"Must-visit" places in Japan
 

So, yeah. I'm gonna live in Tokyo for a year (exchange studies), and I'm kinda compiling a list of places I really want to visit during my stay (gotta have something to do while waiting...). I'm listing places outside of the immediate Tokyo area (as I will probably see most of that anyways).

What I got so far is :

* Kyoto
* Osaka
* Sapporo (seemed like the logical choice for Hokkaido)
* Nara (Want to see the deers)

I'm asking for some advice, if someone knows about a really special little or big town that would be nice to visit, then shoot! Please write why that specific place is worth a visit.

I was also thinking about going on a roadtrip thru Japan, perhaps with an old scooter or something (possible to get those cheap?), as cars probably are too expensive. Think that's possible or not? Are there many spots in Japan where you could just sleep in a tent and move on?

You should see the Kamakura Buddha at least once. you will recieve alot of good Karma if you do:) .

Oh, yeah I've heard about that one. Great! :)

Himeji is not far from Osaka, so try to give that a shot when you are there

If you are into the big outdoor field/flower type location, go to Furano while you are in Hokkaido

The Dai-Butsu or Great Buddha in Nara is must see.

Thanks for the suggestions!


I'll be sure to visit that when I'm in Nara then!

I wiki'ed Himeji, seems like a cool place.

Thanks, Furano sounds like a place I wanna pass by then :)

Hiroshima and Miyajima is a bit far, but I think Miyajima is worth visiting....

Wow, nice. These are exactly the kinds of suggestions I wanted :)

Anyone got any thoughts of the possibility of going thru japan by scooter? Like regulations on where you can put up tents, and whatnot..

You really should try to visit Mt Koya in Wakayama-ken... it's an amazing place! And you can stay in a Buddhist monastery overnight, eat the monk's vegetarian mountain vegetable cuisine, and see the oldest (and IMO by far the best) cemetery in all of Japan.

Sounds like a good list so far. I also recommend Kanazawa, a very pretty town reminiscent of Kyoto's Gion district. Also go to a good onsen at least once.

Absolutely, WICKED good list :) I really love all these kind of old-style towns/temples/places, so there are a few really nice suggestions here.

A good onsen was already on my list. Last time I was in Japan I went to one in Nikko (dunno how good it was by japanese standards, but it was pretty sweet).

I only hope I can visit all these places. But as I do have some holidays (mainly between 1st and 2nd semester), there should be time.

Yeah, second that, Hakone, Atami or Nikko, all have nice onsen..

right.... go post somewhere if you are not going to contribute to the thread

huh? what?

They removed a posting by someone that was framing this forum, my reply was to that

Go to the Tokyo Dome and ride the Thunder Dolphin!

Best places to visit
 

If your travelling in Summer vacation try the west coast of Hokkaido on a bike

Motorcycling Japan is a great way to see Japan, cheaply and at your own pace.

Isetan Shinjuku food halls
 

If you even have a passing interest in anything food related, visit the downstairs food halls of the Isetan department store in Shinjuku. Most of the larger department stores in Japan have a great food floor but nothing in the world, not KaDeWe in Berlin nor Harrods in London, come even close to what Isetan Shinjuku are doing.

Virtually nothing presented on shelves for self-service. Instead, there are literally hundreds of stalls with glass display cases, "manned" by scores of staff wearing lovely uniforms. I have never seen food presented so aesthetically. The pastry department alone is worth a trip itself and the beef display ... an amazing selection with the best cuts going for over $700 a pound! Tip: go shortly before closing, lots of items are discounted, buy a feast and eat it in your hotel room or in a park.

Second that, also should pay a visit to Tsukiji...

Even more good suggestions! I thank you. I gotta update my list asap, but I am sitting in a little lodge in the mountains so my internet access is dodgy and limited for about 1½ weeks more..

Lol. I rode that one several times my last visit :) It's one of my first stops when getting there now! ;)

Check out the Kawayu hot springs. The train / bus trip out there was stunning. Found loads of things to do, bush tracks, fly fishing and golf. Definatly a highlight of my trip. Oh and I 2nd Mijajima, just awersome.

I think that Beppu is definitely one of the "must see" places in japan. Not
only that you can enjoy many onsens, but you also can try "wild"
hotsprings in the mountains, jigokus, visit monkey park where you can see
more than thousand wild monkeys. To see all of this you will need about 2
days.

Visit official Beppu city guide web pages for more information about the

city here:
BEPPU CITY GUIDE


Regards,

Bibo
HAPPY NEKO Backpackers - Happy Neko Backpacker, Beppu

A must visit place is Hakone near Tokyo in the mountains. Wonderful views of mt Fuji and many hotsprings too.

Second that :) Find an onsen hostspring by Yumoto and you are set

Thanks for even more replies... The places I have to go to just keep piling up, haha ;)

I agree to this too! I was so sad when we found that the one night we'd given ourselves to spend there was woefully inadequate, especially as it was raining like crazy the afternoon we arrived. Didn't end up being able to do much more than take a couple of photos of Mt Fuji nestled in the other mountains from a bit of a distance. Beautiful place though, and definitely on my list of places to spend more time in when I go to Japan again. And the ryokan we stayed at was fantastic, definitely heading back there again.

Hi ChisaChi,

Yes you need two nights at least in Hakone. There is a two day pass which good value and you can see the lake area and take the zigzag raliway and cable car to see the mountain from.

When I went there it rained and Mt Fuji was invisible:( . So I am going back too.:)

If you're here for a year then you need to get some snow in the winter months. We could do with some now to be honest - it's boiling! I love Shiga Kogen in Nagano. If you fancy going a little further then try Hokkaido - time it right and you can take in the ice festival, usually around Feb 7 - 10 :)

Cheers and all the best

Seems great. I was actually planning on going up to Hokkaido a while in the winter. I need a dose of snow :)

For snow there is also Iwate prefecture, Aomori, Akita, Miyagi, and Yamagata prefectures. All are good for skiing and playing in the snow.