First time travel - a lot of questions

Hello together,

this summer/fall i'll realize a long time dream and visit japan for nearly 3 weeks. I will stay there from 28/08/14 till 16/09/14.

I plan to use the JR Pass but I'm not sure which version to buy.

Well, I'll start with my planned itinerary:

Day 1 - Day 3: I'll arrive in Tokyo at 5pm and want to visit different spots in the city for the next 2 days (Akihabara, Shibuya, Shinjuku, Asakusa, Roppongi, Ueno Park, Meji Shrine, Tsukiji for example)

Day 4: Mt. Fuji and the five Lakes.
Day 5: Nikko daytrip.
Day 6: Kamakura.
For this period i plan to stay at a hostel/business hotel in Tokyo. After that I'm not really sure what to do. I planned to visit Hokkaido. Mainly because I'm not too good with warm weather and Hokkaido should be a bit less hot/humid. My itinerary for this case is:
Day 7: Yamadera/Sendai - Matsushima
I could stay a night in Sendai or take the night train to Hakodate(Hokkaido). Is it worth to stay in Sendai for a whole day?
Day 8: Hakodate / Onuma Park
Day 9: Sapporo - Beer museum, Nijo market, Mt. Moiwa (nightstay in some hostel/business hotel).
Day 10: Daisetzuan Park
Day 11: Chilling, Lake Shikotsuko, maybe a stay at the beach.
Nighttrain from Sapporo to Yamagata
Day 12: Yamadera / Stay in a ryokan at Ginzan Onsen.
Day 13: Travel to Takayama (I don't know the best way to get here. I tried to find a route with Hyperdia but it'll take nearly ten hours and i can't find any nighttrain).
Day 14: Takayama
Day 15 - 18: Kyoto (Himeji, Kurama, Nara, Mt. Kouya, Kibune, Katsura Village, Ginkakuji)
Day 19: Osaka - Minoo park, (maybe Aquarium)
Day 20: Osaka City (Departure at 11pm at Osaka Airport.

Honestly, I'm not really content with my itinerary. Another idea was to travel to Kyushu instead of Hokkaido and see Yakushima, Beppu, etc. From there i would travel through Shikoku (Iya Valley) and from there to Kyoto (instead of Day 7 - 12).
The problem i see with both ideas is the amount of time i spend travelling. I don't want to sit around the whole day but this timetable sounds stressful to me and i would spend some of my precious days in japan just sitting in a train.
Additional i doubt 3 days are enough time for Kyoto and its surroundings (same for Tokyo).
So, is this viable? Or should I concentrate on the area around Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka for my first stay in japan?
Then i could stay like 5 days in Tokyo, 5 days in Kyoto, 2 oder 3 days in Osaka and do some more daytrips, visit Takayama, Hiroshima etc. Something like:
Day 1 - Day 6 Tokyo and its surroundings (Fuji, Nikko, etc.)
Day 7 - 8 (or 9): Takayama (I like rural areas).
Day 9 - 15: Kyoto (Daytrips to Kobe, Nara, Mount Koya, Himeji)
Day 16 - 17: I don't really know what to do here. I would like to visit an Onsen and spend a day at the beach. I could put these two free days somewhere else and do this stuff.
Day 18 - 20: Osaka and its surroundings.

I'll decide which JR pass I need when my itinerary is ready but i think if i take the Hokkaido or Kyushu route the 3 week could pay off because of the sheer amount of train travels.
I would appreciate some comments on this itinerarys to help me decide. I'm 23 and a student so my budget is low - medium. Because of that i try to avoid domestic flights and such and hope the JR PASS pays for most traings (i know i need to pax extra for subways and busses).
I like the japanese culture and want to see all different aspects (like Tokyo as a giant city and some rural villages in contrast). I also like shrines and temples (but I don't want to visit a shrine every day, there's more to japan than that).
I'm not really into partying but i would like to visit some kind of pub sometimes and I think I will try the Shinjuku nightlife at least once.
Originally i planned to travel with a friend but he backed down some weeks ago. So I'll travel by myself, hoping to meet fellow travelers and lots of japanese people :-)

Besides the itinerary i have some basic questions about traveling in japan:

I would love to visit an onsen (don't care if mixed or not) but I don't know if it's worth it in summer because it's so hot. If yes, where are good onsens around my staying places?

Besides the japanese culture i would love to see nature to. So, i plan to spend some time hiking in national parks (if allowed) and around Fuji etc.
Is it safe to hike alone? I won't hike too far away from civilization but I don't know how dangerous japanese hiking tracks are (I read something about bears and giant hornets).

Originally i planned to book some hostel stays for the first and last days. In between i wanted to be spontaneous and search for a hostel after arriving in a new city.
Is this viable and cost-efficient?

Lastly, is it possible to stay a day or two at the beach without travelling many hours away from my "bases"? I would like to lie in the sun and swim for a bit.

Ok, that has to be enough for my first post.
Thank you for reading this long text.

Sorry if my English is somewhat lacking, I'm not used to writing in English.

Any feedback is appreciated. Thank you in advance :-)

Hi Karok, welcome to the J-G forums! It seems like you've done a ton of research about where to go and what to see! I'm going to let some of our travel experts answer your questions about routes and rail passes, although I'd say just from looking that it will probably be easier to do the Southern Route, or to skip Takayama. Unfortunately, most things in the region have to go through Tokyo to get anywhere, so most likely you will need to take a shinkansen back to Tokyo first, then another on to Takayama. However, again, I'll let the experts handle that.

I can answer some of your other questions though!

-Onsen: onsen are often in higher mountain areas (although not always), so I like them even in summer! Also, many onsen have cooler temperature pools. I would say definitely go to at least one! There are many, many, MANY famous onsen all over Japan! Depending on what your plan is once you have a surer idea of your itinerary, we can recommend onsen in the area you're going. But there will definitely be something! BTW, my favorite is Kusatsu in Gunma prefecture, but it is usually pretty out of the way for most tourists.

-Hiking: hmm, although many people hike along, and it isn't "unsafe" per say (in the sense of a lone traveler being unsafe), depending on the area and trail, it could be dangerous by yourself. So if you plan to hike alone, please choose a less difficult course where there is no risk of you, for example, falling off a cliff or something, then nobody knowing where you are or are there to help you! There are a ton of nice hiking in Japan; for giant hornets, the risk is minimal. For bears, many people wear bells that jingle as they walk to scare them away. I don't know how effective that is, but I've never seen a bear any time I've hiked here, so I think that you will be fine!

-Hostels: This is viable only depending on the timing and where you are. During the summer, there are many summer festivals in cities all over Japan, and the more famous ones will sell out all hotel rooms in that area very quickly. My advice would be, once you have a better idea of your itinerary, do just a general search for your dates in each city. If a ton of places pop up, you're probably safe. If nothing or very little comes up, chances are something is going on during that time, and it would be better for you to grab what you can, or plan to continue on that night instead of stay.

-Beaches: Lots of places you're going to are very near the beach... most of Japan is, in fact, near beaches! How good said beaches are is of course a question, but if you just want any ol' beach, this country has you covered no problem. I'd say your southern itinerary will be better for beaches, but overall you'll be able to visit some regardless of where you go.

Have fun!

There is an onsen at the entrance of Minoo park:

http://www.hellojapan.asia/en/travel-guide/minoo-onsen-hot-spring.html

Hi. I wont try to answer your questions, but since you like rural areas I thought to chip in. We have had a number of trips now, and we like the rural areas more than the city ones, though we always like places which are a bit touristy (even if they only cater to Japanese tourists) because everything is more accessible. If I was going around the time that you are, I'd look at spending a few days at Takayama (including a visit to Shirakawa - I thought that Shirakawa was overrated but that was in the snow and slush, it would be nicer in summer I think). I'd then bus it to Kamikouchi (nature reserve, plenty of monkeys and said to be bears) and spend at least a night there (Onsen Hotel is recommended!). There are other places around there worth a visit if you have a few days. Then to Matsumoto (not that much to see there but the castle is great) then up to Nagano to catch the shinkansen back down to Karuizawa. All of those places are brilliant to see with nice walks and hikes and should be coolish compared to the cities. I didnt include Tsumago and Magome, only because I have been there and really didnt think that they were up to the hype, but if you could squeeze them in, they are a few hours from Matsumoto. I also thought that Enoshima near Kamakura was worth at least a day, it is really pretty there and plenty of nature, I've never seen anything like the flocks of hawks that fly around you on the bridge over.

Well, there are plenty of options. Ultimately it will come down to your preferences, but how about this?:
1 week Tokyo (including side trips, possibly with a Kanto Area pass)
1 week travelling from Tokyo to Hokkaido, visiting lots of places along the way in Tohoku (using all 7 days of a JR pass).
The last week: fly from Sapporo to Nagoya (Jetstar 6300 yen), train to Takayama. Stay overnight. Return to Nagoya the next day then use a Kintetsu Wide pass to cover travel from Nagoya to Osaka/Kyoto, and the trip to KIX for your flight home.

Thank you for all of your replys!

The idea to visit Takayama at the end before going to Kyoto might not be too good because, like scareddragon said, i would need to travel to Tokyo and from there to Kyoto.
How about this:

Day 1 - 6: like before, maybe a daytrip to Enoshima if i can squeeze it in.
Day 7: Travel to Takayama and staying there for the night.
Day 8: Bus to Kamikouchi (I don't know why i didn't include this earlier. Looks great! Thanks for the tip) and possibly overnight stay at an onsen hotel.
Day 9: Bus to Matsumoto and train to Tokyo (if I want to see Tokyo some more) oder to Sendai (arrival late afternoon).
Day 10: Sendai and its surroundings.
Day 11: Train to Hachimantai and over night stay (the onsen hotels look really nice. Maybe i'll scratch the onsen hotel at Kamikouchi and stay here or i'll just do both. Another option is to travel back to sendai at 8pm and use the nighttrain to Hakodate).
Day 12: Hakodate / Onuma Park
I could stay a night in Hakodate or travel to Sapporo over the night.
Day 13 and 14: Stay at Sapporo and visit of important places (as a german, i can't skip the beer museum :-D) and maybe a short trip to Lake Shikotsu.
Day 15: Flight from Sapporo to Kyoto.
Day 15-18: Stay in Kyoto and do some day trips.
Day 19-20: Osaka / Minoo Park.

Thank you Sal1980 for your comment. I thought it would be much more expensive to fly, so i didn't think about it too much.
I'm not sure about the Kintetsu Wide Pass. I'm out of time right now but I'll write more about my Kyoto/Osaka daytrips tomorrow. Then i can calculate if it's worth it (looks good).

With this itinerary i would either buy the JR Pass for the first two weeks or normal tickets for the first and the JR Pass for the second week.
For the third week i would use the Kintetsu Wide Pass or a JR Kansai Pass.
Does this look ok to you?

About bear bells: I heard about those. A friend hiked in the USA (i think) once, but she could not go everywhere because it said she would need at least 5 people with bells for them to be effective.
I don't know about this myself because i never tried.
Nevertheless i think you're right. I won't go too far away so it should be allright. Maybe there's someone else who knows some more details here.

Beaches: I read about beaches in Kamakura and south of Tokyo. If i have enough time i'll one of those :-)

Onsens: Well, i can't decide where to go. At the moment i think about: Minoo Park, Kamikouchi and Hachimantai. Does anyone know these locations and con recommend one?
Of course i'm open to other suggestions, too :-)

Thank you in advance!

Is there some way to edit posts? I didn't see one.

Day 9: It means "or", not "oder". Sorry, drifted back to german for a moment.

What i forgot:
I think 3 days is a bit too short for Kyoto. Do you think it's enough or do you have an idea where to get 1 oder 2 more days for Kyoto.
I thought about chipping one day away from Tokyo or to stay just 1 day in Osaka instead of 2.

Osaka
If you are going to Tokyo and Nagoya, a night in Osaka is enough. The main difference is the culture of Osaka, lively happy people with cheap good food!

If you are in Japan for 3 weeks, you would have your fill of good food, trust me. So just a day is enough. Besides food, Osaka is known for its castle. But as usual, after 3 weeks, I think castles aren't that interesting. Osaka is also known for manufacturing and technology. So cheap drinks and museums on cars and cup noodles might be interesting.

Osaka is also a good point of travel to Okayama, Himeji, and Kobe
A nice place to stay an extra night away from Osaka would be Koya Mountain, they have a cheap capsule hotel
AND Shirahama- Beach and onsen town in one

Tokyo
I don't personally like this city. It is the whole of Japan in one city. Meaning it is culturally confused.
BUT it is
Good for shopping and having a taste of Japan. Considering your three weeks in Japan, I recommend a day for Shinjuku/Shibuya/Harajuku for shopping and seeing the bustle of people. (Sunday preferred)
Another day for Imperial Palace, Ueno, Sensoji Temple, Sky tree, Odaiba
Final day for Tsukuji Market, Akihabara, and Meiji Shrine
(If time possible, day 1 can do Meiji Shrine)

Kyoto
3 days is fine for Kyoto
I could spend a week here and not be bored. Well, I did spend a week here... what am i talking about...
Stupid me
With 3 days you could go
1) from Kiyomizudera and walk all the way to the silver pavilion;
2) go from Golden pavilion and walk (but of course take bus, unless you REALLY like to see the small shrines/temples/homes along the way) to Ryoanji and walk on to Ninnanji, and take a train to arashiyama for the bamboo grove, Tenryuji temple etc;
3) See Gion/Potoncho/Imperial Palace/Nishiki Market/Fushimi Inari
*Fushimi Inari doesn't close so you can go late at night when it is lighted up or in the day when people are many
If you have more time in Kyoto, you could
4) Uji and Nara
5) Kurama/Kibune Hike (safe) + Enryakuji (DON'T MISS THE LAST BUS, IT LEAVES BEFORE THE PLACE CLOSES!! CURSES!!)

Nice places to stay the night away from Kyoto: Urashima Hotel for onsen

Places to stay
You mentioned your budget
For Tokyo I would recommend the Sakura chain of hotels.
For Kyoto, Osaka, Tokyo, Fuji... etc
Check out:
First Cabin Hotel: Clean neat professional business hotel, my favoured kyoto hotel
JHoppers: Great chain hostel, I believe the Hiroshima branch one won the 2nd best award under trip advisor
K house Hostel: Friendly chain hotel: The one at Ito Onsen (Near Atami), is a national treasure for being a few hundred years old. Comes with an onsen! A hostel by the river with an ONSEN!!
For Kyoto only: Piece Hostel: Modern clean feel with good information on the city

More info
There are limited express trains from Kyoto and from Nagoya to Kanazawa. Shirosagi or something. Kyoto one is slightly faster
You could than bus from Kanazawa to Takayama
Day trip Takayama to Shirakawa-go
Maybe even bus to Nagano and from Nagano back to Tokyo

Since you are on a budget, do try out overnight bus. Tokyo to Osaka/Kyoto/Nagoya at cheap rates
There are also overnight trains. Tokyo to Hokkaido and back
Tokyo to Okayama and back.

If I were you, I would do 3 days in Tokyo. Overnight bus to Fukuoka, Kyushu.
Take a train to Kumamoto. Castle, garden, lunch, rest from travel. Stay the night here.
Take the scenic bus as stated by Japan Guide to Beppu. Spend a day at Aso.
Stay the night some where. Spend the next day at Takachiho.
Stay the night there. Next day, go to Beppu for onsen, then head back to Fukuoka, spend the night or two here. See Fukuoka city in full.
If you want to see the rest of Kyushu, do it when you have more time and money.
USE west JR Pass
Next go to Hiroshima by train. Ferry to Miyajima.
Night at Miyajima hostel.
Next day Hiroshima. Atomic bomb museum, castle,,, etc
Train to Okayama for 2 nights. If bored by the first night you can always do cycling at the Kibli plain, go see rabbits at Okunoshima or day trip to Himeji or Kobe (Raill pass makes life simpler)
Take train to Kyoto
If you want you could go north to Amanohashidate, Tottori, Kinosaki Onsen (In this case another rail pass might be more suitable)
Spend rest of time in Kyoto/ Osaka
KIX
And off

If you do have remanding time, you could spend more time in Tokyo but with day trips to Nikko/Kamakura/Fuji/Nagano
If you decide on Hokkaido, a nice stop by for the night is Hirosaki. My friend however did Hakodate to Mount Fuji in a day so it is possible to just train it through.

You could spend some time from Kyoto to Kanzawa-Takayama-Shirakawago-Nagoya-Kyoto if money permits. Since you are on a budget, I am not sure whether you can put this in.

Wow that's a lot of information, thanks.

I read about the overnight buses but i didn't find one on Hyperdia. Is there some other side to check on times and fares? Maybe i just messed up the Hyperdia parameters.

I did see some sleeper trains with different seat options. What's the difference between passenger car and eletric car? The price depends heavily on the type of car i choose.

Could i use JR passes on night trains? (Well, at least, is it cheaper?)

Thank you for your Osaka itinerary. I think i'll go with that.

I'm still not sure if i want to visit Hokkaido or Kyushu. From your comment it looks like you would recommend Kyushu over Hokkaido.
Why is this?
I thought Hokkaido would be better in summer because of the heat.

What kind of preparations should i make for transportation? Like, is it ok to book reserved seats, overnight trains or domestic flights in japan? Or do i have to do this beforehand? I want to be as flexible as possible, so I would like to have the option to stay a day more or less at a place i like/dislike.

For places to stay i would prefer a room for myself. I don't care about shared bathrooms and such but if possible i would like to have a bedroom for myself (if it doesn't cost a fortune :-)). I can't sleep if there's someone constantly snoring beside me.

Is this possible for your recommended places?

Hirosaki looks good, i'll think about it.

In general I like your route for Kyushu, but i would really like to add Yakushima somewhere.

Well, the main decision is still if i travel to Hokkaido or Kyushu. Could someone who was at both places tell me some pro's and con's or just some general idea what you liked more?

I know that i need to choose myself but i would still like to hear some opinions to make the decision easier.

Why does everyone hate on Tokyo? I love Tokyo! If you don't like it, then you haven't found the awesome parts of it and haven't given it a chance. Tokyo represents the whole of Japan, but that doesn't make it "culturally confused"... it makes it unique and eclectic. You can find seafood from Hokkaido and tea from Okinawa and everywhere and everything in between.

If it is your first trip to Japan, don't skimp on Tokyo.

I read about the overnight buses but i didn't find one on Hyperdia. Is there some other side to check on times and fares? Maybe i just messed up the Hyperdia parameters.

Buses aren't listed on hyperdia as far as i know.
You might have to download it into an iPhone for the additional features. Aren't too sure on that.
You can use willer express bus services. Their website shows their day and overnight services.

I did see some sleeper trains with different seat options. What's the difference between passenger car and eletric car? The price depends heavily on the type of car i choose.

I can't help you here. Wikipedia has a different terminology too.

Could i use JR passes on night trains? (Well, at least, is it cheaper?)

Yes you can.
Free on most trains. Cheaper for trains from Osaka or Tokyo to Sapporo.
But these are shared. If you want a private compartment it is far more expensive. But JR Pass does make it cheaper.
Refer to http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2356.html

Do note that although, sleeper trains is cheaper because it lets you save on a night at a hotel and allows traveling while you are sleeping, it is far slower than a Shinkansen.

Thank you for your Osaka itinerary. I think i'll go with that.

I'm still not sure if i want to visit Hokkaido or Kyushu. From your comment it looks like you would recommend Kyushu over Hokkaido.
Why is this?
I thought Hokkaido would be better in summer because of the heat.

It is cooler. The summer night is really great with chilly winds; walking about in my yukata. However, Hokkaido still suffers from a lack of shinkansen. You can Shinkansen to Kyushu. From KitaKyushu to Fukuoka (Hakata station), to Kumamoto, to Kagoshima (Kagoshima Chuo). The whole length of Kyushu by Shinkansen surely saves time. You could then ferry from one coastal city to another or take buses. Onsens are aplenty in this island.
Hokkaido is good for cakes, glassblowing, and flowers. (I prefer Kysuhu Ramen) And although, fun and beautiful, the preferred mode of transport is still a rental car. Imagine taking a local train with your luggage in a train packed full of people. With no air-con!! IN SUMMER!
It is all good once you leave the train, but the great expanse of scenery also means long train rides.

And another important point is that the Tokyo-Kyoto-Osaka-XXX-Hiroshima is a common route. (XXX being Okayama or Kobe) Hiroshima is pretty near to Kyushu so it makes sense to pop by.

What kind of preparations should i make for transportation? Like, is it ok to book reserved seats, overnight trains or domestic flights in japan? Or do i have to do this beforehand? I want to be as flexible as possible, so I would like to have the option to stay a day more or less at a place i like/dislike.

If you have a JR Pass you can do a reservation at a tour agency. Just purchase your Pass through them and they would help you with any seat reservations.
JR pass reservations can be booked in any JR office in Japan. That's what I did. The JR Pass is your ticket, but to ensure you have a seat you can reserve it. There is a special compartment onboard trains for reserved seaters only. Note that some trains only have reserved compartments.
Getting a JR Pass must be made at your home country. It takes less than a week to arrive so plan ahead.
Some places need reservations, like Kokodera at Kyoto. (I had given up on a reply, I received it as I was carrying my luggage out of my home!)
JR Pass is flexible. Planes has less flexibility. But you could stay in Tokyo for a while, go to Kyoto and then to Osaka. Within the first week do these 3 cities, then decide what you would like to see more. Then book your plane.
Hotels on Agoda and what now has a cancellation fee, if the accommodation is too cheap.


For places to stay i would prefer a room for myself. I don't care about shared bathrooms and such but if possible i would like to have a bedroom for myself (if it doesn't cost a fortune :-)). I can't sleep if there's someone constantly snoring beside me.

Is this possible for your recommended places?

First Cabin has a unique concept of walls in-between beds. It is like a capsule hotel, only way bigger.
Piece Hostel does have private rooms.
The rest of the hostels may or may not have depending on the location. Either way private rooms are usually few, so book early.

Hirosaki looks good, i'll think about it.

There is a great expanse of forests near Hirosaki, followed by the sea. Friendly people too. Cheap accommodation too.

In general I like your route for Kyushu, but i would really like to add Yakushima somewhere.

Indeed. It does depend on time and money. As said previously, Kyushu has a shinkansen in its length. You could Shinkansen to Kagoshima. Take a ferry to Yakushima. Accommodations on Yakushima is pricey.
Kagoshima has the second most number of Onsen in Japan. They have a unique concept of onsen hotel rooms. People rent a room to sleep, they rent a room to onsen. No bed, just a private onsen.
Nearby Ibusuki is a resort town most famous for war museums and sand bathing.
Kii-Kirishima is a mouton nearby with aplenty onsen and a museum of the Jomon period, few thousand years old. This museum shows that the first Japanese might have came from Kyushu as the local legend says.

Well, the main decision is still if i travel to Hokkaido or Kyushu. Could someone who was at both places tell me some pro's and con's or just some general idea what you liked more?

Sorry, only been to Hokkaido. Planning Kyushu for later in the year.
Hokkaido is mainly known for skiing. Possibly cause its 6 months of winter on those mountains.
Hokkaido is blocked by Tohoku large forest and was only recently developed. It has much influence from european nations due to its ports.
Kyushu has more folklore and tradition. Said to be birthplace of Japan.

@Dragon

I didn't say I hated it. I dislike it. As a traveller I would rather see the unique point of each city and region instead of going to a city that meshes it all up. As someone staying there perhaps it provides the convenice of everything in one.
I can agree to that.

As to why others hate it, I have no idea. Never heard anyone said that. Except this one friend, but she was against Japan as a whole so maybe that doesn't count.

The shopping malls and museums are interesting. But I don't want to see city sights when I travel. Since I do live in a city.
Preferences, I guess. Anywhere you recommend? To enlighten me?

Peace.

I'm not a big fan of Tokyo either, I much prefer Osaka. I think it's the atmosphere and the people. Tokyo seems busier, everyone is in a rush and not as friendly as people in Osaka.

And I felt there were too many tourist in Tokyo, it felt like I was experiencing the life of tourist, not locals, if that makes sense? I want to interact with locals, not tourist. And maybe too many places in Tokyo are geared tourists not locals, it didn't feel 'genuine' or 'real'.

Thank you for your comments.

I see your point about Hokkaido. Well, if i like it in Japan i'll come back for sure :-)
Then i will think about a rental car and about exploring Hokkaido.

So, i will follow your recommendation and travel to Kyushu.
Took me some time to understand how I could search for Fukuoka with Hyperdia (station name is Hakata).

My itinerary for the moment (and hopefully it's near completion) looks like this:

Day 1-3: Exploring Tokyo districts like Shinjuku, Akihabara, Shibuya, etc. Well, it's more like Day 2 and 3 because i arrive at Narita at roughly 5pm.

Day 4: Fuji - Five Lakes Daytrip
Day 5: Nikko daytrip
Day 6: Kamakura daytrip
Day 7: Takayama and staying there for the night.
Day 8: Daytrip to Kamikouchi.
Day 9: Train from Takayama to Kyoto.
Day 9-12: Kyoto city and daytrips (nightbus from Kyoto to Fukuoka on the 12th day).
Day 13: Train from Fukuoka to Kumamoto (probably). I think Kumamoto looks not too interesting, but it's a good starting point to Beppu and Takachiho.
Day 14: Day at Aso or Kurokawa Onsen. I plan to stay at an onsen in Beppu, but the riverside baths in Kurokawa look amazing. Maybe i'll spend most of my day at Kurokawa and return to Aso in the evening or spend a night at a ryokan and return to Aso in the morning.
Day 15: Day at Takachiho.
Day 16: Beppu. I don't really know how to travel here. I think i need to return from Takachiho to Aso and take a three hour train from there. That's a lot of time. Is there maybe a better arangement for Aso/Kurokawa, Takachiho and Beppu? Like maybe i should visit Beppu first and continue from there. It's quite difficult to plan because there are mostly busses which aren't listed by Hyperdia.
Day 17: Train to Fukuoka and staying there for the day. There are some options here. It takes around 2 hours to go from Aso to Fukuoka. It doesn't even take 2 hours from Beppu to Fukuoka. I could skip the night in Beppu and take a train to Fukuoka in the evening. With this i would have the whole day to explore the city. Another option would be to go from Aso/Takachiho to Fukuoka and spend the rest of the day there (on day 16). Then i could do a daytrip to Beppu on day 17.
What option out of these is the best/most efficient?
Day 18: Hiroshima and/or Miyajima. I don't know if its possible to visit both places on the same day (without rushing too much).
I wanted to spend Day 19 and 20 in Osaka because i depart from there (11pm). I could spend day 19 in Hiroshima, but i would like to see at least some places in Osaka and because of that i don't like the idea of spending only one day there. What's more important/nicer between Hiroshima and Miyajima or could i even do both locations on one day?

I used Joshua Hugh's post quite a bit, thank you for the advice.

Like before, i would like to hear your opinions about this itinerary.
I'm going in less than two month, so i would like to finalize my itinerary soon :-)

You really need to give Tokyo (and the side-visits) a week to make the most of your time there. It gives you a bit of flexibility and you won't have to rush everywhere to a tight schedule. It is one thing to 'do' a place in x hours and tick it off a list, but something else to actually enjoy somewhere, browse, have something to eat, explore the shops, take an insane number of photos and spend some time in the places you will only discover when you are actually there.

I've never liked cities but I absolutely loved Tokyo. The rail network is exceptionally good and cheap, even without a rail pass. You can be based in central Tokyo and spend a day at the seaside (Kamakura) or in the mountains (Mount Takao).

Sometimes it is better to see a little less but enjoy what you do see rather more. The best things in life should be savoured, not rushed.

Have an amazing time.

As to what the above persons says, I agree. But if you love Japan and would be back for Hokkaido in the future & you are in love with Tokyo or Kyoto; you could fly in to one of the two airports. See a bit of everything. Then find what you want to see more of. I.e. Been to Hokkaido twice and Kyoto thrice.

With regards to Takachiho, I don't see to know any other way to get to Beppu. Unless you do Kumamoto-Aso-Takachiho-Miyazaki-Beppu.
Do find out what pass you would be using. Since Takachiho is only included in the Whole Kyushu SUN Q PASS, Miyazaki and maybe even Kagoshima are possible trips.

As you said, Kumamoto is just there for a mid point, Eg Castle + Garden in an hour

Do note that there are buses from Beppu to Hiroshima. It takes a ferry part way to save time.
That means you could get a SUN Q all kyushu bus pass
Day 1 explore Fukuoka
Highway bus to Takachiho
Night @ Takachiho
Day 2
Highway bus to Kumamoto
See castle/garden
Hw Bus to Aso
Night at Aso
Day 3
Hw Bus to Kurokawa
Have the river onsen
As the Kuju Moutains would probably not in season, there is a lack of autumn colours. Might still be nice though
Hw bus to Beppu
Night at Beppu
Day 4
Hw bus to Fukuoka for a night and leave on day 5
Or take a bus to Hiroshima. If you leave on this day, you might have more time for Osaka

Is Hiroshima+Miyajima one day possible?
Well what do you want to do there?
If at Hiroshima you only see the atomic museum and atomic peace park it is possible. (rent a bicycle. the Hiroshima train station has a rental; cycle from Hiroshima castle to peace park and back to station in 3 hours) in the day
Miyajima, has a primeval forest. But that takes a half day in itself. If only to pet deer, eat local snacks (oysters and ice cream), see the floating Tori gate, and cable car to the mountain top, it would take less than 3.5 hours.
After Hiroshima

P.S.

@Beppu
http://www.suginoi-hotel.com/english/facilities/tanayu.html

In my opinion, you are committing the one biggest common mistake that first-time travelers to Japan make.

And that is, you are giving Tokyo and its side trips too little time. I don't know about you but by Day 5 I would already be tired out and unhappy. Hence defeating the entire (?) purpose of the trip.

Personally I can spend days/months at each of the places you listed out but I understand it would not be practical but you can consider the following:

1. Tokyo metropolis - 5 days (Even 5 days is a little short actually)

2. Mt Fuji AND THE FIVE LAKES - 2 days (To take in the sights)

3. Kamakura - Day-trip (This is reasonable in my opinion)

4. Yokohama - Day-trip (This is not in your itinerary? Minato-mirai is worth a look and it's very accessible if you're stationed in Shinagawa ward or similar)

5. Nikko - 2 days (The buses are very infrequent and walking all over will tire you out with a couple of hills to climb)



Anyways, I can't comment about Hokkaido but I'm quite familiar with Tohoku, Kansai, and Kyushu.

If you're not good with warm weather, I suggest you give Kansai and Kyushu a miss. Visit them another time. I love Kansai in spring and Kyushu in winter. But that's just me.

Hope it helps.

I agree with Hitori...too many people make the mistake--in my opinion--to run all over Japan, spending more time travelling around than actually getting to know well a city and its surroundings.
After a while it become very tiring to go on a train or bus every 2-3 days or more frequently, packing, unpacking in another hotel and another, and another etc.

I wouldn't be surprised if you have never seen ALL of you birth country.Unless if is small, like Andorra or Luxembourg..and even then...
Very few people have seen every single region of their own country..including myself...

So why try to see far too many places and things the first time you are in Japan?

Trust me, staying in only a few places in Japan will already be a very big cultural shock in so many ways!

Personally I think that 2 weeks at a time in any country is more than enough..especially the first time!