Help us plan our honeymoon to Japan!
February 4, 2012 12:20 PM Subscribe
JapanFilter: Where should we go in in Japan on our honeymoon?
We're going to Japan on our honeymoon (yay!) in mid August through the end of the month so will have a decent amount of time. We're landing in Tokyo, and would like to travel through Japan for a bit, and stay at a couple places. Our original plan was to arrive, stay a day or two in Tokyo, and begin working our way south towards Okinawa, and then take a train back up to fly home at the end.
I know I definitely want to spend a day or two in Osaka and Okinawa, and that we want to visit an onsen spa in the mountains, but beyond that, I don't really know where we should go or stay, or key things we should do there (beyond stuff our faces with amazing Japanese food).
We're both major foodies, love travel and nature, and while she doesn't speak any Japanese, I had been teaching myself for a couple years in college. So if I were to brush up a bit, I feel fairly confident that I could get us where we needed to go (via asking nicely in broken Japanese and lots of pointing to pictures or kana).
Really open to suggestions, but want to make sure we're not moving too much, while still getting to see a lot of the country. I honestly don't know a ton about the other regions of the country so not sure what they are known for or which would be good to visit that time of year. Going north of Tokyo is not really an option for obvious (Fukushima) reasons.
We're planning on working through a travel agent, but I will likely obsessively research for hotels in whatever area we're considering and certainly don't mind going off the beaten path (where gaijin rarely stray).
We're going to Japan on our honeymoon (yay!) in mid August through the end of the month so will have a decent amount of time. We're landing in Tokyo, and would like to travel through Japan for a bit, and stay at a couple places. Our original plan was to arrive, stay a day or two in Tokyo, and begin working our way south towards Okinawa, and then take a train back up to fly home at the end.
I know I definitely want to spend a day or two in Osaka and Okinawa, and that we want to visit an onsen spa in the mountains, but beyond that, I don't really know where we should go or stay, or key things we should do there (beyond stuff our faces with amazing Japanese food).
We're both major foodies, love travel and nature, and while she doesn't speak any Japanese, I had been teaching myself for a couple years in college. So if I were to brush up a bit, I feel fairly confident that I could get us where we needed to go (via asking nicely in broken Japanese and lots of pointing to pictures or kana).
Really open to suggestions, but want to make sure we're not moving too much, while still getting to see a lot of the country. I honestly don't know a ton about the other regions of the country so not sure what they are known for or which would be good to visit that time of year. Going north of Tokyo is not really an option for obvious (Fukushima) reasons.
We're planning on working through a travel agent, but I will likely obsessively research for hotels in whatever area we're considering and certainly don't mind going off the beaten path (where gaijin rarely stray).
Most of Japan is going to be miserable in August. It's ridiculously humid and air conditioning may not be as widespread as what you're used to. I am most familiar with Kyushu, and love Nagasaki, but in August? Nah, I'd skip it.
-I don't think it's worth it to go to Osaka just for a day or two. See Osaka, Kyoto, and Nara and make it 3-4 days, or skip it entirely.
-How about the Japanese alps? You could see some nature and get out of the heat. Alternately, there's a lot of northern Japan that's far enough from Fukushima not to be the slightest bit worrisome (Aomori, Hokkaido).
posted by Jeanne at 12:59 PM on February 4, 2012 [2 favorites]
-I don't think it's worth it to go to Osaka just for a day or two. See Osaka, Kyoto, and Nara and make it 3-4 days, or skip it entirely.
-How about the Japanese alps? You could see some nature and get out of the heat. Alternately, there's a lot of northern Japan that's far enough from Fukushima not to be the slightest bit worrisome (Aomori, Hokkaido).
posted by Jeanne at 12:59 PM on February 4, 2012 [2 favorites]
You might consider getting a ticket that flies you into Tokyo and out of Osaka; it saves you the doubling back and it's what we did when we spent a few weeks in Japan back in August 2006.
Check out the JR rail pass situation- it may have changed since we did it, but we were able to book our tickets using a 7 day rail pass that saved us an enormous amount of money.
We spent a few days in Tokyo (day trip to Nikko), then to Kamakura. The next day to Yokohama, where we activated our 7 day JR pass to go to Kanazawa, Nara, Shiraishi Island (there is an international villa open only to foreigners, the most spectacular sunset over the Seto Inland Sea), Tomonoura, Miyajima, (then our pass ran out) then Kyoto and finally Osaka.
I'm not saying you have to do exactly what we did, but that gives you an idea. I do remember the JR agent nodding approvingly at our itinerary. My husband speaks a smattering of Japanese, I speak none. We did fine, even in the much smaller towns. I recall having lunch in Tomonoura and not being entirely sure what we had ordered, but it was yummy, whatever it was. We were there in August, and yes it was hot and humid, but we acclimated just fine. We stayed in a few ryokan, a lovely experience but just do one or two nights, every single night might be hard (not to mention expensive!)
Now that we have had few years to look back on it, we are really glad we made the effort to visit the more off-the-beaten-track places. Shiraishi Island ranks especially high, as do Tomonoura, Kanazawa and Nara. Tokyo and Kyoto have their obvious lures, and Osaka has fantastic food. Okay yes we loved the whole thing. Japan is awesome, have a fantastic honeymoon.
I can dig up my intinerary if you want to know about any of the places we stayed. MeMail in profile.
posted by ambrosia at 1:22 PM on February 4, 2012 [2 favorites]
Check out the JR rail pass situation- it may have changed since we did it, but we were able to book our tickets using a 7 day rail pass that saved us an enormous amount of money.
We spent a few days in Tokyo (day trip to Nikko), then to Kamakura. The next day to Yokohama, where we activated our 7 day JR pass to go to Kanazawa, Nara, Shiraishi Island (there is an international villa open only to foreigners, the most spectacular sunset over the Seto Inland Sea), Tomonoura, Miyajima, (then our pass ran out) then Kyoto and finally Osaka.
I'm not saying you have to do exactly what we did, but that gives you an idea. I do remember the JR agent nodding approvingly at our itinerary. My husband speaks a smattering of Japanese, I speak none. We did fine, even in the much smaller towns. I recall having lunch in Tomonoura and not being entirely sure what we had ordered, but it was yummy, whatever it was. We were there in August, and yes it was hot and humid, but we acclimated just fine. We stayed in a few ryokan, a lovely experience but just do one or two nights, every single night might be hard (not to mention expensive!)
Now that we have had few years to look back on it, we are really glad we made the effort to visit the more off-the-beaten-track places. Shiraishi Island ranks especially high, as do Tomonoura, Kanazawa and Nara. Tokyo and Kyoto have their obvious lures, and Osaka has fantastic food. Okay yes we loved the whole thing. Japan is awesome, have a fantastic honeymoon.
I can dig up my intinerary if you want to know about any of the places we stayed. MeMail in profile.
posted by ambrosia at 1:22 PM on February 4, 2012 [2 favorites]
Miyajima! It is really a very nice place to go and although it will be hot in the summer, if you stay overnight you can go see the main shrine at 5/6am before it gets too hot and it will be quiet and nice. For your mountain onsen, I would recommend Kamikouchi, which is in the Japanese Alps and will possibly be not quite as roasty toasty.
You have to fly to Okinawa anyway so you might as well fly directly there from Tokyo and then fly back to somewhere like Fukuoka or Osaka and work your way back to Tokyo.
If you can manage some Japanese I would really recommend using Rakuten Travel for hotels. Some pages have English descriptions available, but I find that places won't have availability from the English reservation site, but will have availability from the Japanese site. Feel free to memail me for help if you need it.
Two of my favorite restaurants in Japan are in Osaka. The first one is President Chibo, which is part of a chain but I still think it is delicioius. The other one is Creperie Alcyon, which has delicious lunch sets but you probably want to make a reservation (the night before is usually far enough ahead of time).
posted by that girl at 1:41 PM on February 4, 2012
You have to fly to Okinawa anyway so you might as well fly directly there from Tokyo and then fly back to somewhere like Fukuoka or Osaka and work your way back to Tokyo.
If you can manage some Japanese I would really recommend using Rakuten Travel for hotels. Some pages have English descriptions available, but I find that places won't have availability from the English reservation site, but will have availability from the Japanese site. Feel free to memail me for help if you need it.
Two of my favorite restaurants in Japan are in Osaka. The first one is President Chibo, which is part of a chain but I still think it is delicioius. The other one is Creperie Alcyon, which has delicious lunch sets but you probably want to make a reservation (the night before is usually far enough ahead of time).
posted by that girl at 1:41 PM on February 4, 2012
Seconding August being miserable in most areas of Japan. Be prepared for 80 to 90 degree weather with 70~80% humidity pretty much everywhere you go, and AC isn't as common or as powerful. I would seriously consider going in late August through mid September when things start to cool off and dry out.
A while back I was in the Hokuriku region on the northwestern side of the country and it was beautiful in the summer, plus the proximity to the cold ocean kept the heat and humidity down. It's more rural but there's a ton of historic places to visit. Kanazawa is a nice old castle town, there's a massive monastery complex called Eiheiji that's worth a visit, and the area is famous for good seafood and sake. On the way there from Tokyo you could stop in Takayama or head up to the Wakura onsen resort, too.
posted by azuresunday at 2:30 PM on February 4, 2012
A while back I was in the Hokuriku region on the northwestern side of the country and it was beautiful in the summer, plus the proximity to the cold ocean kept the heat and humidity down. It's more rural but there's a ton of historic places to visit. Kanazawa is a nice old castle town, there's a massive monastery complex called Eiheiji that's worth a visit, and the area is famous for good seafood and sake. On the way there from Tokyo you could stop in Takayama or head up to the Wakura onsen resort, too.
posted by azuresunday at 2:30 PM on February 4, 2012
If you're going to be in Hakone for the onsen, make sure you stop by the Hakone Open Air Museum. That was one of the highlights of my visit!
posted by emeiji at 3:34 PM on February 4, 2012
posted by emeiji at 3:34 PM on February 4, 2012
Oh my god August can be hot. I have lived in Thailand and the stifling heat and humidity of Japans August can be more oppressive. Can you postpone till November? Or plan your trip around air conditioning? Or go and relish being totally into heat, humidity, sweating!
posted by dougiedd at 5:13 PM on February 4, 2012
posted by dougiedd at 5:13 PM on February 4, 2012
Thirding delaying Japan in August. It is HOT. Remember that in Japan, we walk everywhere. For example, if you want to go to see something in Tokyo, you would walk to the train station (usually 10-15 min), wait for the train, get on the train, get off the train, and then walk to your destination. Everything other than the actual train ride part is outside. I don't know of any train/subway station that has AC in the station. Taxis are insanely expensive.
You could go more north than Fukushima. Hokkaido is beautiful in the summer, plus it's a lot cooler.
posted by xmts at 5:21 PM on February 4, 2012
You could go more north than Fukushima. Hokkaido is beautiful in the summer, plus it's a lot cooler.
posted by xmts at 5:21 PM on February 4, 2012
Fourthing the hotness factor. If delaying is not an option, then at least add more mountainous sightseeing and onsens to break up the heat of the cities.
posted by p3t3 at 6:40 PM on February 4, 2012
posted by p3t3 at 6:40 PM on February 4, 2012
If you're only going for 2 weeks, is going all the way down to Okinawa really a good idea? Here's what we did in about 3.5 weeks: Itinerary.
It was a good pace. The only place I wouldn't necessarily recommend to others is Echigo-Yuzawa, which we went to for a specific personal reason. The others combined "greatest hits" with places that are famous to Japanese tourists and not necessarily with non-Japanese tourists, i.e. Koyasan and Kurashiki, which we thoroughly enjoyed.
At the time, I could only speak first-year Japanese, and it was totally sufficient. (I do highly recommend the people who put our trip together for us -- they gave us great, block-by-block directions and made everything really painless. If you want to do seat-of-your-pants, that could be fine too, but check your dates against Obon when a lot of people will be traveling.)
posted by wintersweet at 7:06 PM on February 4, 2012 [1 favorite]
It was a good pace. The only place I wouldn't necessarily recommend to others is Echigo-Yuzawa, which we went to for a specific personal reason. The others combined "greatest hits" with places that are famous to Japanese tourists and not necessarily with non-Japanese tourists, i.e. Koyasan and Kurashiki, which we thoroughly enjoyed.
At the time, I could only speak first-year Japanese, and it was totally sufficient. (I do highly recommend the people who put our trip together for us -- they gave us great, block-by-block directions and made everything really painless. If you want to do seat-of-your-pants, that could be fine too, but check your dates against Obon when a lot of people will be traveling.)
posted by wintersweet at 7:06 PM on February 4, 2012 [1 favorite]
Depends if you want the whirlwind tour, or to really see some neat stuff. I had planned on spending one day in Nikko, but stayed overnight because I wanted to see more. I like to browse at my own pace and out of the standard order. Walking the trail along the river was much cooler to me than peeking into the shrines (they're cool, but once you've seen a couple...)
Ditto Kamakura. I was living in Kanagawa for months, and kept going back to Kamakura several times and seeing different things. (Never did see the giant buddha, but like I said, I like different stuff.)
The very most awesome thing I did was climb Mount Fuji. Photos do not do justice to the view from up there. Climbing season is July and August. It's not mountain climbing-type climbing, more like steep incline hiking. There won't be snow. You'll want to stay overnight either at the bottom and climb up/down in one day with an early start, or stay at one of the inns on the climb. Don't plan to do anything the next day (sore muscles.)
If you like nature, the hiking trails in Kanagawa are fantastic. I found all kinds of cool stuff to do at this site. Tip: you can get japan rail passes cheaper before you enter the country. Once you're there, the deals aren't as good.
I wanted to see Oze so bad and never made it.
posted by ctmf at 8:10 PM on February 4, 2012
Ditto Kamakura. I was living in Kanagawa for months, and kept going back to Kamakura several times and seeing different things. (Never did see the giant buddha, but like I said, I like different stuff.)
The very most awesome thing I did was climb Mount Fuji. Photos do not do justice to the view from up there. Climbing season is July and August. It's not mountain climbing-type climbing, more like steep incline hiking. There won't be snow. You'll want to stay overnight either at the bottom and climb up/down in one day with an early start, or stay at one of the inns on the climb. Don't plan to do anything the next day (sore muscles.)
If you like nature, the hiking trails in Kanagawa are fantastic. I found all kinds of cool stuff to do at this site. Tip: you can get japan rail passes cheaper before you enter the country. Once you're there, the deals aren't as good.
I wanted to see Oze so bad and never made it.
posted by ctmf at 8:10 PM on February 4, 2012
Something to consider is that Japan will be in the middle of the Bon holiday:
In 2012, the peak of the Obon travel season is anticipated to take place between August 11 and August 19. The busiest days for domestic travel are expected to be around August 11 and 12 with people leaving the big cities, and August 15 and 16 with people returning to the big cities.
What this means is that on the peak travel days, it may be difficult to get on the "bullet trains" traveling away from Tokyo at the beginning of the week, and back to Tokyo at the end of the week.
Japan in August is going to be fucking hot. Your best bet is to head north to Hokkaido.
My ideal honeymoon trip (and I've done it) would be to travel to Niigata, and stay at an onsen in the seaside town of Murakami, on the Japan Sea Coast.
Take the Uetsu Main Line up towards Yamagata (if you can do this so that you travel along the Uetsu at sunset, it is just incredibly romantic).
Atsumi Onsen is on the Uetsu Main Line, and it is very nice and romantic. Continue on the Uetsu Main Line and stay in Tsuruoka or Sakata - try visiting Haguro.
You can take the train all the way from Tokyo via Niigata to Hokkaido. Take the Japan Sea route on the way up, and take the "bullet train" from Aomori to Tokyo on the way back.
At least it would be a little cooler.
posted by KokuRyu at 11:56 PM on February 4, 2012
In 2012, the peak of the Obon travel season is anticipated to take place between August 11 and August 19. The busiest days for domestic travel are expected to be around August 11 and 12 with people leaving the big cities, and August 15 and 16 with people returning to the big cities.
What this means is that on the peak travel days, it may be difficult to get on the "bullet trains" traveling away from Tokyo at the beginning of the week, and back to Tokyo at the end of the week.
Japan in August is going to be fucking hot. Your best bet is to head north to Hokkaido.
My ideal honeymoon trip (and I've done it) would be to travel to Niigata, and stay at an onsen in the seaside town of Murakami, on the Japan Sea Coast.
Take the Uetsu Main Line up towards Yamagata (if you can do this so that you travel along the Uetsu at sunset, it is just incredibly romantic).
Atsumi Onsen is on the Uetsu Main Line, and it is very nice and romantic. Continue on the Uetsu Main Line and stay in Tsuruoka or Sakata - try visiting Haguro.
You can take the train all the way from Tokyo via Niigata to Hokkaido. Take the Japan Sea route on the way up, and take the "bullet train" from Aomori to Tokyo on the way back.
At least it would be a little cooler.
posted by KokuRyu at 11:56 PM on February 4, 2012
A while back I was in the Hokuriku region on the northwestern side of the country and it was beautiful in the summer, plus the proximity to the cold ocean kept the heat and humidity down.
I've resided in Hokuriku off and on since 1994. It is actually quite hot in most places in the summer - the ocean is not that cool, and the high mountains actually keep humid air trapped (and more humid) than on the Pacific Seaboard.
posted by KokuRyu at 11:59 PM on February 4, 2012
I've resided in Hokuriku off and on since 1994. It is actually quite hot in most places in the summer - the ocean is not that cool, and the high mountains actually keep humid air trapped (and more humid) than on the Pacific Seaboard.
posted by KokuRyu at 11:59 PM on February 4, 2012
Nthing the heat. It's brutally hot in and around Tokyo during August, with awful humidty, and the Kansai region (Osaka and Kyoto) are worse. Temperatures are pretty regularly above 30 celsius around Tokyo, and around 35 or so in the west. If you are coming during this time, you're going to need to dress for the weather, and you're going to need (especially if sightseeing/walking around all the time) to make sure you stay hydrated. Luckily, this will give you time to have fun with the myraid sports drinks here, like Aquarius and Pocari Sweat.
Personally, I'd head for Kyoto instead of Osaka, and Nara as well if you can. Tokyo is, well, it's okay, but the best tourist spots in Tokyo are actually day trips away from Tokyo (Hakone, Kamakura, Nikko). You might consider trying out places like Nagano (Nagono City and Matsumoto are quite nice, and there's a big castle in Matsumoto) or the Izu area south of Tokyo.
Bear in mind that if you're in a city, as mentioned above, you'll be walking almost everywhere. Kyoto has a lot of buses, but they can get pretty crowded in tourist seasons, and the trains are pretty limited. I took friends there to show them as much as I could, and even my friend who is a nature loving hiker couldn't keep up with me as I walked at my normal pace. One thing I recommend for anyone coming to Japan is to get out and do some walking so that it doesn't come as a huge shock to your body. Another friend, a different time, ended up with shin splints, which really affected the amount of sightseeing he could do.
One thing, though. If you're in Tokyo during the Obon holiday, it's kind of cool, because the city pretty much empties out and everyone goes to their families' hometowns. It's vaguely ghost townish, almost. But still brutally hot.
posted by Ghidorah at 2:19 AM on February 5, 2012
Personally, I'd head for Kyoto instead of Osaka, and Nara as well if you can. Tokyo is, well, it's okay, but the best tourist spots in Tokyo are actually day trips away from Tokyo (Hakone, Kamakura, Nikko). You might consider trying out places like Nagano (Nagono City and Matsumoto are quite nice, and there's a big castle in Matsumoto) or the Izu area south of Tokyo.
Bear in mind that if you're in a city, as mentioned above, you'll be walking almost everywhere. Kyoto has a lot of buses, but they can get pretty crowded in tourist seasons, and the trains are pretty limited. I took friends there to show them as much as I could, and even my friend who is a nature loving hiker couldn't keep up with me as I walked at my normal pace. One thing I recommend for anyone coming to Japan is to get out and do some walking so that it doesn't come as a huge shock to your body. Another friend, a different time, ended up with shin splints, which really affected the amount of sightseeing he could do.
One thing, though. If you're in Tokyo during the Obon holiday, it's kind of cool, because the city pretty much empties out and everyone goes to their families' hometowns. It's vaguely ghost townish, almost. But still brutally hot.
posted by Ghidorah at 2:19 AM on February 5, 2012
One add - August 15 is the anniversary of the surrender of Japan. Whatever you do, please do not go to Yasukuni Shrine on that day.
posted by xmts at 4:12 AM on February 5, 2012
posted by xmts at 4:12 AM on February 5, 2012
Response by poster: Appreciate the comments on timing, but tickets are booked, so please no more causing us to have regretful thoughts. We want to go right after the wedding, and that's when it was. Hopefully it will start cooling down a little bit since it is going to be the second half of August.
posted by Elminster24 at 3:55 PM on February 5, 2012
posted by Elminster24 at 3:55 PM on February 5, 2012
Ditto KokuRyu. Hokuriku is kind of nice, but it's definitely no treat in August. Nor is the rest of the country. My recommendation is to spend not a whole lot of your time in Tokyo. It's gradually sort of homogenized over time, and my memories of time spent in Tokyo are all sort of general vague "it's a big city" with no real clear character of its own. Osaka, on the other hand, is hilarious, and is just about the only place in Japan where people feel no apparent need to just quietly mind their own business (which you either love or hate about the city).
On the other hand, being in Japan in late August will give you an excuse to just eat ice cream nonstop. I've seen literally dozens of flavors of soft serve (hard ice cream is, surprisingly, something of a rarity) and twice as many of gelato, and you can get shave ice (kakigori) nearly anywhere. It's still just about the — well, not necessarily worst, but almost certainly one of the most draining times of year.
You can safely go north for the same reason that you can safely visit Europe despite Chernobyl existing within it. There's a whole lot of Japan north of Tokyo that's perfectly safe, even if the east cost is still generally under reconstruction. Hokkaido in summer is absolutely lovely by all accounts. Okinawa in summer (in addition to being a multiple-hour plane flight) would presumably be even more unbearable than mainland Japan, and given that Japan's summers are infamous for having like 250% humidity on any given day that's really saying something.
On the other hand, if you're in Kyoto, I cannot strongly enough recommend this little temple called Otagi Nembutsu-ji (there's an English version of the "access" page) in Arashiyama. It's got well over a thousand little statues, all carved by laypeople (there's kind of a long story) and they tend to be rather… irreverent. In some cases, actively silly (one is doing a handstand). Still one of my favorite places in Japan, despite having been there a few times by now. It's also a nice reprieve from Arashiyama, which is otherwise a very touristy town (though quite charming despite this).
posted by DoctorFedora at 8:01 PM on February 5, 2012
On the other hand, being in Japan in late August will give you an excuse to just eat ice cream nonstop. I've seen literally dozens of flavors of soft serve (hard ice cream is, surprisingly, something of a rarity) and twice as many of gelato, and you can get shave ice (kakigori) nearly anywhere. It's still just about the — well, not necessarily worst, but almost certainly one of the most draining times of year.
You can safely go north for the same reason that you can safely visit Europe despite Chernobyl existing within it. There's a whole lot of Japan north of Tokyo that's perfectly safe, even if the east cost is still generally under reconstruction. Hokkaido in summer is absolutely lovely by all accounts. Okinawa in summer (in addition to being a multiple-hour plane flight) would presumably be even more unbearable than mainland Japan, and given that Japan's summers are infamous for having like 250% humidity on any given day that's really saying something.
On the other hand, if you're in Kyoto, I cannot strongly enough recommend this little temple called Otagi Nembutsu-ji (there's an English version of the "access" page) in Arashiyama. It's got well over a thousand little statues, all carved by laypeople (there's kind of a long story) and they tend to be rather… irreverent. In some cases, actively silly (one is doing a handstand). Still one of my favorite places in Japan, despite having been there a few times by now. It's also a nice reprieve from Arashiyama, which is otherwise a very touristy town (though quite charming despite this).
posted by DoctorFedora at 8:01 PM on February 5, 2012
By the way, everyone tried to terrify us about travelling during New Year's, but it wasn't a huge deal. We reserved green seats a few times to make sure we had seats, but that's it. I don't know how Bon compares to New Year's.
I thought Tokyo would not be worth seeing, but I was wrong. It's made up of discrete neighborhoods with tons of character. If you explore it neighborhood-by-neighborhood, there's a lot to see. The only thing I thought was missable was the Asian art museum that we went to there -- between three visits the National Palace Museum in Taipei and multiple Asian Art Museum in nearby San Francisco, it wasn't memorable enough to me (but I am not an Asian art specialist). So although I tried to talk our tour planners out of several days in Tokyo, I actually found that we didn't have enough time to do all the interesting things that I wanted to do there. I've since found plenty more because of watching Begin Japanology, Tokyo Eye, and similar programs on NHK World (you can find these programs if you want :P). Can't believe I missed the Design Festa gallery...
Anyway, have a great time!
posted by wintersweet at 8:05 PM on February 6, 2012
I thought Tokyo would not be worth seeing, but I was wrong. It's made up of discrete neighborhoods with tons of character. If you explore it neighborhood-by-neighborhood, there's a lot to see. The only thing I thought was missable was the Asian art museum that we went to there -- between three visits the National Palace Museum in Taipei and multiple Asian Art Museum in nearby San Francisco, it wasn't memorable enough to me (but I am not an Asian art specialist). So although I tried to talk our tour planners out of several days in Tokyo, I actually found that we didn't have enough time to do all the interesting things that I wanted to do there. I've since found plenty more because of watching Begin Japanology, Tokyo Eye, and similar programs on NHK World (you can find these programs if you want :P). Can't believe I missed the Design Festa gallery...
Anyway, have a great time!
posted by wintersweet at 8:05 PM on February 6, 2012
Coming to this a bit late, sorry...
Don't worry about the weather. Yes, it'll be hot and sticky. But you can duck into an air-conditioned shop or (in Tokyo) a train whenever it starts to become too much; there are vending machines selling cold drinks absolutely everywhere; you can get ice cream from myriad specialised vendors, from the ubiquitous convenience stores and from a (rather smaller) number of vending machines; there'll be people handing out free fans all over the place... You'll be fine. Make sure you're always carrying something you can use to mop sweat, that's all; and bring plenty of sunscreen, if you're inclined to burn. You'll have a fantastic time.
Regarding things to do in and near Tokyo - which, like wintersweet, I find an amazing place - I wrote a detailed four-part answer to a previous question. Here's a link to the first part. (Ignore anything to do with views of Fuji - in August the haze will most likely keep Fuji well-hidden.) I'd like to single out Mount Takao, which is mentioned in the second part, because the eerie song of the cicadas made it an incredible place to visit in early August. The heat made it tremendously hard work walking up the first part of the mountain, and I was pouring with sweat by the time I reached the first of the refreshment areas, but I'm so glad to have done it. (There are a chairlift and a funicular, but you'd miss out on some of the most atmospheric parts if you skipped the walk.)
I haven't spent enough time in Osaka to have useful opinions (although the aquarium is excellent - and probably air-conditioned - and the trick art under the main station is great fun). However, in the rest of the country, highlights for me include Naoshima, Kyoto, Nara, Miyajima, Tsuwano and Kagoshima.
- Naoshima is an island in the Seto Inland Sea; it has beautiful views and lots of contemporary art. I particularly like the Chichu Art Museum and the Go'oh Shrine (part of the Art House Project) for their tranquility.
- The things I'm most pleased to have seen in Kyoto are the Sanjusengaido with its thousand and one statues of Kannon, the Fushimi Inari shrine with its mountain-scaling corridor of torii gates, the Philosopher's Path and Ginkakuji, and Nijo Castle with its nightingale floor.
- Nara has sacred deer and plenty more temples.
- Miyajima has more deer, a shrine with a famous "floating" torii, and a path up a mountain that I wish I'd had time to follow.
- Tsuwano is definitely off the beaten track for westerners; it's a lovely former samurai town in the mountains in the west, with scenic views, samurai residences, museums, temples, a ruined castle up in the mountains (though when I visited I was unfortunately suffering from flu and barely capable of walking on the flat), plenty of wildlife, and hundreds if not thousands of koi carp in the streetside streams.
- Kagoshima, down at the southern tip of Kyushu, has an active volcano (Sakurajima) looming across the bay; there are regular ferries out to the volcano, and you can walk up it. (It's active but not violent.)
Okinawa's also nice, but I agree with everyone else that August isn't the time to go there.
Definitely get JR rail passes, and definitely get them before you go - the passes you can buy from within the country are aimed at domestic travellers and are much worse deals than the ones aimed at foreign tourists. If you get the 14-day kind, you'll be able to stop for a couple of nights at a time rather than feeling compelled to rush on every day.
Finally, given your interest in nature, you might find it useful to pick up a copy of Lonely Planet's Hiking in Japan.
Let us know where you end up going! And pop back afterwards to tell us how awesome it was.
posted by ManyLeggedCreature at 11:30 PM on February 6, 2012 [2 favorites]
Don't worry about the weather. Yes, it'll be hot and sticky. But you can duck into an air-conditioned shop or (in Tokyo) a train whenever it starts to become too much; there are vending machines selling cold drinks absolutely everywhere; you can get ice cream from myriad specialised vendors, from the ubiquitous convenience stores and from a (rather smaller) number of vending machines; there'll be people handing out free fans all over the place... You'll be fine. Make sure you're always carrying something you can use to mop sweat, that's all; and bring plenty of sunscreen, if you're inclined to burn. You'll have a fantastic time.
Regarding things to do in and near Tokyo - which, like wintersweet, I find an amazing place - I wrote a detailed four-part answer to a previous question. Here's a link to the first part. (Ignore anything to do with views of Fuji - in August the haze will most likely keep Fuji well-hidden.) I'd like to single out Mount Takao, which is mentioned in the second part, because the eerie song of the cicadas made it an incredible place to visit in early August. The heat made it tremendously hard work walking up the first part of the mountain, and I was pouring with sweat by the time I reached the first of the refreshment areas, but I'm so glad to have done it. (There are a chairlift and a funicular, but you'd miss out on some of the most atmospheric parts if you skipped the walk.)
I haven't spent enough time in Osaka to have useful opinions (although the aquarium is excellent - and probably air-conditioned - and the trick art under the main station is great fun). However, in the rest of the country, highlights for me include Naoshima, Kyoto, Nara, Miyajima, Tsuwano and Kagoshima.
- Naoshima is an island in the Seto Inland Sea; it has beautiful views and lots of contemporary art. I particularly like the Chichu Art Museum and the Go'oh Shrine (part of the Art House Project) for their tranquility.
- The things I'm most pleased to have seen in Kyoto are the Sanjusengaido with its thousand and one statues of Kannon, the Fushimi Inari shrine with its mountain-scaling corridor of torii gates, the Philosopher's Path and Ginkakuji, and Nijo Castle with its nightingale floor.
- Nara has sacred deer and plenty more temples.
- Miyajima has more deer, a shrine with a famous "floating" torii, and a path up a mountain that I wish I'd had time to follow.
- Tsuwano is definitely off the beaten track for westerners; it's a lovely former samurai town in the mountains in the west, with scenic views, samurai residences, museums, temples, a ruined castle up in the mountains (though when I visited I was unfortunately suffering from flu and barely capable of walking on the flat), plenty of wildlife, and hundreds if not thousands of koi carp in the streetside streams.
- Kagoshima, down at the southern tip of Kyushu, has an active volcano (Sakurajima) looming across the bay; there are regular ferries out to the volcano, and you can walk up it. (It's active but not violent.)
Okinawa's also nice, but I agree with everyone else that August isn't the time to go there.
Definitely get JR rail passes, and definitely get them before you go - the passes you can buy from within the country are aimed at domestic travellers and are much worse deals than the ones aimed at foreign tourists. If you get the 14-day kind, you'll be able to stop for a couple of nights at a time rather than feeling compelled to rush on every day.
Finally, given your interest in nature, you might find it useful to pick up a copy of Lonely Planet's Hiking in Japan.
Let us know where you end up going! And pop back afterwards to tell us how awesome it was.
posted by ManyLeggedCreature at 11:30 PM on February 6, 2012 [2 favorites]
... good grief. Sanjusangendo, not -sengaido. Sorry. I don't know whether to blame my brain or the iPad's automangle.
posted by ManyLeggedCreature at 3:47 PM on February 7, 2012
posted by ManyLeggedCreature at 3:47 PM on February 7, 2012
If you like modern art, then visiting Naoshima should be on your list no matter what. If you can get a reservation at the Benesse Art Site museum/hotel then that's even better.
Also visiting the Isamu Noguchi Museum in Mure is right near Naoshima and also requires reservations in advance.
posted by gen at 11:39 PM on February 14, 2012
Also visiting the Isamu Noguchi Museum in Mure is right near Naoshima and also requires reservations in advance.
posted by gen at 11:39 PM on February 14, 2012
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by villafoyager at 12:58 PM on February 4, 2012