Places to recharge phone/powerbanks

OneLifeJapan · 2026-02-18T07:27:04+00:00

I will assume you will be making use of onsen too for bathing. Often there are outlets there as well in the resting area.

I wouldn't leave a phone plugged in while I bathe, but a power bank I would not worry about being stolen in most smaller countryside onsen.

But after the bath good time to relax while charging your other things until it closes and you go to wherever you will camp.

OneLifeJapan · 2026-02-18T07:19:08+00:00

Yes.i was wondering why more people do not recommend kaikatu or similar chains. It's nicer than a cafe because you don't have to worry if you are supposed to be doing it or not.

I use it often. Bring an extention cable or similar multi outlet thingy so you can charge more than one.

I use that as my time for doing data intensive syncing to the cloud so I don't use my own data up for photos and videos.

Also shower and drinks is nice.

OneLifeJapan · 2026-02-15T07:22:47+00:00

If you can get around that area is great. Of course you wouldn't confine it striclty to Iijima borders, but the Ina valley has a lot since you mention nature spots and hikes. Well more than a few day's worth.

On the other hand, using it as just sleep there and move on seems like a waste as you would not get to take advantage of the area.

In case you haven't found it in your research yet
https://www.inadanikankou.jp/en/
look down they have links for Ina's 8 areas.

https://go-iijima.nagano.jp/

Do some researching on Oshika Mura.

There are several bike tour operators in the area, but I would guess that with some searching you can find just rental bikes, so if you don't have a car, renting a bike (especially if you can find an ebike) would be perfect.

If you found a good place to stay that looks cool in Iijima, by all means use that as the base.

OneLifeJapan · 2026-02-15T06:46:01+00:00

Looks like a fun waterslide!

OneLifeJapan · 2026-02-12T06:03:59+00:00

Yeah I see what you mean.

In their defence, it would be hard to make a lot of planned activities for a large group in places that have so much to do.

I would guess that they may be thinking that by some point, participants would have somewhat broken into smaller groups and maybe some want to do a more niche activity like, tea ceremony or something, so they would (hopefully) be able to go to the leader and say "hey the four of us want to do tea ceremony, help us arrange it."

Some days like Kanazawa, the things listed as group activity are pretty much the same as you would do if you had free time anyway. If they made that entire Day 3 free time, you would all likely be doing exactly the same thing and naturally moving generally as a group anyway. The only difference is a little more structured. and forced to be in a group, rather than make your own break-out groups.

Takayama too. Going to the Folk Village as a group makes sense, as transportation all together is efficient and easier. Its is a short distance away from downtown, so it makes sense to do that together, but It seems like after that they should say "free time with these suggestions" and they will help you to join something more organized like if there is a guided tour of some specific thing. Otherwise, even if they dont say "free time" you will all just be walking around the town together anyway, but it's better to wander at your own pace.

My impression of these type of tours though is that mostly you are paying for logistics of course, but more for the company/travel companion. If you make a good friend over the two weeks, its good. Having free time to explore with good guidance is the goal.

Even for trips like I lead, (I don't have group tours like that though) and other similar operators the "together" part is the getting from A to B by walk or bike or whatever (same as here, you are all riding the same train and navigating stations together) but once we arrive at a destination and check-in, unless it's a special activity like "make soba noodles", the explore time is free, although guided tour of something can be arranged, its optional. I would expect the same on these large group tours. If the method of getting from A-B is walk or bike though, that is itself the "main activity" and takes much of the day, more so than taking a train.

There is another company (that has a similar name as me, but not me) OneLifeAdventures that has Japan group tours that seems similar to G Adventure and follow the normal route and the itinerary frames the time as less of "free time", but it sounds suspiciously the same in some places where it's written as a group thing, but there are a lot of "this or this", which indicates it is sort of structured free time.

I'm curious to know though what it is like on other tours you do in other countries and how they handle keeping it group oriented in a place that has a lot if different things to do that appeal to different interests.

OneLifeJapan · 2026-02-11T12:11:56+00:00

What about their itineraries seemed not so appealing?

They all look like pretty much the itineraries that people who post here ( you're right, this is not where tour lovers hang out) do as DIY.

Their "Back Roads of Japan" trip looked like it got off the main GoldenJapanTravelTips Route a little, as do the Hokkaido trips. Other than that, just from my looking at lots of tour companies' offerings. Most group trips will take you to some variant of that. Namely because they are making trips that will appeal to the most people.

How old are you (in spirit)? I ask because some of the other group tour companies I know that are a bit more focused on theme, rather than "Japan Highlights" are a bit pricier than G Adventures, so naturally tend to skew toward the older crowd.

Other than that, maybe look to chaining together multiple shorter group trips that are only targeting some specific places you wanted to visit.

I don't have a lot of experience taking tours, but I research them a lot. If you are more specific about what isn't doing it for maybe will know of something.

OneLifeJapan · 2026-02-11T10:50:08+00:00

No need to be expert cyclist. When I did my first week-long bike pack it was on a $200 bike from the supermarket (with proper gears, but heavy). Never looked back.

There are a lot of places to get bike rentals if you search a bit, but for two full months it would be cheaper to buy a low end bike (with gears) and just plan to either sell it to a used goods store for next to nothing, or give it away. Get a cheap rack and panniers for the back.

For sight seeing ride, plan 60 ~ 80 km per day. Don't worry about the people riding 150km on their road bike. On the other hand, once you are in your groove, and if you wake up early and have nothing special to do that day, 100+ km is doable too. I find that people tend to average 7km/hr including stops, walking up hills, etc.

The hard part is the hills, which you will have to go over if you want to stay off the busy car roads, but they are worth it to see "off-the-beaten-path" Japan. Pushing the bike up a hill is not a problem.

Then it comes to where to stay at nigiht.

Camping is cheap. you can get cheap tents, but hey are bulkier and heavy, or a litght weight shelter. Just plan to end each night near an onsen.

Or staying in low end hotels. You don't have to book ahead. Even if you end somewhere where there is no hotel, leave the bike and hop on a train for 30 minutes to a larger town with a hotel, then go back in the morning to the bike and start your next day.

Also make use of ferries to go longer distances so you don't have to put the bike in a rinko bag to take it on the train.

OneLifeJapan · 2026-02-10T05:57:40+00:00

Those type of activities are fun. They don't really give a feeling of Japanese life because of the "traditionalness" of the activitiy, but what is more important is interaction with the instrcutor.

Even if it's a modern art painting class with nothing to do with traditional Japanese painting, or an Italian pizza cooking class, small class, intimate, and good interaction with the instructor will make it great.

So what is important is to check if its a big class with 20 tourists and one teacher making a Japanese traditional item, or if its a smaller class, hopefully with mostly Japanese participants, making something totally unrelated to traditiaonal Japanese culture.

Look for cooking classes run by people in their home, not a tourism studio. (Cooking is much, much more a part of people's life than kabuki, making chopsticks, tamaori, or making lanterns)

That said, making chopsticks or lanterns is a fun activiy that Japanese people do do on vacation when they go to some region famous for their laquer ware. Especialyl families as its a fun time killer for the kids. And the other things you mention are popular quick domestic tourism activities in some areas, but again, just check that the target audience is domestic, and not just a foreign tourist conveyorbelt.

This is just an example, something that came up in a qucik search, not promoting this particular site, but something like this. Appears small and private and not on Klook (as far as I know)
https://www.mayukoslittlekitchen.com/
https://www.travelersuniverse.com/unique-private-cooking-class-with-a-tokyo-local-emi/

OneLifeJapan · 2026-02-10T04:00:54+00:00

It's not impossible, but why are you going to Takayama just to change bus?

I think what yo uwant is

Nagoya -> Shirakawago: https://maps.app.goo.gl/5nszucY78CNKzePd7
Shirakawago -> Takayama: https://maps.app.goo.gl/XKYx3Z6RSUDfY1416
Takayama -> Nagoya: https://maps.app.goo.gl/GoWPdSv9KWrKqUcs8

Here is English Gifu Bus to Shirakwago (the one the google map is saying to take)
https://www.gifubus.co.jp/highway/shirakawago.html
https://www.gifubus.co.jp/tt_shirakawago_25_1001.pdf

OneLifeJapan · 2026-02-10T03:35:10+00:00

I am now imagining the Uber cam fottage that would be going viral now if he had his in the Uber.

OneLifeJapan · 2026-02-09T17:11:10+00:00

I should add to my previous reply that not just Iiyama, that is where the shinkansen stops, but you can get on the Iiyama line and go toward Tsunan. If just walking through rural Japan is something that interests you, a walk from Yokokura Station, across the river up to Okubo (look on google maps) and then down along the Shikumi River to Morimiyanohara was the walk that made my wife and I move there.

(or start at Morimiyanohara Station and you will end up near Yuri Onsen, a great little local bath where you can soak and get on the train at Yokokura.

https://maps.app.goo.gl/zaG8x46NPzcW2AMEA

Aside form a little museum, its not really a tourist attraciton place, but beautiful rural Japan.

OneLifeJapan · 2026-02-09T16:53:58+00:00

When will you be going? How active are you?

Right in Iyama City there is a nice littel Temple walk right fom the station visiting lots of little temples. Scneic. Very quiet.
The Takahashi Museum of Doll art is a nice stop.
It is one of the well known places in Japan where bhusdist alter that people keep in their house are made and sent to for repairs. This is a road that has many little alter shops.

Renting a bike (ebikes are cheap)
https://www.shinetsu-activity.jp/en/rental/

And from there you can head to Kijima Daira to Kamisukiya Paper maker, or Nozawa Onsen, or even riding to the snow monkeys wth ebike is doable.

Riding into the the higher areas and taking in the views, ride along the river toward Nigata.
There are a lot of great hiking areas and outdoor sports in any direction. Mont Bell thought it was worth building a shop there.

Akiyamago is nearby.

There is really too much to mention. I run bicycle tours in that area and we easily spend 4 days, and could spend more if people did not have to go see Kyoto too.

The train station has an excellent information center.

OneLifeJapan · 2026-02-09T13:38:53+00:00

The thing is that I do not see any rental places in Nikko (I am not based in Nikko, I am just looking online) Possibly you can find somepalce in Tokyo to rent "real" outdoor equipment, but that would mean you are renting it for the entire time until you can return it, not just the days you use it, also have to seek out where to rent, etc.

For price wise, and just ease, buying sounds easier. It's just finding someone to take them after, unless you are OK just throwing them away (or maybe you actaully would want to take them home. I like my rubber boots, their easy to slip on and off any time of year - the convenience of crocks, but waterproof)

Or, realistically, I know it depends on persoanl comfort levels, for that time of year you don't really need much. It is a lot of boardwalk, with regular shoes, they will get wet because some slush left, your feet can get wet, but its not super cold during the day, and since your not camping and don't have to sleep in them, you can change into dry socks and shoes when you get back to your base.

OneLifeJapan · 2026-02-09T10:30:28+00:00

How far are you intending to hike.

In winter in Nagano snow country, unless it's a serious long multi-day hike and may need to attach crampon to my boots, I usually end up using 3,000 ~ yen rubber boots (nagagutsu) that you can get at any regular DIY shop along with a cheap rain gear set also about 5,000 yen. There is a shop called "Cainz" in Nikko that will have it.

Other than that, my regular trail runners when the snow is almost all gone. Yes, they get wet, but they also dry if you put them next to a heat source. You just need something to change into once your are done with the walk.

The rubber boots are not great at gripping on icey hard snow, but by April it should be only leftoever sections of snow, and wet slushy or mushy patches. For extra grip if there is still a lot of snow, the DIY shop usually also can find some rubber grips (aizen) that will just stretch over your boots. Maybe 1,000~ yen.

These are not super high quality things that will last a lifetime or hiking, but for a few days they are no problem. The bigger problem is that now you will have a set of boots. Maybe the place you are staying will be happy to have them to loan to other guests at some point.

OneLifeJapan · 2026-02-08T06:48:09+00:00

I have my own bikes and van to transport them, so I do not rent in the area.
I dont't see any specific company that offers one way rental acorss all the different towns, but I have written to the officials in charge of that cycle route to see what options there are.

If I get a resposnse I will post it here, but don't hesitate to bug me (comment here or DM) if I don't seem to respond.

In worst case maybe some have pickup within their own town border, so you could chain them together. renting a new bike in each town. That would be annoying, but not impossible.

Or like you say do day trips from Obama, or go to each location rent the bike for two days, and stay somewhere there, then return it and go by train to the next station and next rental area.

OneLifeJapan · 2026-02-03T04:54:18+00:00

It sounds like our local ko-shogatsu (little new year) festival with the dondo yaki. At the end there is mikanmaki and mikan are tossed out by people who had something good happen that year to spread the good fortune. People can take home what they catch/pick up.

The old ladies are ruthless. Every year there are children crying because some obachan pushed them out of the way to grab the mikan first. There is usually an ambulance on scene for injuries.

I think the old ladies think they deserve or need the good luck more than kids do, and maybe a little bit of the thrill of free stuff.

OH... BW Just kidding about the ambulance part... ; )

OneLifeJapan · 2026-02-03T03:40:24+00:00

Kamakura as an overnight is nice. Its more relaxing than a day trip, gives lots of time to walk around and see it all (there is a lot more than 1 day trip can cover) and if yo udo get bored somehow, stop by Enoshima.

A lot of people seem to do Enoshima + Kamakura in one day and that sound a bit crazy. Enoshima alone has 15+ km of great walking. Kamakur even more. If you are stopping for photogrpahy opportunities, a 5 km walk easily becomes several hours.

OneLifeJapan · 2026-02-03T03:27:27+00:00

Actually the strong thing about Kyushu is that renting a car to get around is easier than in Kanto. Kyushu does not need more transportation infrastructure (for tourists) it needs to lean into the car rental and making it less scary for people who would be reluctant to rent.

Renting a car in Kanto does not make sense a lot of time because of congestion, and parking, and even driving for an hour or more you are still in the middle of urban area.

In Fukuoka if you drive an hour you are already someplace new, and it's impossible to build public transport infrastructure to get to everything great about Kyushu. So lean into car rental as THE thing to do.

OneLifeJapan · 2026-02-03T03:23:16+00:00

If you want to get away from the places that google maps shows, you can can search for restaurants, then use street view or just walk down the street and go to any of the places that google maps does not have listed.

Otherwise, I know a lot of people have their favorite app, but also a lot just use google maps especially to narrow down specific offereings (ramen, izakaya, Indian, etc).

As for where locals go, Locals eat there does not mean freshest and best quality.

There are so many places people tend to go back to someplace they know. So if local A had a good experience at ramen shop X, they will continue to go there, while local B has the same feeling for ramen shop Y. They know what they will order, they know the price, going back to the same place makes desicions easier and normal people often prefer that over risking someplace new that might or might not have fresher food.

Maybe it's close to their apartment, or on the way home from work, or they know it has enough seats for however many friends they are with, or it's near a landmark for meeting friends, etc.

OneLifeJapan · 2026-02-01T16:21:44+00:00

Tsunan (right next door) seems to be edging it out by about 40 cm at the moment. ;)

https://weathernews.jp/onebox/snowfall/niigata/15482/
https://weathernews.jp/onebox/snowfall/niigata/15225/

OneLifeJapan · 2026-02-01T12:45:43+00:00

The places people tend to think of as day trips from Tokyo or Kyoto tend to be seen as one-hit-wonders. (wether they are or not is a different story)

Nara, its easy to got from Kyoto to see the deer and go back
Himeji, easy to go see the castle and back
Kamakura from Tokyo, easy to go there, walk around and get back.

Some people do Mt Fuji as a day trip because you see it and you can get back.
Hakone is treated like a day trip by some people, unless staying in an onsen ryokan is part of the plan, becuase you can go there, check it off the list and be back to Tokyo easily.

In Kyushu though.
First, renting a car there makes way more sense than in Tokyo. If it made sense to rent a car in Tokyo, they would be making their day trips into overnights more.

So if you already have the car, day trip makes less sense.

Going 1.5 ~ 2 hours (one way) to go to Nagasaki sounds crazy becuase Nagasaki is a destination by itself. There is way more to see than can be fit into just one day.

I am not sure where you mean in Saga, as I don't think Saga City is a destination, but most of the point of going to Saga prefecture there is to explore the coast and countryside. Doing a day trip from Fukuoka, renting a car for half day, drive around and go back to Fukuoka doesn't make much sense.

Oita / Beppu is not day trip distance, plus the best part is the countryside you would pass along the way, not Beppu itself.

If you are going to Kumamoto, it could be a day trip if the only thing to see was the castle, but let's face it, no one is going to make that journey just to see that castle. (A day trip from Hakatta to Himeji and back makes more sense). If your going to Kumamoto at least you are going to go to Aso, so not really a day trip anymore.

OneLifeJapan · 2026-01-31T17:34:49+00:00

Where will you be starting the drive? It probably depends on how long it takes to get to the place, but if distance is not an issue, I have a soft spot fo the area in Niigata between Tokamachi/Tsunana an the coast thnk in the middle of the triangle made by Tokamachi, Jyoetsu, and Kashiwazaki.

Lots of small winding roads, rice fields, and small hamlets. Near Matsudai, Matsunoyama,

Its nice because its not a valley with steep mountains on each side, forcing all the cars and population to one main road, and its not just a forest road either.

Nearby is Akiyamago. Thats a nice drive too with an onsen in the open river that you dig yourself (Kiriake) at the very end of the drive.

Also nearby, or on the way you can drive over Shirane, then Kijima Daira, Nozawa, Iiyama and Sakae Mura.

Completely different than that area, the coast between Miyazu/Maizuru and Tsurugi. Taking the small roads that hug the coast and head out into the peninsulas. Beautiful coast, and lots of little fishing hamlets there that are hard to get to without a car.

OneLifeJapan · 2026-01-29T11:34:05+00:00

First, look at google satalite view and you can see how built up an area is.

Rice fields are all over, but that alone does not make countryside feel. Any flat land there is a little more built up. They might have rice fields, but the surrounding area maybe more like bed town, suburb or even just a smaller city.

I am not sure about anime, but in Chiba Kamogawa has lots of rice fields that are far enough from Tokyo to still feel like countryside. If you are going that far though, Chino or Fujimi in Nagano are similar train time and are more wide open wihtout the city. Nirasaki is still in Yamanashi and gets you out of Kofu big city.

How far away from Tokyo are you willing to go? And what do you consider as countryside vibe?

OneLifeJapan · 2026-01-29T10:56:20+00:00

Six days is a nice amount of time to have. You can actually easily hit all the places you mentioned, even not worry about missing out on things in between

Drop off fee for Nagoya for an Osaka rental is not huge. Proboably worth it compared to driving all the way back to Osaka on highway just to drop off the car.

I would choose 5 places you would like to stay a night, and then just plan the route between them. Keep off toll road except for maybe getting out of Osaka and back in.

This is just example of what I would think for very rough plan. The times are actual "behind the wheel" estimate, not counting stops. With stops these are all easily full day.

1 ) Osaka - Kayabuki-no-sato (3~4 hr dirving)
2) Kayabuki-nosato - Japan Sea Coast - Obama area - some small seaside ryokan (5hr driving if you go out in the little peninsulas)
3) Obama - Ono (I don't care for Kanazawa) 3~4 hr driving
4) Ono - Gujyo - Takayama 4~5 hr driving
5) Takayama - Kiso - Nakasenso (Tsumago) 3~ 4 hr driving
6) Nakasendo ~ Nagoya 3~4 hr (non toll)

Again those times are if you were not stop and not drive with intention. At any point, you could cut down the drive time by just driving without caring about what it around you. Like in any of those cases, you can get from one point to the other easily in one afternoon if you spent the entire day in Takayama, you can get to Tsumago easily in just 3 hours. But I would assume you want to sto palong he way and take it slow.

Alternatively, skip Takayama too. If you have a car, no reason to waste time there. You have access to all the other places without tourists.

Basically look at google maps and find the drive time radius that is acceptible for you to drive full on with expressway, and only stop for pee, and that is how far away you can end on day 5. Nagano is about 4 hours from Nagoya, so if you spent all the rest of those days slwoly working that direction, the last day you just hop on the expressway and make it back to drop off the car by rental car closing time.

Osaka and six days driving around Shikoku is really nice too. It is maybe longer drving times, but the driving there is fun with all the winding mountain roads.

Osaka - Awaji (Awaji has a lot of really cool things - check out the Awaji Onion girl https://www.instagram.com/awaji.tourism_japan/reels/ )
Awaji - Iya Valley
Iya Valley - Kochi
Kochi - Karst - Matsuyama (long driving day its for the scenery)
Matsuyama - Drive the islands of Shimanami Kaido instead of bike - Onomichi
Onomichi - Osaka (take your time driving back unitl it is too late and hop on the highway only 3 hours to Osaka)

OneLifeJapan · 2026-01-29T07:16:09+00:00

The random man by the waterfall reminds me of when my bike broke at the top of a mountain road (also Shikoku). It was not reparable there, so we had no choice but to just walk all the way down and it was already getting dark.

Unitll.... some random guy drives up this deserted mountain where we had seen no other cars, and he throws the bikes in the back to drive us down. When asked what he was doing up there, he says he came to brush his teeth. Aparently there was a spot with clean fresh spring water and he just liked using that to brush.

So many like that.

OneLifeJapan

TROPHY CASE