Hi everyone, I am headed to Japan for a group ski trip next February.
We plan to stay for three nights in a pretty nice hotel in Tokyo, followed by six nights at a ski resort hotel in Hakuba to the west. The trip organizer is taking care of all transfers (bus and/or bullet train).
In Tokyo, I will have two full days to see the sights, and on one of the days the trip organizer has arranged for a 3/4 day tour. I will be on my own otherwise.
On the way to Hakuba, we are supposed to go on the Matsumoto Castle Tour.
In Hakuba, there are some additional optional tours, but I will likely ski all five days if conditions are good. But if not, here are the other suggested options:
Jigokudani Wild Snow Monkey Park, Zenkoji Temple with lunch
Togakushi Shrine, Bamboo Craft Market and Lake Nojiri lunch
Sake Brewery Tour and Suwa Grand Shrine with lunch
I have read some of the other recent Japan travel threads, including these:
Just wondering if anyone has any suggestions for things to do in the short time I have in Tokyo in early February, along with general suggestions for Japan travel. Thanks!
P.S. I do hope to go back to Japan someday to spend more time seeing the sights during better weather (not February!), but this group ski trip seemed like a fun opportunity in the meantime.
So will I! Going straight from there to a Hokkaido road trip with some Irish friends. But I’ll be back in Tokyo for the Back From the Grave Halloween Ball in Shinjuku. If the OP is interested in the underground music scene in Tokyo, let me know.
This is totally something my concert-loving son would do! He especially loves small venues. But he’s not going on this trip, and I think in my short time there I’m going to focus on the traditional sights.
When I was there 15 years ago I took the Shinkansen (high speed train) from Tokyo to Kyoto. You pass Mt. Fuji on the way down, and that’s a sight to behold in itself. Kyoto is an amazing city with many Buddhist temples and other historic places of interest. I spent almost a full day there before heading back to Tokyo.
I was there in the Spring if I remember correctly. I’ve heard that getting around Japan during Winter months can be tricky no matter where you go, so plan for delays in any travel outside Tokyo.
While I enjoyed walking around downtown Tokyo, and never felt unsafe even for a moment, if I ever go back again I will head straight to Kyoto and spend more time there.
If I just had one day in Tokyo by myself I would just wander some of the neighborhoods and look for eateries with a line to get in. The lines move quickly and are the best indicator of a good meal.
Sorry, @robby, I don’t think I have much to contribute. I spent a winter in Tokyo in 1979-80, but I spent my winter break in a small farming community in Hokkaido in an older farmhouse without central heating and only a little fire pit in the main room. The rest of the time during the winter in Tokyo I just remember walking quickly (which helped me keep warm) from one warm place to another, and being so glad when my school finally turned the heat on, on December 1st.
Since then, I have only traveled to Japan in the Spring or Autumn, and not at all for the past 10 years or so.
With only one day, I myself wouldn’t head down to Kyoto, but I know people who love it that much and they would. Japanese trains are generally reliable so its possible, but there is a small chance that there could be weather delays.
With only 3 nights and 1-1/4 days available, I wasn’t really planning to leave the Tokyo area. I would love to visit Kyoto someday, but will likely leave this for a future visit. Plus my GF (who is not going on this group trip) doesn’t like big cities, so this may be my only chance to see Tokyo.
So in my short time there, I was looking for suggestions on what to do. I like historical stuff, cultural stuff, and good museums.
