Concerned about trip during August (Obon)

Hi all,

I am going to book airfare this week for next trip to Japan. Due to work commitments, the only time I am able to go for a stretch of time is in August or early September.

I want to avoid typhoon season, so it's my understanding that August is probably the better month. I've taken many trips to Japan, however this is the first time I will be going around Obon.

My plan is to visit from August 5th through the 17th. The following itinerary is subject to change (might drop a destination city like Beppu, though). I am mainly visiting friends in various cities, with visits to some (not a ton) of landmarks at each place.

8/5: Arrive Narita / Stay in Tokyo
8/6: Tokyo
8/7: Tokyo
8/8: Fly to Beppu
8/9: Beppu
8/10: Kokura (Kitakyushu)
8/11-13: Kyoto
8/14-15: Osaka
8/16: Tokyo
8/17: Depart Narita

My main questions:

1. Is this time going to be overcrowded as it is during Golden Week?

2. When I arrive in Tokyo on the 5th, will I have a decent chance of making shinkansen reservations or will the shinkansen and other express trains/liners be fully booked?
(By the way, I will get a regular, 7-day JR Pass, so I won't be taking Nozomi and such. This is far from my first trip to Japan, and I am aware I have to turn in the exchange order for the pass - I can set the activation date, etc.)

3. Would you advise I travel at a later time? For example: August 25 - September 8th. Or am I making a big deal out of nothing in regards to Obon?

Thank you in advance for your help!

Golden week is in May, not August.

If you like to go to festivals, stick with your current dates.

Enjoy your trip.

HI ebaychucky, thank you for your insight.

I was asking if it is as comparably bad as Golden Week in May, which I already knew. I am wondering if it will be difficult to secure tickets or accommodation based on my itinerary.

Hello, I think your plan is kind of hard.
I have to say that it will be crowded like Obon and i will be hot...
so i will be difficult to get ticket of shinkansen or flight ticket, but I am not sure.
You can use night-bus to move to Kyoto I guess.
I recommend you to have ticket before you come if you can.
And I think you should have more free time because you go to many places and I think it is too much maybe.. How about go to fewer place and relax there?
And Hotels will be expensive in Obon season so you should book before you come as well.
I hope this would be your help. Have a great journey.

Rie

This is when all of the Elementary, Junior High, and High Schools have their summer break. It will be similar to trying to get accommodations in Orlando. If you go places that families will want to take their children of vacation, it will be crowded.

I have traveled by myself, and so I get business class hotel rooms for singles. I really have not had any problems, but I don't think these accommodations are the ones that will be hard to get.

When you're tough as much as you endure this hotness, it's no problem,
but I'll recommend to come to Japan a cooler season.

I recommend you to come later and also visit the higher places like Nikko, Kamikouchi, Karuizawa,
Fuji five lake or it might be one candidate to visit northern place like Imaizumi, Bandai which are Tohoku area.

Last year, I went to see Awaodori in Tokushima, it was almost 40 degree.

I enjoyed but I could do nothing for next 7 days.

All: My work prevents me from going to Japan at another time, and I'd like to visit this year. Do you think it would help if I were to arrive on the 11th instead of the 5th (shifting my trip forward and destinations by one week)? The latter part of my trip would be less crowded maybe?

Rie: Thank you for your input! I am considering fewer places (my friends in Beppu can come visit if I'm in Kitakyushu or further north in Fukuoka for instance).

ebaychucky: Thank you, that is true - I'm traveling solo once again. Finding single rooms should be a tad easier, I would hope!

biwakoman: I wanted to travel in November, but I am unable to this year due to work commitments. August is the only time I am available to travel this year.

Obon isn't as crowded as golden week in my experience. For one thing, some people and companies in Tokyo celebrate it a month early, so there's not quite as much of a bottleneck, and not everyone goes home since it's not actually an official national holiday. Also, for Golden Week most people are traveling to tourist sites, but obon is all about going back to your hometown to visit your family and go to the graves of your relatives, so while the shinkansen is likely to be more crowded than usual other travel methods probably won't be bad. And hotels don't fill up as much as GW because a lot of people are staying with family. I wouldn't worry about it too much as long as you book hotels a bit early. Worst-case scenario, you'd have to stand for the shinkansen ride.

August 11th Mountain day (national holiday)
August 13th-15th Obon holiday (national holiday)

if you travel around this period please keep in mind that Shinkansen tickets will be difficult to get. If you have a JR pass which you can issue in your country, getting a reservation seat will be also difficult. Many people in Japan already planned ahead for this period.

Another point which has been mentioned is the heat and humidity. Traveling around Japan outside will be hard.

Thank you all for the helpful insight, advice, and warnings :)