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I’ve just snagged Tokyo in club on 26th dec returning 5th jan with a 241.
Time poor and availability has been thin on the ground as can’t book too far ahead for a few reasons.
Have long had Japan on the list but hadn’t really thought about going in winter.
So given the limited amount of time what are the best suggestions for a first taste of Japan?
With just 9 nights I realise we are limited.
I know I will be advised to do lots of research and asked what are our interests etc. I will research but for the moment am just looking for some friendly guidance from those that are willing.
Thanks in advance .From 1st to 5th January most places will be shut. After New Year’s everything slows down. Most good restaurants will also be closed. So I’d suggest using that period to go to an onsen town such as Hakone, Kurokawa Onsen, Beppu, Oita, Kinosaki, etc. Hotels will be through the roof though. They already are anyway, so points are you friend. If you haven’t booked that yet, I’d start with that.
Do you like skiing / winter sports / snow? There are many ski resorts a short shinkansen ride away from Tokyo. It will be busy around that time though. You could also see the snow monkeys near Nagano and visit some nice onsen towns around there.
Thank you both.
Used to love skiing but knees no longer allow so will avoid ski areas.
Snow monkeys – definitely!
If many things are closed during this time will I be able to see the monkeys and
does public transport operate ok during this period?
Does Tokyo, Kyoto, Nagano make sense for 9 days ?We don’t have any hotel points, although have status ( I think ) through newly acquired platinum Amex although not sure that will help with prices. I had a quick look on hotels.com and booking.com and the prices that came up weren’t outrageous. Of course, I don’t know if the areas would be ideal as I only searched Tokyo centre and Kyoto. Any tips on the areas to select within the cities would be gratefully received.
@meta when you say most places will be shut, would you say that it’s not the time to go and I’m better to cancel and find somewhere else ?Thanks from a bewildered and confused traveller. 😬
We were in Tokyo 31/Dec to 4/Jan just gone. @meta is absolutely an expert on Japan and knows what he’s talking about, but we didn’t find we were super restricted. Yes, about 1/2 of restaurants were closed, but there were plenty of places to eat. Just need to plan ahead and book. The main attractions are open. We continued to Nagano afterwards and loved the snow monkeys. Trip report here: https://www.headforpoints.com/forums/topic/japan-trip-review-okinawa-tokyo-and-nagano/
Getting to Japan cheaply and efficiently is hard these days, I’d still go personally but bear the above in mind.Thanks very much Pete I feel less terrified now!
@PeteM and Enjoyed your trip review and will include Tokyo tower and Team labs in our plans. I’ll eliminate Okinawa for this first trip. Did you go back to Tokyo from Nagano?
I was thinking maybe Tokyo, Nagano, Kyoto but Nagano to Kyoto is perhaps too far ? Better to go back to Tokyo and go from there?Restaurant closers won’t bother us. We won’t starve and will happily manage on whatever we find.
Any suggestions for seeing amount Fuji? I think I recall reading that it can be seen from the train Tokyo to Kyoto? Or am I making that up?
Glad it was helpful!
Correct, back to Tokyo from Nagano for us. I don’t think there is a direct or efficient route between Kyoto and Nagano, it’ll probably be via Tokyo on the train.
It’s worth bearing in mind if you are planning to use a JR pass to travel between Kyoto/Tokyo/Nagano etc on the Shinkansen, the prices are increasing massively later this year. According to this website you’ll be just outside the window to take advantage of the old prices unfortunately:
https://www.jrailpass.com/blog/japan-rail-pass-prices-increase
Thanks, I won’t look at the old prices then I won’t weep when I see the new ones!
Thanks, I won’t look at the old prices then I won’t weep when I see the new ones!
It might be cheaper to just buy train tickets at the station, worth checking here:
@PeteM and Enjoyed your trip review and will include Tokyo tower and Team labs in our plans. I’ll eliminate Okinawa for this first trip. Did you go back to Tokyo from Nagano?
I was thinking maybe Tokyo, Nagano, Kyoto but Nagano to Kyoto is perhaps too far ? Better to go back to Tokyo and go from there?Restaurant closers won’t bother us. We won’t starve and will happily manage on whatever we find.
Any suggestions for seeing amount Fuji? I think I recall reading that it can be seen from the train Tokyo to Kyoto? Or am I making that up?
When travelling by train from Tokyo to Kyoto, Mt Fuji is on the right hand side. If weather good you will have a very good view.
It’s worth bearing in mind if you are planning to use a JR pass to travel between Kyoto/Tokyo/Nagano etc on the Shinkansen, the prices are increasing massively later this year. According to this website you’ll be just outside the window to take advantage of the old prices unfortunately:
https://www.jrailpass.com/blog/japan-rail-pass-prices-increase
Prices for the rail pass are increasing in October 2023 but you can buy the voucher 90 days before you exchange it in Japan.
For the hotels, I personally find the large luxury chains are sometimes more badly placed than the smaller Japanese brands. Sure, you may miss a gym or a more European breakfast but I couldn’t care less.
You also can get the pass on your first day of your trip but ask them to active it in a future date (30 days ahead I believe).
So you can buy your pass in September. Arrive in December and then ask them to be able to use it in January.
@PeteM and Enjoyed your trip review and will include Tokyo tower and Team labs in our plans. I’ll eliminate Okinawa for this first trip. Did you go back to Tokyo from Nagano?
I was thinking maybe Tokyo, Nagano, Kyoto but Nagano to Kyoto is perhaps too far ? Better to go back to Tokyo and go from there?Restaurant closers won’t bother us. We won’t starve and will happily manage on whatever we find.
Any suggestions for seeing amount Fuji? I think I recall reading that it can be seen from the train Tokyo to Kyoto? Or am I making that up?
When travelling by train from Tokyo to Kyoto, Mt Fuji is on the right hand side. If weather good you will have a very good view.
Little known fact is that it’s always on the same side as the trains never turn around. I found this out on my last visit. Lol.
@Annie I mean there are always things open, but if you’re looking at top restaurants (a lot of them on Pocket Concierge) will be shut. If you’re planning to do some shopping, major department stores will be open and selling their 10k yen lucky bags. However, some smaller boutique ones will be closed (especially in Kyoto and Higashiyama area) or will have severely reduced hours.
In onsen towns everything will likely be open. Attractions will be open though check the opening hours as they might be different than usual.
I wouldn’t cancel, but just be prepared that it won’t be Japan as in all the images you have seen. Just be prepared for that and you’ll have a good time. Pre-NYE is also very interesting and great time to go.
@LD27 It’s always on the same side. Trains never turn around like elsewhere!
Why would trains turning around change the direction where geographical features are?
I meant seats DE(F) are always the same view and so are AB(C) (seaside, just as beautiful). At the end of the line Shinkansen don’t turn around just reverse direction, so it’s always the same.
Also July, August and rainy/snowy days there is no chance of seeing Mt Fuji at all. My favourite view is still from the plane though.
Really useful information , thanks all!
Will certainly look into the rail pass and if it makes sense for the journeys we will take, will buy them before the price rise.
European breakfast and gym are not required so the smaller Japanese brand hotels will work just fine. Any particular recommendations?
I’m intrigued by a 10k yen lucky bag ! Is that in certain departments in the big stores? My husband is a very reluctant shopper but I will insist on a lucky bag each.
These are exactly the kind of reasons that we want to visit Japan. I’m expecting it to be very different. We are relatively well travelled apart from the Far East.
Thanks again.
@Annie Fukubukuro (福袋) aka lucky bags are everywhere, but the best ones are sold by department stores such as Mitsukoshi, Isetan, Daimari, etc. Best to grab one on 1st January as after that it’s only leftovers with less of a value. You don’t know what you’re getting inside the bag, but will be at least 50% off the regular price. Japanese go crazy for these, all politeness is gone when trying to purchase those. I’ve seen some quite amusing scenes before 🙂
With 9 nights, I personally would anchor myself in Tokyo and then a day trip or two into Hakone to spend a couple of nights in one of the Onsen resorts in the mountains. If you spread yourself too thin across the breadth of the country in 9 nights, it will feel rushed in my opinion. As others have recommended, in Tokyo, Sky Tree tower, TeamLabs, a boat ride down the Sumida river are all fun things to do.
If you go back for a second time, I would recommend driving for some of the trip (outside of the city of course!).
Whilst Shinkansen is great and fast, you often must rely on local trains off the main trunk to get to places which is lovely if time is not a limiting factor.For example, we drove from Odawara (Hakone region) to the mountains in Gifu Prefecture and stayed in an Onsen resort. On route, you can stop off at one of the lakes to get a good view of Fujisan. We stopped at Lake Yamanokako. It goes without saying, weather will still play a big part on what you see on the day.
I have been to Japan in Spring for Sakura and in the Autumn but never in Winter. I would love to do that as I’m a big skiing fan. You will have a fantastic time whatever you decide to do, just bear in mind ‘less is more’ when going to Japan.
Winter driving conditions are not ideal, especially if snowing. I wouldn’t recommend this as the car will slow you down due to speed limitations. I also wouldn’t go as far as Kyoto, although Kinkakuji in winter is beautiful. You need at minimum five days there to get the feel of the city and sights are spread out.
We ordered the rail pass direct from JR. It was slightly more expensive but you can reserve your seats 28 days in advance and you can amend online .
https://www.japanrailpass-reservation.net
You still need to collect your pass at a JR station .@LD27 It’s always on the same side. Trains never turn around like elsewhere!
“It’s always on the same side” That made me laugh so much! I couldn’t believe you were being serious with that comment. As @Rui N says, geographical features don’t move!
I have travelled this route many times and in different seasons and each time I’ve seen Mt Fuji I think how wonderful it is. Obviously better to actually go see it, but if time is limited, it’s better than nothing.
I was trying to be helpful. If the train is crowded and you’re on the wrong side, it’s likely you will miss seeing it.
As you quite rightly say, the trains don’t turn round, the seats do. So d,e,f are the ones to book. A,b,c and you’re likely to miss the view.
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