Want to see as much as we can within 21 days

Before I start , sorry if my question has been ask before .
This is a once in a life holiday for hubby and me aged 50+ so I would love some feed back from experience travellers to Japan . We are planning to travel April 2021 from Sydney Australia to Osaka direct flight , pre purchase a JR passes for 21 days and pay for accommodation in advance . Staying 1st night at Nikko hotel Kansai airport
then to Hiroshima 4 nights Comfort hotel Otemachi, while in Hiroshima , day trips to Miyazaki & Kagoshima
next stop Tokyo 4 nights M-1 Nishikojiya planning on training it North/South /East & West
next stop Nara 3 nights Comfort hotel
next stop Kyoto 4 nights B-Kyoto Shijo planning on training it North/South /East & West
next stop Osaka 4 nights HG cozy no 41
Lots of walking included at each stop .
Last stop . Last night back to Nikko hotel Kansai airport.
Does this sound feasible . Thank you in advance

No. Day trips to Miyazaki and Kagoshima are not feasible. You are underestimating travel time between cities.
Please look at the nationwide itinerary suggestion on this website we are on, and adjust from there.

Nara, Osaka and Kyoto are all located within commuter train distance from each other. Nara is very suitable for day trips, unless you love feeding deers.

I would short down Nara to 1 night, at most! Maybe cut down Osaka too since you will be staying in Kyoto as well.

Put the extra nights in Tokyo, it the city to experience.

The day trips from Hiroshima would be like day trips (from Sydney) for Broken Hill (Miyazaki) and Tamworth (Kagoshima) respectively.

Other parts seem feasible.

I suggest a day trip to the following from Hiroshima instead

(1) Miyajima
(2) Mt Shosha

It�fs a slightly unconventional itinerary for a first visit to Japan, but you didn�ft ask whether it�fs optimal or advisable, you only asked whether it�fs feasible. In theory, yes, but the two day trips to Kyushu will seriously undermine your objective of seeing as much as you can. I would say a day trip to Kagoshima is not totally unreasonable if you have compelling reasons why you want to go there, but the transit will eat up a good three hours of your morning and the same amount of time in the evening, and it�fs not a particularly interesting shinkansen ride (a lot of tunnels). If you have breakfast and dinner on the train and leave early and come back late, you can do a fair amount in Kagoshima, but there are countless of other destinations closer to Hiroshima that would probably be just as interesting for a first-time visitor. As for Miyazaki, I�fd have to say that seems crazy to me as a day trip from Hiroshima, especially if you do end up making a full-day trip to Kagoshima. (I like long day trips myself, but not every day. Bear in mind that the day you transit from Hiroshima to Tokyo you will be spending many hours on trains, and you also have to deal with a hotel change.)

The rest of your itinerary seems �gfeasible.�h It�fs not what most Japan travel experts would recommend for first-time visitors, but it�fs not that far off. If you have come up with it after doing extensive research and it supports specific things that you really want to do, then why not?

As a fellow Australian, let me say Japan is way bigger than you think.

If you want to go to Tokyo, I'd suggest you head there first then go as far south as you want to, and make your way north, back to Kansai Airport to fly home.

Kagoshima is a pretty city but that's a really far way to go. The volcano is impressive, but you're going past some amazing stuff (including many volcanoes) to get there. I haven't been to Miyazaki prefecture, but it is pretty isolated and probably best saved for a driving holiday.

You don't really need to swap hotels between Kyoto and Osaka. If you're having a few days in Tokyo I wouldn't worry too much about Osaka, which is another big city. Nara is something special, but unless you are really interested in temples or tea you might find three nights a bit long.

This is a nice basic two week itinerary, https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2400_best.html
which you could round out a little if you wanted to, depending on what you're interested in.

It's also worth having a look at Hyperdia, which will tell you just how long the trips you plan will take, including transfers:
http://www.hyperdia.com/
If you deselect 'Nozomi/Mizuho etc' and 'private railways' under 'more options' you will see how long your planned travels will take using a JR pass.

Whatever you do, have a wonderful time in Japan!

Thank you everyone . After going over my itinerary again decided to cut down nights in Nara and Osaka and spend 3 nights in Fukushima and re shuffle my routes a little only because we love train trips . Many thanks and happy travels <3

Fukushima? I really hope you meant to say Hiroshima or even Fukuyama. Fukushima is about 1.5 hrs north of Tokyo.

If you love train trips, then go for it. Just be aware that many people (including a lot of Japan travel experts) don�ft really get the concept of recreational train riding, and will attempt to talk you out of day plans that involve a substantial amount of time on trains. Your Kagoshima idea, for example, sounds like something I might conceivably do myself (I�fve had fantastic day trips that involved even more total time on trains), but some people simply cannot understand why anyone would want to do such a thing. The standard approach is to minimize time on trains and maximize time spent sightseeing. But that isn�ft the way I like to do it myself.

As for Kagoshima, if you are interested in Sakurajima, just be aware that on any given day you might not be able to see it very well at all. It is really a gorgeous sight, but the conditions have to be right. Kagoshima is one of my favorite cities in Japan, although I�fm not sure you can get the full flavor in a day trip. But you can get a taste, I guess. I recommend Senganen for local history and flora, and suggest eating local specialty cuisine for lunch, maybe.

If train riding is high on your list of things to do, then consider some of the limited express trains that have really good scenery. For shinkansen trips, I find the Tohoku shinkansen to be the most scenic and enjoyable. And if your budget allows for it, get a green (first class) pass. (If you�fre on a tight budget, then a regular pass will do, but the green cars do tend to be a little more pleasant.)

Your are staying a considerable time in the Kansai area (Kyoto, Osaka, Nara). Which is totally fine, but have a look at the regional train passes. Maybe it is cheaper to have a 2 week JRP and a separate pass (or just simple tickets) for the Kansai area.

BTW, I could stay an entire week in Nara prefecture (not necessarily in Nara city), so it 3 nights are too long or not in Nara, depends on your interests.

Fukushima seems to be a somewhat odd choice in this itinary. Did you mean Fukuoka in Kyushu? If going up North is what you decide to do, I think Yamagata or Hiraizumi or Aomori are the more logical choices from a sightseeing perspective.

Enjoy planning your trip to Japan!

I just re-read your original post and noticed that you will be visiting in April. It may seem like a silly question - but it's pretty important for those who know the seasons of Japan. Are you visiting in early or late April? The reason I ask is that hanami or cherry blossoms normally occur around early April in the Kansai region. If it's an early season - then going up to the hills will fix your problem

Kansai or the Kinki region has a lot to see but it's also relatively close. In general central Kyoto, Nara or Osaka can often be reached from one another within 40-90 minutes depending on where in the city you are.

What type of stuff do you want to see? The reason I ask is it seems as though you will be visiting large crowds in these locations and moving luggage is a pain on public transport.

A slightly unconvention idea is below:

(1 night) Osaka
(2 nights) Hiroshima (leave early) and half day trip to Miyajima

https://www.japan-guide.com/community/mfedley/report-1416
https://www.japan-guide.com/community/mfedley/report-1418

(2/3 nights) Hagi - a slightly difficult to get to but beautiful traditional town with plenty to do WHICH IS DIFFERENT than most of what you will see.

https://www.japan-guide.com/community/mfedley/report-3291
https://www.japan-guide.com/community/mfedley/report-3292
https://www.japan-guide.com/community/mfedley/report-3293

(6/7 nights) Kyoto OR Osaka Use one city as a base. I would suggest Kyoto personally. 1 or 2 day trips to Nara could be done

POTENTIAL 2 day driving of rural Nara - if your up to it. Beautiful scenery and getting away from the crowds...

https://www.japan-guide.com/community/mfedley/report-3042
https://www.japan-guide.com/community/mfedley/report-3043

Potentially scoot up to central Tohoku (Aizu Wakamatsu is a nice place OR Sendai is a nice hub destination for Matsuhima or Yamadera.

Spend some time in Tokyo and then go back to Osaka

I also made a mistake with suggesting Mt Shosha - that's Himeji not Hiroshima.

Hi!

Assuming you meant Fukushima and not somewhere else....

If you're looking for a hub, I think Sendai makes more sense over Fukushima depending on where you want to go but I can see the sense in Fukushima as well. Fukushima is where the Yamagata line separates from the Akita and the Shin-Hakodate line. It's easy enough to get to Yamagata from Fukushima and while I like Hiraizumi, it wouldn't involve as many day trips. Fukushima does have a famous sakura viewing spot and if you take some buses or rent a car some supposedly fabulous onsen. I've personally spent more time in Koriyama, though I admit, I now prefer a rental car in the area over trains.

If you're a train person and enjoy taking trains just to take trains, I would look into information on some of the Joyful trains. I've not idea how hard it is to get tickets, but they're specifically designed for people who just really enjoy the train trip as much as they enjoy the destination.

Good luck!

Good luck!

If you want to visit Kagoshima, then why not spend a night or two there. Your plan to spend 3/4 nights most places makes some sense, but not when you have such large travelling distances.
Also, if heading north of Tokyo, use Sendai as a base rather than Fukushima (I've had a night in Fukushima a few years back - seemed pretty small.) Sendai as a base for day trips is probably better connected and more to see/do.
For Kansai, given you have Tokyo, Osaka is a double-up. Better places to see and tons of places to visit in and around Kyoto.
There is still a lot of the country you have missed in your three week plan - I didn't spot much/any for the Alps or western coast of the country.

Thank you all again for your input . I am the type of person who drives 5 hours 1 way for a good feed and coffee and or beautiful scenery so sitting for 2-6 hours on a train will be amazing , taking in the scenery & spending a couple of hours walking sightseeing . I have chosen my accommodations ( some hotels - some apartments ) so we can explore further away from each home base . We are interested in Temples / Shrines/ Gardens / Baseball games /Ancient castles / The Hustle & Bustle of the cities / Old towns /Catch sight of the Sakura / Historical sites / History / Old cemeteries / Cable cars / ( Scenic rail rides like) Sagano Scenic Railway - Hanwa Line - Takayama Main Line/ Street cars and of cause ride the Shinkansen . We are packing very light with 1 each carry on luggage and a medium size back pack to check in . Not to interested in shopping and unfortunately I know we are outside Sumo tournament dates :( happy travels

if you're going to do the sagano railway, you might want to check out the hozugawa river ride. From the Kameoka station, you can catch the river ride which will take you to Arashiyama.

Hi!

Personally, I thought the Takayama to Toyama part of the Hida route was more scenic than the Nagoya to Takayama part. Most people do the the Nagoya to Takayama route only. I think it's scenic, but the part to Toyama I thought was a bit more impressive. I also think the train between Akita and Sakata is quite scenic but trying to fit that into your itinerary would be a challenge. I also thought the Kintetsu between Kashihara and Tsu was more interesting than I expected.

Good luck!

From Kyoto a really fun day trip is a loop to Obama (change trains at Tsuruga), with a three or four hour stop for sightseeing and lunch at Obama (take the boat cruise), then continuing on to Maizuru (change trains) and returning to Kyoto. Takes some research to get the timing of the trains right, but the scenery is really good and the Obama port has good lunch options (restaurant or self-catering).

From Osaka or Kyoto a really fun day trip is Takamatsu. Shinkansen to Okayama, then take the Marine Liner to Takamatsu (opt for the green car so you can ride upstairs; I believe this is one of the few trains where you can use the JR pass for the base fare and then just purchase the green supplement, but I�fm not 100% sure). Take a cab to Ritsurin Koen (don�ft bother with the bus) and plan to spend at least two hours there. There are a few other things you can do in Takamatsu but in my mind it�fs worth going there just to see Ritsurin Koen. The train ride across the Seto Ohashi Bridge is really fun. If you ask for Marine Panorama tickets in the very front of the first car it�fs kind of a kick, but don�ft do that both ways. You really want at least one way to be in the upstairs seats of the two-decker (green) car.

From Osaka Koyasan is a fabulous day trip. (Just don�ft listen to the people who insist that you absolutely have to spend the night in a shukubo. They are entitled to their opinion.) It isn�ft covered by the JR pass but is worth every penny of the world heritage ticket. The best cemetery you will ever see, anywhere. Allow at least 90 minutes for Okunoin. You can also do Koyasan from Kyoto (the JR pass is good for the Haruka to Tennoji and a quick hop to Shin-Imamiya to catch the Nankai line, and the limited express is recommended for the Nankai line part), but it�fs a lot faster and easier from Osaka.

The first two trips have a lot of great train riding and a limited amount of excellent sightseeing. The train riding to Koyasan isn�ft terribly compelling except the cable car part (you�fll love it), but the sightseeing is out of this world fabulous.

I might add that both the Obama loop and the Takamatsu trip are reasonable on a rainy day, as long as it isn�ft terribly stormy. The boat cruise in Obama has covered seating and presumably won�ft be hampered by a little rain (rough seas would be a different matter), and Ritsurin Koen is actually better in the rain. (They have nice large loaner umbrellas at the ticket office.) It can sometimes be hard to figure out what to do on a rainy day in Kyoto, but these two trips are excellent options. Sure, you can do standard tourist things there and just use an umbrella, but that gets old pretty fast, especially at a super-crowded time of year. Train riding is weatherproof!