4 pax · Oct 6–21 · one spine, one branch. Tokyo → Labyrinth → Yakushima → Kyushu → Seto Inland Sea → Kyoto → Tokyo.
Every bed is booked. Matches the shared calendar.
| Date | Move | Sleep | What |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 OctTue | Jonas AY812 Stockholm → Helsinki 20:55 · Eva BA429/BA5 Amsterdam → London → Tokyo · Eri KE926 Amsterdam → Seoul | In the air | Nathanael in Japan since Oct 5. |
| 7 OctWed | Eva 10:55 Haneda · Jonas 13:50 Haneda (AY61) · Eri 21:00 Narita | Tokyo | Check in Hotel Graphy Shibuya 15:00. No plans. |
| 8 OctThu | Metro / on foot | Tokyo | Gear shopping from 14:00, Shinjuku or Ebisu. Yakushima needs a real shell, not a poncho. Exhibition in the evening, Eri books. |
| 9 OctFri | Metro / on foot | Tokyo | Pack for the festival, confirm tent rental. Mitsuki at night, optional. |
| 10 OctSat | Labyrinth bus, Shibuya Kast 10:00 → Minakami | Lodge Sekigahara | AnchorLabyrinth day 1. Lodge check-in 14:00. |
| 11 OctSun | On site | Lodge Sekigahara | AnchorLabyrinth day 2. Onsen shuttle 09:30 and 13:00. |
| 12 OctMon | 06:51 Jomo-Kogen → 10:15 Haneda · NH625 Haneda 13:55 → Kagoshima · NH4337 → Yakushima 17:45 | Yakushima MANMARU |
TransitBooked: MANMARU, three nights, check-in 19:00. Twelve hours door to door. Kagoshima–Yakushima is a small prop plane, the first thing weather cancels. |
| 13 OctTue | Local bus | Yakushima | Shiratani Unsuikyo, the moss forest, 4–5 h, a day to recover from the transit. Check tonight when the first bus to the Arakawa trailhead leaves. |
| 14 OctWed | Local bus | Yakushima | Sea dayJomon Sugi dropped: enough forest, and a strong north wind. Fish breakfast at Urokoya no Asameshi by Anbō port (5:30–9:00, until sold out). 9:23 bus Anbō → Ōko Falls 10:22, swim in the pool, walk ~1 h to Kurio Beach. 13:44 bus Kurio → Hirauchi 13:58, the sea onsen at low tide (13:51), Yudomari Onsen ~1 km back west if Hirauchi is under water. Bus back 15:43 or 16:43 (Anbō 17:24). Dinner at Okonomiyaki DINING En (縁), Anbō 88-3, evenings only. Bus day pass ¥2,000, not sold on board. |
| 15 OctThu | Toppy 121, Anbō port 07:00 → Kagoshima 09:40, via Nishinoomote (~€75 pp) · Kagoshima → Kirishima, ~2.5 h | Kirishima Kirishima Kokusai Hotel |
Booked: Kirishima Kokusai Hotel, a Japanese room for four, dinner and breakfast in, paid. No Sakurajima. 07:00 boat if the Anbō window has seats (it shows full online), else the 10:40 from Miyanoura, in 12:30. Kurobuta lunch and shirokuma ice in Kagoshima, then the 13:08 train Kagoshima-Chuo → Kirishima-Jingu (14:08; backup 15:14 → 16:19). Kirishima Shrine on the way up, taxi ~25 min to the hotel. Onsen, dinner, stars: clear sky forecast. |
| 16 OctFri | 13:42 Kirishima-Jingu, Ltd. Exp. Kirishima 8 → Kagoshima-Chuo 14:32 · 15:09 Sakura 764 → Hakata 16:43 · unreserved seats, ~¥12,800 | Fukuoka The 9 Hakata |
HikeBooked: The 9 Hakata, one night. No shrine. Check out before the hike (10:00 latest) and leave the bags at the front desk. Mt. Karakuni first thing in the morning, 3–3.5 h, then onsen again and a taxi down to Kirishima-Jingu for the train to Fukuoka, in by late afternoon. Evening on foot, from the hotel in Reisenmachi: ~17:10 the Kawabata shopping arcade, 3 min away: Hakata-ori weaving and Hakata dolls at Masuya, paper lanterns, Yamakasa festival gear, Kushida Shrine at the end; some shops close early, so it goes first. ~17:40 walk ~20 min west across Nakasu and the river to Daimyo: Going Bellbo first (2-2-44, 4F, Showa-era Japanese vintage, closes ~19:00), then Mandarake (2-9-5, old toys, anime goods, manga, until 20:00), with vintage and record shops between. ~19:20 yatai dinner in Tenjin, by Tenjin station: Yatai Mamichan (English picture menu), Koganechan, Chez Remy; no bookings, Friday queues, ~¥1,500–3,000 a head. ~21:00 up Oyafuko-dori: Kieth Flack's Magic Square building, Maizuru 1-8-28 (closed tonight, the 32nd anniversary is tomorrow), and Bingo Love a minute away at 1-8-2 (from 20:00, nothing posted for tonight). ~22:45 taxi ~10 min south to 80's MUSIC BAR reflex, Cactus Tenjin B1F, Takasago 1-14-1 (19:00–01:00): the house band 80's Night Jacks plays at 21:00, 22:00 and 23:00, and tonight a former CBS Sony director gives an 80s talk. Aim for the 23:00 set. Taxi back to the hotel, ~10 min; the train is at 10:00. |
| 17 OctSat | 11:15 Nozomi 24 Hakata → Okayama 12:57 (Sakura 750 at 11:23 on a JR Pass) · Eri: Hakata → Nagoya → Ise | Okayama MOMOYA nagomi · Eri: Ise |
SplitsBooked: MOMOYA nagomi, a one-bedroom apartment for three on Kyomachi. Check-in 16:00–22:00, keys via the host. Morning in Fukuoka: check out, bags at the front desk. 8:30 Kushida Shrine; 9:00 barber at BARBER smile, Gion-machi 4-61, 4 min away (092-281-1441; Riyo Robin in the station is the fallback); ~10:25 coffee at Manu Coffee Haruyoshi, Watanabe-dori 3-11-2, ~13 min walk (Stereo Coffee 150 m away, Rec Coffee Tenjin Minami 300 m; all recommended); 10:50 taxi via the hotel for the bags to Hakata. Okayama 12:57, bags at the apartment, by the castle. ~14:15 Okayama Castle, the black Crow Castle (open to 17:30); Korakuen across the bridge if there’s time (last entry 16:45). ~15:30 the Omotecho arcade for Bizen ware, Okayama’s unglazed wood-fired stoneware; sake cups are the souvenir. ~17:00 Momotaro Jeans Okayama, Ekimae-cho 1-8-18 (to 20:00, hems on the spot), if there’s appetite. ~17:15 train to Kurashiki, ~15 min on the JR Pass; walk the Ebisu-dori arcade to the Bikan canal quarter as the lights come on (shops and the Ohara Museum shut ~17:00). ~18:30 dinner: Torikawa, yakitori in Bikan (to 23:00 Sat), or Yorokonde, Okayama izakaya in Achi (try mamakari); Kyuhondo-tei near the station for French/Italian. ~20:30 train back, early night. Eri splits off for two nights at Ise. |
| 18 OctSun | 7:10 Okayama → Uno 7:53, 8:22 ferry to Naoshima; back 17:35 | Okayama MOMOYA nagomi · Eri: Ise |
Art islandBooked: Chichu Art Museum, 12:15 slot for three, entry window 12:10–12:45, QR codes in the Benesse app. Without Eri, who is at Ise Jingu. Out by 6:50. 7:10 Marine Liner to Chayamachi 7:26, change for the 7:28 to Uno 7:53 (¥590; the 6:44 waits for the same train if you want slack); 8:22 ferry to Miyanoura 8:42 (¥370, at the pier). E-bikes at Miyanoura straight away, they run out on Sundays (Ougiya takes online bookings). Then the day runs south first: ride the coast to the Yellow Pumpkin and Benesse House Museum (check its morning opening), Valley Gallery; ~10:00 Lee Ufan Museum as it opens. 12:15 Chichu, lunch at its café. ~14:15 bike to Honmura, ~15 min: the Art House Project (multi-site ticket at Honmura Lounge, book Minamidera’s timed entry early), closes 16:30. 17:35 ferry to Uno, 18:05 train, Okayama 18:59, dinner there. Later boats 19:02 and 20:25 (last car ferry). If the 8:22 is missed: 8:24 train, Uno 9:08, 9:22 ferry. If the e-bikes are gone, the town bus and the free Benesse shuttle reach Chichu. Teshima doesn't fit around the 12:15 slot. Closed Mondays, so Sunday, and busy. |
| 19 OctMon | Okayama → Kyoto, ~1 h · Eri: Ise → Kyoto on the Kintetsu, ~2 h | Kyoto Koduki House 古月居 · Eri: sequence KYOTO GOJO |
Back togetherPhone map of the day → Booked: Koduki House 古月居, Kojin-cho 449-3 off Samegai-dori south of Bukkoji, a machiya for three, Nate booked, check-in 15:00, check-out 11:00; Eri sleeps at sequence KYOTO GOJO. Bags were in by 12:40, so the afternoon is one hands-free loop that ends back at the house. Phone pages carry whole-route buttons for Google and Apple Maps, and the KML imports into Google My Maps. 12:45 out the door, 17 min on foot east; 13:05 lunch at Senmaruya, the yuba house on Sakaimachi-dori north of Shijo (yuba hotpot ¥2,800, 10:00–18:00, ~15 seats). Then north first: ~14:05 Kyoto Design House on Sanjo at Kokura (1,500 pieces by Kyoto makers, bowls and washi lamps, 11:00–20:00), Rokkaku-do on the way if a five-minute temple appeals; ~14:35 CONTO for vegan doughnuts and sake-lees ice cream (Nishiyokocho 174-1, 7:30–19:00); ~15:05 APFR Kyoto on Nijo at Gokomachi for Jonas’s incense (11:00–19:00, closed Tuesdays, so today), the quiet north end of Teramachi next door for antiques and bamboo if needed. South again: ~15:45 VOU / 棒 (Sujiyacho 137, Caroline’s “sick” shop and gallery, 13:00–19:00), Suzuki Shofudo for washi lamps and 7T for tea on the same blocks if wanted; the coffee tips are dropped. ~16:30 the Kyoto Ceramic Center at the foot of Gojo-zaka, 20 min on foot over Gojo bridge (the Kiyomizu-yaki cooperative showroom, to 18:00, no crowd); Kaikado’s tea caddies or Sanjusangen-do only if the lanterns are dropped. 16:55 on foot 18 min down Higashioji for ~17:15 Kojima Shoten, the Kyo-chochin lantern workshop since the 1790s (Imakumano Naginomori-cho 11-24, 10 min from the station, closes 17:30, so call 075-561-3546 and ask them to wait). 18:00 on foot 20 min to Fushimi Inari and up through the gates in the dark, empty after sunset at 17:15. 20:00 dinner at Yasubee, Manu’s okonomiyaki place on Pontocho just south of Sanjo (from 16:00, closed Tue, call 075-221-2613 about last orders; Keihan Fushimi-Inari → Sanjo 10 min). Loft Kyoto at Mina Kyoto, three minutes away on Kawaramachi, open to 21:00, for AOZORA’s speckled Dot Musée crayons (ドットクレヨン; the Chichu box is a Naoshima-only edition). Optional: Cinematik Saloon, Manu’s basement music bar in Kajiicho near Demachiyanagi (19:00–24:00, intercom, groups of three or more may be turned away). ~22:00 walk 25 min west along Shijo back to Koduki House, the whole day on foot bar the Keihan from Inari to Sanjo. Tomorrow Jonas and Eri go straight to the massage: alarm ~6:50, out 7:20 on foot past Higashi Hongan-ji, Eri at the shinkansen central gate 7:40, 07:54 Nozomi 238. Eva and Nathanael take the 08:13 Nozomi 76 to Tokyo. Reserve tonight if passing the station. |
| 20 OctTue | Jonas and Eri: 08:30 Nozomi 78 Kyoto → Shin-Yokohama ~10:27 → Tokyu Shin-Yokohama and Toyoko lines → Naka-Meguro, ~25 min · Eva and Nathanael: 08:13 Nozomi 76 → Tokyo 10:24, Sobu Rapid to Bakurocho, DDD 10:50 | Tokyo DDD Hotel, Bakurocho |
Last eveningPhone map of the day → Booked: DDD Hotel, 2-2-1 Nihonbashi Bakurocho, for Eri, Eva and Nathanael; check-in 15:00–23:00, bags held from the morning, 4 min from Bakurocho station. Jonas uses it as a base, with no bed of his own. Massages at Esperanza, Nakameguro (Kamimeguro 1-23-1, Nakameguro Arena 5F, 30 seconds from the station): Jonas 11:00, 90 min, ¥11,500, out 12:30; Eri 12:00, 120 min, out 14:00. Jonas and Eri go straight there: bus at 8:00 to the station, the 08:30 Nozomi 78 to Shin-Yokohama ~10:27, then the Tokyu Shin-Yokohama line onto the Toyoko line to Naka-Meguro, in by ~10:55. Eva and Nathanael take the 08:13 Nozomi 76 to Tokyo 10:24, the Sobu Rapid to Bakurocho, bags into DDD ~10:50, then the Hibiya line to Naka-Meguro. Jonas’s afternoon: 12:55 Gramicci Harajuku, up Cat Street from Shibuya (Jingumae 6-13-11, 11:00–20:00), and ~13:20 Topologie’s flagship a few doors down (Jingumae 6-13-4, 12:00–20:00); ~14:05 Montbell Shinjuku by the south exit (Yoyogi 2-4-9, 10:00–21:00), 25 min up Meiji-dori on foot or one Yamanote stop; 14:35 Chuo-Sobu local straight to Akihabara, ~15:00 Super Potato (Sotokanda 1-11-2, 3F–5F, to 20:00) for Super Famicom carts, then Retro Game Camp (3-14-7), Surugaya (3-11-3) and Beep (3-9-8 B1); 16:15 Ginza line to Tawaramachi, ~16:30 Kappabashi for bowls, the kitchenware street, ending at Dengama (Nishi-Asakusa 1-4-3, pottery straight from the kilns, Arita, Kutani, Mino, Hasami, 10:00–18:00; most other shops close ~17:00); ~17:35 Ginza line direct to Shibuya, ~32 min. ~18:15 dinner with Anton and Haruka, their picks: Kuumba du Falafel by Shinsen (near Shibuya) or Rokkakutei in Ebisu. ~20:45 GiGO Akihabara 3 and Taito Hey for arcade inspiration, both to 23:30, Yamanote from Shibuya ~30 min. Eri, Eva and Nathanael: the Meguro river until Eri is out at 14:00, ~17:30 check in at DDD (Hibiya line direct to Kodenmacho), ~20:45 Asakusa, ~22:00 Sensoji after the crowds, lit until 23:00. ~22:45 all four at Nui. Hostel & Bar Lounge, Kuramae 2-14-13 (bar to 00:30), Jonas from Akihabara by the Sobu line to Asakusabashi and 10 min on foot. ~23:15 Jonas goes to Haneda for the night: Asakusa line from Kuramae, ~45 min (check the last train; taxi ~30 min). Bonus: Izumi Tenku no Yu, the 24-hour hot spring in Haneda Airport Garden, connected to T3 (~¥4,800 plus a late-night surcharge); otherwise the T3 benches, free. The others walk 15 min home to DDD. Weather: cloudy with a shower likely, 21–26°C, umbrellas. |
| 21 OctWed | Jonas already at Haneda T3 overnight, AY5072 (JAL) Haneda → Helsinki 07:50 · Eri Tokyo → Narita for 20:45 | — | OutJonas spends the night at Haneda: the hot spring as a bonus or the T3 benches, check in from ~05:30. If he stays in town after all, the first Asakusa line kaitoku leaves Asakusabashi at 05:07 and runs straight to Terminal 3 in 34 min, ¥547. Narita is about an hour from central Tokyo, so Eri has the whole day. Eva and Nathanael stay on. |
| 22 OctThu | — | Japan | Eva stays to Oct 24 (AY62, 21:50). Nathanael until Nov 2. |
Every bed is booked. Costs live in the shared expenses sheet.