One month in Japan

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andersju

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I arrived in Tokyo with my girlfriend a few days ago. When she goes back home this weekend I will explore Japan on my own for the rest of the month, equipped with a Rolleiflex, a brick of Tri-X and a 21-day rail pass. The trip will be very much low-budget but I can go pretty much anywhere the JR trains go, on all the major islands. The possibilities feel slightly overwhelming and I would love to hear some suggestions on interesting places or events or things to see or do!
 
Nikko is cool for a place just outside of tokyo that's very pretty. Shirakawago is very cool if you're around Osaka or Kyoto - very old farmhouses and very pretty.

I'm jealous - Japan is so good.
 
Welcome to Japan ! :) You just arrived in the first days of spring, ume (kind of plum) and momo (peach) already started to bloom and in two or three weeks the main "spring event" = sakura (cherry blossom) will happen. For sure sakura in Kyoto or Nara is a "must see" in spring time. Otherwise there are plenty of things to see, already Tokyo offers to many interesting things so one month will be short.

If you have a rail-pass you could make it down to Kyushu first and then travel slowly in north direction following the spring. The northern part with Hokkaido is still covered in snow, though ...
 
andersju said:
I arrived in Tokyo with my girlfriend a few days ago. When she goes back home this weekend I will explore Japan on my own for the rest of the month, equipped with a Rolleiflex, a brick of Tri-X and a 21-day rail pass. The trip will be very much low-budget but I can go pretty much anywhere the JR trains go, on all the major islands. The possibilities feel slightly overwhelming and I would love to hear some suggestions on interesting places or events or things to see or do!
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I never failed to get a kick out of showing the JR Rail Pass to Japanese people - it's such an incredibly good deal, nobody can believe it :p I don't have any personal experience with the Japanese version, but if you don't speak the language well already, I've found Lonely Planet's pocket phrasebooks to be really useful. You can probably find it at a bookstore selling English-language books in Tokyo, which shouldn't be too hard to find.

Check out Miyajima, an island near Hiroshima. The JR pass is also good for the ferry out to the island, and it has a scenic torii out in the water that's one of the iconic scenic sites of Japan. You can also climb the mountain (or take a gondola to the summit), where there may or may not be monkeys. It's easily done as a day trip from Hiroshima, although there is plenty of accommodation on the island if you want to overnight there.

Near Nagoya, there's Gero and Takayama. Gero is known for hot springs, Takayama has a sort of old traditional Japanese town thing going on, and lots of sake breweries where you can sample straight out of the barrel for a modest price. In Nagoya, if you find yourself jonesing for some Tex-Mex, Jerry's Uno is awesome.

You should also check out a Yodobashi Camera if you haven't already. It's like being a kid in a toy store, for photographers at least.

If you find yourself hard up for accommodation, there's no rules against checking in to a love hotel by yourself. I had to resort to this the last time I was there, when my flight to Japan was delayed by several hours, stranding me in Osaka at the tail end of Obon with the trains shut down for the night (was supposed to be staying with a friend outside the city). I tried like ten regular hotels and all were full, but luckily an Africa-themed love hotel came through for me :p There are also all-night manga/DVD/whatever rooms you can rent out for even less, which have showers and stuff as well.

Enjoy your trip! I used to study Japanese and made a few short trips in college. Had an interview for the JET program (teaching English in public schools over there) last month, fingers crossed I find out I've been short-listed in April!
 
Aside from Tokyo, Japan is cheaper than it's reputation. I second Takayama and quadrupal second Shirekawago where you should be sure to stay the night in a traditional farmhouse, where they serve traditional meals by the hearth.

Japanese onsens (hot-springs resorts) are amazing, from B&B to high-end resorts. The latter are expensive, but not New York expensive. I mean, $200 is not "that" much money for utter all-inclusive luxury including baths, tea service, & 44 course meals.
 
We eat cheaply in Japan and there always seems good quality food to be easily found.

Tokyo is marvellous: hyperreal in fact. We just love Japan.
 
I spent most of my first year in Japan (1995) in Iwate Prefecture about 3 hours north of Tokyo on the bullet train, so have a strong affinity for that area. Some highlights up that way are:

* Matsushima (to the east of Sendai) for the temples and pine tree covered islands
* Geibikei gorge boat ride (near Ichinoseki City in Iwate Prefecture) - the oarsman sings traditional songs as the boat glides up the gorge. Its off the beaten track for foreign tourists, which is nice.
* Risshakuji Temple (also known as Yama-dera or mountain temple) to the west of Sendai - this is the place that inspired Matsuo Basho's famous haiku poem "Shizukasa ya Iwa ni shimi iru Semi no koe" which in English is "Stillness-- the cicada's cry, drills into the rocks." Beautiful when the cherry blossoms are in bloom, but they dont bloom until the start of May there. Its a nice walk up the 1,000 stairs to the temple complex.
 
Thank you all for your great advice! I will try to incorporate as many of the ideas as possible. And, hopefully, return with some pictures worth printing (and posting) :)
 
IWe haven't travelled extensively around Japan (yet) - but one place that is fascinating is Hiroshima and the Peace Park.
The JR Pass is great - and I think they just opened up the Shinkansen so you can go the full length of the country now.
The eastern part of japan is also interesting. Tokyo is a bit "frantic" and getting away from it after a couple of days is good.
Price wise - Japan is actually not that expensive. Ramen shops are abundant (and good) - check where the locals eat too. be prepared to shoot a lot f film.
The temples are picturesq - but you can get "templed" out after a while.
Enjoy your trip - it is one of the most fascinating places I know of = and the people are friendly. You will also get lost a lot - which is how you find places not on the map!
 
Here's a different tact. Go exactly opposite the Japanese and travel N to S. You catch some snow and gradually cherry blossoms in the middle and warmth in the south. This country offers different kinds of beauty in different conditions.
 
I agree with Tom, you can definitely get "templed" out, but the countryside is amazing.
Nikko, Nara, and Kyoto are worth seeing. The national parks west of Aomori are otherworldly. Osorezan (Mount Dread) is pretty cool. Definitely try to experience "both sides" of Japan; The sprawling metropolis is part of it, but the countryside is an experience in itself.

This is fairly well known, but if you go to the grocery stores around closing time their pre-made bento boxes and sushi will be pretty well discounted. The curry joints and ramen shops are also cheap ways of eating. Even the convenience stores sell fairly good quality food.

Have a great time. I love the place and try to get back there whenever I can.
 
Thanks again guys! North to south is (kind of) what I will do now - after a week in Tokyo I went north to Yamagata Prefecture (trying temple lodging at Mt. Haguro and then going to Zao Onsen). Lots and lots of snow and cold, very cold - especially with only spring clothes (I came from Australia and hadn't planned on going north...)!

Going south tomorrow, to Nagoya via a couple of days in the Nagano area, and then onwards. My rail pass expires on the 27th and I fly from Osaka on the 30th, so I'm thinking about using the last train days in Kyushu to hopefully see some cherry blossoms and visit Nagasaki, and then spend the remaining time around Kyoto/Osaka/Nara.
 
Kitasenju

Kitasenju

JR Blue train. approx 20 min from JR tokyo station.
Many old fashioned shops. Not modern not classically ancient. Very photogenic. Great home made desserts, teas and stuff. Ill find a photo to post later. Warm people. Great coffee.
 
jonmanjiro said:
Ahhhhh to be young(er) again. I was a CIR (I wasn't a teacher, I worked in a Japanese govt. office instead) on the JET Programme from July 1997 to July 2000. Had a blast. Hope your interview went well.
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Totally would have applied for a CIR spot if my Japanese was good enough, but it's been 4 years since I last used it :( If I get the ALT position, definitely looking to spend a lot of my spare time working on getting it back up to par. I think the interview went okay, I have a bunch of experience overseas already (in countries even more weird than Japan) and a bit of experience teaching English. Lots of other well-qualified applicants though, the wait is killing me!
 
I was just in Osaka, with a couple of day trips to Kyoto.

In Kyoto, I loved both Ginkakuji Temple (not the more famous/visited Kinkakuji Temple) and Fushimi Inari Shrine. Fushimi Inari is amazing after sunset.

In Osaka, it's lots of street shooting. I was not that impressed with either Bic Camera or Yodobashi Camera (was hoping they would be good with decent prices lower than here in New Zealand. Alas no such luck). Then, stumbled into Ohbayashi, near Osaka Station. So much used and new everything...especially Leica. They had Zeiss ZM and Voigtlander VC lenses---BIC Camera sales people looked at me weird when I asked if they had anything for M-Mount cameras.

Ohbayashi was also proactive in providing me discounts for duty free shopping. Highly recommend them. www.camera-no-ohbayashi.co.jp. Located in Building 1 of Osaka Ekimae on ground floor (1-3-1-100 Umeda Kita Ku)

Enjoy your time in Japan. I'm hoping to get back for a longer trip next year.

Jeff
 
Here is hoping andersju is ok - I sent him an email via the system.
How differently one now reads the travel advice, in hindsight!

All the best, Ljós
 
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