Here is my itinerary:
Dec 5 - 8 Tokyo (Disney + Shinjuku shopping)
Dec 9 Izu Peninsula stay Izu-Kogen for 1 night (Activate JR Rail Pass that day)
10 From Izu to Nagoya to stay overnight
11 Nagoya to see Nabana no Sato Illumination
12 Nagoya to Osaka (then Kobe in the afternoon for illumination) Staying overnight in Osaka
13 From Osaka take bullet train to Hakata then limited express train to Hita (then bus to Kurokawa Onsen staying 2 nights)
14 Kurokawa Onsen Hozantei ryokan for two nights
15 Taking train from Hita to Fukuoka Airport (then flying back to Tokyo) Last minute shopping and just enjoying the city lights
16 Flight home to Manila
@1945pmI was planning to activate my JR Pass Dec 9 - 15.
With my date, is it necessary to book reservations for the train? Is it more convenient? I will only be traveling with my sister. We both have been to Japan previously but different places (except Tokyo and Osaka).
I have never tried JR Pass before and only used SUICA/PASMO. For reserving seats, can I all do them at once when I go to exchange my voucher for the actual JR Pass? Or is that unnecessary and I should just book them as I go along? Just wanted to save time in lining up every time we have to reserve seats so I wanted to do them all in one go.
Comments
A 7 day pass pays off pretty well for you, and you correctly set the dates as Dec 9 - 15. You don't need to reserve the seats for the bullet train as it is not a peak season (although you could, since it is a free perk thrown in). If you take the Narita Express into Tokyo then advanced seating is required, as well as if you take the Yufuin no Mori train from Fukuoka (Hakata Station) to Hita. You can do all the seat reservations at once if you wish, provided you're sure about the trains you want to take.
You can see regular fares, routes and schedules on Hyperdia.
http://www.hyperdia.com
Although things could change between now and April.
It would be sad if you missed the sights of Kyoto & Nara - they are the cultural jewels of Japan while Osaka is pretty much a clone of Tokyo. Himeji also has some of Japan's best sights.
Fukuoka also has some good sights that are worth seeing - particularly the Nanzoin Temple which is virtually unknown to the rest of the world (and free!). You can get a good list of worthwhile places on
http://www.thejapanfaq.com/fukpic.html
For Kurokawa, you might get a Rotemburo Meguri
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e4575.html
I have previously visited Japan in two instances (with my sister) and we have gone to Hakone, Kawaguchiko, Tokyo for (5 days), Kyoto (for 5 days), Kinosaki Onsen, Osaka and have also went to Himeji . during those last two visits (May 2014 and July 2015).
I am very attached to the country and we try to see different things every year. Nara has not yet been conquered but I will do that when we go for a less colder month. Our theme this year is pretty much food, hot springs, Disney and shopping. Haha
Thank you very much! m(_ _)m Nanzoin seems something my sister will like to see so I will show it to her!