Quite early on in the planning phase, I wanted a long stay in Tokyo to just experience daily life with no pressure to do touristy activities so I booked a managed apartment from which I could base myself. This allowed me to shop for groceries at the supermarket rather than live off convenience store food or eating out.
This was a great decision and one I would recommend anyone. It also allowed me to take a much longer break from travelling; very welcome after a month on the road in America.
A conundrum everyone has when visiting Japan is whether to buy a JR Rail Pass. Given I was travelling the length of the country, I bought a 14 day pass. In the end, the impromptu day trips to Niigata and Morioka meant I easily saved money with the pass. It also meant I was not particularly beholden to specific train times and could pretty much hop of any train at any time. This came in useful on rainy days.
Waypoints
35.66764, 139.7657 - Tokyo
Similar to the start of the USA leg, I first spent a couple days in Tokyo to adjust to the time-zone and get my head back into the Japanese language. I spent it mostly in the Ginza area doing some admin and sorting out my luggage. I would be travelling across Japan for twelve days and lugging a big suitcase is not a good idea on Japanese public transport. The first luggage storage service (who I had used before) would only keep my suitcase for seven days. Luckily, they kindly suggested another one on the other side of Tokyo Station who could store it for up to thirty days and for cheaper!
33.58949, 130.41956 - Fukuoka
A short flight from Haneda airport later and I arrived into Fukuoka. It is a really relaxed place and great to walk around. There were ample shopping centres with huge food courts in the basement (as is standard in Japan). A stroll down the river through to Tenjin Underground Mall is highly recommended, then over to the beautiful Ohari Park. I also spent a good amount of time in Hakata Station at the ticket machines booking all my shinkansen trains for the next week. I was glad I did as some trains were already quite booked up!
32.75293, 129.86934 - Nagasaki
The train to Nagasaki from Fukuoka transfers to a shinkansen at Takeo Onsen station. There was a three minute change but it was plenty of time as the train timetables are aligned to perfection. A short tram ride from Nagasaki Station goes to the Peace Park and Atomic Bomb Museum. They are a must visit to get a glimpse into the lead up and aftermath of the World War 2 bombing. I then took another tram down to the Hamachi district and walked down the river to see Meganebashi Bridge and then onwards to Chinatown.
32.80536, 130.70532 - Kumamoto
I had not planned to visit Kumamoto, but a thunderous day before scuppered my planned trip to Beppu. Kumamoto was a quick shinkansen ride away. The main attraction was Kumamoto castle which was excellent. Nearby is Sakura-no-baba Josaien - an area filled with restaurants and street food. Sometimes there are performers too for entertainment. I wasn't too hungry so I ate a steamed meat bun, sea urchin potato croquette, and a red bean taiyaki in the shape of Kumamon Bear (the mascot for Kumamoto Prefecture).
34.39835, 132.45584 - Hiroshima
Hiroshima has a well oiled tram network. Getting from Hiroshima station to the hotel to drop off my suitcase was simple. All the tourist locations were within walking distance - the Peace Memorial Park, museums, the Atomic Bomb Dome, and the castle. The museum displays are by far more graphic and emotional compared to the ones in Nagasaki, but definitely still worth visiting. Food wise, Hiroshima is famous for okonomiyaki and oysters and it is well worth taking the time to try different restaurants.
34.29718, 132.32108 - Itsukushima / Miyajima Island
Miyajima Island is a really fun day trip from Hiroshima. A budget friendly option is to take the train to Miyajimaguchi Station and take the short ferry journey across. There is lots of see on the island, from the big torii gate in the sea to hiking up to Mount Misen via the cable car. I'd recommend taking the cable car in the morning as it gets very busy later on in the day. I managed to walk straight on and have a pleasant hour long hike to the summit, but upon descending around noon there was a queue of 100 people for the cable car. The famous shopping street has a lot of food options and everyone needs to try the local snack of momiji manju.
34.83794, 134.69296 - Himeji
Some say Himeji Castle is the best castle in Japan, and I would have to agree but only to look at. It is a short walk from the train station and the gardens outside is a great place to relax and take in the castle views. Though the entrance fee was reasonable, the castle interior offers little of interest. There were no information boards and the path inside was set to manage the huge crowds. Space decreases as you ascend up to the sixth and top floor where there is barely any space to move. Within seconds you'll be in the queue to start descending the steep stairs. I'd say Kumamoto Castle was a lot more informational and one could take time to take in the history.
34.68871, 135.18715 - Kobe
Kobe is a port city and predominantly stretches east to west, with mountains to the north and the sea to the south. It is a bustling city to walk around with many shotengai. I took the cable car up to the Herb Gardens, which were very very pretty and offered a simple view over Kobe. Chinatown is incredibly busy with many food vendors.
34.98562, 135.75818 - Kyoto
Kyoto wasn't on the original itinerary, but a friend gave me a side quest to find a food item to eat so I stopped for five hours in this beautiful city. I also took the chance to visit the Kyoto Railway Museum which is well worth going! So many trains on display and lots of interactive elements. Despite both times visiting Kyoto was short, there is still lots of things to do and see. I guess a third visit is on the cards for the future!
35.12597, 138.9121 - Izu
I based in a quaint town of Mishima for a couple of nights to explore Izu Peninsula for a couple of reasons - it is on the shinkansen line to Tokyo and the hotel onsen has views of Mount Fuji on a clear day. It was raining when I visited so I decided to ride the trains around all day. The local train to Shuzenji was delightful and the one to Ito had large windows for easy scenery viewing. Safe to say, the stay was very relaxing and much needed before my return to bustling Tokyo. I even had Mount Fuji views from my room and could spot local trains and shinkansen all day long.
35.68445, 139.75418 - Tokyo
After twelve days travelling southern Japan, I made it back to Tokyo where I based for the rest of my stay. On this transit day, I visited the Imperial Palace which is next to Tokyo Station (where my large suitcase was stored). It offered a pleasant garden but that was rather it. Much of the Imperial Palace is closed off except for a guided tour twice a day, and needs prior planning.
37.9123, 139.06008 - Niigata
Niigata was just two hours from Tokyo on the shinkansen. It was a nice city to walk around with a lot of history. Like much of Japan, much of its buildings and infrastructure has been shaped through natural disasters. There is a free observation floor in the Toki Messe Convention Centre. Walking across one of the many bridges takes us to Furumachi-dori which had many buildings in an old style. Visiting during the day offered little to see; it looked like the restaurants and bars would be open in the evening. Following this shotengai led nicely to Hakusan Park and Shrine. Walking along Shinano River took us back to Niigata station.
39.70173, 141.13656 - Morioka
On a whim, and since I still had days left on my 14 day JR Pass, I took the shinkansen up to Morioka. This would be the furthest north I have travelled in Japan. It was a delightful place to walk around with great coffee shops (where they roast their own beans in house) and soba noodle restaurants. There was also market stalls selling fresh matcha and kinako warabimochi! Utterly delicious.
35.91958, 139.48276 - Kawagoe
Kawagoe was an utterly delightful town to visit for half a day. Much of the buildings are of the Edo period. From the train station, I walked up Crea Mall, a pedestrianised shopping street with many places to eat. Towards the north end will be the area of Saiwaicho. These bustling streets had lots of shops to peruse and street food to eat. The castle ruins were quite a walk out of the way and didn't offer much to see.
35.3003, 139.48083 - Enoshima and Kamakura
Kamakura is a famous seaside location with beautiful views and beaches. There are lots of tourists visiting to ride the tram, especially to try take a photo of the green tram that features in Slam Dunk. I visited because there was a suspended monorail from Ofuna to Enoshima! This one is shorter than the one in Wuppertal, Germany, but it has a lot of elevation changes and goes through mountain tunnels. Super fun! Enoshima Island has a nice shrine, but it is incredibly busy with tourists; even the walk on the bridge was shoulder to shoulder.
35.61307, 140.11357 - Chiba
Another impromptu decision to go to Chiba. The sole reason being to ride the suspended monorail! I rode both branches of the monorail end to end and it was spectacular. It is great to see it being used as everyday public transport rather than a tourist attraction. The Chiba Urban Monorail is the longest in the world, and means I have ticked off the three most significant suspended monorails in the world!.
35.65724, 139.75631 - Tokyo
When not going on day trips or getting way too giddy riding special trains, I rested, relaxed and sometimes braved the insanity that is shopping in Tokyo on a weekend. I visited classic shopping areas such as Omotesando, Harajuku, Ginza, Shinjuku, Akihabara, and Ueno. Safe to say, this Japan visit was one I did not want to end, but alas I already have a flight booked for my next round-the-world destination.
35.66764, 139.7657 - Tokyo
