Looking for Advice 13D12N Late April

Hello everyone,

I am planning for a trip to Japan this late April for around 12N with my wife. This is our first honeymoon after a year of marriage, and this is my wifefs first trip to Japan, though I have been there for 3 times.

My wife has never been to either Osaka / Kyoto / Tokyo, and shefd like an introductory trip there to see the common sights. As for me, the purpose of this trip is hanami once more. And to do that, Ifd like to visit a spot I hadnft been able to visit on my last hanami trip, and thatfd be hirosaki castle on the tohoku region.

My wife has expressed interest in animals, hence her request to adjust our trip to include Nara, although I was against landing in Kansai previously. Therefore, we agreed on beginning our trip at Osaka, then to Tohoku region, before leaving via Tokyo Narita.

My train calculations following this itinerary is around 60,000 yen / person, so I am planning to get the 14 day JR Pass.

Ifd like your opinions, suggestion, and advice on my planned itinerary. Any constructive input are warmly welcomed.



19th April DAY 1 – OSAKA : ARRIVE KANSAI INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT 0930 PM

Apply for ICOCA, activate JR Passes.
Check in at hotel
20th April Day 2 – OSAKA

Osaka Bay
Shinsaibashi – Dotonbori approaching sunset.
Tsutenkaku
Maybe find a mameshiba café for wife.
21st April Day 3 – Nara & Kyoto : Take the Bullet train for 15 minute transfer

Nara – Visit the Park Area, and maybe Todaiji.
Kyoto – Visit kiyomizu around late noon, stroll around ninnenzaka and sannenzaka
Dinner in Kyoto, around nishiki market perhaps? Was looking for local restaurants
22nd April Day 4 - ????

23rd April Day 5 Morioka

Depart Osaka / Kyoto / Place of residence
Take 5 – 6 hrs train to Morioka
Settle in, if there are still some time before sunset around 6.20 PM, visit Takamatsu Pond.
24th April Day 6 – Morioka

Morioka – Kakunodate : 1 hr ( 44 – 53 mins)

Day trip to Kakunodate to visit Samurai District for Sakura
Explore Hinokinai River as well
If possible visit the vantage point located in the castle ruins for full view of Kakunodate and Hinokinai river.
If we manage to clear everything and arrive at 1458 / 1512, maybe we can visit lake tazawa? Train is only 14 – 26 mins. Want to visit Goshinari shrine, to visit the torii by the lake, and maybe see sunset. Unable to find bus schedule though for semboku area though. Seems there are trains running from Tazawa to Morioka until 1900+
25th April Day 7 – Morioka – Hirosaki

Check out in the morning
Check out Kaiunbashi bridge, explore Morioka city
See the rock splitting cherry
Optional : Visit kitami tenshouchi park, is only 30 – 40 mins from Morioka, before returning to Morioka and leaving for Hirosaki. ( 1 hr 37 mins)
26th April Day 8 - Hirosaki

In the morning before the castle, visit Iwaki 100 cherry tree street, by using Konan Bus and stopping at Komoriyama-iriguchi bus stop ( 40 mins ), and walk to Hirosakifs synthesis park. Get the 500 coin bus pass, ask if its viable for the route.
On the way back, visit Iwaki Jinja, and then back to hirosaki city
Check out the castle immediately if weather is good, or kill time at Tsugaru Han Neputa Village.
Aim for a sunset photo op at Hirosaki
27th April Day 9 – Hirosaki – Tokyo

Check out Hirosakifs old buildings, the library and the old church
Depart for Tokyo ( 4 hrs +) by noon.
Check in at hotel, maybe do a night tour on whatever is nearby
28th April Day 10 – Tokyo

Asakusa Jinja – Sumida River

29th April Day 11 Tokyo

Visit Hitsujiyama park in Chichibu for Shibazakura
Evening check whateverfs interesting. Might visit Ashikaga Park for Wisteria since wife has never seen wisteria. Aim for evening wisteria, since the ticket is cheaper.
30th April Day 12 Tokyo

In the morning might visit hitachi park for nemophilias. Or let the wife decide, might take her to hamarikyu gardens. Canft be bothered to visit Tsukiji in the morning.
Evening shopping.
1st May Day 13 – Tokyo – Flight Out Narita

Do short city tour before leaving, leave for Narita from Tokyo station, using the Narita Ltd Express at 1832, paid by our JR Pass.



My train calculations following this itinerary is around 60.000 yen / person, so I am planning to get the 14 day JR Pass.

My questions are as following:

I am still a bit confused on what to do on day 22nd. Ifd like to use that day to go to another city, preferably somewhere closer to Tokyo to shorten the distance of the trip to Morioka. But then again the missus hasnft seen Osaka or Kyoto region that much. Should I just add another day in Osaka, or chase after the Sakura in tohoku region as soon as I can? Or should I go to Chichibu to look at Shibazakura immediately?

Do we still need to reserve luggage spaces in bullet trains? Or are we allowed to bring luggage without reserving in non reserved seats?

Do I need to stay in Morioka if I am visiting Kakunodate? Initially I thought of lodging in Sendai, but Morioka is closer to both Kakunodate, and Kitakami Tenshochi park. My sole reason to stay in Morioka, is because the Sakura is predicted to have full bloom by the time I reach there. When I compare to Sendai, most of the Sakura blooms would be finished around apr 19.

Where do I get train schedules for Hayabusa Shinkansen? The web service I am using does not provide train schedules like hyperdia does.

What are other flower parks worth of note in the tohoku region, close to Morioka and Hirosaki? Is my choice of visiting hirosakifs 1000 cherry trees a good choice?

How do I look for bus schedules in tazawako?

Are there any other animal options for my wife to see? I was thinking of visiting the rabbit island, but the 3hr40 min one way ride is too much for me. Are there any animal sanctuaries or café I should visit while in tohoku region, apart from zaofs fox village? I heard they are abused, so I donft wanna go

Whatfs the Japanese website to use to look for Sakura bloom information, and any night illumination? What about food?

Which city in my itinerary would have the cheapest and best ryokan experience? I was thinking of staying in either dormy or daiwa business hotel onsens. Are there any recommended ryokans around the region i have listed?

Web page for Hanami:
https://hanami.walkerplus.com/

App for food: Tabelog

Webpage for trains: https://www.jorudan.co.jp/ (although I personally use google maps.

Baggage reservation in Shinkansen depends on size of baggage and line.
https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2274.html

Tazawako bus schedule:
https://ugokotsu.co.jp/rosen/timetable/map

While it is fast by Shinkansen to get from Kakunodate to Tazawako train station the station is not ON the lake and the famous torii isnft close to the entrance of the lake. So I think that day might a bit too long or you might want to take a really early train to Kakunodate to finish early there.

I havenft looked in detail on your itinerary

@LikeBike

thanks for your extremely helpful reply!

i am mostly worried about the luggage restrictions, since it is a given we will travel with 2 large luggages with the size of 50cm x 35cm x 20 cm , therefore exceeding the luggage restrictions.

Is it possible for me to sneak into unreserved train seats with those 2 large luggages? or can i make a sudden booking like 15 mins before departure?

As for tazawa - ko : https://ugokotsu.co.jp/wp-content/jikoku/latest/tazawa2022.pdf

yes i understand that the bus will take around an hour to reach gozanoishi shrine. my objective would be to see sunset at the tori, before leaving at 18.33 ( colored in red). I suppose, the schedule colored in red doesn't run on saturday, sunday and public holidays? that's a relief since i will be visiting tazawa ko on monday.

i am still agonized at considering between 7 day and 14 day JR Pass. a 7 day pass is cheaper, but then agai i will be using haruka from the airport, and my side trips from osaka will be either nara, kyoto, and fartherst would be kobe or himeji.Additionally, while in tokyo, i might want to visit either hitachi seaside park for nemophilias, and wisteria in the evenin. Both round trips would easily cost over 9k yen plus. but if i wanna fit in 7 day pass, i might only be able to see 2 parks at least, within a limited timeframe. if i buy the 14 day pass, i can account for the bad weather possibility, and include the NEX ticket from tokyo station to narita, which is around 2870.

What would be your suggestion on the JR Pass?

Your luggage isnft as big as you think. Read through the link i provided above. It is well within the limits to fit overhead.

Regarding JR pass protection I heben never bought one because either I was/am a resident or a slow traveler.

You still have two and a half months.

As for me, the purpose of this trip is hanami once more

The season of cherry blossoms' blooming
varies depending on weather conditions,
so does length of the duration of its peak.

I recommend that you wait for a while
then decide places to visit for blossom viewing.

My train calculations following this itinerary
is around 60,000 yen / person,
so I am planning to get the 14 day JR Pass.

That's not the best choice, I think.

On the condition that you always choose Ordinary Cars,
the cost of JR train rides for major legs
would be about 53,000 yen per adult.

JR EAST PASS (Tohoku Area) ((5-day, 20,000 yen))
can be used for your JR train rides in Kanto and Tohoku Regions.

JR-West Kansai Area Pass
can be used for your JR train rides in Kansai Region.
(Depending on your destinations, this pass may not pay off.)

When you combine these JR area passes and JR regular tickets
(plus one Suica or compatible card),
the cost of JR train rides for your itinerary (including short trips)
may be about 40,000 yen per adult,
much lower than the price of 14-day Japan Rail Pass.

Depart Osaka / Kyoto / Place of residence
Take 5 – 6 hrs train to Morioka

I suggest that you start from Tokyo
in the early morning for your Tohoku trips,
making the most use of your JR-East pass.

Visit Hitsujiyama park in Chichibu for Shibazakura
Evening check whateverfs interesting.
Might visit Ashikaga Park for Wisteria
since wife has never seen wisteria.

Chichibu and Ashikaga
are to the different directions of Tokyo.
(It may require five hours just to travel place to place.)

On your way from Tohoku Region to Tokyo,
you can make a side trip to Ashikaga Flower Park.
(You take two Shinkansen trains
to get to Oyama Station,
go through the transfer gate and take a Local train.)
Leaving Hirosaki Station by 11 a.m.,
you can get to the park before its night time zone starts.

Aim for evening wisteria, since the ticket is cheaper.

Only by 200 yen, though.

- JR EAST PASS (Tohoku Area)
https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2361_tohoku.html
https://www.jreast.co.jp/multi/en/pass/eastpass_t.html

- JR-West Kansai Area Pass
https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2361_03.html
https://www.westjr.co.jp/global/en/ticket/pass/kansai/

dear omotenashi,

thank you for your well thought out reply

The season of cherry blossoms' blooming
varies depending on weather conditions,
so does length of the duration of its peak.

I recommend that you wait for a while
then decide places to visit for blossom viewing.

i understand your point, but i bought my ticket 3 days ago.

I had compared the reports that raina ong from this website had written about sakura reports, from 2017 - 2018, and had chosen to make that gamble to assemble my itinerary as such.

i too plan to purchase my hotels at least 2 months in advance, to take advantange of the weak yen.

When you combine these JR area passes and JR regular tickets
(plus one Suica or compatible card),
the cost of JR train rides for your itinerary (including short trips)
may be about 40,000 yen per adult,
much lower than the price of 14-day Japan Rail Pass.

another forumer pointed out about my decision to use the 14 day pass. i thought it was 47k+yen as written on the website, not 53k. I was recommended to use the 7 day pass instead, since most of my major trip will begin on the 5th day, 23rd april to 29 april. I initially chose the 14 day pass for its ease of convinience, and the freedom to select what days to go to avoid bad weather during flower festivals, and also that i dont need to purchase airport tickets in advance. But then again. i will arrive in tokyo around 27th April, after my 5D4N adventure in Tohoku ( morioka - hirosaki), and that leaves me with 2 free days in tokyo, which i can use for hitsujiyama, ashikaga, or perhaps hitachi seaside park. i might even visit Nezu Shrine for their famous azaleas as well. Shame but the 2870 yen / person for NEX to Narita is a bit expensive though.

I suggest that you start from Tokyo
in the early morning for your Tohoku trips,
making the most use of your JR-East pass.

i had the same thinking like you did, but the diversion to Kansai was my wife's request, since she wanted to see the deers in Nara, since she liked animals. Initially i wanted it to be it fully a kanto - tohoku affair, but i decided i love my wife more than my own selfish directions.

I will consider your recommendations for JR West and Kansai Pass. As for the azalea, wisteria, nemophilia, and shibazakura flower festival, to be able to see 2 of them would be enough for us, after seeing cherries for 5D4N. For me, in my last trip in 2019, i saw sakura for 13 days, and it was enough to make me feel sick of it. I am sorry if i offend you in any manner by this statement.

Maybe I've read your post too quickly but couldn't you get away with a 7 day Rail Pass (23rd-30th)?
Rail Pass is wasted in Kansai, trains are dirt cheap between the airport, centre, Kyoto and Nara.

@denis C

yeah. when i recalculated, it's better to use the 7 day pass instead. the difference is only around 17 k yen, and i'd save around 11k yen.

But i am not sure of when to use it