Third time in Japan - recommendations

Hi,

I have been to Tokyo, Kyoto, noboribetsu, Miyajima, Hiroshima, Osaka, Nara, Kanazawa and Takayama in my last two trips to Japan. The places that stood out to me were Takayama and Miyajima, partly for the scenery and partly because the pace of life there was slower so I felt I could take my time and enjoy the town and nature.

I�fm next trip is in March/April 2019 and I have shortlisted these areas, but am hoping someone can help with highlighting which 4 or 5 areas would be best to visit, considering I will only be in Japan for 13 days and it will also be cherry blossom season?

Ehime
Takamatsu
Kurashiki
Ise
Kinosaki onsen
Lake Biwa
Matsumoto
Kamikochi

Hi!

I really liked Matsumoto and Takamatsu. I've been to Takamatsu twice and it's a small bustling city, I think it's more like Kanazawa than Takayama/Miyajima but it has less English and fewer foreigners in my opinion. It also makes a good point for exploring elsewhere on Shikoku. The garden is really superb. I think my daughter enjoyed it more than Kenrokuen. I caught the start of sakura in Takamatsu in '09 and it was really lovely.

Matsumoto has much cuter shopping streets than Takamatsu and has more of that old city feel like Takayama but does have more people, but I also think it has a lot to offer. We really enjoyed the small municipal art museum and had fun drinking from various fountains while walking around the city. I'm sure though it would be crowded Matsumoto Castle with sakura around it would look splendid.

I went to Ise so long ago, I'm sure it has changed a lot since then. It was enjoyable.

Kamikochi doesn't usually open until the middle of April, so I think it should be crossed off your list since you might not be in Japan when it is an option. This year it didn't open until the 17th of April.

Ehime - Ehime is a big prefecture, I assume you meant Matsuyama which is the capital of Ehime. I visited Matsuyama for the castle and Dogo Onsen. I enjoyed Dogo Onsen a lot, but not so much the castle (I have seen more grand castles elsewhere).

Takamatsu, Kagawa Prefecture - If you love udon noodles, Kagawa is a must visit. Kagawa is affectionately known as the Udon Prefecture. I also visited some temples/shrines near Zentsuji and Konpira Shrine, but udon is what I remember the most. Try cold udon, I liked it better than hot.

Shikoku in general - Shikoku island (where Ehime and Kagawa are) is pretty big and there is no Shinkansen running. So travel by train takes a long time. I don't know how you were planning to travel, but keep that in mind. I bought a 5-day JR Shikoku Pass to explore Shikoku. Eventhough I managed to see all 4 prefectures, I feel I spent most of my time riding trains.

Kurashiki - Kurashiki is one of my favorite places I visited. I visited many preserved historical villages in Japan, and I think Kurashiki was the largest. The style of architecture is different from most others. It feels like you are in the movie set of a samurai film.

Ise - Ise shrines and nearby Mikimoto pearl culture center are definitely worth a visit. Ise shrines are like the mecca for Japanese people - everybody has to visit there at least once. So it gets pretty crowded. I also explored the north side of the town, where you won't find tourists, and found a charming local cafe where I spent more than an hour. Check it out if you have time: https://www.yelp.com/biz/%E6%B2%B3%E5%B4%8E%E8%94%B5-%E4%BC%8A%E5%8B%A...

Lake Biwa - I visited Biwako in spring of 2017, and it was definitely off-season at the lake. Like beaches, Japanese people don't visit lakes until the summer, I guess. But I found lots of temples/shrines near Otsu, along the south shore of the lake, that were equally grand as some you find in Kyoto, but without the crowd of Kyoto. I did not like the "dead" atmosphere of the lake resorts, but I enjoyed serenity with less people (or none) in temples/shrines.

Hi, your tastes seem similar to ours although I would put Nara pretty much to the top of any list. we've been to a few of the places on your list, comments as follows:
Kinosaki onsen : pretty town a little similar to Takayama, not much to do really - overnight only. If you are staying in a ryokan (we stayed at Nishimuraya Honkan) the water isnt proper onsen water as you are meant to get into the public baths to enjoy that. So if you arent up for that, no point going. Mainly japanese tourists there having fun.
Lake Biwa - Hikone is a lovely little town, worth a stay, with my favorite castle for the views and grounds. Mainly Japanese tourists which is a bonus.
Matsumoto - small city, not particularly attractive but compact enough with some great restaurants and a very nice castle with good artifacts. I've been a few times (maybe 5 nights total) as it is a handy place for stopovers. I wouldnt recommend more than a day or so, there isnt much to do. But some people passionately love it.
Kamikochi - it hasnt got much historical going for it but it is very pretty with some nice walks, quite peaceful between about 6AM and 10AM when it gets overrun by noisy people on the buses, then quietens down again around 4.30PM. We stay at the Onsen Hoten which is just awesome with brilliant natural themed food and a great rotenburo. Sometimes you see the monkeys in the trees from it.

We are over in October, and our trip is Tokyo (overnight) - Lake Kawaguchiko (2n) - Matsumoto (1n) - Kamikouchi (2n) - Takayama (2n) - Hikone (1n) - Nara (3n), which I think should be pretty ideal for us.

Thanks everyone for your suggestions!

@rkold: The garden is the main reason why I was included Takamatsu - it looks gorgeous! Also, thanks for pointing out opening times for Kamikochi. I think you�fre right, it�fs not open so that�fs one thing off my list! =)

@mikan: Yes, apologies I did mean Matsuyama and Dogo Onsen in particular. I�fll only be visiting Matsuyama and Takamatsu (in Shikoku) so hopefully I won�ft be on a train for too long! Kurashiki does sound interesting, and it�fs so close to Shikoku. Definitely worth a trip then! Ise and Lake Biwa sounds good too... now I just need to figure out transportation haha!

@Lazy Pious: I think I prefer enjoying the onsen in the ryokan, so it looks like I won�ft be visiting Kinosaki Onsen either! I will probably stop by Hikone as well for a night or two. I�fm still undecided about Matsumoto though. Also, Lake Kawaguchiko looks beautiful! It�fs great that kamikochi is open to visitors during your trip- I really enjoyed how peaceful Miyajima was at night, so I�fm sure Kamikochi will be nice too! Enjoy your trip in October! =D

Cheers, if you get to Kamikouchi and stay overnight the monkeys are out in the morning and some get on the balconys of the Onsen Hotel sometimes, apparently. Really I didnt think much of them from seeing them in zoos but in the wild they are a real hoot to watch in their social groups and we really didnt tire of it. But the place is full of monkey crap, if you step in some as my wife did you'll never eat pesto again!

Hi!

If you can fly into KIX/Itami and use that as your arrival departure airport, it might be easier to do the 13 days. You could so something like:

Lake Biwa (I've never stayed over night but I went to Hikone too. But I went a really long time ago as well and in January so I am sure in better weather it is very different. I did still enjoy it though.)

Then go to Takamatsu, then Matsuyama and then end in Kurashiki before taking the train back to Osaka to fly out. You might even be able to get Ise into the mix as well.

I traveled to a lot of places in Japan pre-2011 and have been going back through Japan again since 2016. A lot has changed (like Takayama) so places I went pre 2011 are harder for me to really say what they are currently like (vs. say Takamatsu which I went to in 2009 and 2 months ago.) We also went to Marugame and made fans. Everyone was super nice in Marugame and Takamatsu but there were not a lot of foreigners in comparison to someplace like Kanazawa or Takayama. If you like gardens, Ritsuin is definitely someplace to consider. If you could hit it during sakura while I am sure it would be crowded it would also be stunning. '09 sakura was early like this year and so I saw the start of it. I think Ritsuin would also be lovely during ume season since there seemed to be a lot of ume that were dropping while we were there.

I've not done it, but you could actually look at taking the Kintetsu line from Osaka to Ise or see if there are any good buses.

I like Matsumoto a lot, but it's not all that close to your other destinations. It goes best with a trip to places like the Kiso Valley, Kamikochi, Nagano, Takayama, and Kanazawa since they're all a lot closer to it.

We went to Kamikochi in June. It was very quiet outside of the wind. It also poured both days we were there and I was afraid the river was going to jump its banks. It was quite high when we left and an angry brown color. We saw no monkeys or monkey poop just puddles that were several inches deep.

Aside from the closed Kamikochi, they're all good destinations.

In terms of cherry blossoms:
Ehime: Matsuyama Castle has nice cherry blossoms. The prefecture of course has more options. Uwajima Castle has a modest number of cherry blossoms.

Takamatsu: In Ritsurin Garden there is one tree by the garden's iconic bridge and then a larger grove in a separate area. It's a beautiful garden in any season, though.

Kurashiki: This one is not really a cherry blossom spot. If you take a short train ride to Okayama, Korakuen Garden and Okayama Castle have cherry blossoms. If you have a little time, going north to Tsuyama to visit Tsuyama Castle is well worth it. It's one of my personal favorite cherry blossom spots in the nation. If the blossoms are in full bloom, it's just great!

Ise: Also not really a cherry blossom destination, but Ise Shrine is worth visiting.

Lake Biwa: The lake touches most of the cities in Shiga Prefecture, so there are lots of places from which you could be by the lake. Are you going to Otsu? There are some nice cherry blossom spots there at Ishiyama Temple and Miidera. If you want to enjoy the lake by boat, going to Chikubu Island is worthwhile. Hikone on the other side is great and has nice cherry blossoms.

Matsumoto Castle has some cherry blossoms that are good for pictures, although I don't think it's a major cherry blossom site.

@Lazy Pious: haha thanks for the warning! I�fll bear that in mind if I manage to go in the future! =)

@rkold: unfortunately I�fve already booked my flights, and will be flying to Tokyo. I think I�fll fly to Matsuyama to save time, and then take public transport from there. Have you been to Otsu? Lake Biwa is so big that it�fs difficult to decide which town to stay in! And Ritsurin gardens is definitely in my plans. =D

Yes, I think I will have to skip Matsumoto this time. It�fs a shame because it looks like a popular spot for cherry blossom viewing!

@rabbityama: thanks for your suggestions! I�fll be staying in Kurashiki for two nights, so I will probably visit the gardens in Okayama since it�fs nearby. I�fll try to check out Tsuyama Castle too. =)

As for Lake Biwa, I still haven�ft decided haha! I would like to stay in a ryokan with a nice view of the lake, so I�fm leaning towards Otsu. Hikone looks lovely as well though, so it�fs a toss up between the two towns!

Hi, I spent about 4 days in Otsu at the Prince Hotel (very nice). As a town, Hikone is much prettier and has the castle, though Otsu has its charms