I wrote many big tables and checked them several times. The 2 week-JRP in combination with the 3-day nonJR-Kansai-Pass is the best option. I never expected this outcome; not with all this non-JR-trips. Therefore the advantage to single tickets is small. $130 only. It is a question of luxuary, reserved seats and fast connections, but also spontaneous changes in plan.
Who wants to get some information about my destinations on this tour will find some useful information here:
japan-guide – A very good webpage that also lists bus connection to single attractions. Busses are not listed in Hyerdia. I believe that this webpage is better for non-backpackers than the Lonely Planet. The website lists the attraction of „only“ 154 cities. This even is a lot if sort out ski resorts and hiking places.
JPRail -A webpage that focus on train connections in Japan. Two years ago I found here all the information about the Hokutosei. The webpage has useful information about how to get from A to B.
wikitravel – I didn’t used it, but it looks quiet intersting.
I found this website by accident: Visiting Japan During New Year. I saw the list that you can call „Closed during New Year“. Lucky for me. Because I planned to visit the Castle in Matsumoto on my way from Kiso valley to Tokyo. But the castle is closed during that time. I still have Inuyama and Nagano for plan B. Last one is only a good idea if I decide for the big JRP.
The fish market is closed until January 4th, too. It was on my list for the 2nd. Getting up at 4am for nothing would have ruin my day. Maybe I move it to the 6th. The market is half way to Big Sight, where the Dezome Shiki takes place.
Also to mention that many shops and restaurants will be closed until the 4th. This explains all the trouble with booking a hotel during New Year. Everyone is on vacation. But it looks like all temples and shrines are open; because of New Year. Maybe I should double check all train connection with the real date. Maybe there is a special time table for these days, a canceled connection or a train leaving 10 minutes earlier.
btw:To calculate the fare, you can use google maps. This is pertty handy. The route planning function also has an option for walking from A to B. To get a better information about train connection you can use Hyperdia; like I will do in a few minutes.
From dawn till dusk
There is another factor I have to put into my calculations: Daylight. How much do I have. All last trips took place in September, during autumn equinox. Tokyo is closer to the equator. Therefore the days in summer are shorter than in Lübeck. But in winter they are longer. How big is the difference? Will it affect my plans (taking pictures at 5pm)?
The charts above are created with Kompf.de and show the problem. The the plots are not looking symmetrical is the result of the time equatian. But I will skip the physical background. The result for the trip is simple:
All 4 times before I had 12,75 hours of day light (5:15-18:00). This time I have 3 hours less.
In the evening I will miss the 1,5 hours of light. My visit to two cities in one day (Asuka + Yoshino and Hikone + Eihei-ji) will need a tighter schedule. At 5pm the light is gone. At 4pm I have to increase the ASA sensitivity. Looks like i have to get up early and skip breakfast.
The next problem are the red and the dark blue areas in the charts. Dusk is come very quick. In the red area a picture is still possible with a tripod. After that you need a flash. The red area really is small. I recognized that before. It is dark in an instant. Not like in Lübeck where the dusk last forever in summer time. In June dusk and dawn become one. Midsummer. In a clear night you can see all the colours of the sunset during the whole night at the horizon, even 2am in morning. I had a picture on the title page of the local news paper.
I should double check the departure time of all trains too. On my first holiday I lost 3 days because of bad train connections. On my second trip there were two days ruined by badly planned day trips. On my last trip I checked a few connection before, but only because there was a ferry involved between Wakkanai and Rishiri and only two train to Wakkanai at the day.
The tour plan is set. I don’t have all the ryokans by now. But for all missing places there is a plan B available by bus within half an hour. And I think we have a winner or the first day: Wakayama. Castle and japanese garden win over old houses and Chinatown. The last thing is also better at night.
The tour can be splitted into 3 parts plus Tokyo, that is always not really a part ofthe journey but the bracket that surrounds the trip at the beginning and the end. A trip to Japan is not thinkable without Tokyo.
Part I .. ancient temple (shrines and castles)
lodging in Oosaka, Kyoto and Kanazawa
19 .. Flight with KLM via Amsterdam; incl. airport lounge
I have put in some links to the japan-guide website. This site really is helpul. Koyasan and Einhei-ji were on my wish list for quiet a time (I think since 2004). But I never was able to visit. There was even the idea to spend a night at Koyasan, but I will save this for a summer vacation.
The Kiso Valley came onto the list in 2006. Peter put a hardcoy of a website on my desk one day. There was a report about old post towns not far away from Tokyo but in the middle of nowhere. The pictures looked like the time has stopped in this places. The best time to visit is during autumn colors but I don’t want to wait another 4 years. *)
If you compare this trip to all other before, you will recognize that this one is planned differently. This times there is nearly the twice as many hotels booked. In 2004 there were 7 hotels in 4 weeks. This time there are 10 in 3 weeks. My points of interest or on a line, there is no central place I can use as a base camp (except in Kansai).
Also the number of cities on the list is impressive. 14 cities plus Tokyo and Kyoto. In Kyoto I will try to visit the places I missed in 2004: Kiyomizudera, Higashiyama, Gion, Fushima Inari Shrine and Tofoku-ji. With a little bit of luck I can do a brief stop at the Kokedera or the big eastern and western temple. They were a construction site in 2004.
In Tokyo there are three big events on my list: (1) New Year. Maybe I can ring the temple bell. (2) The visit of the emperor palace. I wrote about it a few days ago. (3) The Dezome Shiki fire fighter parade. I wrote a post about this too.
*) The equation behind the 4 years is a journey every 4 years and the already planned trip for 2014, called „2004 reloaded“.
I have created a first basic plan for the trip and checked the train connection. I tried to find a perfect combination of the different JRPs. Now I should check if there are hotels available.
The first hotel was easy: Hotel Edoya. My second home in Tokyo (room no 307) is available. I book it with a click. The following is only possible in Japan: Two years ago I forgot my tripod and my Kendo equipment in the hotel, more precisely: I had to leave most of it because of overweight at the airport luaggage scale. The second hotel was also very quick. In Kanazawa I booked the Sumiyoshi, a traditional ryokan.
After that it start to getting tricky. Oosaka is big. I skip this one and take care of the tiny places, before everything is booked out. First Kusatsu. I first attempt two days ago failed. Looks like January 2nd is a deal braker. Without this date everything is fine, but still very expensive ($200 or above.)
This is a little bit too pricy for me. So I am searching japanese websites. After a while I am able to read the important buttons. The searchs tooks hours. But we have a winner: Ryokan Kiyoshigekan.
Standard (!) Dinner im Kiyoshigekan in Kusatsuonsen
Nun die Quizfrage, die auch über die Auswahl des Japan Rail Pass entscheidet. Wenn ich in Kanto bleibe, kann ich alles umgruppieren und ein paar Euro sparen. Die erste Versuch ist Minakawa. Das Onsen dort ist der Hammer. Man sitzt mitten im Wald an einem Flußlauf. Der Preis ist stolz: 240€. Aber es ist ausgebucht. Ich brauche gar nicht erst überlegen. Auch die anderen Herbergen sich voll. Mit Ikaho ergeht es mir nicht besser.
Now I have to take care of this Japan Rail issue. If I stay in Kanto on my onsen tour I can buy several tickts instead of the all over JRP and save some money. Minakawa would do the trick. The onsen is awesome. You are sitting in the middle of the forest next to a river. But a night costs $300 and all hotels seems to b booked out. The some in Ikaho.
Shibu Onsen comes into my mind. It is onlz 35 miles away from Kusatsu. But the road is closed in winter. So you have to take the train over Nagano. That takes 4 hours. But Ryokan Uotoshi (I was there in 2004) has a free room. Seems to be an option. I declare this idea to be plan B.
Uematsuya (Besshoonsen)
Back to the search for plan A. There is one onsen left nearby. It is Bessho onsen. The oldest onsen mentioned in documents. There are public onsens an some temples. Everything you need for a relaxing day. But it is verz famous. Could be a disadvantage (availibility and price). Again I am searching Japanese websites for hours. The Uematsu is available.
The website looks pricy. 10000 yen. This really is the limit. But dinner and breakfast are included. Usually you have to pay extra for it. To prevent another Finnair-problem I book the hotel. Now my hotel list is:
Now only Oosaka, Narita, Shinakawa-ko and Kiso-valley are missing. Now I can adjust the JRP. Bessho Onsen is located in Kanto. And I am back at the beginning. Kobo or Wakamatsu or both? Today I am tending to Wakamatsu. This needs an adjust to the train tickets. Oh boy. This is gettng complicated. So I postpone the decision to tomorrow morning. Then I hopefully have some answers from Narita and Shirakawa.
Another letter from Japan. The Tokyo Fire Department invited me for the Dezome Shiki. This this an annual fire figther parade that takes place all over Japan. Tokyo is one of the biggest. It provides a parade, some traditional acrobatic shows and a big excercise, including fire figthing, Hay Mat and rescue from a desaster area.
The fire departments shows that they are prepared for every possible desaster: earthquake, taifun, tsunami, vulcano. The show there knowledge, their training and the special equipment. The have robots for fire fighting or rescue people. I hope I can take some good pictures. I you want to know what I am talking about, check youtube. Here a small overview. Looks like I have to bring a video camera.
I hope I get a good seat. At least I am on the VIP list. No joke. I have to report to the reception desk to be escorted to my seat: „Please let us know your address so we can put you on the list of New Year’s Fire Review visitors!“
Here is an other video from the Dezome Shiki, the parade o the fire trucks. This equiment really is an eyecatcher. Check out the lights of the truck at 13:00 or the big fan at 10:50.
