15 nights in January: Fukuoka to Tokyo

Hi Everyone,

Thank you so much for taking a look at this post. My wife and are in the mist of planning our trip to Japan. We already booked our flights ($461 r/t from NYC to Japan, wow!). This is our second trip, our first trip was the first trip we took as a couple and fell in love with Japan. Now our second time, 6 years later, we want a mix of what made us fall in love with the people and country, as well as some new things. Last time, we spent time in Osaka / Kyoto / Kinosaki / Tokyo and Yudanaka.

Our favorite things to do are:
1. Eat delicious things (and drinks / nightlife as well)
2. Go to Onsen (though we've acquired a few tattoo's since last trip...)
3. Explore the cities and towns on foot, light shopping
4. See beautiful nature

Right now we are planning to visit Fukuoka (fly into here), Kyoto / Osaka area and Tokyo (fly out of here), but the rest of the trip is a bit overwhelming since there's so many amazing things to see. We plan on getting the JR pass for 14 days.

I've tried to narrow it down based on our interests to the following other places (not to go to all, but as a starting point). Travel convenience is definitely a consideration (we'd prefer no full travel days, a few hours is okay, 1 hour is even better), but if something is truly worth seeing, we're okay with a bit of a hike.:
*Kurokawa Onsen OR Yufuin Onsen
*Hiroshima AND Miyajima (though honestly, I'm much more excited about Miyajima than Hiroshima)
*Mount Koya (seems amazing, though a bit of a pain to get to with the train issues)
*Nara
*Takayama
*Kanazawa (recently saw the Anthony Bourdain where he goes here and it looks beautiful with good food, but he can do that with just about any place he travels)
*Nyuto Onsen OR Kusatsu Onsen OR Hakone

So first off, anything we're missing here that we should absolutely see? Anything that's close by to one of the cities that has good Onsen worth visiting (instead of having to travel 2+ hours away)? Anything in our list that are must sees and should definitely be on our itinerary? Extra bonus points for anything especially beautiful in the winter, such as snow covered mountains, snowy onsen, etc.

Any help would be a great help. We don't want to be on the road so much just ticking off boxes, rather see a bit less and really get to experience it.

Thank you,
Mike

If you decide to go to Nyuto Onsen, don't miss the Akita Nairiku train line nearby.

Hi Mike,

I'm in the NY Metro area as well. :) Great job on the airfare, I've not seen prices that low out of NYC in years!

Unless you want to rent a car, it's probably easier to reach Yufuin from Fukuoka than Kurokawa. (We're planning to rent a car so we can do both, but we're also traveling in June.) Kurokawa is 2.5 hours by bus from Fukuoka and there are only 2 round trips a day. Yufuin in 2 hours by bus and there are buses once an hour. You can't access Kurokawa by train and you can't get all that close either as the train line from Kumamoto to Aso was damaged in the 2016 quake according to Japan-Guide. The direct train from Yufuin to Fukuoka is not running because of damage to the tracks from heavy rain in 2017. There is a train from Kokura via Oita, but it'll probably take longer than the 2 hours by bus... it's just free with a rail pass vs. a bus.

I would look for someplace in Yufuin with a private bath.

It's about 1 hour or more by bus from Takayama, but Hirayu/Shin Hirayu/Okuhida onsen area is really lovely. I've only been to Hirayu as a day tripper but I really enjoyed it. Though outside of the Associa, I'm not really sure I would consider Takayama an onsen place. Again, you'll need to check which onsen allow tattoos. Takayama is just sort of far from everywhere. If you plan to take the Hida train between Toyama and Takayama plan very very carefully, I think there are only 4 a day (and 4 locals) and there are much more plentiful Hida trains between Takayama and Nagoya. Toyama Station is very clean but rather boring and the area near the station wasn't so interesting either.

Good luck!

It looks like hot springs are a high priority for you, so there really are tons of places across the country. The closest place to Fukuoka is in Futsukaichi, which is just 15 minutes by train from Tenjin Station, and has a history going back 1300 years. It's a far cry from Kurokawa or Yufuin, but a nice place to spend an afternoon if you want more. It's also very close to Dazaifu, which many visit for its Tenmangu shrine and Asia museum.
There's even a few in the city, or Seiryu Onsen is Nakagawa, a neighboring town.
http://www.nakagawaseiryu.jp/
Given a choice, I think I'd pick Kurokawa over Yufuin, for its better forest ambiance and outdoor baths. If you go to Yufuin, you could go to Beppu as well though, and there is more to see there besides the hot springs, like Hells Tour, and nearby Takasakiyama monkey park/aquarium.
http://bit.ly/2pZ9opz
You also might consider the Unzen hot springs in Nagasaki as well. Plus Nagasaki City is really the most interesting city on the island, and since you are flying all the way into Kyushu, it's worth considering going there. Fukuoka has its sights as well, especially the Nanzoin temple which is one of Japan's best yet mostly unknown to the outside world.
http://www.thejapanfaq.com/fukpic.html
http://bit.ly/1KAm8cU
The highlights of Miyajima and Hiroshima can be done in a day. You might like an overnight at Miyajima - once all the day trippers leave, the whole area becomes very quiet and tranquil. Also be sure to go to Itsukushima Shrine both at high and low tides. The shrine is best worth visiting at high tide, and at low tide you can walk out on the beach right up to the giant torii gate.
http://www.tides4fishing.com/jp/hiroshima/itsukushima
If you do, you also might have time to see Iwakuni just before Miyajima. It is quite delightful.
For Koyasan though, expect a lot colder weather (snow) and the JR Pass won't help you - get the Koyasan World Heritage Ticket.
https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2358_012.html
If you go to Takayama, it might make more sense to see Kanazawa first. You can also see Shirakawago along the way, although you need to pay for the bus.

Hi. If I was going to do that trip I would:
1.

Kurokawa Onsen OR Yufuin Onsen
I have only been to Kurokawa onsen, but it was definitely one of the best onsen experiences I ever had in Japan. If you go, you should stay a night in a Ryokan have dinner there and then get a day pass to visit 3 onsen. Yes, Kurokawa onsen is more difficult to reach, but I guess if you are staying overnight, it doesn�ft matter that much. If you can rent a car, that might be slightly better as you could go to the Aso caldera as well.
In Kurokawa onsen the best place for soaking was Yamamizuki. For staying I would however choose one in town.
However your tattoos might be a problem in all onsen locations. If you can cover them up that would be ideal.

Also in Fukuoka, I would go to Dazaifu and see the zen garden in the temple just outside of the famous shrine.
*Hiroshima AND Miyajima (though honestly, I'm much more excited about Miyajima than Hiroshima)
*Mount Koya (seems amazing, though a bit of a pain to get to with the train issues)
*Nara
The above are all very good choices.
*Takayama
I personally did not like Takayama, BUT I liked Shirakawa, specially Ainokura, which however might be hard to reach buy public transportation.
If you want to see a typical old Japanese town, I would try Kurashiki (by Okayama) or Imaicho in Nara prefecture.
Instead of Koyasan (which is nice, but hard to reach), you might look into Naoshima or Teshima. Nice art, nice islands.

As a previous poster said, there is a great onsen resort very close to Takayama, about 1 h. I went to Hirayu onsen to Hirayu no mori, which I enjoyed a lot. I am a great fan of rotenburo. Again tattoos can be a problem.
*Kanazawa (recently saw the Anthony Bourdain where he goes here and it looks beautiful with good food, but he can do that with just about any place he travels)
Good destination.
*Nyuto Onsen OR Kusatsu Onsen OR Hakone I only know Nyuto onsen and Hakone. They aren�ft really comparable. I liked Nyuto onsen, but it is quite far from all the other places you lies. If you go you might want to stop in Yamagata for Yamadera temple and/or in Kakunodate.

Enjoy your trip to Japan!

If you deem access to Koyasan difficult. I wouldn't attempt Kurokawa then.

You should add Shirakawa-go in your trip. It offers great snow views and is accessible by bus from Takayama

Personally, I went to Kakunodate in the snow (March) on my very first trip, and it was just not that interesting. Despite the crowds, I really think it is nicer during sakura season.

I liked Zao onsen, though the big rotemboro is closed in the Winter and I don't know if any of the onsen there allow people with tattoos. According to Japan Guide, in the Winter there are direct buses from Sendai that aren't even too pricey because it's a huge ski destination. Sendai might be an interesting destination and you could visit Matsushima as well.

While I've not been yet, I admit going by pictures Kurokawa does look more stunning, but I am also not sure OP wants to travel so far out of his way to go there unless he is renting a car. For Yufuin, he could take he train first to Beppu, visit Beppu and then go to Yufuin by train and so use his pass for he entire time.

I like Takayama as a base for seeing the Hida area and I did enjoy the Hida no Sato village. Maybe it was the time of year, but it actually felt less touristy than when I visited Shirakawa Go in '10. I'm not sure I would go back to Takayama a 3rd time though because it's just far from things. I agree with a previously poster, I would either go Kyoto to Kanazawa to Shirakawa Go to Takayama to Nagoya or do that path in reverse, unless they add more trains just avoid the route via Toyama. You will get scenic vistas of snowy mountains.