Hi,
I just booked flights to Japan mid-March to early April. Meeting up with son and his gf who are traveling in Australia and then going to Japan. Planning Tokyo, Osaka, and a couple of smaller towns between - possibly Kobe, Kyoto, and near Mt. Fuji. We have been to Japan before and saw the major tourist highlights - this time we want to go a little off the beaten path. I'm looking for suggestions on where to stay - prefer smaller inns, moderately priced. Would love to fit some Ryokans into our trip too. One area we've heard about is Arima Onsen, not too far from Osaka/Kyoto I don't think. And near Mt. Fuji - we've been told about Hamamatsu, Shizuoka, and Karuizawa. Appreciate any suggestions - thanks!
Posted by
Chicago, IL, USA
539 posts
We had a wonderful trip to Japan that time of year. Has been some years now and the travel company we used in no longer in business. But in researching my trip to Japan for next year I found what appear to be some good resources:
https://www.japaneseguesthouses.com/ (find their pdf on the website that explains about all the different kinds of ryokans and similar places to stay)
https://walkjapan.com/who-we-are (you wouldn't have to do one of their tours but could be inspired by their itineraries)
And if you are looking for onsen, I had tagged this book on Amazon: https://a.co/d/4n7Eyhi (Onsen of Japan: Japan's Best Hot Springs and Bath Houses)
Enjoy the planning!
Posted by
Bay Area, California
1687 posts
This is Sakura season and it will be scenic, though crowded. How about traveling through the Japanese Alps (via Nakasendo) or via Takayama/Kanazawa/Shirakawago?
I was in Japan in late March 2023. It was breathtaking!
Posted by
OP
16 posts
Thank you for the ryokan website and the recommendation on touring the Japanese Alps. I loved staying in ryokans when we visited Japan in 2018 and would love to do so again, but first need to figure out where in Japan we are going. We were in Kanazawa and also walked part of the Nakasendo trail and visited Tsumago and Myajima on our last trip - but I’m not sure where the places you mentioned are in relation to that. I’ve also looked at the walking tours in Japan website and they are booked for the time we will be there. We want to do Tokyo for a few days as we are flying in/out of there and my son’s gf has never been. And we are meeting them in Osaka, so we will do that for a few days as well. I’ve been doing a lot of research online, but I’m finding it difficult to put together an itinerary that makes sense and time is running short, so I’d love to find a tour company who can provide assistance with putting together a self-guided itinerary for us. If you’ve worked with a good tour company, please let me know. Thanks!
Posted by
Bay Area, California
1687 posts
What about Izu peninsula? There are a couple of hot springs towns there. Shuzenji, Ito, Shimoda...not in the mountains but nice towns with ryokans.
Also, consider Shikoku and Kyushu. One unconventional route is to fly to Shikoku or Kyushu from Tokyo and then take train back to Osaka.
Both ANA and JAL offer deeply discounted air fares to foreign tourists. These are great bargains.
Posted by
OP
16 posts
Thank you for the feedback - I've reached out to a tour company called Rediscover Tours that provides custom tour itineraries - hopefully they will get back to me soon!