First trip to Japan 21 Days

Optimum

Hi folks looking some advice on a trip we (myself and are planning to Japan.
Looking to fly out around 25 September for 21 nights.

Never been before so looking any tips or advice on travel to the land of the Rising Sun.
Any good online guides or personnel experience?
Must see places/trips? Things to avoid?

Hope you can help me out.
Thanks,
K.

Batgurl

Optimum wrote: »

Any good online guides or personnel experience?
Must see places/trips? Things to avoid?

I've only been to Tokyo but trying to get back this year to see more. Avoid Narita airport if flying to Tokyo; it's the main one but miles out. Haneda is much closer to the city.

I recommend a visit to the Onsen baths; there is a big one in Tokyo called Oedo Onsen which is an experience. Read up on etiquette before you enter though.

Subway is easy to navigate and if your into beer, go to the Asahi headquarters. Pretty cool. As is a trip to Mount Fuji but that's a given.
Have you any plans made or ideas of what you'd like to see?

Morpork

Went to visit Tokyo twice and lived in Osaka and Nara for 2 years, visited many different prefectures around Japan.
Tokyo is big enough that you could spend 21 days there and only scratch the surface, but you're only getting one style in Tokyo: a big city. If you want to get a broad view of Japan I suggest going to Osaka as a base travelling from there. Osaka offers a lot of what Tokyo offers, on a slightly smaller scale, but the beauty of it is that it's surrounded by many interesting prefectures and sites which are easily accessed by a short train ride.

The surrounding cities are:
Kyoto - must see for olden times Japan. Golden temple, kiyomizu temple etc
Nara - For Nara park/Todaiji temple
Kobe - For city night views from mount Rokko
Wakayama - for this http://edition.cnn.com/2013/05/06/travel/japan-kumano-kodo-hike/
Mie - which is the Ninja capital if you're into that.

Then from Osaka you can take the shinkansen one direction to Tokyo and another direction to Hiroshima which has Itsukushima shrine, WWII memorial, and interesting food.

After that, if you're feeling adventures take a plane to Okinawa. Beautiful beaches and scenery, mad people!

Avoid: nothing!

Sheela

Hi

I read this thread before my trip http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=79640668 and found it useful

Was there for 3 weeks last september myself!
couldn't recommend it more,
We did
Tokyo,So much to see.
Hiroshima .Miyajima Island is a must.
Kyoto,Loads of old skool temples and stuff.
Nogoya ,this was for the grand prix.
Hakone.Deffo worth a look.Its a mountainous region with a traditional style.loads to see and do (http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e5210.html
Then back to tokyo.

I wouldn't say Narita is miles out.
40 minutes on a train and 40 minutes I enjoyed flying through the japanese countryside !
get a 2 week JR rail pass and activate it when your about to leave tokyo.
they cost about 350 each but are well worth it.

Getting around via train is so easy.I think we made two mistakes with trains which is good considering we used them all the time!

I HIGHLY recommend getting pocket wifi.There is not much free wifi at all.
I think it was around 70e for 3 weeks and we used it for maps/translate/trains all the time.
You have to pick it up in the post office in the airport.That was kinda funny but they are so helpful !
Here is the place I used
http://www.globaladvancedcomm.com/pocketwifi.html I also had a portable charger pack for it.

Heres a pic from Miyajima Island to get you in the mood!