KaiGee19

Greetings to all,
I am planning my fall foliage trip this year to Japan, staying in Tokyo for most of the trip as a friend of the family currently resides there so accommodations will be pretty much taken care of. (Free is good!) Has anyone been to Japan during the fall and can you tell me the best time? So far the fall foliage watch for Japan says anywhere from Late September to Early December, depending on where you go. Obviously the higher regions start closer to the Sept. time and lower regions will turn closer to the December time. That is a huge time frame and I obviously want to maximize my ability to photograph as much fall colors as possible with day trips to various locations, possibly even overnight stays outside of Tokyo if necessary, sticking to a modest budget. Any guidance or suggestions related to best time to travel and places to go would be much appreciated. Currently I am looking at late October, around the 30th, until mid November, around the 14th. If I am going that far, I am staying at least two weeks, so hopefully I can find some changing tree colors, along with many other photo ops while I am there. Most grateful for your time and input. Also, anyone have the inside tip on best time to purchase a flight? Do it now or wait until the dates get a little closer? I am flying out of DFW. Nonstop is around $1600, but I can work a short layover in San Diego going over, and parlay that into a couple nights stay on the return to visit with friends in SD as I lived there for a large part of my life before moving to where I live now, so it is kind of like two trips in one, for $970. Are those prices about standard for flights to Tokyo, Japan?

KG

toxdoc42

Is that roundtrip fare? If so, it is spectacularly inexpensive. I am going in November and was quoted $2400 Dr from Dulles.

KaiGee19

Maybe because you are starting on the east coast so you have to travel further. The prices in my post are round trip, main cabin, not business class. The nonstop actually went up by about $100 in the last day. If you like, I can email you the details. Give you an idea how you might go about doing a similar type booking. The flights quoted are with American in association with Japan Airlines.

kaigee19@yahoo.com

KG

jsmangis Loc: Peoria, IL

I spent ten months in Japan (January to October) in 1987 when I was employed by Mitsubishi. I spent most of my time in the Nagoya area, and am not very familiar with the Tokyo area. If you can arrange it I suggest you take the Shinkansen (Bullet Train) to Osaka and visit Kyoto and Nara. The parks and forests in that area are some of the most beautiful ones I have seen, and you should be able to capture some amazing images of the Fall colors.

G. Crook Loc: Linden, TX

Travel north of Tokyo into the mountains. Travel to Japan’s west coast to the Japanese Alps. Take little side roads to some of the more remote villages. Take some of the private railroads to their end destinations. There are beautiful hidden gardens and parks all around Tokyo. Check out the Tama Zoo. Japan is a beautiful country to visit. Stay away from the very expensive “tourist” areas. Go on the side streets and try the noodle shops. I spent a total of nine years on two tours at Yokota AB on the outskirts of Tokyo. I travelled over 80,000 miles by motorcycle while there and loved every minute of it. Any regrets? Only one; I was offered a job in Japan and did not take it.

KaiGee19

Thanks guys. I will take these suggestions and write them down and do some research. Appreciate your time to reply.

KG

cliburn

That fare in not spectacularly inexpensive. Fares jump around all the time -- today MSP-TYO dropped to $670 RT from $1300 today as airlines are pushing each other around.... soon the fares will be back. I would monitor fares. Flexible dates help get better fares.
Use google flights and set fare alerts. Leaving from the west coast is smart -- there more competition there and fares from LAX are often in the mid 500's RT if you have flexible dates. Dulles, by the way, is only 320 miles further (5%) from Tokyo than Dallas is...

As for Japan, you will see good color.... it is a function of the weather. You may have to travel to see the best. Tokyo area probably mid-Nov, but up in the mountains or further north, it is earlier. There are a lot of options and a lot to see. Look at japan-guide.com. LOTS of good information there. japanican is a good booking site for hotels, etc. Japanese branded business hotels are pretty reasonable.

KaiGee19

Thanks Cliburn!

Ichiban365

Here are my recommendations:

Nikko is well worth visiting. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the location of the tomb of Tokugawa Ieyasu, the real character on whom the novel "Shogun" is based. It can be done in a day, but it's best to stay overnight. The shrines are amazing, and the original "three monkeys" carving is there. It is easy to miss, as it is on one of the stables, not a main building, but your clue is that nearby will be monks selling small reproductions of the carving. When I was there they were about $10, at today's exchange rate, they are probably $15 or so. But they do make great gifts for lawyers.

Travel there on the Tobu Line train from Asakusa station in Tokyo. You can get there on Japan Rail, also from Asakusa, but the Tobu trains are much more comfortable.

The inn I recommend there is the Hotori-An:

http://www.turtle-nikko.com

The web site shows both the Turtle Inn and the Hotori-An. The Turtle looks nice but I prefer the Hotori-An, which is their 'annex' (hence the 'An in the name) even though it's about a quarter of a mile away from the main Inn. It's right by the river, and the rooms at the back actually overlook the river. Rates are very reasonable per person. Watch out for that: it is common in Japan to quote and charge per person even when two people occupy one room. They serve a western-style breakfast for about $12. They offer dinner some nights but not every night at the Turtle Inn, and you have to make reservations. We did, and had a wonderful meal: soup, salad, a small fish course, sukiyaki, and a small desert, all for about $25. I have stayed at the Hotori-An twice, and will go back there whenever I get a chance. It has its own little onsen, which is really nice.

I took the bus up from Nikko to Lake Chuzenji and further on to Yumoto Spa, where I hiked back down to Ryuzu Falls, then took the bus back to Nikko. That's a day trip, and you probably will not have time to do it, but it's nice to get out into the countryside. That was in May. In February, Lake Yu at Yumoto Spa was frozen over and there was snow everywhere. And it was very cold. No hiking at that time of year, although snow-shoeing seems popular, as is cross-country skiing.

There is also a botanic garden at Nikko. It is more of a research garden, but still worth a visit.
I have visited Nikko four times now, and would go back again.


I recommend the "round the world in 8 hours' trip to Hakone, where you ride the train, small train, funicular, cable car, cable car, ship, bus and train in a day-long tour through an active volcano caledera. With some great views of Mt Fuji.

Check out these web sites:

http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2358_008.html

http://www.travbuddy.com/Hakone-Free-Pass-v302383

http://www.hakonenavi.jp/english/freepass/index.html

If you do an internet search for "Hakone Free Pass" you will find lots of references Stop in at Shinjuku station a few days before to reserve a ticket. They will sell you a ticket which includes round trip to Hakone and unlimited use of all the other modes of transport around the tour. I strongly recommend the "Romance Car" option because it is an express train and is comfortable. The alternative is a local train which makes stops along the way and can be crowded. If the weather looks decent, this is a great way to spend a day. Just make sure you get to the North end of Lake Ashi by about 3:30 pm, as the last boat leaves around 4:00pm, and if you miss it, you have to backtrack.

I never got to Kamakura but I understand that is a good day trip. There's a huge statue of the Buddha there, and it is a popular day trip for the Japanese.

Kyoto has a lot of castles, shrines, gardens, etc. I like the International Hotel across from Nijo Castle. Stay at least two nights.

KaiGee19

Appreciate your reply Ichiban365! That is actually the name of a very good Japanese restaurant in San Diego. Ichiban that is, without the 365. I will most definitely look up the suggestions.

KG

KaiGee19

Good Afternoon,
I hope you don't mind if I am writing to your directly concerning my upcoming trip to Japan and your suggestions. I am considering the Hakone Free Pass and was wondering if, by suggesting a hotel, you are also suggesting to do this with the 2 day pass or get there in the evening on one day, spend the night, then do all of it in the 8 hours, and travel back to the place where I am staying in Tokyo the next day? My mom's friend, who is a social worker on a base there, can get a Hakone tour for $82, that would leave a 06:45a and return at 19:00p. She hasn't given me the itinerary, but that would be on a tour bus and not sure how the rest of the day plays out. Waiting to hear from her on that. Would that be the better choice, or should I do the Hakone Free pass and tour on my own? I think the last time I looked the Hakone Free pass was around $40, for the two days, but I could be wrong. I have looked at soooo much here lately and it is coming down to the wire.

What do you think of getting the Japan Rail Pass? That is one of the most confusing or should I say difficult decisions to make. Some research I have done say it is good to purchase it, other forums I have read about it say it is less expensive to pay as you go. Any thoughts?? I am landing at Narita and will need to get to Tokyo, obviously. My mom's friend can get me a free bus ride, but only at a certain time, or she said the Narita Express train is $50. And I obviously have to get back there at the end of the trip. Oh, I will be going from Oct. 30, landing on the 31st Tokyo time and leaving on the 15th, if that helps you help me. : )

Thanks for your time and any insight you can give is most welcome.

Kirsten G.

cliburn

Well the Japan Rail pass can be a great deal or a bad deal depending on how much travelling you doing. Take a look at fares (and timetables) on hyperdia.com and compare them with the pass cost. Normally if you go from Tokyo as far as Kyoto on the Shinkansen, a JR pass is a good deal. But I not sure how much you going to travel. There are also many different, cheaper regional passes -- https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2357.html

I think the Hakone Free pass is a 2 day (or 3 day) pass. I spent the night in Gora. I would do the same and gives you time to do what you want as opposed to be hearded with a larger tour.

cliburn

The Narita Express offers ROUNDTRIP tickets for 4000 yen or about $35.