Hello, my name is Fernando, I'm a soccer fan, photographer, and of course, traveler. I will be in Japan from December 6th to December 21st. The reason for this trip is because I will see the SemiFinal and Final games of the FIFA Club World Cup. The Semifinal takes place on the 16th of December in Osaka, and the Final in Yokohama on the 20th of December. The other days I want to go see as much of Japan as humanly possible, while getting the best out of the JPRail Pass.
I arrive in Tokyo on the 6th, and I want to spend the first two days there, getting to know the city and the Japanese way of life (and adapting to the time change of course), meaning that starting on the 8th, I want to start going out of Tokyo and seeing different cities. I don't mind a 4 hour train ride (5 would be kind of pushing it).
Should I book a hotel in Tokyo for the ENTIRE time? Or should I stay in other cities as well considering that ALL of the 16th I will spend in Osaka for the Semifinal game, and ALL of the 20th in Yokohama for the Final, and the games will be over at around 10pm. The rest of the time is just travel travel travel.
What cities are recommended?
Where should I stay and on what days?
If I get the 2-weeks JPRail Pass, how do I move inside the actual cities once I arrive?
What's the best itinerary considering how many days I'll be staying in Tokyo (15 nights) to see the best sights, take some great pictures, learn about the Japanese way of life both rural and urban?
This is going to be the trip of my life, but only if I plan it right, and I will appreciate any help I can get. I want to see the best temples, shrines, monuments. I want to see samurai stuff, geisha stuff, Classical Japanese architecture, maybe some good hikes. I want to see villages and small towns and not just huge metropolises like Tokyo and Osaka.
Thank you in advance for any information you can shoot my way, I want to start booking things right away :))
Sincerely, Fernando.