Tony - Japan 2025 Planning - Take One

[Tony Galiani]

@Kingmeow - you may have seen me in Chinatown staggering out of a restaurant after eating Szechaun Chicken!  Never had spicy food until college friends started taking me to Chinatown.  And, of course, right by Little Italy as well - no wonder I was overweight then!

And thanks for the Yokohama info.

Tony

[Tony Galiani]

I am still trying to figure out where to go on my upcoming trip.  Have a tentative plan but still not sure.  Currently thinking of flying Tokyo to Kagoshima, then on to Fukuoka by Shinkansen.  After that head back to Tokyo by train with a stop in Kobe?  However, to do that I need something more than a plan to stop at RG Rokko - need to find something to keep my wife busy if I were to do that.  Then on to Tokyo for the final few days.

 

Considering a side trip to Amami Island after watching the NHK On The Wings video of the flight from Kagoshima to Amami.  There is an Australian there who runs tours and that might be neat.  On the other hand, public transit on the island is limited so getting around could be an issue.  While I have driven on the "wrong" side of the rode in several places, not sure I would feel comfortable renting a car in Japan.  And March may be a bit too early for the water to be good for snorkeling.  But something to think about.

 

Ciao,

Tony

[Madsing]

On 2/12/2025 at 11:46 PM, Tony Galiani said:

need to find something to keep my wife busy if I were to do that.  

Highly recommended:

Takenaka Carpentry Tools Museum

https://en.dougukan.jp 

 

… and Kobe beef of course…

 

Marc

 

[UnfinishedKit]

If you are going to be in Kobe then Nada Gogo is where you want to go. This is probably the most famous sake producing area in Japan. 
 

https://www.nadagogo.ne.jp

 

probably the pick of the breweries is Kenbishi, not least because they are one of the oldest, brew some really interesting stuff using some old school methods and make wooden tools for most of the rest of the industry. 
 

of course because it’s the sake industry they make visiting inconvenient. It is possible though and unless you know someone in the industry it’s worth finding a guide who can get you in. Just Google kenbishi sake tour and a bunch come up. 
 

Theres a couple of bar/tasting places listed on the site above and Oozeki appears to have an open day on 3/1 
 

higashi nada is just across from Rokko island which is where I presume RG Rokko is. 
 

There was also a regular sake tasting train on the Osaka monorail. The march edition is on 3/15 and features the sake of Saga prefecture. 
 

https://www.osaka-monorail.co.jp/info/detail/613

 

 

[UnfinishedKit]

Also if you are down that end and heading back to Tokyo, it’s the perfect opportunity to take the Sunrise Izumo/Seto. We took it after visiting Tsuji Honten in katsuyama in darkest Okayama, they are the brewers of Gozenshu. A really lovely way to get back to Tokyo. 

[Tony Galiani]

I have always thought it would be neat to ride the Sunrise Izumo/Seto though, from watching lots of videos on it, I think the rooms would be a tight squeeze for us!  I have already purchased the Kato model as well.  On our recent trip to Shikoku I spotted the Sunrise Seto stabled near Takamatsu.  Didn't get a chance to take pictures from our train though.

Tony

[Tony Galiani]

Just made a hotel reservation for our first night in Tokyo.  Our usual places near Tokyo Station seem to have gotten overly expensive and, since we are likely heading back to the airport on our second day, I opted for a hotel in Hamamatsucho for easy access.  Trying a Sotetsu Hotel this time.  We should be in town by late afternoon so thinking we can drop our stuff off, take a walk in the park by Tokyo Tower and have an easy departure from Tokyo either by plane or Shinkansen.  Now need to figure out where we are going for the rest of the trip.

 

My wife found a pottery class in Tokyo that she may want to take so I am now thinking three days in Tokyo.  And the day she is in class, I am hoping to go to Nakano Broadway and the Kato Hobby Center as I have not been to either place.  Oddly enough, our hotel in Vienna had NHK on their TV so I got to watch part of this show about Nakano Broadway.  It has an interesting history and there appears to be more changes and development coming in that area.  Planning to watch this video in its entirety to learn more about it.

https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/shows/2102043/

 

Ciao,

Tony

 

 

 

[Yavianice]

Good luck with the Sunrise Express. 

 

I tried ordering 4 times. 2 times sold out in SECONDS, 2 times I actually got tickets but the train was cancelled on the day I was supposed to travel. 

 

Sunrise Express will probably retired in a few years because who takes night trains nowadays anymore. 

[UnfinishedKit]

4 hours ago, Yavianice said:

I tried ordering 4 times. 2 times sold out in SECONDS, 2 times I actually got tickets but the train was cancelled on the day I was supposed to travel. 

OK it was 2019 but I just walked into the ticket office and booked the cabin I want. 
 

I wonder if, as in Europe and Australia, night trains are seeing a bit of a resurgence in Japan. The upswing in tourism is probably helping and the JRs are not above converting some stock to serve a niche. The JR West express has some overnight accommodation . It’s a good deal as a tourist to get accommodation and transport combined. 
 

@Tony Galiani that’s another candidate for your trip. 
 

https://www.jr-odekake.net/railroad/westexginga/

 

might be hard to get a reso though

 

none the less, who knows how long Izumo and Seto will keep running. 
 

As for fitting, not sure which dimension concerns you but I’m 184cm and my wife is 178cm and we fit a B-type cabin just fine. 

[Tony Galiani]

@UnfinishedKit - Thanks for the added info.

 

@Yavianice - I am under the impression that the Sunrise trains are pretty popular and likely to be around for a while.  If I understand correctly, with no Shinkansen service to the Izumo area, the Sunrise Izumo is considered a great option while the Sunrise Seto is an alternative to taking the Shinkansen to Okayama to then connect with trains for Shikoku.  Of course, that is what I am taking from some of the videos I have watched and so I could be wrong.  It seems to have some sort of cachet right now.

 

Ciao,

Tony

[RS18U]

7 hours ago, Tony Galiani said:

Our usual places near Tokyo Station seem to have gotten overly expensive

I noted this too for my November trip as compared to March.  But still way cheaper than locally (Vancouver, Victoria, even Port Alberni BW at nearly $300/night plus taxes).  Will be interesting to see what you think of the place in Hamamatsucho.

[Ekiben]

On 2/14/2025 at 8:00 AM, Tony Galiani said:

I have always thought it would be neat to ride the Sunrise Izumo/Seto

I've taken the Sunrise Seto twice (probably a decade ago now). Both trips were to Tokyo from points on Shikoku, and both times I rode/slept in the nobi-nobi seats. These are essentially tatami mats separated by rigid dividers and curtains. Not too bad comfort-wise, but I wasn't even forty years old at the time. I believe bedding was provided. I really enjoyed taking the night train, and it was fun to cruise into Tokyo while watching out the window as the sun rose and the first commuters of the day were heading into work. Highly recommended.

 

@Tony Galiani If you need a cat-inspired stop along the way between Fukuoka and Tokyo, Onomichi in Hiroshima Pref. is a must see: https://www.japan.travel/en/sg/jbyj-blog/cats-cafes-and-temples-exploring-onomichis-cat-alley/

 

 

[Tony Galiani]

@Ekiben - nobi-nobi seats!  I am impressed!  Though from what I have seen in the videos, they hardly qualify as seats.  The kind of thing I might have thought fun forty or fifty years ago ....

Tony

[Tony Galiani]

Still planning away.

 

My wife wanted to take a pottery class in Tokyo and has found one but is having trouble sorting out the details.  (It appears she has to buy a membership and then could purchase the class which seems a bit odd.  And, if the translation is correct, turns out they are not open in March.)

Anyway, if anyone has suggestions for one day courses in Tokyo, please let me know.

No pressure, buy my day of going to Nakano Broadway and the Kato Hobby Center could depend on my finding something to keep her busy!

 

And, on another note, I came across Omakase Tours in Kochi on Shikoku.  They have a day tour with a private English speaking guide for the area around the Niyodo River.  We are intrigued by this and if anyone has any experience with either that area of Shikoku or with doing private tours, I would appreciate any input.

 

Ciao,

Tony

 

[Gunzel]

Have been to Kochi a few times, but mainly train focussed. The Ino Paper Museum was interesting. 

[Tony Galiani]

Funny after the posts about the Sunrise Express - Kuga just posted a video about riding it in January.  And he comments on the difficulty getting tickets so I guess it is still popular.  And everyone is taking pictures of it as it pulls into Tokyo for passengers to board for the journey to West Japan.

 

At the end of the video he comments that the train is 26 years old and could be retired anytime.  Seems a bit of a contradiction - very popular and selling out - though apparently in danger of being phased out.  It looks in very good condition but I guess maintaining a train that old could be a challenge.  Based on the number of vlogs about it, a lot of vloggers will have to find something new to ride and post about.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoE3W7OIrZ0

 

Ciao,

Tony

 

[chadbag]

On 2/14/2025 at 9:15 AM, Yavianice said:

Sunrise Express will probably retired in a few years because who takes night trains nowadays anymore. 

Someone is if it sells out in seconds. 

[Ekiben]

The Red List of Trains in Japan lists the Sunrise Seto/Izumo as vulnerable because of mechanical issues, as @Tony Galiani correctlly hypothesized. Specifically, “Many train faults have been reported especially since 2023, making its future bleak,” according to the train’s Red List page.

 

The Sunrise Seto, however, may not be the best bet option if you plan to stop in the Kansai area, since the train reaches Osaka at around 12:30 a.m. Perhaps a ferry from Takamatsu to Kobe or a Ltd Express Nanpu from Kochi to Okayama would be your best escape from Shikoku. There are also many ferry options between points on Kyushu and the Kansai area, if you decide to save Shikoku for a later date.

 

On that note, i checked the JR Shikoku site and noticed it isn’t available at JR Yawatahama. You can’t even exchange your voucher there for a pass if purchased ahead of time. Closest station with a JR Pass ticket office would be Matsuyama, about 45 minutes in the wrong direction if you’d hoped to travel along the Yodo Line. Not a huge detour, but not insignificant unless you plan to spend a night in Matsuyama. I love Matsuyama. It’s very laid back and has a beautiful castle and hot springs, but I may be biased because I once lived there and still return often to visit my in-laws. The cost of tickets from Yawatahama to Okayama or Takamatsu (via Uwajima, Kubokawa and Kochi) may not be much more than a rail pass, so you could always just buy tickets as you go. I’ll have to look at the numbers.

 

As for the kayak tour. that looks fantastic, especially since they can drive you from your hotel in Kochi (which also has a nice castle, but not as nice as Matsuyama’s 😄)

 

Edited Tuesday at 05:34 PM by Ekiben

[Gunzel]

I doubt it makes money, and it doesn’t belong to just one company, there’re four JRs with a finger in the pie, for Central and East I suspect it’s just a pain. Fun to do though, even the nobi nobi “seats”. 

[Tony Galiani]

Slowly getting this trip organized.  We have a hotel in Tokyo for our first night and I just completed making reservations for our first stop:  Fukuoka.  We will fly ANA from Haneda to Fukuoka on the day after we arrive.  Very frustrating to purchase via ANA's web site as you have to go through the process to see what seats are available and, if you do not like what you see, then you have to start over as you cannot easily change the parameters.  But after three tries I was able to get window seats for our flight.  Still amazed at the passenger volume - ANA has multiple flights that day on high density planes - we will be on a B787 with 400+ seats and there were not a lot left for purchase.  Other aspects of their site are very good - you can enter where you are leaving from and it will offer travel options to the airport.  We are planning to take the monorail at Hammatsucho and it tells me it takes 23 minutes from station to Terminal 2.  So that is useful.

 

I had originally thought to go to Kagoshima then on to Fukuoka but my wife likes to nest in a hotel for more than a day or two so I changed the plan to go right to Fukuoka and stay for about four days.  However, Kagoshima is still an option as it is only two hours by Shinkansen so a day trip there with a visit to Sakurajima is a possibility.  She is good with that and who wouldn't want to spend that much time on a Shinkansen?

 

Still sorting out plans for the middle of the trip but heavily focusing on a trip to Kochi for a few days before heading to Tokyo.  Currently thinking flight to Kochi and then to Tokyo on the Nanpu to Okayama followed by the Shinkansen to Tokyo.  Not definite yet but hopefully.

 

Ciao,

Tony

 

 

[N-Osoi]

7 hours ago, Tony Galiani said:

Slowly getting this trip organized. 

 

 

 

 

Getting close! I've been away from this forum a bit but I'll be in Japan in less than two weeks. We are flying into Narita and catching a connecting flight to Fukuoka on the same day with Peach, as we didn't want to transfer to Haneda.

 

If you're looking for a nice overnight trip to/from Shikoku, try the Orange Ferry. There are others, but the Orange Ferry goes to/from Osaka and Shikoku (near Imabari) overnight every night. I'm catching it from Osaka so I can ride the Shimanami Kaido the next day! 🚴‍♂️

[Tony Galiani]

@N-Osoi - looks like we will be there at the same time.  If you come across a gray haired guy mispronouncing Japanese, it will likely be me!

 

Solo Travel Japan found an interesting way to transfer between Narita and Haneda:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gL7JTX9DGxg

 

Pretty amazing - a B787 being used on short domestic routes.

 

Cheers,

Tony

[chadbag]

1 hour ago, Tony Galiani said:

Pretty amazing - a B787 being used on short domestic routes

They used to use 747.  In fact I think the 747 SP variant was initially made for Japanese airlines.   Short range with a billion seats.  Don’t need large luggage capacity or fuel range.  Most people traveling inside Japan aren’t taking a lot of luggage and obviously fuel needs aren’t trans-pacific. 
 

I flew a A350 from Haneda to ITM last time we were there.   My son flew a 777 from Tokyo to Sapporo last June when he got to Japan for his current stay.  
 

All this despite the excellent rail network and Shinkansens (but not yet Sapporo) that are often quite full. 

[Tony Galiani]

I think I have just about put the trip together.  I guess the Princess of Procrastination has had an effect on me - I have been slow to book hotels and found that a number of places I might have liked did not have the rooms we needed for all our dates.  I have to get back on track and follow @Kingmeow's approach - book the rooms as soon as the flight is confirmed!

 

So here is my plan - fly into Tokyo, stay one night there as we have about 16 hours of flight time over and a break will be nice, then on to Fukuoka.  I splurged there and reserved a view room in the hotel by the JR station.  Hoping that means a view of the tracks though it might be a view on the waterfront and canal.  After four days in Fukuoka, we will fly to Kochi - assuming I can still get seats!  ANA doesn't seem to have direct flights any more but hoping that JAL still has seats available on an afternoon flight.  Three days there then the Nanpu Express to Okayama via Oboke Gorge and over the Seto bridge to connect to the Shinkansen for Tokyo.  And a few days in Tokyo.  Hoping that the Princess can follow through on her plans for a class or two which will free me up for some train fun.

 

In Kochi, we plan to go to the Sunday Market - as we really like these.  My wife's hometown, Fredericton, New Brunswick, purportedly has one of the best weekend markets in Canada and we recently did the Naschmarkt in Vienna and I walked through several weekend markets on my last visit to Paris.  We have found some tour options - car with English speaking driver and are looking at those.  One includes visiting the Niyodo River and then attending a washi paper making session.  Not sure if we can do that but maybe.

 

As always, suggestions and recommendations welcome.

Tony

[Tony Galiani]

Just purchased tickets to fly Fukuoka to Kochi so, outside of train tickets Kochi to Tokyo, we are all set.  Flying JAL this time.  Even though I have been sucked into the frequent flyer game with United / Star Alliance, I opted for JAL as there was a direct flight.  As opposed to ANA where we would have flown to Osaka or Tokyo to connect for the flight back to Shikoku.

 

Two things that struck me with the purchase experience.  Google Flights was not that helpful with domestic Japanese flight info.  I knew there were direct flights on JAL but that did not show up on their search.  So anyone looking for flights internally might want to look at the airline web sites and not rely entirely on Google.

The second was that both ANA and JAL have a consumer friendly policy, unlike US airlines.  In both instances, when I had picked my flight with the airline, they allowed me to make a reservation without paying.  Each airline offered a reservation number and a deadline to make the purchase.  For example, on JAL, I could make the reservation today and have until Tuesday the 23rd to pay and confirm.  I think that could be very helpful when working on travel plans when not completely sure of them.

 

Ciao,

Tony