Japanese trains between most locations. My absolute favorite place was Takayama in the Japanese Alps.We were there in April when the cherry blossoms were in full bloom. We had two extra days pre- tour and four at the end. The first independent time we acclimated ourselves to the areas around our hotel using the hotel concierge for dining recommendations. At the end we returned to Kyoto to see more of it and then took the train to Narita airport. We had two Ksiseki meals, amazing. Easy to get around by train. The ticket sellers all spoke English. You will love Japan!!

aussiedreamer

Thank you all so much…… I am madly taking note of all your recommendations.

My daughter and her husband go often, mostly for the skiing. They have suggested we spend the first night in Osaka, then catch the train to Tokyo. They did a walking food tour, which they both loved. So we will look at going that the first day, help us to acclimatise regarding food etc.

keep your thoughts coming.

mrwunrfl

>> Our flights are Brisbane to Osaka direct, arriving 7.30pm on a Monday
That would be a Jetstar flight (JQ 23 on the 21st)\, I think. Only US$289 one way.

If you plan to go to Tokyo the next day then I suggest staying at a hotel next to Shin Osaka Station which is the shinkansen station for Osaka. You can then just walk to the station and hop on a shinkansen to Tokyo. There is a Marriott Courtyard that is a 3-min walk.You would need directions on arrival night so that you can find the correct station exit for the hotel.

There is a limited express train that you can use from Osaka Kansai Airport to Shin Osaka Station.It takes less than an hour;.The train continues on to Osaka Station and to Kyoto.

There are airport buses that can take you to an Osaka hotel. If you stay near Osaka Station then you will need to take a train to get to Shin Osaka the next day.

There is a hotel in the airport, but you are arriving early enough to go into the city.

aussiedreamer

So I spent the weekend researching ............... your thoughts and suggestions have been very helpful. I'll let you know what I've come up with and also answer some of your questions and respond to some comments.

Firstly mrwunrfl by slow paced I meant it appears we will get lots of free time after the days tours, i.e. no dinners are included apart from a welcome and farewell dinner, so I'm guessing we get back to our hotels mid to late afternoon. Therefore being able to explore on our own. Hope that makes sense?

So I've booked (with great cancelation policy) our arrival in Osaka, Courtyard by Marriot Shin Osaka. So we will catch the Haruka (express train) from Kensai airport to Shin Osaka, short walk to hotel. The next day we will catch the Shinkansen (Bullet Train) to Tokyo from Shin Osaka. We don't arrive until 7.30pm, so it will be quite late in the evening by the time we arrive at hotel. So I may book the Shinkansen for mid to late morning the next day, so as not to rush as the day is really just a transit day we will give ourselves a slow start, arriving into Tokyo when we can check in to the next hotel.

Still trying to work out when and how to book the Shinkansen, Chgogal, I will check out the app you provided. I also loved your chop sticks recommendation, yes we definitely will start practicing, we are both amateur at best. Re your question on Kyoto, I only have the advertising blurb so far and presume I will get a more detailed itinerary but here is the Kyoto blurb: We have a two night stay here, Gion Geisha District, Kinkaku-ji, Arashiyama, Tenryu-ji, Fushimi Inari Shrine. Then its the bullet train to hiroshima.

On arrival into Tokyo Station I've booked (again with cancelation policy) the karaksa hotel colors Tokyo Yaesu again for its location to Tokyo Station, the proximity to the Imperial Palace and gardens, also the deal I got. We are staying in a different hotel when we start the tour, Kawasaki area but wanted to try something on our own and different. Looks like a very easy train between each, direct route with minimal walking. We will then have the next two days in Tokyo to explore and on the third day we will make our way to meet up with the tour but its only check in day, no plans or dinners etc. That all starts the next morning.

So back to my research for how to make the most of this amazing country, also to find a restaurant for our anniversary dinner, which will be in Hiroshima.

ChgoGal

I think your plan sounds really good. In Kyoto, you have the (2) jaw droppers IMO: Kinkaku-ji (the Golden Pavilion) and Fushimi Inari (the shrine with the hundreds of torii gates). Those are the two I think a visitor would kick themselves not to see. Note: at Fushimi Inari, I don't know how long you have there. Will likely be crowded, but no big deal. People are nice to keep their distance. But some like to climb to the very, very top. It would be a hike, so if you want to attempt it, just be prepped with water and walking/hiking shoes. There are vending machines and benches in certain areas up the hill.

As for the shinkansen, I don't remember every detail, but a couple things I needed to do was to book for 6, and because a few in my family had big suitcases (ugh), I had a reserved seat and reserved luggage space.It was easy, but I recall reserving seats in the same carriage as the luggage in the back of the train so I could keep an eye on it. If you are traveling with your suitcases (as opposed to using a luggage transfer service), know that there is room on the shinkansen, especially for carry-on size. Pics below to demonstrate.

Also, on the app, I remember being careful about selecting the stations. I was leaving from Tokyo's Shinagawa station, and I recall the phone didn't show Shinagawa, but maybe it was Tokyo Shinagawa, so it would've been a little easy to make a mistake. If you want Tokyo Station, be sure you're not picking one of the other (2?) stations where the shinkansen arrives/departs. This video may be helpful. https://tokyocheapo.com/travel/where...line-machines/


On the shinkansen, note the luggage areas overhead.

Note the space in front of knees. I could've slid my carryon in front of both my mom and my knees, but I ended up putting them overhead. (No eki-bento for me! Just an onigiri, or rice ball.)

This is the oversized baggage space at the back of (every other) carriage. I reserved seats in the back of the train to be near them.

Another view of the oversized baggage area. No other suitcases joined ours.

aussiedreamer

Thank you so much, really helpful. Always nice to hear you’re on the right track. My husband would love to go to the top, he is a ‘mountain goat’ when it comes to walking. 😊. I think I HAVE to have an Ekiben…. At least once. 😉

mrwunrfl

I highly recommend using the baggage delivery service. It is inexpensive / a great value / a worthy luxury with a small priice tag. You can ship it from Kancsai Airport to your Tokyo hotel. Just take what the two of you need for the overnight. Socks, undies, clean shirt for two people would fit in one small backpack. You chould ship it from your Osaka hotel.

>> Still trying to work out when and how to book the Shinkansen

I would probably just head over to Shin Osaka when I felt like it and get on the next shinkansen or the one after. Buying a ticket can be done at the last minute and you board an unreserved car. It is worthwhile to book reserved seats. You could do it online.

You could also book your shinkansen trip at JR Kansai Airport Station Ticket Office when you get the Haruka L'Ex tickets. The office is open until 11PM. I expect that you would be able to buy both tickets at a vending machine (only hitch I can think of might be that macine will be in JR West but the Tokaido Shinkansen you want is operated by JR Central, but you can definitely get it at the tickiet office, which means probably can do at the machine)

West Japan Railway Company - Select Train (westjr.co.jp)

Oh, that webpage is telling me that we probably have to get the Tokaido shinkansen tix from JR East or JR Central.

hewholovestravel

It sounds like you've got an excellent plan worked out for making the most of your time in Japan. I'm sure those extra days in Tokyo and Osaka at the beginning and end will be perfect for acclimating and exploring some places on your own before and after the tour.

Using the Shin Osaka station for the shinkansen rides is so convenient. I'm glad you were able to book hotels right nearby to make transitions between cities seamless. It seems intimidating at first to travel independently in Japan but the train system really does make it easy.

aussiedreamer

We have our detailed itinarary ...
Travel on to Kyoto (approximately four hours), where you’ll explore the
famous Gion geisha district. Stroll between the historic machiya houses
of Hanamikoji Street and bear witness to Kyoto’s ongoing cultural
heToday starts with a trip to the one-and-only Kinkaku-ji, known as the
Golden Pavilion thanks to the gold leaf that coats the top two floors.
Watch its dazzling reflection dance across the pond as you learn about
the tumultuous history and spiritual importance of this spectacular work
of design.
Next, visit Arashiyama and walk through the swaying stalks of the
Bamboo Grove, listening to the gentle clacking as you crane your neck
toward the canopy.
Continue to Tenryu-ji, Kyoto’s most cherished Zen temple. Meander
through the carefully designed gardens, strolling around the central pond
and taking in the view of the nearby Arashiyama Mountains.
No trip to Kyoto is complete without a visit to the glorious Fushimi Inari
Shrine. Climb the winding steps through thousands of bright red torii
gates, carving a skeletal tunnel through the forest. Pause at the top and
feel the serenity of this utterly unique Shinto shrine, then make your
peaceful descent.
Retire to your hotel for a free evening in this cultural capital.ritage. Enjoy the evening at your leisure.

Love to hear your thoughts and how you would spend your down time, I'm reading a lot that we should go back to Fushimi Inari Shrine early in the morning or later in the afternoon on our 'own'.

aussiedreamer

Would you be happy to share where you had your Ksiseki meals?

kja

I can understand the argument, but there is SOOoooo much to see and experience in Kyoto, that you might want to consider the opportunity costs of returning to Fushimi Inari. Personally, I think I'd want to see some of it's other glories....

https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2158.html

shelemm

I would spend my free days in Kyoto. It has so many glorious sites. If your trip has only one day there, that is deeply inadequate.

mrwunrfl

>> I'm reading a lot that we should go back to Fushimi Inari Shrine early in the morning or later in the afternoon on our 'own'.

Fushimi Inari is at the end of your day tour. Wouldn't that be "later in the afternoon"?

IDK where you are reading that advice. I can understand the advice on when to visit the shrine as a one-time visit and would assume that would be to avoid the worst of the crowds. I don't understand the advice of going back after already having visited. Maybe it means that you will like it so much you will want to go back. Or maybe the tour stop is insufficient to appreciate the site, maybe not enough time or it would be crowded.

In any case after you visit you can decide for yourself if you want to go back. There are alternatives. I didn't see Nijo-jo on your itinerary, for example.

kja

For excellent French kaiseki in Kyoto, you might consider Misoguigawa:
https://www.misogui.jp/english.html