first time traveller to japan

plannig a trip to japan with my sons,19yr and 14yr.

in mid july,the boys love shopping aswell as good beaches.Any idea where in japan? Help please!

first time traveller to japan

How long will you be there? Have you bought tickets or anything yet?

If you haven%26#39;t bought your tickets, look into flying into one airport and out of another; so you might fly into Tokyo, spend some time there, and then head West and fly out of Osaka when you%26#39;re done.

The main areas are going to be around Tokyo and Osaka/Kyoto. Each region has lots to see and do, and there are ample day trips from both. Depending on time, you can add a variety of shorter overnight trips: Shirakawa, Takayama, Hiroshima, etc.

I strongly suggest working in Himeji; the castle is excellent, and there is a nice garden next door (Kokoen) that is worth the price. I also suggest going to Osaka, particularly in the evening; head to Dotonbori for the people and neon.

There%26#39;s a lot more to see than just this, of course, but maybe it%26#39;ll get you started.

Good luck!

John W.

first time traveller to japan

A good site to do some research - http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e623.html

THANKS.No have%26#39;nt bought any tickets yet.Plan to travel somewhere mid of july for 3 weeks.Heard that it gets really humid in july,Beaches would be nice to cool off.Would Osaka be good for that?.That is if its not the rainy season.

%26gt;%26gt; THANKS.No have%26#39;nt bought any tickets yet.Plan to travel somewhere mid of july for 3 weeks.Heard that it gets really humid in july,Beaches would be nice to cool off.Would Osaka be good for that?.That is if its not the rainy season.%26lt;%26lt;

Rainy season is typically June, but it is worse down towards Kyushu; it really isn%26#39;t too bad.

Osaka is like Tokyo: lots of concrete, and thus pretty hot. Both cities are great in their own ways, of course. You might look at Shirakawa or Takayama if you want to cool off a little; both are in the mountains and might be marginally cooler.

I%26#39;m not great expert on beaches in Japan; there are some in the Osaka area, but as Osaka and nearby Kobe togther comprise one of the busiest shipping regions on earth you can imagine the quality of the beaches. Suma and Tarumi are just West of Kobe and are halfway decent. Shirahama in Wakayama Prefecture is better.

You might look at a river rather than a beach. Another poster is heading to Shikoku for rafting and it seems like a good trip; I can%26#39;t find the link just now but it might be a thought. And if you like hiking that%26#39;s another option for something different; look at Mt. Koya south of Osaka for a good combination of hiking and culture. Wakayama, too, has lots of good trails; there are some pilgrimage routes that are really nice.

John W.

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