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Takayama, Kanazawa or Koyasan 2014/12/11 09:54
Hello!
I have reserved my flight to Japan, arriving at Kansai airport on May 10 and leaving the country on May 24. Mi itinerary is taking shape but I still have some doubts about what to visit on the way from Kyoto to Tokyo. According to my plans, I would have a night to spend in Takayama or Kanazawa. From my point of view, Kanazawa would be much more practical because it is closer to Kyoto and it will become closer to Tokyo thanks to the new Shinkansen by the time of my trip (I am not a fan of long train journeys and the 4.5 hours one from Takayama to Tokyo discourages me somehow). Still, I have the impression that most people prefer Takayama and that it is easier to fill up a full day there. It is difficult to me which place is more enjoyable and where I can find more sightseeing to do. A third option would be to stay a night longer in Kyoto and visit Koyasan before going directly to Tokyo... Which of there three alternatives would sound the best for you? Thank you in advance!
by Stevegeneva  

Re: Takayama, Kanazawa or Koyasan 2014/12/11 11:10
I personally never got the appeal of Takayama. It's nice enough, don't get me wrong, but I think it's so popular in part because you go there to get to Shirakawa-go.

I vote head to Kanazawa. It's a beautiful city, there's a lot to do, and if you don't like the long journey on train then that's your best bet.
by scarreddragon rate this post as useful

Re: Takayama, Kanazawa or Koyasan 2014/12/11 11:14
In my opinion, Takayama requires a day to make good.
Kanazawa requires two to three days. They have excellent musuems, pretty districts, good food, enormous garden, castle.
Around the garden is about 3-5 musuems so you can leisurely spend your time here.
Also many hot spring towns surround Kanazawa, if you like such a hotel.

Takayama has the best soba I ever tasted. But if you have the leisure of time, Kanazawa has the variety, quality, and low priced food. It is my favorite food city, more so then Kyoto.

Based on what you mentioned, that is just a day, Takayama should be given precedence over Kanazawa. Do Kanazawa another time. Add in Noto Peninsular too!
That said, if you never plan on returning to Japan, you might as well go to Kanazawa.

Koyasan is a place of mystic and natural aura. If however, you are not a person who can "feel" such things then it would seem like a more compact and convenient Kyoto. Trees lined the roads and the temples. It is a mountain village with modern facilities so getting around is easy yet fresh clean air and looming trees are at every turn. It is like Redwood park with shorter trees but with the mystic of the monks.

Personally, I would prefer Koyasan. Staying in a temple lodge and rise to the harmounious chanting. However, it is considerably out of the way, the attractions are few, and temples aren't the cheapest hotels around. If you can't switch to a "Zen" mode or "Nature" mode then Koya isn't for you.

In short, if you want an amazing experience, choose Koya. If you aren't into what I mentioned then Takayama. (Some people find skydiving amazing, I find it heartstopping). If you are a truly fast paced travller, then it may be possible to do Kenrokuen, Kanazawa Castle, and the museums in a day. But that is more checking off Kanazawa off a list and not taking the time to appreciate the attractions.
by joshua hugh (guest) rate this post as useful

Re: Takayama, Kanazawa or Koyasan 2014/12/11 11:43
I agree with scareddragon: Takayama is OK, but you can see similar in Kanazawa, and get Kenrokuen , Geisha areas, Samurai areas, gold foil handicrafts, 21st Centurary Museum, Omichyo market etc etc as well.
You can see Sake breweries in Kyoto if that is impoirtant
The best part of Takayama is the journey getting there: going along the river in the train is spectacular.
My choice would be Kanazawa, esp with the new Shinkansen: but I am biased: Kanazawa is our favourite.
Koyasan is also wonderful: but that is a whole different experience.
Enjoy!
by AusTF rate this post as useful

Re: Takayama, Kanazawa or Koyasan 2014/12/12 03:22
My vote would be for Kanazawa as well.

I was just there for 1 day last year (October 2013) and had a great time. There is plenty to keep you occupied for a whole day. You wont be able to see everything in a day, but the town is small enough that you can get around easily on the bus system (buy a bus pass if you are going to keep hoping on and off the bus) and they have great tourist maps for you to plan out you day on. The bus only goes in one direction, so its a good idea to plan out where you want to go and decide the order of it based on the map.


I would also suggest you make a reservation at Nijadera. I had someone at my hostel call ahead the day of to make a reservation for me. The tour was all in Japanese but they also had a follow along book that explains everything (I am sure the guide gives you a bit more detail, but I just don't know much Japanese)

Great city, great food and tons of sites to see!

by Anne (guest) rate this post as useful

Re: Takayama, Kanazawa or Koyasan 2014/12/12 04:30
I visited all three.
For me, they are too different to be compared.
If I have to choose, on reflection, I go to Koyasan because the Okuno-in cemetery is a unique place in Japan.
There are other old streets like in Takayama, other of samurai areas and beautiful gardens as Kanazawa but there is only one Okuno-in.http: //www.soleilrouge.org/koyasan-le -cimetiere-Okuno-in
by fuchan29 rate this post as useful

Re: Takayama, Kanazawa or Koyasan 2014/12/12 04:54
I've spent about 5 days in each, and preferred Takayama. The rustic feel to the old part of town is what appealed, and I think also we did more things that we really enjoyed there. But when we were in Kanazawa, it was very rainy and slushy which hampered things a bit.

One thing I would say is that personally, I wouldnt go to Kanazawa after spending time in Kyoto, because it is essentially more of the same but on a less grand scale. I'd do something different, say in the alps, whether that was Takayama, Tsumago (wasnt fussed on that one but the trip is nice enough), Matsumoto (excellent castle not much else but again a nice trip, and good position to get back to Tokyo), Karuizawa (very underrated IMO, especially if you can ignore the shopping centre), or Enoshima (well that's more a side trip from Tokyo, and it isnt Alps). And I'd throw in Hikone as well, which is very pleasant for a day.
by Lazy Pious (guest) rate this post as useful

Re: Takayama, Kanazawa or Koyasan 2014/12/12 04:56
Sorry, when I say I spent 5 days in each, that is Takayama and Kanazawa. I've never been to Koyasan...
by Lazy Pious (guest) rate this post as useful

Re: Takayama, Kanazawa or Koyasan 2014/12/12 05:36
Hi and Thank you so much for all your kind and exhaustive answers! I realize that these three places cannot be really compared to each other but I have the impression that Koyasan it the one that on the average you are recommanded the most, followed by Kanazawa. I still haven't made my decision but I think I will choose between these two.
The atmosphere of Koyasan sounds just magic and, on the other side, I do love gardens...
I will start my trip across Japan in Osaka and I think that, should I decide to include Koyasan in my itinerary, I could add a further day there in order to be closer to Koyasan itself. How long does it take to visit the whole site?
Thank you again and, should you have any further suggestion, that would be really helpful and appreciated.
by Stevegeneva rate this post as useful

Re: Takayama, Kanazawa or Koyasan 2014/12/13 01:56
Perhaps it might be nice to visit Koyasan since 2015 is a special year for the area.

"The year 2015 marks 1,200 years since the founding of Koyasan, and there will be a commemorative ceremony held over 50 days between April 2 and May 21, 2015 in honor of those 1,200 years."

http://www.wakayama-kanko.or.jp/world/english/world-heritage/koyasan.h...

I've not been to Kanazawa so I can't say much. But my suggestion would be Koyasan over Takayama.
by liangel rate this post as useful

Re: Takayama, Kanazawa or Koyasan 2014/12/13 04:12
If you go to Takayama and then Kanazawa, I suggest you to have a stop at Shirakawago. You can visit one of the most beautiful village with particular houses built in gassho-zukuri style.http://www.soleilrouge.org/shirakawago-les-mains-jointes-de-ogimachi-1
by fuchan29 rate this post as useful

Re: Takayama, Kanazawa or Koyasan 2014/12/23 00:03
I have not been to Koyasan but I will still vote for Koyasan over the other 2 although all 3 places are not really similar. I have been to Takayama and Kanazawa. I like Takayama because it has a more Japanese feel. I find Kanazawa not quite different from the other Japanese cities except in size. I find that no. 1 garden is overhyped. I prefer 2 other gardens in Kyoto which is also free.
by kfchong (guest) rate this post as useful

Re: Takayama, Kanazawa or Koyasan 2014/12/23 11:04
I've been to all 3 and definitely enjoyed Kanazawa and Koyasan more than Takayama. I found Takayama to be one of the more disappointing places I've visited, and Kanazawa one of the most underrated.

As far as Koyasan is concerned I would recommend travelling from Osaka rather than Kyoto. You should be able to cover most of the important sights in one day. If you start early-ish in the morning then you can make it back to Osaka to go and view some of it's nighttime attractions and try and cram in as much as possible in one day, or you can stay overnight in Koyasan at a Buddhist temple, which I would recommend looking into as it is one of the most popular parts of travelling to Koyasan.
by PhilipJFry rate this post as useful

Re: Takayama, Kanazawa or Koyasan 2014/12/24 10:07
Again, thank you for your comments and opinions. I have the impression that in general visitors of Japan disagree on the comparison Takayama/Kanazawa but they all agree on Koyasan. I think that I will stay a day longer in Osaka so that I will be able to visit it, before heading towards Hiroshima. I hope this is the right decision...
And my season's greetings to all of you!
by Stevegeneva rate this post as useful

Re: Takayama, Kanazawa or Koyasan 2014/12/24 10:22
I have the impression that in general visitors of Japan disagree on the comparison Takayama/Kanazawa but they all agree on Koyasan.

I think that's fair. Most people who make the effort to visit Koyasan enjoy it, and doubly so if they also stay overnight at a temple. And I don't find Takayama and Kanazawa all that comparable, so I think you'll probably end up getting opinions that say more about peoples' personal interests than anything else.
by yllwsmrf rate this post as useful

Re: Takayama, Kanazawa or Koyasan 2014/12/24 16:01
I hope the OP can still read this.
Compared with Hiroshima, I will rather choose Takayam or Kanazawa unless i need to go somewhere else alobg the way. Nothing much in Hiroshima and the atomic bomb area is really nothing other than that structure you always see in the photo. For history, you can easily read anywhere or the Internet. No need to go there.
by kfchong (guest) rate this post as useful

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