Japan journey 36 days

Travelling in 2013, altogether 2 of us.
note : (*) = accomodations booked

KANTO

25 March - Asakusa, Tokyo (To rest)*
26 March - Kusatsu, Gunma (Hot spring)*
27 March - Yudanaka, Nagano (Hot spring)*
28 March - Kawaguchiko (Scenery)*
29 March - Kawaguchiko(Hot spring/scenery)*
30 March - Hakata, Fukuoka (8hours of travelling)*

KYUSHU

31 March - Kumamoto(sakura/Mt Aso/Kurokawa)*
1 April - Kagoshima(Sakura/Kirishima Onsen)*
2 April- Miyazaki (Yabusame Matsuri/Sakura)
3 April- Beppu (Sand bath/Hotsprings/Sakura)

CHUGOKU

4 April - Hiroshima (Look around)*
5 April - Miyajima (Hiking/scenery)*
6 April - Okayama - Hiroshima - Himeji (Sakura Viewing)
7 April - Okayama - Hiroshima - Himeji (Sakura Viewing)
8 April - Osaka -Kyoto (Hiking/Sakura)*
9 April - Osaka -Kyoto (Hiking/KinosakiOnsen)
10 April - Osaka -Kyoto (Hiking/Sakura)*
11 April - Osaka -Kyoto (Hiking/Sakura)*

CHUBU

12 April - Kanazawa(Visiting friend/Scenery)*
13 April - Kanazawa (Asanogawa Enyuka)*
14 April - Takayama (Takayama Matsuri)*
15 April - Takayama (Takayama Matsuri)*
16 April - Nikko (Yayoi Matsuri)*
17 April - Nikko (Yayoi Matsuri) *

TOKYO-KYOTO

18 April - Tokyo - Kyoto (Sakura Viewing)
19 April - Tokyo (Skydiving?)
20 April - Tokyo (Akihabara)
21 April - Tokyo (Shibuya/Harajuku)

TOHOKU (4day flexible pass)

22 April - Akita (Nyuto Onsen)*
23 April - Akita (Nyuto Onsen)*
24 April - Yamagata (Ginzan Onsen)
25 April - Aomori (Sukayu/TsutaOnsen/Sakura)
26 April - Aomori (Hirosaki Sakura/Owani Onsen)
27 April - Aomori (Furofushi Onsen)
28 April - Tokyo (just travelling back)
29th April - Back home


TRAVELLING EXPENSES
25 to 29 March - Kansai Pass
30 March to 19 april - 21day nation wide pass
22 april JR EAST flexible (1/4)
24 april JR EAST Flexible (2/4)
25 April JR EAST flexible (3/4)
28 April JR EAST flexible (4/4)

Any comments?
Thank you for viewing!

Looks like a nice trip! A few things I saw,

26 March - Kusatsu, Gunma (Hot spring)*

Be prepared for weather here; I went to Kusatsu in early April and it snowed. So just be warned that there may be road closures and cold weather at this time and prepare for that!

18 April - Tokyo - Kyoto (Sakura Viewing)

You've already gone to Kyoto before on this trip, are you really going to go there for only one day? There doesn't seem to be much point, and it is a long trip there and back.

For your Tokyo trip, moreover, you probably aren't bothering to list everything you are doing, but even if you look everywhere in Akiba/Harajuku/etc, you will still have a lot of time to see other places.

And finally, the sakura are always a little unpredictable year-to-year, so if you are going to all these places just to see sakura, it might be best to try to be as flexible as possible with your hotel bookings so you can change the order/where you are going as necessary. You can check the average blooming dates here: http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2011_when.html, but of course these are only averages and the actual dates differ year to year.

Much much too fast, always on the go. I would cut the number of places by half and enjoy what you will see.

thank you for all your feedbacks. Sorry i cant cut my places anymore because MOST of my accomodations are booked.

My main objective of this trip is also to visit matsuris, sakura around japan and onsen.

25 to 29 March - Kansai Pass

Probably not much use to you considering you aren't in Kansai.

Do you mean JR Kanto Area Pass? Nagano/Yudanaka is not covered.
JR East Pass? May not pay off.

Everything else looks relatively ok but is obviously a very fast pace. I assume you rent a car in Kumamoto? Otherwise that day looks very busy. If you haven't already I'd start detailing each day including which trains you use as transport may eat into a fair amount of your sightseeing time in some places.

If you want to cover the first few days you may be better off starting the 21 day JR Pass on 26 March and then it will expire in the evening of 15 March. You could either leave Takayama in the evening of the 15th and get to Tokyo (or maybe Nikko).

Alternatively, just pay for the bus from Takayama to Tokyo on the 16th and then get one of the Tobu Nikko passes to get to Nikko
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2358_002.html

If you move Kinosaki Onsen to April 6 or 7 then a 14-day JR pass activated on 26 March will probably be cheaper, assuming you use the buses from Kanazawa - Shirakawago - Takayama. If you haven't got that in your plans I'd recommend seeing Shirakawago anyway. You can spend 2-4 hours there on your way to Takayama.

Enjoy your trip!

If you want to cover the first few days you may be better off starting the 21 day JR Pass on 26 March and then it will expire in the evening of 15 March. You could either leave Takayama in the evening of the 15th and get to Tokyo (or maybe Nikko).

You could also just pay to get to Kusatsu, which can be relatively cheap, and set your activation date as 27 March which will cover you to Nikko on 16 April.

Kusatsu access
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e7403.html

6 April - Okayama - Hiroshima - Himeji (Sakura Viewing)
7 April - Okayama - Hiroshima - Himeji (Sakura Viewing)

Himeji Castle is covered under scaffolding, so you won't be able to see get nice views of the castle with blossoms. It sounds like it would be a very disappointing cherry blossom experience.

If your purpose is for cherry blossoms, I would highly recommend skipping Himeji in favor of Tsuyama, which has more than 5000 cherry blossoms. It's said to be the best place in the Chugoku region for the blossoms.

Here are a few sites showing Tsuyama's blossoms:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xNqICMG7PIY
http://www.tsuyama-kanko.jp/english/sp_data/tu.html
http://www.virtualtourist.com/travel/Asia/Japan/Okayama_ken/Tsuyama-96...

@GC3 wow, you're amazing. Thank you for really examining my schedule in detail and giving me such informative feedback.

I didn't know anything about buses and primarily used hyperdia for instructions. Here are some questions.

If you want to cover the first few days you may be better off starting the 21 day JR Pass on 26 March and then it will expire in the evening of 15 March. You could either leave Takayama in the evening of the 15th and get to Tokyo (or maybe Nikko).

- My main odjective to start 21day on 30th march is because i want to go to-and-fro tokyo-kyoto to mainly enjoy hanami just before the pass ends.
[i know i'm not a fortune teller, but i'm expecting that 18th april will be full bloom]

Alternatively, just pay for the bus from Takayama to Tokyo on the 16th and then get one of the Tobu Nikko passes to get to Nikko

Q1) how long the bus from takayama to tokyo? How much is it? Where is the bus located at?

Q2) How long the bus take from Tokyo to Nikko?

If you move Kinosaki Onsen to April 6 or 7 then a 14-day JR pass activated on 26 March will probably be cheaper, assuming you use the buses from Kanazawa - Shirakawago - Takayama. If you haven't got that in your plans I'd recommend seeing Shirakawago anyway. You can spend 2-4 hours there on your way to Takayama.

Omg this is amazing. Can you please tell me this more detail?

3) You mean, there's a bus from Osaka to Kanazawa right? How much is it, how long it take, what is it called?

4) Kanazawa - Takayama by bus, how long? how much?

5) Takayama - Shirakawago by bus, How long? How much?

You could also just pay to get to Kusatsu, which can be relatively cheap, and set your activation date as 27 March which will cover you to Nikko on 16 April.

Q6) The useful link was saying, cheaper alternative is the "Spa resort liner", 2,500yen for 1-way trip... But how long does it take?? Since its 1 trip/day, what time is it?

Thank you very much for answering! Appreciate your kind help!

@Rabbityama

Wow! Thank you for that information! You sure its during my visit in april Himeji's having construction?

Anyway, thank you for that amazing alternative! I thought of staying overnight at Okayama anyway. (:

@GC3 wow, you're amazing. Thank you for really examining my schedule in detail and giving me such informative feedback.

No worries!

- My main odjective to start 21day on 30th march is because i want to go to-and-fro tokyo-kyoto to mainly enjoy hanami just before the pass ends.

Ok, but you will need to work out an option to cover you for the first few days.

Alternatively, it will may make more sense to go Takayama - Kyoto on the 16th and then take the last Hikari Shinkansen to Tokyo on the night of the 16th.

i know i'm not a fortune teller, but i'm expecting that 18th april will be full bloom

Why are you expecting that? In an average year full bloom is April 7 in Kyoto. Usually they only last a week or so after that so they may be on the ground by the 18th.
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2011_when.html

There may still be some late blooming varieties around of course
http://www.japan-guide.com/blog/sakura12/120417_kyoto.html
http://www.japan-guide.com/blog/sakura11/110416_kyoto.html

Q1) how long the bus from takayama to tokyo? How much is it? Where is the bus located at?

http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e5908.html

Q2) How long the bus take from Tokyo to Nikko?

I'm not suggesting the bus, I'm suggesting the Tobu Trains:-
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2358_002.html

3) You mean, there's a bus from Osaka to Kanazawa right? How much is it, how long it take, what is it called?

There is but I'd just take the train.
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e4208.html?aFROM=2158_2167

4) Kanazawa - Takayama by bus, how long? how much?

I would suggest Kanazawa - Shirakawago as it is between the two
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e4208.html?aFROM=2167_5950
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e5950.html
http://www.japan-guide.com/bus/shirakawago.html

5) Takayama - Shirakawago by bus, How long? How much?

http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e5953.html

Q6) The useful link was saying, cheaper alternative is the "Spa resort liner", 2,500yen for 1-way trip... But how long does it take?? Since its 1 trip/day, what time is it?

http://www.spaliner.net/contents/tsksrl/index.html

10am from Shinjuku West area (map on webpage)
3.5 hours long.

Thank you very much for answering! Appreciate your kind help!

No problems.

Note that almost all cities on Japan-guide have a useful access page which is worth reading, along with the actual page showing the popular attractions.

You sure its during my visit in april Himeji's having construction?

Yes:-
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3501.html