Backpacking Japan in September

Hallo everyone.

I am finally able to go on my long awaited 21-day trip through Japan this September.
I will be arriving in Tokyo (Narita) on the the 30th of August and I�Lm leaving on the 20th of September (via Narita again).
I have yet to plan out most of the exact itinerary & stops, but emphasis will be laid on cultural sightseeing + nature.
My ''travel-style'' will be Backpacking + Mid range accommodation (Think: cheaper ryokans & better minshuku).

Can anybody recommend good places to meet other Japan travelers?
I will be traveling alone, which I enjoy immensely, but sometimes it�Ls good to get in contact with other fellow travelers prior to the trip; not only for the social aspect of it, but also to exchange information needed for planning a trip.


Regards,

Peter

Hey Peter, I'll be doing something similar. I also enjoy traveling alone and nature.
However, I am going in May.
When I get back from Japan, I'll give you a short review of my trip so you can plan out yours better.

So far I'm planning to go hiking on the Nakasendo and climbing Mt. Fuji.
I will also spend a week touring around Nakatsugawa, Gifu and another city nearby on the Nakasendo.
I hear that small towns are a great experience. Take in a lot of the local culture and hospitality; an authentically Japanese experience.
If you are interested in visiting the countryside (Gifu prefecture)/small towns I'd recommending picking up some simple Japanese, because country folks usually can't speak English.

Hey(Backpack) Brian,

Thanks for the offer! I would gladly receive any post-trip advice you can give me. (At the moment I'm working myself through pages upon pages of forum posts as to not ask any standard questions)
Will this be your first trip to Japan as well, or have you been there before?
@Language: I'm probably going to treat myself to a week or two of language training to get the essential basics. I know that that isn't enough, but unfortunately University keeps me rather busy right now, so the only
opportunity I get is during the holidays& before the trip.

While I'm certainly interested in the smaller, authentic towns in the country side, I won't be able to spend a whole week on them& hiking around,, the reason being that I also want to get some standard "touristy" sightseeing done.

Quick question: how will you go about reserving a place to sleep in the minshuku/ryokan etc. of smaller towns? I encountered substantial lack of those on the internet. And I heard "just turning up" doesn't cut it usually.

Regards,

Peter

"...climbing Mt. Fuji."

you do realize that the "official" climbing season is july/august.

will you be suitably prepared for the inevitable encounter of snow, particularly still at its peak, during this time of yr?

what route do you propose to take?

look forward to your trip review.