18 Day Itinerary 1st Timer

Hello
Planning first visit to Japan with my 2 daughters 16 & 14.

Looking at travelling between 18th July - 10th August with a stopover in HK on way for 4 nights.
Flying into HND & Out of Osaka (at the moment).
Any comments\major flaws on itinerary, I expect it to change somewhat with the teenagers.
I also have no idea of the time involved to get between places especially in the big cities of Tokyo & Kyoto.
Need some help on JR rail pass & getting around in general on other trains\buses.
Weather that time of year?
Totally out of my depth here so any help appreciated.


23,Tue/Jul/2019 Day 1 tokyo check in/food/sleep/explore
24,Wed/Jul/2019 Day 2 tokyo Hakone Day Trip?
25,Thu/Jul/2019 Day 3 tokyo shopping/fish market
26,Fri/Jul/2019 Day 4 tokyo skytree/gardens/boat trip
27,Sat/Jul/2019 Day 5 tokyo shibuya crossing/gardens/shrine
28,Sun/Jul/2019 Day 6 tokyo pack for next leg
29,Mon/Jul/2019 Day 7 matsumoto check in to roykan/explore
30,Tue/Jul/2019 Day 8 matsumoto crows castle\explore\hot spring
31,Wed/Jul/2019 Day 9 matsumoto Alpine Route
1,Thu/Aug/2019 Day 10 Kanazawa check in to hotel
2,Fri/Aug/2019 Day 11 Kanazawa explore
3,Sat/Aug/2019 Day 12 Kanazawa explore
4,Sun/Aug/2019 Day 13 Kanazawa pack for next leg
5,Mon/Aug/2019 Day 14 Kyoto check in to hotel/food
6,Tue/Aug/2019 Day 15 Kyoto bamboo forest
7,Wed/Aug/2019 Day 16 Kyoto Nara day visit?
8,Thu/Aug/2019 Day 17 Kyoto Kinkakuji
9,Fri/Aug/2019 Day 18 Kyoto inari shrine/Kiyomizudera
10,Sat/Aug/2019 Fly home from Osaka pack for journey home

You're going to need to do more research on your plans. First though, familiarize yourself with Hyperdia to look up rail fares, schedules, transfers, etc.
http://www.hyperdia.com
Unless you add more, you are not going to make a rail pass pay off. Also I think you are thinking of taking the Tateyama Alpine route - that is not from Matsumoto.
https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e7550.html
The Tateyama Kurobe Option Ticket for 9000 yen can be good for that. Your Days 6, 13 & 14 are not well defined - it does not take all day to pack up your things, nor a whole day to check into your hotel. You do spend some good time in Kanazawa. No matter what, you should not miss the Kenrokuen Garden - it is one of the very best in the country.
https://youtu.be/riB-vzWNKLM
You might consider spending a day to see Shirakawago, or going into the Noto Peninsula for some hot springs.
For your time in Kyoto, you do need to flesh things out more. The Bamboo Grove will take you 20-30 minutes or so. But the Arashiyama area has a lot to see and explore.
https://goo.gl/Neiowd

And definitely make time for Nara. It has some of Japan's top sights, especially the Todaiji Temple.
http://bit.ly/1Rhxg0E

You could also take half a day and see Himeji if you like - it has the country's best surviving castle and the Kokoen Garden nearby is excellent. Get the combo ticket and one place is nearly free.
https://goo.gl/65ZtRi
And especially for your daughters, if you still have the energy in the evening, you can also go to Osaka when the city really comes alive. Dotonbori is great and be sure to try the octopus dumplings (takoyaki).
http://goo.gl/XE5R94

Weather will be extremely muggy and humid - prepare to sweat like a pig. Kyoto sits in a basin so it is especially hard - make sure you drink enough water and don't forget the antiperspirant - not to mention enough sunblock.
To get around Kansai as well as to KIX, you might consider getting the Icoca & Haruka discount ticket.
https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2359_icoca_haruka.html
Or if you choose to go to Himeji, as well as KIX, the Kansai Area Pass can be good too.
https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2361_03.html

I agree with Ken, though generally speaking I think your structure of main destinations is pretty good ignoring the weather, maybe a day too long in Kanazawa though.

I dont know what weather you can tolerate. If you are from Singapore, you will probably find Japan that time of year pretty mild. If you are from Australia south of Cairns, prepare to melt. If extreme heat and humidity will be a problem for you, let us know as there would be other places which might be a bit cooler, eg the fabulous "K's" - Kamakura, Karuizawa, Kamikouchi. Hakone should be pretty cool anyway (relatively), Nikko would usually be cool-ish, Takayama can be a bit cooler and is nice in the heat anyway.

Personally I wouldnt go to Kyoto that time of year, the heat is quite filthy and oppressive. Last time I went in late June, my sandles squelched from sweat from my feet!

Agree with PPs that overall your itinerary looks reasonable. On some days (eg kyomizudera, or packing days) you can do more, but keeping flexible is important.

I also very much agree on the weather warning. I am not heat resistant at all and I would not be able in any of those places to go outside for more that 15 min in daytime. If you or your kids are not good with humid heat, you need to change your plan drastically and essentially head for Hokkaido and northern Tohoku. I went to Hokkaido at end July a couple of years ago, and it was summerly warm but not to melting point. In Tokyo I was always happy to be able to go to work and sit in the air conditioned office.

also have no idea of the time involved to get between places especially in the big cities of Tokyo & Kyoto
For me google maps works, BUT add additional time for transfer. At least in Tokyo the transfer from one train to the next unless it is just on the other side of the platform is very short sometimes with Google maps. You can make it if you are standing at the right door and know exactly where to go and donft hit on a queue for the escalator. Most trains within Tokyo pass every few minutes so itfs not a problem. Itfs more of a problem if you want to take a specific one, eg to Kamakura or a direct subway express through service from Tokyo to Yokohama.
As long as you are inside Tokyo I wouldnft worry too much and just add 10-15 min more to the total time google maps tells you.

In Kyoto a lot of transport is by bus. So sometimes you need to search for the bus stop. I donft know about Kyoto but google maps in Tokyo shows bus stop (and routes) only very approximative. I remember once spending at least 10 min searching for the bus stop itself. It might be easier in Kyoto as busses are much more widely used, so there is often more infrastructure (and waiting passengers) at the stops.

Btw, you donft seem to have any teenager specific destination in your itinerary. Eg amusement parks. I am not a fan of those but maybe there is something your kids are interested in beyond temples , onsen, cities and nature.

Enjoy your trip to Japan!