Tokushima, southern paradise

Hi Pauline,

Did you know the Shinkansen basically is one long route? Most of the places you wish to visit are directly on the Shinkansen and make for easy access. Have a look at this Shinkansen Map.

Tokushima is accessed by rail via Okayama - Takamatsu and then a limited express train to Tokushima. Okayama is located on the Shinkansen.

Hope this helps,
Daniel

I c. This is my plan:
Day 1- NRT fly to FUK
Day 2- Hakata
Day 3- Hakata to Hiroshima (1/2 day), travel to Kobe
Day 4- Kobe/Osaka
Day 5- Osaka
Day 6- Tokushima
Day 7- TSK fly to HND

Read that there's a direct train from Namba to Okayama n
transfer to Tokushima, is this correct?

Best regards,
Pauline

Hi Pauline,

It depend what time of day you travel. As far as I know, there is no direct JR line from Namba to Okayama and don't forget the Shinkansen!

There is however a bus connection from Kobe. More about that HERE.

Best wishes,
Daniel

Hi Daniel,
Thks for the link. It really simplify my decision making. I think I'll travel nrt-fuk-hij-kix-Kobe and then go fm Kobe via bus to Naruto as I want to see the whirlpool. Finally, I can hop on jr train to Tokushima.

I do have some other questions....
1) does jr pass cover ride fm HND to NRT?
2) how do I know which jr bus is cover by the jr pass?
3) Hokkaido pass is different fm jr pass, correct? With jr pass, it covers the entire japan?

I'm planning 3 trips to Japan in 2015:
1) Apr 13-19: Nrt-Takayama-Shirakawago-Kanazawa-Kyoto-Ngo-Nrt
I have a hard time reserving decent price accommodation on Apr 14 at Takayama due to the festival. Any
suggestion?

2) July 1-7: Nrt-Oka/Naha-Cts-Nrt (fly to both cities)
I might extend my stay if I get the 7 days jr pass to travel fm Hokkaido back to Nrt. Any good
recommendations?

3) Oct 10-16: hence the trip fm Fuk - Nrt

I try to plan my trip with the least train ride time so I can spent more time in the city.

Awaits yr reply,
Pauline

Hi again.

1.) Yes!

2.) JR buses have a big JR sign, you can't miss them!

3.) Indeed, the JR Hokkaido pass is just for Japan, whilst the JR Pass covers all JR lines nation wide.

For your first trip, look at accommodations in Gero Onsen, this is an Onsen Town close to Takayama and a nice place to stay! You can reach Takayama in 20 minutes by train. It's also a great excuse to try an onsen.

As for the July, do you mean good stopovers between Hokkaido and Narita or something else?

Daniel :)

Hi, Daniel,
That's a great suggestion on Gero Onsen.

Yes. I am researching northern Honshu. As I'm not much of an outdoor person, I find Aomori, Sendai, Ishinomaki n maybe Fukushima appealing.... Maybe I miss some good spots?

Maybe around Tokyo n Central Honshu have more to offer? Omiya for Bonsai garden, Matsumoto/Hotaka for Wasabi farm, Shizuoka/Fujieda for tea farm etc. these are what interest me.

Any suggestions are much appreciated.
Pauline

Hi Pauline,

Aomori and Fukushima (at least the cities) don't have much to offer, I found Fukushima especially depressing. Although there are pretty parks nearby. There are however great onsen near the top of Honshu, also Yamadera is a great visit. Also lake Towada and Tazawa can be beautiful in the right season.

You may also like a visit to an Organic tea farm in Shizuoka.

Hope this helps :D
-Daniel