3 Week Shinkansen Itinenrary

Hi All,

I�fm just coming to the end of a three month stay in Osaka. I am going to travel to Kyushu (Fukuoka) on the 12th of July for a seminar before travelling for one month within Japan. I plan to buy a three week Shinkansen ticket and activate it after a visit to Yakushima (for which I�fm going to buy a return bus ticket (5000Y, good deal!)).

I�fd like some input on my three week Shinkansen Itinerary starting from 21-07-2009. As I say I�fve been in Kansai for three months so feel I have done sights like Kyoto, Nara, Himeji and Koya-san justice (these have therefore been excluded).

14/07/2009 Fukuoka
15/07/2009 Fukuoka - Kagoshima
15/07/2009 Kagoshima - Yakushima
16/07/2009 Yakushima
17/07/2009 Yakushima
18/07/2009 Yakushima - Kagoshima
19/07/2009 Kagoshima (trip to Sakurajima)
20/07/2009 Kagoshima - Fukuoaka
21/07/2009 Fukuoka - Nagasaki
22/07/2009 Nagasaki
23/07/2009 Nakasaki - Kumamoto
24/07/2009 Kumamoto - Beppu
25/07/2009 Beppu - Hiroshima
26/07/2009 Hiroshima
27/07/2009 Hiroshima - Miyajima
28/07/2009 Miyajima - Tokushima-Ken
29/07/2009 Tokushima Ken
30/07/2009 Tokushima Ken
31/07/2009 Tokushima - Nagoya
01/08/2009 Nagoya - Ise (Day trip)
02/08/2009 Nagoya - Takayama
03/08/2009 Takayama - Shin fuji Satation
04/08/2009 Dawn climb of Mt Fuji.
05/08/2009 Kawaguchi ko Station? - Tokyo
06/08/2009 Tokyo (Chilling Out!)
07/08/2009 Tokyo (Day trip to Nikko)
08/08/2009 Tokyo
09/08/2009 Tokyo (Day trip to Kamakura)
10/08/2009 Tokyo
11/08/2009 Depart by Narita Airport

I have a couple of specific questions that I�fd like advice on.

1. I haven�ft decided what I�fm going to do in Shikoku yet but I think I�fm just going to spend a couple of days chilling out in Tokushima and do the first few temples of the 88 temple pilgrimage on foot (to be continued on another trip!)

2. I plan to travel to Mount Fuji from Nagoya. I have read that Shin Fuji Station is the best station to enter on? What would be the best station to leave for Tokyo on?

3. I�fm going to be travelling with a 75L rucksack and want to travel light when I climb Mount Fuji. I�fd therefore like to leave my rucksack at somewhere like a locker in the train/bus station. Do most people do ascend and descend on the same route?

Any other advice/suggestions or observations would be much appreciated.

Many thanks,

G

I recommend the following, more cost- and time-effective route:

Fukuoka - Nagasaki - Kagoshima/Yakushima - Beppu - Hiroshima - Tokushima - Nagoya - Takayama - Fuji - Tokyo

There are direct night buses between Kagoshima and Oita near Beppu and between Tokushima and Nagoya.

Note also that regular tickets could well come cheaper than a 21-day Japan Rail Pass! I recommend to make the caluclation beforehand.

I plan to travel to Mount Fuji from Nagoya. I have read that Shin Fuji Station is the best station to enter on?

Yes, Shin-Fuji or Fujinomiya:
http://www.japan-guide.com/g4/6901_01.gif

What would be the best station to leave for Tokyo on?

Kawaguchiko Station.

I�fm going to be travelling with a 75L rucksack and want to travel light when I climb Mount Fuji.

Then you should either store it in a locker and use the same route to return or use a delivery service to send your big luggage from your Nagoya hotel to your Tokyo hotel. It costs around 1500 yen:
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2278.html

Uji,

Many thanks for the advice. This site is great and has been really useful whilst I've been in Japan.

G