Backpacking through Japan, Recommendations/Experiences

Chef Freeman on 21/12/2022 - 01:44

Hi guys
I'm getting sick of my job, Ive worked there for 4 years, completed my goal I set before starting and am thinking of quitting in late Jan/Feb time
I went to Japan late Jan/early Feb (winter time) in 2020 for a ski/holiday trip before covid hit and it was absolutely amazing, definitely worth every $ spent
I've been wanting to backpack through Japan for ages now, and I have about 3 months ($10000~) of annual leave I can take, and savings
Im torn between going during the winter for skiing, or to go later for spring time
My absolute no.1 item I want to do is summit Mount Fuji, but the climbing season is july-sept (summer) I believe,
I'm just wanting to know if anyone has backpacked through Japan, what experiences did you have, what do you regret/are happy you did, how much did it cost etc.

Thanks
Morgan

Travel Asia Japan

Comments

  • Bafranz on 21/12/2022 - 01:51
    -2

    Mario go-karting, dress up as your favourite character and hit the streets on a go kart

    https://tokyocheapo.com/entertainment/mario-kart-in-tokyo-gu…

    • Chef Freeman on 21/12/2022 - 01:54

      Yeah I did that on my last trip to Japan
      Looking for more backpacking experiences, long trips to Japan, I've done most of the touristy stuff, trip to the lakes to mt Fuji, Disney, go karting, etc.

      • spal on 21/12/2022 - 06:41
        +1

        Not exactly backpacking (backpacks were merely for travel between locations) we stayed in Hakone in Late January. The travel to Onsen country itself was a great experience. For any travel we would end up using multiple modes of transports (trains, cable cars, buses, ferries). It was fun.

        • Chef Freeman on 21/12/2022 - 12:39
          +1

          Thanks mate
          Appreciate the recommendation
          I might have to start a map of interests on Google maps to find out what I want to visit and start planning a trip

  • ForkSnorter on 21/12/2022 - 08:31
    +1

    You have to time your trip well to avoid the rainy seasons, and busy tourist seasons.

    Since COVID, it is probably not so important to try to avoid the busy tourist season due to lack of international tourists.

    So, just focus on avoiding the rainy seasons. Rainy seasons are very predictable in Japan. Specifically: avoid June/July, and September/October.

    Most people would therefore prefer to go in mid-late November for the incredible autumn leaves everywhere, or March-April for cherry blossoms. But my favourite is August, because the rain mostly stops for the entire month, and it's hot and sunny, great for travelling in the mountains. November is pretty good too, as long as you get there before the autumn leaves finish everywhere.

    • Chef Freeman on 21/12/2022 - 12:52

      I've heard summer is quite humid and too hot to enjoy, but I was thinking late winter/early spring

  • Ryk on 21/12/2022 - 09:20
    +2

    If you went mid-February for 3 months to mid-May you'd get plenty skiing and spring in one trip. Bum around the ski fields until the snow deteriorates and then change focus to head to some other sites and into the cities. Sounds like a great plan.

    • Chef Freeman on 21/12/2022 - 12:40

      I was thinking that, although I wouldn't be able to do Fuji, but I can always come back another day

  • jjjaar on 21/12/2022 - 09:58
    +3

    Want a travelling companion? That sounds great!

    • Chef Freeman on 21/12/2022 - 12:52

      Sure, if you're actually serious?,

  • inherentchoice on 21/12/2022 - 10:00
    +1

    Could try random exploring like this guy…

    https://youtu.be/fQ8oeqAu8dw

    I heard there's a neat onsen by the sea accessible only at low tide, somewhere in the south of Japan. But it's mixed gender.

    • Chef Freeman on 21/12/2022 - 12:56

      Thanks for the video, first 3 minutes were good, I'll have to sit down and take notes later,
      I'll have to search up the onsen
      Thanns

  • Cheaplikethebird on 21/12/2022 - 10:28
    +1

    Goes without saying but the quality of backpacker hostels decreases the closer you get to the centre of Tokyo. My favourite was Khaosan Tokyo Kabuki in Asakusa, 4 beds per room and each room had it's own shower/toilet. Towards the end of my trip I booked a couple nights at Ace Inn Hotel Shinjuku to be closer to the action and it was the worst decision of the trip, 100s of beds packed into each room, grimey showers, AC didn't work so the whole place was hot and humid and because of that everyone in the hostel was in a terrible mood, was the only hostel where I didn't make any friends.

    Also if you find yourself drunk in a strip club and one of the hosts recommends you order the champagne WALK OUT!

    Damn looks like Khaosan closed all their hostels which is a shame because they were the better ones.

    • Chef Freeman on 21/12/2022 - 12:59

      Thanks for the recommendations of hostels, I'll add it to my list of visiting locations
      How long was your trip?
      Roughly how much did you spend?
      And when did you go?
      I don't drink so I'll make sure to not order the champagne
      Thanks heaps

  • BargainCowboy on 21/12/2022 - 10:56
    +2

    I backpacked Japan from Tokyo to Kagoshima (and pretty much every city in-between). Make sure you budget for the extremely expensive public transportation. Not sure what the accommodation state is atm post-COVID, but cheapest!=best. I stayed in some dodgy places which made me wish I spent $25 more.

    • Chef Freeman on 21/12/2022 - 13:01

      I'll keep that it mind,
      Mind giving me a bit more information on your trip?
      How long did you go for?
      What was your budget a day/ overall trip
      Recommendations on must visit?
      When did you go?,

  • quietsarcasm on 21/12/2022 - 11:46
    +2

    If you're not staying long in each place and don't have a lot of bags to take with you, internet cafes can be a good place to spend the night. Lots of them have showers and beds, so you can use the computer to plan/research your next days and then go to sleep. This is more applicable for the bigger cities of course since you won't find so many out in the countryside.

    Also in terms of Fuji, having climbed twice in the last 2 years, decide whether you want to do a bullet climb (Up and down in 1 day) or a 2 day climb where you sleep on the mountain in a hut. They have stopped people camping on the mountain since covid so you'll have to stay in a pricey hut for that option. Bullet climbs are tough but doable. Also don't expect to adhere to their estimated climbing times both up and down. Take lots of food and water. It can get very hot and humid around the start of the climb before it gets cold closer to the top. Make sure you have good shoes with solid ankle support and I'd also highly recommend some kind of walking/climbing pole. You can buy wooden ones at the base camp which you can get branded at the stations along the way up and it makes a great souvenir.

    • Chef Freeman on 21/12/2022 - 13:02

      Internet cafes is a good idea as well thanks
      I was thinking of doing a bullet climb on Fuji, leave at night and arrive for sunrise
      Thanks for the recommendations for climbing items

      • quietsarcasm on 21/12/2022 - 13:05
        +1

        My first climb was an overnight one for the sunrise. On a clear day its breathtaking. Make sure you have a headlamp and some warm clothes

        • Chef Freeman on 21/12/2022 - 13:08

          Thanks mate
          I appreciate it, definitely on my bucket list
          When did you climb?

          • quietsarcasm on 21/12/2022 - 13:12
            +1

            @Chef Freeman: First time was towards the end of september, second time was mid august. The weather can change very quickly on the mountain, so even though the first time it rained a little in the beginning and the second time a storm was forecast, I got lucky and had nice weather both times

  • altomic on 22/12/2022 - 01:39
    +1

    Read The Roads to Sata
    . A brilliant book by english man Alan Booth. He was a writer who lived in Japan for a long time and walked from the top of Hokkaido to the south of Kyushu. Ive read it several times and wished I'd done some parts of walks , or similar ramblings, when i had lived there

    • Chef Freeman on 22/12/2022 - 11:19

      Thanks mate
      I'll have a read, sounds like a great informative book

      • altomic on 25/12/2022 - 10:24

        It's an older book 1980s. But it inspired scores of other people to attempt similar treks and write similar books

  • ChipP on 31/12/2022 - 21:12
    -1

    I spent 3 months in Japan in 2018. If you really want to explore, I recommend hitchhiking. I hitchhiked everywhere west of Osaka and went rural and major city. Wild camping is also legal pretty much everywhere so if you want to really do some random stuff just hitchhike anywhere you want and then find somewhere close to the city to sleep. Agoda / Booking.com for cheap hotels/hostels. Convenience stores are EVERYWHERE, you will not have difficulty finding food/water. I was going deep into the countryside in rural areas and was never hungry because there's usually a shop somewhere close. Toilets are also VERY accessible - I was on top of a rural mountain and found a clean toilet with fresh toilet paper.

    So my advice: don't plan anything, and just f*** around. You'll always be safe (there's 1 poisonous snake I had to look out for), and everyone is overly polite.

    Strong zero to get drunk cheaply. Whisky distilleries for VERY cheap drams of whisky. Like 5bucks for an 18year scotch and some of the finest you can experience in Japan.

  • Ikemen on 03/01/2023 - 13:38
    +1

    I have lived and travelled in Japan to a fair degree. I give a big recommendation for Gifu as a region. There's lots of scenic small towns slightly off the beaten path (but still well connected by rail) which are like little Kyotos and often have their own festivals you can check out. Any of the larger towns along the Takayama line are great but I wouldn't limit myself to just that.

    A lot of people are mentioning alcohol too so I'll add:
    - Cheapest place for the get you drunk kind of experience is ironically enough the pharmacies, you can get shochu, strong zero, etc for less than seems economically viable.
    - Learn how to ask for nomihoudai (all you can drink). A lot of izakayas have it, and is priced absurdly well at between 15-25 aussie for the 2 hours.

    If you end up in Kanto during cherry blossom season I'd have some recs for that too… but wouldn't have the faintest idea for elsewhere.

  • Dogsbreakfast on 07/01/2023 - 08:58

    Kurobe alpine route is amazing. Opens up from april 15 and see the huge snow walls. I did it in october and was awesome. Climbed a mountain, did all the cable cars - so good

  • heyrosered on 18/01/2023 - 21:40
    +1

    Kanazawa is lovely, and Takayama is incredible, with lots of great walks nearby or a short journey away

    • jonagrah on 29/01/2023 - 09:39

      Whilst I only went for a 3 weeks, I enjoyed getting out of Tokyo and spending time in these two places. I spent some time in Fukuoka on my second trip. It's probably the city I could see myself living in. It's much smaller than Tokyo & Osaka, but still big enough.

  • Tazzaaa on 19/01/2023 - 08:44

    Hey mate, I'm planning on going to Japan in May and one of the places I really wanted to go is called Kamikochi. Have a look. Maybe you've been there before. It's in the Japanese Alps and it looks heavenly. Unfortunately I can squeeze it in to my trip because it's too far out from Tokyo and takes a few days to get there and back. Hopefully you can make a pitstop there at some point and hike along the river!

    • heyrosered on 19/01/2023 - 12:44

      I went! Based on Takayama to see Kamikochi, even in the rain at the end of autumn with bare trees it was stunning

    • sockpuppy on 19/01/2023 - 21:48

      Kamikochi , I thought it wasn’t going to be like the tourist photos , it was in fact better. Swiss alps , Canadian Rockies , Kamikochi ;)

      • Tazzaaa on 20/01/2023 - 00:33

        You guys are making me want to redo my itenary and fit a Kamikochi tour in somehow….

        • sockpuppy on 20/01/2023 - 16:25

          Then again there are lots of great experiences awaiting Japan. Though if you are a walker, backpacker Kamikochi is great. I drove, and it's not the easiest of places get too, plus you must park your car and catch a bus into the restricted area. I was pretty grumpy waiting for the pricey bus; thinking I was about to be underwhelmed by a tourist trap => however that all changed and was forgotten once I was there :) and didn't want to leave; But then again there are lots of places in Japan I didnt want to leave :)

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