Last time I did 18 days cover honshu only, used the 7 days jr pass, overall budget 7k, hotel + transport + flights (back in 2019)

Tokyo (arrive) - Nikko (1 night) - Tokyo (3 nights) - Kawaguchiko/Yamanakako (1 night) - start using JR pass - Nagoya (1 night) - Toyama (1 night) - Takayama (2 nights) - Kanazawa (1 night) - Hiroshima (1 night) - finish using JR pass - Kyoto (3 nights) - Osaka (3 nights)

Can go again, japan is really nice

- Nagoya one night enough, or just skip altogether. Last time I detour here, supposed to go nagano but flooded cos of typhoon. If you decide to go, don't forget to try miso nikomi, it's the signature food there
- Kyoto 2 nights too short, 3 nights minimum... you need two full days to really experience the place
- Travel out as early as possible, you're going during winter, daytime hours very short. Lot of places open as early as 6am
- Try not to squeeze so many sights in one day, travelling by public transport isn't as fast as you think, sometimes between long transit and waiting for next train already almost half day gone, limit to 1-3 sights in between cities will do

This post has been edited by gaeria84: Oct 8 2022, 02:55 AM

La nina effect mang

Also the winters are gonna be colder and snowfall gonna be heavier this year...

Winter is nice the first time, after a while, the novelty wears off. Too wet, too cold, daylight hours also super short

Prefer spring or autumn

This post has been edited by gaeria84: Oct 10 2022, 09:32 PM

Winter is naisu when you see it, from inside your heated hotel room

Doable,

Osaka (3 nights)
Nara (day trip on the way to Kyoto)
Kyoto (3 nights)
Kyoto to Kanazawa by train
Kanazawa (1 night enough or make it a day trip? not enough things to do here as an overnighter), depending on when you're going, the kenrouken gardens open very early, like 5.30am... till 6:45am is free to enter (not sure if this is the case now). Night illumination during winter only
Kanazawa to Takayama by bus with stopover for few hours in Shirakawa-go (I think 3-4 hours is the sweet spot, I was there for half a day, end up really bored... not much to do there besides sights)
Takayama (2 nights), day trip you can go hida village or kamikochi
Takayama to Kawaguchiko via Nagoya
Kawaguchiko (1 night), at least a night, cos mount fuji is a really shy mountain. Night time can go public onsen
Kawaguchiko to Tokyo
Tokyo (3 nights)

Plus minus as you like, if take public transport better not be adventurous and try to see like 10 places in one day, not doable

This post has been edited by gaeria84: Oct 11 2022, 12:10 AM

Yamanakako Onsen is the one I went, reasonable price. nice place to experience 'culture shock'



This post has been edited by gaeria84: Oct 13 2022, 08:18 AM

Flights in general gone up 50% - 100%

Gone are the days where japan return tickets can get less than RM700 return

You see airasia also not cheap anymore

Inflation mang, also recession inkambing

This post has been edited by gaeria84: Oct 14 2022, 03:29 AM

Last time I stayed at shin imamiya, budget-friendly area, steps away from nankai line and metro, near to everything

The hotel I wouldn't recommend though

This post has been edited by gaeria84: Oct 15 2022, 11:20 AM

Fuuuu, narita so far

Which part of shizuoka? Gotemba has really nice views of fuji

Yamanakako also not too far away, it's the nearest lake to mt fuji, very nice views

You can check the livecam if can see view of fuji or not: https://www.fujigoko.tv/english/

That's like one short train ride away to gotemba, and from there, another bus ride to yamanakako and fujikawaguchiko