Travel to Japan in August 2013, obon?

hello,

me and my best friend we are planning to travel to japan in august 2013, maybe during obon. our plans look as following:

Tag 1 (So, 11.08.) Tokyo
Tag 2 (Mo, 12.08.) Tokyo/Kamakura, Yokohama
Tag 3 (Di, 13.08.) Tokyo/Nagano or Nagoya
Tag 4 (Mi, 14.08.) Tokyo/Fuji-san hike
Tag 5 (Do, 15.08.) Tokyo
Tag 6 (Fr, 16.08.) Tokyo/Takayama
Tag 7 (Sa, 17.08.) Tokyo/Hakone
Tag 8 (So, 18.08.) Tokyo/Matsumoto
Tag 9 (Mo, 19.08.) Tokyo/Kyoto
Tag 10 (Di, 20.08.) Kyoto
Tag 11 (Mi, 21.08.) Kyoto/Osaka
Tag 12 (Do, 22.08.) Kyoto/Tojinbo
Tag 13 (Fr, 23.08.) Kyoto/Nara
Tag 14 (Sa, 24.08.) Kyoto/Hakata
Tag 15 (So, 25.08.) Hakata/Nagasaki
Tag 16 (Mo, 26.08.) Hakata/Miyazaki
Tag 17 (Di, 27.08.) Hakata/Beppu
Tag 18 (Mi, 28.08.) Hakata/Hagi
Tag 19 (Do, 29.08.) Hakata/Kagoshima
Tag 20 (Fr, 30.08.) Hakata/
Tag 21 (Sa, 31.08.) Hakata

is this a good plan according to obon festivities or should we avoid obon generally? how about to see those giant ''dai'' fires in the mountains? where and when are they there to be watched through obon time?

thanks
snkfreak

Have you been to Japan before?

This seems very fast paced with too many very long day trips. It might be better to plan your trip with overnight stays in different areas than Tokyo/Kyoto/Fukuoka. Have you calculated the travel time required to get to and from each place? Tokyo-Takayama is 4.5 hours each way. Tokyo-Matsumoto is 2.5 hours each way.

Also, you don't really spend time to actually see Tokyo or Kyoto itself.

It might be more logical to do Kamakura, Yokohama, Fujisan and Hakone from Tokyo at the start.

Then do Tokyo - Nagano - Matsumoto - Takayama - Nagoya - Kyoto - Fukuoka and then consider the same sort of planning for Kyushu.

This will save you a fair amount of travel time.

yes i have been in japan before, back in 2010 and i will stay there this year in november for 3 weeks. ;)

i know the distances but maybe we don�Lt visit takayama. the other distances are makeable.^^

only the time with obon?

nobody here to help?

how dificult will it be to travel during obon, trains? with our plan we would stay during obon in tokyo and surrounding areas.
which time of the year (exact dates) are the mountains enlighted?

Well, ok you really like to ride a train.

It's better not to make a day trip from Tokyo to Nagoya and Takayama. You should book a hotel in Nagoya and make a day trip to Takayama from Nagoya.

Gozan Fire Festival
http://www.city.kyoto.jp/koho/eng/festivals/gozan.html

the plan is not absolute...maybe we are not going to takayama or nagoya. ;)

but what about obon time and travelling? or can we change our plans about travelling a bit so we can see gozan fire festival? or is the festival held around tokyo area as well?

I would consider flying into Kyoto, and doing some of the Obon things in this area first. I am assuming that you first day is a Jet lag day, and that this would change your stay in the Kyoto area to seven days. I would try to get to the Toro Nagashi Festival, which is at Miyazu Bay in the Kyoto Prevecture.

You can still use a one week JR Pass to run down to Kyushu for 6 days, and then zip back to Tokyo on the 7th.

I thought you are coming in July (from the beatles post I rememberļ)

Traveling during the Obon week, I will say 7th to 16th in 2013, will be terrible to you. No bus, ferries, and airplanes will be available without reservation, and you¡¦ll have to stand up hours in the trains wherever you go¡K

I would avoid moving around at any cost during 14th~16th of August in 2013.

If you are staying in Tokyo during Obon, the only festival I can think is Fukagawa Festival happening August 15~16th (at Koto Ward).


During the summer, most of Japanese cities and towns hold smaller ¡§Bon Festivals¡¨. You will probably see the posters at the stations and go check them out. If you want to see larger Japanese festivals though, you probably should come early August and make a trip to Tohoku regions.

Nebuta (Neputa) Festival - August 2~7th (Aomori)
Kanto Festival ¡V August 3~6th (Akita)
Sendai Tanabata ¡V August 6~7th (Sendai)
Hanagasa Festival ¡V August 5th ¡V 7th (Yamagata)



Gozan Fire Festival is, in my opinion, pretty boring because it¡¦s just the fire in the shape of 5 different ensigns of 5 different temples, and looks very small with your naked eyes. But if you are coming in July, the Eastern Japan will be a lot more enjoyable.

Nachi Fire Festival ¡V July 14th (Wakayama)
Gion Festival ¡V July 16~17th (Kyoto)
Tenjin Festival ¡V July 24~25th (Osaka)
Sumiyoshi Festival ¡V July 30~August 1st (Osaka)


Takayama is a really beautiful place and I will say every intermediate traveler should visit. But if you are going to Takayama, you should recommend you to stay there and visit Shirakawa-Go Village (one of the World Heritage). And if you go these area, syou should move up to Toyama prefecture and check out ¡§Owara Bon of the Wind¡¨ happening September 1~3rd. This one is considered as the most beautiful Japanese summer festival and definitely my favorite one.