Travel Japan for a Month

Hi there,

To mention firstly, I think a two week JR Pass would suit your itinerary well, especially if you plan on including all of the destinations you mentioned in the post. I'd suggest starting the pass when you leave Tokyo, as it won't be particularly useful to you when in Tokyo.

The destinations you provided that you are also considering are great options too, but bear in mind that direct travel to Hakone and Shirakawa-go is not entirely covered by the JR Pass and that you'll have to purchase additional (but relatively inexpensive) bus/train tickets for Shirakawa and Hakone respectively. Most of the way is covered by the JR Pass anyway, as Hakone is near to Odawara and Shirakawa is close to Kanazawa/Takayama which you already are considering visiting. More info on visiting Shirakawa can be found here.

More destinations I would recommend would be:

• Nagano: It's on the Hokuriku Arch and so you could visit Kanazawa/Takayama via Nagano on the Hokuriku Shinkansen. Because of the climate it'll be unlike any other place you'll be visiting.

• Mt Fuji: can be done as a day trip from Tokyo or on the return from the Kansai region when you visit Kyoto Osaka etc. if you plan on returning to Tokyo for your departure flight.

• Kobe: A nice city also in the Kansai region but definitely worth visiting.

In general I would recommend looking at our blog for itinerary suggestions.

And yes, you have to purchase the JR PAss before you leave so we can mail it.

Kind regards,

Alexis