Travel ideas for Tokyo/Kansai area

I'm trying to work out a plan for my next places to visit here in
Japan, but having mentioned some of my ideas to a local person I see
that I don't know too much about distances etc.

I'm in Kobe right now, staying at a place cheap,organized through
contacts. It's quite flexible, so I can leave my backpack here and not
pay for the nights I'm not here (which is just what I've done for the
past week,going all the way down to the south of Kyushu and back,
having nothing but a small rucksack for my essentials).

I want to visit Osaka and Nara, and I've been told that they can both
be taken as daytrips from here, which doesn't cost much.
I've already been to Kyoto,so are there other places in the area worth
going to?

My final destination will be Tokyo, but there are a few places I'd
like to visit between here and Tokyo as well, and I'm wondering if
they are best done as stops on the way from Kobe, or as day-trips from
Tokyo (or even as day-trips from Kobe)....

I want to experience the Mt. Fuji area. I'm well aware that climbing
it is out of the question this time of year, but I want to see it and
be in that area, spending a night there if possible/needed. Don't know
exactly which area will be best for that, but either Hakone or around
the Fuji Go-ko (five lakes) area is something I've read should be good
for this.

Moving on there is Yokohama, and Nagoya and perhaps even Shizouka to
see. Have I missed any "important" places in that area to add to my
list?
Are these best done as day-trips, or spending the night there?

I might be having free accommodation in Tokyo, but this is uncertain
at the moment, in which case I'll stay at a hostel. Many hostels allow
you to keep your stuff there while taking day-trips and spending the
night elsewhere before coming back a day or two later,without any
extra charge, but in case this isn't possible, where can I keep my big
backpack in Tokyo?

I know that JR railway stations have lockers,and a few of the lockers
might actually be big enough for my backpack as well, but they only
allow you to keep things there for 24 hours or less as far as I know,
so that's not a good solution. What could I do to solve that problem?


Hallvard

In article , Hallvard
Tangeraas wrote:

I'm trying to work out a plan for my next places to visit here in
Japan, but having mentioned some of my ideas to a local person I see
that I don't know too much about distances etc.

I'm in Kobe right now, staying at a place cheap,organized through
contacts.

I sure hope you've had a chance to go to Licky and Tomato for a drink...

It's quite flexible, so I can leave my backpack here and not
pay for the nights I'm not here (which is just what I've done for the
past week,going all the way down to the south of Kyushu and back,
having nothing but a small rucksack for my essentials).

I want to visit Osaka and Nara, and I've been told that they can both
be taken as daytrips from here, which doesn't cost much.

What do you plan to do in Osaka as a day trip?

I've already been to Kyoto,so are there other places in the area worth
going to?

In Kansai? I've never been to Hikone, apparently near Lake Biwa, but
have heard it recommended as a day trip.

My final destination will be Tokyo, but there are a few places I'd
like to visit between here and Tokyo as well, and I'm wondering if
they are best done as stops on the way from Kobe, or as day-trips from
Tokyo (or even as day-trips from Kobe)....

I want to experience the Mt. Fuji area. I'm well aware that climbing
it is out of the question this time of year, but I want to see it and
be in that area, spending a night there if possible/needed. Don't know
exactly which area will be best for that, but either Hakone or around
the Fuji Go-ko (five lakes) area is something I've read should be good
for this.

They frequently call that a day trip from Tokyo. I do not. If it's a
day trip the entire day is spent coming and going. We stayed three
nights in Hakone, probably overkill. But I would go to Hakone, stay
over night somewhere in the vicinity and then go on to Tokyo the next
day.

Moving on there is Yokohama, and Nagoya and perhaps even Shizouka to
see. Have I missed any "important" places in that area to add to my
list?

I don't know the point of going to Yokohama, nor Nagoya for that
mattery. There are I've heard there's some stuff to be seen in the
later, but have yet to find out what.

Are these best done as day-trips, or spending the night there?

Yokohama is an easy day trip from Tokyo. Nagoya is on the Shinkansen
line from Kobe, so it would make better sense to leave catch it on the
way in to Tokyo (or Hakone if that's the evening's destination).

I might be having free accommodation in Tokyo, but this is uncertain
at the moment, in which case I'll stay at a hostel. Many hostels allow
you to keep your stuff there while taking day-trips and spending the
night elsewhere before coming back a day or two later,without any
extra charge, but in case this isn't possible, where can I keep my big
backpack in Tokyo?

Train station locker.

I know that JR railway stations have lockers, and a few of the lockers
might actually be big enough for my backpack as well, but they only
allow you to keep things there for 24 hours or less as far as I know,
so that's not a good solution. What could I do to solve that problem?

I don't think they patrol such things so vigorously.

--
First they gerrymander us into one-party fiefs. Then they tell us they only
care about the swing districts. Then they complain about voter apathy.
-- Gail Collins

Moving on there is Yokohama, and Nagoya and perhaps even Shizouka to
see. Have I missed any "important" places in that area to add to my
list? Are these best done as day-trips, or spending the night there?

Don't bother with any of those. Yokohama is basically a suburb of
Tokyo, and your time is better spent exploring more of Tokyo. Nagoya
and Shizuoka are industrial cities of no interest. Consider the towns
of Kanazawa or Takayama instead, and visit Kamakura, Hakone, and Nikko
on day trips from Tokyo.

(Hallvard Tangeraas) wrote in message . com...


I'm in Kobe right now,

I want to visit Osaka and Nara, and I've been told that they can both
be taken as daytrips from here, which doesn't cost much.
I've already been to Kyoto,so are there other places in the area worth
going to?

Himeji. Good for a day trip to the castle and the rest of the town.
Very close to Kobe.

Takarazuka is also a nice little place with an animation museum and
the hometown of a female revue.

Ise is closer to Nagoya than to Kobe, but if you're not going to stop
in Nagoya then maybe you could get out there for a day.


I know that JR railway stations have lockers,and a few of the lockers
might actually be big enough for my backpack as well, but they only
allow you to keep things there for 24 hours or less as far as I know,
so that's not a good solution. What could I do to solve that problem?

Tokyo station has a left-luggage office for multiple-day storage.
Fairly reasonable price. Note: it's not actually within the station -
you have to go out along the street for a short distance (~30 metres).
If you're catching trains out-of-town you'll probably pass near here
anyway.

--
Chris

"John W." wrote in message ...
Hallvard Tangeraas wrote:
I'm trying to work out a plan for my next places to visit here in
Japan, but having mentioned some of my ideas to a local person I see
that I don't know too much about distances etc.


Himeji is essential. Also, what have you done in Kobe?

Already been to Himeji.Saw the castle which was nice,but what actually
impressed me the most was the japanese garden nearby called Koko-en.
It was so beautiful and relaxing. I even attended a (short) tea
ceremony in a tea house there!!! Only cost me 500 yen.
Just being inside the tea house was fantastic!

Here's the places I've been to so far in Japan (not counting the
transit places):

Honshu:
-------
Kyoto
Hiroshima
Miyajima
Okayama
Himeji
Kobe (Rokko island)

Hokkaido:
---------
Sapporo
Hakodate
Lake Onuma (near Hakodate)
Otaru

Kyushu:
-------
Kagoshima
Sakurajima
Ibusuki
Nagasaki
Fukuoka


All of that in 3 weeks!
I'm currently in Rokko island, Kobe, but haven't had the energy to
explore Kobe itself yet. I'm pretty worn out after 6 months on the
road through all those countries, and now all that travelling in
Japan.
I love it, but it's a lot of hard work. Unlike Australia for example,
everything takes a lot more energy here as I can't simply ask anyone
for help if I'm stuck, but have to rely on myself much more.
Of course, if I REALLY need help, then people have always been
friendly,going out of their way to help as best as they can. People
here are fantastic!





Where about are
you in the city? Have you been to Nunobiki waterfall?

Rokko island, an artificial island connected with a bridge to Kobe
itself. Haven't seen anything of Kobe except Shin Kobe and Kobe
railway stations.

I'll take your advice and do some exploring when I feelmore upto it,
but right now I've needed to just do nothing.


Kamakura. And on Shikoku go to Jogasaki, a coastline of dark black/gray
volcanic rocks that is quite a neat walk; incidentally this is one of
the best rock climbing areas in Japan.

Yeah,Shikoku and Okinawa would be two areas of Japan I'd like to
visit, but don't think I will have the time nor money for it this time
around.
I'm trying to decide if I'm going to a small place on the north-west
coast (almost right opposite of Hiroshima) called Nima, where a fellow
countryman lives. It's supposed to be a very scenic area with the
coast and all, and on the way back (either back here to Kobe or Osaka)
I could take a different route, along the north-west coast, stopping
by Tottori to see the sand dunes. I like this idea about seeing just
about everything that ISN'T stereotypical Japan as the western world
sees this country!
It's going to cost me around 20 000 Yen return with the travelling
alone, but then again I'm in Japan NOW and never know if
I'llbecomingbackto experience this country.....

So many places to see, so little time (I'll have to call up my airline
to extend my stay here -I can do that for free with my round-the-world
ticket with Star Alliance!).


No good advice on the backpack issue. I've typically just carried my
backpack around. You might see if one of your friends will let you keep
it in their place.

Well,Golden week is coming up,and it'll probably be crammed enough
without any luggage at all!
I'll see if I can have it sent to Tokyo to that guy I've been offered
to stay with, or a hostel if I'm going to do that. The biggest problem
is that because I don't make too many plans ahead (it just puts a lot
of pressure on me and gives me extra worries whereas planning as I go
along lets meadjust things according to what I feel like and want), so
that makes it a bit more complicated with things like accommodation,
but that's the trade-off for being flexible and free.


Hallvard