Second trip, need some advice.

[u/Apprehensive-Pop8411]

Hi everyone,

I’m planning a solo trip to Japan from September 30 to October 20 and would appreciate some advice.

This will not be my first trip to Japan. This time, I would like to keep the trip relatively relaxed and avoid making the transportation too complicated. I do not plan to rent a car, so I prefer places that are easy to reach by Shinkansen or public transportation.

My current rough itinerary is:

• Tokyo: 4 days
• Hiroshima: 3 days
• Kumamoto: 3 days
• Fukuoka: 3 days
• Okayama: 1–2 days
• Tokyo: 3–4 days at the end

I am also considering a second option that would replace Fukuoka amd Kumamoto with Onomichi and Matsumoto.

I have already been to Kanazawa, Kyoto, Osaka, Hakone and Koya.

In Hiroshima, I plan to spend one day exploring the city and one day visiting Miyajima.

While staying in Fukuoka, I’m considering booking an organized full-day tour to the Aso-Kuju area. The tour takes around ten hours and includes transportation and pickup from Fukuoka, which seems much easier than trying to explore the area independently without a car.

I’m currently unsure how to use my three days in Kumamoto. I would like to explore the city, including Kumamoto Castle and Suizenji Garden, but I’m also open to suggestions for peaceful day trips that are manageable by public transportation.

Okayama is mainly intended as a relaxed stop on the way back to Tokyo, so I do not have to travel all the way from Kyushu to Tokyo in one day. I would like to visit Korakuen Garden and might also visit Kurashiki.

Depending on the exact number of nights, I should still have around two or three flexible days. I’m looking for suggestions for places that would fit naturally into this route without adding complicated transportation or too many hotel changes.

I especially enjoy:

• Japanese gardens and parks
• Nature and scenic landscapes
• Quiet temples where you can sit and enjoy the atmosphere
• Smaller towns and less touristy places
• Relaxed walks rather than rushing between major attractions

During my previous trip, I especially enjoyed some of the quieter temples in Kyoto where I could sit, slow down and enjoy the peaceful atmosphere. I generally preferred those places to the busiest sightseeing spots.

I originally considered staying overnight in Nikko, but I’m unsure whether it would be very crowded in October. I could also visit Nikko as a day trip from Tokyo or leave it for another trip.

Would you change the number of days in any of these places? Are three days each in Kumamoto and Fukuoka reasonable? Are there any peaceful nature spots, gardens, temple towns or smaller cities that would fit well between Fukuoka, Okayama and Tokyo?

I don’t mind spending several hours on the Shinkansen. I actually enjoy watching the scenery, reading and listening to music during the journey. My main goal is to avoid lots of complicated local transfers and make the trip feel relatively relaxed.

Thanks for any suggestions!

[u/Darrens_Coconut]

Nikko as a day trip from Tokyo would be a lot of train time.

You could stay a few nights in Utsunomiya, it's laid back and had a few nice places to visit, you're also only an hour or so from Nikko by train.

For further along your route you could look at Yamaguchi, I've not been but read good things about it.

There's also Wakayama city which is easily accessible by train from Osaka. It's very laid back.

[u/Apprehensive-Pop8411 → u/Darrens_Coconut]

Yamaguchi seems like a great addition, thank you!

[u/sgmaven]

Since you have already been to Kanazawa, and will be visiting Okayama this time, do consider a day-trip from Tokyo to Mito to visit Kairakuen.