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Holiday to Japan

We would like to go on holiday to Japan this summer. We being myself, OH and a nearly 16 yr old DS. The boy is fascinated by all things Japanese, he does martial arts, is really into manga, anime etc. and we all love sushi lol.
I've looked on t'interweb,but am still non the wiser on where to start. I'm thinking in terms of if we're going to travel that far we would like to see as much of the country as possible. Any advice on travel companies/ itineries etc?
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  • blindman
    blindman Posts: 5,659
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    We would like to go on holiday to Japan this summer. We being myself, OH and a nearly 16 yr old DS. The boy is fascinated by all things Japanese, he does martial arts, is really into manga, anime etc. and we all love sushi lol.
    I've looked on t'interweb,but am still non the wiser on where to start. I'm thinking in terms of if we're going to travel that far we would like to see as much of the country as possible. Any advice on travel companies/ itineries etc?

    Question:
    How long for? IMHO 3 weeks minimum to scratch the surface.

    Budget?

    You would need to buy some form of their Bullet train tickets to be able to get long distances easily-cheaper.

    Relatively easy to DIY so no need for "professional" :eek: help.
  • desdemona01
    desdemona01 Posts: 127
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    I was thinking 3 weeks at least, it would have to be in the summer holidays. Budget? £6-10k
  • Fluff15
    Fluff15 Posts: 1,440 Forumite
    I've got no advice, but have you got room for one more? :D my dream holiday! Enjoy planning.
  • InsideInsurance
    InsideInsurance Posts: 22,460
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    Remember that summer in Japan is hot, humid and rainy.

    If you look at http://www.audleytravel.com/japan/practical-info it gives their recommendation of when to go. Certainly a friend who's Japanese has always said that April-May is the best time.
  • chong168
    chong168 Posts: 88
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    You'll probably need to spend a week for Tokyo alone, so many things to do there. Then you can probably jump on the Shinkansen (bullet train) and get off at the major cities like Osaka, Kyoto, Nagoya, Kobe, Hiroshima, spending about a day for each one (Osaka and Kyoto you may wanna stay longer). Buy the JRail pass before you leave the UK, this will give you unlimited trips on the train within a set period. I used http://www.japan-guide.com/ to plan my trip deciding on the places that I wanted to go. It's a good time to go considering the Yen is so low. Foodwise you don't need to spend a fortune as eating there isn't expensive and is very reasonable, accommodation will be the main cost.
  • desdemona01
    desdemona01 Posts: 127
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    Thank you so muchchong168. This is exactly the sort of information I need. I can see a plan starting to come together.
    desdemona
  • novelty-socks
    novelty-socks Posts: 271
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    I've been to Japan twice - last time was for two weeks. Roughly, our itinerary was:

    Tokyo (four nights) - Hiroshima (three nights) - Kyoto (four nights) - Osaka (one night) - Tokyo (one night)

    Although the trip didn't feel too rushed, I could definitely have spent more time in all of those cities (particularly Osaka and Hiroshima). So if you can stretch to three weeks or even a month, do it! I'm sure I would have wanted to spend more time in Tokyo, too, but I had been a couple of years previously.

    My advice would be not to try and do too much. Tokyo is vast and you could spend weeks there without getting bored. Kyoto is much more about 'old Japan', and while tourist attractions in Hiroshima centre around the atomic bomb, it's a lovely city and there is heaps to do there.

    Make sure you look into Japan Rail Passes. They're expensive, but can still work out significantly cheaper than buying tickets over there. Japanese trains are expensive (but worth the money!).

    It's an incredibly safe, easy country to travel in, so don't bother with a tour company. You'll have a blast!
  • chong168
    chong168 Posts: 88
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    Yup, that's a similar way to how I did my trip as well. Started off in Tokyo, then headed west from there stopping at my planned cities. Last stop was Hiroshima before I took the train all the way back to Tokyo. Love the bullet trains, so damn efficient and fast!

    I visit Japan every year so feel free to ask me any questions.
  • desdemona01
    desdemona01 Posts: 127
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    Is there a nice relaxing, chilled, kick back place we could got to at the end to charge our batteries at the end of the tour?
  • Ballard
    Ballard Posts: 2,845
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    I went a few years ago and the main advice that I'd give would be to purchase a Japan Rail Pass. These have to be purchased outside of the UK before you travel but offer great value.When I went they were just over £200 for a week but a quick search shows that they're £155 now. They give unlimited train travel (on JR trains) for all but the fastest bullet train. I'd arranged my trip so that my pass ran out in Nara and I got a non-JR train back to Tokyo for a fraction of the JR price.

    I found Tokyo to be a welcoming city and well worth a few days, Presuming that you fly into Narita you should be aware that it's some distance from Toyko. Heneda airport is much closer to the city.

    Kyoto is well worth a visit, it's green and friendly with a few day trips easily sorted. I could go on to recommend other places but my choices may not correspond with what you're after.
    I hate verisimilitude.
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