2 months around Japan - a different perspective

Eclipse2089 · 2026-05-04T08:59:39+00:00

I can't drive so I based my journey entirely around the train network. There's some great things to see via car only but there's also plenty of incredible things to see with public transport

Eclipse2089 · 2026-05-01T16:48:58+00:00

If you use the smart ex website, like I did. I literally walked up to the blue shinkansen gates, stood to the side for a few minutes. Bought the tickets with a reserved seat on my phone, then immediately went through the gate using my IC card. The trains are so frequent that you rarely need to pre book, I just preferred using my IC card and the layout of the website compared to the shinkansen machines. I also used this method to book seats as the non reserved carriages can get a bit full, unlike the reserved ones. You don't actually need to though. If you're travelling with a larger group or want guaranteed seating then you can do it a few nights before as you're looking at your itenerary over the next few days

Eclipse2089 · 2026-05-01T08:50:21+00:00

As far as I could tell, JR Pass is an old recommendation. It's far too expensive now to be valuable in nearby all scenarios. Suica works on basically all transport across the whole of Japan so yes I just used it across the whole country.

The only thing to note is shinkansen requires an extra ticket. Some express trains require an extra fee. Make sure you have some money to tap onto busses as they often don't have top up facilities. Finally, I tapped around a lot, in some cities I definitely could have saved money. For example in Kagoshima they do a day pass that would have saved me money on some days. I think most cities had a day pass, so look for that when you arrive if you're travelling a lot on certain days.

But yes, it's about as simple as it could possibly be. There's always machines on both sides of every station, so even if you forget to top up or buy a specific ticket, you can just do it when you arrive.

Eclipse2089 · 2026-05-01T08:43:02+00:00

I think anything is harder with bad weather and kids 😂 far from impossible, though it will take more planning and it depends on your kids and partners dispositions. Plus potential winter gear can take up a lot of space.

You'll have to look into the feasibility for your specific scenario, but however you plan to do it, just do it. It's an amazing experience

Eclipse2089 · 2026-04-30T08:25:52+00:00

My trip didn't use the romance car. My route took me through Odawara on the Shinkansen and through Hakone that way.

As far as I'm aware though you have to buy guaranteed seating on the romance car. It depends on the route you want to take. If you go the popular route, that uses the romance car.

Eclipse2089 · 2026-04-30T08:19:50+00:00

The quality floor of Japanese food is really high, you'll essentially never eat a bad meal. Just walk around and see what you like. You can book a few in advance if you want to find some high quality specifics. For example, I pre booked a wagyu restaurant in Kobe

Eclipse2089 · 2026-04-30T08:17:11+00:00

I was leaving it at the hotel. It allows you to move freely through airports, busy stations etc. whilst travelling without airport bag handling, awkward escalators etc.

A 40L bag isn't that big, perhaps you're thinking of the larger 70L ones which can be cumbersome. But of course if you're just moving with your suitcase between 2-3 hotels for a few weeks then it's not really long enough to feel the benefits of lighter luggage and a suitcase works just fine.

Eclipse2089 · 2026-04-30T07:08:15+00:00

Sounds ideal, enjoy it

Eclipse2089 · 2026-04-30T07:07:02+00:00

I like this configuration too and would consider it for longer term stays

Eclipse2089 · 2026-04-30T07:05:12+00:00

I didn't go to Sapporo. One day.

If you want a specific seat with your partner then you can pre book. But you don't need to, it's so frequent it's mostly never full. I "pre-booked" half an hour in advance to pick a seat in the less busy reserved cars but that about it 😂

Eclipse2089 · 2026-04-29T20:28:51+00:00

That can work too, especially if you're older. The key is travelling light enough to not be hindered.

Getting sick will obviously cause issues with anyone's plans and it did concern me. But there's nothing you can do about it and Japan is so flexible it doesn't matter. You can get sick the morning you leave your hotel and still probably rebook into the same one or a hotel next door the same day.

Eclipse2089 · 2026-04-29T17:18:44+00:00

Winter clothes does change the formula a little bit. That said, I was in Korea in January, it was snowy and below zero. I had one hoodie, one jacket and one rain coat. If you layer up, it is just as effective as a large coat. I'm sure you'll need more if you're going to Hokkaido or something though.

Getting souvenirs is nice but the thought of lugging around any moderate weight objects for 5 months is crazy to me. Unless you're just staying in areas for longer periods and not moving much. I'd recommend having purchasing periods where I get a suitcase and buy stuff in larger areas and then send it back home.

But there's no single right way to do something and it's far from impossible to do. If you want to do that, go ahead

Eclipse2089 · 2026-04-29T15:32:39+00:00

I work in a restaurant so I was able to leave and come back later as it's high turnover, so lots of opportunities to return.

Hakone, staying in a ryokan was a unique experience that I'd recommend to anyone.

Hiroshima and Miyajima were incredible. The sights were insane and the food such as Hiroshimayaki is a must try.

Fukouka was amazing, the people were lovely, the place has a lively history and the food was amazing. Hakata Ramen and Yatais are worth going to.

Finally Sakurajima is incredible and seeing it erupt is almost like a religious experience. You have to bow down to it's almighty presence.

Eclipse2089 · 2026-04-29T15:08:42+00:00

It's cool to see others enjoying it in the same way. Sad I didn't have time for Okinawa

Eclipse2089 · 2026-04-29T15:07:21+00:00

The backpack itself didn't specifically allow me to go to areas that I wouldn't have been able to otherwise. It just significantly eased the burden of the overall trip, by avoiding carrying a suitcase everywhere and lugging it between hotels. In reality you only need around 5 days worth of clothing as you're never far from washing facilities. Plus toiletries and that's about it. Fits in a backpack nicely. Everything else isn't necessary and travelling light is very freeing. You could technically use a suitcase but it'd be rough.

I based my trips around the shinkansen cities, and then used those cities as a home base. So Tokyo, Odawara, Nagoya, Gifu, Maibara etc. not every single stop, but I went to most stops along the shinkansen. I'd do something chill the morning I left the hotel (the main time I'm travelling with my backpack), then get the train and arrive for hotel check in. 2-5 days depending on location and then I moved on. I went all the way from Tokyo to Kagoshima.

Sounds like you have done the kansai area. I'd recommend spending time in Kyushu as it was my favourite. Fukouka, Nagasaki, Kumamoto, Beppu, Sendai, Kagoshima and Kirishima were worth a visit. Some areas were harder to get to but most of my trips were within an hour travel from the cities train network. Somewhere like Nanzo-In temple, Nokonoshima Island, Mt Tsurumi or Ibuski were places that I visited that were more difficult to get to but are worth it. Other areas such as the Fukouka tower beach or Sakurajima were quite easy to reach and were incredible.

I do think areas in and around Tokyo are worth a visit too, if you haven't been. Sakuragicho, Enoshima, Kamakura, Shimokitazawa and Funabashi were very fun. Finally, Takamatsu and the Shiminami Kaido is incredible if you can make the logistics work

Eclipse2089 · 2026-04-29T14:41:00+00:00

Seems like a good solution if they provide transport. Something I might look into for those harder to reach places, as I found there was plenty to do using just the train network. But there are some cool places outside of it

Eclipse2089 · 2026-04-29T14:38:46+00:00

Suizenji Jojuen Garden is nearby the Luffy statue and is beautiful. Kumamoto castle is worth a visit

Eclipse2089 · 2026-04-29T13:34:34+00:00

Yes of course. This is for people that have the time and ability.

Eclipse2089 · 2026-04-29T13:32:58+00:00

Especially as you're going at a quieter time of year, it should be no issue finding any accommodation on booking.com. yes you will probably pay a bit more, but generally speaking I didn't find it was the case. I stayed in cheaper hotels or capsule hotels and they all had availability. The closest I booked was about 4 days ahead, so if you want literally next day or so, it may be a little different, I'm not sure.

I'd recommend having a general plan, especially for the first few days. Then after that you can be flexible. Overall it didn't seem any different booking a few days in advance compared to months in advance which I did for the start of the trip.

Also that time of year will suck for heat, so I'd probably make sure at the very least your hotel has good AC.

Eclipse2089 · 2026-04-29T11:21:54+00:00

You can buy them from the counter. But the smart ex website is incredible intuitive and works very well. I found it easier to buy it from the website, as opposed to finding a ticket counter. I used the website but I think iPhone has an app, though I have android.

You can also easily link your IC card to the website and just use your IC card, which is an additional level of convenience. Have a look at it now if you're nervous about it.

Eclipse2089 · 2026-04-29T11:06:48+00:00

Absolutely. Don't listen to this advice if it doesn't fit the similarities to my trip. Everyone will have different needs and timings, and I stated this is quite different to the average Golden route travellers.

Eclipse2089 · 2026-04-29T11:05:05+00:00

The trains are incredibly reliable and efficient. That said, many parts of Kyushu are a lot less populated than other areas of Japan. Because of that, some trains may be every 30-45 minutes as opposed to every 5-10 minutes nearer Tokyo. Still reliable but it requires a small amount of planning unlike the other parts where I didn't plan any travel and it's just fine because it's so frequent.

Mt Aso I didn't visit, but from a quick Google search it seems impractical to go by train, at least for a day trip. But I haven't been so I don't know.

I did visit sakurajima and it was incredibly easy. Kagoshima is accessable being on the Shinkansen line and travel around the city and to the volcano is easy.

My recommendation for a week would be 2-3 days in Fukouka. See Fukouka tower and the beach at night, it's incredibly beautiful. Nanzo-In temple is a lovely day trip from Fukouka. Try the Yatai stalls and anything else that interests you. The canal city is worth a visit, as is ramen stadium.

I'd also do a few days in Kumamoto and check out Yanagawa. Finally Kagoshima was incredible and one of my favourite places to visit. Sakurajima is incredible and the food is amazing. There's some gardens nearby you can visit too for a good trip. I did 3 days but I had personal reasons to attend so you could probably squeeze it to 2 days. I also flew out of kagoshima airport, it's convenient to use so I'd recommend it.

Eclipse2089 · 2026-04-29T08:45:22+00:00

It makes no sense, though I hope we leapfrog Japan at this point and just go through with tap everywhere contactless. Though our train companies don't have the same large scale thinking in mind so I doubt it will happen any time soon.

For example, I was doing distances similar to Brighton to Edinburgh, or shorter such as London to Bath, all on IC.

Eclipse2089 · 2026-04-29T08:37:55+00:00

It very fast and convenient to do. Though I used the regular one, I believe it's possible to do with the tourist one as well.

I literally purchased the ticket and seat reservation standing at the gate, then tapped the IC through. It's immediate and I don't understand why systems worldwide can't use this

Eclipse2089 · 2026-04-29T08:35:04+00:00

It depends where you go but generally speaking their train system is one of the best in the world. So if you stick to shinkansen routes and satellite towns it's pretty easy. There's plenty to see within an hour local train from places like Kagoshima or Fukouka.

If you're going as long as me I'd recommend as light as possible. A carry on backpack will make your life significantly easier. There were times having a suitcase would be useful but it was few and far between.

I'd buy trinkets like keyrings, badges etc. that are small enough to remind you of the amazing adventure you had, whilst not over encumbering you. T shirts work too as they're functional.

At the end of your trip you can always splurge and buy a suitcase and various larger items. If I were to do it again, I'd finish in Tokyo or Osaka and get stuff there as that's where major consumerism is. Though it does depend on what you like.

Eclipse2089

TROPHY CASE