| View previous topic :: View next topic |
| Author |
Message |
Tiger Beer
Joined: 07 Feb 2003
|
 Posted: Mon Sep 03, 2007 1:48 am Post subject: small town AND off-the-beaten-trail JAPAN |
 |
|
Anyone been to those smaller not often traveled JAPAN? Meaning NOT Kyoto, NOT Tokyo, NOT Osaka, and NOT Fukuoka.
There are quite a few cities like Okayama, Niigata, and whatever else.
I was more thinking of looking at the possibility of feet-getting-wet in a new country (making a move out of Korea someday), but instead of ending up in massive Tokyo or Osaka, try any ol' city. Actually, I was specifically thinking of looking at university gigs in non-tourist cities, as they might be a lot more attainable to someone who doesn't live and work in Japan already.
In addition, I was thinking of making a trip to Japan and just go to different onsens in the mountains. Already been to the main cities and attractions, and thinking something totally different and more rural might be interesting. I have a little time during Chuseok, and thinking of rural Japan as an option for travel as well. |
|
| Back to top |
|
 |
cangel
Joined: 19 Jun 2003
Location: Jeonju, S. Korea
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Ekuboko
Joined: 22 Dec 2004
Location: ex-Gyeonggi
|
| Posted: Mon Sep 03, 2007 3:29 pm Post subject: |
|
|
I used to live near Niigata city. Sado Island is a lovely place.
I saw a lot of country towns around that side of Honshu.
I would like to visit and/or work in Kurashiki, Okayama. Anywhere in Hokkaido would be neat, too - Otaru is a lovely port city. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
whatthefunk
Joined: 21 Apr 2003
Location: Dont have a clue
|
| Posted: Fri Sep 07, 2007 6:59 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| yes. i spent a month or so hitchhiking around japan and spent a majority of my time in small towns and little villages. loved it. the japanese youth hostel system is really cool because they have youth hostels in the most bizarre places. ive stayed in youth hostels in villages of no more than 300 people...great fun! best places would be shikoku, kyushu, and the niigata area. towns in these places have a lot of flavor i felt... |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Pink Freud
Joined: 27 Jan 2003
Location: Daegu
|
| Posted: Sat Sep 08, 2007 4:39 am Post subject: |
|
|
Shikoku.
Many of the youth hostels there are also temples on the famous circuit of 88 temples founded by the monk Kobo Daishi (sp?). Small cities, good weather, spectacular scenery, and some great beaches.
There are ferries that service Shikoku from Hyuga and a few other towns on the East coast of Kyushu.
Alternately, the southern coast of Kyushu, from Kumamoto to Kagoshima is lovely, especially on a bike. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
huffdaddy
Joined: 25 Nov 2005
|
| Posted: Sat Sep 08, 2007 10:23 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| Pink Freud wrote: |
Shikoku.
Many of the youth hostels there are also temples on the famous circuit of 88 temples founded by the monk Kobo Daishi (sp?). Small cities, good weather, spectacular scenery, and some great beaches. |
I actually hiked the pilgrimage a few years ago.
Some of the temples have really cheap places to crash - around Y300. There are also trail stations around the island that can often be had for free. But they're very basic. Usually just four walls and a roof. Other temples have more formal accommodations, with individual rooms and meals. They can run up to Y10000 a night. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Tiger Beer
Joined: 07 Feb 2003
|
| Posted: Wed Sep 10, 2008 9:08 am Post subject: |
|
|
| Ekuboko wrote: |
I used to live near Niigata city. Sado Island is a lovely place.
I saw a lot of country towns around that side of Honshu.
I would like to visit and/or work in Kurashiki, Okayama. Anywhere in Hokkaido would be neat, too - Otaru is a lovely port city. |
I was just in Okayama last week. It's kinda sorta alright, but much outside of the immediate train station area, there isn't much to see or do. Even the nightlife gets real quiet real quick.
I did go to Matsuyama, and was surprisingly impressed with that city! Some really cool stuff going on there, and I think unlike Okayama (which has proximity to Osaka), Matsuyama is just far enough from everywhere that everyone really has to make things happen right where they are at!
I also liked Nagoya, granted there is not much going on from a touristic perspective, but it had a positive feel despite being nowhere or nothing like Tokyo or Osaka which are both very popular with very good reasons.
I would still like to go to Sendai and Nagano. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
el_magico
Joined: 14 May 2006
|
| Posted: Sun Sep 14, 2008 10:06 pm Post subject: |
|
|
88 temple pilgrimage sounds like a hell of an experience...
I would like more info on it if there's anybody that has done it? |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
huffdaddy
Joined: 25 Nov 2005
|
|
| Back to top |
|
|
el_magico
Joined: 14 May 2006
|
| Posted: Mon Sep 15, 2008 8:33 am Post subject: |
|
|
I appreciate all the info! It'll take some time to digest everything in those sites.
For now I'm wondering:
- How feasible is it to bike, rather than walk?
- How often did you camp out vs. staying at a hotel?
- Roughly, how much money do you suggest to budget for the trip (excluding airfares and travel to the island)?
I enjoyed your blog and posts about biking around SE Asia. I hope you don't mind if I PM you later on for some more info. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
huffdaddy
Joined: 25 Nov 2005
|
| Posted: Mon Sep 15, 2008 4:28 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| el_magico wrote: |
I appreciate all the info! It'll take some time to digest everything in those sites.
For now I'm wondering:
- How feasible is it to bike, rather than walk? |
It's definitely bikable. There are many people taking bus tours or driving the route. Sometimes the hiking route goes onto trails, but there are always road alternatives. I believe at least one of the guide books has both hiking and driving routes marked on its maps.
| Quote: |
| - How often did you camp out vs. staying at a hotel? |
Maybe 2/3rds camping. Stayed in a hotel when there were typhoons or when I was stuck in one of the bigger cities. If you're on a bike you'll have a little more mobility and could probably find a camping site away from town easier.
| Quote: |
| - Roughly, how much money do you suggest to budget for the trip (excluding airfares and travel to the island)? |
I think I spent roughly $50/day. But I always ate in restaurants or out of convenience stores. If you brought a stove and cooked food it'd be much cheaper. Food was my biggest expense, probably half of my budget. I usually ate 4 times a day and still lost 10 kilos.
| Quote: |
| I enjoyed your blog and posts about biking around SE Asia. I hope you don't mind if I PM you later on for some more info. |
No problem. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
FAQ
Search
Memberlist
Usergroups
Register
Profile
Log in to check your private messages
Log in
