2 Week Japan Itinerary in May 2015

Hi,

My girlfriend and I are planning a trip to Japan for two weeks from May 12 – May 26 with a 7-day JR pass. We want to a get a rough idea of which cities we want to visit during our stay so here is our itinerary thus far:

1 - Tokyo
2 - Tokyo
3 - Tokyo
4 - Nikko
5 - Kyoto
6 - Kyoto
7 - Kyoto
8 - Osaka (side trip to Nara)
9 - Osaka
10 - Takayama
11 - Tokyo
12 - Tokyo
13 - Tokyo
14 - Tokyo

Here are some questions we have:

1) Is this an efficient route for the cities we want to visit?
2) Is it better to stay a night over in Nikko and/or Takayama? Or are they better as day trips?
3) We want to stay at a ryokan for one night but we're not sure which city would be the best option (out of the five).

Thanks, it would be great to get some expert opinions and suggestions!

1. Nikko as a side trip is fine
2. I would overnight in Takayama rather than try it as a day trip from Kyoto.
3. Possibly a Ryokan in Takayama
Have fun!

I would always recommend Kanazawa over Takayama. Takayama has its own charm but I find Kyoto's tradition to be superior.
Kanazawa has a great garden, is near the sea and the attractions are centralised; this makes it a better city to visit IMO.

That said, Kanazawa requires 2-3 days of your time whereas Takayama only takes 1/2 to a day of your time.
They are both in the same region, many hot springs and hotels would have their own baths.

I would always recommend Kanazawa over Takayama.

Absolutely: so would I, always......esp with the new Hokuirku Shinkansen, which now appears on Hyperdia English site : I just when with the OP itinerary.....

The OP itinerary is heavily Tokyo oriented...not sure why.....but if at least 2 days could be found for Kanazawa I would totally agree, very worthwhile