Japan 2026-1: South (Ryukyu Islands)

[chadbag]

I'm interested in hearing about Shikoku too.  We've been in Kochi once and we regularly go part way to Shikoku on Awaji-shima and once in Naruto.  I'd love to spend more time there but don't know much about what to do or see or where to go.

 

[RS18U]

1 hour ago, chadbag said:

I'm interested in hearing about Shikoku too.  We've been in Kochi once and we regularly go part way to Shikoku on Awaji-shima and once in Naruto.  I'd love to spend more time there but don't know much about what to do or see or where to go.

 

Hmm.  Given that you, @Tony Galiani and I are all looking for info on Shikoku maybe we should have a separate thread for that.  Make it easier to keep it all together?

[Tony Galiani]

Funny, I was wondering that but was hesitant to start one.  However, I think I could do that.  Also, hoping that @Ekiben will chime in as his posts about his train travel in Shikoku helped get me hooked.  And his info on the Gomen - Nahari line pointed us in the right direction for a great day out from Kochi.

(I need to learn how to link to other threads in the forum but his thread can be found on this Platform.)

Cheers,

Tony

[Ekiben]

I've been kept pretty busy of late with family and work, so there's really been not enough time for the forum here. I have, however, followed @Tony Galiani's recent trip report, and I'm happy to see it was a success. I'll be heading back to Shikoku in November and plan to ride some (hopefully all) the lines that I missed during my Spring 2024 trip. This will include the Mugi, Naruto, Gomen-Nahari and Sukumo lines. Sounds as though a dedicated Shikoku planning thread for us to share information and ask questions of one another is definitely in order. (Edit: Happy to see one has already been started!)

 

@RS18U My wife and I had also thought about taking our toddler and the in-laws to Okinawa for five days or so during the upcoming trip. Not so great a place for railfans but sounds like a nice spot to chill for a while. A friend and his young family just got back from two weeks on the main island and they had a blast. He recommends a rental car to explore anything outside of Naha. A car is pretty much essential and very affordable, he says. I've read that the southern part of the island is especially interesting for WW2 history buffs, whereas the northern part of the island is wilder and more rustic with great hiking trails and beaches.

 

Though we''d been thinking about Okinawa, my wife woke up the other day and suggested a trip to Taiwan. She's been interested since some friends of ours went last year and haven't stopped raving about the great food and interesting sights. So my planning has shifted from Okinawa to try and fit a week-long side trip to Taiwan into the budget and timeline for our November trip. I have a ton of Aeroplan points and have begun the frustrating game of inputing various itineraries to take advantage of a stopover in either Japan or Taiwan.  I was excited to learn about Taiwan's impressive railway network and I look forward to researching some basic trips in and around Taipei, which at first glance seems to be a very tourist-friendly city.

Edited April 3 by Ekiben

[RS18U]

@Ekiben Taiwan is on our list at some point as well, but it looks like we will be sticking to all Japan this trip.  Thanks for the insights on Okinawa, even if they are second hand.  And glad you found the thread Tony started, and I followed along with him as well on his recent trip.

[emicoyou]

Hey RS18U! Sounds like an awesome trip you’re planning! Okinawa is beautiful, and definitely worth exploring beyond just Naha. If you’re looking at the ferry, Amami is a great choice with some nice beaches and local culture. Also, check out some of the smaller islands like Ishigaki or Taketomi for a taste of that laid-back island life. Oh, and if you’re interested in taking the train to get around, be sure to read up on this guide for riding the shinkansen—it's pretty handy! [The Ultimate Guide to Riding the Shinkansen in Japan](https://www.japanfortwo.travel/the-ultimate-guide-to-riding-the-shinkansen-in-japan/). Happy planning

[RS18U]

Thanks @emicoyou.  This will be my 6th trip to Japan (4th for my wife who's family all originate from Hiroshima), including 2 last year.  My wife and I are trying to get to all regions and so far have done Hokkaido (2018), Kyushu (last spring) and east central Honshu (2014, 2018 and last year since we go to Hiroshima on every trip we do together to visit relatives).  Interesting to hear about Amami, and those smaller islands too. 

 

During the course of the 2018 and 2024 trips we have used the Shinkansen to get to Hakodate and Kagoshima although I prefer the locals or local expresses since you can see more but for those longer distances you can't beat the Shinkansen!

[RS18U]

Well time to get back into this!  My wife and just got back from almost a month in the British Isles, the longest holiday we have ever done so we learnt a lot.  For example:

• Plan some downtime about half way through a long trip, some days when you don't have to set the alarm, there are no entry tickets to worry about, no specific trains to catch.  We really only had a single day off (most of the time was on a coach tour) and it got pretty tiring.  I was aware of this concept before but this last month really brought it home, especially to my wife.
• Try to pick overnight stops where you can be there at least 2 nights.  Sure helps with managing the trip.  Fortunately the London part of our last trip was like that, making London more enjoyable.
• Pack light, and wash cloths as you go.  Which means hotels with laundry facilities.  Generally we have done well on this in Japan, but in the UK none of our hotels had coin laundry so we spent time (and money) at a launderette and washing in the sink.

So based on these I will be re-evaluating our trip a bit, with a focus on where the break will be.

[kuro68000]

10 hours ago, RS18U said:

• Pack light, and wash cloths as you go.  Which means hotels with laundry facilities.  Generally we have done well on this in Japan, but in the UK none of our hotels had coin laundry so we spent time (and money) at a launderette and washing in the sink.

 

Some great advice there. My trick with clothes is to bring old stuff that I am going to throw out anyway. Some of it gets replaced (clothing is cheap in Japan at the moment, as long as you can find your size) and some just discarded.

[Tony Galiani]

Tokyo Stay hotels have - or did when we used them a couple of years ago - in room washing machines which is quite convenient.  And no extra cost to use the machine IIRC.

 

Personally, I go with a mix of some easy to wash items which I can just do in the hotel room, or using the hotel's laundry service.  That can be expensive in Tokyo or major cities but can be a good deal in small places like Kochi.  On our last trip, I figured out what we were likely to need for the last part of our stay in Tokyo and had some laundry done at our hotel in Kochi and that worked out well for us.  Of course, we have not been able to manage very long trips so far.  If we ever do, I may have to rethink that strategy.

 

And, as RIck Steves recommends, taking a vacation from your vacation is a good idea.  We try it but it often doesn't work for us as we seem to keep finding things to do!

 

Ciao,

Tony

[RS18U]

2 hours ago, kuro68000 said:

My trick with clothes is to bring old stuff that I am going to throw out anyway.

My wife did that this last trip, and its great advice.  She even tossed a pair of shoes when the sole started to de-laminate.  Also leaves more room for trains stuff to come home!

 

@Tony Galiani good to know about Tokyo Stay hotels.  In the past we have generally been able to find places with coin laundry so no need to use the in-house service which as you note can get pretty expensive.  Cheaper to go to Family Mart and buy new socks/undies/shirts!  In London we uses a service where they charge by the bag of cloths, but still cost £15 / $28 CDN per bag vs ¥600 per load in Japan.  If we stay multiple nights then the quick dry cloths are not really needed as they can get a couple of days drying in the room.  And cotton is much more comfortable to me than full synthetic.