Finally booked it!

Sorry, just feel like shouting it from the rooftops as I can't believe we've finally gone and booked it. WE ARE OFFICIALLY GOING TO JAPAN!

I'm so excited for you.  Historyenne will probably have some amazing tips and recommendations.   

How long are you going for?  And when?

Awesome !

Where are you going and what time of year?

We did Tokyo, Hokone, Kanazawa, Osaka and Kyoto in March last year .

I'm so excited for you.  Historyanne will probably have some amazing tips and recommendations.   

How long are you going for?  And when?

Thanks!

Flying out on the 29th of September and landing on the 30th in the morning. We fly back on the 15th of October. We've got one stopover in Moscow both ways. The part of me with the massive phobia of flying is bricking the whole take off/landing twice each way but then I'm also quite happy not to be going 14 straight hours to Tokyo hahaa. I will be happy to put my feet on the ground for a bit to prove it's still there and that I'm alive LOL. There's also WiFi for the 9 hour part from Moscow to Tokyo (no clue if it's free or not...I suspect not).

Totally open to any and all advice people have! We have a massive list going which we will start narrowing down at some point but I think we will ideally start in Tokyo, go to Kyoto/Osaka area for a few nights and then finish back up in Tokyo with day trips here and there - but we're open to suggestions if people did otherwise. We want to make this a "once in a lifetime" trip where we live as few stones unturned as we can just in case we never get a chance to go back (but I'm hoping that isn't the case and we can go back to visit all different areas in japan!)

Sorry to ramble, just REALLY excited! seems surreal!

Awesome !

Where are you going and what time of year?

We did Tokyo, Hokone, Kanazawa, Osaka and Kyoto in March last year .

My husband really wants to drive the Hakone skyline (probably only because of the Fast and Furious movies - not even joking! haha). We are going very end of September (basically all October barring 1 day lol). Hear it should still be fairly warm during the day/night then but will be outside Typhoon season   Going to be flying in/out of Tokyo but wanting to stay around Kyoto/Osaka region for a few days! Thinking we can probably do a lot with a solid 14 days! (we wanted to do 2 weeks with a day tacked on each way for travel to minimise jet lag/half days).

That sounds really great, something I've always wanted to do.

I've got a friend who is Thai but also very knowledgeable about Japan and travelling there.  If you want the inside scoop enough to email a stranger, let me know.

That sounds really great, something I've always wanted to do.

I've got a friend who is Thai but also very knowledgeable about Japan and travelling there.  If you want the inside scoop enough to email a stranger, let me know.

Yeah it's something that he's always wanted to do since he was a teenager and I LOVED Japanese culture and anime since I was a teenager but I never thought I'd actually ever get a chance to go to Japan so we are both pretty psyched.

haha thanks, will do. We've been all over the JapanTravel subreddit getting all the destinations and tips we can. Planning the flight was our first course of action and now need to look into hotels so will let you know if there's any questions that come up we need help with!

My husband really wants to drive the Hakone skyline (probably only because of the Fast and Furious movies - not even joking! haha).

The problem with Hakone and trying to see Mt. Fuji is that often it's covered in low cloud and you can't see it.

We spent about 3 days in Hakone and had nothing but low cloud and rain the whole time. Didn't even get to see a glimpse of Mt. Fuji .

It seems like the best months to see it are from November to January/February (http://tokyofromtheinside.com/tips-for-viewing-mount-fuji-visibility-weather-and-live-cameras/).

The problem with Hakone and trying to see Mt. Fuji is that often it's covered in low cloud and you can't see it.

We spent about 3 days in Hakone and had nothing but low cloud and rain the whole time. Didn't even get to see a glimpse of Mt. Fuji .

It seems like the best months to see it are from November to January/February (http://tokyofromtheinside.com/tips-for-viewing-mount-fuji-visibility-weather-and-live-cameras/).

Maybe being there closeeee to November might help even a tad bit? We were contemplating going in November but I just felt like that was wayy too late in the year (especially as we're back in the US for Christmas this year).

My cousin climbed Mt Fuji when she went a couple of years ago.   

My cousin climbed Mt Fuji when she went a couple of years ago.   

I definitely am interested in doing that, but then I think that it's a full day we'd have to contribute and I'd have to bring my hiking boots/etc. so not sure if it's worth it for us (our friend, for example, will travel places strictly to hike/climb so it would make sense for him as he would travel very light so the boots would be no problem and he goes just to do this stuff....we....do not LOL).

I definitely am interested in doing that, but then I think that it's a full day we'd have to contribute and I'd have to bring my hiking boots/etc. so not sure if it's worth it for us (our friend, for example, will travel places strictly to hike/climb so it would make sense for him as he would travel very light so the boots would be no problem and he goes just to do this stuff....we....do not LOL).

Was definitely a full day.  It was what her trip was based around.  She had been training for some time too.

Was definitely a full day.  It was what her trip was based around.  She had been training for some time too.

I do hear it's amazing! I think it will come down to what else we want to try to accomplish in our trip so we can look into if we can justify giving that day up.

My sister was stationed in Japan for three years and has been back in the US for about two years.  I think she now wants to move to Japan to retire when she's out of the military.  Anyway, if you'd like, I can ask her what she thinks you should not miss, from a resident's perspective.

My sister was stationed in Japan for three years and has been back in the US for about two years.  I think she now wants to move to Japan to retire when she's out of the military.  Anyway, if you'd like, I can ask her what she thinks you should not miss, from a resident's perspective.

Yeah that would be cool if you could Ask her if there's anything that we should DEFINITELY AVOID. I think a lot of times we focus on what we shouldn't miss but we don't ask if there's any particular sketchy places or rip offs that we need to not buy into.