2nd visit to Japan this November

Hi guys,

So after visiting Japan for the first time two years ago I'm finally coming back :) I've just booked a month long holiday during November and need some advice.

I'm traveling alone and while this was not a problem when going to Tokyo, Kyoto (and even less traveled cities like Kanazawa) I'm thinking about going to more rural areas and possibly finding some hikes / treks.

I just have no idea how isolated these places can be. I'm slightly worried I'll end up spending days with no English speaking people which would be a little sad.

I'm also looking for more specific ideas of places I could visit - so any specific tips are appreciated :)

Finally if any of your are going to be in Japan during November and want to meet up for sake at some point do let me know.

Thanks,
Guy

Hi, I just went to few days trip to Tohoku area in March, and wanted to say the area was awesome.
Especially "Geibikei Gorge" in Iwate, where you can get on a boat and explore the gorge, and Yamadera (literally means "mountain temple"), Ginzan onsen were the best.



People in Tohoku area are so nice and food was amazing.

I also recommend Hokkaido. There are many beautiful places but November might be too cold to explore.

Well, a month is a very good chunk of time and you can see a lot with it. So much is up to where you want to go, and what you are interested in.
As to how isolated some places are, you have total decision over where you plan to go - so you can go to many places that have a lot of people, are few to none. You will be there during the autumn colours season, and in many of the popular places you won't be able to avoid foreign tourists if you tried.
The whole country is completely at your feet, and you can go from one part of the country to another these days for a lot less money than you needed in the past. Take advantage of the low cost carriers like Jet Star, Peach and Vanilla Air, and go all over, up to Hokkaido, down to Okinawa, or even a side trip to another Asian country for dirt cheap. ANA's Experience Japan Fare has been a real gem to use too for a few years now.

It sounds like you want to get off the beaten trail a bit, so you might consider Shikoku, Kyushu, southern Honshu, and the Tohoku area (Hokkaido will be getting pretty cold by then, but it is still there too). The Sea of Japan side of Japan is less explored by most as well.
Have you explored this website to see what there is? Pick and choose what you like, and try some other sites like the JNTO site
www.jnto.go.jp
If you want more ideas, then youtube has some good collections of famous and lesser known gems in Japan. Try looking through:
https://www.youtube.com/user/ChannelAGG/videos
https://www.youtube.com/user/thejapanfaq/videos
https://www.youtube.com/user/egawauemon/videos

You just need to decide what you want to see, and you know best.

hi there,

don't take this the wrong way, but you have visited japan about 2 years ago and still have at least 6 months before your next trip. you obviously very much like the country and are taking a substantial sized holiday this time to probably justify learning some basic conversational japanese?

i understand if you dont have the time or inclination but i think it would add to the cultural immersion and minimise some inhibitions with regard to limiting your traveling due to fear of no one speaking english.

you dont have to speak fluently but just 30 or 40 key phrases will be enough to give you confidence.

funnily enough my experience is very similar to yours. i visited last year for the first time and loved it! i learnt about 30 phrases before traveling - took me all of about 2 weeks practice and I found that those few phrases were invaluable!

this year i will return again (in the month of november) for 35 days and have decided to teach myself japanese as i anticapate this hopefully will not be my last visit. i have been learning for 6 months and have a vocab of around 1200 words. i cant speak fluently yet but feel im getting closer :)

there are some great hiking areas around the back of my koya, hokkaido and kamikochi is the place i have yet to vist but looking very much forward to doing so. kamikochi is up near takayama and suppose to be some of the most beautiful scenery in japan. you can check it out on this website. BE AWARE: it closes on NOV 15 thereabouts each year.

have fun! :D

"I believe Aussie is referring to Mt Koya when writing my Koya.
@OP: It would be good if you could update your profile page so others know where you've been and how much you liked those places.

thx jh - yes i was :)

Any Japanese you can learn will help you out.
You might look at:
http://www.learnjapanesefree.com
http://www.123japanese.com
http://www.japanesepod101.com
Learning Japanese manners can help a lot too.
http://www.thejapanfaq.com/FAQ-Manners.html

But that doesn't mean you are completely up the creek.
If you get hopelessly lost, which is very easy in Japan, it is better to find some older school or college age students and *write out* your questions in simple words. Japanese are still very poor at speaking English but are often glad to help you out if you lose your way.
Carrying a business card or matchbook with your hotel's address on it can be a big help.

Sorry about the late reply, just didn't see the replies :/

First of I've updated my profile to include where I've visited before (basically Tokyo, Takayama, Kanazawa, Kyoto and Komono Kodo)

I'm currently focusing on Shikoku and Kyushu. It sounds like there's a lovely festival in kyushu (Karatsu Kunchi) but I'm struggling to find information on it so any tips would help.

Also there's a nice cycling route in Shikoku (http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3478.html) as well as several worthwhile sights. I'm trying to figure out how to move my bags though as I can't take them with me on the bike.

Anyone done these / similar routes?

AussieRonnie - I've tried learning Japanese a few (like 15) years ago and did manage to pick up the very basics but your right, I'm looking to take some lessons before that :) If you do decide to go further south let me know, I think will be roughly at the same time and can meet up for some sake ;)

Just to clarify I've done part of the Komono Kodo trail (4 days) last time I visited and ended doing the last day (roughly 25km) with a 70 year old Japanese guys who spoke very little English. It was one of my best experiences - so I'm definitly looking for these type of interactions :D

November is a great time to visit Japan thanks to the Autumn foliage and places that I would recommend visiting are:

Mt.Takao, its a 50min train ride from Shinjuku and offers very pleasant hikes.
Yamadera, this translates to Mountain Temple and can be located in Yamagata Prefecture.
Geibikei, a beautiful gorge located in Iwate Prefecture.
Ohara, a rural town just north of Kyoto.
Kurama & Kibune, just north of Kyoto.