Hi Everyone,
Thank you for your support and patience regarding JRIS65 R2. The GB has only 3 days left, and we have updated the review links. Please check the following GB information.

JRIS65 R2 Group Buy Information

SKUs and pricing
JRIS65 R2 GB Page
GB Time
31st May to 12th June
Estimated Delivery
Start packing and sending to vendors and Mykeyclub direct customers in August 2023
All component is compatible with the R1.
Vendor List

• US: KeebsForAll
• Canada: Ashkeebs
• EU: Candykeys
• UK: Prototypist
• Oceania: SwitchKeys
• South Korea: Geonworks
• Japan: Basekeys
• Singapore: Mecha.Store
• Indonesia: KeebsMark
• Philippines: Zion Studios
• Thailand: NTCH Keys
• Malaysia: Rebult Keyboards
• Vietnam: MOKB STORE
• Taiwan: 鍵盤好貴
• Rest of the world: Mykeyclub

Please check the extracted GB info from the vendor you plan to order.

JRIS65 R2 Information

JRIS65 R2 Renders

What are the differences between Jris65 R2 and R1? 

We have received much feedback about the JRIS65 after they built it. Most of the customer love and enjoy the build and love our Jris65. And we also received some improved feedback or issues they were having. So we have improved the R2 according to the R1, please check the details below:
​

• The JST cable has been extended for a better build experience
• Upgraded the material and finish of the screws
• Added a 1.6mm Non-Flex Cut Black core Hotswap PCB.
• Upgrade a piece of Poron Case Foam to Non-Flex Cut.
• The plates have been upgraded to better support ISO compatibility.
• Added the case colors options: Lilac, Orange, Silver, Maroon, Navy Blue, Dark Green, Titanium Grey, Orange&Black, Dark Green&Black.
• Added the PVD Mirror Weight colors options: Blue, Purple, Gradient.
• New limited edition: Red and Black.

​

JRIS65 Specifications 

• Dimensions
• Typing angle: 6°
• Front height: 21.3mm
• PCB GASKETS structure
• PCB with USB-C daughterboard
• Both PCB and plate adopt flex cut design
• PCB gasket jackets or socks (included as default)
• QMK/VIA Supported (Note: The BT PCB has its drive, so it doesn't support VIA/QMK)
• Support PCB stabilizers

​

What can you customize for JRIS65 R2? 

Case Options:

• 2 limited edition case: Red, Black (Only 300 Limited QTY Worldwide)

Highlight reoxidation finish for the chamfered in makes the overall front more three-dimensional and exquisite.

• 5 E-coat case： E-white, Milky White, Pink, Lilac, Orange
• 6 Anodized Case: Black, Silver, Maroon, Navy Blue, Dark Green, Titanium Grey
• 6 color combos case: Orange&Black, E-White&Black, Maroon&Black,Dark Green&Black, Navy Blue&Black, Titanium Grey&Black

Weight Options:

• Anodized Alu Weight: Black, Silver, Gold
• PVD Mirror Stainless steel Weight: Gold, Silver, Black, Chroma, Blue, Purple, Gradient

PCBs Options:

• Wired Flex Cut Black core Hotswap PCB( 1.2mm, Multi Layout, support QMK and VIA )
• Wired Non-Flex Cut Black core Hotswap PCB(1.6mm, Multi Layout, support QMK and VIA )
• Wired Flex Cut Black core Solder PCB( 1.2mm, Multi Layout, support QMK and VIA )
• 5.2 Bluetooth Hotswap PCB,battery included ( 1.2mm, ANSI Layout, support LDN Software)

BT PCB is cooperating with Li Dana. LDN’s PCB is famous in China because his PCBs are stable and qualified and use friendly. It has its drive and software, which can edit the key mapping. Please check the software driver interface here.

1. 8 devices can pair with at the same time, and it is easy to switch devices you want.
2. The power switch is on the PCB, easy to turn BT function on/ off.
3. The fastest response time is only 1.25ms

Plate Options:

• PC/POM/FR4/ALU
• Brass (Add-on only)/Black core FR4 (Add-on only)

Plateless Options:
We highly suggest building plateless with 5mm extra plate foam and solder PCB. The 5mm extra plate foam will bring a more soft typing feel, and the typing sound will be cleaner. But without the 5mm plate foam, it will also work fine, and the typing feel and sound are very different.

What's in package? 

• 1x Full CNC Aluminum Case
• 1x Weight( Anodized Alu/ PVD Mirror)
• 1x PCB (Flex Cut Hotswap/ Non-Flex Cut Hotswap/ Soldered/ Bluetooth)
• 1x Plate (PC/ FR4/ Alu/POM)
• 1x Type-C Daughterboard
• 1x IXPE Foam
• 1x Poron Plate Foam
• 1x Flex Cut Poron Case Foam
• 1x Non-Flex Cut Poron Case Foam
• 1x Masking paper for PCB
• 1x JST Cable
• 10x gasket jackets
• 20x gasket socks
• 1 Set of PCB stabilizers O-ring
• 1 Set of Footpad
• 1x Silicone pad of battery compartment (We include this as default, so you don't need to consider choosing which PCB to be the default.)
• 1x Battery（Only for the Bluetooth version）

Gift(will not send make-up or replacements)

• 1x USB-Type C keyboard cable
• 1x Carrying Case

​

Please check the prototype photos below# 

• Pink Case with Chroma PVD Mirror Weight
• Maroon + Black Case with Gold PVD Mirror Weight
• Maroon + Black Case with Silver PVD Mirror Weight
• Milky-White + Black PVD Mirror Weight
• Titanium Grey+Black
• Accessories

Review links

Content Creator	Prototype (JRIS65 R2)
Yo_keebs	Orange Case+Black PVD Weight
Rx003	Silver Case+Silver PVD Weight
hi_keebs	Black Case+Chroma PVD Weight
YBBK	Limited Edition Black Case+Black PVD Weight
SeungupKBD	DarkGreen Case+Gold PVD Weight
Preston's Thoughts	Milky-White Case+Silver PVD Weight
bored bear	Limited Edition Red Case+Silver PVD Weight
kittykat.keys	E-White Case+Chroma PVD Weight
whnkeys - Custom Tastaturen	Pink Case+Silver PVD Weight
get.switched	Lilac Case+Purple Weight

​

Content Creator	Prototype (JRIS65 R1)
Alexotos	E-White&Black Case+Gold PVD Weight
Keybored	Milky-White Case+Black PVD Weight
nearLucid	Milky-White Case+Gold PVD Weight
Yo_keebs	Milky-White Case+Chroma PVD Weight
Tofutypes	E-White Case+Chroma PVD Weight
sviz ify	Pink Case+Silver PVD Weight
Clackbait	Titanium Grey+Black Case+Black PVD Weight
Shoobs	Black Case+Chroma PVD Weight
Mecha Store	Maroon&Black Case+Silver PVD Weight
edwardtanujayaa	Milky-White Case+Chroma PVD Weight
mmorpg.com	Black Case+Chroma PVD Weight
tomshardware	Pink Case+Chroma PVD Weight

Mykeyclub Team

We are a platform that integrates creativity and innovative design, helping more studios join this hobby community and bringing more fun and cool products to you guys. Please participate in our MKC family for more discussions and future updates.
Mykeyclub discord
Mykeyclub Ins
Best Wishes
Mykeyclub Team

FRIDAY

• Friday Night on White, White St., Wake Forest
• Two Durhams Beer Festival, Durham Central Park, Durham
• Subtronics, Red Hat Amphitheater, Raleigh
• Summerfest: Never Break the Chain: The Music of Fleetwood Mac, Koka Booth Amphitheatre, Cary
• SPECIAL EVENT: PETE DAVIDSON WORKING OUT NEW MATERIAL WITH FRIENDS, Goodnights Comedy Club, Raleigh
• The Monti: Freak, Carolina Theatre, Durham
• Cary's History of Hooch Tours, Downtown, Cary
• Shane Gillis, DPAC, Durham
• So Far Sounds, Secret Location, Cary
• Advance Auto Parts 160, Wake County Speedway, Raleigh
• Rennie Harris Puremovement American Street Dance Theater, Page Auditorium, Durham
• Elodie Farm Dinner, Elodie Farms, Durham
• Andrew Schulz, Raleigh Improv, Cary
• ONE OCEAN FILM TOUR, The Cary Theater, Cary
• Green Jelly, Lincoln Theatre, Raleigh
• NCAA Division II Baseball Championship, USA Baseball National Training Complex, Cary
• Bluegrass and Brews, Nickelpoint Brewing Co., Raleigh
• Friday Family Flicks - Strange World, Garner Recreation Center, Garner
• Tour: Unsettled Things: Art from an African American South, Ackland Art Museum, Chapel Hill
• Angela Bingham w/Jim Ketch Quintet, Sharp Nine Gallery, Durham
• Retro Film Series - The African Queen & Key Largo, Carolina Theatre, Durham
• Triangle Restaurant Week, Various Locations, Triangle
• Pen Collectors of America: Triangle Pen Show 2023, DoubleTree by Hilton (RDU), Durham
• Carolina Tiger Twilight Tour, Carolina Tiger Rescue, Pittsboro

​
SATURDAY

• Town of Cary's Pimento Cheese Festival, Downtown Park, Cary
• Summerfest: All Beethoven, Koka Booth Amphitheatre, Cary
• SPECIAL EVENT: PETE DAVIDSON WORKING OUT NEW MATERIAL WITH FRIENDS, Goodnights Comedy Club, Raleigh
• Nuv Yug India Fest, Jim Graham Building at North Carolina State Fairgrounds, Raleigh
• Geek and Grub Market (Pride Edition), Mordecai Historic Park, Raleigh
• Triangle Restaurant Week, Various Locations, Triangle
• THE BLOCK PARTY “Downtown Raleigh”, The Bridge & The Architect, Raleigh
• 2023 Annual Apex Pride Festival, Town Hall Campus, Apex
• Al Strong: Jazz Is My Religion, North Carolina Museum of History, Raleigh
• NCAA Division II Baseball Championship, USA Baseball National Training Complex, Cary
• Andrew Schulz, Raleigh Improv, Cary
• Brookside Bodega Summer Festival, Brookside Bodega, Raleigh
• Durham Art Parade, The Scrap Exchange, Durham
• 6th Annual Triangle Community Band Festival, Durham Central Park, Durham
• Orchard Park Jazz Picnic, Orchard Park, Durham
• Rock the Park Concert — Rockie Lynn (Americana/Country), Forest Hills Park, Durham
• Bull Durham Screening Series, Durty Bull, Durham
• Best of the Triangle, Lincoln Theatre, Raleigh
• Caifanes, The Ritz, Raleigh
• Metal Show: An Offering to Bragi, Moon Dog Meadery, Durham
• Summer Fun Day (Wake Forest), Fortnight Brewing, Wake Forest
• BODYTRAFFIC, Reynolds Industries Theater, Durham
• Single Barrel Experience, Mystic Farm and Distillery, Durham
• Frankie Alexander Quartet, Sharp Nine Gallery, Durham
• Children’s Matinee: Rennie Harris Puremovement American Street Dance Theater, Page Auditorium, Durham
• Alley Twenty Six’s Islands in the Alley, Alley Twenty Six, Durham
• DIY & Drag Fundraiser, Nailed It DIY Studio, Durham
• Burlesque: The Rainbow Connection – Boom Boom’s Big Gay B-day Review, The Pinhook, Durham
• Pride, Hi-Wire Brewing, Durham
• Drag Trivia, The Avenue, Raleigh
• Shallow Cuts: Mad Mix Beyond Thunderpop!, Rubies on Five Points, Durham
• Taste of Music Festival, Friendship Chapel Rd., Wake Forest
• Lower Eno River Discovery Paddle, Eno River, Durham
• Friends of Geer Cemetery: Restoration Awareness Ceremony, Geer Cemetery, Durham
• American Tobacco Trail - Great Trail Day, American Tobacco Trail, Durham
• Learn to Ride a Bike, Lake Lynn Park and Community Center, Raleigh
• WILD (Movie Showing), The Cary Theater, Cary

​
SUNDAY

• Durham Central Park Food Truck Rodeo, Durham Central Park, Durham
• Duke University's Ciompi Quartet, NCMA, Raleigh
• Ricardo Arjona, PNC Arena, Raleigh
• SPECIAL EVENT: PETE DAVIDSON WORKING OUT NEW MATERIAL WITH FRIENDS, Goodnights Comedy Club, Raleigh
• Triangle Restaurant Week, Various Locations, Triangle
• Al Strong Presents Jazz Brunch, Alley Twenty Six, Durham
• Kym Register + Meltdown Rodeo / Tami Hart / Dunums, The Pinhook, Durham
• Show Me Snakes Reptile & Exotics Show, Durham Armory, Durham

​
Join the Thingstodo919 email list here for a weekly events newsletter. Doing anything interesting this weekend? Let us know your plans in the comments!

Hi guys this isn’t for everyone but for the last few months I’ve been enjoying reading trip reports. It’s been a bit of nighttime reading for me. Yesterday I did my first shrooms. I wrote a report more for myself but thought I’d post it for anyone who wants to read it
First trip Strain: yetis Location: download (UK rock festival) Dosage: exact unknown but roughly 1.5g With: 5 friends. 4 took shrooms before me and one other friend it was our first
14:00 the shrooms were eaten. I’d heard about how horrible they were taste wise but I swigged them with a drink and was surprised how tasteless they were. Popcorn texture, the smell was worse than the taste.
14:20 wondering if they were duds. No feeling of anything but remembering they were bruised blue and from a reputable seller and reminded myself to stop being so impatient
14:30 I started to notice like a slight tingling in my hands and a smile forced into my face. One of my friends (the most experienced user) smiled at me and said I’m definitely feeling something now which made me laugh, consequently him laugh back.
15:00 hard to explain but I start to feel my muscles moving individually and I could fully feel blood, not pumping but rather moving round my body. It had a sort of euphoric feel that my body was just working away to keep me alive. We were sat on one of many wooden benches outside a beer tent and one of my friends mentioned something about the wood of the bench, I looked down and the knots of the wood started going slightly green and the wood was swirling around the knots. At this exact point I knew I was tripping, I remember thinking it was exactly how I pictured some parts from watching YouTube clips of “trip simulations” and thought how accurate they were. I remember touching the wood and again, my explanation is terrible but I could really feel the actual wood against my fingers like it was the first time touching wood. I definitely had a real euphoric feeling as I smoked a cigarette and looked up at the sky.
16:00 the next phase definitely turned up a notch. As my group was chatting and laughing it felt like everything was moving really fast. One of my friends is a naturally quicker speaker and it felt like he was talking so fast I couldn’t keep up. One of friends I was talking to has a few freckles and I noticed they were all swirling too. A band started playing on a distant stage but was easily heard and I don’t know if it was the music, but it really felt like as they started a slow beat, everything slowed down to like 0.5 speed. We had been sat there for a couple of hours chatting etc at this point and there was a generator for the beer tent near us the whole time but all of a sudden my ears like locked onto it and it was almost squealing at me.
1630ish I noticed my thoughts were a bit more meaningful. For example we have a friend who since kids was the natural leader of our group and everyone gravitates towards him. But I realised that while he was our groups natural leader whenever there was an argument, issues or someone in need I tended to be the go to person and I understood that I actually play an Important role in our friendship group.
16:45 i started to feel a little out of control, my vision was off and I felt really quite hot. But I needed a pee. I walked 100m to the toilets and on my way back I realised the sea of wooden benches with thousands of people all wearing dark clothing. Things were a bit blurry here and my sight a bit all over the place. It the was the only moment I felt a little worried and out of my depth but alas, I found them after a few minutes.
17:00 I think it started to ware off here. All the effects were losing strength but even my experienced friend said they felt very potent for the small dosage we had. I suggested we go and get some food which I pulled us out of the trip even more.
As someone who’s never done shrooms or any kind of drug tbh I thought it was an ideal first time. I will always remember that experience it was like nothing I’ve ever felt before.
My after thoughts. Hard one to explain but I see why people say you need to let go and enjoy the experience.
I’m glad I had friends around me
Im very intrigued how a slightly larger dose will be, to see visuals etc.
Some parts of the trip were exactly as I expected, some parts I don’t think I was ready for (the change of vision etc) and I’m glad I didn’t do a bigger dose to start with.

Some new, some old w/ lowered prices. Continually trying to help family catch up on endless medical bills. As usual if anything seems to pricey, just ask.
Free shipping please keep that in mind with prices. US only, shipping from California, deal for bundles.
Last go round I had some a few shipping delays-if you're one of those and want something make sure to remind me for the deal.
The Cure - Wish (30th anniversary) * sealed * $38
Aphex Twin - Selected Ambient Works 85-92 * sealed * $32
A Day to Remember - Common Courtesy (yellow milky clear) * sealed * $33
Alice in Chains - Dirt * sealed * $24
Beastie Boys - Check Your Head * sealed * $31
Beyonce - Renaissance * sealed * $32
Charli XCX - Crash (white) * sealed * $27
Daft Punk - Homework * sealed * $33
Deftones - Adrenaline * sealed * $27
Deftones - White Pony * sealed * $32
Far - Water & Solutions * opened/never played * $90
Fugees - The Score (orange) * sealed * $31
The Get Up Kids - Something To Wriite Home About * sealed * $25
Good Charlotte - The Young and the Restless (neon green) * sealed * $35
Good Charlotte - s/t (opaque blue) * sealed * $35
Guns N Roses - Use Your Illusion I * sealed * $33
Guns N Roses - Use Your Illusion II * sealed * $33
Jackboys - Jackboys (neon yellow, urban exclusive) * opened/never played * $33
Jane’s Addiction - Ritual De Lo Habitual (pearl) * sealed * $33
Justin Timberlake - Futuresex/Lovesounds (opaque red) * sealed * $45
Justin Timberlake - Justified (light blue) * sealed * $39
Kanye West - College Dropout * sealed * $35
Kendrick Lamar - Good Kid, M.A.A.d. City (opaque apple red) * sealed * $29
Kendrick Lamar - Good Kid, M.A.A.d. City (milky transparent) * sealed * $29
Kendrick Lamar - To Pimp a Butterfly * sealed * $29
Kendrick Lamar - Untitled Unmastered. * sealed * $22
Kendrick Lamar - Mr Morale & the Big Steppers * sealed * $37
Korn - Issues * sealed * $26
Korn - Untouchables * opened/never played * $26
Madonna - Bedtime Stories * opened/never played * $18
Marilyn Manson - Smells Like Children (pink translucent) * opened/never played * $40
Metallica - Ride the Lightning (electric blue) * sealed * $28
Metallica - Master of Puppets * sealed * $22
Metallica - the black album (some blacker marbled) * sealed * $28
Metallica - Load * opened/never played * $24
Metallica - Garage Inc. * sealed * $37
Metallica - S&M * sealed * $43
Metallica - Hardwired to Self-Destruct (flame orange ) * sealed * $29
Metallica - 72 Seasons (red/black) * sealed * $27
Methods of Mayhem - self titled * opened/never played * $19
Michael Jackson - Dangerous * opened/never played * $23
My Chemical Romance - The Black Parade * sealed * $32
Nirvana - In Utero 2013 mix * sealed * $35
Pearl Jam - Ten (purple) * sealed * $23
Post Malone - Twelve Carat Toothache) * sealed * $27
Queens of the Stone Age - Era Vulgaris * sealed * $28
Queens of the Stone Age - Rated R * sealed * $26
Radiohead - The Bends * sealed * $33
Red Hot Chili Peppers - Unlimited Love (red) * opened/never played * $12
Soundgarden - Superunknown * sealed * $28
The Strokes - First Impressions of Earth * sealed * $22
[Taylor Swift - Midnights]](https://www.discogs.com/maste2831825-Taylor-Swift-Midnights?format=Vinyl) all 5 of the standard US color releases * sealed * $23/each
Taylor Swift - Red (Taylor’s Version - 4xLP red) * sealed * $32
Tool - Lateralus * sealed * $35
Tool - Fear Inoculum (gold art triple gatefold) * sealed * $52
The Used - self titled (red oxblood & bone white split) * sealed * $38
v/a Lost Highway soundtrack * opened/never played * $25
v/a End of Days soundtrack * opened/never played * $40
The Weeknd - Beauty Behind the Madness) * sealed * $38
The Weeknd - Starboy (blue) * sealed * $25
30 Seconds to Mars - self titled) * sealed * $26

Mentions of child abuse
He helped me write this, telling me how he would have responded to me. I hope it’s not too cringe.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ My shoes thudded against the pavement as I trudged back to my apartment. Going home. That’s all I wanted to do. I had spent the past twelve hours at the university library working towards my thesis, and there was a bottle of wine in the fridge calling my name.
I slowed as I neared a bridge underpass, placing my grocery bag on the ground next to me so I could untangle my rat’s nest of headphone cables. As I tugged and manipulated the knots, I heard soft whimpers and cries coming from under the bridge. I hastily shoved my things away and jogged around the bend to see what was making the noise.
A small boy sat curled up against the stone wall, sobbing quietly into his arms. He could be no more than five or six, and as I approached my stomach began to sink. His pale blue hair was a mess, and he was barefoot, covered in dust…and blood. So, so much blood. I placed my bag down and jogged over.
"Honey? Honey what’s going on, where are your parents?" I said. "Are you okay?"
The boy raised his head. His eyes stared off, looking past me, looking at nothing. I walked closer. The boy was shaking. I knelt down on the ground next to him, and reached towards him.
He slapped my hand away with the back of his hand, scampering away on his behind.
"Honey, no, no, it’s okay. I’m not going to hurt you, I just want to help."
I held my hands up in a gesture of surrender. The boy eyed me warily. I sat against the wall next to where I had found him. He slowly came back to where I sat.
"I think we should get you to the police station, maybe even a hero agenc-"
"NO!"
For the first time I saw something other than blankness behind his eyes. I saw fear. His eyes welled with tears.
"Please. No." He whispered.
I stood. I bent down and hoisted the little boy up by his armpits. He stiffened, then settled into my hip. He shivered, gripping my shirt tightly, but had his pinky fingers extended back. Odd. I grabbed my groceries and started to walk once again.
"Come on, honey, let’s at least get you someplace safe for the night. We can figure out what to do next tomorrow. Let’s go home and you can have a nice bath, I’ll make you some dinner. Can you tell me your name, sweetheart?"
The boy looked up at me, red eyes brimming with tears still. "T…Tenko. I’m Tenko." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It is the year 3000.
A science teacher named Mr. Pierdolitz draws on the blackboard a circle with a bunch of horizontal lines running through it. He says, "Alright, class, today we'll be learning about the water cycle. Who's heard of it?"
Half the class raises their hands. The teacher points to one student and asks her to explain.
The girl says, "Water is evaporated by the sun or is transpired into the air by plants, forms clouds that get poured back down to the ground as rain which creates runoff, the runoff soaks into the ground, enriching the water with minerals, that sort of thing..."
"Very good.", says Mr. Pierdolitz. "And you know what the interesting thing about that runoff is?"
"No?", says the girl.
"Water is only found in rivers that flow from east to west or west to east in perfectly straight lines.", Pierdolitz explains. "Isn't that amazing? How nature created this perfect, simple, infallible system where the direction of rivers is determined by wind direction, which is determined by latitude—"
A member of the school staff suddenly enters the classroom. "Mr. Pierdolitz?"
"Yeah?", says Pierdolitz.
"You're in the middle of your water cycle lesson, right?"
"Yeah, what about it?"
The staff member says, "Yeah, so the curriculum's been updated." He hands Mr. Pierdolitz a paper. Pierdolitz looks at it and sighs as the staff member leaves.
Pierdolitz grumbles a bit and says, "Alright, so nature isn't that simple and infallible. There are a few rivers that change direction either permanently or on a daily basis, because gravity, including the gravity of the moon, can also impact how a river flows. But still. In general."
A student named Sasazuka raises his hand.
"Yes, Sasazuka?", says Pierdolitz.
Sasazuka says, "Back on Mars, we had rivers that flowed north to south or south to north, and we had rivers that bent and curved in every direction and split and joined. We had waterfalls and waterspouts, too, and even an ocean in the north, and a bunch of lakes."
"Well isn't that great, Sasazuka?", Pierdolitz replies with a dismissive tone. "Maybe you should've stayed on Mars if you like its rivers so much!"
Sasazuka clarifies, "Well, my point is that this planet might've been the same way a long time ago."
Pierdolitz snaps, "Don't be silly, Sasazuka. Earth has never had 'oceans' or 'lakes' or 'waterfalls' or 'waterspouts' or rivers that — God forbid — connect or bend or flow from north to south. That's just not how water works on this planet. Never has. Nope. It can't be. It's scientifically impossible."
"But teach—"
"Go stand in the hall, Sasazuka."

Hello, I would like to seek fellow redditors opinions, input and recommendation on how I could better finetune my itinerary better. There's only so much I can think of, and plan as an individual, but with everyone's input and comments I can further refine and enhance the travel experience before I set foot into Japan. Do forgive me in advance for the theorycrafting wall of text.
I know it may be difficult to review the itinerary, so to make the review easier I have broken the itinerary down into specific sub-groups e.g. Shikoku, Kinki etc. Specific questions that I have are bolded.
Thank you in advance for taking your time to provide your opinions!
-------------
Baseline information

• 32M, average fitness, solo traveller
• Public transport only (challenge); I have a driver's license but I have not drove a car for god knows how long so I would prefer not to test it against the green hills of Shikoku
• Interest: anime (select few), experience autumn/nature, visiting secluded spots, and just trying random stuff
• JP language skill: rudimentary at best (N4), but I will not shy away from speaking in simple, broken japanese or use a translator to communicate. Reading/interpreting kanji is not a problem (in general).
• Visit history: Visited twice (once to Hokkaido for ~8 days, and once toKyoto and Osaka for 8 days
• Will probably travel around with a (slightly) oversized luggage at ~166cm (A+B+C), that’s the only one I have with me. This will be a problem on the Shinkansen (but hopefully not so much on sightseeing trains/limited expresses).
• Will be visiting during (almost) peak autumn at 11 November, and will depart on the 16th of December
• Jet lag is unlikely to be a problem (1h time difference), but nevertheless I will maintain a low tempo on the first day to acclimatize to the environment
• Only thing firmed as of now is the air ticket, everything else is up in the air.
• I like planning/min-maxing to some degree, though I recognize that I may not fulfill all objectives during the trip and I am totally ok with that [its just a guideline or framework to give the holiday some structure, that’s all.] FWIW, I personally like traveling at a high tempo pace like some japanese travel show do (e.g. ローカル路線バス乗り継ぎの旅)

​
Specific goals/objective:

1. Experience Shikoku in autumn (specifically the views at Iya Valley) and in other prefectures (thus making nature sightseeing more of a priority this time round)
2. Experience Kanazawa for anime stuff
3. Experience the Shimanami Kaido in full (including any sightseeing spots in between the 6 island chains)
4. Bonus - try as many sightseeing trains as possible.
5. Bonus - if weather, time and schedule permits, try skiing as an option in Nagano.
6. Bonus - stay in as many onsen ryokans as possible, without breaking the bank.

​
Locked-in prefectures [i.e. I will definitely go to those prefectures no matter what]:

1. Shikoku (as per above objective)
2. Hiroshima (because its on the opposite end of the Shimanami Kaido)
3. Kanazawa (for anime related reason)
4. Tokyo (that is my starting and end point so it has to be included by default)

All other prefectures are basically float i.e. I am open to consider dropping said itinerary for something else based on your suggestion that aligns with my preferences/interest. Most of the other locations I added are prefectures that are often next to each other, or well-connected (apart from the initial Tokyo Kagawa jump via Sunrise Seto/Shinkansen).
​
Wait-list prefectures (prefectures that I want to go, but I don’t think I can realistically fit in without dropping other locations):

1. Snow skiing at Nagano (depending on how cooperative the weather is in early-ish December (would 2 days be sufficient?))
2. Ehime, Kochi expansion [spend 1-3 more days]
3. Izu Peninsula (~2 days, via Saphir Odoriko)
4. Nagoya + lower Nagano (Kiso Valley) (~3 days)
5. Ishikawa expansion [1 extra day at Kaga]

I am open to dropping a few days in Tokyo/Osaka etc to make that trade off [currently kept 3 days free for further development]. Alternatively, if the planning can be better optimized based on your inputs I might be able to do one of those without compromising on the base set. I would like to hear your opinion on what locations you would drop in the itinerary to make time for one of the above.
​
General planning philosophy:

1. My itineary adopts a breadth approach (cover as much area as I can humanely possible without rushing/touch-and-go) as opposed to depth (i.e. spending much more time within Shikoku than what I allocated); though I would be open to considering more days at selected locations if you have strong recommendations. My thought is to experience how different autumn is at various parts of the country (if possible), and maybe winter too (to a certain degree).
2. Due to the nature of my travel, I note that luggage logistics is a critical consideration when moving between prefectures; my thought is to park that luggage at the next hotel as quickly as possible so that I can free myself for sightseeing within the vicinity, or leave the luggage at the hotel after I check out until I am ready to travel to the next location. I will need to send (quite a fair bit of) emails to the hotels to confirm on this prior to booking.
3. I will attempt to minimize transit time between prefectures to no more than 2~3 hours a day to avoid having excessively long transport days (except the initial Tokyo Kagawa jump).
4. Because of the long trip, I will also need to factor a bit of downtime at night for administrative stuff (e.g. catching up a little bit on work, laundry etc).

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Shikoku (~7 days)
Specific thoughts while planning:

1. I will need to exploit Limited Express trains as much as possible to minimize downtime between the 4 prefectures. Fortunately, for the most part these train frequencies are almost hourly, thus missing one train isnt too deadly consequence-wise.
2. The transfer between Kochi and Ehime [Matsuyama] is oddly quicker via express bus as opposed to trains (!)
3. For Kochi, my opinion is that it is best explored on car instead of public transport [it’s a really wide prefecture]; I feel that 1 day may not do it justice, but it is probably adequate for exploring the city centre as a whole.
4. There's a fair bit of uncertainties while planning this leg so I would deeply appreciate any advice you may have.
5. This current iteration is unable to weave in the Shikoku Mannaka Sennen Monogatari sightseeing train [四国まんなか千年ものがたり] ; if you people think its something not to be missed do let me know and I will reshuffle my timetable as such.

Day 0: Tokyo Kagawa (Sunrise Seto) [Saturday, 11 Nov]

• Touch down at Narita at 1720hours
• Transfer to Tokyo Station via NEX or Skyliner
• Settle administrative matters at the Midori-no-Maruguchi (e.g. get all the booked tickets etc from JR Pass, for Shinkansen and all other sightseeing trains) at Tokyo Station.
• IF Sunrise Seto ticket is obtained via the JR West portal booking, chill till 2200 and take Sunrise Seto to reach Kagawa (Takamatsu) at 0700 the next day. Try to snag the ticket online (likely via the japanese portal since there's no option to buy Solo Deluxe through the english/international website. Otherwise, compromise and go for Single)
• IF Sunrise Seto ticket is NOT obtained, proceed to take the furthest possible Shinkansen westwards (probably Okayama) and rest for the night.

Day 1: Kagawa (Takamatsu) [Sunday, 12 Nov]

• Chill around Takamatsu. Drop luggage at coin locker OR the hotel (near JR Takamatsu ideally)
• Look at whats left of Takamatsu Castle en route to the port.
• Day trip to Naoshima or Teshima to visit the art museums (Chichu Art Museum, Lee Ufan Museum etc).
• Ritsuin Garden in the evening (closes 1830)
• Find an eatery with Sanuki Udon for dinner if possible.

Day 2: Kagawa (Kotohira) Tokushima (Iya Valley) [Monday, 13 Nov]

• Morning trip from Takamatsu to Kotohira (either via JR or Kotoden). Visit Kotohiragu [includes inner shrine] and Kanamaruza Theater
• Return to Kotohira to pick up luggage, transit to Oboke via Limited Express Shimanto [Takamatsu Tadotsu Oboke]
• Retire at a local hotel around Oboke. If time permits, take the chance to explore around Oboke Gorge itself.

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Day 3: Tokushima (Iya Valley) [Tuesday, 14 Nov]
[Post-research note: I realized that there is NO public transport to Mount Tsurugi on a weekday. I will have to rent a taxi direct to Mount Tsurugi, make the 'climb', then thereafter take the taxi down to the other attractions. I am inclined to just go full hog on the private taxi and rent it (almost the whole day, probably 7~8 hours for 4300yen/hour) to save the trouble.
Otherwise, I will need to hike downhill which can be rather rough since its just a single lane road (looking at nearly 10++ km) so I think it wise not to penny pinch in the interest of both time and safety.]
Spend the day at Iya Valley.

• Take a taxi after breakfast to zip to Mount Tsurugi and speedrun it to the mountain peak (aka using the chairlift to speedrun a good chunk of the mountain) about 2.5 hours ~ 3 hours as per the Iya Valley guide
• Taxi from Mount Tsurugi chairlift down to Oku-Iya Niju Kazuraashi and cross it (~1 hour estimate)
• Taxi down to visit the mannequins/scarecrows at Nagoro Village (~3km downhill from Oku-Iya). (~1 hour estimate)
• Check out the Peeing Boy Statue (~0.5 hour estimate [its just looking at the statue that is overlooking the entire gorge is it not?])
• Cross the outer vine bridge Iya-no-Kazurabashi (~1 hour estimate)
• Taxi back to Oboke, and retire for the day (~0.5 hour estimate, thus looking at about ~8 hours taxi rental total, with some leeway for lunch break)

​
Day 4: Tokushima (Iya Valley) Kochi (Kochi) [Wednesday, 15 Nov]

• Transit from Iya Valley [Oboke] to Kochi via Limited Express Shimanto (again) after breakfast. (~1 hour transit)
• Park luggage at hotel [ideally near JR Kochi Station], then proceed to mill around Kochi, visiting places such as Kochi Castle [高知城] and Harimaya Bridge[はりまや橋]
• Transit to Sakamoto Ryoma Memorial Museum [高知県立坂本龍馬記念館] via local bus which is also near Katsumatsura Beach incidentally. Chill at Katsumatsura Beach in the evening
• Return to JR Kochi, dinnesupper at Hirome Market (ideally to try out Kochi's speciality seared bonito). [is visiting the market more preferable during lunch OR dinner?]

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Day 5: Kochi (Kochi) Ehime (Imabari) [Thursday, 16 Nov]

• Complete any remaining items in Kochi in the morning, then transit to Imabari via train (Kochi Tadotsu Imabari), via Limited Express Shimanto (yet again!) and Ishidzuchi**[TBC: this might be better done via highway bus instead which is faster at ~2-3 hours]**
• Drop luggage at Imabari for the next 2 days, either at Sunrise Itoyama OR Cycle no Ie. [both are well positioned for the Shimanami Kaido, and are also one of the selected hotels eligible for the Sagawa luggage transfer.] Ideally done just around lunch time, so that there's still the better half of the day to explore Imabari.
• Spend the remainder of the day visiting Imabari Castle (closes 1700) and Towel Museum (slightly out of the way) (closes 1800) [TBC: I note this place is quite out of the way from Imabari itself, even the JP website suggests taking a taxi (!) there from the nearby train station. Might have to drop this).
• Attempt to try some Ehime-related food specialties e.g. Taimeshi (Sea Bream), Ehime oranges, Champon for the next 2 days

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Day 6: Ehime (Matsuyama / Imabari) [Friday, 17 Nov]

• Take the Limited express train Ishidzuchi to Matsuyama day tripping. (~1h one-way).
• Explore Matsuyama Castle, and the nearby Matsuyama Ropeway Shopping Street
• Visit Shiki Memorial Museum
• Visit Dogo Onsen [and attempt to soak in the waters if possible].
• Also consider looking at Ishiteji (石手寺) beside Dogo Onsen.
• Bonus: Subject to train schedule, if possible, attempt to secure tickets for the Iyonada Sightseeing Train (伊予灘物語), Futami leg [双海ふたみ 編] , and also visit JR Shimonada Station (JR下灘駅) at the same time.
• Bonus: visit Yawatahama Port where the movie Suzume took reference from,
• Return to Imabari via the same Limited express Ishidzuchi and retire for the night.

Day 7: Ehime (Imabari) Hiroshima (Shinamani Kaido) [Saturday, 18 Nov]
I am of the opinion that 1 day in Shimanami Kaido is adequate if I attempt just the main route which is about 80km [as a test run, I did 70km and finished it within 6-7 hours with lunch breaks included]. For now I will plan for two full days, however should I truncate it down to one day later, I will add an extra day to either explore Matsuyama or Okayama.
​

• Start off at Sunrise Itoyama [watch the sunrise, have breakfast here, cafeteria opens at 0700, rental opens at 0800] OR Cycle no Ie. Do paperwork to send luggage over to the next accomodation via Sagawa.
• I will (probably) follow the recommended 'extended' route on Cycle no Ie's website and do the following:
  • Take the west coast for Oshima (~13km) and cross to Hakatajima, with possible stop on:
    • Mount Kiro Observatory Point [I am aware that there's a steep incline so this would be contingent on my physical/mental status by then].
    • Nagahama Beach
• Take the coastal route for Hakatajima (~17km) and cross to Omishima and enjoy the coastal scenery
• Take the coastal route (again) for Omishima (~41km) (or lesser depending on how I'm feeling at that point) , with possible stop on:
  • -TBC: Okunoshima (there is apparently a ferry route to the well-known rabbit island via Omishima port. Not sure if anyone else have tried this particular route and if this is a better approach than going through Tadano-umi (though I would acknowledge that there's historical stuff to visit in nearby Takehara), and I would not be able to buy rabbit food in advance).[Based on Google Earth estimate, its about 3km for the entire island loop - seems doable within 2 hours to tour the poison gas museum with a bike and pet some rabbits).
  • Oyamazumi Shrine Treasure Museum
• End the day at WAKKA (Omishima) OR Guesthouse NEST / Soil Setoda (Ikuchijima) just beside Kousanji / The Hill of Hope (closes 1700). If possible, visit before closing, otherwise defer to next day.
• Try the ice cream at Dolce at Ikuchijima if possible.
• Bonus: if for some reason I am still ahead of time at this juncture (<1500), proceed to finish Innoshima and Mukaishima, then take a ferry to backtrack to Wakka/Soil Setoda or cycle back (last boat is ~1700) and rest; however, the next day I will zip straight to Onomichi via ferry after breakfast.

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Hiroshima + Yamaguchi (~4 days)
Specific thoughts while planning:

1. Onomichi is a pretty good base to jump to Okayama to explore Okayama, Kurashiki or Tomonoura with the Shinkansen accessibility, but it is impossible to cover them all within a single day. If I finish the Shimanami Kaido within a single day or finish it early on the second day, I will have that extra time to visit those.
2. There's another sightseeing train etSETOra from Onomichi to Hiroshima but it only operates on Monday/Friday/Saturday/Sunday. For now the schedule could fit the train timetable pretty nicely.
3. Would anyone suggest visiting Miyajima in the morning or in the evening? This would help me determine the order for the Kintaikyo Bridge/Miyajima day trip. Watching the sunset at either destination is pretty good in my books.

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Day 8: Hiroshima (Shinamani Kaido Onomichi) [Sunday, 19 Nov]

• Continue from Ikuchijima towards Innoshima and Mukaishima (~18km) via the western coast route after breakfast, with possible stops on the following areas:
  • Innoshima: Innoshima Flower Centre, Shimanami Beach [open to more suggestions]
  • Mukaishima : there seems to be a lot of brunch places like Willows Nursery etc, soak the view at Mukaishima Rest Park [TBC: open to more suggestions]

Ideally reach Onomichi just around lunch or earlier. Chill for the rest of the day, and if I'm still up for it, explore Onomichi, including but not limited to:

• Exploring the cat alley
• Visit the exhibits at Onomichi City Museum of Art
• Consider walking to Senkoji and Onomichi Hondori Shopping Street
• Look into trying Onomichi-style ramen.

Retire at a guesthouse/hotel near JR Onomichi that I have forwarded the luggage to.
​
Day 9: Hiroshima (Onomichi, Takehara+Kure OR Tomonoura OR Okayama) Downtown Hiroshima) [Monday, 20 Nov]

• Mill around Onomichi in the morning (if not done yesterday), with a side trip to EITHER Takehara/Kure OR Okayama/Kurashiki OR Tomonoura (choose one):
  • Takehara: stroll along the historical townscape [and look if they have any Tamayura-related merch], Okunoshima (if not done during the Shimanami Kaido leg / Kure: look into trying Kure curry/Niku-jaga and visit the Yamato Museum
  • Okayama: Okayama Castle (zip via Shinkansen) / Kurashiki : Kurashiki Bikan Historical Quarter
  • Tomonoura: stroll along the townscape during the day (zip via Shinkansen, transfer to local bus)
• Return to Onomichi (no later than 1400), board the etSETOra sightseeing train at 1437, and zip to Hiroshima. Enjoy the sunset along the coastline.
• Retire for the night at Hiroshima proper, probably near JR Hiroshima OR the bus terminal. If time permits, take a gander along the streets and see what takes me from there.

​
Day 10: Hiroshima (Downtown Hiroshima) [Tuesday, 21 Nov]
Spend the day surveying Hiroshima proper.

• Peace Memorial Park (平和記念公園) and Atomic Bomb Dome
• Hiroshima National Peace Memorial Hall for the Atomic Bomb Victims (国立広島原爆死没者追悼平和祈念館)
• Hiroshima Castle
• Orizuru Tower (おりづるタワー)
• Shukkeien (縮景園)
• Optional: Mazda Museum / Kure (if not done the previous day)
• Try to source for Hiroshima-specific food: Okonomiyaki, Dandan Noodles

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Day 11: Hiroshima (with a day trip to Yamaguchi) [Wednesday, 22 Nov]

• Daytrip to Yamaguchi [Shin-Iwakuni] to visit Kintaikyo Bridge via Shinkansen. Also stop by the nearby Iwakuni Castle.
• Try Tonosama Sushi at Iwakuni if possible.
• Take the local train back to Miyajimaguchi and take the boat to Itsukushima.Take the time to stroll around the island and perhaps watch the sunset at the torii gate.
• Exit back to Hiroshima via boat to Hiroshima Port direct, and transit back to hotel.

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Shimane + Tottori (4 days)
Specific thoughts while planning:

1. Matsue becomes the main jump point for Shimane just because of the subsidized highway bus from Hiroshima, and ease of access towards Tottori later. There's no direct train between Hiroshima and Izumo/Matsue (!).
2. Tottori is really wide size-wise, to the point that it feels more efficient to have two separate hotels in two nights (Kurayoshi/Misasa Onsen + downtown Tottori) rather than one hotel for two nights (i.e. downtown Tottori). Could be just me making excuses to get into an onsen ryokan however.
3. Is there anything interesting at Yonago (Tottori) that I should take note of? Based on my initial survey nothing in particular pops up (other than the Tottori Prefectural Flower Park).
4. Skipping Tottori Castle since it doesn’t seem to be interesting at first glance. Any other interesting things to at Tottori downtown (or nearby)?

​
Day 12: Hiroshima Shimane (Matsue) [Thursday, 23 Nov]

• Make good use of the 500yen highway bus from Hiroshima to Matsue. (3.5 hours transit). Fortunately the frequency is not too bad (7-8 buses per day, looking at 0800 departure or later); if there are still outstanding places to visit in Hiroshima I will visit them in the morning.
• Check in at a hotel near JR Matsue, and proceed to trawl around Matsue with whatever daylight is left. (TBC: am considering taking a few stops down to Tamatsukuri Onsen 玉造温泉 or Matsue-shinjoko Onsen instead of the typical hotel. Does anyone have any positive experiences there?)
• Attempt to spend the afternoon at the Adachi Museum of Art. Local train to Yasugi, transfer to free shuttle.
• Chill off in downtown Matsue for the night. Prowl for Shimane-specific food such as Naniwa Zushi (浪花寿司), Shijimi clams (しじみ), Izumo soba, Izumo Zenzai (出雲ぜんざい).
• Bonus: visit the Tottori Prefectural Flower Park for the winter Hanakairo Flower Illumination at Yonago at night [which is just beside Matsue. Free shuttle bus at Yonago bus terminal].

​
Day 13: Shimane (Izumo / Matsue) [Friday, 24 Nov]

• Day trip from Matsue to Izumo. (JR Matsue JR Izumo, swap to Ichibata local rail to Izumotaisha-mae)
• Take a stop at Izumo Taisha, as well as the nearby Shimane Museum of Ancient Izumo (島根県立古代出雲歴史博物館)
• After lunch, return to JR Matsue and proceed to Yushien Garden (由志園) via bus. Enjoy the sunset over the garden.
• Stop by Matsue Castle on the way back.

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Day 14: Shimane (Matsue) Tottori (Kurayoshi) [Saturday, 25 Nov]

• Transfer from Matsue to Kurayoshi in the morning via Super Matsukaze Limited Express (~1h).
• Settle down luggage at Misasa Onsen, then proceed to hike up Mitokusan Sanbutsuji Temple (三仏寺). Cater extra time just in case I have to wait for another fellow to pop up to climb in pairs. Estimated climb time excluding wait is about 2-3 hours both ways?
• Excess time to be spent sauntering Misasa Onsen and its nearby area such as the Nijisseiki Pear Museum [二十世紀梨記念館（なしっこ館)] and Kurayoshi Historical Quarter.
• Retire at Misasa Onsen for the night. Bonus: watch the constellations at night at Misasa Onsen on a Monday/Wednesday/Friday, 2100JST. Current plan does not fall within those 3 weekdays
• Bonus: take a short detour to Conan Town (postnote: not a big fan of the show).

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Day 15: Tottori (Kurayoshi Tottori) [Sunday, 26 Nov]

• Transfer from Kurayoshi to Tottori (~35minutes transfer) in the morning, and proceed to tour around Tottori.
• Drop luggage, take a local bus to Tottori Sand Dunes, and visit the nearby Sand Museum.
• Transfer northwards to Uradome Coast via local bus and spend the remainder of the day there. Watch the sunset over the coast.
• Return to downtown Tottori, stroll around and call it a night.

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Hyogo, Kyoto, Osaka , Nara, Mie (10 days)
Specific thoughts while planning:

1. Kinosaki Onsen is intentionally designed to be a slow-paced leg to recover [and also to make time to enjoy the onsens].
2. The limited express train between Kinosaki Onsen and Osaka stops by Himeji thus I thought of resting a night there instead of doing day trips via Osaka.
3. Osaka itinerary does look sparse but that is in large part because I have already visited most of them in the past. Nevertheless, I would like to experience how different it is in autumn compared to summer [based on those few destinations that I loved going previously].
4. I have kept one float day to decompress, OR shift to any of the other prefectures (TBC).
5. There are (multiple) special limited express train by Kintetsu; they're not covered by JR pass but nevertheless I would love to ride on those as an experience. The Kintetsu pass covers the basic fare only but based on my preliminary cost estimate, it is still worth getting it.
6. Is it feasible to compress Himeji and Kobe to a single day?
7. The itineraries for Osaka, Kyoto, Nara and Mie are flexible since they're literally beside one another - makes it particularly easy to shift around base on ground situation.

​
Day 16: Tottori (Tottori) Hyogo (Kinosaki Onsen) [Monday, 27 Nov]

• Settle any outstanding sightseeing spots in the morning if required in Tottori, then transfer to Kinosaki Onsen via the Sanin Line.
• Make a pitstop at Amarube ('Sky Station') and marvel at the engineering work.
• Deposit luggage at the ryokan (or put in the coin locker), and stroll around and enjoy Kinosaki Onsen [after all its an onsen town].
• Try to hit as many of the 7 external onsens that are usable. Retire for the night here.
• Optional: go up the ropeway and oversee Kinosaki Onsen in the evening (last ride up ~1630)
• Optional: take a short hike up to Onsenji Temple.

​
Day 17: Hyogo (Kinosaki Onsen + Northern Kyoto (Amanohashidate) day trip) [Tuesday, 28 Nov]

• Optional: take a (very) early start to the day to Takeda Castle Ruins and witness the 'floating castle' effect in the morning (<0800).
• Day trip to Amanohashidate via ToyookaKyotango Railway. Do the funny bend-down pose on the bench at Amanohashidate View Land, and see how it feels like looking at the world inverted.
• Cross the sandbar and look from the other side (Nariaiji Temple / Kasamatsu Park)
• Select one of three additional side-trips:
  • EITHER take a local bus up to Ine to look at the Funaya + sightseeing boat,
  • OR local rail down to Maizuru to look at the Maizuru World Brick Museum + eat at the Michi-no-eki;
  • OR reverse to Toyooka spend time in the city itself e.g. Izushi Castle Town
• Return to Kinosaki Onsen, and continue experiencing the remainder of the onsens. Retire for the night here. Optional: ride the Aomatsu sightseeing train back to Toyooka.
• Optional: Take a trip to Ankokuji Temple (安国寺) in the evening. Likely to visit post-peak autumn which means less than ideal viewing conditions.

Day 18: Hyogo (Kinosaki Onsen Himeji) [Wednesday, 29 Nov]

• Transit from Kinosaki Onsen to Himeji via Limited Express Hamakaze (~2 hours).
• Deposit luggage at the hotel or the coin lockers at the station, then proceed for sightseeing.
• Walk along the Miyuki Street Shopping District which is en-route to Himeji Castle.
• Himeji Castle sector : Himeji Castle (姫路城), Kokoen (好古園)
• Take a local bus at Himeji Castle to go to Mount Shosha and hike up Engyōji Temple (圓教寺)
• Optional : Stroll along Hyogo Prefectural Museum of History and/or Himeji City Museum of Art which is beside the castle, OR Shosha Handicraft Museum which is just at the foot of Mount Shosha
• Optional: Make a detour to the Japan Toy Museum near Koro station (~30 minutes from JR Himeji). Closes 1700.
• Look for Hyogo-specific food: Kobe beef, steamed pork buns, sobameshi, himeji oden, etc

Retire at Himeji for the night.
Day 19: Hyogo (Himeji Kobe) Osaka (Dotonburi) [Thursday, 30 Nov]
Day trip to Kobe, before continuing further down to Osaka.

• Check out from Himeji, transit further down to Kobe for another stop before Osaka. Place luggage at the holding facility within the Shinkansen station.
• Take a visit to the Earthquake Memorial Museum (人と防災未来センター) to look at the devastation wrought by the 1995 earthquake.
• Stroll along Kobe Harborland (神戸ハーバーランド) and Meriken Park (メリケンパーク) , look at the Kobe Tower since its closed till 2024 for renovation, and look at the damage caused by the earthquake
• Optional: Head westwards to Hyogo Prefectural Museum of Art.
• Optional: Hit up the ASICS Sports Museum (アシックススポーツミュージアム)
• Look at the engineering feat that is the Akashi-Kaikyo Bridge and the nearby Akashi Kaikyo Bridge Exhibition Center at Maiko. (Suzume no Tojimari)
• Return to Shin-kobe, pick up luggage, and transit to Shin-Osaka via Shinkansen, and then to Dotonburi/Shinsaibashi. End the (long) day in Osaka.

Day 20: Osaka [Friday, 1 Dec]
Osaka Nostalgia (acid) trip, speedrun edition: revisiting places that I want to go again

• Day trip to Mino Park and revisit the waterfall (I loved visiting it previously) via the Hankyu line in the morning.
• Zoom down to the Osaka Aquarium after lunch and walk around it (Minoo Umeda Honmachi Osakako Station).
• From there, race towards Abeno Harukas and watch the sunset/nightview at Abeno Harukas.
• Bonus: revisit Sumiyoshi Taisha if time permits.
• Spend whatever time remains at night at Nipponbashi Denden Town (shops close at ~2000) and Dotonburi (some stores are still open near midnight) and/or Shinsekai (新世界).

Day 21: Osaka (Nara day trip) [Saturday, 2 Dec]
Spend a day in Nara.

• Zoom from Namba to Nara via Kintetsu (note: non-JR)
• Explore Todaiji Temple, Kokufuji Temple, Isuien Garden and Kasuga Taisha.
• Optional: pass by Naramachi (奈良町) on the way back.
• Take the Kintetsu line down to Mount Yoshino. [TBC: subject to whether I am too early or late for the koyo.Based on last year's prediction I am about 1-2 weeks too late. Might swap this out to a Uji day trip instead in Kyoto.). Spend time walking around the Shimo Senbon and Naka Senbon and experience the autumn.
• Transfer back to Osaka. Bonus: take the Blue Symphony back to Osaka instead of the typical train. (non-JR)

Day 22: Osaka (Mie day trip) [Sunday, 3 Dec]
Day trip to Mie.

• Take the Iseshima Liner from Tsuruhashi Station (near Namba/Dotonburi) to Ise. Bonus: take the Hinotori from Osaka to Tsu, then transfer to Mie. (non-JR)
• Hit up Ise Jingu (伊勢神宮) [both inner and outer] and Okage Yokocho (おかげ横丁)
• Try to eat Matsuaka Beef or Ise Udon for lunch.
• Head westwards to Futamiokitama Shrine (二見興玉神社) / Meotoiwa Rocks; and if further time permits, go to Toba for the Ama Viewing Platform.
• Take the returning Shimakaze Limited Express train back to Osaka (note: only one train at 1630; if this train is missed, change to normal express trains). (non-JR)
• Retreat back to Osaka for the night. Consider doing any other night activities in Osaka if time, and body permits.

Day 23: Osaka ('north' Kyoto day trip) [Monday, 4 Dec]
(north) Kyoto day trip.

• Take a stop at the Kyoto Railway Museum. Optional: also consider heading to To-ji Gojunoto first if I reach Kyoto way early before 10am.
• Walk back to Kyoto station, and take a bus northwards to Kyoto Manga Museum.
• Hop on the bus direct from the Manga Museum to Kinkakuji. [bus 15]
• Select one of two side-trips:
  • EITHER head westwards to Arashiyama (note: already visited once in the summer but I still think it nice to visit in autumn/winter this time round). Bonus: experience sunset along the Togetsukyo Bridge.
  • OR head eastwards to Higashiyama (closes 1700), Philosopher's path etc (did not visit these in my past trip here so there's the 'new' factor, but it is going to be a physically taxing day. Also, most likely will reach here nearing evening i.e. closing time thus there's a limit to how much I can visit realistically).

Whichever choice, return back to Osaka for the night. Look out for Kyoto-specific food such as Yudofu, Saba Sushi, Warabi Mochi, Nishin Soba (にしんそば) etc.
Day 24: Osaka ('south' Kyoto day trip) [Tuesday, 5 Dec]
(south) Kyoto day trip edition (mainly Uji and Fushimi).

• Zip from Osaka to Kyoto via Keihan to Uji Station.
• Spend the better half of the morning in Uji.
• Visit the Byōdō-in and the nearby Tonoshima and Tachibana Island.
• Hike up to the Daikichiyama Observation Deck to oversee Uji as a whole. On the way down, explore Ujigami Shrine.
• Take the chance to buy some Uji tea as gifts to relatives. Have lunch along the Omotesando Road.
• Head further northwards to Fushimi, and do another hike up Fushimi Inari. (Note: visited once in the past but I liked the experience thus I would like to do it again.) Bonus: if its done in the evening.

Head back to Osaka and retire for the night. Consider doing any other night activities in Osaka if time, and body permits.
Day 25: Osaka (wildcard) [Wednesday, 6 Dec]
Spare day to do whatever I feel like doing OR reallocate this to another prefecture. Intentionally left blank for later planning
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Kanazawa, Gifu+ (4 days)
Specific thoughts while planning:

1. Is it likely for the skiing season to open around 9~10 December at Shiga Kogen or Nozawa Onsen? Would very much like to try skiing for fun, but am uncertain if the snow condition would be satisfactory by then. Some of the skiing website indicates that these two destinations are usually the first to open. I would like to seek advise on this if possible [never skiied before].
2. As an additional question to point 1, is 2 days adequate just to get a flavor on skiing?
3. Kanazawa is a pretty solid jump point to Shirakawago/Takayama via express buses (~1 to 2 hour one way).
4. My initial planning considered going to Kurobe Gorge (Toyama) but apparently the railways are closed from December onwards. Please correct me if I am mistaken.
5. Another sightseeing train in Kanazawa that I can fit in nicely in my current plans (花嫁のれん), runs on Mon/Fri/Sat/Sun.

Day 26: Osaka Ishikawa (Kanazawa (Kanazawa cityside)) [Thursday, 7 Dec]

• Zip from Osaka to Kanazawa via Limited Express Thunderbird in the early morning (~3hours; ideally the 0740 or 0810 service). Drop luggage at the hotel near JR Kanazawa and explore the cityside.
• Have lunch at the Omicho Market (近江町市場), OR at Higashi Chaya District.
• Stroll around Kanazawa Castle (金沢城, Kanazawajō) and the nearby Kenrokuen (兼六園) / Seisonkaku Villa (成巽閣, Seisonkaku) .
• Consider visiting one or more of the nearby museums if possible:
  • D.T. Suzuki Museum OR
  • National Crafts Museum OR
  • 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art
• Optional: Head southwards to Myoryuji Temple + Nishi Chaya District.
• Optional: Head northwards to Higashi Chaya District (if not done for lunch).

Any outstanding spots not completed today, to be rolled over to the next 2 days (if possible).

• Retire in Kanazawa for the night. Be on the lookout for Kanazawa-specific food: Gold-leaf ice cream, oden, hanton rice
• Optional: have a stay at Yuwaku Onsen for at least one night for anime-related reasons. (Hanasaku Iroha)

​
Day 27: Ishikawa (Kanazawa cityside) / Gifu (Shirakawago, Takayama) [Friday, 8 Dec]

• Day trip to Shiwakawago and Takayama via Nohi bus (non-JR, ~1h). Grab the morning bus express bus to Shirakawago and explore the place in the morning. Experience early snowfall (?) there. Optional: visit Ainokura on the way towards Shirakawago.
• Take another express bus down to Takayama for lunch (~1h travel time).
• Explore what Takayama has to offer. Stroll along the old town near the bus terminal and visit the Takayama Jinya. If time permits, stroll along the Higashiyama Walking Course.
• Optional: pay a visit to Hida Folk Village.
• Return to Kanazawa via Hida Limited Express to Toyama Shinkansen to Kanazawa, OR take the same Nohi express bus directly back (non-JR).
• Retire at Kanazawa for the night. Last express bus from Takayama to Kanazawa is 1630, arrive at 1845. Alternatively, head northwards to Toyama via JR and transfer to Kanazawa.

​
Day 28: Ishikawa (Kanazawa cityside / outskirts) [Saturday, 9 Dec]
Side trip to Wakura Onsen / Nanao for anime-related sightseeing. (Insomanics after Class, Hanasaku Iroha)

• Zoom from Kanazawa up to Wakura Onsen/Nanao via Limited Express Noto Kagaribi. Do some sightseeing related to Insomanics after Class and Hanasaku Iroha.
• Do some train spotting with two anime along the Noto Railways. Stop at Nishigishi station for some sightseeing. (non-JR)
• Return to Kanazawa in the evening from Wakura Onsen via the sightseeing train Hanayomenoren [花嫁のれん, last train 1630).
• End the night at Kanazawa.

Day 29: Ishikawa (wildcard) [Sunday, 10 Dec]
Spare day to do whatever I feel like doing OR reallocate this to another prefecture. Intentionally left blank for later planning
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Tokyo (~6 days)
Specific thoughts while planning:

1. Specific interest to target: anime/vtuber stuff, music (piano in particular), bookstores etc.
2. This is the point in time I should go ham on souvenier purchase if I have not done so. I'll probably get an extra cardboard box or duffel bag to lug with me to the airport to store extra stuff.
3. Would like to seek recommendation on where I should set my base for the 5~6 days here. For now I am planning to pit at Ginza, subject to availability and cost. My thought is that as long as its along the Yamanote line everything rolls I suppose.
4. Hard pass on Golden Gai on the Shunjuku leg (I do not drink).
5. There's way too many to list in terms of what I would like to do in Tokyo, but I have listed items that are of particular interest to me first within the available time frame. If you have strong opinions on specific locations do let me know.

Day 30: Ishikawa (Kanazawa) Tokyo (Ginza) [Monday, 11 Dec]

• Zip from Kanazawa to Tokyo via the Hoririku Shinkansen in the morning (just north of two hours). (TBC : If I can optimize my schedule better, I can try squeezing two days here for a stop at Nozawa Onsen / Shiga Kogen (Nagano) for a short ski experience).
• Deposit luggage at one of the Ginza hotels (TBC: subject to cost; might swap for another location later on)
• Explore ('south') Tokyo with the remainder of the day.
• Marvel at the architecture that is the Tokyo Station and its surrounding.
• Visit the Imperial Palace.
• Head south towards the Mori Art Museum (closes 2200)
• End the night with a stop at Tokyo Tower (closes 2230).

Day 31: Tokyo (Shibuya, Shinjuku and Nakano) [Tuesday, 12 Dec]
Explore ('west') Tokyo, namely Shibuya, Shinjuku and Nakano.

• Start off with an early day visit to Meji Shrine / Yoyogi Park.
• Head up to Shinjuku. Spend the remainder of the morning and lunch exploring Kabukicho, Hanazono Shrine and Omoide Yokochō (ideally have lunch here). Also make a pit stop at Kinokuniya's flagship store at Shinjuku.
• Head northwards to Nakano Broadway and trawl for anime goods for several hours (closes ~1900)
• Head south down back to Shibuya and experience the crossing in peak night condition. Walk around and soak in the atmosphere. Optional: stop by the Ishibashi music store at Shibuya (closes 2000).
• Cap off the night and look at the night view at Shibuya Sky (closes 2230). Zip back to the hotel at Ginza.

Day 32: Tokyo (Akibahara, Asakusa and Sky Tree) [Wednesday, 13 Dec]

• Kick off the day with a morning visit to Asakusa (i.e. Sensoji).
• Transit over to Tokyo Skytree to watch the Tokyo cityscape in the day.
• Trawl around Akibahara for the afternoon. (Animate, Sega claw machines, etc).
• Also stop by Ochanomizu for sightseeing (Suzume no Tojimari)
• Zip back to the hotel for the night. If time permits, stop by the two flagship music stores along Ginza: Yamaha Ginza and Yamano Ginza. Also, visit Itoya Ginza (stationary store).

Day 33: Tokyo (Kamakura day trip OR Ikebukuro) [Thursday, 14 Dec]
EITHER take a day trip Kamakura, OR explore northern Tokyo (Ikebukuro)
Kamakura leg:

• Make a detour to Used Tyre Market Sagamihara Store to experience the retro vending machines. Then head southwards to Enoshima.
• Look at the giant Buddha statue and stroll along Hasedera.
• Take the Enoden to Enoshiima and explore the island.
• Take the JR back to Ginza and retire for the night.

Tokyo (Ikebukuro leg):

• Visit Otome Road for otaku related stuffs.
• Trawl the usual suspects such as Bic Camera etc.
• Make a stop at the Mejiro Gardens.
• Visit the Waseda International House of Literature (The Haruki Murakami Library) at Waseda University.

Day 34: Tokyo (wildcard) [Friday, 15 Dec]
Spare day to do whatever I feel like doing OR reallocate this to another prefecture. Intentionally left blank for later planning
​
Day 35: Tokyo Home [Saturday, 16 Dec]

• Contemplate life at the hotel, doing whatever I feel like for the morning and early afternoon. Bonus: have an early breakfast at Tsukiji Market in the morning if staying at Ginza.
• Clear any last minute administrative matter (if any), or do (very) last minute sightseeing/buying. Most likely limited to Ginza and Akibahara.
• Get a nice lunch omakase to cap it off if possible. (taking recommendations if anyone has one, ideally meat/beef centric instead of just sushi).
• Head off to Narita from Tokyo Station via NEX just after lunch at 1430 1530 to Narita, flight at 1830.

END
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If you're still reading up to this point, here's my own personal ramblings/thoughts on JR pass usage:
I have thought of two ways of doing this for the first 21 days:
a. easy-mode : just get 21 days JR global pass before the price hike at 60450 yen, OR b. hard-mode: get a 7 day JR global pass (to cover the NEX fees, the basic fee on the Sunrise Seto to Shikoku, as well as limited express trains within Shikoku) (29650) + 5 days for JR Okayama Hiroshima Yamaguchi Area Pass (15000) + 4 days for JR Sanin Okayama Area Pass + 5 days for JR Kansai Wide Area Pass (10000) for a total of 59230.
The initial conclusion was to go with option A since that reduces the administrative burden, but I realized the individual passes do have its own perk which truimphs over the global JR pass. For instance, the Sanin Okayama Area Pass provides a (minor) discount for the Adachi Museum of Art; the Kansai Wide Pass covers the Kyotango route between Kinosaki Onsen and Amanohashidate which the global JR pass does not cover, JR Okayama Hiroshima Yamaguchi Area Pass covers JR buses within Hiroshima for free, therefore I am inclined to go with the hell option (option B) as it stands.
For the remaining 14 days, I could also get the global 14 day JR pass at 47250 yen but it is not worth it at all, because I will be relying largely on Kintetsu for the Osaka/Kyoto/Nara/Mie leg which the JR pass most certainly does not cover.

• For the Osaka/Nara/Mie/Kyoto leg, I intend to make good use of a mix of both local metro and the Kintetsu rail pass for 5 days (4900). If I do exploit Kintetsu's limited express train to its fullest, I should be able to save money by buying the pass. The Osaka Amazing Pass at 2600yen a day does not make financial sense for me this time round, given how little I am exploring within Osaka.
• For the Osaka Kanazawa, Shirakawago and Takayama leg, the preferred pass of choice is the Takayama-Hokuriku Area Tourist Pass over the global JR pass, in large part because this pass fully absorbs the Nohi highway bus fees (which can rack up quite a lot at ~8000yen for a return trip between Kanazawa and Shirakawago/Takayama). Also this absorbs the Thunderbird fee. One major issue with my current plan is that it does not cover Wakura Onsen nor the sightseeing train.
• For the final Kanazawa Tokyo leg, the preferred choice is the Horuriku Arch Pass that covers the direct Shinkansen back to Tokyo, and the NEX fees to Narita when I depart from Tokyo. Will only break even with the pass at best unless I make a stop at Nagano.

So all in all, there's quite little incentive to get the global JR pass after I worked out my schedule, apart from the initial 7 days for the Sunrise Seto jump which the All Shikoku Pass will not cover.
Through the hodge-podge of multiple area passes, it works out to around 102890 yen for the whole trip of 35 days, contrast with 107700 yen for a 21 + 14 global JR pass. While there's a minor cost saving doing the hard way which sweetens the deal, the additional minor perks associated with the area passes sells it for me, as I would had to pay more out of pocket to cover non-JR pass buses/rails and such which would add up to much greater cost than I would had anticipated. Also, if I did this trip post-price hike in October, the calculus becomes a no-brainer: avoid the global JR pass like the plague.
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Thank you very much for your opinions, suggestions and advice in advance!