Day 1 - 4 (10/19 - 10/22): Tokyo
(planned by client)
Day 5 - 7 (10/23 - 10/25): Kyoto
(planned by client)
Day 8 - 9 (10/26 - 10/27): Hiroshima
(planned by client)
Day 10 (10/28): Fukuoka
(planned by client)
Day 11 (10/29): Goto Islands (Fukuejima)
You will arrive early in the morning at Fukue port. As we have previously discussed, I highly recommend staying up for the arrival. Waking up with the sun is the best bet.
For the first day, I would take it slow, and aim to take pictures of the lighthouse during sunset today. You will definitely need a car for your time spent here. There is a small family-owned guesthouse called Utojuku. This is the place that I suggest for getting pretty much anything and everything that you need. They will have bikes, and can even set up a car rental for you if you haven't already made arrangements for that (they have an electric car that you can rent).
Today is also a great day to go to the restaurant that I was telling you about, because they do lunch on Saturdays that's actually quite affordable. The owner's wife also does a sort of pot luck sometimes on Saturday, so it's a good chance to get a lot of really good Japanese homestyle food made with fresh ingredients.
Mt. Onidake is also a must visit while here, and as it's one of the highest points in the archipelago, it is an excellent way to see the surrounding islands and the towns on Fukue. Onidake also has an observatory if you're interested in stargazing.
Locations:
- Utojuku - https://goo.gl/maps/jooifVB312N6R3cYA
- Restaurant (Kinoguchi Katashi) - https://goo.gl/maps/qxrv8PEh7Hw72V7f6
- Onidake - https://goo.gl/maps/sv6Ucy8LWPmQFHdE6
- Osezaki Lighthouse - https://goo.gl/maps/uCcU6izJwh3ZEMiB8
Day 12 (10/30): Fukuejima
I think that this day is best started with visiting Osezaki lighthouse in the morning for sunrise by car. I'm not sure if you've planned your bike route just yet, however I would suggest a ride to one of the more popular churches, Dozaki Church. As previously mentioned, you can borrow a bike from Utojuku. There is a guide on the island named William Lieu who can take you. His number is 090-9912-7117.
My other suggestion is, if you're up for another activity is to visit Abunze. It is a place that has black rock formations that formed from the lave of Mt. Onidake was it as active volcano. I'm suggesting this as it is a really nice photo spot as well.
Locations:
- Abunze Lava formations - https://goo.gl/maps/aDqcdBuRExXtAjQC8
- Dozaki Church - https://goo.gl/maps/dRyAYkt7Nn9kgLXf8
Day 13 (10/31): Oushima
Oushima is quite possible one of the easiest of the lesser populated islands in the archipelago to reach. It has a regularly running ferry service that departs from Fukue port at 7:35 AM, and arrives there at around 8:12 AM.
Oushima is an interesting island for many reasons, and while you can indeed visit this place on your own, I think that it is absolutely a much better experience with a guide. There aren't really any food options on the island, and so you will definitely need to bring your own lunch as the return ferry only leaves at 3:30 PM and will arrive back at Fukue port 4:05 PM. The island was booming when whaling was still a pretty big industry in Japan. When whaling died out, so did the island. The island itself is kind of a microcosmic representation of what is happening in a lot of smaller communities across the country. The last time I visited, the youngest person on the island was 47.
There are more cats than people on the island. When we take people here it is typically for either sea fishing, or to visit the abandoned school, and to take a hike around the island. There is a lava trail that runs underneath the island that has a shrine in the back of it. I don't want to ruin what exactly is in the shrine, should you visit, but it is shocking to say the least.
There are many really good places to eat on the island, but I would like to tell you about two more that I quite enjoy, for your consideration. They are Kumanosato, and Shinsei. Kumanosato is delicious, especially their fried fish. Shinsei is kind of like one of the "fine dining" establishments on the island, their kamameshi is really good. Actually, now that it's on my mind, there is one other location that I would like to add. It isn't extremely popular, because it is actually a minshuku bnb. It's called Fukushoro, and it is two doors down from Utojuku. They have the absolute best maboudofu in all of Japan. It's insanely good. These restaurants can obviously be kept in mind for any other day that you are there.
Locations:
- Kumanosato - https://goo.gl/maps/1PDejfutLDTmvHnE7
- Shinsei - https://goo.gl/maps/MVCZsiEwqM9NW8Ex9
- Fukushoro - https://goo.gl/maps/ePAKMDPe6zf6BngaA
Day 14 (11/01): Saganoshima
This island is merely a suggestion on my part. It is somewhat difficult to reach, and so you may or may not find it worth the visit. Each island kind of has a unique story associated with it in the archipelago. This particular one is quite unique. It wasn't just Christians that fled the mainland to the islands for safety. The legend of this island is that many years ago there was a group of ronin who were masterless after having lost in battle. Instead of committing sepuku, they fled to this island to avoid death. They lived here for many years before the guilt eventually caught up to them and they committed ritualistic suicide at the top of hill on this island, where there is now a shrine dedicated to them.
Outside of this, the island itself is really beautiful. It's where I took one of my favorite pictures from my time there. The rocky coast on the side opposite of the port is really unique for the islands in the area. It also makes for a wonderful hike that can be completed in a day. The island visit would be mainly for its natural beauty and strange history though. Accessing the island is a bit more involved than the others as the ferry (the 'Saganoshimamaru') departs from Miiraku Port, and not Fukue. The location of which is noted below. There are 4 departures per day however, and the ride to the island is only about 12 minutes. The earliest departs at 9:10 AM, the one after that departs at 11:30 AM, and there are two more after that. The return journeys are at 12:50 PM, and 4:00 PM.
Locations:
- Miiraku Port - https://goo.gl/maps/WbuARMmYMT6puUps5
- Rocky Coast - https://goo.gl/maps/p8eZz3C8JvYcE1F99
Day 15 (11/02): Fukuejima
I'm leaving this day open, as I'm sure there are also things that you wish to do while here that don't involve the previously mentioned suggestions. I would like to place my South African friend's phone number here, just in case you do end up wanting to be guided for some of the time that you are visiting the islands.
His name is Mike, and his phone number is: 090-7160-6433.
Day 16 (11/03): Nagasaki
(planned by client)
Day 17 - 19 (11/04 - 11/06): Osaka
(planned by client)
Day 20 - 21 (11/07 - 11/08): Koyasan
(planned by client)
Day 22 - 25 (11/09 - 11/12): Tokyo
Mt. Fuji area trip (on 11/10 or 11/11):
This is probably one of the best places to go for the iconic photo of Mt. Fuji. In your email you asked if the area around it was developed or not. I would consider it to be relatively undeveloped. There are no high-rises, or anything major that would obstruct the view of Mt. Fuji, but you can see the town of Fujiyoshida below. Visiting towards the end of your trip is actually a really good time to go, as the autumn foliage should be nearing its brilliance during that time.
My suggestion for getting there is to use the Fuji Excursion train that departs from Shinjuku Station. If you are traveling using a JR Pass, the majority of the trip will be free. Once you reach Otsuki, I believe the tracks are owned by the company that operates the Fujisan train line, and so you will have to pay for that portion of the trip (around 1,740 yen). The train has two departures in the morning, one at 8:30AM and another at 9:30AM (times are different on the weekends). The trip takes around 2 hours to reach Kawaguchiko station. Once you arrive, you can take a train to Shimo-Yoshida Station (about a ten minute trip). Alternatively, You may also take the Fujikyu Railway line from Otsuki to Shimo-Yoshida Station, when you arrive there, which would save you money and a bit of time as well.
I know you're going specifically for a good shot of Mt. Fuji, so I wanted to put in a few alternatives to this spot as well. There is an area called the Momiji Tunnel not far from Chureito Pagoda (about a 15 minute drive), that is a bit less developed and can offer you a slightly different angle and perspective of the mountain, and then there is a ropeway in the area as well that is about 5km away from the pagoda, if you wish to try that angle out as well. I mention these as side activities as I think that the Pagoda is possibly the best view (in my own opinion), and although the Lake Kawaguchi / Lake Saiko area is beautiful, it can be difficult to get around without a car. If you rent a car for the day, or hire a taxi to take you from the pagoda to one of the other locations, I think that it would be possible to do all three locations, if you don't you'll be subject to the timing of the public bus (which can be brutal), or the trains. Also, a side note, once you arrive at Shimo-Yoshida station, there will be a slight walk to the actual spot of the pagoda, and you will have to climb some stairs to get to the location. For ease of understanding, I'm going to attach a Google Maps link for each of the locations that I've discussed in this outline, so that you can just access your itinerary when you arrive and click the links to navigate your way there. The most important times to remember, should you choose to visit here is the 8:30AM and 9:30AM express trains that get you there from Tokyo, as it will be a longer journey to get there if you don't take those.
Activities:
- Arakura Sengen Shrine
- Chureito Pagoda
- Autumn Foliage
- Mt. Fuji Panoramic Ropeway (optional)
- Momiji Tunnel (optional)
Locations:
- Chureito Pagoda -
- https://goo.gl/maps/SzGAGKKMume8mFm69
- Momiji Tunnel -
- https://goo.gl/maps/Pnbtr6toPtiZKKQP7
- Mt. Fuji Panoramic Ropeway -
- https://goo.gl/maps/oc8nEWdMwoCm5heE8
