Japan in July

From your advice, I think a week in Tokyo and then a weekish (if it's more and less time in Tokyo, that's fine)  traveling would be perfect, I'd love to take you up on your offer of going to Kamakura, that sounds amazing and any help when we reached kyoto/osaka would be much appreciated
Japan rail pass seems the way to go,  £150 for a week pass seems okay, madeira, do you know a good site that you can buy them /get more info from? Is it just http://www.japantravel.co.uk/site/jrpass.html ?

I'm not absolutely sold on roppongi, I'm going hotel hunting this afternoon and I'll report back with which areas have come up!
Can't tell you how much I appreciate your help enough

http://www.japanrailpass.net/

i just googled it and i think that is the one my friends used...do you know of another one madeira?

just let me know when you will be here in July-i am actually flying out to go to the US July 23rd...Can definitely try to get you contacts of other people here if I am not thought  

good luck with everything and you are very welcome!  its a bit difficult trying to navigate japan sometimes haha

Well these are the two cheapish hotels (about £20 a night) that I like so far, what do you think about the locations?

http://www.changtee.com/locationen.htm

and (my favourite)
http://www.oakhotel.co.jp/english/025location/

OH OH OH!!!!  I stayed in the Oak Hotel...Cheap, clean, your own shower!  A bit difficult to find but you can do it...we only walked around for about 20 minutes until we found it.  I definitely suggest that one.  The location is good as well, right near a subway stop.  I have had a few other friends stay there and have heard nothing but good things about them.  How lucky you found that!  I was just looking for the address myself   Thanks!

Hello Was wondering if anyone would glance over my itinerary and give me a hand? It would be very very much appreciated

Day 1 : Stay in tokyo - Arrive Tokyo in Afternoon.
Day 2 : Stay in tokyo - Explore Tokyo a bit
Day 3 : Stay in tokyo - Day trip to Nikko
Day 4 : Stay in tokyo - Day trip to Kammakura
Day 5 : Stay in tokyo - Explore Tokyo a bit more
Day 6 : Stay in Kyoto - Take a train to Kyoto
Day 7 : Stay in Kyoto - Explore Kyoto a bit
Day 8 : Stay in Kyoto - Day trip Osaka
Day 9 : Stay in kyoto - Day trip to Nara
Day 10 : Stay in Miyajima Hiroshima then onto Miyajima, Night in Miyajima
Day 11 : Stay in tokyo - Morning in Miyajima then Transfer back to Tokyo
Day 12-14 : Tokyo again.

I don't know if it's really doable And what the transfer times would be :S
I could really do with some advice!

Looks fine to me.  Swelch should be able to tell you what to do in Osaka, I've never been.  You can eat okonomiyaki anywhere in the area.. Hiroshima.. I'd give it a few hours, then get to Miyajima.  The Peace Park and museum are not worth a lot of time, IMO.  Depends on how much the atomic bombing was covered in your schools, though.. I got a bit too much of it in elementary classes.

Plug your trips into hyperdia, just watching out for Nozomi shinkansens, as you can't take them on a JR pass.  You're about 2 hours from Nikko, 3 to Kyoto.  Plan to get to Nikko as early as possible, they close the shrines at 4 pm.

(Sorry I keep plugging Miyajima, but it really is fantastic.  I plan to spend a long weekend on the island this summer.  It's much more than one floating torii!)

Plug away! I really like the idea of Miyajima as well, the views are meant to be spectacular, think it's worth amending that to Hiroshima - Miyajima, spend the night then transferring back from Miyajima to Tokyo? Would that take ages? Worth stopping at Himeji?


Thanks so much for the help

Hyperdia is your friend.  Really!

It's 30 minutes from Miyajimaguchi to Hiroshima, once you're off the ferry.  (15 minutes?)  Only one train there, no choice.  After that, it's about 6 hours to get back to Tokyo.  (4 if you could take the Nozomi, wah.) If I were doing the trip, I'd think about getting to my southernmost/farthest destination first, then working my way back.  3 hours on a train is enough for me..

Himeji looks good.  Another place I haven't been to.  Swelch?  Wake up, it's after 7 am now..

I was awake!    Getting ready for school..sometimes I am slow in the morning haha

Osaka-to be honest, you could really do it in one day, probably only half.  The only things to really see are in Namba/Dotonbori.  And really, honestly, you could even just skip it.  haha  You can go shopping but I don't recommend going to the Castle-it isn't very authentic.  Himeji is a good castle to see if you want to see one.  Most famous one in Japan!  Nara has the Big Buddha-probably my favorite place to visit in this area.  You must must must explore Kyoto, I would say a day or two.  Nara can be done in a day. 

I haven't been to Miyajima but I think you should go-it is supposed to be amazing.

So, overall, I would skip Osaka and add another day to Kyoto...I will look up the names of the places in Kyoto I think you should see tonight   You can walk around which I recommend over taking buses-they get crowded.  Also, check into day passes if you want to use the subway alot.  I can find out that information for you as well. 

Hope this helps!!

Isn't Osaka supposed to be a foodies paradise?  And someone told me the nightlife is fun.  When I finally get round to visiting Japan it will be one of the first places on my list.      

yeah   it is known as that but you can get most of that stuff in Kyoto as well.  I, personally think in the time she has, that it wouldn't be so bad to skip Osaka.  Just my opinion! 

http://www.shinkansen.co.jp/jikoku_hyo/en/  timetable for the

http://www.jorudan.co.jp/english/norikae/e-norikeyin.html  another subway scheduler

When you get to Kyoto Station you MUST have Cafe du Monde!  Its a coffee shop from New Orleans and it is yummy!  Beingets and chicory coffee  

It is a good place to visit if you want to shop or you want a base to travel to Kyoto/Nara/Kobe but it doesn't have much in the way of sightseeing...Osaka-Jo isn't very authentic and Himeji is a much better castle to visit...Dotonbori/Namba is a great place to get food...stalls to get takoyaki or okonomiyaki (Fugetsu is best!). 

What days are you coming again?   I think Madeira is right and start in the southern most town and work your way up-less time on the train   Hope this helps!  Let me know if you have any other questions!!  I leave the 23rd of July so if you get to the area before that and want a tour guide, let me know and I will see if I can meet up with you!

Question for Swelch: In all the time I've been in Japan, I have never been able to figure out how to use payphones for international calls.  I have a feeling MaryKate might need to use them.  Do you know how?

hmm that IS a good question.  it has something to do with phone cards and different colors..

Here are two websites I found...

http://www.jetsetjapan.com/infozone-telep-payp.shtml
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2223_landline.html

It may be easier to try and call from Skype if you have it.  The websites kind of give conflicting information but I do know that international pay phones will have it written on them.  The gray ones are the intl ones in Osaka.  The card my friends have used is the KDDI one that you call up the number on the back, punch in the code, and then dial your number.  Should be able to find those at the convinis or machines near the pay phones...Good luck!! 

OK OK, it's July!  Where are you?

We're having a wonderful rainy season here in Kanto.. not so rainy at all.

I'm flying out on the 18th, arriving on the 19th

I'm a bit more organised now and here's my itinerary
19-23rd - Tokyo
24th-27th - Kyoto
28 - Miyajima
29th-31st - Kyoto

Looks like I'm going to miss you As you're leaving on the 23rd right?



Unfortunately the oak hotel (and pretty much every hotel that was cheap!) was booked in Tokyo, so I'm staying at

http://www.kitcho.co.jp/english/

I have no idea if this is a good or bad choice, but it was a desperate one :/ heh heh

In kyoto I got the travel club at my work to book a place for me, it's a normal hotel (western) but again, was really very cheap (about £17 a night each)
http://www.starwoodhotels.com/westin/property/area/map.html?propertyID=1427
So I dunno if it will be good or bad 

and I'm staying at
http://www.japaneseguesthouses.com/db/miyajima/momijiso.htm

on miyajima

I don't know what I'm really doing at the moment My friend flies out next week and is meeting me in Tokyo.

I was planning to get the limousine bus to TCAT and get a taxi from there (I assume I can buy a ticket at Narita) and I've got a 1 week japan rail pass to use to travel in my second week (to kyoto and onwards and back to tokyo)

So in conclusion, I'm a bit at sea!