Darren Holloway

With exactly two weeks to go until I leave, I’m starting to actually do some planning ;)

I just got home from REI, buying some super-fabric travel clothes that weigh nothing and dry instantly. My goal is to make the whole trip with only one bag. And it looks like I’ll be able to achieve it – I put everything I was taking into the backpack, and it all fit, albeit just barely.

On the plus side, this was a test of packing everything – I’ll pretty much always be wearing some of the clothes I jammed in, unless I decide to become “the naked tourist,” which isn’t too likely.

Here’s my planning map, with embedded Sakura forecast. I still have Sendai marked as “on the itinerary,” but given how far north it is compared to everything else, I think there’s about a 50/50 chance that I’ll give it a pass.

Just some links…
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The first 2009 Sakura forecast for Japan is out, and auuugh! They’re early this year! And the front is expected to move fast!

Current forecast (first flowering date – full bloom date)

Okayama: March 24-April 1
Himeji: March 24-April 2
Kyoto: March 24-March 31
Tokyo: March 21-29, March 26-April 4 (different parts of the city)

My plan, such as it is, for my Japan trip next month.

Today, there’s a about a month until I leave for my Japan trip.

When I tell people I’m going, they ask “Where are you visiting and for how long”, I reply “I don’t know.” This always seems to lead into confusion.

Going to Japan has been at the back of my mind for about five years, but last year, seeing some photos of the Sakura (Cherry trees) in full bloom made me decide that a good goal for a trip would be to photograph Sakura. So I decided I would fly to Japan in the Spring of 2009, and follow the blossoms.

And therein lies the problem; Trees are extremely bad at keeping to human schedules – they bloom when they blooming well feel like it.

Fortunately, Cherry Blossom season is a big thing in Japan; so much so, that the country’s meteorological agency publishes forecasts of when the flowers will be blooming in different regions of Japan. As of today (16 Feb/09), they still don’t have the 2009 forecasts posted. According to my web-research, the first one is generally published between mid-February (now) and the beginning of March.

Add onto this that I’m really bad at sticking to dates when traveling. If I find somewhere I really like, I like the freedom to stay a few extra days. If I pass an interesting-looking place on the train, I like the freedom to back-track and just add it to my itinerary.

However, I do have a preliminary list of places I think I want to go… Some may get pruned, some may get added, but this is my “basic plan” at this point:

1. Okayama
2. Himeji
3. Kyoto
4. Kanazawa
5. Matsushima
6. Kinkasan
7. Tokyo