Hi there, We are planning a trip to Japan at the end of the month. We are travelling with a 9 yo and a 12yo. We have been to Tokyo, Kyoto, Nara and Osaka before. We want to see cherry blossom (thinking in a day in Aomori) and visit Hiroshima/Miyajima Island. We have to go to Super Mario World. We will probably stay in a central location and do daily trips from there.
Which are those places that you love while being in Japan, those must-visit places out of the ones we've already been to? What's the recommended central location to stay, in terms of mobility and accommodation costs? Any ideas are greatly appreciated :)
Japan 9 Days with Family - No Tokyo, Kyoto, Nara, Osaka
cynvero on 09/04/2024 - 21:15
Comments
If it's cheaper than a professional guide and interpreter, then it might actually be a good idea. Hard to say because that website is busted, can't read it.
Get ready for big crowds and long queues if you go to Super Nintento World at Universal. You will want to get the express pass and be ready to fork out $$$ if you want those bands.
+1 better read up on best strategy for USJ (getting there really early to be ready for rope drop, booking timeslots in where possible etc)
never ever go on the weekend, or public holiday, or school holidays.
For Cherry Blossom you'll definitely want to be up near Aomori or even further around Hokkaido as that's when it'll be blooming at the end of the month. I'll be up that way at the end of the month and typically I like to have Sendai as my central base. There are cheap hotels outside the JR station and you can travel to any part of the region quite easily from there.
Shirakawa-go guaranteed. And if you are in the area, might as well head to Kanazawa as well.
I would recommend reading through WikiVoyage's rabbithole about Japan. You're welcome to update or contribute to the pages if needed after your trip:
If you have any plans to go to LA in the near future, I would skip Universal Studios Japan / Super Mario World and go in LA instead - having been to both, the queues at Japan are far worse, and my sense was that Japan had many more tourists who "have to get on every ride", making everything super busy, whereas in LA, a good chunk when I was there were season pass holders, so there were lots of "older" rides which had next to no queues.
In terms of where to go in Japan, if you've already been the traditional tourist route going from Tokyo -> Kyoto -> Osaka, then I would recommend:
Nikko - definitely as a day-trip from Tokyo - one of the most scenic and beautiful places in Japan, through a bit busy with tourists these days
Kanazawa - you could do this as a day-trip from Tokyo via the Shinkansen, but I would recommend spending at least a few days here. You can stop over at Nagano on the way there, and head down to Fukui
Hiroshima - great if you enjoy a bit of history, I would really recommend going to the historical places like the Atomic Bomb Dome, Peace Memorial Museum, and Children's Peace Monument. Hiroshima Castle is also a nice visit. This was a nice place to visit with the family, and it was a great opportunity to discuss some of what we saw with the kids. We can be very sheltered in Australia, having been relatively far away from most of the world's major conflicts over the past century, and it's also nice to understand the history of how Japan has become a global tourist destination after WWII
Fukuoka was also really nice - very scenic and pretty, with a lot of things to visit - Kushida Shrine and Tochoji Temple are both nice, there are lots of parks and walks that are very family friendly
Kumamoto is also a great place to visit, with the Kumamoto castle being really popular - yo ucan do it as a day trip from Fukuoka, or as a stopover on the way to Kagoshima
(Note - not necessarily for this trip, or for cherry blossom season, where you'd likely want to be further north in Hokkaido, but these are places that I would highly recommend if you ever come back to Japan).
FWIW, if you've been to Japan before, I wouldn't spend lots of time in the typically tourist areas - maybe two or three days in Tokyo at the start or end of your trip. Japan is one of the most beautiful countries I've travelled to, and the scenery both north and south of Tokyo is amazing. If you're travelling in more moderate weather, the south of Japan is very temperate and nice for general outdoor activities.
There's lots of nature to explore, lots of travellers in these places, particularly locals, so connectivity via public transport is great. Getting away from all of the super busy tourist hotspots is nice .
FWIW, if you've been to Japan before, I wouldn't spend lots of time in the typically tourist areas - maybe two or three days in Tokyo at the start or end of your trip
Any other places you can recommend (great list btw!)? I'm revisiting Japan in October and have previously been to Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, Hiroshima, Miyajima, Takayama and Shirawakago (over two weeks). I'm definitely spending at least 3 days in Tokyo; undecided on the rest as I prefer visiting new places.
Cheers!
I can vouch for Fukuoka and it's a good base for the Kyushu region. Head down to Beppu for the hot springs or further to Kagoshima.
I did a single night in Kitakyushu and they were having a massive autumn festival with the river and castle all lit up with lights and projections. Easily one of the best experiences I had for a small city that's overlooked by so many.
First choice is how you are getting from Aomori to Osaka/Hiroshima. If you are flying (potentially the cheapest option) then you have different choices than if you are going by train.
You have heaps of options but you need to figure out more than 'Aomori, USJ and a central base'. Especially if you have only 9 days - Tokyo and then to Aomori will be 3 days minimum (land, day to settle, train to Aomori, day in Aomori). So you then fly to Osaka, 2 days there; train to Hiroshima and 2 or 3 days there and thats your trip. Not really much need for a base and side trips.
Aomori by train requires going via Tokyo. So if you go Tokyo - Aomori - Tokyo, then you can choose to go south through central Japan (eg Matsumoto - Kiso Valley - Nagoya - Osaka (and then onto Hiroshima); or Matsumoto - Takayama - Kanazawa - Osaka). Although this perhaps too busy for a 9 day trip; so could just be Tokyo - Kanazawa - Osaka - Hiroshima
But if you fly, you could perhaps look at Osaka - Nara day trip - Naoshima Island overnight (although you may not have time for this) - 1/2 day in Himeji - Hiroshima). Or fly to Hiroshima and do one of the above in reverse (ie Hiroshima - Osaka - Kanazawa - Tokyo)
If you really just want to base yourself in one place then maybe just fly to Osaka, do USJ, then go to Hiroshima and base yourself there, Hiroshima plus Miyajima is 2 days, side trip to Kobe (perhaps) and Himeji (1 day) and/or Fukuoka.
Or…a few days up north then fly to Osaka and then go to Hiroshima and you are done. This is probably the most realistic option
also I second the USJ stuff - its a nightmare and very complicated to organise.
If the family is down with onsen-ing, check out Kinosaki Onsen. Easy to get to from Osaka. Traditional Japanese holiday destination but didn't have many foreigners when I went. Beautiful little village, great onsen, ropeway to check out etc.
here is the JR rail cherry blossom tracking calendar
if you have already done osaka and tokyo then head to Kyushu Island in the west. it's relatively close to hiroshima - so easy to get there for a couple of days - do Miyajima Island
go to fukuoka city, and then visit nearby Ainoshima Island - it's a cat island..
head south to Kagoshima - rent a car and drive around for a few days. - beautiful country and beaches.
catch a Jetstar japan flight back to Narita (where I'm assuming you are flying in and out of.) - even hanging out in Chiba (prefecture where Narita airport is) is cool - beaches, onsens, historic places, nature, etc - I lived there for 18 months.
(I lived in Japan for 4 years)
Word of warning since your saying a holiday at the end of month, remember Golden week happens around that time. This year it is split with Holiday on Monday 29th and a long weekend from Friday the 3rd of May to Monday the 6th.
Particularly the second weekend you'll find it hard to find accommodation in regional areas as people tend to flee the cities. Having a quick look and seeing mostly expensive options available (did a quick search of an onsen near Kansai). Accommodation in major cities is usually not a problem.
I made the mistake of flying into Sapporo from the 1st. Golden week is probably going to be a nightmare.
If travelling by yourself or with another adult, you can always try internet cafes. Looking at you avatar (Donpen), I'm reminded of the internet cafe above the Mega Don Quiote in Susukino and there are plenty others as well.
From what I understand, accommodation in Golden week in Tokyo is not bad since its a case of most people travelling to the regions.
I booked all my accommodation up until a week ago and the prices were all low around Hokkaido. I'll be staying in Susukino just a block away from Mega Don.
Regarding cherry blossoms, at last weekend's F1 GP from near Nagoya the cherry blossoms were already out. It sounds like you'll need to hear further north to see them, and of course check online for when they're blooming in a particular area.
Have you seen Mount Fuji? I went to Japan 3 times before I saw the elusive mountain hiding in the clouds. I recommend walking through Aokigahara. It's about 1 hour at a reasonable speed and is a magical and incredibly pretty forest. No, I didn't see any bodies there.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aokigahara
I rented a car in the Fuji area and it's a super fast and convenient way of getting around.
If you really want to go off the beaten track, in 2018 I went on a tour of the closed areas around the Fukushima nuclear powerplant and towns damaged by the tsunami. I don't how many ruins and relics are still left. I have a particular interest in that area and found the trip to be absolutely fascinating, although I believe it's more of a corporate showpiece tour now with a tourist center built by TEPCO to pat themselves on the back over the recovery.
Hire a car in Kyushu and drive around. Beautiful place. Kurokawa Onsen was our place to relax. Beppu may be too touristy.
Can drop by miyazaki for some meat. Get some of that in your mouth. Dribble dibble.
https://rentozo.com/blogs/renting-a-friend-in-tokyo/