Second time in Japan

Hi there,
at the end of October I will have my second trip in Japan with my girlfriend. Last time we stay in Tokyo and Kansai, this time we plan to go to the capital and Kyushu. On 28th evening, 29 and 30 alla day, 31 evening we will have a japanese friend that will stay with us, so we think she will "help" us to live Tokyo better than last time.
Here's my schedule:

27th october - flight from Italy
28th - h10.30 arrival in Narita and stay in Tokyo
29th stay in Tokyo
30th stay in Tokyo
31th stay in Tokyo (maybe one day trip in Kamakura or Yokohama)
01th November - shinkansen to Hiroshima, estimated arrival 3-4p.m. Hotel near the station, fast visit to honour the Peace Park, see Shukkeien and have an okonomiyaki downtown.

02th shinkansen to Fukuoka, left luggage in hotel and train to Karatsu for Karatsu Kunchi Matsuri. Back to Fukuoka to sleep.
03th stay in Fukuoka (Hakushu matsuri)
04th stay in Fukuoka
05th train to Beppu (Sentomyo matsuri)

06th (rent a car) journey around Kunisaki Peninsula (Usa-Kitsuki-Mount Futago). Sleep in Yufuin (about 150km)
07th Yufuin-Kuju mountains-(visit to the rests of Aso temple if it's possible)-Kurokawa (a. 70km)
08th Kurokawa-Takachiho (a. 50km)
09th Takachiho-seafront road-Usuki (a. 150km)
10th Usuki-Beppu (end of car rental) (a. 50km)-train to a ryokan somewhere in Saga prefecture, Fujitsu district, in front of Ariake Sea for two nights
11th visit to Yoshinogatari Park, Yutoku Inari Shrine, Huis Ten Bosch or Nagasaki. What place, of these, we choose for this one-day-trip (and come back to sleep in the ryokan told before)?
12th - train to Kyoto, extimated arrival at 3-4p.m.
13th stay in Kyoto
14th train to Tokyo and back to Italy with 02.10p.m. flight.

Recommendations? Suggestions?


It's something less than a year that we're studying japanese language... maybe (we hope..) this time we'll be able to say 3-4 words more than "sumimasen" :D

I would start from Tokyo to Hiroshima far earlier, so that you have at least the whole afternoon in Hiroshima. You don't have time to visit Peace Park and Shukkeien (can enter until 16:30 and closes at 17:00) the way you planned it. Those are places you spend time leisurely, not just checking off your list :)

Arrive Hiroshima t 3 = ok.
at 4 = no time.
If you want to go to the atomic bomb museum at one end of the peace park you would need an extra hour.

You dont have to spend the 4th in Fukuoka. Thats too much time.

I am sure you can learn 10 Japanese words off the internet in 5 minutes.

Hi,
thank you so much for the advise, we had not tought about the closing hour of museum and garden....

@JH: you think one day in Fukuoka is enough? Maybe we can use the 4th to visit Yoshinogatari Park, Dazaifu or Kitakyushu and get back to sleep in Fukuoka?

On the second to fourth nights you are in Fukuoka.
Some of the main sites of Fukuoka are the canal city and the Hakata station mall. The latter is three (?) shopping centres joined into one.

That said, if a city's attraction is a shopping centre you would know that it is not a very attractive city. Besides the large buddha statue, the Yatai stores and other ramen stores are worth a visit. Queues would be long though.

So all in all, a full day and a night is sufficient for Fukuoka IMO. It is a nice city with a pleasant atmosphere but as for things to do, is not high in the list of attractiveness. I would only use it as perhaps a base city to go to other nearby cities/towns or just as a day to chill off and relax. However, being located in Kyushu that has countless hot spring options and many beaches.... maybe not so...

Hiroshima isn't just another "bucket list" check box. As the other reviewer noted, the Peace park and Shukkien (the Asano Park where Father Kleinsorge ministers to the dying on the first night after the Bombing) require leisurely absorption and have early closing hours. Do the Museum first; then explore the Peace Park. You'll discover your own special monument that will grab you emotionally. On my first trip I accidentally asked at Info in the train station which bus goes to Auschwitz. Yeah, It's like that.
But the good part is that Hiroshima came back to life and you will probably enjoy some of the most delicious food ever if you get the okonomiyake at the far east end of Hondori. (Or for that matter, anywhere.) Mine had tiny oysters and octopus and it was the best seafood pancake ever and I was eating in a department store above the train station. Peace.

Unfortunately we don't have enough time to spend in Hiroshima, we add the city because we couldn't visit it neither in our first japanese trip.
Maybe it will be better to go to Hiroshima in a future trip, when we will travel around Chugoku, and we will have more days for this city?

@JH: what do you think about this:

on the 2th, going to Karatsu, we will see probably only our bed in Fukuoka
on the 3th visit of Fukuoka, in the evening train (1h) to Yanagawa for Hakushu matsuri
on the 4th we can go in the morning in Dazaifu or Kitakyushu or Yoshinogatari Park (which of these places you suggest?), in the afternoon back to Fukuoka

Hi,
I spoke with my girlfried and we decided to cancel Hiroshima from our schedule (and postpone it to a future trip to dedicate to this city more time) and to have a different planning using Fukuoka as base point.

What do you think about this?

27th october - flight from Italy
28th - h10.30 arrival in Narita and stay in Tokyo
29th stay in Tokyo
30th stay in Tokyo
31th stay in Tokyo (maybe one day trip in Kamakura or Yokohama)
01th November - shinkansen to Fukuoka, arrival in medium-late afternoon

02th Fukuoka-(30min train)-Yoshinogatari Park (open h9-17)-(1,5h train)-Karatsu (matsuri 19.30)-(1,5h train)-Fukuoka
03th Fukuoka-(40min train)-Dazaifu-(50min train)-Yanagawa (Hakushu matsuri 17.30-21)-(1h train)-Fukuoka
04th Fukuoka-(2h)-Nagasaki-(2h)-Fukuoka
05th Fukuoka-(2h train)-Beppu (Sentomyo matsuri)

06th (rent a car in Beppu) journey around Kunisaki Peninsula (Usa-Kitsuki-Mount Futago). Sleep in Yufuin (about 150km)
07th Yufuin-Kuju mountains-(visit to the rests of Aso temple if it's possible)-Kurokawa (a. 70km)
08th Kurokawa-Takachiho (a. 50km)
09th Takachiho-seafront road-Usuki (a. 150km)
10th Usuki-Beppu (end of car rental) (a. 50km)-train to a ryokan somewhere in Saga prefecture, Fujitsu district, in front of Ariake Sea for two nights
11th visit to Yoshinogatari Park, Yutoku Inari Shrine, Huis Ten Bosch or Nagasaki. What place, of these, we choose for this one-day-trip (and come back to sleep in the ryokan told before)?
12th - train to Kyoto, extimated arrival at 3-4p.m.
13th stay in Kyoto
14th train to Tokyo and back to Italy with 02.10p.m. flight.

Any suggestions?

Maybe you can fly into FUK and then use a regional pass? It would be quicker to get there by plane.

@John: Some weeks ago I made the calculation, but taking the plane was more expensive than train. Also, considering going to airport, check-in, check-out, luggages, etc. we will save only 1-2 hours..

Any suggestion regarding 11th?