Holiday Plan: Japan

Japan

2014, 17 days

Two historic routes, the Nakasendo and the Kumano Kodo (arranged by Oku Japan), separated by three day walks from the former capital, Kyoto.

Guidebooks:

Autumn colours on the path to Tsumago (November 2014)

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Date	Daytime	Overnight	Alternatives/Notes
Days 1-2 Thu-Fri 13-14 Nov	Taxi to Manchester airport T1 10:15 flight AY2934 (Flybe) arr. Helsinki T2 15:05 17:20 flight AY73 arr. Tokyo Narita T2 10:05 Friday Buy N'EX TOKYO Direct train tickets (¥1500) and Suica cards (¥2000) from the JR ticket office 10:48 Narita Express no.16 to Shinjuku arr. 12:13 (next: no.18 11:18-12:42) Taxi (5 minutes) to hotel Explore Tokyo	Park Hyatt Tokyo +81 3 5322 1234 Paid in full (Expedia #16207268861)
Day 3 Sat 15 Nov	Explore Tokyo	Tokyo	Arrange for suitcases to be forwarded to Hyatt Kyoto
Day 4 Sun 16 Nov Nakasendo Day 1	Taxi (5 mins) to Shinjuku Station 7:54 JR Chuo Line Rapid (platform 7/8) direction Yotsuya arr. Tokyo 8:07 (next: 7:58-8:11) 8:50 JR Nozomi no.103 for Hiroshima arr. Nagoya 10:31 11:00 JR Wide-View Shinano no.9 for Nagano arr. Nakatsugawa 11:49 12:12 Kitaena bus (lane 3) to Magome arr. 12:35 (¥560) Walk 3 hrs to Tsumago	Daikichi Minshuku 0264-57-2595
Day 5 Mon 17 Nov Nakasendo Day 2	Walk 6 hrs to Nojiri 15:08 JR Chuo Line for Matsumoto arr. Kiso-Fukushima 15:37 (next: 17:31-18:04) Phone Ryokan for pickup	Komanoyu Ryokan 0264-23-2288
Day 6 Tue 18 Nov Nakasendo Day 3	Lift to station after breakfast 11:10 JR Chuo Line for Matsumoto arr. Yabuhara 11:25 (next: 13:03-13:18) Walk 3 hrs to Narai	Oyado Iseya 0264-34-3051
Day 7 Wed 19 Nov Nakasendo Day 4	Walk 1 hr to Kiso-Hirasawa 11:09 JR Chuo Line for Nakatsugawa arr. Kiso-Fukushima 11:41 12:30 JR Chuo Line Rapid arr. Nagoya 14:01 14:33 JR Nozomi no.111 for Hiroshima arr. Kyoto 15:08 Taxi to hotel (1 km)	Hyatt Regency Kyoto +81 75 541 1234 Paid in full (Expedia #16206852432)
Day 8 Thu 20 Nov	Day walk from Kyoto	Kyoto
Day 9 Fri 21 Nov	Day walk from Kyoto	Kyoto
Day 10 Sat 22 Nov	Day walk from Kyoto	Kyoto	Arrange for suitcases to be forwarded to Four Seasons Tokyo
Day 11 Sun 23 Nov Kumano Kodo Day 1	Taxi to station (1 km) 9:32 JR Super Kuroshio no.7 for Shirahama, arr. Kii-Tanabe 12:14 12:35 Ryujin bus (stop 2) for Hosshinmon-oji arr. Takijiri 13:12 (¥960) Walk 2 hrs to Takahara	Organic Hotel Kirinosato 0739-64-1900
Day 12 Mon 24 Nov Kumano Kodo Day 2 Substitute holiday (Labour Thanksgiving Day)	Walk 4-5 hrs to Chikatsuyu	Chikatsuyu Minshuku 0739-65-0617	Laundry at the Minshuku
Day 13 Tue 25 Nov Kumano Kodo Day 3	7:33 Ryujin bus for Hosshinmon-oji arr. Doyugawashabi after about 10 minutes (¥420) Walk 6-7 hrs to Hongu 16:58 Nara-kotsu bus arr. Yunomine Onsen 17:09 (next: 18:58-19:09)	Yoshinoya Ryokan 0735-42-0101	Other options 8-9 hrs, 2 hrs walking Washing machine at the Ryokan
Day 14 Wed 26 Nov Kumano Kodo Day 4	8:50 Kumano Kotsu bus for Shingu arr. Ukegawa 9:03 (next: 10:50-11:03) Walk 4 hrs to Koguchi	Momofuku Minshuku 0735-45-2016
Day 15 Thu 27 No Kumano Kodo Day 5	Walk 6 hrs to Nachi-San	Mitake Sanso 0735-55-0745	Ring Four Seasons to arrange to be met on the platform
Day 16 Fri 28 Nov Kumano Kodo Day 6	Walk 30 mins to Daimonzaka 9:16 bus arr. Katsuura-eki 9:35 (next: 9:46-10:05, 10:16-10:35, 11:11-11:30) 12:23 JR Wide-View Nanki no.6 arr. Nagoya 16:10 16:32 JR Nozomi no.32 arr. Tokyo 18:13	Four Seasons Hotel at Marunouchi +81 3 5222 7222 Paid in full (Expedia #16207746051)	If not being met, take the Yaesu South Exit (Yaesu Minami Guchi) from the station and turn right to find the hotel, which is located in a 31-storey office building, Pacific Century Place, at Kajibashi Intersection; about a three-minute walk.
Day 17 Sat 29 Nov	Escorted walk to Tokyo station 9:00 JR Narita Express no.15 arr. Narita T2 9:56 (next: no.17, 10:03-10:56) (¥3190) 12:00 flight AY74 arr. Helsinki T2 15:20 16:00 flight AY2937 (Flybe) arr. Manchester T1 17:00

Date

Daytime

Overnight

Alternatives/Notes

Days 1-2
Thu-Fri 13-14 Nov

Taxi to Manchester airport T1
10:15 flight AY2934 (Flybe) arr. Helsinki T2 15:05
17:20 flight AY73 arr. Tokyo Narita T2 10:05 Friday
Buy N'EX TOKYO Direct train tickets (¥1500) and Suica cards (¥2000) from the JR ticket office
10:48 Narita Express no.16 to Shinjuku arr. 12:13 (next: no.18 11:18-12:42)
Taxi (5 minutes) to hotel

Explore Tokyo

Park Hyatt Tokyo
+81 3 5322 1234
Paid in full (Expedia #16207268861)

Day 3
Sat 15 Nov

Explore Tokyo

Tokyo

Arrange for suitcases to be forwarded to Hyatt Kyoto

Day 4
Sun 16 Nov
Nakasendo Day 1

Taxi (5 mins) to Shinjuku Station
7:54 JR Chuo Line Rapid (platform 7/8) direction Yotsuya arr. Tokyo 8:07 (next: 7:58-8:11)
8:50 JR Nozomi no.103 for Hiroshima arr. Nagoya 10:31
11:00 JR Wide-View Shinano no.9 for Nagano arr. Nakatsugawa 11:49
12:12 Kitaena bus (lane 3) to Magome arr. 12:35 (¥560)
Walk 3 hrs to Tsumago

Daikichi Minshuku
0264-57-2595

Day 5
Mon 17 Nov
Nakasendo Day 2

Walk 6 hrs to Nojiri
15:08 JR Chuo Line for Matsumoto arr. Kiso-Fukushima 15:37 (next: 17:31-18:04)
Phone Ryokan for pickup

Komanoyu Ryokan
0264-23-2288

Day 6
Tue 18 Nov
Nakasendo Day 3

Lift to station after breakfast
11:10 JR Chuo Line for Matsumoto arr. Yabuhara 11:25 (next: 13:03-13:18)
Walk 3 hrs to Narai

Oyado Iseya
0264-34-3051

Day 7
Wed 19 Nov
Nakasendo Day 4

Walk 1 hr to Kiso-Hirasawa
11:09 JR Chuo Line for Nakatsugawa arr. Kiso-Fukushima 11:41
12:30 JR Chuo Line Rapid arr. Nagoya 14:01
14:33 JR Nozomi no.111 for Hiroshima arr. Kyoto 15:08
Taxi to hotel (1 km)

Hyatt Regency Kyoto
+81 75 541 1234
Paid in full (Expedia #16206852432)

Day 8
Thu 20 Nov

Day walk from Kyoto

Kyoto

Day 9
Fri 21 Nov

Day walk from Kyoto

Kyoto

Day 10
Sat 22 Nov

Day walk from Kyoto

Kyoto

Arrange for suitcases to be forwarded to Four Seasons Tokyo

Day 11
Sun 23 Nov
Kumano Kodo Day 1

Taxi to station (1 km)
9:32 JR Super Kuroshio no.7 for Shirahama, arr. Kii-Tanabe 12:14
12:35 Ryujin bus (stop 2) for Hosshinmon-oji arr. Takijiri 13:12 (¥960)
Walk 2 hrs to Takahara

Organic Hotel Kirinosato
0739-64-1900

Day 12
Mon 24 Nov
Kumano Kodo Day 2
Substitute holiday
(Labour Thanksgiving Day)

Walk 4-5 hrs to Chikatsuyu

Chikatsuyu Minshuku
0739-65-0617

Laundry at the Minshuku

Day 13
Tue 25 Nov
Kumano Kodo Day 3

7:33 Ryujin bus for Hosshinmon-oji arr. Doyugawashabi after about 10 minutes (¥420)
Walk 6-7 hrs to Hongu
16:58 Nara-kotsu bus arr. Yunomine Onsen 17:09 (next: 18:58-19:09)

Yoshinoya Ryokan
0735-42-0101

Other options 8-9 hrs, 2 hrs walking

Washing machine at the Ryokan

Day 14
Wed 26 Nov
Kumano Kodo Day 4

8:50 Kumano Kotsu bus for Shingu arr. Ukegawa 9:03 (next: 10:50-11:03)
Walk 4 hrs to Koguchi

Momofuku Minshuku
0735-45-2016

Day 15
Thu 27 No
Kumano Kodo Day 5

Walk 6 hrs to Nachi-San

Mitake Sanso
0735-55-0745

Ring Four Seasons to arrange to be met on the platform

Day 16
Fri 28 Nov
Kumano Kodo Day 6

Walk 30 mins to Daimonzaka
9:16 bus arr. Katsuura-eki 9:35 (next: 9:46-10:05, 10:16-10:35, 11:11-11:30)
12:23 JR Wide-View Nanki no.6 arr. Nagoya 16:10
16:32 JR Nozomi no.32 arr. Tokyo 18:13

Four Seasons Hotel at Marunouchi
+81 3 5222 7222
Paid in full (Expedia #16207746051)

If not being met, take the Yaesu South Exit (Yaesu Minami Guchi) from the station and turn right to find the hotel, which is located in a 31-storey office building, Pacific Century Place, at Kajibashi Intersection; about a three-minute walk.

Day 17
Sat 29 Nov

Escorted walk to Tokyo station
9:00 JR Narita Express no.15 arr. Narita T2 9:56 (next: no.17, 10:03-10:56) (¥3190)
12:00 flight AY74 arr. Helsinki T2 15:20
16:00 flight AY2937 (Flybe) arr. Manchester T1 17:00

Traditional shops in Narai (November 2014)

Autumn-themed plate of appetisers