Hi all,
I'm new to the forum, and I was wondering if anyone has some advice for my upcoming holiday in Japan. I'm planning on flying into Tokyo (12/21) and the departing from Osaka (12/31 or 1/1). My hope is that this will allow me to move in a linear direction while sightseeing--rather than merely making day trips whilst based in Tokyo.
Is there much to do in the latter part of December in Tokyo? What about Osaka, Nikko, Nara, or Kyoto? Admittedly, I'm more of an outdoors and culture guy--not so much with the shopping although I'm not averse to it. So, here are my questions:
1) Given the number of days I'm in Japan, how many should I spend in Tokyo and how many should I spend in other cities? If you had complete control over my trip, what cities would you recommend I visit and for how long each?
2) What MUST I see in each of the cities? I'd love to go to a hot spring and do some Zen Buddhist meditation in Kyoto. Are there other outdoor things, shrines, etc. that I *must* visit?
3) I'm also a school teacher, so I don't make a lot of money. This trip is a pretty big trip altogether in terms of cost, so I'd like to minimize the spending, if possible. That being said, I don't mind eating street food and noodles from stands on the streets--just not out of trashcans
. Any recommendations?
Thanks so much ahead of time. Hope to hear from someone soon!