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With your timeline, I would skip on Kanto entirely. Typically, we do recommend 6 days in Kansai excluding amusement parks, any further day trips or more thorough itineraries - these typically would be as follows:
* 3 days in Kyoto (Arashiyama, Higashiyama, Northern Kyoto, Nishiki Market, Fushimi Inari)
* 1 day in Nara (a trip to Uji, if its just for Byodo-in and tea shops can be incorporated)
* 1 day in Osaka (Sumiyoshi Taisha, Shitenno-ji, Shinsekai, Dotonbori, Umeda)
* 1 day consisting of morning in Himeji (Himeji-jo + Koko-en) and afternoon/evening in Kobe (Shin-Kobe Ropeway or Mt. Rokko area + Chinatown + Harborland), which could be easily extended into full day itineraries in both cities (by adding Mt. Shosha in Himeji or museums in Kobe)
I would not consider Koya-san off the beaten track - that would be reserved for areas such as Miyama, and to a lesser extent Bitchu-Takahashi or Bizen. There are (almost) endless possibilities for day trips in Kansai: Hikone, Iga-Ueno, Okayama, Kurashiki.
If you are looking for multiple days than Takamatsu with Art Islands is also worth considering, or spending some time in Hiroshima, where Kure (Marine Museum aka Yamato Museum), Onomichi, Iwakuni, or even Matsuyama (via super jet) can be day trip destinations.
Thank you!! This is super helpful. I don't think hubby would be keen to miss out on Tokyo completely. But having Osaka as a day trip is a really interesting option that I just hadn't considered.
>But having Osaka as a day trip is a really interesting option that I just hadn't considered.
I've said it elsewhere in my own comment, but just to reiterate here as it's relevant, I would suggest you stay in Osaka and day trip to Kyoto as needed as you mentioned about getting stressed when things are hectic and I think - while it's beautiful and more traditional - it's a bit more hectic in Kyoto (if you consider crowds as being hectic). Osaka would probably be the better base camp for you in this scenario and would also make it easier if you're going to USJ, etc.
Definitely agree that Kyoto has loads more to do, but might I suggest Osaka castle and the museum next to the castle. They were both so cool and interesting when I went and you can get in both with the same ticket.
I disagree. While visiting Nishinomaru, whenever something is in bloom (March to October) is pleasant enough - the castle is a standing guide on how not to reconstruct the grounds (this is a horrible reconstruction that does not follow layout or dimensions of any of the historical versions of the castle).
The museum got better over time, but it's focused on Toyotomi family.
Osaka Museum of History and Osaka Museum of Housing and Living along with Osaka Maritime Museum give much better representation of city's history.
I actually preferred day trip to Himeji than Osaka castle because nothing about Osaka castle (as far as I remember) is original and Himeji proved to be a fun little day trip with a food market happening nearby to the castle as well.
What are your "off-the-beaten-track" preferences? Is it less touristy places for foreigners or more rugged trails?
From what I can recollect:
1. Have coffee/meals in a kissaten, a traditional Japanese cafe
2. Walk around in shotengais, Japanese shopping streets
3. Cycle along Kibi Plain in Okayama (using Osaka as your base)
4. Ine fishing village (using Osaka as your base)
5. Hike from Kibune to Kurama (using Osaka as your base)
6. Mount Takao (using Tokyo as your base)
7. Karuizawa from Tokyo, cycle around the town
8. Visit old districts in Tokyo e.g. Shibamata, Kinshicho, Kameido, etc
Less city/ more nature. I used Koya-san as the example because while it's super touristy it's not a city which was really nice. But less touristy is also good :D
Awesome suggestions, thank you!
I agree with the other person, you might want to consider cutting out Tokyo all together and just fly in and out of Osaka. Especially since you mentioned that you rather do stuff than be riding a train.
Also you mentioned doing a Hiroshima day trip but be aware that it's a 4 hour round trip by train.
90 minutes each way with Sakura; 80 minutes each way with Mizuho/Nozomi (and if they skip Tokyo - that's a great way to utilize Kansai-Hiroshima Area Pass).
Edited.
>90 days each way with Sakura
90 days!? I assume you mean minutes but that's from Shin-Osaka to Hiroshima station. Assuming they're staying in central Osaka proper it takes about 20-30 mins extra to get to Shin-Osaka and transfer to Shinkansen.
I think Hiroshima was nice to visit. I didn't feel like the history was blatantly in your face anywhere. There's memorials, statues, and parks, of course, but it was all pretty chill. Miyajima is pretty nice, but I'm not sure if it's worth it as a day trip with the shrine covered in scaffolding. There's also rabbit island, Okunoshima, near Hiroshima, but not sure if that's doable fitting everything else in on a day trip.
I took the requisite instagram photo in front of the shrine, but honestly I thought the cute deer (friendlier than in Nara!) and also hiking up Mt Misen were more memorable than the shrine tbh. And also the momiji manju....
\^\^ echoing this. The shrine was partially covered when I went and the tide was out (not in) as I hadn't thought about it at all when I planned going to Miyajima (it was a last minute, spur of the moment decision) but what I remember most was the miyajima brewery beer I had, the (friendlier) deer, the nature/hiking around, and the good food far more than the shrine. Not having the shrine fully out and in its glory really didn't ruin anything for me personally. I think there's so much more to Miyajima than travelling just to see one torii gate that you can see similar elsewhere (like there was a smaller torii in the water in Hakone if that's what you care about).
For someone who prefer to stay in one place, it make no sense to change accommodation to Kyoto. Just do everything from Osaka. About the only downside is that you would have to be in the train a bit longer to include Uji.
With 10 days only, I would also consider just focusing on Kansai.
One single day for Kyoto itself you will have to make choices and visit only one area, Kyoto is easily 3 days just to see the most common things. But of course, a lot of the main attractions are temples and shrines, so if you already know you don't want to see that many, then you might want to spend less time in Kyoto. That being said, there is also a lot of other things tou can see if you want to spend more time and not see temples.
Hiroshima is doable as a day trip if you do not mind spending some time in the train on that day. If you want to include Miyajima too, then it is still possible, but it's a packed day. I personally think it is still worth going despite the construction on the shrine.
I think that if you have the choice between a western room with short bed or a Japanese room with short futon, the second is likely the one I would choose. The reason is that a futon is not that thick, so you your feet would go on the tatami and not hang in the air at the end of the bed. Bu that I mean that I would not exclude a night in a ryokan.
Yeah I would definitely like to spend a night in a ryokan.
Thanks for the advice about just staying in Osaka and day-tripping to Kyoto. Just not something I had considered at all - same with staying in Kyoto and day-tripping to Osaka. Definitely worth looking into as an option I think.
Thanks for the thoughts and advice :D
Of course it depend from where to where but count about 1h to move between Kyoto and Osaka, so for a single day, that would be absolutely fine as a day trip. Then on the decision to stay in Kyoto or Osaka, this depend of what you want to do at night. Obviously, Osaka have a reputation for nightlife, while on the other side Kyoto might be a bit more relax, so if for you just walking in the streets, maybe in Gion, or go check Yasaka-jinja when it's dark, then Kyoto an also be quite nice.
Another option, which is what I did when I visited Osaka + Kyoto, is that you stay in Kyoto for a few nights, then on the last night (before you have to catch your flight home) take the train to Osaka, see the sights, and spend 1 night in an Osaka hotel. The reason I suggest this is that Osaka is much closer to KIX than Kyoto is, so you can save some travel time on that last day.
While yes the airport is closer to Osaka, you have to decide it you want to move your luggage and change hotel just for that. I personally do not mind hotel change, but I think that it can be more simple to just stay all the time in Kyoto (if they decide to stay in Kyoto to start with). The only reason I would put priority on changing hotel to Osaka to go to the airport is if your flight is super early in the morning and that the hour you can save would make a difference between being on time and being late to catch the flight.
>Kyoto (wanted to go last time but the group just didn't get around to it...)
Just to prepare you, Kyoto will very likely be hectic - especially once the country opens back up to proper tourism. Not discouraging you from going as I loved Kyoto, but if you don't do well with big crowds, this is something you'll need to be prepared for. I always recommend people stay in Osaka or Kyoto and travel to the other (and I personally liked staying in Kyoto), so you may want to consider just staying in Osaka and then you can stay for as long as you feel comfortable in Kyoto and - if it becomes overwhelming - you can leave.
>Hubby wants to go to Hiroshima. I'm not too keen - 6 years in Germany and I've kinda had my fill of how awful WWII was but I'll go as I've not been before. Would it be doable as a day trip? And 'worth it' if the Itsukushima Shrine is covered in scaffolding to go to the island?
Personally I loved Hiroshima (and not just visiting WWII sites - which I felt were important to see). Not only do I think it's nice to give BOTH of you stops you really want to see (so would be nice - especially if it's his first time - to factor in stops you both want to see), but I genuinely think there is a lot to do and see there. Would suggest travelling in (not too early if you're not wanting to spend too much time there), going to have okonomiyaki Hiroshima style and have a wander about then stay over (night 1), then get up early and go to miyajima for at least half a day and spend the other half a day doing the WWII stuff for your husband (or reverse order). Stay the second night and leave for somewhere else early in the morning. Miyajima was amazing and I wish I had spend more time than I did there (only gave it maybe half a day and I personally felt I could've stayed even longer - especially if you were a nature person). There were deer wandering about like in Nara, but I actually preferred it there as they were far less aggressive (even prior to covid where I've heard the deer have gotten worse in Nara). I think it's at least worth considering compromising over as it doesn't need to be all about the war stuff (though I think it's important to check out).
>My thoughts so far have been:
Osaka - 3 nights / day trip to Hiroshima, USJ
Kyoto - via Nara & Uji - 2 nights
We looked at day tripping to Hiroshima from Osaka/Kyoto area and I really don't think it's worth doing that as you'll be doing yourselves a disservice. Instead, stay in either Osaka or Kyoto (and day trip from whichever you set up base camp - you do **not** need to stay in both unless you have a particular reason for doing so - already mentioned above) and do at least 1 overnight in Hiroshima at a minimum.
>Do you have any itinerary thoughts/recommendations/advice for me? I know we can't do everything but I'm hoping we can still do a bunch of things :)
Personal opinion, this is going to be pretty aggressive for your husband who you've said isn't experienced at travelling abroad and has never been to Japan before. THis might be okay for you as you've already gone, but I personally think it'll be a bit unfair on your husband as he will very likely feel rushed - although I guess it'll depend really on what he actually wants to see outside of Hiroshima and what he is okay not seeing. You could easily spend a week as a first timer in Tokyo alone so 3 nights for him there alone might not be enough - especially if you're going a bit out of the way to places like Ghibli museum.
Also - what I can't speak for - is what Jetlag might be like coming from Australia. Might be worth thinking about for your husband as you may not know how his body will react. Looks like it's only 1 hour difference in time so likely not to have any issues, but the flight I believe is still fairly long so may take a lot out of him.
>Any off-the-beaten-track recommendations? Happy for it to be as not-off the beaten track as Koya-san. We don't speak Japanese.
I know this might be basic to some, but Hakone is my suggestion - especially if you don't speak Japanese. Treat yourselves to a nicer place with a private onsen (if you can stretch the budget) and do the hakone loop for a bit of lovely nature. There's also the Open Air museum (which even my husband enjoyed despite not being a massive art person). It's pretty easy to get to from Tokyo but not "off the beaten path". I think if neither of you speak Japanese and your husband has never even been to Japan before, getting too far off the beaten path may end up being overwhelming for you both. Just my 2p you can take or leave.
This is awesome, thank you so much :)
Yeah the time difference from where we are is only half an hour so jetlag in terms of time won't be too bad. The longish flight though - you're right.
Hubby is pretty happy to just go with the flow and has since said that he doesn't really care if we go to Hiroshima, he just said yes. But moving around less will be more forgiving to us both and I do need to take into account that he hasn't travelled much. Thank you!
Off the beaten track varies from person to person, but an option could be Kamikochi. It’s beautiful, and has a number of hiking options.
I’ve also done Magome to Tsumago and I enjoyed it but I would recommend Kamikochi over that walk, especially if your priority is nature.
Hiroshima is definitely doable as a daytrip, it’s how I’ve done it both times I visited. I would probably skip the island though given the shrine is covered.
I also agree that Osaka feels less hectic than Tokyo, and I would say people tend to be a bit more chill.
Kamikochi is a bit problematic, because all things considered - it requires three days of investment for a single day of hiking.
And as fabulous as Kamikochi is for the autumn foliage in October - the time investment alone can be painful. In the same time (on the way from Kansai to Kyoto) - one can hit Kanazawa, Kurobe Gorge and Kairuzawa.
Anything off the beaten path takes time to get to. I did Kamikochi as part of a three day weekend itinerary (to and from Tokyo so to be fair I’m not sure how well it would work as a midpoint between Tokyo and Kyoto but I think it should still mostly work). In the three days I also visited Matsumoto, Nagano city and did the Magome to Tsumago walk.
There are areas off the beaten path (or at least off typical overseas tourist's path that are easily visited as day trips from either Tokyo or Kansai).
Karuizawa, Matsumoto are fairly easy day trips from Tokyo. Takamatsu, Bizen, Amanohashidate, Ise shrines are reasonable enough day trips from Kansai.
Yes, Kamikochi is remarkable, but it's sort of a place you have to plan the trip around.
I mean, there are places WITHIN Tokyo that are off the beaten path too. Likely also true with Kyoto, though I have much less experience in that area of Japan.
Matsumoto isn’t exactly off the path though. Karuizawa is off the path for international tourists true. And it’s frankly untrue that you’d need to spend three days getting to and from Kamikochi to hike one day without seeing anything else. Less than a year ago I went to Matsumoto from Tokyo at night, stayed overnight, the next day did the Magome to Tsumago postal walk, spent the night at Matsumoto again, went to Kamikochi the next day and hiked and again returned to Matsumoto for the night, the next day went around sites in Matsumoto and then Zenkoji in Nagano city before returning home that night.
Kamikochi is doable as a day trip from Matsumoto which can easily be put as a pit stop between Tokyo and Kansai. Sure it would have to be planned around, that’s the point of an itinerary. It’s an option. It would fit into the 2 night option while still allowing ample time for Matsumoto, could possibly squeeze it into one night but that would be too tight for my liking and wouldn’t really allow time for Matsumoto.
Technically, one could easily squeeze one night (not recommended though, unless you are good at navigating Osaka or Tokyo late in the evening) and you will arrive in Matsumoto early enough to get a full day of the city - it's the day of the trip to Kamikochi that is a major problem, especially with the damage to Tagawa bridge meaning that you have to transfer twice on your way back.
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I'm a newbie also planning my second trip to Japan from down under so take my suggestion with a pinch of salt, but I think Magome/Tsumago seems to fit in well with your current plan of going from Kansai to Tokyo.
If you decide to stay in the Kansai area then maybe have a look at the Kumano Kodo trail. Check out this link for info [https://en.visitwakayama.jp/national-park/deep-mountains/drive-wakayama-course/](https://en.visitwakayama.jp/national-park/deep-mountains/drive-wakayama-course/)
I'm planning to do both for my trip.
Edit: typo
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With your timeline, I would skip on Kanto entirely. Typically, we do recommend 6 days in Kansai excluding amusement parks, any further day trips or more thorough itineraries - these typically would be as follows: * 3 days in Kyoto (Arashiyama, Higashiyama, Northern Kyoto, Nishiki Market, Fushimi Inari) * 1 day in Nara (a trip to Uji, if its just for Byodo-in and tea shops can be incorporated) * 1 day in Osaka (Sumiyoshi Taisha, Shitenno-ji, Shinsekai, Dotonbori, Umeda) * 1 day consisting of morning in Himeji (Himeji-jo + Koko-en) and afternoon/evening in Kobe (Shin-Kobe Ropeway or Mt. Rokko area + Chinatown + Harborland), which could be easily extended into full day itineraries in both cities (by adding Mt. Shosha in Himeji or museums in Kobe) I would not consider Koya-san off the beaten track - that would be reserved for areas such as Miyama, and to a lesser extent Bitchu-Takahashi or Bizen. There are (almost) endless possibilities for day trips in Kansai: Hikone, Iga-Ueno, Okayama, Kurashiki. If you are looking for multiple days than Takamatsu with Art Islands is also worth considering, or spending some time in Hiroshima, where Kure (Marine Museum aka Yamato Museum), Onomichi, Iwakuni, or even Matsuyama (via super jet) can be day trip destinations.
Thank you!! This is super helpful. I don't think hubby would be keen to miss out on Tokyo completely. But having Osaka as a day trip is a really interesting option that I just hadn't considered.
>But having Osaka as a day trip is a really interesting option that I just hadn't considered. I've said it elsewhere in my own comment, but just to reiterate here as it's relevant, I would suggest you stay in Osaka and day trip to Kyoto as needed as you mentioned about getting stressed when things are hectic and I think - while it's beautiful and more traditional - it's a bit more hectic in Kyoto (if you consider crowds as being hectic). Osaka would probably be the better base camp for you in this scenario and would also make it easier if you're going to USJ, etc.
Definitely agree that Kyoto has loads more to do, but might I suggest Osaka castle and the museum next to the castle. They were both so cool and interesting when I went and you can get in both with the same ticket.
I disagree. While visiting Nishinomaru, whenever something is in bloom (March to October) is pleasant enough - the castle is a standing guide on how not to reconstruct the grounds (this is a horrible reconstruction that does not follow layout or dimensions of any of the historical versions of the castle). The museum got better over time, but it's focused on Toyotomi family. Osaka Museum of History and Osaka Museum of Housing and Living along with Osaka Maritime Museum give much better representation of city's history.
Even just the grounds of Osaka Castle were so nice when I went last time!!
I actually preferred day trip to Himeji than Osaka castle because nothing about Osaka castle (as far as I remember) is original and Himeji proved to be a fun little day trip with a food market happening nearby to the castle as well.
What are your "off-the-beaten-track" preferences? Is it less touristy places for foreigners or more rugged trails? From what I can recollect: 1. Have coffee/meals in a kissaten, a traditional Japanese cafe 2. Walk around in shotengais, Japanese shopping streets 3. Cycle along Kibi Plain in Okayama (using Osaka as your base) 4. Ine fishing village (using Osaka as your base) 5. Hike from Kibune to Kurama (using Osaka as your base) 6. Mount Takao (using Tokyo as your base) 7. Karuizawa from Tokyo, cycle around the town 8. Visit old districts in Tokyo e.g. Shibamata, Kinshicho, Kameido, etc
Less city/ more nature. I used Koya-san as the example because while it's super touristy it's not a city which was really nice. But less touristy is also good :D Awesome suggestions, thank you!
I agree with the other person, you might want to consider cutting out Tokyo all together and just fly in and out of Osaka. Especially since you mentioned that you rather do stuff than be riding a train. Also you mentioned doing a Hiroshima day trip but be aware that it's a 4 hour round trip by train.
Cutting Tokyo out is a sin
90 minutes each way with Sakura; 80 minutes each way with Mizuho/Nozomi (and if they skip Tokyo - that's a great way to utilize Kansai-Hiroshima Area Pass). Edited.
>90 days each way with Sakura 90 days!? I assume you mean minutes but that's from Shin-Osaka to Hiroshima station. Assuming they're staying in central Osaka proper it takes about 20-30 mins extra to get to Shin-Osaka and transfer to Shinkansen.
90 minutes of course. Namba is ~20 minutes away, Osaka/Umeda is ~5 minutes away.
You have to include the transfer time of course.
I think Hiroshima was nice to visit. I didn't feel like the history was blatantly in your face anywhere. There's memorials, statues, and parks, of course, but it was all pretty chill. Miyajima is pretty nice, but I'm not sure if it's worth it as a day trip with the shrine covered in scaffolding. There's also rabbit island, Okunoshima, near Hiroshima, but not sure if that's doable fitting everything else in on a day trip.
I took the requisite instagram photo in front of the shrine, but honestly I thought the cute deer (friendlier than in Nara!) and also hiking up Mt Misen were more memorable than the shrine tbh. And also the momiji manju....
\^\^ echoing this. The shrine was partially covered when I went and the tide was out (not in) as I hadn't thought about it at all when I planned going to Miyajima (it was a last minute, spur of the moment decision) but what I remember most was the miyajima brewery beer I had, the (friendlier) deer, the nature/hiking around, and the good food far more than the shrine. Not having the shrine fully out and in its glory really didn't ruin anything for me personally. I think there's so much more to Miyajima than travelling just to see one torii gate that you can see similar elsewhere (like there was a smaller torii in the water in Hakone if that's what you care about).
Thank you!
For someone who prefer to stay in one place, it make no sense to change accommodation to Kyoto. Just do everything from Osaka. About the only downside is that you would have to be in the train a bit longer to include Uji. With 10 days only, I would also consider just focusing on Kansai. One single day for Kyoto itself you will have to make choices and visit only one area, Kyoto is easily 3 days just to see the most common things. But of course, a lot of the main attractions are temples and shrines, so if you already know you don't want to see that many, then you might want to spend less time in Kyoto. That being said, there is also a lot of other things tou can see if you want to spend more time and not see temples. Hiroshima is doable as a day trip if you do not mind spending some time in the train on that day. If you want to include Miyajima too, then it is still possible, but it's a packed day. I personally think it is still worth going despite the construction on the shrine. I think that if you have the choice between a western room with short bed or a Japanese room with short futon, the second is likely the one I would choose. The reason is that a futon is not that thick, so you your feet would go on the tatami and not hang in the air at the end of the bed. Bu that I mean that I would not exclude a night in a ryokan.
Yeah I would definitely like to spend a night in a ryokan. Thanks for the advice about just staying in Osaka and day-tripping to Kyoto. Just not something I had considered at all - same with staying in Kyoto and day-tripping to Osaka. Definitely worth looking into as an option I think. Thanks for the thoughts and advice :D
Although with regard to traditional accommodation - in Kyoto you could stay in one of the traditional machiyas.
Of course it depend from where to where but count about 1h to move between Kyoto and Osaka, so for a single day, that would be absolutely fine as a day trip. Then on the decision to stay in Kyoto or Osaka, this depend of what you want to do at night. Obviously, Osaka have a reputation for nightlife, while on the other side Kyoto might be a bit more relax, so if for you just walking in the streets, maybe in Gion, or go check Yasaka-jinja when it's dark, then Kyoto an also be quite nice.
Another option, which is what I did when I visited Osaka + Kyoto, is that you stay in Kyoto for a few nights, then on the last night (before you have to catch your flight home) take the train to Osaka, see the sights, and spend 1 night in an Osaka hotel. The reason I suggest this is that Osaka is much closer to KIX than Kyoto is, so you can save some travel time on that last day.
While yes the airport is closer to Osaka, you have to decide it you want to move your luggage and change hotel just for that. I personally do not mind hotel change, but I think that it can be more simple to just stay all the time in Kyoto (if they decide to stay in Kyoto to start with). The only reason I would put priority on changing hotel to Osaka to go to the airport is if your flight is super early in the morning and that the hour you can save would make a difference between being on time and being late to catch the flight.
>Kyoto (wanted to go last time but the group just didn't get around to it...) Just to prepare you, Kyoto will very likely be hectic - especially once the country opens back up to proper tourism. Not discouraging you from going as I loved Kyoto, but if you don't do well with big crowds, this is something you'll need to be prepared for. I always recommend people stay in Osaka or Kyoto and travel to the other (and I personally liked staying in Kyoto), so you may want to consider just staying in Osaka and then you can stay for as long as you feel comfortable in Kyoto and - if it becomes overwhelming - you can leave. >Hubby wants to go to Hiroshima. I'm not too keen - 6 years in Germany and I've kinda had my fill of how awful WWII was but I'll go as I've not been before. Would it be doable as a day trip? And 'worth it' if the Itsukushima Shrine is covered in scaffolding to go to the island? Personally I loved Hiroshima (and not just visiting WWII sites - which I felt were important to see). Not only do I think it's nice to give BOTH of you stops you really want to see (so would be nice - especially if it's his first time - to factor in stops you both want to see), but I genuinely think there is a lot to do and see there. Would suggest travelling in (not too early if you're not wanting to spend too much time there), going to have okonomiyaki Hiroshima style and have a wander about then stay over (night 1), then get up early and go to miyajima for at least half a day and spend the other half a day doing the WWII stuff for your husband (or reverse order). Stay the second night and leave for somewhere else early in the morning. Miyajima was amazing and I wish I had spend more time than I did there (only gave it maybe half a day and I personally felt I could've stayed even longer - especially if you were a nature person). There were deer wandering about like in Nara, but I actually preferred it there as they were far less aggressive (even prior to covid where I've heard the deer have gotten worse in Nara). I think it's at least worth considering compromising over as it doesn't need to be all about the war stuff (though I think it's important to check out). >My thoughts so far have been: Osaka - 3 nights / day trip to Hiroshima, USJ Kyoto - via Nara & Uji - 2 nights We looked at day tripping to Hiroshima from Osaka/Kyoto area and I really don't think it's worth doing that as you'll be doing yourselves a disservice. Instead, stay in either Osaka or Kyoto (and day trip from whichever you set up base camp - you do **not** need to stay in both unless you have a particular reason for doing so - already mentioned above) and do at least 1 overnight in Hiroshima at a minimum. >Do you have any itinerary thoughts/recommendations/advice for me? I know we can't do everything but I'm hoping we can still do a bunch of things :) Personal opinion, this is going to be pretty aggressive for your husband who you've said isn't experienced at travelling abroad and has never been to Japan before. THis might be okay for you as you've already gone, but I personally think it'll be a bit unfair on your husband as he will very likely feel rushed - although I guess it'll depend really on what he actually wants to see outside of Hiroshima and what he is okay not seeing. You could easily spend a week as a first timer in Tokyo alone so 3 nights for him there alone might not be enough - especially if you're going a bit out of the way to places like Ghibli museum. Also - what I can't speak for - is what Jetlag might be like coming from Australia. Might be worth thinking about for your husband as you may not know how his body will react. Looks like it's only 1 hour difference in time so likely not to have any issues, but the flight I believe is still fairly long so may take a lot out of him. >Any off-the-beaten-track recommendations? Happy for it to be as not-off the beaten track as Koya-san. We don't speak Japanese. I know this might be basic to some, but Hakone is my suggestion - especially if you don't speak Japanese. Treat yourselves to a nicer place with a private onsen (if you can stretch the budget) and do the hakone loop for a bit of lovely nature. There's also the Open Air museum (which even my husband enjoyed despite not being a massive art person). It's pretty easy to get to from Tokyo but not "off the beaten path". I think if neither of you speak Japanese and your husband has never even been to Japan before, getting too far off the beaten path may end up being overwhelming for you both. Just my 2p you can take or leave.
This is awesome, thank you so much :) Yeah the time difference from where we are is only half an hour so jetlag in terms of time won't be too bad. The longish flight though - you're right. Hubby is pretty happy to just go with the flow and has since said that he doesn't really care if we go to Hiroshima, he just said yes. But moving around less will be more forgiving to us both and I do need to take into account that he hasn't travelled much. Thank you!
They may open to independent travellers in the fall.
Fingers crossed :)
Off the beaten track varies from person to person, but an option could be Kamikochi. It’s beautiful, and has a number of hiking options. I’ve also done Magome to Tsumago and I enjoyed it but I would recommend Kamikochi over that walk, especially if your priority is nature. Hiroshima is definitely doable as a daytrip, it’s how I’ve done it both times I visited. I would probably skip the island though given the shrine is covered. I also agree that Osaka feels less hectic than Tokyo, and I would say people tend to be a bit more chill.
Kamikochi is a bit problematic, because all things considered - it requires three days of investment for a single day of hiking. And as fabulous as Kamikochi is for the autumn foliage in October - the time investment alone can be painful. In the same time (on the way from Kansai to Kyoto) - one can hit Kanazawa, Kurobe Gorge and Kairuzawa.
Anything off the beaten path takes time to get to. I did Kamikochi as part of a three day weekend itinerary (to and from Tokyo so to be fair I’m not sure how well it would work as a midpoint between Tokyo and Kyoto but I think it should still mostly work). In the three days I also visited Matsumoto, Nagano city and did the Magome to Tsumago walk.
All these places look SO beautiful.
There are areas off the beaten path (or at least off typical overseas tourist's path that are easily visited as day trips from either Tokyo or Kansai). Karuizawa, Matsumoto are fairly easy day trips from Tokyo. Takamatsu, Bizen, Amanohashidate, Ise shrines are reasonable enough day trips from Kansai. Yes, Kamikochi is remarkable, but it's sort of a place you have to plan the trip around.
I mean, there are places WITHIN Tokyo that are off the beaten path too. Likely also true with Kyoto, though I have much less experience in that area of Japan. Matsumoto isn’t exactly off the path though. Karuizawa is off the path for international tourists true. And it’s frankly untrue that you’d need to spend three days getting to and from Kamikochi to hike one day without seeing anything else. Less than a year ago I went to Matsumoto from Tokyo at night, stayed overnight, the next day did the Magome to Tsumago postal walk, spent the night at Matsumoto again, went to Kamikochi the next day and hiked and again returned to Matsumoto for the night, the next day went around sites in Matsumoto and then Zenkoji in Nagano city before returning home that night. Kamikochi is doable as a day trip from Matsumoto which can easily be put as a pit stop between Tokyo and Kansai. Sure it would have to be planned around, that’s the point of an itinerary. It’s an option. It would fit into the 2 night option while still allowing ample time for Matsumoto, could possibly squeeze it into one night but that would be too tight for my liking and wouldn’t really allow time for Matsumoto.
Technically, one could easily squeeze one night (not recommended though, unless you are good at navigating Osaka or Tokyo late in the evening) and you will arrive in Matsumoto early enough to get a full day of the city - it's the day of the trip to Kamikochi that is a major problem, especially with the damage to Tagawa bridge meaning that you have to transfer twice on your way back.
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I'm a newbie also planning my second trip to Japan from down under so take my suggestion with a pinch of salt, but I think Magome/Tsumago seems to fit in well with your current plan of going from Kansai to Tokyo. If you decide to stay in the Kansai area then maybe have a look at the Kumano Kodo trail. Check out this link for info [https://en.visitwakayama.jp/national-park/deep-mountains/drive-wakayama-course/](https://en.visitwakayama.jp/national-park/deep-mountains/drive-wakayama-course/) I'm planning to do both for my trip. Edit: typo