Trip to Japan...

[Jwrussell]

Hi all! Been a bit since I've been on the site. My wife and I are planning a trip to Japan in the next 2-3 years (so no urgency here), and of course I want to make the most of my time there in reference to Nihonto and Samurai culture. We are looking at Tauck and other travel groups. I won't be able to monopolize the trip, of course, but want to make sure that with my free time I hit anything that is a "must not miss" for a Nihonto fan.

 

Thoughts and suggestions are appreciated. Typical trips hit Tokyo, Kyoto, Nagano, Hakone, Nagoya, Kanazawa, Hiroshima, and Osaka (in no particular order). 

 

Appreciate the help.

[Bruce Pennington]

If I were going, the first stop would be at Piers' house, @Bugyotsuji, to have a drink and ogle his collections!

 

I have only been to Tokyo and Narita, both for work.  Didn't enjoy Tokyo as it is, like all major cities, very crowded and the tourist sites are so spread around I spent $80 USD just on transportation.  The Palace was closed, as it was New Years Day.

 

Narita has an Old Town with a HUGE temple area.  That was quite interesting.  

 

Sorry, not much help, but maybe it will get the ball rolling with real recommendations from other guys.

[SteveM]

How long are you visiting? If you are going for around 2 weeks, I wouldn't bother with Nagoya. Apologies to all the Nagoya fans out there, but for me Nagoya is a speed bump on the way to Kyoto. The Nagoya castle is a post-war, concrete and steel reconstruction, so slightly disappointing. Nagano is quite a trek for not much payoff, unless you like mountain climbing and skiing. The exception might be Matsumoto, which is a 2-3 hour train ride from Shinjuku Station. Matsumoto has one of the few remaining original castles in Japan, and it is a very grand castle. So, consider it if you have a lot of time to kill, or are a castle buff. 

 

Tokyo: Japanese Sword Museum near Ryogoku Station. Also close to the Edo Tokyo Museum, which is closed for renovations until 2025. Also the area where Tokyo Sumo arena is located.  

In Ginza, you can hit Ginza Choshuya (high-end sword shop) and Token Shibata (mid-range sword shop) and Ginza Seiyudo (mid-range sword shop). They are near the center of Ginza, and within walking distance of each other as long as the weather is nice and you've got good walking shoes. The walking around Ginza can be an enjoyable event in itself. Also there should be some swords on display at the Tokyo National Museum near Ueno. Ueno can also be an enjoyable destination, especially around the Ameyoko-cho shopping arcade. 

 

Nikko is an excellent day-trip from Tokyo, and in addition to the shrine, which is one of the finest in Japan (if not the finest), there is the Nikko Toshogu Museum, which houses a lot of artifacts from the Tokugawa family (including some swords if my memory serves me well). Nikko is also a quaint city, and there are a couple of antique shops on the high street. Lots of walking and stair-climbing. 

Kanazawa - a lovely city with a nice castle. Not quite the grand towering castle that Matsumoto has, but rather a low-lying fortress kind of castle. Two nice geisha districts. Well, they were once "tea houses", but now they are converted into shops, but they still retain the old atmosphere. There is also a famous temple, associated with ninja (Myoryu-ji). Normally one would stay in Kanazawa and maybe make a side trip to the Noto Peninsula, which I would recommend without reservation, but obviously the earthquake has done serious damage to the Noto area, so you would have to watch for updates to see when Noto is ready to accommodate visitors again. Some are saying Noto wants visitors right away, because they need the revenue to get back on their feet, but...check the internet for updates. Noto is famous for lacquerware (Wajima city, specifically). 

 

Kyoto - what can be said about Kyoto? A beautiful city with so many cultural landmarks per square mile, it is difficult to summarize. Nijo castle would be a must. Again, not a towering castle, but more of a low-lying estate. Kiyomizu-dera, Kinkaku-ji, Ginkaku-ji, Sanjusangendo, Ryoanji, Arashiyama...its all worth seeing. Then, from Kyoto you can visit Fushimi-inari taisha, Horyu-ji, and Nara. All are within a short train ride from Kyoto station. Kyoto is worth spending time in - and I would make it my base for explorations into Nara, Osaka, Himeji, and maybe even into Hiroshima. 

 

Osaka is an hour train ride from Kyoto. Osaka has a castle, but it, like Nagoya, is a modern reconstruction. I don't know Osaka very well. I've never done too much sightseeing there. From Osaka, Himeji is about an hour away (less if you go by Shinkansen). Himeji has the best, most well-preserved castle in Japan. 

 

Osafune (of Bizen Osafune fame) is about a 2.5 hour train ride from Kyoto, and well worth seeing for the sword museum and sword-related craft displays. To get to Osafune, you have to change trains at Okayama, which has a castle (modern reconstruction, but some original buildings/walls) but it is also worth seeing. 

 

Hiroshima - less than an hour from Okayama by Shinkansen. Atom bomb museum, and a castle (reconstruction) not too far from the museum. Hiroshima also famous for its food culture. Hiroshima also has one of the most picturesque shrines in Japan, Miyajima. It is slightly far from central Hiroshima, but well worth visiting. It is a popular tourist destination on an island just off Hiroshima, so the connections and frequency of the boats/trains make it a relatively easy trip. 

 

 

 

[Toryu2020]

In defense of Nagoya - the castle is spectacular the concrete tower is the least of the attractions - I recommend getting an English guide, these are often castle enthusiasts that can help you see deeper into the defensive structures. Also in Nagoya is the Tokugawa Art Museum and the Atsuta Jingu. Atsuta has a long history associated with the sword, so they have an impressive collection much of which is now displayed at the newly built sword museum...

my two yen,

-t

[Brian]

Steve has given you some excellent advice.
As for me, I LOVE Tokyo. It's always where I spend most of my time. It's busy....but in a calm way. Hard to describe. So much to do there, you could spend weeks and not get bored. The guys who aren't huge fans, always choose Kyoto. Refined, classy and full of temples and shrines. I am all shrined-out....so it can be a bit lazy. But I think a must see, and I guess more prefer Kyoto over Tokyo.
Osaka is a bit more edgy...very different to Kyoto. Worth a day visit from Kyoto.
Hiroshima is worth a day or 2. Maybe Takayama for a day. Koya-san if you want to see and stay in a true Buddhist town atop a mountain.
Tokyo has the most sword stuff.
I need to do North of Tokyo next time, want to see some snow.
Everywhere is great.

[rematron]

I second Steve's recommendation of Nikko.  It's an absolutely beautiful place and you can use that as a base for a day trip to Nikko National Park if you want a break from the hustle and bustle.  It's serene and picturesque.  I don't know how common it is throughout the year but I was there in late December and saw snow monkeys hanging out in hot springs on my bus ride to the park.  I also agree that Kyoto is a great base camp for visiting nearby attractions like Himeji and Nara.  

[BryanW]

I have nothing to add other than thank you for this thread and suggestions.  I may have the opportunity to go next year myself.

[katonk66]

Maybe if you have the time, visit Kumamoto Castle in Kyushu. My dad's ancestry is from the general area.

 

https://shokyoto.jp/.../sub/kumamoto_yamaga

 

The aforementioned area felt like "home" to me, even though I can't speak Japanese very well. (maybe at a level of a two or three year old. LOL)

[1kinko]

If in Kyoto, the Kiyomitsu Sannezaka Museum has excellent exhibitions of late Edo and Meiji metalwork, lacquer, and Cloisonné. Easy to reach on Hagiashyma-dori by the #206 bus and a short uphill walk. Ichigo, Natsuo, Ishiguro sword furniture. Good restaurants nearby. Check with your hotel- there is usually an open-air market by the Toji Temple and Pagoda with antiques including swords (which would entail export papers), sword furniture, polishing stones, lacquer, etc.