Honeymoon in Japan

Dear fellow travellers, please advise on my honeymoon itinery below. Unfortunately, I have already committed myself to a 14D JR Pass, hence a night train journey from Sapporo to Tokyo:

Day1 - Arrive Narita (AM)
Check in + Shopping in Tokyo

Day2 - Disneyland Sea
Tokyo Tower at night

Day3 - Tokyo to Hakone (AM)
Check in + Yunessun Hot Springs

Day4 - Mt Fuji, ?Gotemba if time permits, Travel to Osaka

Day5 - Universal Studios + shopping

Day6 - Day Trip to Kyoto
Nijo + Imperial Palace + Gion + ??Himeiji (unlikely)

Day7 - Flight Osaka - Sapporo
Shopping underground mall

Day8 - Noboribetsu Onsen (is it worth a full day??)

Day9 - Day in Sapporo
Overnight train to Toyko

Day10 - Shopping + ? Sony Tower

Day11 - Tsujiki Fish Market
+ ? Day trip Yokohama

Day12 - More Shopping, Dinner at Ramsay Gordon's

Day13 - Even more shopping
Depart Tokyo (Night Flight)

Hotels:

Tokyo stay will be Somerset Roppongi & ?Fraser Shinjuku Apartments

Hakone - Ichinoyu ryokan

Osaka/Sapporo stay will be Ramada


Please give me your valuable comments. I know that certain days are very packed. Please advise. This is my first time to Japan - cannot speak any Nihongo. Arigato!

For the Mt Fuji bit,
Are you planning to go to the 5th station or just view?
As i think official climbing season is over.
If you want to just view Mt Fuji, Fuji five lakes which is near Hakone is a good place, or else you should just hang around Hakone (esp the lake area).

I would actually skip Universal Studios since you are already going to Disneysea. As I doubt you can do Osaka and Disneysea all in 1 day.

And as for Himeji, i don't think you have time for that either.
For the imperial palace, you need to book a tour or else you will just have to be contented with visiting the palace gardens.
I think you should definately include at least 1 or 2 temples in your Kyoto leg (that's what Kyoto is about!) Try temples in the Higashiyama area like Kiyomizu Dera.

I think you should consider the traveling time into your itinerary or else you'll be rushing around and not enjoy your holiday..

just my 2 cents :)

Amelia, thank you for your feedback. The trip is planned from 21st Oct to 2nd Nov 08.

I was thinking of taking a bus up to 5th station just for a look. I am really not sure what's up there in Mt Fuji - is there like a restaurant or viewing centre up there? Had the impression there is a amusement park up there somewhere?? Otherwise, yes, I do agree that viewing from far - e.g. from Hakone, would be a good idea.

No, we are not doing both disneyland + universal studios in a single day. Initial planning is 1 day for each resort, we are prepared to drop universal studios when it comes to the crunch. Will want to spend more time in Osaka - especially food hunting *yum yum*

As for Kyoto - I think we really want to see castles rather than temples / shrines. My wife is a Christian who refuses to set foot in a temple/shrine - no offense to any buddhist out there. :)

Do you have any comments for the sapporo leg? I am quite unsure of what's in sapporo other than the shopping and hotspring. Had wanted to include Hakodate but I know it will be terribly packed.

Can't convince my wife to sacrifice shopping in Tokyo. Do you think 6 days in Tokyo is abit excessive?? *sigh*

I dont know what you are planning to buy in Tokyo, but it will be a "paradise" if you plan to buy premium, upmarket products there.

I will be in Japan for my honeymoon during the exact same time! We are getting married on the 19th, flying out on the 20th, and leaving on the 2nd. We will spend time in Tokyo and Kyoto, with day trips in the surrounding areas. I too am trying to work out all the itinerary stuff. Just wanted to say have a great time!

Re your day 11. My advice would be to go to Kamakura. see the Great Buddah and some temples there. Fish market and Yokohama are Ok but Kamakura will be more relaxing, you will need it.

I am a Christian and, like millions of Christian tourists, have no problem visiting Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines. Buddha teachings are similar to those of Jesus who, by the way, was NOT A Christian but a Jewish rabbi. The Christian religion was created many years after Jesus death and blessed reincarnation. We really must be open to other religions if we want our religion to be respected. Shopping for vanity purchases and visiting amusement parks are not exactly Christians activities by the way.

Christian activity or not the temples and statues in Japan are beautiful to behold and are linked with Japans deep and rich history. I don't see a little shopping as anti cristian.

I'm sorry but your trip can be likened to skipping a stone across the water. It lacks any depth and travelling all the way to Sapporo for two days is not good use of your time or money. I honestly believe it needs a complete rethink. You could make great use of a 14 day pass between Tokyo and Kyushu, do a lot of shopping, walk past some temples and generally take in the sights. Do you not have a studio/movie world equivalent closer to home ? Ditto for Disney. My personal opinion of Himeji is that if you only get to Japan once it is on the must do list.

In many respects, I agree with RodW. If your wife WILL NOT go to Buddhist temples & Shinto Shrines, then everything needs to be adjusted. Kyoto will not be the visiting point most people relate to if you don't visit temples. So, how about something more like this:

Day1 - Arrive Narita (AM)
Check in + Shopping in Tokyo(Shibuya, Harakuju, Omotesando, Shinjuku) Government building lookout, Shinjuku at night.

Day2 - Disneyland Sea (all day, WEEK DAY, not weekend)


Day3 - Tokyo to Hakone (AM)
Check in + Yunessun Hot Springs

Day4 - Mt Fuji, ?Gotemba if time permits, Travel to Osaka

Day5 - Universal Studios + shopping

Day6 - Osaka(early departure) - Himeji Castle - Hiroshima. Visit Peace Park & Museum, & Atomic Dome. Go to Miyajima.

Day7 - Miyajima - Leave about noon - Kyoto. Gion, sightseeing

Day8 - Kyoto Nijo. Leave Kyoto and visit Hikone Castle. Travel to Nagoya.

Day9 - Visit Inuyama Castle(AM), then travel to Takayama early afternoon.

Day10 - Leave Takayama mid afternoon - Tokyo

Day11 - Tsujiki Fish Market, Sumida river cruise, Asakusa Nakamise & shops. Ueno, Akihabara.

Day12 - Imperial Palace, More Shopping(Ginza, Odaiba) Tokyo Edo Museum. Dinner at Ramsay Gordon's

Day13 - Even more shopping
Depart Tokyo (Night Flight)

I've placed an emphasis on three National Treasure castles, because if you are not visiting temples, then you still should look at the cultural and historical sites in Japan.

Making a 14 days itinerary to Japan for a first trip is a daunting task and those of us who have been there know how hard it is, therefore I have to congratulate Sandy for a great itinerary.. well balanced and interesting.

Hi everyone, thank you very much for your comments - all appreciated regardless. :)

Liz - we are getting "married" on 18/10 in Singapore. For the chinese, it's more a customary banquet even though we have officially been married for the last 3 years. What are your plans so far? who knows, we might even be able to go for some short trips together???

Sensei - i only mentioned about my partner's preferences so that the focus would be off shrines/temples. I know she meant no offense to any religion. If it helps, i was a buddhist before becoming a free-thinker (atheist).

Sandy - thank you for your suggestions. i will definitely consider modifying my itinery. Oh... how i wish i have more time off from work... it is beginning to sound like i need a few more trips back to japan....grrrhhh

Daniel, be forewarned: Japan is very addictive! Don't forget to be a bit flexible if necessary in your itinerary and drop stuff to replace it by something else at the last minute depending on the weather, how you feel etc. Not all "must see" sights are actually worth it,depending on tastes, and some unknown building, landscape etc. may take your fancy.
by the way I was raised in both the Catholic and Protestant religions by an extended family that voted for the socialist party and had many Jewish friends andof course in Europe we still celebrate Celtic festivals (the Celtic religion is pantheistic/ animalistic like the Shinto religion)