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Hello,

I'm traveling to Japan from July 22 to August 6th. These are the dates of where I'm going. I'm just wondering if a 14 day pass would be worth getting.

July 23 Arrive at Kansai Airport in Osaka at 3pm
(staying around Umeda area)
July 24 -not sure yet-
July 25 Universal Studios Japan
July 26 Osaka Castle
July 27 Visiting Kyoto
July 28 Leave to Tokyo
July 29 Tokyo
July 30 Tokyo
July 31 Tokyo Disney
August 1-5 Go to Misawa
August 6 Return to Tokyo, fly out at 6 Narita Airport

Comments

  • Hi,
    Yes, you would more than break even on a 14 day pass. If you use it to return to Tokyo and go to Narita on Aug 6th however, your first day of using the 14 day pass would be on July 24. You'd need to pay for the train or bus from KIX.
    Be aware also you can only take a JR train most of the way to Misawa. Once you get to Hachinohe, you must get off and buy a ticket on a non-JR line the rest of the way (¥570; about 20 minutes).
    A lot of your trip is empty though.
    For July 24, I suggest you put in half to a full day in Nara - like Kyoto it was a former capital and missing the Todaiji Great Buddha would be a tragedy. There are other good sights in the Nara Park area - feeding the hungry deer, Kofukuji Temple, Kasuga Grand Shrine, the Isuien & Yoshikien Gardens, etc.
    For July 26, if you really want to see a castle, then skip Osaka Castle, and go see Japan's finest original surviving castle in Himeji. It blows everything else away, and don't miss the beautiful Kokoen Garden next to it. Osaka Castle is nothing but a ferro-concrete cube with a castle facade thrown over it. The ramparts there are amazing and there once must have been something great there, but not any more.

    Only 1 day in Kyoto is sorely shortchanging the city, but if you only put in a day, the Top 3 places are Kinkakuji (Golden Pavilion; 30-45 minutes), Kiyomizudera (60-90 minutes) and the Fushimi Inari Shrine (1+ hours, depending on your pace and how many of the trails you want to run through). The JR Pass is of very limited use inside Kyoto. After a day of sightseeing in Kyoto though, you can go to Osaka in the evening and there are many great places, like Dotonbori, and the city views from atop the Umeda Sky Bldg or Abeno Harukas Bldg are tremendous.

    There are many such places in Tokyo too (Sky Tree, Roppongi Hills, Tokyo Tower etc) but also many that are free.
    http://supermerlion.com/10-free-tokyo-city-views/

    Don't miss some of Tokyo's beautiful traditional gardens as well. Some are centuries old.
    https://www.tsunagujapan.com/7-best-japanese-gardens-within-tokyo/

    You can find regular rail fares, routes and schedules on Hyperdia.
    http://www.hyperdia.com
    Under "More Options", be sure to uncheck the Nozomi box if on a JR Pass since you can't ride that train using the pass.

    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 regards.
  • Sorry I meant we arrive on July 24 (tuesday) 3 pm
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