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Osaka-Kyoto-Tokyo-Mt.Fuji itinerary

Hi! Need some advice regarding which JR Pass to buy for this itinerary>>
2 days Osaka
1 day Kyoto
2 days Tokyo then Mt. Fuji
3 days Osaka

My husband and I are doing our DIY travel for 8 days. Can we save more if we get the JR Pass 7 days or separate JR Passes will do? Which specific passes will we acquire?

TY in advance

Comments

  • If that is your whole itinerary (and you are starting in Osaka) then unfortunately you are a little short of making a 7 day pass pay off.

    For Mt Fuji you also need to clarify if you will be seeing the Hakone area or the Fuji 5 Lakes area. If you are coming down the Tokaido bullet train line, then Hakone is far easier. A Hakone Free Pass can save you money and you can get one leaving from Shinjuku in Tokyo if going as a day trip or from Odawara Station if going to Hakone on the way back to Kansai.
    http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e5200.html
    http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2358_008.html
    The Loop Course is a common way to see all the sights and takes a full day.
    http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e5210.html

    Just an observation but since you are already seeing Tokyo, you can largely skip Osaka during the day. Five days is way more than enough and you are severely shortchanging Kyoto. After the temples of Kyoto close down around 5 PM, you can zip over to Osaka for the evening. At night the city comes alive and has some great places to see, such as Dotonbori, plus the night views from the Umeda Sky Bldg and Abeno Harukas Bldg are wonderful.
    On another evening, you could also go and see Kobe.

    Instead, I suggest you take at least half a day and see Nara - it was also a former capital and has some of Japan's best sights. Missing the Todaiji Great Buddha would be a tragedy. Nara Park has a lot of other great places, such as Kasuga Shrine, Kofukuji Temple, the Isuien and Yoshikien Gardens, and feeding the many deer in the area.

    If you'd like to broaden your experience even more, you could take a day off of Osaka and go see Himeji for a day. It has Japan's finest castle and the Kokoen Garden next door is also very worthwhile.
    https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3500.html

    You can find regular rail fares, routes and schedules on Hyperdia.
    http://www.hyperdia.com

    You can see previews of some of the best places to see in Japan on:
    https://www.youtube.com/user/thejapanfaq/videos

    There are also loads of other tips on
    http://www.thejapanfaq.com/the-best-japan-travel-tips/

    Best wishes.
  • Lovely. Thank you so much. I'd discuss this with my husband. I hope He's willing to modify our itinerary so we can go other spots around Japan.

    Moreover, can you please give us an idea on how to go to Mt. Fuji 5th Station/Lake Kawaguchi and where can we have the seafood buffet/Fruit picking around the area?

    Thank you in advance.

  • Hi,
    If you want to go to the Fuji 5 Lakes, that will take longer since they are on the other side of the mountain. You can go to Odawara and take the bus, or if you want to use your pass most of the way, you'd need to go back to Tokyo and then up to Otsuki Stn to take the Fujiden train the rest of the way. The former way is probably easier on your sanity.

    As for fruit picking, needless to say it depends on which fruit and when you are going. But there are a few places in Yamanashi that have it. Many are not exactly close to Lake Kawaguchi but not that far away either. You might look at:
    https://www.yamanashi-kankou.jp/foreign/english/special/fruit.html
    http://nakagominouen.com/en/publics/index/55/
    http://www.miharashien.com/index.html

    I am afraid I don't know of any seafood buffet place.

    Best regards.

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