Itinerary

I will be in Japan for two days in February, all of March, and the first week of April. 37 days seems like a lot of time but there is plenty to see and do. So, I have come up with a fairly open itinerary to make sure I get to the things I absolutely want to see but leave lots of time for on-a-whim exploration.

I will arrive at Narita airport on February 28. I don't expect to do much for the first few days other than explore the neighbourhood around the apartment as well as try and figure out some of the complex subway and train routes that criss cross Tokyo. I am certain that I will also be trying to adjust to the 13 hour time difference.

On March 3rd I will be heading to Hiroshima which is approximately a 5 hour ride by shinkansen. If I leave Tokyo early enough I will have most of the afternoon to explore Hiroshima. I am particularly interested in visiting the Atomic Bomb Dome building as well as Peace Park and the Peace Memorial Museum. If I have time I would also like to visit the Shukkeien Garden.

On March 4th I will leave Hiroshima for Miyajima which is short 30 minute train ride followed by a 10 minute ferry ride across to the island. With such a short journey to get from Hiroshima to Miyajima I plan on not leaving before 12pm which will give me the morning to see more of Hiroshima.

After spending the night on Miyajima I will be heading back to Hiroshima to catch the Superjet ferry across to Matsuyama on the island of Shikoku. In Matsuyama I will be visiting Matsuyamajo (Matsuyama Castle) one of few remaining original castles in Japan. On March 6th I will be heading back to Tokyo.

On March 17th I will be traveling to Kyoto which is a train ride of about 2.5 hours. There is so much to see and do in Kyoto. I will try and get permission to visit the Kyoto Imperial Palace (you have to apply for permission to visit). Also there is Nijo Castle, Sanjusangendo, Gion, Kinkakuji, Fushimi Inari Shrine, Kiyomizudera, markets, many temples and shrines, and the Higashiyama Hanatouro each night. I am planning on returning to Tokyo late on March 19th but I will leave myself the option of staying one more night.

I am leaving the days from March 7th to the 16th open for day trips out of Tokyo. Some examples of the places I will be going are Hikone, Nishizawa Keikoku, Tsumago and Magome (I plan on walking the old Nakasendo between the two towns), Matsumoto, Himeji, Takayama, Kawagoe, and Kankunodate. I think visiting these places as well as Hiroshima, Kyoto, and Tokyo will give me a fairly broad overview of the different regions of Honshu (Japan's main island). I also plan on taking a day to go to Osaka for part of the Grand Sumo Tournament.

After my trip to Kyoto I will have over two weeks to explore Tokyo and all it has to offer from museums, shopping, attractions, nightlife, and every day life.