Right, final itinerary, any problems?

This is my final-final-final no-further-changes-can-be-made it's-been-laminated okay-maybe-I-can-make-a-few-more-changes itinerary. I'd appreciate it if a few people could take a look over it. The sights are my must-see's, but I plan on doing a lot more in each location, time permitting.

Day 1
Arrive Narita, train to Kyoto via Shinagawa
Kyoto Tower
Overnight Kyoto

Day 2 Kyoto
Hozugawa trip
Tenryu-ji
Rakushisha
Gioji
Overnight Kyoto

Day 3 Kobe
Earthquake Memorial Park
Phoenix Plaza
Ikuta Jinja
Shinkobe Ropeway
Overnight Kyoto

Day 4 Kyoto
Museum of Kyoto
Nijojo
Kinkakuji
Ryoanji
Overnight Kyoto

Day 5 Kanazawa
Kenrokuen Garden
Honda Museum
21 Century Museum
Overnight Kyoto

Day 6 Nara
Fushimi-Inari
Isuien
Nara Park
Overnight Kyoto

Day 7 Kyoto
Kiyomizudera
Kodaiji
National MOMA
Heianjingu
Pontocho
Overnight Kyoto

Day 8 Himeji
Engyoji
Himeji Castle
Otomae Park
Overnight Hiroshima

Day 9 Hiroshima
Memorial Park
Suisui cruise
Overnight Hiroshima

Day 10 Miyajima
Itsukushimajinja
Misen mountain
Overnight Osaka

Day 11 Osaka
Minami
Dotombori
DenDen Town
Overnight Osaka

Day 12 Osaka
Peace Osaka
Osaka Castle
Tempozan
Overnight Osaka

Day 13 Tokyo
Hara Bijutsukan
Overnight Tokyo

Day 14 Yokohama
Nissan Stadium
Minatomirai to Yamashita Park
Motomachi
Overnight Tokyo

Day 15 Tokyo
Akihabara
Ryogoku [Sumo, Edo-Tokyo]
Overnight Tokyo

Day 16 Tokyo
Shinjuku [Promenade Park, Tocho]
Overnight Tokyo

Day 17 Tokyo
Asakusa [Nakamise, Shrine, Kappabashidori, Sumida Park, Cruise to Odaiba]
Odaiba [Miraikan, Telecom Centre Ob Tower, Palette Town]
Overnight Tokyo

Day 18 Tokyo
Ikebukuro [Sunshine City]
Ueno [Ueno Park, Nature & Science Museum, Met Art Museum, Ameyoko]
Overnight Tokyo

Day 19 Tokyo
Harajuku [Ota Museum, Omotesando, Watari Museum]
Ginza [Namikidori, Chuodori]
Ebisu [Garden Place, Photography Museum]
Overnight Tokyo

Day 20 Tokyo
Shibuya [From station to NHK]
Roppongi [Midtown, Suntory Museum, Roppongi Hills]
Overnight Tokyo

Day 21 Tokyo
Imperial Palace, Ohya Shobo, Marubiru
Overnight Tokyo

Day 22 Tokyo
Mount Fuji
Overnight Tokyo

Day 23 Tokyo
Leave Japan
Overnight Ireland ;)

I see no problems with it. Looks good to me.

Why 2 nights in Hiroshima? Why not Hiroshima 1 night and Miyajima 1 night? Sunset and Sunrise on Miyajima are simply awesome and most memorable!

On Miyajima, walk up to Momijidani Park. Just before the Park is a small red bridge over a stream. Spend a few photo shoot minutes around the bridge and enjoy the peace and tranquility of the area. Near the front of Iwaso Ryokan on the right side of the bridge is a path leading to the stream.

I agree with Harold - Miyajima is a lovely place and in the evening you'll have it to yourself just about. I stayed there only one night and wish it could have been more.
What about Koyasan? I stayed there two nights - an extremely interesting experience.
Enjoy your trip!

Thanks for the tip on Momijidani Park, I've added it in as a side event.

I'm sticking to major urban centres and western style hotels for this trip so considered but rejected an overnight on Miyajima. Next time, I'll go more native :)

in Osaka I wouldn't bother with Den Den town, or only a very quick "look and see" as it is a maze of small shops crammed with stuff that is hard to see.
Bic cameras and Yodobashi cameras (despite the name they ave everything that uses electronics, including toilets and fridges) are huge stores with wide aisles and young staff eager to show the stuff. Yodobashi cameras in on the North side of JR Osaka station in Kita-Umeda. http://www.flickr.com/photos/jpellgen/388119932/
Bic Cameras is in Namba http://www.osaka-info.jp/en/search/detail/shopping_5137...

Ok, thanks, that's good to know.

Can I come too??

Have a fantastic time, but don't forget to leave time to just have fun...food, drink, shop, observe the passing parade of experiences etc

Don't go home exhausted with "busyness"..go home exhausted with having had a load of fun

Thanks, fmj, I'll try to remember from time to time that I'm actually on holiday :D

Harold (or indeed anyone), I like the idea of Momijidani Park and hiking up Misen, but I also want to take the ropeway. So I think it'd be easier to take the ropeway to Shishiwa station, then hike up at least to Misen Hondo and take the Daishoin hike back down to the Park.

Does that make any sense, or am I thinking about it backwards and should hike up and ropeway down?

Note: if it's only 5 mins from Misen Hondo to summit (http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3451.html) I'll probably continue upwards anyway.

Any one got any further tips on hiking up or down Misen-san?

Hike up, ropeway down?
Ropeway up, hike to summit, hike down?
Ropeway up, hike to summit, ropeway down?
Or indeed some strange combination involving perhaps bungee jumping off the ropeway half way up? ;)

Hi,

I hiked up and down Mt. Misen when I was in Miyajima this spring, and if you're worried about time and effort, I'd suggest to take the cablecar up and then hike down.

I hiked up from the Daisho-in complex and it probably took around an hour to reach the cablecar station. But it was endless steps the entire way and I was sweating bullet under the sun. Of the scenery on the trail, it was quiet forest pretty much the whole route, with barely any people. At the top of the cablecar station, you still have a 20 min hike up to the top of Misen, where the scenery is awesome and you can see the islands of the inland sea.

I hiked down via the Momijidani trail, which also runs through nice forest and then hits Momijidani park, where there were people again. In general, it was nice weather and hiking Misen, though exhausting, was lots of fun (especially away from the crowds) and totally worth it.

Have a good trip!

Thanks, Mike, v.helpful

just for your information, it is called just Misen. Neither -san nor -yama is appended in this case.

The cable car/ropeway is now in 2 sections, taking you right to the top of Mt Misen: we went used it both ways, then walked the last little bit down from the lower station to the waterfront: the views from the car are amazing: and good to look in different directions each way

it is called just Misen. Neither -san nor -yama is appended in this case.

Thanks Uji, but someone should tell Rough Guide: http://books.google.com/books?id=CNAT-7MCN2AC&pg=RA1-PA...

:)

fmj, you're not helping :). I think I'll get the ropeway up (it still drops you around 30mins short of the summit, right) and see how the energy levels are doing before making a decision on the return journey.

The "sen" of Misen is already the same as "san" (山 = mountain), just pronounced a little different in this particular case. So, saying "Misen-san" is like saying "Mount Mount Fuji".

...I think the whole schedule is headspinningly crazy and you won't know what was where by the end of it. It's like some crazy TV show in Japan where you race to see everything possible in as short a time as possible. Doesn't sound like much fun at all, and if you miss a link-up or get a little sick you're in trouble.....