1 month japan itinerary

lazorgirl

I'm heading to Japan in September for one month,flying in & out of Tokyo.i would prefer to pick 6 places to see for a few days at a time rather than rushing through lots of places.
any ideas for the places i must see (tokyo 4 days,kyoto 4 days, osaka & okinawa on my to do list so far) . also i'm taking japanese lessons but wondering how proficient a level i should reach by September to make my solo trip a bit easier and more interactive?

Beruthiel

We spent a week in Kyoto and still didn't get to see quarter of it!
There are so many temples and the Gion District is beautiful.
We never even got to Nara which is only about 45 mins away by train. It is also meant to be beautiful and you could add that to your list.

If you are learning some Japanese, then you should be fine. We didn't have much more than, excuse me, please, thank you and we got on fine.
Train stations and the like will have someone who can talk a little english at the counter.
In Tokyo, if you're lost, stand there looking puzzled and someone who can talk english will arrive to your rescue in no time. We found it amazing the way people would just walk up and offer to help you. Japanese people are wonderful, you're going to have a ball!

hibby

lazorgirl wrote: »

I'm heading to Japan in September for one month,flying in & out of Tokyo.i would prefer to pick 6 places to see for a few days at a time rather than rushing through lots of places.
any ideas for the places i must see (tokyo 4 days,kyoto 4 days, osaka & okinawa on my to do list so far) . also i'm taking japanese lessons but wondering how proficient a level i should reach by September to make my solo trip a bit easier and more interactive?

Good thinking, to spend a decent amount of time in each place rather than rushing around. Whichever 6 places you pick, it'll be a tremendous experience.

I can make detailed suggestions if you like, but in general terms:
- there's more to Japan than big cities. Try to experience a smaller city or a rural area also, for 1 or 2 of your 6 picks;
- I like Osaka, and I could tell you a million things to do here. But many people would think it shouldn't be on your top six;
- Okinawa is a great idea, but if you go there I suggest you don't spend your time on the main island, which has its attractions but much of it is pretty grim. I've enjoyed very happy holidays in smaller islands of Okinawa prefecture. On the other hand, they are a little bit more expensive to get to;
- September is a really nice time of year in Japan. One of the best. Still warm/hot but the extreme heat and humidity is finished, so it's just really pleasant.

Regarding knowing Japanese, you'll do fine. As Beruthiel says, Japanese people are extraordinarily helpful. Lots of tourists manage fine without any Japanese. So don't feel under too much pressure to master the language before your visit. But having said that, the more you can learn about Japanese culture, the better you will understand what you see, and the richer your experience will be, in my opinion.

Setun

Kamakura (a short train journey south of Tokyo) is a must for a day trip. I'll never forget the day I spend wandering around temples along the pathway towards the town. By the time I made it into the town center, it was evening and getting dark. I was walking around some backstreets exploring a bit with a few friends, and we heard this music - so we followed our ears, and ended up at a temple decorated with colourful illuminated lanterns, and a group of children practicing some traditional music for an upcoming parade. Very surreal but wonderful experience If the weather happens to be good and you fancy a swim in the pacific, there is a sandy beach within a few minutes walking distance from the town center also.

shar01

I recommend Yudanaka - it's about 45 mins north of Nagano, which itself is about an hour from Tokyo. It's a beautiful little town with many natural springs.

From there we went to Hiroshima - it was about 7 hours by train. Although Hiroshima was well-worth a two night visit, I'm sorry we didn't stay on Miyajima Island.

Agree with Beruthiel regarding the friendliness and helpfulness - I still have the tea-candy given to me on the ferry to Miyajima by the lady I was sitting beside - even if she didn't know where Ireland was - "is it near London?":).

We were there during Cherry Blossom festival. Given that you're going to be there in September would it be worthwhile checking where's the best place to be to see the beautiful autumn colours?

shar01

Setun wrote: »

Kamakura (a short train journey south of Tokyo) is a must for a day trip. I'll never forget the day I spend wandering around temples along the pathway towards the town. By the time I made it into the town center, it was evening and getting dark. I was walking around some backstreets exploring a bit with a few friends, and we heard this music - so we followed our ears, and ended up at a temple decorated with colourful illuminated lanterns, and a group of children practicing some traditional music for an upcoming parade. Very surreal but wonderful experience If the weather happens to be good and you fancy a swim in the pacific, there is a sandy beach within a few minutes walking distance from the town center also.

Check local listings for any matsuris that might be on - Kamakura has a good one in April. Plus one on following your nose (or ears)! In Nikko we could hear singing - came around a corner and there was a group of elderly pilgrims praying.

shindig-jp

lazorgirl wrote: »

solo trip

Can I ask : Are you an experienced traveler . Japan is a surreal place to be in no matter what area you land in and it can knock you off your guard being surrounded by overwhelming kindness and courtesy . Try keep your head and home safe .

Lie to me in October that your eyes didn't fill with tears leaving the country .

Beruthiel

shindig-jp wrote: »

Japan is a surreal place to be in no matter what area you land in and it can knock you off your guard being surrounded by overwhelming kindness and courtesy .

Kind, thoughtful, respectful, smiling, courteous, unbelievably helpful. With all the beautiful, wonderful, awe inspiring things I saw in Japan, the one thing that has left a lasting impression on me is how I was treated while in Japan.
As for being safe, I don't think there is a safer country on the planet.

lazorgirl

Many thanks for all the advice re best places to go and tips. its great to hear so many positives about the place, people & culture. think i will stay in kyoto for one week so i can get a really good feel for the place. also good to hear that just my few words of japanese should get me by and help with interacting. i can't wait til September!

shindig-jp

Beruthiel wrote: »

As for being safe, I don't think there is a safer country on the planet.

and that's what worries me . I can not forget Nicola Furlong, Lindsay Ann Hawker,Carita Ridgeway, Lucy Blackman , Alan Buckley and "last month" the 2 Taiwanese girls . We must never drop our guard .

Edit: that should read "Last year"

hibby

shindig-jp wrote: »

We must never drop our guard.

You're both right, of course. This country really is a very safe place, but that doesn't mean we should be completely careless, oblivious to our surroundings, or leave our common sense behind.

hibby

shindig-jp wrote: »

Can I ask : Are you an experienced traveler . Japan is a surreal place to be in no matter what area you land in

Oh yes, good point. Arriving in Japan can really be disorienting (no pun intended, really) and I know on the first days of my first visit (many years ago) I was really knocked for six by the unfamiliarity of my surroundings. And a severe case of jet-lag and lack of sleep didn't help.

I have spoken to another guy on a business trip to Tokyo who wandered the streets disconsolately looking for something to eat, couldn't read anything, too shy to walk into a restaurant, eventually bought a sandwich in a 7-11 and went back to his hotel room feeling very inadequate.

But I know other people who have coped much better. We had a visitor from Ireland last year who spoke no Japanese at all, had never been in an Asian country before, and she just took everything in her stride and went off for a big tour of Japan and enjoyed every minute. So I guess it depends on the person and their attitude.

osarusan

Hiroshima for a night - see the A-Bomb dome and museum, then you can head to Miyajima the next day.

Matsumoto is a nice place to spend a night or two, there's a lovely castle there, and you're surrounded by the Japanese Alps. You can go to Kamikochi from Matsumoto too (to the delightfully named 'shin shima-shima' station) if picture-perfect sightseeing (expensive though) is your thing. Matsumoto isn't too far away from Naraijuku either, which is an interesting kind of living museum in what used to be an important post town on a main highway.

Tokyo for a night or two is great, as there is so much to see. The nighttime view from the Metropolitan Govt buildings is fantastic.

A night in Nikko is nice too - a lovely place to see some of old Japan as well as nice sightseeing. Convenient enough from Tokyo too.

If scuba or snorkelling is your thing, Okinawa is the place to be. Don't know what it's like in September though.

Beruthiel

hibby wrote: »

But I know other people who have coped much better. We had a visitor from Ireland last year who spoke no Japanese at all, had never been in an Asian country before, and she just took everything in her stride and went off for a big tour of Japan and enjoyed every minute.

This would have been me on my trip. Other than the USA, I've never been outside Europe. Though I have traveled Europe extensively.
My first time in Asia and I loved every second of it. Even the confusing stuff!
I think researching in advance prepares you to a much better degree.
I looked up youtubers who lived there and did little pieces on life in Japan. How things work, the way Japanese think differently to us on occasion, etc...
I have always watched Japanese film and TV shows. Those would not prepare you for real life, but they do have the effect of acclimatising you.

As for safety, clearly if you are going to be stupid about things, then you take a risk.
I've looked up those names you gave above shindig-jp, most of those people were in situations the OP would/should quite easily be able to avoid.