My Initial Japan Plan

I%26#39;m staying longer in Tokyo because that%26#39;s where most of my friends are.

www.musouka.com/images/misc/Japan%20Plan.JPG

I really wanted to go Okinawa but it would be the peak typhoon season. Too risky. Don%26#39;t know how prone is Yakushima during this period, though.

I also need help with itineraries in Hokkaido and Shikoku. I haven%26#39;t come up with anything yet so I%26#39;m open to suggestions :)

My Initial Japan Plan

So when are you coming here?

My Initial Japan Plan

Yeah, forgot to mention it%26#39;s from July 15 - August 22

In Hokkaido

I am not sure that you are with JR pass or not.

Let me assume that you have JR pass.

Sapporo area(one and half days)

Otaru area(Train Sapporo/Otaru/Sapporo, half day)

Toyako area (Train Sapporo/Toyako, half day)

Hakodate area (Train Toyako/Hakodate one day)

To Tokyo (Train Hakodate/Aomori/Hachiohe/Tokyo)

http://www.visit-hokkaido.jp/en/

Typhoons usually hit in September. Don%26#39;t worry about the weather. It will be bloody hot %26amp; humidthough, hope you can deal with that'; :-)

How long do you have for this trip? If you plan on doing Honshu AND Hokkaido AND Yakushima, I%26#39;m hoping you will have at the very least 3-4 weeks. If this is your first trip to Japan I would suggest staying on Honshu- there is so much to see...

@ SeoulHyena: thanks for the suggestions. Your suggested itinerary looks quite good. I want to visit Shiretoko as well so maybe I should start with it?

Yes, I will have the JR Pass. However, I will travel from Hokkaido to Tokyo by plane since I have to be in Tokyo the morning of the 21st. The price of Hokutosei ticket is almost the same as the plane ticket. I cannot use the JR pass to book the Hokutosei since it is the peak season and it will probably sold out long before I arrive in Japan.

@ Maneki-neko: thanks for the insights. My time in Japan is a little over 5 weeks. I just want to cover as much ground as possible because I don%26#39;t know when I will be able to come back again. I know I am all over the place and a bit rushed at places but... shikataganai!

Well, I live the in the Middle East where it reaches 50C in peak summer so I don%26#39;t know if Japan is hot enough for me :-)

I am not sure that where and when you gonna start to use your jr pass but in my knowledge it is possible to use jr pass on hokutosei if you paying minimun 6,300 yen for bed. It is good to take it from Hokodate(leaving 21:48) to Ueno(Arriving next day 09:41). Also you will have a chance to pass seikan tunnel. This is just for your information.

Check this web page..

jreast.co.jp/cassiopeia/hokutosei/index.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seikan_Tunnel

';Well, I live the in the Middle East where it reaches 50C in peak summer so I don%26#39;t know if Japan is hot enough for me :-)';

Wa ha ha! You don%26#39;t have 90% humidity with that! ;-p

Getting back to your travel plans- if you plan on visiting places like Yakushima and Shiretoko, you will be using up a week for each place, just know that (especially Yakushima. It takes at least a full day to get there from the mainland and would be a waste to just go there for a few days)...

@ SeoulHyena:

As I said, I would love to travel on the Hokutosei but since I will be arriving in Japan merely 4 days before its departures, the tickets would probably be already sold out (given the peak season and all) so I won%26#39;t be able to buy any using the JR Pass. My only option is to buy the ticket in advance but I would have to pay the full price.

@ Maneki-neko: I live on the coastal area of the Persian Gulf so yes, it can get awfully humid during summer.

I would love to stay more everywhere, haha. However, since this is my first trip, I would like to take glimpses of everything. I am spending longer in Tokyo and Kyoto because my friends are there. They say richness consists of a little of everything :3